Sermon Central
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As A Pastor I Learned A Valuable Lesson Early In ...
Contributed by Kelly Benton on Nov 10, 2010 (message contributor)
Early in my ministry, I learned a hard but necessary lesson. I was deeply concerned about offending people in the congregation. I carefully guarded my words, avoiding anything that might make someone uncomfortable or rub them the wrong way. Part of that came from fear—fear that if I preached tough, challenging truths, I might lose my position or be asked to leave. Another part of it was a desire to be liked. I wanted everyone to be happy, feelings unhurt, and seats filled week after week.
In the process, I became more focused on pleasing people than honoring God. Without realizing it, I placed the approval of man above the call God had placed on my life. I stopped fully seeking the Holy Spirit in my sermon preparation because I was more worried about reactions than obedience.
Eventually, the truth became clear: I could never make everyone happy—and trying to do so was costing me my faithfulness to God. I realized that my calling was not to please the crowd, but to honor the One who called me. My responsibility as a pastor is to preach God’s Word faithfully, trust Him with the results, and let Him do the work in hearts. Pleasing God—not the masses—is the only path that truly matters.
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To Insure Victory In Combat, Soldiers Need ... PRO
Contributed by Joel Santos on Sep 24, 2004
"To insure victory in combat, soldiers need confidence in their leader with a felling that when they go out in the battlefield, they have great chances of ...read more
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Cain's Memorial Was Of The Lesser Sacrifice Of ...
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Dec 28, 2006
• Cain’s Memorial was of the lesser sacrifice of crops from the earth. • Achan’s Memorial was of perishables in garments and gold. • Esau’s Memorial was a full stomach and a wasted birthright. • Solomons’ Memorial was the wisdom wasted on fools. • Zedekiah’s Memorial was iron horns in dishonest ...read more
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Joseph White, In His Book The Troubled Adolescent ...
Contributed by Jim Kane on Feb 2, 2005
Joseph White, in his book The Troubled Adolescent says that 1 in 8 teens between 12 and 18 will run away at least once. The majority, he notes, are white girls, either 15 or 16, who have never had trouble with the ...read more
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Memorials PRO
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Dec 28, 2006
• Noah’s Memorial was an Ark. • Abraham’s Memorials was found in his altars. • Isaac’s Memorials flowed from his wells. • Moses’ Memorial was the Law (which included the Tabernacle and it’s furnishings). • Caleb’s Memorial was a mountain discovered in his youth but captured in his old ...read more
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President Ronald Reagan Gave One Of The Best ... PRO
Contributed by Philip Harrelson on Dec 28, 2006
-President Ronald Reagan gave one of the best ‘Memorial Day’ speeches ever given on the 40th anniversary of the D-Day in 1984. D-Day was the invasion of France that led to the destruction and ultimate surrender of Nazi Germany. “We stand on a lonely, windswept point on the northern shore of ...read more
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