A few years ago I heard a story about a Christian leader in Nigeria who was attacked by Muslim extremists armed with guns and machetes. As they threatened to kill him, he made one simple request. "Before I die," he said, "let me pray and read my Bible." Turning to Psalm 24, he read, "If the Lord had not been on our side … then they would have swallowed us up alive in their fierce anger towards us." Then he closed his eyes and, after praying fervently for a few minutes, he opened his eyes and the men had vanished. Sometimes I hear stories like that and I wonder, Great story, but I wonder if that really happened. Well, a few months ago I had dinner with the Christian leader in this story. And it was all true. He prepared to get shot; he prayed; he opened his eyes and for some crazy reason they were gone. This week as part of our Global Preaching Voices series we feature his sermon— "Where Do You Want to Finish Your Life?" As you read it, remember that you're hearing from a true man of God, a man who knows what it's like to preach under the gun. Literally.

In this week's skills article—"5 Ways to Recover After Your Sermon"—Portland area pastor Dr. A.J. Swoboda explores a challenging topic for many preachers—the temptations that stir after your preaching is done. As A.J. writes, "We've become masters at sermon preparation but entirely ignorant of sermon recovery." This article explores five practical ways to guide you through those times of post-sermon temptation.

Also, check out these new resources from PreachingToday.com:

• Featured Sermon: "Where do you Want to Finish Your Life?" by Benjamin Kwashi
• Featured Illustration: "Two Pictures of the Call to Duty"
• Featured Video: Parent Pep Talk 2: A funny look at parents being "coached" during halftime.

In Christ,

Matt Woodley
Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.