Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire Book Reading Clip — Jim Cymbala

God’s Power Revealed Through Weakness

That evening, when I was at my lowest, confounded by obstacles, bewildered by the darkness that surrounded us, unable to continue even preaching, I discovered an astonishing truth. God is actually attracted to weakness.

He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for His power. And in a parallel vein, people are not turned off by honesty either.

Honest Dependence in Preaching

I didn't have to keep up some ministerial front. I could just preach God's Word as best I knew and then call the congregation to pray and worship. The Lord would take over from there. How I treasured those early humblings.

A Natural and Sincere Calling

They showed me that I didn't need to play the preacher. Jesus called fishermen, not graduates of rabbinical schools. The main requirement was to be natural and sincere. His disciples had to depend totally upon the Lord and His power, in the same way I needed to stop trying to act ministerial, whatever that was.

Trusting God to Use an Authentic Personality

God could only use Jim Simbla the way he was. What a breakthrough that was for me, as I learned to trust God to use my natural personality. He had always despised sham and pretense, especially in the pulpit.

The minute I started trying to affect any posture or pose, God's Spirit would be grieved. What I could do, however, was to get even more serious about studying. I began building a biblical library and giving many hours during the week to digging into God's Word.

Developing a Personal Preaching Style

But another John Wesley or G. Campbell Morgan, I would never be. That was obvious. I had to find my own natural style and stay open and dependent on God. Every week, however, seemed to carry with it a new challenge.