The Thoughts of a Young Preacher

I am not sure if it is true with all preachers but I love to hear a powerful sermon preached from God's word. I am moved during heartfelt times of worship and prayer but for me there is something very special about hearing the word of God preached. It might have something to do with me being the speaker most of the time but I really do love to hear the word of God preached. Sometimes it moves me into new directions and causes the walls that I tend to build up from time to time around my heart to come down. This past week I had the privilege of attending the Tulsa International Soul winning workshop. It is something that was much needed for this preacher. Just to sit and listen and feel like I have been trying to say something like that but I did not have the wisdom or skill to say it that well.



Now at this workshop there was a sermon preacher by two men that really moved my heart. One I know well, Randy Harris. Some call him the monk of the churches of Christ. Others call him Johnny Cash because he tends to wear black allot. I knew him first as my professor. In fact he was the professor for my preaching/ speaking classes and it is really great when the one that taught you can do it so well. The other man that preached this sermon is Jerry Taylor. I had never heard him before but I better understand know why he is becoming a well known preacher of God's Word.

I thought that the best way for me to explain the sermon and the impact that it has had on my heart was to share the sermon with you. So I am providing the link to the mp3 version of this sermon. It is large so it will take a few minutes to download but I promise you that it is well worth your time. Just so you know the first minute or so is a prayer so if you skip ahead to about 1:54 in the file you will get to the first part of the sermon. To download it more quickly simply right click the link below and chose save as or save file as. The sermon is started by Randy Harris and finished by Jerry Taylor. Please take the time to listen to the whole thing. I promise that it will be worth your time.

Right click here to download the sermon

P.S. I would love to hear your comments after you listen to the message.

Labels: jerry taylor, randy harris, sermon, tulsa, tulsa workshop

These days I am helping out a little league team by acting as an assistant coach to a 9 and 10 year old softball team. I was asked to help out by one of the members of our church family and I gladly accepted the offer.I have always been involved in some way in sports so this is a great way for me to be able to do that and give back to the community at the same time.

I must admit that I am having to make sure serious adjustments. I have never really coached girls in anything. Sometimes they get hit with the ball and they start crying and I feel horrible. As a boy our coaches always told us to toughen up, or walk it off and we will be ok. Most of the time it was true and not a serious injury at all. Unless they are hit by a ball that is coming off a bat their is not much chance of the girls getting seriously hurt. So when the girls come up to me crying I have this serious urge to say hey toughen up or walk it off. But I am learning with girls that just upsets them more. (I am reminded of that line in the movie A League of their Own, when Tom Hanks says, Hey there is no crying in baseball!")

Now if you have even been involved in baseball or softball you know that there is a position that none of the kids will volunteer to play. Kids hate the outfield and with good reason at the younger ages. Most balls that are hit never make it out in the outfield and so they rarely see allot of action during the game. In our practices we are completing with the girls trying to show each other the latest dance moves, or who can make the best mud pie.
The problem is that in batting practice because the balls are thrown very softly some of our better hitter will regularly hit the balls in the outfield. Yet if our outfielders are making mud pies they can endanger themselves to get hit by the ball and that could be very bad. We are trying to teach them the importance of being aware, 1 for their safety and 2 so that they can help out the team in a game.

A few days ago I was struck by the comparison of this with the Christian walk.
1. We must be aware. We must be aware of our spiritual life, our priorities, our goals. If not we can forgot about what really matters to God. If we get to sucked into the ways of the world Satan will have a field day with our lives.
Peter says it really well: 1 Peter 5:8 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. NIV

2. We must be aware to help out the "team." We must be ready to assist other members of the body of Christ in their times of trouble. It is so easier to not pay attention and find yourself doing things that have nothing to do with God. The truth is that we need each other.


My hope is that together we will not only help each other as the body of Christ but that we will help bring others to Christ, who is the only one that can defeat the Lion when it comes.