Consider Lot...

I preached this past Sunday morning on Lot and his choice to trade Canaan for Sodom. He had considered the path long before ever being presented with the opportunity to choose. This premeditation was demonstrated by the simple declaration that he pitched his tent "toward Sodom." Before long he found himself sitting in the gate and holding a position within the community. Sin will take us farther than we want to go, keep us longer than we want to stay, and cost us more than we are willing to pay. Lot lost everything by being drawn by the well watered plains. Choices matter.

It's not what you said, it's how you said it.

We have all heard the comment "It's not what he said, but how he said it" that bothered me. As a preacher of the gospel for almost 15 years I have found that this is code talk. What is really being said is that it really was what was said. In my nicest voice I could tell a dog that I am planning to take him to the pound and have him put to sleep. He would wag his tail in delight because of the way that my statement was made. His delight would not detract from the truth that his destination was the chamber. If I said to you in a hateful voice "Here is a thousand dollars, buy what you want", would you refuse the money? I think not. Content does matter, stop whining over how it was said and truly examine the message. Jonah converted the whole of Nineveh through his preaching while secretly wishing that they would all be cast into the pit. The message mattered. Good for Nineveh that they ignored "the way he said it."