Mission Night: 2 Tools for Preaching
As a follow up on the Mission Night held in August, Olga and Marres, once again visited NBVM for another night on 14 September sharing the tools on preaching.
They reiterated that our Baptism was our initiation to be ‘sent’.
Olga quoted 2nd Kings : 21 “And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.
Olga explained that”Even the dead bones of Elisha could bring the dead to live. We as prophets have the power to resurrect the dead- dead spiritually. Sadly, many Catholics come to church but are dead to God. Only few have a relationship with God. We have the power to resurrect fellow Catholics. We are sent to those who do not know God.”
How to reach out to people?
There are 2 tools- according to the bible and the church. There are 2 important things to remember before using the tools:
- Need the power of the Holy Spirit to animate – you will testify but the Holy Spirit will touch the hearts of the person
- Love of people- seek the heart of God- see people with eyes of God
The 2 Tools of Preaching: Kerigma and Testimony
Kerigma
- simple proclamation of the truth of the Gospel – God loves you- most people are depressed and they need this simple truth
- We are separated from God because of our sin. Wage of sin is death.
- Jesus paid for our sins
- What is your response? – lead people to a relationship with Jesus. I need to know him personally.
Testimony
- Our God is alive – share about what he did in your life/our lives
- Mark 5:15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;- Jesus set him free
- Talk about what mercy God has shown them
- Testimony has the power touch people’s life
- You will receive power and be my witness
Before you start your preaching, you may want to reflect on the following questions:
3 questions about your life:
What was your life like before you met Jesus?( before your personal encounter with Him)
Think of the moment when Jesus touched your life. How it happened?
What are the things that Jesus changed in your life?
