This year it’s been my privilege to begin training a group of people who feel called to preach. We call it the PIT Crew—Preachers in Training. It’s not a college-level homiletics class, but does cover the basics of hermeneutics, exegesis, sermon preparation and presentation. It’s a continuing process, and monthly I share new information to help them in the fulfillment of the callings they have. This morning I am working in a message God has given me, and I want to share with the PIT Crew and with others who might benefit from the information.
Today it began with a “revelation”—that is, a thought that comes from God that is meant to be shared with others. Some of the time the revelation comes out of the text; other times the revelation draws me to a text. Often the revelation comes during my devotional time. I then began to process that revelation and how it applies to today’s life. I’ve just finished that part of preparation, and now I’m seeking a scripture from God’s Word that a) confirms what I believe God is saying; and b) reveals recognizable points that enable both the hearer and, especially, me, to see the correlation between the “revelation” and the text. Once I see those points, I’ll begin the process of application, explaining how those points reveal steps we might need to take to draw closer to Christ.
The ultimate objective is to bring a word from God that changes lives, beginning with my own. If the message doesn’t first minister to me I can’t expect it to minister to others.
So, that’s where I am in preparing this new message I believe God wants me to share. I’m looking forward to how He speaks to me and how He will use what He says to bring His word to others.
