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Preaching at the Party of Hearts

Preaching God’s Word is one of my greatest passions . . . and one of my greatest fears.

I remember when I preached for the very first time. It was in a meeting coordinated by the youth group of our small church. (Back in those days, all the churches in my homeland of Argentina were small.) The six young organizers—the entire youth group—called the event “The Party of Hearts.” We invited family, friends, neighbors . . . and anyone who happened to walk by. That Saturday evening, the small building was packed. With my stomach in knots, I preached on Jeremiah 4:14 and 24:7.

One thing I learned that evening was that communicating eternal truths is difficult and demanding. So when I enrolled at the Central American Theological Seminary (SETECA) in Guatemala, I took every preaching class they offered and consumed every book on homiletics I could find. It was there I realized the mistakes I made in my early preaching attempts—mistakes made from a lack of understanding God’s Word and ignorance about how to communicate it. Thankfully, my professors lovingly and patiently taught me how to study Scripture so my messages would gain biblical depth. They instilled in me clear and simple communication principles and a desire to reject the sin of making the pulpit a showcase for knowledge. And they taught me how to show that the Word of God is applicable to every person’s needs.

During my years of study, I faced many difficulties: financial shortfalls, cultural misunderstandings, loneliness, pressures of studies and ministry, family issues, frustrated wishes, and unanswered prayers. Yet, every time I heard the Word preached in chapel or lectured about in class or when I read it in private, I knew there was a divine answer to my situation.

That’s why I was so excited when I first heard Visión Para Vivir—the Spanish-language broadcast of Insight for Living. There, flowing across the airwaves, was a living illustration of the essential qualities of powerful preaching. The preaching was profound. The substance and content of the sermons came directly from Scripture. No doubt, Chuck Swindoll and his translator spent many hours studying God’s Word to determine God’s mind and God’s message. The preaching was clear—so clear and colorful that an 18-year-old young man from a broken home, living in South America with a longing to learn, could understand God’s truth. The preaching was relevant and applicable. It was as if Chuck had his finger on the pulse of my life.

And now, by God’s favor, I’m a part of Chuck’s ministry—and I’m deeply grateful. I’m grateful for those who taught me how to preach, to the radio ministry of Visión Para Vivir, and for others who dedicate themselves to the ministry of preaching. Ours is not an easy task. At any gathering, much is at stake for those listening: salvation or condemnation, marital restoration or destruction, liberty from or bondage to sin, hope or hopelessness. But the eternal impact on the lives of those who listen is sufficient reward for such hard work.

I must confess, though twenty years have passed since that first preaching attempt at “The Party of Hearts,” I still get nervous each time I preach. I still leave sweaty palm prints on the pulpit. And I still get cotton in my mouth. Why? Because I feel the weighty responsibility that comes with communicating God’s Word with depth, clarity, and practicality.

And I’m still passionate about preaching. It is one of the greatest privileges in my life. I didn’t know it at the time, but one of the people present at “The Party of Hearts” was my future father-in-law. He gave his life to Christ at that meeting. What greater reward could any preacher hope for?