From Christ-Centered Preaching (Chapell, Bryan. Christ-centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005. Print.):
"Nothing in life goes by us without notice. Preachers who illustrate well do not wait passively for the world to offer them something significant to note. Rather, they steal from the world the treasures others do not notice or do not have the opportunity to display. There is beauty in an oil slick, irony in a detergent ad, pageantry in a barn lot, and grief in an abandoned railroad track if a preacher will but see it. The psalmist saw in the nest of swallows his own heart's longing to be near the Lord (Ps. 84:3), and Jesus recognized faith in a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20). You too can see as much and show as much if you are committed to relating truth through the experiences that enable people to see beyond textbook propositions." (191)
Be your own preacher. Choose to see the hidden beauty, irony, tragedy, or majesty in the everyday objects and occurrences around you. Be committed, and excited, to seeing God's glory all around you. Steal treasures from the world. And then, preach to yourself.
Amen brother! God's glory is indeed all around us. Preaching, I believe is different from teaching in that it seeks to offer a passionate appraisal of God's glory to God's people instead of just defining what it is. I see this passion in your writing Jude. It is an encouragement. Thank you!
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