Sincerely, (Your Name)

I was recently listening to an old broadcast of the radio show, This American Life. During the broadcast, Joe Franklin, the host of the longest running talk show in television history was quoted saying,

“The main ingredient to longevity is sincerity. Once you’ve learned to fake that, you’ve got it made.”

Last evening I spent a delightful ninety minutes with the lead worshiper (a.k.a. worship leader) at our church. We talked together about how to create singing and teaching times that best facilitate worship. The first thing we talked about was our own sincerity.

When I listened to the Franklin quote, it helped me think again of the importance of responding to our own sermons in the study, long before we ask others to respond in the service. I pray that you sincerely love God, love His people, and love to teach His Word.

Sincerely,
Randal Pelton

The Chief Thing According to LLoyd-Jones

My current preaching series in church on Romans 12-16 does not present as many hermeneutical issues as the previous series in Isaiah or Joshua.  This gives me some time to talk about other important matters that pertain to those of us who preach.  I’m currently enjoying the 40th anniversary edition of Preaching & Preachers which began as a series of lectures LLoyd-Jones gave at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in the late 60’s.  In pages 130-131 he makes us homileticians squirm, but helps us all refocus when he writes, “The chief thing is the love of God, the love or souls, a knowledge of the Truth, and the Holy Spirit within you. These are the things that make the preacher….That is the big thing.” (p. 131).