His Word, My Mouth

In the Old Testament, one of the promises by God to anyone who would assume the role of prophet was this: "I will put my words in his mouth..." Deut. 18:18. This would also serve as a test of their authenticity. As I seek to engage people with the truth of Scripture, how I long for this dynamic - His word, my mouth. There is a temptation, I feel it, many preachers feel it, to put their words in God's mouth. That is, to use the pulpit to express their feelings in the name of God. Here are some things to keep in mind as you seek to have "His word in your mouth" when preaching.

• Be grounded in a biblical text when you speak
• Make sure you've done your homework as to the context and genre
• Let the passage set the topic
• Ask "What should I know, feel, and do because of this passage?" ... and stick to that
• Preach through all parts of the Bible
• Speak to everybody ... but not to somebody in specific (if you feel like you need to tell a person something, don't do it in a sermon, do it one on one)
• Preach to yourself
• Don't just tell it; grapple with it, as God's Word, even as you speak