Before Peceli Tawaketini began Langham Preaching Training in Savusavu, Fiji, the sermons he delivered were based on his own interpretation of a Bible passage. Every single Sunday, he lacked confidence in his preaching, and he was nervous about potential criticism from older preachers in the congregation. Things are very different now.
In 2019, Peceli was given the opportunity to undertake Langham Preaching training. That was when everything started to change—not just for him personally, but for his congregation.
Discovering the Gift of Context
The first significant thing Peceli realised was that up until that point, he had been taking passages of Scripture completely out of context in his sermons. The training he’s received has taught him how to dig deeper into God’s Word when he’s preparing to preach. He would go so far as to say that he’s had to “unlearn” his prior method of sermon preparation.
“Langham has given a tool for me to really dig into God’s Word,” Peceli explains, “And that is very powerful.”
Peceli says that in the past, the way he prepared sermons meant he wasn’t preaching with a strong conviction in God’s Word.
“Before Langham, it was just my own ideas,” he says. “It was just my own way of thinking about a passage or a verse and referring to footnotes, commentaries and all the research and everything.”
That method of sermon preparation is what led to Peceli feeling concerned about how older men might receive his messages each week. Now that he has undergone the training, that intimidation is a thing of the past.
“After I took Langham Level One, Two, and Three, now when I stand there is no more fear, because it is purely God’s Word,” Peceli explains.
A Newfound Confidence
Peceli has also grown in his confidence to tackle more challenging sections of Scripture. He cites the fact that he is currently preaching through the book of Ephesians, despite previously feeling unequipped to do so.
“I used to fear the book of Ephesians, because I heard it’s one of the toughest books in the New Testament, but I knew it’s also one of the best for the church,” Peceli says. “That was before I did Langham Preaching Training. After that, I had the confidence to do the book of Ephesians, which we are now doing at the church. We’re into chapter three.”
The Impact of Langham
Members of the congregation have been encouraged by Peceli’s newfound confidence. He’s been told by at least one person that they are finding his sermons to be faithful to the text, relevant, and clear. He has also had a handful of people let him know that they are enjoying going through the book of Ephesians.
“I always tell them, ‘I thank God for His Word,” Peceli says.
Peceli’s church members are not the only ones who have noticed a change in his preaching. His wife has also seen the difference firsthand, and she has been greatly encouraged by the way Peceli has grown and developed his skills.
Peceli’s wife said to him recently, “I have seen the change in the way you deliver God’s Word, and that is Langham.”
For Peceli, the fact that he no longer struggles with teaching God’s Word is an enormous gift — and it’s a gift he does not take for granted.
“In my heart, I thank Langham for coming in, because I get to understand God’s Word more clearly.”