When the preacher is preached to by the preacher...

I'm not sure if the title of this post makes much sense, but as I'm sitting in my office preparing for this coming Sunday's service, it's as though the words are grabbing me by the heart, turning me inside-out, and speaking to me as though I'm the one hearing the message, rather than delivering it - and just about crying my eyes out in the process.

Of course, ideally EVERY message that we preach should touch us in the same way we hope that God will use it to touch others. Yet some messages somehow wrench a preacher to the core, reminding us once again of the power, majesty, and lordship of God.

I pray that heatring the message will touch the congregation in the same way that preparing it has touched me - and that I'll be able to deliver it without breaking down...