I preached Sunday – opened up our series in Ephesians. (At some point, the download will be here. Row is having some computer problems and we are having a crazy busy week…and it might not get uploaded because of the rest of this story.)
Anyway – I’m preaching in Acts 19 – yeah, to introduce Ephesians…just stay with me on this one…and I come to the part where people come forward and confess their sins and throw away about a million dollars worth of trinkets. How does that get fleshed out today?
I start mini-rambling about how most of the power of sin resides in its secrecy. The less secret we keep our sin, the less power it has on us and the more healing and restoration is available to us.
And here is when my brain went completely off. I guess I forgot I wasn’t talking to a bunch of students. I guess I forgot that I had mixed company and younger kids in the room.
I say this…
“The two largest problems for guys is pornography and masturbation. Primarily because nobody wants to talk about it or deal with it. The secrecy keeps us in prison.”
The brain went back on.
I think my wife wanted to crawl out the church. A couple of mouths hit the floor. The attention span cranked up to around 11. And I really wanted to ask how many Sunday lunches would now be ruined because their younger children were going to ask what the heck did that “M” word mean.
Oh, yeah. I said “what the heck” a couple of times in the sermon too. Which I don’t feel bad about at all because, well, I say it all the time. But someone’s older mom was in the audience and she grew up in a home where she got the worst whippin’ in her life for saying derogatory phrases – like “what the heck.” Me and my kids wouldn’t survive 30 minutes in that house.
I hope they let me preach again. They kinda have to since we are without a teaching pastor right now, right?
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8 Comments
Well, what can you do? You’re only human after all… If it’s one thing history has taught us, Americans love giving second chances to people in the spotlight. Most of the time, those second chances prove to be their own undoing, but every once in a while, that light will shine for the best. It doesn’t seem like you are too worried about it, so no worries.
I think it’s fantastic! I think congregations are used to “sugar coated” messages. It’s a welcome change to hear truth in its sometimes brutal reality.
And those parents will have to answer the question at SOME point, so why not now?
What the heck!!! Why did I have to teach Crosswalk last sunday!!! Man, I wished I would have been there…to bad we don’t have video on the congregation…did you have any cool powerpoint slides to go along with that particular statement…HA HA!
I thought you looked a little freaked out after the service…kinda hangin’ out close to the door.
I do believe you hit the nail on the head though. You should have started calling folks down asking if they wanted to confess anything…LOL…I think there are some cults that do this sort of thing
Can’t wait to listen to it.
MAN!!!! I can’t believe it… I’m gone one sunday and you break out the P&M! HaHa! Isn’t there something about “the truth shall set you free” in the bible? Yep.. John 8:32..
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(NIV)
I still hate I missed that! I can just see the blue hair standing on end now!
On a serious note…I really like your statement about most of the power of sin residing in its secrecy. I guess on some level this is obvious…but it is a fact we often ignore when we struggle.
i agree with nelson. i thought it was thought provoking, especially for the situation at hand….
Well, thank you for all of the support. Of course – NONE OF YOU WERE THERE!!!!!!!
Except Holly – who is my favorite student….who commented on this post…today.
That’s pretty funny. Almost as funny as when my pastor friend, Mark, switched the grape juice for real wine without telling anyone on communion sunday.
Maybe you should rename your ministry from Stumin to Stupid.
Wish I could have been there!!