People hearing a sermon normally fall in two general categories: the pastor is either singling you out or he’s talking to those other people.
Understanding someone does not mean you agree with or condone their actions.
The first step in reaching someone is hearing them – even when they aren’t talking.
Jesus fed people who had not even asked for food! John 6:1-5
Jesus hears, sees, feels what we are going through even when we aren’t expressing it. Like the silent woman in John 8.
Because ALL are broken, ALL are invited.
Reaching someone requires caring about them, not judging them.
Like Jesus did for us.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 introduces this chapter about God’s dream for spiritual gifts. It’s all about encouraging and bringing people closer to Jesus!
When we don’t use our spiritual gifts, it affects us in much the same way a pandemic shutdown does: depression and fatalistic emotions, selfishness, critical and argumentative attitudes, etc.
We are no longer in pause mode. We have to figure out how to do life and ministry!
Church 29:11 