Speech Impediments, Humble Prayer and Preaching About Money with Will Bassett

[00:00:00] And I think a lot of people will think that I've put most of my work into learning how to speak and that just isn't true. It's been learning to believe, to believe in who he is to believe in, who he has made me to be and who I am in him and so and so yeah, so it's just been a real journey in that to get to the point where I am now.

[00:00:23] Hey, welcome to the Expositors Collective podcast episode 337. I'm your host, Mike Neglia and the voice that you heard is our guest this week, Will Bassett. He's the pastor at Ridgeway Community Church in Didcott, UK.

[00:00:42] And this conversation is so helpful, so honest, so real. Really there's two important lessons or two important have in this conversation. We begin by speaking about some of the unique challenges that Will has as a public speaker and preacher of God's Word.

[00:01:05] He has struggled with a speech impediment for most of his life and he shares about how the Lord has helped him, upheld him and gifted him to be a communicator and a passionate preacher of his Word.

[00:01:24] And this is relevant for any or all Bible teachers listening. And then at the end, we speak about preaching about money. For many of us, myself included, this is a challenging and a hard thing to do well.

[00:01:43] And I've heard Will do it and so I ask for some advice that's going to be helpful for all of us. We need to really believe that money is a gift from God and also a tool that we can use for God.

[00:02:00] And speaking about money, I do want to say that there's an exciting opportunity for you to get involved and to use your money to help expositors collective in a really great opportunity.

[00:02:13] Expositors collective has been invited by Calvary Chapel Campola to come and to put on a three day preacher Bible teacher training workshop that they're going to host at their church.

[00:02:27] Campola is a built up and populated city and Calvary Chapel Campola has planted a lot of churches around the city and they want to host those church planters and those leaders to come into up skill and to encourage them in their personal study and public proclamation of God's Word.

[00:02:51] Calvary Campola has also planted many churches out in the bush in the less developed areas of Uganda and through relationships with those churches and other pastors and ministry workers throughout the outside, throughout the the hinterlands or the bush.

[00:03:15] I want to bring them in as well. What the event is going to be a free event for all who attend but the costs of getting some of those people from the outskirts of Uganda into Campola.

[00:03:28] I'm told that it costs about $110 to cover the transportation costs as well as the accommodation and the food for those that are going to be outside of Campola coming in.

[00:03:39] I'm told that's $110 per person. That's 86 pounds sterling. That's 102 euro. That's about how much it costs and here's the goal. We want to sponsor 100 expositors and so we need to raise $10,000 by September. We have already raised enough money for 23 of these rural pastors to come in.

[00:04:08] There's more work to be done and there's more funds to be raised. My brother, my sister, perhaps you can use some of the money that God has entrusted you with to sponsor an expositor to have somebody from the rural regions of Uganda come into the city for a couple of days and to be built up in their personal study and public proclamation of God's Word.

[00:04:29] This is going to be a link in the show notes. It will bring you to a CGN giving page, select expositors, collectiv on that link and sponsor an expositor today. All right, I'm going to let you listen to my great conversation with Will Bassett.

[00:04:52] All right, hey, welcome to the expositors, collective podcasts. Will to be speaking with a Welshman. Will Bassett? Welcome.

[00:05:00] Hi there, my car. You're doing fantastic looking forward to this conversation for a long time. I've been pestering you for a while about coming on the show and this finally worked.

[00:05:09] I came across a preaching clip of yours that was very stirring and we'll talk about that in a few minutes time, but yeah, I definitely have been seeking you out. Thank you for making it off of it.

[00:05:22] It's absolutely fine. It's my pleasure. It really is. It's my pleasure. Okay, so you know the drill. I always start these interviews by asking about your first, your first sermon. So do you remember the first time you opened God's Word in public?

[00:05:37] Yes, absolutely. It was one of the most vulnerable and terrible experiences of my life. So I had preached in Bible school to my class for a 10 minutes previous to this, but my actual first proper sermon in a church.

[00:05:57] It was an evening service in the church I was a part of. I had been given two hours notice and I was to preach at a tag team sermon on the protocol sermon.

[00:06:11] My friend was doing the day elder brother and I was doing the protocol sermon and I went first.

[00:06:17] I haven't ever preached. I haven't ever properly prepared a sermon except from the one. The show won previously and and it was one of the most vulnerable and terrible experiences I've had because I went up there.

[00:06:31] I felt good and I prayed well and I felt strong and assured and I went up there and I stammered on every single word for half an hour.

[00:06:42] Every single word and I'd spoken publicly in the past all of these things and it never gone as bad as that every single word and it was quite traumatizing because I remember the faces of everybody.

[00:07:00] Even now and and and I can still see those faces of the people who look her plex that at what was happening those people who lend in to try to understand me, those people who smiled in a way to try to help me and I see every single face and just a week have vulnerable how helpless.

[00:07:24] I felt and then all of the other feelings which I'm sure we'll speak about soon as we move on but yeah I didn't preach for a year and a half after that.

[00:07:35] And so that was my first ever sermon. I think these sermon itself was actually pretty good, but just could really understand it.

[00:07:47] Yeah well thanks for yeah for starting off even with such vulnerability in that and you know as sure let's just jump straight in there like the reason why I was so kind of compelled and and I pursued you so much to get you on the show is because yeah I saw this this preaching clip of yours speaking about how.

[00:08:10] That you as a preacher of God's word being convinced that God has given you all that you need also are living with like a speech impediments or a stammer and I just loved your honesty about that and I'm sure that God has like appelled and taught and helped you so much throughout that.

[00:08:28] Would you like to maybe explain like maybe your diagnosis and then also like how that is impacted you as a as a preacher. Yes absolutely so. So speech impediments can be caused in ways often so sometimes they can be caused by a. A.

[00:08:47] Parane injury and and and that's usually quite self explanatory the medical people understand that. But then the other way which is the way that most people have one and if they do have one.

[00:09:01] And it's just that they had one when there were young and then as they grew up due to different circumstances it became worse and. The medical specialist having got any idea what will what actually can cause someone to have a speech impediment the only.

[00:09:23] Origins they have found which link everyone is traumatizing experience of various kinds. And I definitely see that in my own life so I didn't speak properly until I was about three. I do all the sisters who spoke.

[00:09:38] For me so I think part of that was because I didn't have to. And so I didn't speak properly in terms three went to speak therapy a three. Learn how to speak and I was fine, but there was a slight speech impediment there. I would.

[00:09:51] Samma on certain words. But it wasn't too bad and then I just recognize moments in my life were certain things happened even even things where we had. To move homes you know and and I noticed that my speech in impediment became worse. I noticed that when I moved.

[00:10:10] I moved my school and other 13 and my speech impediment became worse and things like that but then there's other probably more. traumatic ex experience as perhaps which I went through and I just saw my speech impediment increase after those. And so I definitely relate to that theory.

[00:10:37] So you would think therefore that there's some way to heal out of that but they haven't been able to find any way there are different exercises which you can do which helps some people but don't help others and I've been through all of that.

[00:10:52] And my speech impediment is far better now than it was as I said when I preached the first time it was really bad really really. Now I preach every single week. Yeah, so so that would kind of be my diagnosis as per say.

[00:11:10] But my journey with it as a preacher so I. I went to Bible college at 18 fellow call to lead and it was quite vague and I kind of went just because I didn't have. I didn't really have much else on.

[00:11:29] So I went to Bible college when I was 18 hoping to stay for a year and then go and do something else potentially to join.

[00:11:38] The army, but after being there for a year I felt a call to pastor and to preach so the call to lead became much more real and I started to see what God had planned. And so I started to to press into that and pursue that.

[00:11:55] Left Bible college had met my wife in the between we got married after Bible college when I was 22.

[00:12:03] And then she was working for the BBC and we went and moved to where her work was and I went into secular work there were a few opportunities to go into. Ministry but just none of them seemed right so we just went.

[00:12:19] So I went into secular work and pursued a ministry position and then about two years into that time I got a call to start Africa.

[00:12:31] To be a pastor now in the two years in between leaving Bible school and going to South Africa I was traveling to various churches maybe two or three times every month and I was preaching.

[00:12:47] 90% of these didn't go that well not because of my sermon but purely because I could not speak. I just wasn't able to and that was really hard because because I had repaired and worked hard and prayed and prayed and prayed and.

[00:13:05] And when I went to stand up and preach everything felt right everything felt like it would work and I had faith and God would help me and God would like make this happen and then as a began to preach nearly every single time.

[00:13:21] I I would I would struggle and and. Yeah and and it just and it just didn't ever go that well. Am I wife.

[00:13:37] Sarah found this hard it's really hard to watch someone who you love to stand up in front of people and just and and just go through it and struggle and struggle and.

[00:13:47] And that was and that lasted for about two years and there was some improvements over time and then the Sunday before we went to say. South Africa was probably that the worst one of all. I.

[00:14:02] Samored on every single word and for the first time I was standing up there and I felt like I just wanted to do just to walk away. You know, I didn't I just didn't I didn't have it in me anymore.

[00:14:19] And I had fought and for and I'd had faith and faith and it just felt like that God just wasn't really helping me as I hoped he would.

[00:14:29] But we got the call to South Africa accepted we were supposed to go there for three months to fill in while they looked for it past the permanently. And this is when things started to change so I was preparing my sermon.

[00:14:49] And it was the Saturday before the first the first time I would preach and I was in my office preparing and back then I would practice every single sermon.

[00:15:01] And as I was preaching in my office to myself, Sarah my wife she walked past and she listened to me and she was amazed. I spoke fluently every single word perfectly did not.

[00:15:15] And she recorded me and she put her phone outside of the office and and after I finished preaching I went out. And she said to me. Listen and so I did. And sadly, if I just wasn't shocked at all, I said yeah that's right.

[00:15:45] I know I can like for the last five years or so, I know that I'm able to speak and to preach but then when I'm actually up there it just doesn't happen.

[00:15:58] And she said to me if you can preach in there like that then you can preach out there just like that as well. And that changed something in me. She started to encourage me to believe that I could.

[00:16:18] And believe that if God had all to me to this then I would. And so I went on a journey on that Saturday night, I guess I went on a journey in my own mind in my own heart.

[00:16:33] We're no longer having to pray prayers focused on the anxiety and the doubts and the questions in my own heart. But praying prayers where I was preaching to myself in a sense and confirming that the that the Lord had.

[00:16:55] And so I went up and I preached on Sunday morning and it went extremely well. And there was a such a sense of assurance in me and such a sense of belief in me. And that was.

[00:17:18] Here's a go and then it's just been a journey of growth in belief arguably you know and I think and I think a lot of people will think that I've put most of my work.

[00:17:30] In to learning how to speak and that just isn't true it's been learning to believe.

[00:17:35] To believe in who he is to believe in who he has made me to be and who I am in him and and so and so yeah so it's just been a real journey in that to get to the point.

[00:17:47] And so I know where I am now and even now my you know. And so you you hear me preach but what you don't hear is the bit before hand where I'm having to speak and preach to myself and pray and.

[00:18:02] And that's probably one of the biggest changes is my prayers. My prayers have changed from being obsessed with me. Yeah yeah right and I'm sure that all of us have been through that you know we're before every sermon most of our prayers are just about us.

[00:18:18] Yeah, like how we preach how we are seeing how we are here how we feel. And even when we're praying for others we want them to be helped and transformed you know because that like because that makes us look good and feel good in some sense.

[00:18:35] And my prayers have changed you know I just realize I so filled with pride even in my vulnerability and brokenness I was just so prideful because it was just all about me and so my prayers have to change and become all about them.

[00:18:49] The people that I preach to and all about him and I'm just a tool and a means to an end and if I speak well or not along as he is praised and as long as he is shown brightly then I should be happy.

[00:19:02] Yeah well yeah well thank you so much and also want to shout out to Sarah you know. And on that Saturday night in South Africa and you know probably violating GDPR protocols by recording you without your concerns.

[00:19:19] So European law for those who are listening who are like what's that but yeah that's that's really great and you know that I can imagine the same thing taking place and going really poorly you know kind of using that in like an ambush way or like a.

[00:19:36] Like a like a guilty in way but it sounded like it was just like the right time and the right way and the right tone that then prompted that yeah not a change of technique but a heart posture that was different and then has been different sense.

[00:19:50] Yeah absolutely and I think there's a sense of trust there you know like I know that she is for me once this to happen and wants me to happen and I think that's just such an important lesson for all of us.

[00:20:08] That we need those people around us in like those people who we trust who can speak into our lives and our lives often are great at that and I probably learn more about preaching from here than from anyone else because she's the most honest one.

[00:20:21] She'll always tell me so yeah she's great she is great.

[00:20:26] Well thank you yeah so much for that I know that you know there's there may be people that have your exact same yeah diagnosis that are like on the edge of their seat listening to this but for all of us.

[00:20:36] This is that's a yeah beautiful story of trust and growth and dependence and encouraging us towards yeah I guess a self forgetfulness in our prayer and then and I guess really a listener focused.

[00:20:49] A congregation focused prayer and focus rather than the preacher you know there's a podcast about preaching and preachers we all want to improve but like but why do we want to improve.

[00:21:00] Hopefully ideally it's that these people whom God love who Christ died for with the spirit and dwells that they would be helped and encouraged a bit Sunday after Sunday. Yeah yeah I think that's absolutely right and I think.

[00:21:16] I think that's something that I had to learn probably the primary thing I had to learn which was the hardest thing was to embrace. The weaknesses that I had. I think part of the reason I.

[00:21:30] Samad so much was that I tried to fight for every single word and I tried to fight through everything and.

[00:21:38] I'll try to fight to show myself that someone who could speak could preach who was fine and and a lot of us do that in the various areas of life and and something I had to really learn was to embrace the weaknesses that I had.

[00:21:55] I've embraced the weakness that I sensed a strength and a power from God that I didn't ever have. Be forehand because I stopped embracing defy I stopped embracing the might and the power of myself and started to embrace his power and his might.

[00:22:16] I've been a story isn't there in the story of. One King's 17 to 19 and Elijah and the prophets of ball. And they're having a bit of a fight and they both have the they they they they alter each.

[00:22:40] And they're asking ball or jihad to send down the fire on the altar and the and the prophets of bar are singing and shouting and. Shredding blurred and all of these things to make to make to make ball send the fire and it doesn't happen.

[00:23:01] And then Elijah it's his turn. And then he's going to put water on the you to dealter.

[00:23:10] And you can just imagine what everyone there is thinking like this is insane like if this guy wants that all to be set off fire and why is he making it incredibly weak and not just once but he pause. Or on it three times and then he praise.

[00:23:27] And God sends the fire down. And I think that's the way that's the way that we can get to learn that if you desire the fire then weakness is did the way. And and I needed to embrace that that weakness to experience Christ.

[00:23:45] Reaching through me and preaching to me so I could preach to others and I could experience his power and I just think that so.

[00:23:56] I think that's the way that he's going to be important because because every preacher desires power, every preacher desires that fire and that power and that fire only comes from Jesus.

[00:24:08] And and he pares out his holy spirit and that spirit in him powers us and in flames us but but the spirit will always lead us back to him and so that fire comes from Jesus and Jesus is it is just amazing like

[00:24:25] Jesus is beautiful. He's magnificent. He glorious. He's perfect and I say all of that because when we are weak.

[00:24:36] That's when things get slightly confusing in us when we are depressed or anxious sick or you know however the weakness is expressed in our lives we can try to find countless ways.

[00:24:54] To help it. But there's only one way and as to run into the arms of Jesus that is to be to be near him and to and to be real with him open honest and to embrace the weakness that you have and and that thorn it in your side then stops stops becoming the thorn which hurts you and starts becoming the tool which helps you.

[00:25:18] Helps you to be all that you've made and say to be helps you to be closer to him helps you to glorify him and to build his church and bless his world and and that's something that I needed to learn and I'm still having to learn every day is for that thorn not to become something which hurts me but something which actually helps me.

[00:25:41] Well yeah well thank you. Yeah once again for that to your honesty it's speaking to me and I trust others as well.

[00:25:51] If like I kind of have a technical question having to do with that and then if it's okay with I'd like to kind of move move past that because you're so much more than been only. This challenge.

[00:26:04] So that was saying to you beforehand I just kind of binge a few different sermons from Ridgeway Community Church and I noticed that you're kind of a wanderer you can sort behind the pulpit and then you walk to the left then you walk to the right and a lot of what you're saying is like you kind of would glance at the notes and then look out and then reach.

[00:26:26] Is that. Is there a reason for that beyond just how melodical skill like do you find it's easier to communicate whilst not reading or is that kind of I'm curious. Yeah that's really good that's a great thing to ask.

[00:26:43] I think I think the the moving around yeah so I talk with my feet and with my hands. And I think yeah that is definitely because I find it easier to I think it takes my focus away from my mouth.

[00:27:00] Okay and and I think there's a sense of flow so right now I find I find that my speech as far worse in these kind of situations. I'm here speaking to you one on one.

[00:27:15] You know and and like my mind is just completely focused on how I say things and what I'm saying and so my speech definitely was in this instance and when I preach.

[00:27:28] I preached with a manuscript for a long long time and I actually went back to one for maybe the last.

[00:27:37] Three of all months and then I've recently gone back to bullet points, but I went away from a manuscript because I found it wasn't helping me because I felt tired to saying certain words and then I would overthink those words and then I wasn't able to say them and you know all of that kind of thing.

[00:27:56] Because most of my speech impediment is in my mind. I think and so and so if I think I won't be able to say a word then I probably won't but if I don't think then I'll be fine.

[00:28:13] So it's a terrible situation sometimes, but yeah so I went away from a manuscript because of that I went to notes and then I went back just kind of prove to myself. Yeah, how do I good.

[00:28:26] Yeah and now I'm fine with either which is which is which is great and I think that's important that I think we will always grow you know like how you are right now is not where you will always be and we will always improve as preachers as men as people.

[00:28:45] If you just constantly try to improve. But yeah so now I do like but I like to ask my notes and walk and move just because I think that makes a better.

[00:28:56] Preacher a lot of the preachers not just that I like to watch but I like to hear our people who don't.

[00:29:04] Because I think even if you don't read from your manuscript if you have one a lot of guys know a lot of guys still sound like they do read from the manuscript because none is right as we talk.

[00:29:16] Yeah, yeah it's a different location style hopefully there has an answer to you.

[00:29:22] Yeah well I mean and you know watching and listening to your summons I try to do it in a couple different ways firstly as as a Christian I just need to be encouraged you know and so I'm trying to listen in that way but then also you know I'm prepping for this podcast so I'm trying to like.

[00:29:39] You're things out about you and then every other every other yes I try to listen to at least two summons from everybody.

[00:29:46] But so then I'm noticing things as a homo letician and then kind of wondering trying to make these these connections and things like what would be interesting to me and then to the audience about your preaching style.

[00:29:57] So if I could yeah then again it's been wonderful and unique to talk about this yeah speech impediments but then you also. You're again as I said so much more than that and then you as a preacher you actually you bring really good content forward.

[00:30:11] So in your like sermon prep and the preparation that's gone into it have there been anything kind of on you know Monday to Saturday and in the lead up to the preaching moment like what's kind of bits of your sermon prep.

[00:30:24] That you have like discarded over the years or you've leaned more fully into certain elements of the sermon prep process. Or that's really good.

[00:30:35] So I think the one thing I've leaned into most especially recently is to start as early as I possibly can and that's not yeah it is yeah yeah absolutely so if I start on a Monday or more than a month better place I think a lot of my best prep happens when I'm not actually.

[00:30:53] Preparing so if I if I start on the text early then when I'm out when I drive and shop. All of those things I'm usually able to think through things and prepare things in my mind. So that that's something that I really lent into is to start early.

[00:31:14] But when I came to this church two and a half years ago I could preach. But then since being in this church I've learned how to preach to. People. And so I've learned to tell stories. I've learned to speak about myself which I couldn't do.

[00:31:36] I don't know I found it so hard to think of things. You know, which happened in my own experience or my own life which. Which would actually help people and would help to explain the passage that I.

[00:31:53] I'm preaching and so I really learned to preach to people and that's only come through listening to others. And how they preach and that's probably the one thing that helped me the most was I started to listen to people outside of the. The the.

[00:32:08] The trot the trotation which I was a part of and so just trying to listen as widely as you know as I could listen to people who I would never. Recommend people to listen to and you know.

[00:32:24] Yeah, I just I just learning how people communicate how people preach how people teach. And so that's something I did and that's something I still do a lot of. But in sermon prayer I start early. I get into the text I.

[00:32:40] Exogy expose it just like most people who will be listening to this do I. I. I. Exogy the text to expose it. And my sermons used to be 30 to 40 minutes they then went up to like 50 to 60 because. Because that's right.

[00:33:01] You know, you sound like like all of my church now. Because I kept the exposition as it was but added in pictures and stories and jokes even like I started to feel more free.

[00:33:19] And so now I'm back down to I 45 on average and that's just due to having to really cut a lot out a lot out. And so that's something I'd lean into a lot as well. Is too cut as much as I possibly can.

[00:33:38] But still be faithful to the text. And then the other thing which I pressed into is prayer. There is nothing more important to my sermon preparation than prayer. I've preached lots of good sermons which have been utterly.

[00:33:56] Powerless and I'm convinced that's to you to just a lack of prayer. And I don't pray to to preach well but I know that when I pray I do. preach well. Yeah, yeah, yes, I actually I was anticipating you to speak about it's the prayer ingredients.

[00:34:18] Even from the earlier moments of this conversation. Yeah, and then as far as I got adding stories from life like that's that's it. Like I've found myself in similar situations where I know people in my church really appreciate the personal stories. They don't come naturally to me.

[00:34:35] I'm not that much of like a self-discloseive person by nature but when something even this past Sunday. I kind of added in the story but I added in a story then I forgot to take out other stuff you know.

[00:34:48] So it's kind of it the crept I think into the too long category of preaching because I was adding those extra, you know, sprinkles on top of like personal stories etc.

[00:34:59] But then I felt I don't want to take out any of the exes Jesus or any of these other things either so just kind of kept getting longer.

[00:35:05] So basically to my church listen you're either going to get personal stories or short sermons you can't you can't have both. But I think that is true right and I think but but do you think that the stuff which you added in major so and feel shorter.

[00:35:21] Yeah, yes, yeah I kind of like just some you know some of the other elders I kind of said like oh guys I'm so sorry. I didn't I went way too long and they were like that didn't feel long at all and sometimes they will tell me.

[00:35:33] Yes, absolutely absolutely but so I think I think that's zoom and length is less about length and it's more about feel.

[00:35:40] Yeah and and you know and even then right yeah absolutely there are you know like there are certain sermons like that I've pre which I've got everything in it and it's excellent but it is still yeah far too long. But in general yeah. Yeah.

[00:35:57] Well okay so as I've been listening to all your sermons or the past couple anyway you've been preaching about money a lot lately and I wanted to ask you about it's like how to preach about money generosity.

[00:36:09] Even tidying well because I include links in the show notes to people want to listen to them but they were just excellent they're really well done and how on earth are we supposed to preach about money in this day and age.

[00:36:22] That's great so that was my first time preaching on money so I'm glad that played that it was good. Yeah, yeah. I think the first thing is do not apologize for what the Bible does not.

[00:36:37] If the Bible doesn't apologize for speaking about money then we shouldn't either and I think that we need to be bold and authoritative in that.

[00:36:49] Jesus speaks about money a lot the Bible speaks about money a lot and I think with the same authority we speak about faith and hope and love we should speak about finances as well.

[00:36:59] And so I think that's the first thing and I think if we get that right then we're fine. I think that we need to be bold and sure and what God is bold and sure on.

[00:37:10] And then be faithful be faithful to the text just because it's just someone else has preached it badly doesn't mean that you have to. And just because and just because we were especially over here.

[00:37:25] So in England where I am a lot of Summons on money are quite soft to the point that there's just no sense from the preacher that I need.

[00:37:36] To give or tie home whatever it is that you believe on that and that's why we see a lot of churches struggling financially I think in these issues.

[00:37:50] So yeah, so so I think be as strong as he as the word is and and do not preach things badly just because others have either because they are too soft or just because they're false in what they say.

[00:38:03] And be honest be honest with people be honest with your own struggles in this area if you do have them and be honest with people about God's faithfulness.

[00:38:16] If he promises to provide if he promises to abundantly provide for every need if he promises that you will reap what you what you sow you don't need to over explain that to the point that it doesn't make any sense anymore.

[00:38:31] Yeah, yeah, and it doesn't like help us anymore. Like just be faithful to what it says and if people find that hard well then fine like that's okay.

[00:38:44] Yeah, yeah it was it was you said a phrase that you you almost repeat it just there but I think he said like just because some people are preach badly about the people money badly but we need to understand to be biblical something of actually.

[00:38:59] You say so yeah, so like bad preaching exists so therefore biblical preaching must exist or something like that. But that's right. Yeah, it was yeah yeah yeah so if people do something badly don't react badly really.

[00:39:11] Babily that's it. Yes, okay. Yeah, we got there. I'm too weak to go.

[00:39:19] Yeah, but I just thought it was really really yeah it was I'm sure good for that congregation stirring to me and I would again I recommended it as almost like a nearly a master class in talking about money.

[00:39:32] And also with like honestly about your own church situation financially and it was just yeah really good. And just because someone on TV is doing it badly, yeah, that doesn't mean that we need to just like have you audit to death or you know.

[00:39:48] You kind of come kind of cap in hand I'm so sorry folks after talking about money today. Oh please forgive me, you know, but you're just like this is something in God's word.

[00:39:55] This is something in our lives, let's see how they overlap and I got news for you. And then you communicate it as well. Absolutely right as absolutely right and we wouldn't do it with anything else right.

[00:40:06] Yeah, when it comes to time and serving and money and finances things which actually affect people there and then we seem to be quite that quite anxious and scared at times which is just insane just just preach.

[00:40:26] Yeah, let me say in that yeah, you know I preached about money last Sunday so that made me think kind of like as I was listening to you, you know today is Tuesday and I wish I listened to this earlier this would have put some fire in my bones before before I did and you know I think I preach pretty good you know on money but this is this is like after about a dozen probably awkward sermons on money that I've preached over the years.

[00:40:53] So in the past couple of years I think as I've got an older just like I care a lot less, you know I've learned right listen I've lost a lot of friends already and people can think the worst about me no matter how hard I try.

[00:41:06] And so I'm just like let's just go for it and so a couple of years ago the way I preached about sex and the way I preached about money has gotten a lot less apologetic or caveat it or nuanced and of course there are nuances to some of these things but I've learned like I'm never going to make certain people happy and so let's just yeah, but I'm actually really surprised that was your first time doing it because I just I got a lot of bad ones under my belt before I think I finally found my stride and able to talk about this confidently.

[00:41:35] Yeah. What are you saying besides yes thank you Mike yes I am. You're right it's just so short in myself you know. No, I think I think the outcome to a point where I need to preach in a way where no one's happy.

[00:41:55] You know in some sense right in some sense I think it was a. I think it was Martin Lloyd Jones who was speaking about anti-nominism and legalism and that a good preacher should be accused of both of those things and it comes to money.

[00:42:13] Prosperity and the opposite end of that whatever that would be called I think we should be willing and ready to be accused of both of those things because I think.

[00:42:23] God's teaching on money is far and exceedingly greater than we can even imagine and as evangelicals would often accept. But it's it's also far exceedingly less self-centred than many have preached it and told it. Yeah.

[00:42:50] Well yeah thank you thank you for that and then you know we got a few moments left kind of as a last question I always start by asking about people's first summons and then I always want to end by asking about like how are you currently trying to improve so next week or next time in the public like what what would you like to get a little bit better at.

[00:43:10] Great question so I'm starting Daniel chapter seven to 12 of this not this Sunday next or that will be a may the 19th. And and I think what I want to improve on is is teaching theology and doctrine in a way which excites people.

[00:43:40] And that's something I really want to improve on and teaching xxxx positionally through a book which makes people always think that this is relevant to them.

[00:43:54] I've noticed that when I preached topical series and people are hungry for it but one of the preach x positional series not as much which maybe says more about me is a preacher I'm not sure.

[00:44:07] But like but that's something I want and then the other thing the other thing like is. I want a sense of God presence as I preach.

[00:44:17] I want people to experience him I don't want people just just to learn about him or to you know or to get excited about the things that I'm saying but to actually experience him and I think sometimes.

[00:44:28] As we see and as we pray that is expected and so after and then as we preach this something in the atmosphere which shifts.

[00:44:36] And I but I want God presence in every moment of our service and of our lives and and in our preaching like that's where it should be surely you know like as his word is being as God speaks through us and to us he should be fell and should be known.

[00:44:54] So I'm longing for my people to get excited about his word and I'm longing for my people to experience more of him as his word is preached.

[00:45:03] Yeah, well on the topic of yeah of topical preaching and I don't think I'm the first person to notice this but like I actually was looking at some like like topical ointment for something like.

[00:45:17] And I was thinking like topical ointment yeah that's kind of how topical preaching is you know like like you know if you have a rash this goes right exactly where the itches.

[00:45:28] And it goes on the surface and then it hopefully works its way down and then I was thinking well that's topical.

[00:45:36] And then I was you know thinking about like vitamins or supplements or even just healthy eating maybe that's more of like a inside out like it's not as it doesn't go where the itch is but it's like forming you into the kind of like body or ecosystem.

[00:45:49] So I think there's probably something there might expand that in something one of these things. But I think I think everybody everybody most variations love topical preaching because it's like that's exactly it.

[00:46:01] Oh, that goes directly to what I'm curious about whereas no one's curious about you know Daniel's visions and what that goat means and this or that with the other but like you're going to connect that with with you know the realities of life.

[00:46:14] And that's right. So it's not as instantly applicable sometimes but it's it's very good and life.

[00:46:22] Yeah, yeah, yeah absolutely I think I think like that's right and I think if I could add to that of just something I wanted to learn in that is is is is to not is to not always be held by man in what I preach.

[00:46:38] Okay, and I think that's what I mean. Yeah, so I think that this is something which happens to a lot of us and we don't realize it because we let man and often those who are friends and those who we trust and those who we follow and read we let them define what faithful preaching is.

[00:46:55] And then we don't actually listen to what God wants us to preach on that week. And we don't and we don't allow him you know if I'm preaching through Daniel chapter seven two to 12 I've been taught that faithful preaching is to explain every verse.

[00:47:12] But maybe God doesn't want me to explain every verse and I can still be faithful in that and I can still be right you know and I and and so and and that's something in all areas of my life that God has convicted me on is I used to think it's because I was overly sensitive it's actually because I'm very prideful.

[00:47:30] That I'm actually led more by man than I am by him and that's something which I think I want to improve one of my preaching because can you imagine like if every Sunday we preach the exact message which God he has told us, you know,

[00:47:50] I can imagine what would happen. I think that God's often very kind to us as we preach but I think there are certain systems where we know for sure like this is what he wants and he blesses that in a way.

[00:48:06] Which we don't always experience so if we get up more of him and be led by him then that would be excellent. Yeah, yeah sign me up I want that to all I'll have what he's having.

[00:48:20] Okay well you know I got to go I'm actually going to interview professor David Matthewson about preaching Old Testament narrative nice. So I will you should listen to that one if you absolutely I think I should I think I need it.

[00:48:35] But yeah really love this time thank you so much for your generosity of like opening up my life and your story and your prayers and all this challenging stuff. It's it's done me good and I know that it's going to benefit the listeners as well.

[00:48:47] And then excellent thank you so much this has been great and I pray that this podcast will just increase and grow and we'll see many more people preach faithfully and powerfully for Jesus name. Amen.

[00:49:04] Alright, hey thanks for listening all the way to the end that was that was really good. I mean I'm biased I think every episode is great but I just thought it was something really special to connect with will on those levels.

[00:49:17] In the history of our podcast this is actually the third conversation that we've had with somebody about teaching and preaching while living with a speech impediment. And so in the show notes you'll be able to find two other conversations about this topic.

[00:49:37] Perhaps that's you or perhaps you know somebody or perhaps you're just interested in God's power being made perfect in our weakness.

[00:49:46] Be sure to check out the show notes for those conversations and remember in those show notes there's also a link where you can give to sponsor an expositor.

[00:49:56] We want the people of Campalda City and also the church leaders who live in the outside bush regions to all have access to this sort of Bible teaching training. And the workshops and the encouragement that we're able to offer so would you help us sponsor an expositor?

[00:50:15] Alright, I look forward to episode 378 next week thanks for listening and I hope that this episode and all that we do. helps you to grow in your personal study and public population of God's Word.

[00:50:30] This podcast is a part of CG and Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. We are supported by listeners like you to help us create more great shows visit cg and media.org slash support.