07/26/23 JUST SO YOU KNOW

07/26/23 JUST SO YOU KNOW

Through the years I have preached about a multitude of situations, issues, doctrines. My preaching and teaching is drawn from my spiritual training and leadership of the Holy Spirit and godly believers, studies (primarily Scripture) personal experiences (primarily salvation and Christian ministry), ministry experiences (primarily preaching the Bible and addressing problems, questions and needs in the lives of Christians and sinners), observations (the people and society around me), current events and history.

Most of the subjects that I have addressed have been part of my on life or my pastoral life.
I have preached on subjects that I knew were part of other peoples lives

and

I have preached on subjects, with which I had no personal experience or connection.
Obviously, the older I got and the longer I preached, the more of life I became aware through experience, observation and reading.

As with other gospel preachers, people (mistakenly) have thought I knew secret things about them or they thought I was preaching at them when in fact, I was not. When people try to figure out who the preacher is "preaching at," they are ignoring the Holy Spirit, Who is actually speaking them about their own needs.

My preaching comes from a mixture of reasons.
Some of my preaching focuses on specific sins or circumstances, therefore some of my preaching is applicable to certain people.
Some of my preaching focuses on exposing false doctrines.
Some of my preaching is focused on the blessings, the fruit, the victories of God available to believers.
Some of my preaching is very definite, and personal to specific individuals because only God and the individual knows how it applies to the person.

My proclamation is both "scatter gunned" and "targeted." In other words, I send my message out to the general public (because everyone needs what I say) and I sometimes aim my message with certain problems and people in mind.

Three of the principles, which guide my preaching, teaching and counseling, are need, truth and love, therefore I preach the truth in love.

(notice the sections I designated with an asterisk *)
Ephesians 4:11-16
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, *pastors and teachers;
12 For the *perfecting of the saints, for the *work of the ministry, for the *edifying of the body of Christ:
*13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth *be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But *speaking the truth in love, *may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.