在神学院受训期间，我们有机会到附近的教会练习讲道，讲完道后我们会收到一些回应。这些回应有时会是亲切有帮助的，但也不一定是这样。我的一位同学收到来自一位负责对其讲道重点作评估的审核员的回应：“我不知道，我睡着了。”唉！对我这位同学和其他人来说，这是一个震撼性的提醒，我们还需要很长时间的训练，才能说出有智慧和有说服力的话。
听到保罗的见证说他并没有高言大智，实在令人惊讶。然而保罗是被公认为教会历史上最伟大的宣教士之一，那么他的秘诀是什么呢？保罗解释说，他的信息是“圣灵和大能的明证”，意思是保罗觉得他不需要突出自己，他乃是要把神放在首位，分享耶稣并衪来拯救我们的好消息。
这真是一个很好的提醒：说话当然有其重要性，但这并不代表一切。所以无论我们是在讲道或只是在与别人分享我们的信仰时，最重要的是要帮助人去与永生的神相遇，去经历祂的爱与赦免。但愿其他人能看到和感受到圣灵的大能在我们里面作工。
主啊，感谢你赐下圣灵。求你打开我们的心，好让你能得着我们去帮助别人经历到你的爱。阿们。
哥林多前书 2:1-5
1弟兄们，从前我到你们那里去，并没有用高言大智对你们宣传神的奥秘。
2因为我曾定了主意，在你们中间不知道别的，只知道耶稣基督并他钉十字架。
3我在你们那里，又软弱，又惧怕，又甚战兢。
4我说的话、讲的道，不是用智慧委婉的言语，乃是用圣灵和大能的明证，
5叫你们的信不在乎人的智慧，只在乎神的大能。
"I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling." - 1 Corinthians 2:3
When I was a seminary student, our training included opportunities to preach at nearby churches, and students like me would preach and then receive feedback on our sermons. Sometimes the reviews were kind and helpful. Sometimes, not so much. One of my classmates received this response from a reviewer who was asked to comment on the main points of the sermon: "I don't know; I fell asleep." Ouch! What a humbling reminder to him and the rest of us that we had a long way to go before we spoke with wise or persuasive words.
How remarkable, then, to read Paul's testimony that he did not speak with deep wisdom or persuasive arguments. Yet Paul is considered to be one of the greatest evangelists in church history. What was his secret? Paul explained that his message came "with a demonstration of the Spirit's power," which meant that Paul did not feel the need to put Paul on display. He put God first and shared the good news about Jesus and how he came to save us.
What a great reminder that while words are important, they are not everything. And it doesn't matter if we are preachers or if we are just sharing our faith with another person—the main thing is that we help people encounter the living God and experience his love and forgiveness. May others see and sense the Spirit's power at work in us.
Lord, thank you for the gift of your Spirit. Open our hearts so that you can work through us to help others experience your love. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
