Go to the desert was my sixth sermon. This was probably my most challenging sermon because the congregation I was preaching to was my classmates at Wesley Theological Seminary, in our introduction preaching class. To challenge myself I decided to use my classmates as the context that I would be preaching to instead of using my church, Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ as the context/congregation which was to receive the message.

Now what was most challenging about giving a message such as the one above was is that I was living the message out as I was developing the sermon as I had recently faced the loss of my job three days prior. I myself would now have to walk through the deserted place of being jobless and believed as I traveled on this journey that God would be somewhere on the other side of the desert. Great another faith test! I guess sermons are more genuine when the speaker has actually lived out what he is preaching about.

I received some good feedback from the class. The comment that sticks out the most was made by a Korean student who informed me that he enjoyed the pace at which I was speaking. English was his second language and my slow pace allowed him to follow along easily. He said my style would be appropriate for diverse congregations. As a black preacher I often wondered whether I would have the adjustments as African-Americans who preach tend to be more animated, but I guess my style is fine the way it is.