tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27835654.post181053098911836694..comments2023-10-26T06:01:01.167-07:00Comments on WideOpen - Jeff Myers: StoryJeff Myershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360301384753597682noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27835654.post-74731552890401785882008-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:002008-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00Helen,Thanks for the input. The thing I try hard ...Helen,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the input. The thing I try hard to avoid is preaching out of my own agenda and finding Scripture to back it up. It may seem like symantics, but I personally believe it's important to start with the truth of Scripture and build from there. It helps keep me honest. The problem is I've known other preachers who get up and preach their own soapbox messages and loosely use the Bible to back up their own agenda. I don't want to push Jeff's message, I want to preach God's.<BR/><BR/>That said, I will admit that I've started with the story in my prep before. For instance, I've preached short sermon series based on certain TV shows where I chose clips from the show that I thought would illustrate a particular Biblical truth. But as a general rule I think it's best to start with Scripture.<BR/><BR/>Thanks,<BR/>JeffJeff Myershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13360301384753597682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27835654.post-85314505341703482392008-07-24T13:31:00.000-07:002008-07-24T13:31:00.000-07:00Hi Jeff, I'm Helen Losse. http://helenl.wordpress....Hi Jeff, <BR/><BR/>I'm Helen Losse. http://helenl.wordpress.com/ I always come up as deadmule, because I'm the Poetry Editor of the Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and my google account is assosiated with the litmag.<BR/><BR/>I've been reading your blog for a while, but I can't remember if I've left any comment or not.<BR/><BR/>You may or may not care about my opinion of sermons, but I think you are saying you want to teach not just preach. Is so, here's what I see as the problem.<BR/><BR/>A wise professor (also a pastor) once pointed out that life is too important to begin with analysis. Instead, we should begin with the stories.<BR/><BR/>You seem to be writing a sermon then looking for stories to drive your point home. Why not pick out the stories and then see what lessons can be drawn from there. Just an idea. You might be amazed what you learn, if you look at a sermon differently.DeadMulehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01209584859435270113noreply@blogger.com