I am speaking at a conference that I speak at regularly.  Tonight I am preaching a message that I have preached before, but it will be unique.  Same conference, but different people.  The same program, calling for the same title, same content, same focus, same goal.  But it will be different.

This group of people are a different group than last time.  I have only been around this group for three or four days, but I can sense a real difference, and so do others working at the conference.  So as I prepare for tonight’s message I am struck by how I have to put last time out of my mind and not fall into the trap of trying to recreate anything.  Tonight has to be tonight, and it needs to be God’s work.

Somehow this setting is just reinforcing in me a truth that sometimes isn’t at the forefront of my thinking.  Every preaching situation is unique.  Even if the message content is the same, the purpose is the same, the program around it is the same, the preacher is the same (although I’ve changed in six months since last time) . . . but a different set of listeners makes for a different and unique message. 

If this is true, then we have to ask ourselves a couple of very simple questions – how alert are we to who we preach to?  How dependent are we on God for each preaching occasion?

Simple stuff really, but important.  I need to go and continue to prepare.