I'm Cheating on Music, Don't Tell Anyone!!

by Tim Swanson

A couple years ago I was talking to Bob Kerrey, the Senior Pastor at Moon Valley Bible Church. He is a man who is reputable for his preaching. I lead the music at MVBC, but during our conversation I mentioned to Bob that I'd like to have a jab at preaching someday. At the time the church had 5 staff members with seniority over me. So it was a safe request. To be honest, the thought of preaching at MVBC is a little intimidating for me. It's not like I've never preached before. I've preached at other churches I've worked at. But over the past couple years I have learned about Bob's wide spread reputation for being a laser focused, crystal clear communicator. In fact I have experianced it myself. The thought of standing up in front of a church that is used to great teaching is scary. So as we talked, my lips said, "I'd like to preach sometime"; but my heart said, "Dear God in Heaven please never let that happen". He let me know he'd think about it. I assumed that they'd mull it over and maybe someday they'd give me a shot. After I mentioned it, I let it go.

It's funny how someday can quickly turn into today. Over the last two years two of our senior staff left, and I find myself on deck. As Bob prepares to take a break from preaching for the month of July, Patrick Gibbs and I will be filling in.

I don't want to leave anyone thinking I'm terrified about preaching. I'm as excited as I am scared. And I'm always up for an opportunity to see if I have what it takes. I've been praying and preparing for almost a month now. I'll be shooting to make as clear and captivating presentation of Scripture as is possible. July 7th is the big day. If you're the praying type, please pray that God will use me to explain His hope for those who need it. I hope to see you there.