Keep it Simple

I’m in the process of preparing for the weekend. There is Young Adults Thursday night, youth in Lautoka on Friday and church Sunday morning in Lautoka again. The funny thing is, the preparation work is really not in-depth. Those of you from Three Hills may remember my ‘passionate believer’ series from October, and the content fits perfectly with the needs of the people here (not to mention my own). Joy, Peace, Patience, Love... these are staples of the Christian life. Deep like an ocean, but enough for anyone to wade into.

So much of my preparation is already done, because the exegesis and research I did for those sermons applies directly to the ones that I am writing here. It’s a blessing and a frustration! What I wouldn’t do to be busy for the entire day again. Who’d ever suspect I’d say something like that! I remember the days when the River was still getting up onto its legs, and the administration of it consumed much of my week, and I wish those days were still here. I was given a task, and turned loose on it... something I enjoy more than I can really put into words.

I’m sure Kevin learned that through our 16 months of working together. I don’t respond well if you are too ambiguous in the direction that you give me. I don’t do well if you just turn me loose to do whatever suits my desires. But if you show me an area of need, or give me the power to identify and brainstorm solutions, then I will shine through. It focuses my efforts into a very dedicated channel towards a tangible result. I love that.

The end result of all of this? Keep it simple. I’m aiming to keep my sermons as simple as possible, yet with a hidden depth for those who are seeking more. This makes the information contained therein freely available to all, yet with a component that asks you to reach for it to get all of it. My hope is that God will bless the effort so that it is effective. Keep your tasks simple. This is what we need, can you fix it? Can you make it better? Can you offer some of your experience?

Simple. Plain. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, can you accept that you’re a sinner? Simple.