I honestly cannot think of a better illustration of a pastor for his people. I found this gem at the end of one of the most challenging articles I have read in a while. From Eugene Peterson’s Christianity Today article “The Unbusy Pastor“: In Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, there is a violent, turbulent scene in which a whaleboat scuds across a frothing ocean in pursuit of the great white whale, Moby Dick. The sailors are laboring fiercely, every muscle taut, all attention... Read more
Proverbs 26:16 - “A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven people who answer discreetly.â€Â Preacher, I read this recently and thought about sermon preparation. I believe wholeheartedly in using the God-given imagination you have. I believe fully in allowing the Spirit to speak to your soul as you deal with the truths of the Scripture you are preparing to preach and how it needs to be applied to the people you lead. I believe that much of sermon preparation is... Read more
To open a sermon on the definition of biblical marriage, I played the audio of the latest internet debate. The one having to do with what you hear: “Yanny” or “Laurel.” You can argue over it with your friends and family by clicking here. You’re welcome. Why did I do that? So I could ask this question: “If asked the internet on my Facebook page to define marriage, do you think I would get differing opinions?” The illustration worked perfect.... Read more
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating when he testified in advance to the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would... Read more
I can no longer say I am married to a 30 something. Katie turned 40 on Sunday. Last time either of us are in our 30’s. I can no longer say I have two children in elementary school. Seth “graduated†from 5th grade on Friday. Last time to have either boy in elementary school. I can no longer say I am not (yet) a parent of a teenager. Luke turned 13 on Friday. Last time to parent pre-teens. This also means it is... Read more
To set up a sermon on the bizarre reality of God’s declaration that it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18), I shared how we usually use the phrase. When I say, “that’s not good,” I mean something is messed up. Something has gone wrong. Something is out of place. Something needs to be fixed. When I hear squeaking from under my car when I push on the brakes, I say “that’s not good.” When I see a... Read more
Wisdom from Eugene Peterson: When we follow Jesus, it means that we don’t know exactly what it means, at least in detail. We follow him, letting him pick the roads, set the timetables, tell us what we need to know but only when we need to know it… When Jesus says “Follow me†and we follow, we don’t know where we will go next or what we will do next. That is why we follow the one who does know.... Read more
I’ve always hated the phrase, “follow your heart.†Mainly because God tells us through His prophet Jeremiah that our hearts are one big wicked pile of messed up selfish motives and agendas (Jeremiah 17:9). Jiminy Cricket’s advice to “let your conscience be your guide†has always been heretical to me. This is good, solid, and wise. Yes, our hearts – left to themselves – are bad. Our conscience will guide us straight into an empty and black abyss, a pit... Read more
Last week, we began a topical sermon series on healthy relationships. I try to be as expositional as possible in my preaching, so topical sermons – though necessary – can be an added challenge. The difficulty for me is explaining the point of the Bible book when I know I am not going to be in the same book the following week(s). There is no need to spend tons of time explaining the books purpose. But if the preacher isn’t... Read more
James 4:13-17 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.†14 Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes. 15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.†16 But as it is, you boast in... Read more
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