Thoughts on Life and Death

life and death
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The news of the death of Marlin’s pitcher Jose Fernandez shocked the sports world Sunday morning.  Fernandez, only 24 years old, was an incredibly talented pitcher with a larger than life personality.  His exuberance inspired his teammates and often infuriated his opponents.  His shocking death in the prime of his life gives reason for us all to reflect on our lives.  What are your thoughts on life and death?

Life is fragile, and one inescapable statistic is that 1 out of every 1 people die.  For some, like Fernandez, that death seems to come much to early. For others, death comes as a welcomed release from a long struggle for survival.  Regardless of it’s timing, however, death eventually visits everyone, and we must prepare while we can.

One inescapable statistic is that 1 out of every 1 people die.

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Are You Prepared to Hear the Sermon?

ear helpMost pastors I know work very hard at the most important thing we do – teaching and preaching God’s Word. I am sure there are a few who take short cuts and preach sermons already prepared in a book or online, but most that I know spend a good amount of time and pour a lot of spiritual energy into each sermon. Many of us prepare three sermons a week.

More than 20 years ago, God led me to Colossians 1:28-29, and that passage has since been the Biblical motivation for me as I prepare and preach. I see it as God’s commission to me as a preacher and because I take the verse and commission seriously, I prepare as fastidiously as possible.

Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. – Colossians 1:28-29

I’ve heard some preachers confess that they spend as much as 12-20 hours on the Sunday morning sermon alone. Thirty years of preparing sermons week after week has taught me how to research and compile material more quickly than I did at first. Digital tools and resources (which I have amassed over the last several years at the cost of a small fortune) have made the process more streamlined for me and saved me some time as well.

I wondered what would happen if listeners prepared themselves to hear as diligently as preachers prepare themselves to preach. I certainly wouldn’t expect it to be an equal amount of time, but my fear is that most hearers sit down in church to hear a sermon having given little to no thought or prayer to prepare themselves for what God wants to say to them.

Yesterday, Thom Rainer, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources posted an article on his blog that gave some practical steps we can take to prepare ourselves to hear God speak through the sermon. I am including a link to the article below, and I want to challenge you to read it and take some time this week (and every week from this point on) preparing yourself to hear what God wants to say directly to YOU on Sunday.

I believe your preparation will make you a better hearer and certainly make your preacher a better preacher.

Use the comment section below to share ways you prepare yourself to hear God’s Word.

 

Seven Ways Church Members Should Prepare for a Sermon by Thom Rainer