What Is Preaching?

by Gene Taylor

"Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." (1 Cor. 1:20-25)

Preaching is the activity of a redeemed man, standing in Christ's stead, by His (Christ's) authority and in obedience to His command, proclaiming, explaining, illustrating, and strongly urging the word of God, the gospel of Christ, in such a manner as to make it possible for responsible people to understand it and accept it unto life or reject it unto death.

Of What Does Preaching Consist?

Preaching has also been defined as, "the authoritative proclamation of the word of the living God by living men of God in God's ordained manner of moving people to Christ and salvation and on to eternal life" (Romans 10:14-17). It is at this point that preaching differs from all other public speech and rises above secular activity. Preaching does not consist in excellency of speech or the wisdom and power of the world but in the testimony, wisdom, and power of God in His word (1 Cor. 2:1-5). It is by God's power in His word faithfully preached by faithful men that dead souls are raised from the spiritual grave to spiritual life, joy, and victory (Romans 11:13-15).

Preaching is a divine function accomplished through men. The divine message of God's love and salvation is delivered to men by a human voice fused with love for God and the souls of men. It is a proclamation in clear, understandable terms which reveals to men the heart and will of God and urges them to obey Him.

If it is not the declaration of the authoritative word of the Son of God, then it is not preaching (Gal. 1:6-9). The gospel preacher does not create facts. He is given them by the King and he must not alter them (1 Pet. 4:11). The preacher speaks as a herald announcing the message of God, declaring the facts of God's word not his own. Preaching, if it is to please God and save men, must be identical in content and spirit with the preaching of apostolic days.

What Is Good Preaching?

Good preaching is not a parade of one's knowledge, a show of one's speaking ability, a fashion display, or an effort to build a personal following.

Good preaching is Bible-centered (2 Tim. 3:16; 4:1-2; I Cor. 2:2). It harmonizes with truth (Gal. 1:6-7). It is simple (Mark 12:37). It reveals both the awfulness of sin (Rom. 7:7, 13) and the love of God through Christ (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8).

Good preaching is well-rounded (Acts 20:20, 26-27, 31-32, 35). It accomplishes its intended purposes:

1. Bringing people to Christ so that they might be saved (John 6:44-45).
2. Causing Christians to grow spiritually (1 Pet. 2:1,2; Heb. 5:12-14).
3. Keeping Christians saved (Jas. 1:21; 1 Cor. 15:1,2).

Examples of Good Preachers

The Apostle Paul. He considered himself a debtor to all men so he sought to preach the gospel to save them (Rom. 1:14-17). He had respect for the gospel (1 Cor. 1:17; Rom. 1:16). He was honest and sincere (2 Cor. 4:1-7; Gal. 4:16). He declared that which was profitable (Acts 20:18-35). His message was limited to the will of God (1 Cor. 2:1-5; Phil. 2:5). He did not back down from those who taught things which were contrary to the doctrine of Christ (Rom. 16:17,18).

Jesus, the Master Teacher. He was prepared to teach. He knew the Law (Matt. 12:3-8; Luke 4:16-21).

He possessed the proper characteristics a preacher should have. He was:

• Frank and sincere (Luke 13:1-5; Mark 8:31-38; John 15:1-5).
• Cheerful and energetic (Matt. 14:16; 15:32).
• Optimistic (Matt. 10:17-26; 24:1-51; Luke 17:20-37).
• Tactful and resourceful (John 8:1-11; 4:4-26).
• Clean in mind and body (Matt. 5:22, 28,34; 7:12).
• Sympathetic and kind (John 11:35; Mark 7:31-37; Matt. 19:13-15).
• One who loved humanity (John 13:34; Gal. 2:20; 1 John 3:16).
• Spiritually-minded and consecrated (Luke 2:40,49).
• Patient and prayerful (John 6:15; Matt. 27:14; Mark 1:35; John 17:9).
• Indignant at sin (Matt. 23:1ff; 21:13; Mark 11:17).

He had proper attitudes toward His listeners. He:

• Loved them (John 11:35,36).
• Reproved them (Luke 9:37-43).
• Associated with them (Matt. 9:9-13).
• Yearned for them (Matt. 23:37-39).

Some Keys to Good Preaching

Good study and preparation. Good study employs observation, interpretation, application, and communication.

• Observation: What does the passage say?
• Interpretation: What does the passage mean?
• Application: How does the passage relate to me?

Communication: How do I relate the meaning of the passage to others?

Good presentation. One must have the right attitude (2 Tim. 2:14-26)and the right motives (1 Tim. 3:5). One must be persistent and patient (2 Tim. 4:1-5), present the Bible as the word of God (2 Pet. 1:16-21), and make his conclusion personal and decisive (Acts 26:29).

Good life. The messenger of God's word must be living in accordance with God's will. He must take heed to himself and his teaching (1 Tim. 4:16). He should be an example to believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity (1 Tim. 4:12).

Conclusion

For preaching to be effective, there must be sincerity of presentation, clarity of speech, suitability of material, simplicity of lesson, and brevity of sermon.

Lessons that one can learn from an eagle

Lessons that one can learn from an eagle

Eagles are among the most amazing creatures that God created. Solomon himself wrote in Proverbs, "There be three things which be too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air..." (Prov. 30:18-19).

Eagles are among the largest and most powerful birds in the world. Eagles are wise they are careful to avoid danger, unless they come too close to its nest, and pose a threat to their young. Eagles have been noted as symbols of strength, bravery and courage. Eagles and hawks are said to have the keenest sight of all, and can sight their prey while soaring high in the sky.

So what does this teach us? Firstly, Eagle has the longest life span it can live up to 70 years, but to reach this age the Eagle must make a hard decision. In its 40’s it’s long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey, which serves as food. It’s long and sharp beak become bent. It’s old aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers become stuck to it’s chest and make it difficult to fly. Then the Eagle is left with only two decisions: to die or to go through a painful process of change for 150 days.

So, the Eagle fly to a mountain top. There the Eagle knocks its beak against a mountain top until it plucks it out. After plucking it out the Eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and it will then pluck out its talons. When it’s new talons grow back, the Eagle starts plucking out its old-aged feathers.  After 5 months the Eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years.

For us to live long we need to constantly change our way of life. Change is needed in order to survive; to get rid of old memories, habits and other past traditions; and o free from past burdens.

Secondly, an eagle never eats dead meat. In other words, an eagle does not scavenge. It only eats the meat from the prey it kills itself. Eagles eat raw and fresh meat what a great act of true leadership. A true leader spends time with people who are vibrant and liberal in thinking. You have to be with people who can think, make informed decisions and take actions. These are the people who bring changes to the society. They are lively and active people. Go out and look for them.

Thirdly, an eagle will never surrender to the size or strength of its prey. It will always give a fight to win its prey or regain its territory. No matter what the size of that person or what weapon they maybe holding, you would attack them without thought or regard for yourself. It wouldn't even dawn on you to be afraid because your instinct is to protect that which you love and cherish.

Lastly, watch an eagle when a storm comes. When other birds fly away from the storm with fear, an eagle spreads its mighty wings and uses the current to soar to greater heights. The eagle takes advantage of the very storm that lesser birds fear and head for cover. Challenges in the life of a leader are many. These are the storm we must face as leaders to rise to greater heights. Like an eagle, a leader can only rise to greater heights if he takes up the challenges head on without running away from it.

Eagles are full of life and are visionary but they find time to look back at their life and re-energize themselves, So begin today to learn from the eagle’s way of life.

The Story of an EAGLE

The Story of an EAGLE:

The Eagle has the longest life-span of its species. It can live up to 70 years. But to reach this age, the eagle must make a very difficult decision!

In its 40th year, the eagle's long and flexible Talons can no longer grab a prey which serves as food. Its long and sharp beak becomes bent.

Its old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, stick to its chest and make it difficult to fly. Then, the eagle is left with only two options: DIE or go through a painful process of CHANGE!

This process lasts for 150 days (5 months)

The process requires the eagle to fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out.

Then the eagle will wait for the new beak to grow back after which it will pluck out its talons. When its talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old aged feathers.

And after this the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and LIVES for 30 more years!!

Why is Change needed???

In order to survive and live. We too have to start the change process. We sometimes need to get rid of the unpleasant old memories, negative habits and our fixed mind set. Only Freed from the past burdens can we take advantage of the present.

If an eagle can make a life saving and life changing decision at the age of 40....why can't we? In order to take on a New Journey ahead, let go of your negative old limiting beliefs.

Open up your mind and let yourself fly high like an eagle!

When it rains, all birds occupy shelter. But the EAGLE avoids the rain by flying above the clouds....The problem is common to all but the attitude to solve it makes the difference!

Don't be afraid of change...accept it gracefully..!!!

My questions to you is this! Do you want to fly with the eagles or scratch with the turkeys!! Over to you!

6 Ways to Embrace an Abundance Mindset

6 Ways to Embrace an Abundance Mindset

John C. Maxwell

 

April 5, 2017

Her name is Nikki Bollerman and she teaches third grade at an inner-city Boston charter school. Bollerman’s students don’t come from houses stocked with books, so in 2014 she applied for a contest called the #WishForOthers campaign. She wanted to be able to buy a book for each of them to practice reading over the holiday break.

She won. The sponsor, Capital One, funded three books for each child and also awarded her one of the grand prizes: $150,000.

If you’re in your 20s like Bollerman—or recall being in your 20s—you remember how tight the budget can be in those years. I don’t know Bollerman’s personal situation, but I’m guessing she wasn’t rolling in cash. Still, she donated the winnings to the school.

“To me,” she later told reporters, “there was no other real option. I mean, I wished for it for the kids. Where else would it go other than them?”

Bollerman is a prime example of one of my favorite topics: Abundance.

People with an abundance mindset believe there is plenty of money, power and recognition to share with others. They are the opposite of those operating from a scarcity mindset, who hoard everything from financial resources to credit for a job well done.

Related: True Success Begins the Second You Start Giving Back

As much as we love and respect wealthy and generous people such as Bill and Melinda Gates, it’s people on the lower end of the financial spectrum who are the biggest givers. There’s been a lot of research on this lately. In 2011 Americans in the top 20 percent of the income spectrum contributed 1.3 percent of their income to charity. The people in the bottom 20 percent donated 3.2 percent. University of California, Berkeley researcher Paul Piff suggests that the people most frequently exposed to others in distress are far more in tune with the needs of their fellow man.

If the less able among us freely offer help, then we of greater means have no excuse.

When I talk about abundance, I’m not just talking about financial generosity. I’m talking about sharing your whole self: your talents, ideas, creativity, compassion and, yes, if you can, your wealth. But I didn’t always think this way.

My first job took me to Hillham, Indiana, a tiny town of 11 houses and one grocery store. I was charged with pastoring a church and I directed all of my energy to that task, growing it so much we had to expand into a larger building. A few years later, when my denomination offered me a job at a larger church in Lancaster, Ohio, I was determined to make similar strides. By 1975 our church had the fastest-growing Sunday School in the state.

I was excited. I was proud. I was also obsessed with comparing my results to those of my fellow pastors. I scrutinized our denomination’s annual report. Where do I rank? How am I doing? How do I stand out now? Do you think I was about to share the secrets of my success with my colleagues? Hardly.

After realizing my errors and acknowledging my selfishness, I promised to dedicate my career to training other leaders, to sharing whatever knowledge I picked up along the way so others could add it to their own, magnify it and hand it to someone else.

Related: The Power of Sharing What You Know

Thinking abundantly is a first step toward adding value to others. And when you add value to others, your significance grows. It’s an upward cycle.

So how do we learn to ditch scarcity and embrace abundance?

1. Strive for personal success.

Discover your gifts. What do you have to offer the world? What’s uniquely yours to give? Amass your wealth (and remember, I’m not just talking about money) so you can dole it out to others.

2. Share your accomplishments.

If you achieve a victory at work, will you claim the glory or recognize others who have contributed toward the goal? If you discover a more efficient procedure, a better way of doing business or a new strategy, will you keep it under wraps or shout it out to others on your team?

3. Offer encouragement.

A kind word is a gift. Sometimes we feel like we have nothing to give, but we can always conjure up a statement of support. Who knows? Your words might inspire someone to take the next step in his or her journey.

4. Stay connected.

There’s nothing wrong with working your way to the corner office. In fact, I encourage your aspirations. But as you sit at the top, don’t lose sight of the pressures and challenges that people on different levels of the economic ladder face. What can you give to them?

5. Think like a servant.

We’re wired from the time we’re kids to protect our own self-interests—to be the best athlete, the top scholar, the class president, whatever. Rarely do we think about being the team player or the teacher—someone like Bollerman—who sacrifices his or her wants, needs, fame or fortune so that someone else might excel.

6. Consider the ocean.

 

When you stand on the beach and watch the waves hit the shore, do you think there’s any end to the water? That’s how the abundance mindset works.

 

When you stand on the beach and watch the waves hit the shore, do you think there’s any end to the water? There is, of course, but we can’t comprehend it, so we think seawater is endlessly abundant. You would never deny a bucketful to a child building a sand castle because you can refill that bucket again and again. That’s how the abundance mindset works. You give away praise, recognition, ideas, knowledge and money because you know there’s plenty to go around. What you give away will come back to you a thousand times over. I guarantee it.

Related: How to Make Others Feel Significant

 

3 Reasons Productive Passion Is the Tool You Need to Succeed

Kim Reed Perell

 

November 7, 2017

No startup magically pops up out of thin air—each one stems from an idea, a dream, a passion. But an entrepreneur’s passion alone isn’t enough to build a successful company. That passion has to fuel a deep, all-consuming fire that keeps him or her working constantly toward success.

I know how important a productive passion is from my own track record. People have told me that I make my career as an entrepreneur and executive look easy, but what they don’t see is the effort I put in day after day.

Related: 25 Successful People’s Thoughts on the Power of Passion

My passion didn’t just create one good idea and make my company flourish overnight; passion is what made it possible for me to put in the necessary work.

Keeping Passion Productive

Sometimes having the drive to keep going after your dream no matter what obstacle gets thrown your way can make all the difference. Engagement is hard to come by: In the U.S., businesses shell out $1 billion each year to achieve it and another $100 billion on developing employees’ skill sets.

Despite that price tag, only 13 percent of the American workforce attests to having the right type of passion—the kind that drives you to seek out challenges and develop the skills to push past them.

This type of “do what you love” attitude being the difference between a successful startup and failure might sound like old news, but being emotionally invested in your workplace not only helps your company grow, but might even improve your health, too. A study conducted in Denmark found that out of 5,000 Danish workers, those with the highest commitment to their employers slept better and got sick less often.

Related: 4 Ways to Find Passion and Purpose in Your Life

If those are the benefits for employees, imagine the difference productive passion makes for entrepreneurs. An emotional connection is needed to execute successfully. In fact, studies show that objects to which people have emotional attachments  appear larger and are easier for us to spot. It’s no wonder that a major life goal such as startup success looms large in our minds.

Coupling your passion with visualization techniques to help prioritize your goals each and every day can keep you honest about the steps you’re taking to achieve your dreams. Here are three other ways productive passion can act as your own secret weapon:

1. Let it drive your self-belief.

You’re never passionate about something you think will fail. Let that determination burn at full force and drive your trust in your ability to succeed. If you believe that your dream is achievable, you will act accordingly. Use your passion to keep your daily and monthly goals for yourself and your company within reach. The confidence you hold in your future will trickle down to anyone helping you work toward your startup’s success.

Steve Jobs was another big proponent of letting passion fuel your belief in yourself. In a commencement speech he delivered to Stanford graduates in 2005, he said, “You’ve got to find what you love. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Keep that love of your work with you, and trust that you will put in the hours needed to see it through.

2. Let it motivate you.

It’s clear that goals we are emotionally attached to seem more prominent to us. So harness that feeling and let your passion motivate you. Emotional attachment to an idea will motivate you to answer those emails, reach out to those connections you made at a networking event or stay up all night to troubleshoot that nagging tech issue.

If your startup is truly important to you, getting up early and powering through the day to meet with investors is a non-issue. Perfecting your product design for the zillionth time is just a necessary step in the process. When it seems overwhelming, let your passion for what you are doing remind you of why you started this journey in the first place and then push you to keep on keeping on.

Related: Do These 7 Things to Get (and Stay) Motivated

3. Let it give you an energy boost.

It’s easy for people who have never started their own businesses to misjudge the kind of endurance it requires. But use your productive passion to fuel you through the long hours and emotionally taxing setbacks. My grandfather always told me that everything will take twice as long and cost twice as much as you think it will. That’s never more true than in business.

Use your emotional connection with your startup to keep your enthusiasm and energy high, even when times get tough. Visualization techniques can help, as can reminding yourself to take short breaks to have coffee with a supportive friend, run to your favorite motivational song or do some meditation when you are really feeling overwhelmed.

Starting your own business is difficult—there’s no way to get around that. But if you’re passionate about your dream, there is nothing you can’t do. Let your passion fuel your productivity and persistence, and it will become the best secret weapon in your arsenal.

How to Execute and Make Things Happen

Kim Reed Perell

   |   

October 26, 2017

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“The execution factor, it doesn’t sound very sexy…”  says Kim Perell, entrepreneur and CEO of global technology company Amobee. “But I’m here to tell you how to master this one skill that will drive your success more than anything else.” That’s because execution is a skill that can be learned, she says. There are five essential traits to master the skill of execution and take something from idea to reality. 

Vision

Vision is about a having a North Star. It's about having a compass from where you are today to success. “People who write down their goals are nine times as likely to be successful over their lifetime as people that don't,” Perell says. “Nine times! Why wouldn’t you do this?”

Passion

What is something you're so passionate about that you would gladly suffer for?  “When I was 11, I had a passion for horses,” Perell says. “So I went to the barn and asked them if I could work at the stable to get a riding lesson, and they gave me seven hours of cleaning up the stables for a one-hour ride. I thought that was an incredible deal. Looking back I think they got a better deal on that one, but I would have done anything to ride that horse.” It’s passion that’ll keep you going when initial enthusiasm wears off.

Action

Ask yourself what is one action that you will take to accomplish your vision. Just a simple one, Perell says. Start small and write that down. You have to be willing to take that first step.

Resilience

“I think Rocky is the best example of resilience,” Perell says. “He gets knocked down all the time but he always gets back up.” This is the ability to adapt and overcome obstacles and rollbacks and thrive in change.

Relationships

“Nobody is successful alone; I haven't been," Perell says. It's important to build healthy, inspiring, supportive relationships. The most significant factor in any person's life is the people you surround yourself with.

"Passion comes from the Latin word for pain. What is something you're so passionate about that you would gladly suffer for?" —Kim Perell

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