Nice Haircut

Rick Atchley, the pulpit minister at Richland Hills Church of Christ, said one time that people often say he has a gift for preaching. He said if it's such a gift, why does it take 40 hours to unwrap it? A number of things go into a sermon not the least of which is prayer. But it's amazing how sermons come together. (I can only speak from my own experience) I plan what I'm talking about 6 months to a year in advance. That way I can pick up illustrations along the way, study and read what I need to read, and pray for the lessons. But when I actually get the lesson ready, it just seems to come together (most of the time). And where I preach, the lesson has to be basically ready 10 days in advance so we can prepare the entire worship assembly.
Having said that, my first prayer after a sermon is an apology to God for not having the best words worthy of His glory. But I know He can take what is said and make something happen. I guess what I'm saying is that each lesson is a work of humility, prayer, desire to say the right thing, etc. After every sermon I get the almost obligatory, "I enjoyed your sermon, preacher," response when people file out of the auditorium. There are those who honestly come to me and tell me what the lesson meant to them. For that I praise God and am humbled.
As in all congregations there are a variety of elements with different beliefs and opinions on all kinds of topics. At one congregation where I used to preach I had preached a sermon and for the life of me I can't remember what it was about. One person from one of the elements came up to me and said, "Do you think they heard that?" To which I replied, "I hope so." Soon after, someone from the other side of the element came up to me and said, "Do you think they heard that?" To which I replied, "I hope so."
Now I'm not out there to get compliments about my sermon. My prayer beforehand is that God say the words He wants and uses me to do so. And I want Him to get the glory. Yesterday I had quite a few people compliment me. But it was about my haircut. I wasn't tremendously offended, but I wondered if anyone heard the lesson or if they were sitting in the audience thinking, "I wondered where he got his haircut?" Oh, well. I'll take what I can get. And I hope they heard what God was saying yesterday. Have a great day! JW