Yes...all true divine inspiration comes in the middle of the morning for me. I outlined my sermon....and now...I am begining to write it.
I am a firm believer in totally writing it out. Even if I do not follow it completely...God is really great. He will refine it for me over and over before Sunday. I have been really open to what he wants to say. I also want to follow in stride with the great teaching that Pastors Bill and Gary have laid out.
Good sermons take between 20 and 30 hrs to develop. But it is my belief that the genius in all sermons comes in minutes and is divinely inspired. It just then takes hours to hash out the rest.
I had a meeting yesterday with Pat Brown and the Students that are working towards their Masters Degree in Social Work. These students over the next month will be working at helping me develop my HIV program. It is pretty exciting. I am not used to having a staff. :P Just being the staff.
I have done a lot of public speaking on HIV. A lot. I think I am pretty good at giving a “lay person's” knowledge about the subject. The subject is simplified so it is easy to understand and my first hand experience has paid off. Since the time I have started speaking, I am more convinced than ever that the best prevention for the spread of HIV is education. In my message I share the three ways that you can get HIV. In the end....though....without the audience realizing it....I have them all conclude that the safest way to prevent HIV is abstinence. So...I teach an abstinence message...the best policy for preventing the spread.
Now...you may say...what about IV drug users. I change the my methods accordingly to the demographics of the audience. I teach mostly children in school...so I assume they are more prone “sexual activity” than sharing needles. However, there are core groups that I speak to...that are prone to both and I change my spiel accordingly.
Well...all this words I have just typed could have gone to my sermon...so off I go.
Note to All...my buddy Pete remindied me not to talk to I am blue in the face. He said this and could not stop laughing. Bah! But it is good to have friends that care...and I don't think I talk too much. I love a sermon that meshes and is brief...25 minutes tops...