Everyone loves a good message slip-up. Just ask our Nashville campus Pastor, Blake Bergstrom, who may never live his down. And just in case you’re the only person in America who hasn’t seen it please enjoy THIS.
Several years ago when we were still meeting in Gower Elementary school I had one of my most embarrassing slip-ups. If you were around in those days you’ll remember it wasn’t that uncommon to see a large cockroach scurrying across the cafeteria floor. In one particular message I was trying to tell our community just how proud I was of them. I was trying to say that I’m so proud to be a part of a church that can worship in the midst of a cockroach infested room. However….I forgot to add “roach” to the word cockroach and a very intimate moment become a very inappropriate moment. You’ve got to love being human.
Now hang with me because I’m actually going somewhere with this…I promise.
We are so excited to be hosting Tony Morgan’s “Killing Cockroaches” tour here in Nashville on July 17th. If you don’t know Tony let me take a second to introduce him to you.
Tony Morgan is a strategist, coach, writer, speaker and consultant who equips leaders and churches to impact their communities for Christ. More important, he has a passion for the local church. He’s all about helping people meet Jesus and take steps in their faith.
For more than 10 years, Tony served on the senior leadership teams at NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC) and Granger Community Church (Granger, IN). With Tim Stevens, Tony has co-authored Simply Strategic Stuff, Simply Strategic Volunteers and Simply Strategic Growth–each of which offers valuable, practical solutions for different aspects of church ministry. His newest book, Killing Cockroaches (B&H Publishing), was released in 2009.
Tony has one of the most brilliant, strategic minds I’ve ever been around. I’ve learned a ton from this guy just reading his blog. If you’re on church staff, or even a volunteer who would like to know how to better be used to impact your community for Christ than you’ve got to be a part of this day.
Tomorrow is your last chance to register for the early bird rate. At $29 you can’t miss this opportunity to learn, grow, and interact with Tony in this smaller more intimate setting.
CLICK HERE to register now and get that early bird rate!
OK, I can’t end this post without asking you if you have an embarrassing slip-up you would be willing to share with us?
Who knows…maybe on the 17th we can talk Tony into sharing his most embarrassing slip-up with us.
In college, I was president of our discipleship council at our campus church… we had a huge raffle fundraiser and when I was at the microphone drawing for one of the prizes [two free airline tickets] I reached in, grabbed the ticket, flipped it over and said, “Holy sh.., I drew my own name!”
In the microphone. In front of the whole congregation. Thank God they all knew me well and weren’t too shocked… and I’ve never heard such loud laughter in all my life.
I think my face is still red.
gitz’s last blog post..It Just Is What It Is
I work in radio so you can imagine the slip-ups I’ve suffered. I can’t think of one of my own right now… but one of my co-workers was saying goodbye to an artist after an interview. While still on the air, he said “I wish you great sex.” He actually meant to say “I wish you great success.” We still tease him about it.
I taught half of a message with my fly completely unzipped. A woman asked the techies in the back if they could do anything to alert me. They asked, “How obvious is it?” She said, “I know the color of his underwear.”
They then proceeded to project “Noel, you’re fly is unzipped” on the back wall with a spare projector at a key moment in my message. I just started laughing and said, “apparently my fly is unzipped.”
When the laughter subsided, I asked, “How many of you knew this before I said it?”
Nearly every hand went up.
I scrapped my message for a bit and lectured them on…”leaving a brother hanging.” Apparently the wrong thing to say…
Noel’s last blog post..Philippians
Can’t think of one of my own off-hand, but I would be the giggling lady who couldn’t absorb another word from the sermon because the slip up plays over and over in my mind and I can’t get past it. I can be like a 7th grade boy at times. I embarrass myself.
sherri’s last blog post..You just never know…
I preach a message called “Get off of your Ash” (OK so you know where this is going already). Psalms says God removes us from the ash heap. I was preaching hard to an older crowd and had come to the most important moment in the message when I was going to say “It is time to get off your ash”, but I got something caught in my throught right as the “as” came out. I kept going, but still have this fear that I ruined the whole message in that one moment.
My seminary profs had counseled us to “never preach holidays – always preach the Gospel.” It was my first Mother’s Day as senior pastor and I chose 1 Thessalonians 1:7-9 where Paul equates his work of bringing the life changing gospel to the way that a mother is gentle, caring, hardworking. I was hitting stride and paused for effect and declared, “Word of Life (my church)…if we will just WORK LIKE A MOTHER…we can change this city for Christ!”
People love Mothers Day at our church now.
Oh my gosh!! That is hilarious. That poor guy’s face- I don’t think his eyes could have gotten any wider without popping out of his head!
Melody’s last blog post..I wanna go back.
My first year teaching…
The teachers took turns reading at weekly Mass.
Well, my first time, the Cantor is on vacation, and the priest asks me to sing “O Come O Come Emmanuel”
I think to myself “Okay, not comfortable with this, but at least the kids know it and will back me up…I don’t have to depend on the rest of the congregation singing at 7 in the morning..”
Well, I sing the first verse, and it seems no one is joining in. I seem to have forgotten where I was, stopped singing, and said:
“C’mon Kids…I know you know this one…I taught my own class, the rest of you know it, and your going to sing if you know what’s good for you. Now we’re starting over…”
Yep. I had to ask other teachers if I really did that, or if I had a nightmare. I really did it. But they said the priest was laughing really hard. I found out later that this priest will stop everyone and make us start over if he can’t hear people singing…So surprisingly enough, I think I actually made a good first impression on him….On the rest of the parish…not so much…
Helen’s last blog post..The Reasons I Go to Church on Sunday
Led a women’s retreat some years back. While in a circle in the sanctuary with our team leaders, one of the women had previously mentioned she had diahrrea and wasn’t feeling well. As we prayed, I was led by (a) Spirit to say, “LORD, may your cup runneth over; let our love flow over these women – but don’t let everything overflow!” It was the Devil. I’m convinced now. Later, in our retreat in the mountains, plaguing our cabins was – you guessed it – an overflowing septic tank. Be careful what you pray for (accidentally).
I’m a little starstruck. We’re huge B.B. fans and had no idea he was so close. Loved your story. I feel so much better now. As an interpreter for the deaf, I once made a slip up during a sermon that was so bad I can’t publish it on the internet. It was BAD. I did it during the pastor’s introduction and then shook with laughter through the entire sermon. I’m still thanking God mine wasn’t on video. Whew!
Anita’s last blog post..Five Minute Writings
to my benefit, remember, i didn’t hear her question correctly.
but, i basically told a high school student it was totally okay for her to have sex and not feel guilty about it.
it’s a long story, and it’s not what i meant to say, but still…
Oh my gosh – these are all so great! Totally made my day – now I don’t feel quite so dumb.
We were out in Reno once and passed by this ever-so-cheesy wedding chapel. In a large SUV full of family, I pronounced “who would get married in THAT?!?!”.
My cousin’s wife turned to me and said “we did”.
Ooops. Guess I should’ve remembered that that lived out there and had a quickie wedding.
I’ve put my foot in my mouth so many times, I still am picking out pieces of the sole…..so narrowing it down to just one is impossible.
Your story about the “cock-roach” slip up reminds me of an innocent incident involving my daughter doing her homeschool presentation on Portugal and explaining about the rooster (insert cock-roach slip up here) being their national symbol.
that video clip was hilarious…..I was squirming in my seat for him!
*~Michelle~*’s last blog post..Job 1:21
Um, ok. Which one should I start with the hot dog one? The dressing room one? My new word? You are talking to the one whose daughter’s friends use to come to my house for slumber parties just so they could hear my most embarrassing moments!
I’ll tell you the most recent one. A few weeks ago, my blood sugar dropped dangerously low. My daughter called 911. The fire department was the first to get to my house. I guess we never want to explore the inner recesses of my mind. Apparently, I looked at one of the firefighters and told him I thought he was cute. He was sporting a mustache. I told him I like a mustache. This guy had to be in his late 50′s and was not that good looking when it came to my standards…
Anyway, if you ever need a laugh, just call me. I always have a great story to tell!
Kels
oh yeah, my daughter just told me the other part of what I did during that low blood sugar. She said I sat on the edge of my bed and said, “Well a ring-ding-ding-ding! Oh crap! We lost the race.”
Kels
OK, not quite the same thing, but summer of 96 I worked an internship at Brentwood Baptist and discovered when one of my male co-leaders at Crosspoint camp offered to ‘knock me up in the morning’ that that was a legitimate, polite, appropriot response to me wanting to wake early and NOT what it usully means to this Scottish girl. Poor guy couldn’t understand the shocked look and red face he got in response. I’m not going to share what it meant to me, hopefully y’all can work it out though.
Carolyn’s last blog post..Travel Tuesday – Paris
@Anne Jackson, that’s still one of my favorites.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Message Slip-ups, Embarrassing moments, and Tony Morgan
@Steve, you had that one coming with a message title like that.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Message Slip-ups, Embarrassing moments, and Tony Morgan
When I was working in health promotion, we used to go out to schools and do fitness screenings on the teachers and staff members. The screening included a pulmonary function test, and sometimes we did dozens of them in a short period of time. After a long morning of the scripted “Wrap your lips around this tube and blow as hard as you can,” a rather rotund woman was next in line. I handed her the equipment and said “Wrap your hips around this tube and blow as hard as you can” and she screamed at the top of her lungs “Wrap my WHAT???” Ugh. I was horrified, as was she.
Candy’s last blog post..Oceans and Mountains Iowa Style
My dad–a pastor–tried to welcome his Easter crowd to Christ’s resurrection day.
Instead, he said, “Christ’s erection day”.
Amy Storms’s last blog post..Lessons from a Basset Hound, part 7: Reward
OMG I had not seen that footage of Blake. Dude…did you see his eyes almost pop out as his mind was in a panic wondering “did i just say what i think i said? oh crap…i just said that!” Poor Blake. I laughed hysterically, but I also ache for that embarrassment. As for me….I’ve never been embarrassed a day in my life, not even when I fell down in the Southstreet Restaurant or even when I grabbed a guys hand to hold it because I thought it was my boyfriend and then realized I had no idea who he was. Naaa, I didn’t turn 50 shades of red.
Melissa Irwin’s last blog post..keep
Candy, as the official spokeswoman for women with large hips, you are hereby and forever to for forgiven for that lapse.
Love you!
Helen’s last blog post..My Most Embarrassing Moment
For Christmas one year, my husband and I were in the middle of opening Christmas presents with the children. It turned out that he and I had had the same idea for a Christmas gift for each other (sort of).
The store I went to (turns out we had separately shopped at the same store) had 2 massage chair pad to pick from, and I thought that one was a lot nicer than the other, so of course, I got the nicer one for him.
As I opened the gift he gave me, it turns out HE got ME the one that I DIDN’T think was as nice. I thanked him because I sure could use a chair massager and I knew he had put a lot of thought into it (Keep in mind he hadn’t opened his gift from me yet.)
As I unwrapped my package he said, “I got you the NICE one. They had another one there, but it was really CRAPPY.”
I could hardly wait for him to open his gift, hee hee hee. Poor thing!
We STILL laugh about that every Christmas!
Then there was the time my adult daughter and I had gone to meet my husband at Cafe Express for lunch. It was really busy in there and the place was packed.
My husband was running late, we were sitting near the window, so I kept watching for him to arrive.
When I thought I saw him in the parking lot, I leaned over in my chair to get a better view. I guess what I wasn’t aware of was that I was leaning more and more and more.
The next thing you know, my chair (and I) fell over and there I was ON THE FLOOR (fork still in hand) LAUGHING SO HYSTERICALLY THAT I COULDN’T EVEN GET UP!!! Then THAT was even MORE embarrassing.
So, I just let it go and laughed and laughed right there on the floor until I was done laughing. That was probably the best laugh I ever had.
My poor daughter
ok I have seen that youtube before and loved it and am just now realizing that was blake…awesome.
Anna’s last blog post..nose.
These are great – laughing at ourselves is the best way to go! Laughing at others is even better…
I couldn’t bring to mind my own slip-ups (I’ve probably blocked them from my memory) but I do remember a friend telling me hers. She had applied for a Public Health Nurse position (this was in New Zealand). The interview seemed to go well, until the end, when the interviewer said he wasn’t sure she understood the position. Puzzled, she replied that did. He showed her the application she’d completed, and said, “We were really interested in meeting you,” and she realized she’d left the “l” out of Public…
Philippa’s last blog post..The Gospel according to Starbucks
haha, so i juts watch that video of the dude wearin a black shirt….funniest thing ever. hahahhahaa. after he realized what he said his eyes got so big! rofl. best thing ever.
that should be on afv.
So many embarrassments over the years. Being from Brazil and English being my second language made my early years in the ministry quite memorable. Like the day I was reading Psalm 150 before a large congregation and prior to a big choir anthem. I worked myself into a loud booming crescendo: Let everything that has “breasts” (instead of breath), Praise Ye The Lord!
Or the prayer time in Bible college where I was holding hands in a circle with people I barely knew, and out of habit, I “adjusted” myself strategically while still holding the hand of the young lady to my right. Yea, good times.
Or the time I split my pants. Well, enough is enough.
Maurilio Amorim’s last blog post..Vacation Log: My Day at the Water Park
Oh… SO MANY. Like the one time my husband, myself and our paster and his wife were talking about p*orn and M@sterbation (context… it was there!) and I said “Don’t they go hand in ha….” *DIES* Everyone else is rolling on the floor.
Have you ever used a phrase so much that you never really click to what your saying until the WORST possible moment? There is a phrase (of many) here in Australia like that. And I said it in fornt of my pastor. And as soon as the words left my lips, the little light came on and I realised what I said. I do not carry fuscia very well. My husband thought it hilarious.
I was on a conference call for a project that I was heading up at our local hospital. I was introducing our team members and my COO was at the table. His last names is “Koch”–pronounced ‘cook’— well, let’s just say that’s not what I said. I immediately corrected what I said, but it was too late.
S.
Susie A.’s last blog post..Achievement….
This is exactly why I write. Seems like every time I open my mouth something stupid comes out. At least with writing I can edit and if all else fails, blame it on a typo.
Pearl’s last blog post..What is God Preparing?
That is great. Blake is one intense dude.
I recently slipped up reading a book to my son. The title of the book is Little Nutbrown Hare. You can figure that one out.
I have a friend that told me that his pastor once asked the congregation to pull out their Peters and turn to first glasses. I have no proof, but it is still pretty funny.
Pete, I’m like Sherri. I would’ve laughed the whole service.
Andy Candy, I woulda’ busted a hip from laughing so hard. Good thing I wasn’t next in line!
If you get a chance, please HUG TONY for me. When you are embraced, whisper in his ear…Corey says hello.
Thanks.
@Pearl, that’s a good point. Talk less, write more.
pete wilson’s last blog post..Message Slip-ups, Embarrassing moments, and Tony Morgan
When my sister and her husband were first dating, he was prematurely balding and had gotten a hair piece. Only my sister and mom knew this. I, being my usual observant self, commented frequently (and innocently) on his unusually low hairline or how his hair was 2 different colors in the back. Each time I would make a comment like this my sister and mom would cringe. Finally, my sister told about his hair piece and how self-conscious he was about it, asking me to please stop making comments. I was mortified! Soon after that, he shaved his head. They still give me a hard time about it to this day.
This is classic for me, so I tell all my friends that I am writing a book called “Living Out Loud with One Foot in my Mouth”.
Anyone want to include an excerpt?
Mel’s last blog post..Internets Face-to-Face
Ok…the first time I saw the BB video I had no idea who he was bc I don’t ever see him. So now to see it and now that its him…I’m dying! And, I still don’t know him but feel like I do a little bit.
I’ll never get tired of seeing that video.
Fran’s last blog post..Just stare at them for a sec with me
Funny vid!
I’d have to say, thinking back on my younger days, when I had to teach a Sunday School class of 5th graders about circumcision. I’d in a pair of scissors to help explain. Big wide-eyed stares looked back at me during the teaching. Not one giggle from them. Oh no…
I didn’t get very detailed, but still, not what they were expecting that morning. Needless to say, it all when downhill from there. Talk about wanting a hole to open the ground and swallow me up, LOL.
That was many, many years ago. I’m hoping they’ve all forgotten about it by now, LOL. Oh my & good golly…
Tina Dee’s last blog post..Happy Fourth of July!
Several years ago, I took my wife out to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant to celebrate her birthday. I told the waiter it was her birthday, and proceeded to order an appetizer. They have the best queso, and I tried to order the cup of queso in Oklahomanese, normally saying, “Can you bring us out a deal of queso?” Unfortunately, it came out with me asking him to bring us out a sex toy that started with dil…” I just couldn’t believe it, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?? He was like, “Excuse me????” I said, “A CUP of queso,” and put my head on the table and couldn’t look up for a long time! I was crying, I was laughing so hard. Don’t know if I’ve ever been so embarrassed!! That was the most memorable birthday dinner we’ve ever had! And, she’s still married to me!
Larry Boatright’s last blog post..An 8-year old’s letter to a friend…
Oh, I remember that day! Jarrod and I laughed about it for a week
I just had to say: I loved the look on his face! – Like he heard someone ELSE say it! Hahahahah – that was great. Thank you all for being so real for us. Praise and glory to the blood of Jesus alone!
Cheryl’s last blog post..Hymn vs. Him
I first saw that video in college a few years back. My husband (then fiance) majored in youth ministry and that video circulated the ministry department like wildfire. It’s a ministry school cult classic! I never knew who that guy was or where he was from. It’s so funny to finally place him somewhere.
My husband is a youth pastor here in Virginia. He is extremely dyslexic but he still insists on doing his own text for the video and slides that accompany the lessons.
One night, about a year ago, he accidentally listed a bullet point referencing “David in a den of loins” instead of “David in a den of lions.” Spell check won’t catch everything!
It took him a few minutes to catch why the teenagers were laughing so hard at what he thought was a familiar Bible story. Lessons learned? He lets me proofread more and he knows exactly when teens forget stuff like that – NEVER. They still like to make inappropriate jokes about that scandalous David in a den of loins.
Samantha’s last blog post..You Had To Be There