Tracey Gowing has done it again. Put words to something that has been sitting uncomfortably with me for quite a while.
The repeated refrain that is echoed after sermons across the evangelical world is, 'I was really challenged by the talk'.
Tracey's question was, 'We hear a lot about being challenged, but are we being changed?'
I know what you mean.
ReplyDeleteHowever, is one sermon really supposed to change you, or is continual nourishment from the word of God supposed to make you grow?
Good point. The original comment was made in the context of sermons (which I don't use synonymously with the word of God), and the sermon is only one method of being exposed to the word of God which might cause us to be 'challenged'.
ReplyDeleteThough I think I do expect to be changed when I hear the word of God explained well in a sermon. There's too many areas where my thinking and action is deficient, for me not to expect to be pulled into line. But even then, the emphasis is on actually being impacted and then changed, not just hearing the exhortation and feeling a bit uncomfortable for a few minutes and then returning to normal.
'However, is one sermon really supposed to change you, or is continual nourishment from the word of God supposed to make you grow?'
ReplyDeleteI don't think this is an either/or statement but both, as Izaac stated.