We continue, today, to explore a very critical spiritual disciple that we call Going on a God Hunt. What we’re doing is learning how to look for evidences of God making His presence known in our everyday worlds. Specifically, we’re exploring evidence of God giving us help to do His work in this world.
Let me give you a more contemporary illustration that probably relates a little more to the world where some of you are living. I found this back in 1991 in the Leadership Journal. It was written by Arlin Schrock.
“Oh, yuck!”
My daughter Laura stepped back and pinched her nose as I broke the neck of a hefty catfish, spilling its entrails into a blood-splattered bucket. Small price to pay for inch-thick, fresh fillets.
Small price, too, for building a relationship with the third fisher on this expedition, Jeremy.
Yesterday, sitting in my office for the first time, he wore a just-try-to-figure-me-out expression on his face. A high school senior, he came, he said, “just to keep peace with my mother.” Two days before, Jeremy had been expelled for pulling a hunting knife on a classmate.
“So, why did you do it?” I asked.
Silence.
“What was going on in your thinker when you made your move?”
More silence.
“Look, I just want to be your friend,” I said, but the words felt hollow.
“Prove it,” his eyes said, then shifted to the wall on my right.
For more than an hour I tried to get through to him. But I felt like I was rowing around an island, getting a general view of things but not finding a place to land.
“I have a girlfriend at school,” he said. They talk some, but not too much—afraid to get too close.
“Ever been hurt badly by someone?” I asked.
He admitted that he had, but he wouldn’t talk about it with anyone, not even his mother.
Lord, help me, I prayed. This guy doesn’t trust his own mother, much less a probing stranger.
There, he did it again. Something on the wall to my right caught his eye. Oh, of course, the calendar. Nice picture: a swarthy Indian displaying his catch. Walleyed pike. I think.
I turned away, and then it hit me. I played my hunch.
What do you suppose the counselor decided to do to establish a relationship with Jeremy? Well, think about that between now and tomorrow. I invite you to come back and see.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
