I was speaking recently with a colleague about preparing and delivering remarks for a memorial service when we came up with a formula for the whole process.

If you write out whatever it is that you’re going to say (and I usuallly do), here’s what we pray happens:

What’s in your heart gets empowered by the Holy Spirit and then moves to the screen as you type . . .

And then what’s printed out on paper moves back into your heart as you study and prepare . . .

So that when you stand and deliver the message itself, what you have written is nowhere near you (in other words, preaching without notes) . . .

With the goal of saying what was on your Spirit-empowered heart in the first place.

That’s what we hope happens today.