Next Level...

I am humbled and astonished when God takes my prepared words and moves to a completely new level of communication and preaching.  Last night my sermon went way deeper than my notes would ever have predicted.

Preaching really is an art of handing over your prep to God and letting Him speak through you. The more I preach the more I realise how important good preparation is, but also how loosely you have to hang onto your own preparation because you have to be ready to move with God.   I didn't go off my notes last night, but I did develop ideas and thoughts, even illustrations that I hadn't considered in my prep but spoke much more effectively to the congregation.

Again it's not because I am a great preacher (far from it), but because I really felt the Holy Spirit was communicating in the hearts of people in the congregation. It is a very humbling experience.  I would love for other pastors to share their experiences of this too...