Every book on attaining effectiveness I’ve ever seen emphasizes the establishment of priorities. If everything is important, then nothing is. Or even worse, if everything is urgent, then we never find the time to get around to what is important. That’s why experts in the field of personal effectiveness insist on making lists that reflect what we believe to be of utmost significance.

I attended a preaching lecture this week in Atlanta while over that way participating in a meeting at the McAfee School of Theology, which is a part of Mercer University. I had the privilege of giving those particular lectures several years ago, which are named for my good friend and late colleague, Bill Self. As I listened to the lecture, I thought about how even though I’ve been preaching since I was 18, I still enjoy hearing others speak on the art of proclamation, because I always learn something that I think will make me a better preacher.

You may have seen the picture that went viral of Bubba Watson, the PGA golfer, who played in the NBA Celebrity All-Star game, held in Los Angeles last week. The picture was of Bubba donned in his celebrity basketball gear putting up a jump shot with another celebrity, Tracy McGrady, a former NBA player, swatting Bubba’s jumper out of bounds. In basketball parlance, that’s called a “rejection,” and for all of us who know the term we couldn’t help but commiserate with Bubba for the embarrassment such an experience must have caused him.