We all want heaven and earth to forcibly collide every time we take the stage and open up the Bible.
But the first collision is never about that. It’s about you.
You must go on an inner journey.
Maybe you’re…
• A seasoned preacher in need of fresh inspiration
• An associate pastor who now must preach regularly
• A developing communicator who needs to hone your gifts
• An exploring communicator who wants to discern your path
No matter your starting point, preaching is a profoundly personal work that lays bare bone and marrow. It preys upon our deepest insecurities, pulls against our purest motives, and leaves us feeling woefully inadequate for the task.
We long for holy collision but often just hear… crickets.
In our quieter moments, we ask questions like:
• Why won’t people respond?
• What email or social media post is waiting for me now?
• Are my sermons making any difference at all?
This is why preachers must first collide with God at their own core, becoming DEVOTED MESSENGERS, at ease with who they are.
Then preachers must collide deeply with the Text, forging a DISRUPTIVE MESSAGE that purifies our vanity and the fear of man.
Then comes the third collision: OUTER IMPACT.
Sometimes this impact is simple, subtle, and in small pockets. Other times, it’s palpable, infectious, and difficult to even measure.
All of this is up to God, of course.
But He has tasked us to join Him in this holy, invigorating, and terrible work. “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season…” wrote the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:2).
Which means that our work will be maddening and mundane, rewarding and risky. We’ll withdraw to caves for just a whisper and search for ash beneath bushes afire. We’ll smash tablets if we must or wrestle all night then drag a reticent leg towards the pulpit.
In our Preaching For Impact course, this is what we’ll prepare you for.
Brace for impact.
After preaching for twenty years, I had this crazy sense that Jesus was asking me to “fast” from preaching for a season. Tom, my mentor, simply said, “Well, let’s start by removing the word ‘crazy’…”
How do we speak from a place of genuine authenticity, credibility, and a humble dependency upon God and others?
How do we pursue veracity, develop cogency, and bring a impactful message that disrupts with comfort and conviction?
How do we practice a creativity that shocks people awake, tell stories that become portals of truth, practice a fluency with biblical times and our own, and technically deliver the message in a way that brings the mountains low, the valleys high, and the rugged paths smooth?
We believe you will grow more grounded in your calling, connected to the Father, dependent upon the Holy Spirit, and captivated by Jesus. You’ll grow more focused in your message, awakened to the power of God, and alive to the world. You’ll grow in friendship, liberated from a need to perform, free from over-analysis, and equipped to preach, in and out of season, for every generation. Amen.
We believe you will grow more grounded in your calling, connected to the Father, dependent upon the Holy Spirit, and captivated by Jesus. You’ll grow more focused in your message, awakened to the power of God, and alive to the world. You’ll grow in friendship, liberated from a need to perform, free from over-analysis, and equipped to preach, in and out of season, for every generation. Amen.
