This teaching thing is still a little new to me. I read a ton and study my tail off trying to a) make sure what I’m teaching is Biblically & historically accurate and b) have some fresh new perspective that keeps people’s interest so no one is snoring in the middle of a sermon (though I’ve got plans to stash a water gun on stage just in case someone does).

But no matter how much I read or how much I study, I still make mistakes. Sometimes I just look stupid like when I repeatedly said Ruth had 6 chapters. Sometimes I’ll say something that may be completely inaccurate like when I implied Jesus met Peter for the first time the day he told him to cast the net back in the water.

Almost every week when I go back and watch the video of the message, I’ll notice how much weight I need to lose, my ridiculous habit of constantly adjusting the podium angle, and sure enough, there will be at least one jaw-dropping mistake that is just embarrassing. Here’s an example from this past Sunday:

The map above shows modern day Middle East. In my message, I used this map to show where the Jews scattered or were exiled during the diaspora of 586 BC. Problem is…

this is the map I wanted to refer to. And even after I messed it up in the first service, I forgot to fix and made the same mistake in the second service. You might be thinking, “it’s not that big of a deal you had the wrong image up, it’s of the same region.” Yeah, well, that’s not the mistake.

I got these maps from my ESV study bible where I also read the note on the regions represented in the synagogue Stephen had been preaching in Acts 6:8. When I pointed to the wrong map, my geographically inept brain pointed to Iraq, Syria, and Jordan as NORTH AFRICA! See…I NEEDED the ancient map to remind me where Africa actually was. It even shows the cities I was referred to in the verse.

Ugh…It is a wonder I ever got out of high school.

In light of all of that, I have a challenge for you. Go back and watch my past sermons and see if you can find my mistakes. Who ever finds the most wins a $25 gift card. Some are obvious and I’m sure with all the dangerously educated people out there even more will be unearthed.

RULES:

1. “mistakes” are not stuttering, talking to fast, or bad jokes…there is way to much of that to count. Find factual errors that can be verified.
2. I’m sure there will be differences of opinions and you’re welcome to throws those in the ring too, but if I can defend my position (which I should not have a problem doing), it won’t count towards your total.
3. You’ll have to leave explanations and markers (i.e. “at 4:32 you said…”) in the comment section on this post.
4. Contests ends August 31.
5. Happy hunting!