Preparations

In the next 4 weeks I am preaching 9 times. That may not sound like much to some readers, but it requires a tremendous amount of preparation. 4 of those 9 are at the church that I pastor. The other five are at a youth camp. The message of the Gospel remains the same regardless of audience, but the presentation style, the delivery, are radically different. Paul tells us about this tweaking of our delivery in his first letter to the church at Corinth.

I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
--1 Corinthians 9:22 (NASB)

That must be the focus of any preparations we do. Not that will go well or that somehow our reputation will be built. No, in all our preparations, the goal should be that we can by all means save some. The Great Commission was not given only to pastors. It was given to the church. Our goal as believers should be to share the life-changing message of the Gospel. If that is our goal, all the unseen work of preparation will be worth it! All of our energy leading up to the event will be seen as sweet labor! It will no longer feel like work, but joyous obedience to Jesus!

So, whether it be a picnic, VBS, revival meetings, camp, or any other activity that we are undertaking, let's do it as a task that is seeking to reach lost people for Jesus. It will make our labor much easier.