Great, Powerful and ordinary

1 Corinthians 2:1-4 (NLT)  Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn’t use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God’s message. For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross. I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. I did not use wise and persuasive speeches, but the Holy Spirit was powerful among you. 

I met a great and powerful and ordinary guy yesterday I tell my grand kids that I am “The Great and Powerful.” The humor is in the obvious inaccuracies in that title. As my grandson says “Only God is great and powerful.” He is a pretty sharp kid and is usually right.

This guy was ordinary. He spoke at church. By the time he got to “preach” there wasn’t much time left. He spoke simply and plainly and briefly. Not only was he like the Apostle Paul; but he taught us how to be Pauls. The secret is to be down to earth, focused on Jesus, weak, and plain. In other words, what we really are instead of what we try so hard to be.

In our plain, grounded, focused and honest presentation, the greatness and power of the Holy Spirit comes through. People don’t need theology. They aren’t impressed by us. What they do need is to know God cares and moves in the lives of the ordinary in a great and powerful way. Hasn’t He done that in our lives? Don’t you know someone who would benefit from that story?

Who was this guy? Didn’t catch his name. But I did get His message. Isn’t that the point?

Be blessed,

Nick

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