Big Head Josh with a needle close by.

I delivered the sermon "The Heart of a Champion" yesterday at Garr Church. I have to admit I struggled a lot on this sermon. I had my topic, and scripture reference ready a week ahead, but I did not start writing the sermon out till Saturday (the day before) Side note: I do not recommend this, procrastination never makes perfect. I started Saturday at 10am and finished writing at 3am Sunday morning. I then went to sleep and got up at 7:30am and started to revise some. I walked on the stage feeling like this is not going to go well. I do not have a great sermon in my hands and this is going to bomb.
I have to admit that during the sermon I was unusually comfortable. The sermon seemed to flow decently. And it was 30min long! Every time I went through it at home at best it was 20min. After the sermon I had tons of people come up to me and tell me how good the sermon was. My family came to me and said that it was the best they have heard me deliver so far! I began to swell! Oh, I kept up the "christian" facade and always replied with a statement like: "It had to be God because it was not great when I was preparing it" Which is true, but inside my head was having a hard time getting through a doorway.
This morning I was doing my usual blog reading and I re-read an awesome blog by my dad. The Cutting Edge. POP! I realize that the power was not, and never will be, in my ability, but in my willingness to be available. That sermon was not great because of my ability to write great sermons. The power came because I made myself available to deliver God's powerful sermon.
I will hopefully be delivering more great sermons, but not because I am only getting better at it. But because I am going to make myself available to be used.