Emphasis Preaching Journal

I have a pastor friend who is single. He gets invited out to eat quite often. He told me that one time he was helping himself to his fifth piece of fried chicken at a member's table and the little girl of the family sat staring at him. He felt he had to excuse himself in some way so he said apologetically, "I don't get to eat such a good meal as this very often, little girl." She said, "We don't either. I'm glad you came." People have high levels of expectations of other people -- whether it is little girls judging the quality of meals and the manners of pastors, listeners judging the interest level and content of sermons, workers of employers, employers of employees, the unchurched judging church members, pastors' expectations of members, members' expectations of pastors, people expecting things of God. And not only do people fall short of God's expectations, he falls short of theirs! -- Mosley