This past week in the DYP coaching group we talked about one of my favorite parts of the sermon writing process.....OBSERVATIONS. In the I.N.S.P.I.R.E.D. sermon framework it is step two: NOTICING. It's the unlock that will make you more confident as a communicator, more valuable than AI, and give the ability to never run out of things to say. It's the step many are tempted to skip... It's much easier to pull up YouTube, rely on cliches, or go straight to the expert in a commentary. But what you want to do is SIT WITH THE TEXT. Well... before that.. pray what David prayed: "Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."- Psalm 119:18 Then... SIT WITH THE PASSAGE. LOOK. LOOK AGAIN. LOOK AGAIN AGAIN. WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHO'S TALKING? WHERE ARE WE IN THE META-NARRATIVE OF SCRIPTURE? WHAT ARE THE ACTIONS OF HUMANITY? WHAT ARE THE ACTIONS OF GOD? ASK QUESTIONS. ASK MORE QUESTIONS. MAKE CONNECTIONS. Your heart is not to see something "no one else has seen before." That's arrogant. The heart is to see something YOU'VE never seen before. A connection you've never seen before or a greater enlightenment on a simple truth. Anything that God wants to show you. I'm writing those observations down. I'm turning those observations into points. I'm turning my process of discovery into a sermon. There is so much to see. Here's a truth that needs to be a conviction for every preacher: EVERYTHING IN THE PASSAGE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE BIGGEST DEAL. Read that back and get that in your heart. I heard a preacher preach on a comma before. "Don't put a period where God puts a comma." lol. People got saved that night. He preached on a comma y'all! I'm opening up a new discussion category for anyone to write out biblical observations from your study. Here's on from reading Psalm 23... The first 3 verses of Psalm 23.. David is talking about God in third person. THE LORD is my Shepherd. HE makes me lie down... HE leads me besides still waters... HE refreshes my soul...

The past week's call with DYP coaching group was fun. I talked through the art of starting a sermon. As preachers, we have to be confident in how sermons start. We can't spend days in double-mindedness about where we should go. A sermon can be inspired by many things.. Devotional readings, art, an excerpt from a book, an assigned text by a leader, a theme you want to explore, a passage you just want to go after, a Holy Spirit prompting, a problem that you see that needs to be spoken to... in open to all of this! Every good sermon is provoked or prompted! The key is this: however a sermon is sparked... FIND A SPECIFIC TEXT TO OBSERVE AND COMMIT TO. Of course I'm open to changing it in the middle of study... but for the most part I'm committing to it! I shared with the group my journey of starting this weekends Easter Message. one: I read a devotional reading from lent on the toilet Monday morning... (yes.. the toilet.) two: I went to the passage it was speaking to... Matthew 27:15-26: Jesus or Barrabas? three: One question of the text that sparked the whole sermon: WHY DID THE CROWD CHOOSE BARRABAS? Ultimately why do we? Why do we choose what is bad, harmful, destructive over what is good, helpful, and life-giving? This is the question.. this is the tension: it's not I want to choose good but accident choose bad. This is... something in me PREFERS WHAT IS BAD. The crowd didn’t accidentally choose Barabbas… they preferred him. And if we’re honest... there are moments we don’t just fall into sin… we vote for it. Four: The rest is up to the scripture! 1.Vanity: "selfish interest"/ Power, Prestige, & Popularity 2.Voices: persuaded by religious leaders. Mimicking the crowd. 3. Volume: "they shouted ALL THE LOUDER" : what we don't want to deal with we drown out. Jesus Barrabas vs. Jesus the Christ. Choose your Jesus. Choose your Messiah. Everyone does. One brings life.. one brings destruction. Don't be surprised when you don't find life, fulfillment, and joy in Barrabas...