Christine Caine
THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE BUILDER IS WORTH HIS SALT IS WHETHER OR NOT THE HOUSE THAT HE BUILT IS STILL STANDING. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WORDS ARE COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH IF YOU STAND BEHIND THE PULPIT AND DON'T HAVE A LIFE THAT IS ANCHORED, STEADY, AND STRONG IN THE GOD WHO YOU SAY YOU SERVE.
THAT IS WHAT ILLUSTRATIONS DO. THEY OPEN UP THE WINDOWS AND LET LIGHT IN. YOU DON'T WANT A SERMON WITH ALL WINDOWS, OR A SERMON WITH NO WINDOWS.
TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD RETURN FOR THEIR WORK. IF ONE FALLS DOWN, HIS FRIEND CAN HELP HIM UP. BUT PITY THE MAN WHO FALLS AND HAS NO ONE TO HELP HIM UP!
Preaching is not a gig, not a performance. It is a way of life. And God is using us, in spite of ourselves. “Finishing well is the result of living well every day until you finish.” - Mark DeMoss
“Preach” is more closely aligned with “evangelize boldly to everyone, everywhere” more than it relates to the “sermon” we might give or hear in a church or conference setting. The Holy Spirit has an all-encompassing ministry for all of life, but make no mistake, He wants to partner with you in your preaching. The Holy Spirit is the Person of power who leads you out so you can return and operate in His power to proclaim Jesus to the world.
Pain, suffering, and grief are not linear. There is no quota on suffering on this side of heaven. When we go through the fire again and again, there is a different kind of hope, because you live differently based on where you’ve been. You can enter into the ongoing hurt with ongoing hope because you’ve seen how Jesus can show up in your story.