We decided at the last minute to go ahead and make a trip to Texas at the end of December. We are really looking forward to the trip! It's not the state we really miss so much, it's the people that live there. I am also looking forward to seeing everyone in San Marcos - we will attend services with them on December 28. There are several other places we are hoping to visit along the way, too. We want to see our families, but it's important to us to visit our spiritual family, too!
The last 3 weeks have been very busy. First, I was preparing for our meeting with George Slover, and then we had our meeting. The next weeking was a meeting in Albuquerque at the Heights congregation, and then yesterday we drove to Las Vegas, NM for me to preach the last night of a meeting there.
The group there was very friendly, and it went well. Afterwards, we had dinner with one of the families and the preacher there. This family had 4 children -- ALL adopted! They were great people to visit with.
We finally got home about 12:30 last night, and I am looking forward to getting back to a normal routine for a while.
George Slover will be here to do a gospel meeting for us starting Sunday! Not only do I look forward to the preaching, but also to time with George and his wife Nancy. They have been dear friends to us for a long time, and they are on couple of many that we miss so much from Texas. As much as we love the group here, it is hard to be away from everyone we have been so close to.
George and I have planned some time to study together, which I look forward to. The congregations are so spread out here, that this is not something I get many opportunities for. I also value George's knowledge and experience. He always has a perspective on things that I haven't considered.
Since our services on Sunday are completed at 12:15, we are planning to take them to the balloon fiesta in Albuquerque Sunday evening. We didn't get to go last year, so it will be a treat for us, too. We will ride the train up there and back, which we haven't gotten around to doing either. I know, we are such dull people! :p
If you are in the area, please join us for services!
Sunday: 9:00 a.m., 10:15 a.m., and 11:15 a.m.
Each weeknight: 7:00 p.m.
I will post recordings within a couple of weeks to our podcast site linked on the side of this blog.
Thank you for all the encouraging comments on the last entry. I appreciate it.
After I wrote that entry, I spoke to a friend of mine that preaches in Angleton, TX and he mentioned a sermon he did on Psalm 7. I began to study this Psalm and it sure changed my outlook! I ended up using it for a sermon yesterday. It went well, but what struck me was that I wasn't the only one that needed Psalm 7! One of the men came up to me and told me it was exactly what he needed, with some difficulties going on with his business! That really made my day. When you know that you've presented God's word in a way that encourages and helps people in their service to Him, you know it was a good day.
I'll manage without the Astros. SFA has a college baseball team that I'll follow. I like watching college and Minor League baseball. They play the game right! You're lucky that you have a Minor League team close by in Albuquerque.
Hey... I just checked out your podcast site. I'd like to email you and ask you questions before I get too deep in doing one myself. Can you email me? AUBigFeet@yahoo.com
I will warn you - if you don't want to read a very personal entry, stop now.
When I first began preaching, I read a book that told me something profound. It talked about how big a job and responsibility being an evangelist is, and that realizing that, there would be times I would feel very inadequate. I sure have found that to be true!
As I sit here with 4 options for Sunday's sermons in front of me, I am not happy with any of them. My wife reminds me I am very hard on myself in regard to preaching, but that sense of inadequacy has made me strive harder for "perfection" if you could quantify that. I always want to improve, I always want to make an impact. When I'm not happy with a sermon, it bothers me. It makes me wonder, "Did I do the work necessary? What am I missing?" I know I'm not going to hit a home run every time in the pulpit, but I try to!
How many of you have this feeling? Do you look at your sermons (or your service to God if you aren't a preacher) and feel like you could or should have done better? Maybe this feeling is what helps us to always try to do a little more for God over time. Or maybe I am rambling and making no sense at all! :)
Ok, time to get back to work and see if I can make these better. I pray that we all make our service to God better as time goes on!
Hey brother, I feel your pain. I could have written that whole post myself. It has helped me to remember that you don't have to set the world on fire to help people. Just explaining the Bible clearly may be the only object of my lesson, but that's nothing to sneeze at. Most of all, it has helped me to get a little ahead and have a few ready lessons to choose from (I know that doesn't help you right now). I read somewhere (maybe Spring Training?) that you're never as good as you think you are and never as bad as you think you are. Hang in there, you're doing good work!
I'm with you. I suppose that feeling never goes away. My biggest concern is always whether or not I'm doing enough good or what can I do more that I'm not. My last thought each night before I go to sleep is, what did I leave undone today, and what do I need to do better tomorrow?
I know exactly how your feel, and I get that feeling every week, it seems.
I usually go into the building with five possibilites for a sermon. I know that sounds strange, but three are generally ones I've preached before, but there might be some need to repeat it, one is basic first principal sermon in case we have visitors, and one is the one I "planned" to preach. I've studied all five, but have probably spent more time on the first principal one and the "new" one. I've been known to switch my final choice sometime between the first song and the song before the lesson.
preaching is such a challenge - so many things going on at once. we want the message to be accurate and truthful (which brings up all kinds of exegetical questions, did I use the best verses to prove the points, etc), we want it to be well illustrated (did I tell the right stories in the right place?) and well communicated (did I speak the truth clearly so it could be understood and applied?). in all of this we are battling screaming babies, days the building is too hot/too cold and more. when you look at all of that it seems like there prolly aren't going to be many times we feel like we got it 100% right. may the Lord forgive us if we are ever easily satisifed -- our work is too important. and may we seek His forgiveness if the reason behind our dissatisfaction is that we just didn't work hard enough/prepare enough to get it right.
