Sermon Illustrations

The first sermon I ever preached was in Yerington, Nevada in 1988. It stands as the worse sermon in recorded history. There was about 20 people present in that little desert church to hear me. I said everything I intended say in about 5 minutes. Then, I said it again and looked back down at my watch and only 5 more minutes had gone by. I went on for another minute or two and then went back to my seat and sat down feeling completely worn out tired. I felt like i had been wrestling with the devil himself. I remember the pastor coming up to me afterwards and saying "You said "ah" 57 times." I thought he was going to be mad at me for such a bad sermon. I remember I didn’t even use my own material that morning. Then he told me about two teenage girls that were touched by the Holy Spirit and had left the rom crying they were under so much conviction. I had thought they were crying because my sermon was so bad.

God had worked despite me. They were in foster care and were going back to their natural parents the next day. They had been lied to by the devil and God’s Word spoke to their need directly. I hadn't known them, but God did. I got up there and spoke to those people by faith trusting God to use me and He did. Don’t underestimate the power of God to use one person, even you, to do great things for Him.

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