09/04/2025
~The Old Preacher and the Young Preacher (Unknown author)
A young preacher, fresh out of seminary, was invited to preach his very first sermon at a church. He had studied hard, polished his notes, and was confident in his delivery. With his head held high, he marched up to the pulpit certain he was going to impress the congregation.
But as he began to speak, his words stumbled. His mind went blank, his confidence cracked, and his sermon fell flat. When he finally finished, he closed his Bible, head hanging low, and walked quietly down from the pulpit, feeling defeated.
An old preacher in the congregation leaned over and whispered,
"If you had gone up the way you came down, you might have come down the way you went up."
1 Corinthians 14:32 teaches that “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,” meaning that spiritual gifts, including prophecy, must be exercised with responsibility and in alignment with Scripture for the edification of the church. The prophet, or preacher, bears the responsibility of seeking God’s will for the service, since God moves only as far as His messenger allows through humility and submission to His Spirit. No matter how skilled or eloquent a speaker may be, human oratory can never accomplish what only a genuine move of God can produce.
Bro. Raymond Espinoza - ALJC Western District MENistry President
