Comments on: Preaching with Power 3 http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/08/13/preaching-with-power-3/ Let these stones be a witness to what we have done here this day. Tue, 22 Nov 2011 19:54:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tim Sweatman http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/08/13/preaching-with-power-3/#comment-7846 Tim Sweatman Tue, 14 Aug 2007 03:18:47 +0000 http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/08/13/preaching-with-power-3/#comment-7846 I found early morning to be one of my worst times for study and sermon prep (right after lunch is the only worse time). It seems that my most productive time was usually late afternoon and into the evening. I usually focused on more administrative matters in the mornings. Regarding spiritual preparation, I have always been imbalanced on the side of Bible study and sermon research vis-a-vis prayer. In fact, I have always struggled to try to have a deep and consistent prayer life. In terms of personality I am much more intellectual and task oriented than emotional and relationally oriented, so I naturally gravitate toward the more intellectual aspect of preparation than the more relational one. I found early morning to be one of my worst times for study and sermon prep (right after lunch is the only worse time). It seems that my most productive time was usually late afternoon and into the evening. I usually focused on more administrative matters in the mornings.

Regarding spiritual preparation, I have always been imbalanced on the side of Bible study and sermon research vis-a-vis prayer. In fact, I have always struggled to try to have a deep and consistent prayer life. In terms of personality I am much more intellectual and task oriented than emotional and relationally oriented, so I naturally gravitate toward the more intellectual aspect of preparation than the more relational one.

]]> By: Rev. Michael http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/08/13/preaching-with-power-3/#comment-7843 Rev. Michael Tue, 14 Aug 2007 02:04:59 +0000 http://www.twelvewitnesses.com/2007/08/13/preaching-with-power-3/#comment-7843 You will never understand what a "God thing" it is that you posted this right now. I have been struggling mightily with this lately. Yes, I do have to make decisions which sometimes bothers me. Am I making the right one? I am reminded of a question I got while in seminary from a co-worker and friend when she realized what my schedule consisted of...I was a public school teacher by day, a seminary student three to four nights a week, a chaplain that performed services on Sunday, and a man with a family of four all the time. My answer was then that I wasn't the best teacher I could be. I wasn't the best student I could be. I wasn't the best preacher I could be. I wasn't the best father I could be. There simply wasn't enough time. I tried to identify the most important and prioritize my time accordingly. I struggle with time management in that same way. I get some folks that constantly tell me I should be visiting more. (Consequently pastoring in a rural area means 3 or 4 visits can easily kill off an entire workday due to drive time) Others seem to attempt to convince me that I ought to be putting in at least 40 hours a week of office time...hitting the books. Yes Art, there have been numerous days when I had plans to visit that ended up in prayer for folks rather than face to face. There have been days when I really felt I needed to get in several hours of good study when I instead ended up in several hours of prayer. Rarely have I ever felt I wasted my time in prayer instead of performing other tasks. I feel like the Spirit is the one that leads me to hit my knees in most of those occassions. Its His time and He knows what I need most. I have never heard the saying about the first two hours of the day but I find it so wonderful that I may have it stitched in a pillow to put in my office! (Not that I nap during the day!... :) ) May I ask a question? I have also struggled lately with length of sermon. I don't plan for a certain time. I find myself still more teacher (I did it for 8 years) than preacher (3 years vocationally). I just give out what God laid on my heart and what I learned in working through a given passage. There is one school of thought that says not to go over 20 minutes due to people's short attention spans. I sometimes struggle with the concept of limiting God's Word especially when I know most of my Sunday morning folks don't spend any other time in the Word the rest of the week. What are y'all's thoughts? You will never understand what a “God thing” it is that you posted this right now. I have been struggling mightily with this lately. Yes, I do have to make decisions which sometimes bothers me. Am I making the right one? I am reminded of a question I got while in seminary from a co-worker and friend when she realized what my schedule consisted of…I was a public school teacher by day, a seminary student three to four nights a week, a chaplain that performed services on Sunday, and a man with a family of four all the time. My answer was then that I wasn’t the best teacher I could be. I wasn’t the best student I could be. I wasn’t the best preacher I could be. I wasn’t the best father I could be. There simply wasn’t enough time. I tried to identify the most important and prioritize my time accordingly.

I struggle with time management in that same way. I get some folks that constantly tell me I should be visiting more. (Consequently pastoring in a rural area means 3 or 4 visits can easily kill off an entire workday due to drive time) Others seem to attempt to convince me that I ought to be putting in at least 40 hours a week of office time…hitting the books. Yes Art, there have been numerous days when I had plans to visit that ended up in prayer for folks rather than face to face. There have been days when I really felt I needed to get in several hours of good study when I instead ended up in several hours of prayer. Rarely have I ever felt I wasted my time in prayer instead of performing other tasks. I feel like the Spirit is the one that leads me to hit my knees in most of those occassions. Its His time and He knows what I need most.

I have never heard the saying about the first two hours of the day but I find it so wonderful that I may have it stitched in a pillow to put in my office! (Not that I nap during the day!… :) )

May I ask a question? I have also struggled lately with length of sermon. I don’t plan for a certain time. I find myself still more teacher (I did it for 8 years) than preacher (3 years vocationally). I just give out what God laid on my heart and what I learned in working through a given passage. There is one school of thought that says not to go over 20 minutes due to people’s short attention spans. I sometimes struggle with the concept of limiting God’s Word especially when I know most of my Sunday morning folks don’t spend any other time in the Word the rest of the week. What are y’all’s thoughts?

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