Matthew 9:27-38 Keyword: Compassion

I preached about Jesus' costly compassion from Matthew 9:27-38. Afterwards, I received a few personal messages about the conviction to see Christ and his burden for people in their harassment and helplessness rather than the burden of doing the work of helping. That small yet profound shift made a big difference for people especially as I honestly conveyed how it was a deep conviction for me and the cause for much repentance on my part. Another particular note was how the text both defines our failure and reveals God's grace. Preaching grace as the fuel for change makes hope more than a pie in the sky endeavor but a gospel reality through the Spirit.

I type out a bullet point outline, save it as pdf and upload it to my Remarkable 2. I tried a full manuscript but I found myself tempted to read rather than speak. Plus, speaking is different from writing. I also used to just use a legal pad to write out my preaching outline but using a device like Remarkable is nice as it's all in one place without shuffling pages and it allows handwritten notes directly on the pdf.

@McKay Caston, love the Remarkable 2! Great battery life, no apps to cause distractions, and ability to jot notes directly is great! I use the bullet points as lane markers on a road way. It keeps me from going off on tangents yet also gives me freedom to "switch lanes" as led by the Spirit. I usually write out all Bible verse references so I'm not at the pulpit turning pages in my Bible. It tends to be a distraction and breaks flow. I also write out any sentences or phrases that I want to say exactly with underlines on words I want to emphasize. A lot of times, what you say is important but how you say it can be just as, if not more, important.

Also a good reminder that our congregation hears out of approval and not for approval.