Monthly Archives: October 2005

The Trouble Without a Sermon Series

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I’m a sermon series kind of guy. I like to preach sermon series and I like to listen and learn from a series. I don’t normally function well in the vacuum of “what am I going to preach on this coming Sunday?” I know that there are many pastor’s out there who never or seldom preach a series, they prefer to “go to the mountain” to get the week’s message. I’ve heard a few of them preach and they are sometimes incredible, and other times less so — just like series preachers. When I’m in the middle of a series I don’t have to “go to the mountain” but that doesn’t mean that I’m not praying through the week. I suppose one argument in favor of not doing a series is that it forces you to listen hard for what God might want to say. My problem however, is that it doesn’t tend to build my faith – but rather tears it up. When It’s Wednesday and I don’t know what I’m going to preach next, I fret. You know what I mean. Give me a series and I can settle into a routine of preaching that enables me to stretch my mind and focus my thoughts. I think I reap the benefit of not worrying Monday through Thursday about what I’m going to preach […]

Born in Jerusalem

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Imagine the Glory of being made a part of a group you didn’t belong to… I can remember as a kid being the one who was always picked last and that grudgingly.  Can anyone here attest to that – it’s a terrible feeling.  You know that you’re no good at the sport.  Everyone else knows that you’re no good at the sport, and when it comes time for the “pick me lineup” you stand there with your head hanging down – refusing to make eye contact.  One by one, everyone is picked until you’re one of the last two standing.  You know what’s next: The lucky team picks their man and you hear the captain of the other team grunt in disbelief that they have to put up with the unwanted player again. Can you imagine the relief if one day the team captain called your name right next to the star athlete?  That’s what Paul tries to describe in Ephesians 3:4-6 as what he calls “The mystery of Christ…” Ephesians 3:4-6 “…the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles […]