After spending some time reading about John Owen in Piper's Contending for our All, I was struck by many things. But I think the one major takeaway point I want is this: John Owen only preached in public about things that he experienced in private. Over the years in Christian ministry it becomes easy to just say things that are true but that you are not currently experiencing. But people won't be as excited by something you speak about, if you are not also currently experiencing it. As I look back I see this to be true from many of my talks at C4C weekly meetings. I will get passionate about something I know is true because I am experiencing it, and I know that the audience gets excited about it. But if I speak on a solid prayer life when I am not currently experiencing it, it is just words that are true but have no life. So this year I want to speak more about what God is teaching me in my life. This means sermon preparation is more than just study… it is taking time to make sure I am doing things as much as I know them.
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