Do you have a scripture for this?

Two preachers met at a Starbucks to flesh out the contents of a new sermon.

One of the men excitedly shared his comprehensive view on contemporary life. The other minister occasionally chimed in with his opinions of how things are and how things should be. Together, they identified key points they wanted to stress.

At the conclusion of their discussion, one preacher looked at the other and asked, “Do you have any scriptures for this?”

That real scenario (I witnessed it at a Starbucks) is how too many sermons are prepared today. They are birthed in the opinions of a person, and sometime before delivery, an effort is made to find a scripture that seems to justify the human position.

But God has never called a man to go preach human opinion. Instead, the commission of Christ is this: “And then he told them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone,'” Mark 16:15.

The Apostle Paul was also clear about what should be preached: “I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: Preach the word of God …” 2 Timothy 4:1-2a.

You do not preach the word of God by finding a scripture to attach to your opinions. Instead, you must start with the word of God, allowing it to transform your thinking so that you deliver God’s message rather than your own.

Where does the word of God fit into your sermon preparation?

Scotty