In this sermon, Rev. KJ Kim draws on the story of Jacob in Genesis to preach about overcoming fear through wrestling with our own stories. He brings a searching, personal quality to this exploration of identity, courage, and calling.

Jacob’s all-night wrestling match — with the angel, with God, with himself — becomes a lens for understanding what it means to preach from the truth of one’s own experience rather than from behind a mask of authority or polish. This sermon is a compelling resource for any preacher wrestling with their own voice, their own story, or their own fear of the pulpit. Available in English and Spanish.

Rev. Kim is Senior Minister of Eastwood Christian Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

Recorded at the 2025 Disciples Preaching Retreat.

You might also find helpful:

• Recovering the Soul of Preaching Through Rest — Dr. Casey T. Sigmon’s keynote from the same retreat on rest, slow preaching, and recovering the soul of proclamation.
• Preacher Panel Discussion: Disciples Preaching Retreat 2025 — Rev. Kim and fellow retreat preachers discuss their preparation process and preaching vocation.
• Preaching & Neurodivergence — A resource on authentic voice and preaching from one’s own embodied experience.
• I’m learning to let go of ‘preaching pretty’ — A preaching story about releasing performance and preaching from a more honest place.