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Life Thoughts
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Written by Tom Zurowski
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Tuesday, 01 January 2008 00:00 |
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It was a beautiful Sunday morning in 1989. I stepped out of the car and
headed throught the doors of the fireman's recreation hall in Albion,
NewYork. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty and anxiety was at
an all time high. This was the morning that I was to speak publically
for the first time. I had practiced preaching my message to myself
about twenty times that morning. I thought it sounded good at home, but
I was so nervouse that I was sure I would vomit as soon as I stood
behind the pulpit. I sat and shook while the announcements were being
read, I remember God speaking to my heart "Just keep it simple."
I did the best I could that day to obey the Lord. He must have gotten
quite a kick out of it when my thirty minute sermon took me less than
half that time. I'm sure I sounded more like a hyper - active
auctioneer than I did an eloquent theologion. I think that was the last
fifteen minute sermon I've ever preached. But one thing has not
changed; I still like to keep it simple. A man once said that the geniouse of anything is to take something that
may appear difficult and to make it simple. I would never lable myself
as a geneouse, but I do believe in the importance simplicity.
Simplicity that is; with total passion. In the church world today we seem to have all kinds of new fangled
ideas about how to present the message of Jesus. I have heard many
times that we should change our methods to reach our culture with The
Message. I'm not sure about the methods, but my advice to any young aspiring
preacher would be to pursue intimacy with God and then stand before the
people and let your heart bleed. As Oswald Chambers once said; "We must never confuse our desire for people to accept the gospel, with creating a gospel that is accepable to people."
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