I am very excited about preaching this weekend. One of my prayers/goals this year has been to grow in my speaking/preaching ability. I believe there is a great balance between doing your part so that the Holy Spirit can do His part. I want to rely on the Holy Spirit each time as speak and could not imagine doing it without His guidance. I also want to acquire as much knowledge and content as I can about the context of the message. I can feel a shift in my speaking prep and process as God is stretching me and teaching me. I am living more in the passage and reading more resources about the topic. I am also noticing a shift in that I am using much more of an expository route in my speaking than topical in which I am most used to. Another great shift in speaking that I am noticing is that I am using more primary sources than secondary and feel more of a release of energy and relevancy in doing so. What I mean by that is that as I am getting older, even though i am still in my twenties, I am accruing more life experiences and can preach out of first hand revelation, and/or primary sources. This excites me. I am feeling a stirring in my heart more and more to continually be a student of communicating the Gospel. It stretches me to no end..and I understand that those who teach are judged even harder. But so be it!! If God can use a donkey..he can use you and I!