Preaching; A beginners perspective

This past Sunday, April 26, I preached for the very first time!

Not true.

This past Sunday, April 26, I preached from a stage at church for the very first time!

I 'preach' to my kids all the time. You do it too. We go into long monologues about why it's so important to brush our teeth or finish our dinner or, the big one in my house at the moment, flush the toilet.

My experience on Sunday, however, was a little different.

I felt quite nervous coming into Sunday. I was prepared, had my message nicely typed out with things in bold and underlined to make sure I stressed what I wanted to stress.

I had my slides and video clip ready to go for our media team. I had read and reread my message 20 times.

Still, I was nervous.

It wasn't a public speaking thing. Back in my 20's I had the chance to go on tour with a rock band and I've sang in front of thousands of people. I've had the opportunity on several occasions to be a keynote speaker for an international organization, speaking to groups from 30 to 300 people.

Then it happened. Pastor Jim and Pastor Steve came to me, just casually, and said "How do you feel?" I told them. "Pretty nervous." Before I could even get the words out Jim said "What us to pray for you?" So they did.

The point of this post is not to tell you how great the experience of preaching was, though it was amazing.

or how cool it was to see God affecting His people through that message, though the emails and phone calls certainly tell me He did.

or to tell you how much I would like to do it again, though I certainly would.

the point of all this is to say;

I work with the most caring group of people on the planet

and

please give your stuff to God or surround yourself with people who will remind you to.

He can handle it.

"Come to me, all you who are troubled and weighted down with care, and I will give you rest"
-Matt. 11:28