Sunday, May 31, 2009

3 questions I find myself thinking about on Sunday mornings

So here are the 3 questions I find myself thinking about on Sunday mornings (and truth be told, Mon-Sat as well).

  1. Has what I am about to preach made any affect on me personally? Has it stirred my affections for Jesus Christ? Has it produced humble, repentant fruit in my life? Can I think of tangible ways in which I am different for having poured my life into it the previous week? The LAST thing the church needs is a hypocrite preaching to them about things that ultimately have been of no lasting value in his own life. God forgive me when I have done that!

  2. Have I given careful attention to the gospel concerning what I am bout to preach? I cannot just assume this will happen. I have to think, "Am I preaching a message that could be given at a civic club, a mosque, or a synagogue with a few minor tweaks?" Or is what I am preaching the radical nature of a gospel that fundamentally changes everything? Have I considered how the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the resurrection of Christ has changed the discussion on this topic?

  3. Have I considered how this affects "us" not just "me" or "you" (in the singular). In other words, much of the New Testament is given to an assembly of people, not just an individual. Even the portions that were given to individuals were often meant for a larger community. Have I paid attention to that? Have I considered that this passage speaks to a greater church community, not just isolated individuals?
I think I do better when these 3 questions have done work on my sermons.