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Day 3: Now we're talking!


What is 1 Samuel 17 really all about?
Is it about having faith like David?
Am I David?

Day 3 of the Utumishi wa Neno intensive at St James' Buruburu and we were getting into some really serious debates: Is the Bible really all about Jesus? Do we really need to preach the gospel of Christ crucified from every passage? What do twenty-first century Kenyan listeners, particularly those surrounded by many daily troubles and struggles, really need to hear? What do the youth, drawn as they are by the sexual immorality all around them, really need to keep them from sin?

Other interesting discussions of the day: What exactly is the difference (if any) between logos and rhema? Is it helpful to separate the youth off entirely into separate services and activities? What is our core task as pastors and preachers? What is our motivation in preaching? Do we cry enough!?

Highlights:
  • “Father, may these spoken words be faithful to the written word and lead us to the living Word, Jesus Christ our Lord” (prayer of John Pritchard)
  • The key mark of a spiritual man is receiving the deep things of the gospel - i.e. having your eyes opened to the fact that you are wretched sinner desperately in need of Jesus (Fidel from 1 Cor. 2:12-15).
  • The problem with moralising is that you end up with morals without Jesus (James on applying OT narrative).

Please pray for our last day tomorrow:
  • For Sammy as he preaches from 1 Cor. 3.
  • For Harrison as he leads us in a closing session dealing with lingering doubts about the validity or possibility of consistent faithful Bible preaching and encouraging us to keep going and growing in these things.
  • For good relationships between us all.
  • That we would get good feedback on the course and all of go away having grown in some way.

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