I HAVE HEARD THOUSANDS OF SERMONS in my life, not to mention thousands of Bible study lessons, and a few of them still minister to my soul. There were scores that were quite memorable, and sadly, more than a few that were worth forgetting, but the ones that really stick with me are the ones that were never preached from behind a pulpit.
I was reminded, while watching a DVD report of the clean-up efforts in the Gulf States after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, that we are all to preach the good news, and sometimes use words if necessary. Here are a few of my favorite “sermons” and what they preached to me:
• Dan Webster (my youth pastor) drew me aside once and said, “Randy, I want to pour my life into you, but there are some sins that you need to take care of first.” I knew what he meant, and de-sired that discipling relationship and so I made the changes.
• Eric McCready (church member and ultra-marathoner): He fin-ished the 10k race we were running and he turned around and ran back about two miles so to run alongside me and encourage me to the finish line.
• Pastor Arvid Carlson (while I was wet-behind-the-ears-youth pas-tor) at a staff meeting once told me, “Randy, don’t be the first by which the new is tried, or the last by which the old has died.” Words that still echo throughout my ministry.
• Linda Kay (friend, soul-mate, and wife of almost 29 years) whose life and words have taught me forgiveness and unconditional love and more than once challenged me in my walk in Christ.
Lest this walk down memory lane get too long, I best stop here. But suffice it to say, I have heard many good sermons. Sermons that en-couraged and challenged me. Sermons that moved me to action and brought me to tears. Sermons that live!
Oh, that we may all so preach!