Good News for Life's Dead Ends

Here is the book review I wrote in our church newsletter for our August book of the month.


I have some books that have shaped my life in powerful and significant ways. I also have some authors who have shaped my life – with practically every book they write or have written. Ron Mehl is one of those authors. In fact, I consider Mehl a good friend who I have only met through his writings. I was introduced to Ron Mehl some years ago through his book, "God Works the Night Shift." Honestly, I bought the book just for its provocative title. But in reading it, I made a friend for life. I immediately found, bought, and read Mehl’s "Surprise Endings." Then I eagerly waited for Mehl’s next work to be released. Finally, "Meeting God at a Dead End" was published, and I quickly devoured it. And I was not disappointed – except for the fact that I had to wait again for Mehl to write another work.

The late Ron Mehl was the pastor of the Beaverton Foursquare Church in Colorado until his death in 2003. And his writings were the overflow of his ministry to his beloved, Beaverton congregation, which he and his wife founded in 1973. This is one of the reasons why I appreciate Mehl’s writings so much. He wrote with a pastor’s heart – God-centered, scripture-based, and faith-building. And his writing style was clear, practical, and engaging. But I think I was most touched by the fact that Mehl’s writings were “real-world” (for lack of a better term). His writings really helped me to forge a real-world’s faith. This was because Mehl did not just write and preach about pain – he lived through it. In 1981, Mehl was diagnosed with incurable lymphocytic leukemia, which required him to undergo extensive chemotherapy. And in 1996, he suffered a heart attack that limited his activities. Yet, through it all, Mehl continued to display stubborn faith and to pursue his ministerial calling – which included his writing.

"Meeting God at a Dead End" is one of my favorite books. Filled with godly wisdom, scriptural insights, and practical illustrations, "Dead End" is an enjoyable, encouraging, and edifying read. Mehl makes it clear that every one of us will face dead ends. We will all find ourselves at points where life closes in on us as we deal with painful setbacks, crushing disappointments, family problems, health concerns, financial difficulties – or whatever it may be that causes you to think and feel that you cannot go any further. But the good news is that when you find yourself at a dead end in life, God always has a way of showing up to meet you there to manifest his character, strength, and purpose for you in fresh and new ways. That’s the point "Dead End" makes over twelve wonderfully compelling chapters. In the opening chapter, Mehl writes: “It’s about coming smack up against a brick wall and seeing no gates whatsoever – or even any loose bricks. It’s about coming to the end of our wisdom, the end of our strength, the end of our ideas, the end of our options, the end of our coping skills, and the end of our cherished dreams. It’s about standing in that dark, hopeless place and discovering – beyond all logic, against all hope – that God is very much alive and can fill our little cup to overflowing” (p. 21). Amen.

I am excited to commend my friend, Ron Mehl (whom I have never met!), and his great work Meeting God at a Dead End, as our August Book of the Month. Read it and be blessed. Share it and be a blessing.

He himself is our Peace

Last night, we resumed our Tuesday night worship services. And I picked up our exposition of the Epistle to the Ephesians. Here is the sermon skeleton from last night's message.

TITLE: “God’s Plan for Peace”

TEXT: Ephesians 2:14-18

THEME: Reconciliation with God and one anther through the Person and work of Jesus Christ

POINT: Jesus Christ is the only way you can peace with God, self, and others.

PROBING QUESTION: Is true peace possible? If so, how can it be attained?

PURPOSE: There are two points of application the listener should leave this sermon with:

1. For unbelievers: You cannot be at peace without Christ.

2. For believers: We must be at peace because of Christ.

TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Ephesians 2:14-18 gives three reasons why you should look to Jesus Christ alone for peace.

OUTLINE:

I. Jesus Christ is our peace (2:14).

A. There is peace in the Person of Christ (v. 14a)

B. There is peace in the Work of Christ (v. 14b)

II. Jesus Christ made peace for us (2:15-16).

A. The law is the power by Christ has made peace for us (v. 15a).

B. The cross is the place where Christ made peace for us (v. 16a).

C. The church is the proof that Christ has made peace for us (v. 16b).

III. Jesus Christ preaches peace to all (2:17-18).

A. We receive the message of peace through Christ (v. 17).

B. We enjoy the privilege of peace through Christ (v. 18).

Notes on a Preacher's Labor Days

We will resume our Tuesday night worship services tonight, after being "dark" on Tuesdays for the past two months. Throughout the summer I have been thinking about what I would teach when we resumed. And I decided several weeks ago that I will pick up our exposition of Ephesians that I had started earlier on Sundays. I plan to preach Ephesians 2:14-18 tonight, and finish chapter 2 with verses 19-22 next week. I look forward to getting back at it. Please pray for us.

Sunday. Sunday. Sunday.

What can I say?

I had been working on Joshua 4 for weeks. But when the weekend came, I still didn't feel ready to preach it. Between Friday and Sunday morning, I struggled to put my study in some preachable form. But it just wasn't clear in my mind. And, as the saying goes, if there is a fog in the pulpit, there will be a fog in the pew. So about 7:00 Sunday morning, I gave up. I preached an exposition from Matthew in our 8 AM service, did questions and answers during out mass Bible study hour, and then did an exposition from Isaiah in the 11 AM service. It was a different kind of day.

Anyway, my plan (at this point) is to finish Joshua 4 this week to preach this coming Sunday.

I read an article yesterday that said we shouldn't make preaching harder than it is. As I was reading the paragraph, I fully agreed. But later, I begin to think to myself, "What if it really is harder than me make it?" The bottom-line is that biblical preaching is hard work. And I don't think I'd have it any other way!

Let Me Take One Cent Back

Yesterday, I ranted about the fact that pulpit plagiarism is unethical. Today, I want to take it back, sort of.

Indeed, a man should do his own homework and come to the pulpit with the fruit of his own labor. However, as I said yesterday, no one is original. And, ultimately, no preacher should try to be. It should be our goal to simply be faithful and clear when we stand to preach or teach. The Lord really doesn’t ask us to be cute, clever, or creative in our ministry of the word. Now, that doesn’t mean that we should bore the people with the gospel. It means that we must remember that our preaching should exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, not our pulpit brilliance. So we should not try so hard to have our own “voice” that the congregation is not able to encounter the Christ as they listen to the sermon.
We live in a day where there are so many resources available, no one has an excuse for not being prepared. And we must be so proud or foolish that we refuse to accept help.

Personally, I try to share my material as freely as I can. I am not very possessive about my work. I feel that if I have said or written something that can help you in your presentation of the word, by all means, use it. If my bullets fit your gun, load up and shoot! I trust that my work has enough of my fingerprints on it (which includes both my strengths and my weaknesses), that if someone is going to use my material effectively, he must edit it heavily and determine what works best for him. And if they find it easy to use my material, I am complimented. I think it means my work is “portable.”

I guess I am trying to say that we are in this thing together. And the burden of weekly preparation is so difficult that we should seek to help one another in any we can – and we should look for help from wherever we can find it.

Urgent warning for all preachers and teachers: Sunday’s coming!!!

My Two Cents about Pulpit Plagiarism

I had an interesting experience last week that I keep thinking about. The first night of the meeting I was preaching, I stood to and called my text. And there was a weird response by the congregation. Something strange was happening, but I didn't know what. Lots of thoughts flooded my mind. But I really couldn't catch the vibe. The congregation, to whom I had preached the past four years, was quite tentative throughout the entire message. But I couldn't figure out why.

A few minutes after a sat down from preaching, it all became clear. One of the pastors leaned over to me and told me that the pastor who opened the meeting Sunday night preached the same text and/or message. And throughout the week, I kept hearing about how we both preached the same message. For some reason, it made me somewhat nervous. But, at the same time, I was at peace about it. I had preached what I believed the Lord wanted me to say. And my message was the product of my own Bible study and sermon preparation.

After the last service of the week, I received a copy of the other pastor's message on DVD. And even though I was dead-tired by the time I made it to my room, I crawled into bed with my computer and watched the message. Indeed, it was the same text. And, essentially, it was the same message. We both preached the same doctrinal theme from the text. But the organization of the messages were different. We labeled the messages differently. I worked through the message with three main points in my outline; he had four. THe homiletical approach was different. And the way we argued the message was different. It really was the same message preached from two different perspectives.

This got me to thinking about the ethical matter of pulpit plagiarism.

The late evangelist, Vance Havner, is quoted to have said that when he began preaching, he was determined to be original or nothing. He ended up being both, Havner said. This is true of every preacher. All faithful preachers deliver an unoriginal, "stolen" message - the word of God. Blblical preaching simply explains what the word of God means by what it says. And if we read the text right, we will find that the doctrinal theme we draw from the passage will be pretty close to the conclusions drawn by most faithful Bible expositors. In fact, if you come up with a reading of the text that no one else has ever seen, you're wrong! Likewise, most Bible expositors use many of the same exegetical resources. So it should be no surprise for you to hear two messages that "overlap," for lack of a better term.

But let's be clear. Stealing other people's material and preaching it as if it is your own work is wrong.

After the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year, a high-profile "mega-church" pastor went to his pulpit and preached a message that he said the Lord had given him for the church. Later that week, his local newspaper outed him, claiming that the message he preached from actually from a website that sells sermons. And this "inspired" message had, in fact, had been preached and posted by several other pastors across the country that same day!

I repeat. This is wrong. The eighth commandment should apply to our pulpit work: "You shall not steal" (Exodus 20:15). Now, this is not to say that we shouldn't use sources. To the contrary, it's arrogant for you to study a text and preach a sermon on it without consulting the wisdom of those who have, in some instances, spent a lifetime studying those passages, books or themes. And I believer in collecting a lot of ideas in order to come up with one good idea. So I milk a lot of cows in sermon preparation. But I churn my own butter. And when you do this, something wonderful can happen. For instance, you can stand and preach a text that was just preached in that same pulpit three days earlier. And you can make the point the previous sermon made. Yet, God can use your preaching - YOUR PREACHING - to declare the unchanging truth of God's word in a fresh, new, and life-changing way.

Just my two cents.

Speaking @ Polly Chapel

I am in Texarkana (part Texas; art Arkansas. Get it?). Tonight, will be my last of three nights preaching for Pastor Reginald Reid and the Polly Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. The first two nights of the meeting have been great. Pastor Reid, a new friend, has been a warm and gracious host. And the worship services have been very warm and encouraging, which make for a "in season" setting to preach in. The Lord is doing a great work here through Pastor Reid and the Polly Chapel family.

Please pray for the final night of this meeting. And continue to cover Pastor Reid and Polly Chapel in your prayers.

Speaking @ the Vallejo Citywide Revival

I'm an idiot.

I missed my flight to Oakland this morning. I tried to check my bag in and looked at my ticket information, only to discover that I was right on time for my return flight on Saturday, not my departing flight today. So I am had to catch a standby flight. Good thing Oakland is only a hour's flight away from Los Angeles.

Before I move on, let me repeat the point of that last paragraph loud and clear: I am an idiot! I don't have any other excuse to offer.

Anyway, I am here to preach the Vallejo Citywide Revival. The meeting has been going on since Sunday. My friend, Pastor Elliot Ivey, preached the first three nights. I am to do the last three nights.

This is my fourth year doing this meeting. And it has been a great blessing each time. My first two years I preached with Dr. Robert Smith of the New Bethel Church in Detroit. I did the first three nights. Last year, Dr. W.T. Glenn from Fort Worth did the opening three nights, and I closed the meeting.

In fact, last year an emergency prevented Pastor Glenn from being here. So Pastor Ivey spoke in his place. That was the first time I heard of Elliot Ivey. But we have met and become friends since then. And he can flat out preach! I regret that I did not get a chance to hear him.

The last two years, Crystal and the kids have come to this meeting with me. There is a Six Flags park right across the street from the hotel where I usually stay. So they would come up and we would hang out during the day. But Crystal and the kids just got home from a trip to Orlando with my sister and niece. They went to the Gospel music workshop. But not really. They really went to Disneyworld! And I think Crystal has had her fill of airplanes, hotels, and amusement parks. So they didn't/won't make the trip this time.

Please pray for me as I preach these three nights. May the Lord give the increase!

Not Ready for Prime Time TV Ministry

We have just began a television broadcast on local Time Warner Cable stations. The broadcast airs on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 in Los Angeles and Inglewood.

We taped my Sunday messages for several weeks, with the plan to use the material for the broadcast. But it did not come out the way we wanted it to. So we have decided to run to DVDs of messages I have preached on the road, until we are able to work out the kinks in our recording process.

This is a new venture for us and is definitely a step of faith. Please remember this new work in your prayers.

Women's Day @ Gethsemane

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at the Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church in Houston (TX), which is led by Pastor Dennis C. Jones. When Pastor Jones invited me to preach this meeting some months ago, we had not yet met. We only knew of each other through mutual friends. But in the providence of God, a schedule change resulted in us preaching together for a week in San Antonio earlier this year. I thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship with Pastor Jones, was blessed by each of the messages he preached, and left the meeting with a new friend. So I was really looking forward to being with Pastor Jones and the Gethsemane Church… Almost.

I had been watching the news about Hurricane Dean last week. And the meteorologists were saying that it was quite possible that it would end up hitting Houston, among other cities. Now, as a man who grew up in the land of earthquakes, you would think that I would not be nervous about a hurricane. But two women changed my mind – Katrina and Rita! As I sat in the airport Saturday morning, Pastor Jones called to check on me. My first question was about the weather. The report he gave me helped me relax – until we got 150 miles from Houston and were placed in a holding pattern because of storm activity over the airport. Thankfully, we made it safely. And the weather was nice the whole time I was there. But continue pray for those who have been hit by the hurricane, and those who may be in its path.

The women’s ministry of Gethsemane had activities the whole weekend. And the emphasis climaxed with the two services I preached Sunday morning. Gethsemane is a very warm and friendly congregation. And the worship was reverent, yet passionate. The congregation is multi-generational. And things were conducted with both sincerity and excellence. I was also impressed by how the congregation seemed to be both traditional and contemporary at the same time, with both weaved together quite seamlessly. I was happily reminded by this that you don’t have to choose one or the other to be effective.

I don’t like being away from MSMBC on Sunday mornings. But it was a joy to be with Pastor Jones and the Gethsemane Church. The messages seemed to be well-received. And there was great ease in preaching, as the congregation was quite attentive and alert. And as late as afternoon email I received yesterday afternoon, I have received reports of how God used the messages to encourage and edify those who were present. Praise God!

Christians and Cremation

In our church's monthly newsletter, I periodically respond to questions members have about various matters of biblical truth and Christian living. Recently, I have received questions about cremation several times. And even though I have pointed members to resources that I believe answer this question clearly, I decided to take a shot at it in our last newsletter. Here is what I wrote...

Is it proper for Christians to be cremated after death?

We arrive at the cemetery after a long, slow procession from the funeral service. And the mourners are usually in various moods at this point. Some are still grieving; others are quite jovial. I then have to quiet them down and get their attention as I prepare to announce the committal – a statement of faith in which we entrust the remains of the deceased to God’s sovereign care. The funeral director gets some flowers and gives me the nod. Then I began to do one of the most profound and distinctively Christian things I do as a pastor. In the midst of the apparent victory of death and the deep sorrow of grief, I declare: “In as much as it has pleased almighty God to take out of this world the soul of our deceased brother (or sister), we hereby commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust…” It always amazes me that even those in attendance who seem to have no orientation with Christ or the church are familiar with these words. “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…” This well-known but little-understood phrase seeks to cover the all the bases of how we arrive to our final “resting” place and what happens once we arrive. Earth returns to the earth. Ashes return to the ashes. And dust returns to the dust.

For more than sixteen years, I have stood at burial places and quoted this famous phrase to grieving Christians, perfectly comfortable with the fact that this phrase assumes that it is not against God’s will for Christians to be cremated following death. In fact, the committal goes on to say that be commit the body of the deceased to God, looking forward to the return of the Lord Jesus, when “the earth and the sea shall give up their dead, and the corruptible bodies of those that sleep in him shall be changed, and made like his own glorious body.” I say these words at funerals because I believe them. Of course, this committal is not scripture. But I believe it accurately reflects the message of the scriptures.

Cremation after death is directly mentioned in scripture. The most famous occurrence being in 1 Samuel 31:12, where soldiers cremated the dead bodies of King Saul and his sons to prevent them from being desecrated by their enemies. And, interestingly, they buried them after they burned them (1 Sam. 31:13). But scripture does not prohibit or commend cremation. In fact, it is never even mentioned in the New Testament, as burial is the clear pattern. The miracles Jesus performed in raising Lazarus (John 11) and the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7) from the dead describe burial. Theologically, the fact that Jesus was buried after his crucifixion is an essential point of the gospel that saves us (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). And the hope of the believer’s future resurrection is explained in relation to the burial of our bodies. Connect this pattern to the fact that scripture emphasizes the sanctity of the believer’s body (1 Co. 6:19-20), it’s no surprise that the Christian church has historically encouraged burial, rather than cremation.

But a Christian is not out of the will of God if he or she chooses cremation over burial. There is just no biblical warrant to tell a believer that it is a sin to be cremated. And either way, our deceased bodies will decay and deteriorate in time. But regardless of how it happens, nothing will prevent the miracle of the glorified bodies we will receive when Christ returns. Job understood this and expressed his faith by saying, “For I know that that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25-26 – ESV). More important than whether you are cremated or buried is the issue of whether you have run to the cross and put your faith in Jesus for salvation from God’s wrath and the gift of eternal life. If you are in Christ, you can know that when these earthly “tents” (our bodies) are destroyed, we shall receive a “building” from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1).

We who hope in Christ can rejoice in the mystery and victory of our future resurrection and glorification. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of any eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” So if I was counseling a person who wanted to be cremated, I would ask some questions to help clarify their understanding and intentions. Why do you want to be cremated? It is merely financial? (A good reason, maybe.) Is it because you think that will shorten or limit the grieving process for your loved-ones? (A questionable reason. Cremation will not help your loved-ones overcome their grief. Only God can do that.) Or is it because you are concerned about the earth and the ecological consequences of burial? (A bad reason. If we can find places to keep building suburbs and shopping malls, we can find places to lay our loved-ones to rest without hurting the planet). But if this is a matter that has been prayerfully considered along with the input of your family and loved-ones, I would not discourage a believer from being cremated if that is what he or she wanted. And I would encourage the to face these life, death, and burial issues with faith in the Christ-centered perspective on these matters as recorded in Philippians 3:20-21: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

Speaking @ The Liberty Church

I am in Clarksville, Tennessee. Tonight will be the second of three nights I am preaching for my friend, Pastor Lawrence Vaughn and The Liberty Church. The church is about five or so years old. And I have been preaching for them for most of those years, with last year being the only exception.

I really like Lawrence Vaughn. He is a sound, faithful preaching. Presently he is preaching through the book of Matthew. He finished chapter 13 Sunday. In this regards, I would say that he's a better man that I am. I don't think I could take on a series that long at this stage. Likewise, he is a visionary leader. I am so excited by the spiritual progress I see this congregation making every time I come here. Presently, the church is on the verge of several important steps of faith. And I have been greatly encouraged by what God is doing here. I really do respect and admire Pastor Vaughn. And it's a joy to be here with him again. Many young pastors are into a lot of foolishness that has nothing to do with prayer and the ministry of the word. Thank God for Lawrence Vaughn. He's on of the good guys. May the Lord continue to bless The Liberty Church.

Please remember this meeting in your prayers.

Two Good Preaching Ideas from Ray Pritchard

I read two posts on preaching this afternoon from Ray Pritchard's "Keep Believing Ministries" blog. I have not had the opportunity to hear Pritchard preach in person... yet. But I have seen videos and heard audio of Pritchard online. And, of course, I have read many of his sermons. And he has become one of my "homiletical heroes." His preaching is sound, clear, and practical. And it was really cool to read his insights about preaching. I have placed the post links below. May you find these writings as helpful as I did.

So You're Preaching This Sunday

My Sermon Prep Idea

Crossing Over

Sunday, I continued our studies in the book of Joshua. I am enjoying my personal study of Joshua. But it has been an absolute nightmare to organize my work for preaching. I am more comfortable in New Testament passages. I am not really skilled or comfortable dealing with historical narrative passages. But, of course, all scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching (2 Tim. 3:16). So it's important for me to work at Old Testament passages. So I have been pressing my way through the long chapters of Joshua. My goal has been to read the texts for the God-centered and/or God-exalting theme in the text.

In Joshua 3, the children of Israel finally cross over the Jordan River through the miraculous help of God. And I tried to read the passage for the church in such a was that would encourage them to trust God when they face obstacles in life that hinder their spiritual progress.

Here is the sermon skeleton.

Title: “Crossing Over”

Text: Joshua 3

Theme: The Lord instructs Joshua to lead the children of Israel over the Jordan, and performs a miracle when the people trust and obey.

Point: There is no obstacle that can hinder your progress when you follow the Lord’s call to go forward.

Probing Question: What obstacles in your life are hindering you from going forward with God?

Transitional Sentence: Joshua 3 gives us three God-centered requirements for successfully navigatimh the obstacles of life.

Outline:

I. Follow God’s Leadership (3:1-4).

A. Follow God closely (vv. 2-3).

B. Follow God reverently (v. 4).

II. Exalt God’s Glory (3:5-13).

A. Consecrate yourself (vv. 5-6).

B. Humble yourself (vv. 7-13).

III. Trust God’s Power (3:14-17).

A. Walk by faith in God’s divine authority (vv. 14-16).

B. Walk by faith in God’s perfect timing (v. 15b).

C. Walk by faith in God’s great faithfulness (v. 17).

HBC2's August Speaking Engagements

Here is a list of the speaking engagements outside of MSMBC that I have scheduled for the month of August. Please keep me in your prayers. And pray that these the Lord will open a door for his word to run swiftly through in these meetings. And if any of these dates are near you, and don't conflict with is scheduled at your home church, please join us. I would love to meet you there. God bless.

· 8/10 – Speaking @ Solid Rock B.C./Pastor C. Devereaux (Los Angeles)

· 8/13-15 – Speaking @ The Liberty Church/Pastor L. Vaughn (Clarksville, TN)

· 8/19 – Speaking @ Gethsemane B.C./Pastor D. Jones (Houston, TX)

· 8/22-24 - Speaking @ the Vallejo (CA) Citywide Revival

· 8/27-29- Speaking @ Speaking @ Polly Chapel B.C./Pastor R. Reid (Texarkana, TX)

If you want any further information about these meetings, you can call (323-734-1028) or email (www.msmbc-la.org) our church office.

Facing Your Giants

Young David was just minding his business. Doing his duty. Obeying his father’s orders to take food to his brothers who were soldiers and to find out how the battle with the Philistines was going. But David got more than information. He got involved. With great jealousy for God’s reputation, David faced Goliath when none of Israel’s army dared to accept the giant Philistine’s challenge. Not his big brothers. Not the best of Israel’s fighting men. Not King Saul himself. How could a little boy like that ever hope to defeat a giant like that? Simple. Or is it? You decide: David was able to defeat the giant Goliath because he focused on God while every one else focused on the giant.

This simple, difficult point is the message of Max Lucado’s, Facing Your Giants, in which Lucado crystallizes the message of David’s life with this powerful thought: “Some note the absence of miracles in his story. No Red Sea openings, chariots flaming, or dead Lazaruses walking. No miracles. But there is one. David is one. A rough-edged walking wonder of God who neon-lights this truth: Focus on giants – you stumble. Focus on God – your giants tumble.” (Page 9)

Lucado, who has served as the Senior Pastor of the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio for more than two decades, is also a prolific writer who has earned a reputation for penning Christian devotional books that are clear, practical, and encouraging. And beyond being helpful in pointing readers to God; Lucado’s writing makes for good reading. Period. His creative way of teaching scripture with compelling storytelling, stirring word pictures, and memorable illustrations usually makes it hard to put a Max Lucado book down. And he does not fail to produce his trademark encouraging and enjoyable work in this study of the life of David.

Lucado begins with David’s epic battle with Goliath, in which the young man defeated the seasoned warrior by focusing his confidence on the God who is greater than all. And Lucado challenges the reader to believe that our giants - sin, fear, debt, grief, loss, or whatever it may be – can also be defeated when we focus on how big our God is, rather than how big the giant is. Then Lucado masterfully applies this principle to the ongoing saga of David. Goliath was not the last giant David had to fight. There were other giants – both literal and spiritual – that confronted David as he ascended to the throne, established the nation of Israel, and serve God’s purposes in his generation. And the standard stands in each situation. When David focused on God, there was great victory. When David did not focus on God, there was miserable defeat. And you will find that this is inevitably true in your life, as well. If you will keep the eyes of your faith focused on our God who has never lost a battle, no giant will be able to stand against you. I warmly commend Facing Your Giants as our July Book of the Month. Read it. Heed its call to focus on God. And watch the giants begin to tumble in your life to the glory of God!

Speaking @ Mt. Gilead

I am in Wichita, Kansas. Last night, I preached the first of three nights for Pastor Terrance C. Floyd and the Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church. This is a rather unique meeting for me, in that this is the fifth year in a row I have preached for this congregation, which is only five years old. I was their first evangelist. And I have had the privilege of preaching for them each year, watching the Lord continue to develop this young congregation more and more each year. It is also great to see how the Lord has been developing Pastor Floyd over these years - both as a pastor of God's people and a preacher of God's word.

I am glad and grateful to be here. The Lord blessed the opening night of the meeting. And I trust that the Lord will bless these two remaining nights. Pray for us.

A Theology for your Checkbook

I watched portions of the YouTube/CNN Democratic Presidential Debate last night. I kind of watched and channel-surfed at the same time. One of the times I turned back to the debate, Senator Joe Biden was speaking. I don't know what question he was answering, but his line was great. Quoting his father, Biden said, "Don't talk to me about your values. Show me your budget." Amen. May we, as Christ-followers, embrace this principle as a clear way to measure our spiritual values. Indeed, how me manage our money is an objective indicator of our spiritual devotion. Jesus stated it in blunt terms: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt. 6:21) So, where's your heart?

Preaching Five Nights @ Cochran Ave.

Tonight I am beginning five nights of preach here in Los Angeles. This is a joint-session for the New Vision and New District Associations of the Western Baptist State Convention (President J. Benjamin Hardwick). Pastor Marvis Davis is giving leadership to the meeting. The services will be help nightly at the 7 pm at the Cochran Avenue Baptist Church, where Pastor Percy Hill serves. Please remember me and this meeting in your prayers.

All In!

Yesterday, I continued our studies in the book of Joshua. I finished chapter one, challenging the congregation about the matter of spiritual partnership. Here is the sermon skeleton from yesterday's message:

Title: "All In!"

Text: Joshua 1:10-18

Theme: Joshua takes command and gives begins to lead the children of Israel to claim and conquer the promised land of Canaan

Point: Spiritual progress, victory, and rest require partnership

Outline:

I. Taking new territory involves spiritual partnership with God (1:10-11)
A. We must do for ourselves the things that we are able to do.
B. We must depend on God to do the things that only God is able to do.
II. Taking new territory involves spiritual partnership with God's people (1:12-15)
A. We should go forward together because of the call to remember (1:12-13)
B. We should go forward together because of the call to rest (1:14-15)
III. Taking new territory involves spiritual partnership with godly leadership (1:16-18)
A. You can partner with godly leadership by practicing willing obedience (1:16-17)
B. You can partner with godly leadership by practicing mutual accountability (1:18)
C. You can partner with godly leadership by practicing prayer encouragement (1:7-18)

Happy Independence Day

Be safe. Have fun. God bless.

Sunday Morning begins on Saturday Night

Here is a little devotional I wrote for our July church newsletter:

Let’s face it. We’ve all done it. We have all had those times when we participated in corporate worship services without truly worshiping God in spirit and truth. We have all gone through the motions. We have all sat in services with our minds and hearts being at some distant place. Why does this happen? You love God. You have been looking forward to going to church. The worship was uplifting, the music was inspiring, and the sermon was edifying. But, somehow, you missed it all. As the worship flowed, you were fault-finding. As the musical praise was rendered, you thoughtlessly mouthed the words. As the sermon was preached, you were daydreaming. You share Jacob’s sad post-Bethel testimony: “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” (Gen. 28:16) What happened?

One of the reasons why we “miss” some of the worship services we are in is because we start preparing ourselves way too late. In fact, before I go any further, let me ask you a question. Do you prepare for worship? On Sunday mornings, do you just get up, get dressed, and get going? Or do you take time to get the meditations of your heart (Ps. 19:14) ready to be acceptable to the Lord? If not, I challenge you to make a new commitment today to taking spiritual preparation for corporate worship service more seriously.

You should take the time to ready your heart for corporate worship. And the best time to begin these preparations is Saturday night, not Sunday morning. You can’t rip and run Saturday morning, ignore the Lord Saturday evening, and stay up all Saturday night; then get up on Sunday morning and try to shake all of that off for worship. While you should take advantage of the free time Saturday provides; you should do so without forgetting that you will begin your week in worship and fellowship with the Lord Jesus and his body, the church. Interestingly, many of us do this when the 1st Sunday approaches, knowing that we must examine ourselves before the Lord’s Supper. But this self examination should be a regular part of our preparations for corporate worship. Are you tired of coming to church and neglecting the very one who is the subject and object of our worship? I challenge you to begin your preparations for Sunday morning on Saturday nights.

Starting Joshua - for real, this time!

I finally began the exposition of Joshua I have been planning to do for some months. I have scheduled to begin this study three different times, and have run into roadblocks each time. But I was settled in heart that this was the time to start. And I was really excited about preaching this past Sunday. I was scheduled to be in Detroit last week. But flight cancellations, weather, and providence prevented me from going. However, my bags did make the trip - my bags that I packed with about 15 commentaries to help me in my study. I usually don't carry books on the road. I usually take copied pages for me to mark up. I think I took the books this time because I wanted to read some of the front matter and introductions to Joshua. And I ended up being without them in my study. So that, along with my schedule confusion, put me way behind in my study. And I was not able to write out my message. I just prepared an extended outline, and preached the message extemporaneously, basically. Having said all that, the Lord helped me in preaching Sunday. And I praise him for that.

Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message.

Title: "Safely Crossing the Bridges of Life"

Text: Joshua 1:1-9

Theme: God commissions Joshua to lead the children of Israel to claim and conquer the promised land of Canaan.

Point: You can safely cross the bridges of life by going forward with God.

Outline:

I. Go forward with obedience to God's commands (1:1-2)
A. God commands you to go forward in spite of the difficulty of the times (v. 2a)
B. God commands you to go forward in spite of the difficultly of the task (v. 2b)
II. Go forward with confidence in God's promises (1:3-6)
A. Trust the promises of God as you face opportunities in life (vv. 3-4)
B. Trust the promises of God as you face opposition in life (vv. 5-6)
1. Trust God's promises when you face external opposition (v. 5)
2. Trust God's promises when you face internal opposition (v. 6)
III. Go forward with devotion to God's word (1:7-8)
A. Submit to the authority of God's word (vv. 7-8)
B. Embrace the truth of God's word (v. 8)
C. Focus on the blessings of God's word (vv. 7-8)
IV. Go forward with assurance of God's presence (1:9)

Special Note: Dr. Reginald Terry of Antioch Baptist Church in Omaha is currently preaching through the book of Joshua. And over the past week he has been extremely helpful to me as I begin this study. Along with my resources, I have had the benefit of him sharing his notes with me and talking me through how he approached his opening expositions of Joshua. His help has been invaluable. And I really appreciate his kindness and friendship.

Putting the Breaks on my Motor City Trip

Well, I am still in Los Angeles. This morning, I tried again to get to Detroit. And, again, the flights were delayed out of LAX. I was able to get a flight to Chicago. But they would not book me on any flight from Chicago to Detroit. Things were backed up at O'Hare too, so I would have had to get to Chicago and then see what happened from there. It would have been a big gamble for me to try to get to Chicago and then try to get a flight into Detroit in time enough to preach. Most likely, I would have been stuck in O'Hare, trying to get to Detroit. I just couldn't do it. And I felt that I shouldn't do it. So I called Pastor Caldwell and told him that I was not going to make this meeting. Of course, he was disappointed. But he was also gracious and understanding. I deeply appreciate that.

I have preached for the Burnette Baptist Church since 1990 – when I was just 17-years-old. Every year (except just one, I think), Dr. J. Allen Caldwell invited me to preach Burnette's Holy Week Revival. And that congregation is like family to me. I have a "adopted mother" in Burnette. And have developed many friends from my fellowship with this great congregation. And it was very gracious of Pastor Nathaniel Caldwell to invite me to come again. I was his father's evangelist. And when Pastor Nathaniel took the reigns, he was under absolutely no obligation to invite me to come again. He had the right to invite any one he chose. So I was grateful for the invitation. And, to a great degree, still feel a strong sense of obligation to go whenever they ask me to come – because of the great kindness Dr. J. Allen Caldwell consistently showed me down through the years.

I regret that I was not able to make it. And I pray that the Lord's blessings would continue to be with Pastor Caldwell and the Burnette Church family. And I trust that the Lord will bless us to worship and fellowship together again some time down the road.

 

Happily Grounded in Los Angeles

This morning I went to the catch my flight and found the airlines terminal in chaos. Many flights had been cancelled today because of weather - mine included. So I will miss the first night of the meeting I was to begin in Detroit for Pastor Nathaniel Caldwell and the Burnette Baptist Church. I regret that I will not be able to begin my meeting as scheduled and preach the word of God tonight. But I am not too mad. There's no place like home!

Finishing "Saved for Sure" with LOVE

Last night, I completed a series I had been doing on Tuesday nights from 2 Peter 1:5-7, called "Saved for Sure." In this passage, Peter exhorts believers to supplement their faith with seven qualities that will bring the believer to a place of assurance, growth, stability, and fruitfulness in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Last night, we finished the series by studying what it means to add to love to your faith-development process. This has been an enriching study for me. And it has been a joy to teach what I am learning to the church. May the Lord give the increase.

Congratulations Pastor Wade!!!

Yesterday, Crystal and I took a detour on our way home from Dallas. We went to Tacoma to surprise our pastor, Dr. Melvin V. Wade Sr. (Senior Pastor of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles and former President of the National Missionary Baptist Convention) who graduated last night from the Faith Evangelical Seminary in Tacoma with his Masters of Arts Degree. While leading Mt. Moriah, presiding over a national denomination, and preaching all over the country – along with all of his other personal and pastoral responsibilities – pastor has been diligently studying and continuing his formal education. This says something about pastor’s character and commitment that he would resume his studies, after reaching such a settled and established place in his ministry. His desire to continuing learning and growing and striving to be a better pastor and preacher is remarkable. Not only did pastor receive his degree last night; he did so with special recognition for his academic achievement (having a grade point average that was above 3.8)!

I believe it was Mark Twain who said that there are very few things more irritating than the nuisance of a good example. Pastor Wade is, indeed, a great example of the important of giving the Lord both your head and your heart in the service of the gospel. Or, as the old preacher would say it, “He’s got the learning and the burning!” I praise God for my pastor. And I pray that the Lord would continue to use him at Mt. Moriah and beyond to spread the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

A good day at Concord

Crystal and I had a wonderful day in worship and fellowship with the Concord Church yesterday. Actually, we have a good weekend here – greatly enjoying the time we were able to spend with Pastor Bryan and Stephanie Carter. We really appreciate and were encouraged by their warmth, kindness, and hospitality.

Even though I have been deeply influenced by the preaching and ministry of the late Dr. E.K. Bailey, this was my first time ever worshiping at Concord. And it was a great experience. Pastor’s Carter loving and focused leadership is evident in so many ways. And I learned a lot by just watching how things operate at Concord on Sunday morning.

I believe my message was well received by the congregation. And, of course, Dr. Rudolph McKissick Jr. absolutely preached the house down in the second service.

Continue to remember the family and ministry of Pastor Bryan Carter in your prayers. This is truly one of the “good guys” (And God knows we need more of these in the ministry!!!) and one of the truly great churches of our day. May their dreams be even greater than their memories!

Speaking @ Concord Dallas

Crystal and I are in Dallas. And it’s already a great trip, because Crystal is here with me. She does not (want to and/or get to) travel with me often. So it's really cool to be "on the road" with my wife.

We are here to join in the celebration of the 32nd anniversary celebration for Pastor Bryan Carter and the Concord Baptist Church. Concord Church was organized by the late Dr. E.K. Bailey - one of my "homiletical heroes." Pastor Carter has served as senior-pastor of Concord since Dr. Bailey’s death in. And the Lord is continuing to bless this great church through Pastor Carter’s ministry. I am honored to have been invited by Pastor Carter to share in this celebration.

I am scheduled to preach the 8 AM service; Pastor Rudolph McKissick Jr., of the Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, is scheduled to preach the 11 AM service. Please pray God’s blessings for these meetings here. And please cover the meetings at MSMBC in your prayers as well, as my associates John Scroggins and Charles Charthern preach the word in my absence.

The Expository Genius of John Calvin

I am a big fan of the writing and preaching of Dr. Steven J. Lawson – the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. I was introduced to Lawson’s work more than ten years ago, when I read a book of expositions he published on the book of Job. Since then, I have followed his writing ministry closely, purchasing and reading nearly every work he has produced. And I have always been challenged and edified by Lawson’s writings – both in my personal walk with Christ and my public ministry for Christ. I have equally benefited from his preaching. Lawson regularly places full audio recordings of his messages on his website for free. And whatever I am studying, I check to see if he has posted a message on that text. And, yes, his example is one of the motivating factors behind our uploading my weekly messages for free on our church’s website.

When I recently discovered that Lawson had published a new book on preaching, I was excited and eager to pick it up. And I was all the more intrigued when I learned the subject matter of the book, “The Expository Genius of John Calvin.” John Calvin is most noted for his role in the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, his magnum opus, The Institutes of Christian Religions, and the doctrines of grace that are named after him. But what many do not know is that, most fundamentally and essentially, Calvin was a preacher and a pastor. Lawson’s Expository Genius introduces the reader to this important, but neglected, aspect of Calvin’s life and ministry in a clear and compelling way. From Calvin’s personal convictions about scripture, to his view of proper interpretation, to the nuts-and-bolts of his sermon delivery, Lawson indeed introduces us to the preaching genius of John Calvin.

The word “introduction” best describes this book. It is a short work, consisting of only 142 pages. And after a brief overview of Calvin’s life and ministry, the book consists of 32 “distinctives” of Calvin’s preaching. Though clearly explained and amply documented, these distinctives are not addressed in great detail. Lawson describes aspects of Calvin’s preaching that directly contradict his own. But Lawson doesn’t even pause to note the differences. This book is not meant for deep analysis. It is meant to point to Calvin as a faithful preacher and pastor, and to lift up the elements that made Calvin’s ministry so powerful – with the hopes that a new reformation will take place today as men give themselves to the pastoral task of expository preaching with greater zeal and diligence.

I do not have the words to encourage you to read this book as strongly as I desire. Any preacher – novice beginner or seasoned veteran – will be both encouraged and challenged in reading it. I would even commend it for those who are not preachers – as it will help you to better understand that prayer and the ministry of the word are your pastor’s greatest responsibilities. And it will lead to more pointed prayer on the behalf of our pastors. Enough with pastor-teachers who would rather be executives, entertainers, “life-coaches,” or whatever tasks and trends distract the man of God from the priority of biblical preaching. Our charge has not changed: Preach the word! (2 Timothy 4:2). Your calling requires it. God commands it. Our people need it. Preach the word!

If it were not for the Lord...

I try to avoid calling any passage "familiar," calling them "famous" instead. I do this because I don't think we are ever really familiar with any passage. We know the words of certain passages, but the meaning of those passages continues to deepen the more we spend time with them. I was reminded of this last week as I studied Psalm 124. Many Christians know the words, "If it were not for the Lord who was on our side..." But this is a rich passage, filled with powerful images, that calls on us to acknowledge, worship, and trust God for his favor and faithfulness. This past Sunday, I preached a message from this great text to our congregation. Homiletically, it could have been a much better sermon. But once again, I spend so much time reading and studying and meditating on this passage that I waited too late to turn the corner from personal study to sermon preparation. So I ended up going to the pulpit with a message that I felt could have been organized much better. But, from a spiritual and pastoral standpoint, I felt like I was going to the pulpit with the word that God would have been to declare to his people. How soon we forget the unwavering goodness of God when we are going through difficult circumstances. And we need to remember that having God on our side makes all the difference in the world. Without God's help, we are doomed. But with God on our side, all is well - no matter what's going on in our lives.

Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "Facing Life with a Divine Ally"

Text: Psalm 124

Theme: A song of redemption

Point: The most important issue in life is always whether or not the Lord is on your side.

Outline:

I. Remember the difference the Lord makes in your life (124:1-5)
A. God alone deserves the credit for the good things that have happened in your life (vv. 1-2).
B. God alone deserves the credit for the bad things that have not happened in your life (vv. 3-5).
1. Without God, you would have been swallowed alive (v. 3).
2. Without God, you would have been swept away (vv. 4-5).
II. Rejoice in the difference the Lord makes in your life (124:6-7)
A. Praise God for the things that he has spared you from (v. 6b).
B. Praise God for the things that he has snatched you from (v. 7)
III. Rest in the difference the Lord makes in your life (124:8)
A. God is or exclusive source of help.
B. God is our sufficient source of help.
1. The name of God is infinitely good (v. 8a).
2. The power of God is infinitely great (v. 8b).

Hanging from a Homiletical Rollercoaster

Last weekend, I read about a rollercoaster that was stuck on an upside-down turn, leaving its passengers stranded for some thirty minutes. I think I know how they feel. I am going through the same thing concerning my preaching. The struggle continues. Last week, I worked on a passage from Ephesians to preach. But I was not able to put my study into preachable form. So Saturday afternoon, I made some calls to have one of the guys preach in my place on Sunday morning. But when I woke up Sunday, a message from Hebrews took shape as I prepared for worship. And I said I would just take a shot at it in the 8 AM service. Then I took another shot at it in the second service. I will be glad when I get some point of stability in my sermon preparation. But until then, I praise God for holding me up as I continue to hang upside-down from this rollercoaster. Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "Being Fit for the Finish Line"

Text: Hebrews 12:1-2

Theme: The perseverance of the saints

Point: Stay in the race.

Outline:

1. Run with assurance
   
2. Run with discipline
   
   1. Lay aside the sins that hinder your spiritual progress
      
   2. Lay aside the weights that hinder your spiritual progress
      
3. Run with endurance
   
4. Run with focus
   
   1. Focus on Jesus because of who he is
      
   2. Focus on Jesus because of what he has done
      
   3. Focus on Jesus because of where he resides

Seeing the sights in Washington D.C.

This afternoon, Pastor Burton and my friend Chad Foster gave me a tour of some of the historic sites around Washington D.C. I am a huge history buff. And I was so excited to be able to see some of our nation's important sites and monuments. I only wish I would have had more time to tour the area - and that Crystal, H.B., and Natalie were here. Here are some of the pictures I took.

D.C. Comics

So I got to LAX Wednesday morning and begin to check-in. But the computer wouldn't recognize any of my information. That should have been a sign to me of how my day was going to go. I had missed my flight – by more than two hours. (For the record, this was absolutely not my fault – this time. But that's another story.) The standby flights they could put me on would not get me to Washington D.C. until 8:15. This, of course, would be too late for me to actually speak in the worship service I was headed to. So I sat in the airport, waiting to make contact with Pastor Burton, to find out if he still wanted me to come.

I have known Pastor Garfield Burton for some years now. We met when he was the assistant pastor at the Glendale Baptist Church (now known as "The Sanctuary) in Landover, under Pastor Anthony Maclin. Pastor Burton has led the Macedonia Church in D.C. for four years. This is my second time doing this meeting for him. Last year, I was scheduled to come. But my wife's father took ill in Texas. And the morning I was to leave and come here, I decided it would be best for me to send Crystal to check on her father, while I stayed at home with the kids. Pastor Burton – a true friend – was compassionate, encouraging, and prayerful. I will never forget it. So I was glad to be invited again. But I was disappointed that I had missed my flight. I really thought Burton would just tell me to stay home.

He didn't. So I caught standby flights to Washington D.C. With delays and weather all the other stuff that goes along with flying standby, I didn't arrive here until about a quarter to nine. Pastor instructed me to wait for my bag. This, and the lateness of the hour, confirmed for me that I would not be preaching. As we got in the car, I asked who preached the service. Pastor told me no one. He was waiting on me to get here. I think I heard that and didn't hear it. When the driver asked where he was to go, Pastor told him to go to the church. Again, I made nothing of this, thinking we were just going to pick up pastor's car. When we pulled up fifteen minutes later, several people were outside waiting on us. And the next thing I know, we are heading into the service – still in progress at 9:20! Pastor thanked the Lord for my safe arrival, and asked the choir to sing one more selection. Then he began to pour me a glass of water. I asked him what was going on. Did he really want me go for it and preach? Yep. He did. So I did. And at about ten minutes to ten, we were going back out the door, heading to check me into my hotel.

On the way from the airport, I texted Crystal and told her I had missed the service and that I would call her in a few minutes, when I got to the room. But about thirty minutes later, I texted her again and told her that I had just finished preaching. She was shocked, to say the least. So was I! This is my life. Make of it what you will. God be praised for his goodness, wisdom, and faithfulness to me in and through all of my mishaps.

So how was your day?

Thanks, MSMBC, for hanging out with me these past two Sundays

The past two Sunday afternoons, our congregation has participated in worship services at with other congregations. On May 27, we worshiped with the Paradise Baptist Church to celebrate the 22^nd pastoral anniversary celebration for Pastor A.D. Iverson. Pastor Iverson has been a great source of kindness and encouragement to me over the years. And we seem to have a natural affinity toward one another – both being preacher's kids who pastor their father's church. So it was a joy to join in the celebration with other congregations of our city. I brought the message in that service. And even though I would have rather had been sitting and listening to someone else, God was faithful to give me strength for preaching.

This past Sunday (6/3), we worshiped with the First Antioch Baptist Church to celebrate the 10^th pastoral anniversary services for Pastor Nathaniel Haley. Pastor Haley and I are, likewise, both preachers' kids. And even as his father and mine were good friends; Nate and I have become friends. I had the privilege of preaching Nate's installation service. And I have participated in his anniversary services each year, except one. In fact, we regularly go to First Antioch on the first Sunday in June. Now, it feels like I'm in church three months every Sunday. But on first Sundays, it's more like four or five months. And I would not go to another service and preach again for just anyone. But I love Nate. And I pray that our presence Sunday was an encouragement to him, his family, and the First Antioch membership.

Thanks, Mt. Sinai, for your presence and participation in these services. Our pastors, musicians, choir members, ushers, have helped lead in these services. And our congregation has been present in a great way. The Paradise service was on Memorial Day weekend. But the congregation still showed up, anyway. I am truly blessed to pastor such good people. Thank you, Mt. Sinai. I love you!

Remember What You Were

This past Sunday morning, I preached from Ephesians 2:11-13 – "Remember What You Were." For all the difficulties I have preparing last week (over the last weeks, for that matter), I was quite relaxed, focused, and eager about preaching Sunday morning. The passage is doctrinal in nature. But there is a practical concern that is addresses that I really felt it was important for MSMBC to hear – the danger to forget and the need to remember. Our spiritual passion is prone to grow cold when we forget how far we were from God without Christ and how God brought us near to him through Christ. Here is the skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "Remember What You Were"

Point: Ephesians 2:11-13

Theme: The need to remember

Point: Your relationships with God, other believers, and the lost people in your life will greatly benefit from you simply remember what you were before Christ saved you.

Probing Question: Have you forgotten what you were before Christ saved you?

Outline:

1. Remember how far away from God you were without Christ (2:11-12).
   

   
    

   1. You were naturally alienated from God (v. 11)
      

      
       

• You behavior was against you (Eph. 2:1-3)
  
• Your birth was against you (v. 11a)
  
• Your background was against you (v. 11a)
  

 

1. You were spiritually alienated from God (v. 12)
   

 

• You were separated from Christ
  
• You were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel
  
• You were strangers to the covenants of promise
  
• You were without hope
  
• You were without God in the world
  

 

1. Remember how God brought you near to himself through Christ (2:13).
   

Speaking @ the LACBC Men’s Retreat

This past weekend, I participated in the Los Angeles Community Bible Church's men's retreat, led by Pastor Bobby Scott. Pastor Anthony Kidd and the Westside Bible Church also partnered in this meeting. It was held at the Alpine Camp & Conference Center in Blue Jay (CA), near Big Bear/Lake Arrowhead. The theme of the retreat was, "The Making of a Godly Man." I spoke in three of the sessions – once Friday night and twice on Saturday morning. I was asked to talk about becoming a godly man, father, and husband. And I addressed these subjects from Ephesians 5 and 6, in which Paul explains and describes the Spirit-filled life. I talked about being filled with the Holy Spirit (5:18-21), why husbands need to be Spirit-filled (5:25-33), and why fathers need to be Spirit-filled (6:4). It was a good weekend. It was not a large gathering, but that just contributed to making it a special meeting. With the small group, we were able to be really informal and personal. And by the time of my last session, when we opened up for questions and answers, there seemed to be a real sense of openness and fellowship among the brothers, as we thought and talked together about the practical implications of the messages for our lives and families. This was only the second time I participated in a retreat like this. But both experiences have been enriching for me. I pray that the brothers who participated in this retreat will see much fruit from their labors towards godliness – to God be the glory!

A Strange trip from Canaan to Ephesus

Every year, I go through my "annual homiletical crisis" – in which I really, really struggle in my preaching. For some reason, this year "crisis" (termed this purely on the basis of how I feel going through it) is taking place much earlier - it usually takes place well into the second half of the year. And it's taking on a weird form this time around. I have been struggling to determine what to preach. When I land on a text or subject, my personal study time has been great. But I have also been struggling with turning my personal study and meditation into pulpit-ready messages.

Leading up to the first quarter of 2007, I was able to prayerfully produce a "sermon card" for the church, in which I was gave the title and text for every message that I was schedule to preach at MSMBC from January through March. It was a first. And I was really looking forward to it becoming a new trend in my sermon preparation. However, since April, I have not been able to focus that clearly or think that far ahead. During this same time period, we have been in a relocation process as a church. And some of the pressure related to this season of our congregation's life may be causing my homiletical clumsiness. Other than that, I don't really have an explanation.

This week, the struggle has taken an interesting turn – from Canaan to Ephesus. Since the beginning of April, I have been planning to begin an exposition of the Book of Joshua. I have given several starting dates. But I have missed them both. And this week marks the third time I have missed a planned starting date for Joshua. Last Sunday, I preached a passage out of Exodus with the intention that it would be my introduction, of sorts, to Joshua. And I have been working this week of Joshua 1:1-9. I even ordered several more commentaries this week to help my studies. And I was working on Joshua as late as yesterday afternoon. But once again, my work just came to a halt. I stopped and prayed. Then I began to read through and study a passage from Ephesians. I began preaching through Ephesians last year. But I broke the series during the summer, intending to get back to it at some later date. I guess Ephesians was on my mind this week because I am scheduled to speak at a men's retreat Friday and Saturday, and I am planning to do three expositions from Ephesians. And earlier this week, a member asked me I was going to resume Ephesians. I thought it was ironic. Well, that's what I am not working on for Sunday. Really, you can't go wrong preaching about Jesus and our salvation in him. But these twists and turns have made it difficult to prepare to preach. Please pray for my sermon preparation work and preaching schedule. And pray that I am able to come out of whatever this is I am in – soon!

God bless.

Winning Spiritual Battles

This past Sunday, I preached on Exodus 17:8-16. I had been studying this passage and meditating on it for several weeks. Several things attracted me to this passage. First, the theme of spiritual warfare attracted me. This battle that the Israelites fought against the Amalekites illustrates the spiritual battles we as Christ-followers face against the flesh, the world, and the devil. I feel like some of the things the members of MSMBC are going through in their personal lives is the direct result of spiritual battles that need to be fought and won. Likewise, some of the things we are going through as a church are spiritual battles. I wanted the church to understand this. Second, this passage calls for dependence upon and confidence in God. I believe my congregation needed to hear that. I know I do, too. There are things that we are praying for that require great faith if they are to come to pass. And I wanted to challenge the church again to trust that there is nothing too hard for God. Finally, this passage introduces us to Joshua, Moses' assistant and successor. It is my intention to begin preaching the book of Joshua this coming Sunday (Please, please pray for me!!!). And there was something I wanted to say about him out of this passage. I believe that this battle at Rephidim prepared Joshua for leadership in Canaan. And it thus warns us not to be negligent with our present responsibilities. Our present responsibilities are spiritual preparation for future opportunities. Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message:

Title: "Winning Spiritual Battles"

Text: Exodus 17:8-16

Theme: Divine help in spiritual warfare

Point: The Lord is able to give you the victory in every spiritual battle you face.

Outline:

I. Depend on the power of God (17:9-12).

A. The importance of prayer is seen in the effect it had on the battle battle (v. 11).

B. The importance of prayer is seen in the effect it had on Moses (v. 12).

II. Fight with confidence in God (17:10, 13).

III. Remember the faithfulness of God (17:14).

A. Remember God's faithful power in your past.

B. Remember God's faithful promises for your future.

IV. Give all the glory to God (17:15-16).

Happy Memorial Day

Today, we remember the American soldiers who have died in military service. And we pray for those who continue to serve in harm's way in different places around the world. God bless.

Speaking @ Phillip’s Temple in Dayton

I am writing this post from Chicago's O'Hare airport. I am waiting for my connecting flight to Dayton (OH), where I am scheduled to begin a three-night meeting at the Phillip's Temple C.M.E. Church. The pastor, James Washington, has a large vision for strategic ministry and a solid commitment to biblical preaching. This is my second time preaching at Phillip's Temple. And I can say that it is the strangest C.M.E. (Christian Methodist Episcopal) church I have ever preached in. Okay. It's the only C.M.E. congregation I have ever preached in. But from everything I hear about the denomination, this is not your typical C.M.E. church. From its worship style, to its ministry innovations, to its congregational structure, this church seems to break the norms of its surrounding community and denominational structures. But with its commitment to sound doctrine as its foundation, this is a thriving congregation that is touching many lives with the good news of Jesus Christ. I have good memories from the meeting I did there last year. And I trust the Lord will richly bless this meeting, as well. Please remember me and this meeting in your prayers over the next several days.

About an Hour. Not!

I had an eye exam yesterday. And I was given a new prescription. The doctor has been monitoring a potential problem with my eyes for several years now. And the situation hasn't gotten any worse. Praise God! But at the same time, the problem has not really changed. So I was told again by the people who specialize in doing glasses in about an hour that it would take 8-15 working days to get my prescription done. Go figure. There's a sermon illustration there somewhere, I just have to find it.

Speaking @ Word Fellowship

I am in Greensboro, North Carolina, preaching for my friend Keelan Atkinson. A little less than a year ago, Keelan organized the Word Fellowship Reformed Baptist Church. And I have the honor of preaching their first revival. This is my third time coming to Greensboro to preach for Keelan. So there is a level of familiarity with Keelan's ministry, which makes it a pretty relaxing atmosphere to preach in. The Word Fellowship congregation loves the word. And I have really enjoyed preaching to them these past two nights.

The place where the meeting was to take place was unavailable Wednesday night. So Pastor Jeff Smith and the Clifton Road Baptist Church family graciously opened their doors to host this meeting. And it has ended up being a joint meeting between the two congregations. Pastor Smith has only served Clifton Road for a little less than a year. But the Lord's blessings are obviously on the ministry of this congregation. Pastor Smith has been kind and gracious. And the members of Clifton Road have been hospitable and encouraging. It has been a joy to worship with and minister to these two congregations. Please pray for the final night of this meeting.

Adding Knowledge

I am teaching a new series on Tuesday nights. (Have I mentioned yet that our midweek service moved to Tuesday nights?) I am calling it, "Saved for Sure." And it is based on 2 Peter 1:5-7. In 2 Peter 1:3-11, Peter exhorts his readers to make their call and election sure. And in verses 5-7, Peter gives seven spiritual qualities that you should add to or supplement your faith with for assurance, growth, stability, and fruitfulness in your Christian experience. After several weeks of introduction, I have plunged into the seven qualities. We studied "virtue" last week. And last night we studied what it means to add "knowledge" to your faith (verses 5-6). I thought it was good work, and was really excited about teaching it. I trust that the congregation found the study beneficial.

Next Tuesday - God willing - we will study what it means to supplement your faith with "self-control." Please remember this series in your prayers.

Happy Mother's Day

Her children rise up and call blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. - Proverbs 31:28-30 (ESV)

Speaking @ Morning Star in Grand Prarie

This evening, I will preach my final of three messages at the Morning Star Baptist Church in Grand Prarie (TX), where Christopher Taylor is the pastor. I have preached this meeting for Pastor Taylor a four or five times over the years. And all I can say is that Morning Star is a great place to preach. Last night, I preached a message that I really didn't intend to preach outside of my own pulpit. But I felt such freedom in preaching at Morning Star, that I took a shot at it. And I believe it was received well.

There have been quite a few pastors and preachers who have shared in the services each night, which has been very encouraging. And I have had the opportunity to fellowship with Pastor Reginald Reid of Texarcana, for whom I am to preach later in the summer. It's been good getting to know him. Likewise, as I stood to preach last night, I saw a woman sitting in the congregation and I said to myself, "Wow, that lady looks just like..." - a member of our worship team and a lead singer in our choir at MSMBC. But I immediately dismissed the thought and tried not to stare at her. Come to find out, it was who I thought it was. She is in Texas for work, heard that I was in town, and came out to support her pastor. My wife, Crystal, warmed me to take this as a reminder to be on my best behavior wherever I am. She's right. It's a small world. But I thank God for familiar faces in strange places.

A Rare Two for One Sunday

Today was a rare (translated "weird") day of preaching for me. I worked all week on a message on Genesis 25:29-34. But when I went to bed last night, I was not comfortable with it. I felt (and still feel) it needed more work before I preached it. So I went to bed with plans to preach a message from Philippians 1:19-21. It was a older message from the exposition of Philippians that I did some years ago. I had been thinking about this text this week, as well - especially as we prepared for the National Day of Prayer. So it was kind of natural for me to consider preaching it, which is exactly what I did in our 8 AM service. But after the first sermon, I felt that I should preach the other message I prepared in the 11 AM service, which is exactly what I did (with some internal debate with the Lord, I must admit). But the Lord blessed both messages to be a help to our congregation, I believe. It's been more than ten years since I have preached two different messages on a Sunday morning. And barring some strange event, it may be another ten years before it happens again.

Go Spidey!

My son, H.B., and I were among the throngs who went to see Spider-Man 3 this weekend. And we officially give it two thumbs up. Go spidey!

Speaking @ Peace Chapel

This past Friday, I spoke at Peace Chapel Baptist Church here in Los Angeles. Their pastor, DeAntwan Fitts, has only served the congregation since October of last year. But the Lord is already at work in this congregation in obvious ways. The meeting was the opening night of their youth revival, which will take place each Friday night in May. I was honored to be invited by this new pastor. And I was encouraged to fellowship with this young brother who is determined to lead his congregation with sound doctrine. And I was glad to be invited to preach a "youth revival." Even though I am still a young man (I think), I don't get invited to do too many youth meetings anymore. Our music team joined me. And they were great. And the congregation was graciously patient with my preaching. I trust that the word will bear fruit in the days to come. Please remember this pastor, congregation, and meeting in your prayers. And pray for my associate pastor, George Hurtt, who is scheduled to preach this meeting on May 18.

The Ultimate Prayer Partner

This past Thursday, we observed the National Day of Prayer at MSMBC with a special prayer meeting. This is the third or fourth year we have had this service. We worship together. And we spend time in prayer specifically for the government, media, education, church, and family. Then I bring a message. I almost didn't preach this year, though. I was debating whether or not we should just keep on praying. We don't have too many meetings like this where we just pray. So I thought that maybe I should just save my sermon for another time. But I finally determined that it would be best for me to go on and preach the message that I prepared. And I am really glad I did. God used the message to comfort and encourage many people who were present. Here is the skeleton from that service.

Title: "The Ultimate Prayer Partner"

Text: Romans 8:26-27

Theme: The Intercessory Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Point: You can pray with confidence because the Holy Spirit is praying with you and for you.

Outline:

I. The Holy Spirit intercedes to help you in your weakness (8:26).

A. The Spirit helps us (v. 26a).

B. The Spirit intercedes for us (v. 26b).

II. The Spirit interceds in harmony with the will of God (8:27).

A. God the Father knows the intentions of the Spirit (v. 27a).

B. God the Father agrees with the intercession of the Spirit (v. 27b).

Confessions of a Pastor

Our Book of the Month for May is Confessions of a Pastor, by Greg Groeschel. Groeschel pastors the Life Church, a multi-campus congregation in Oklahoma. I really didn't know much about Groeschel when I purchased the book. I had seen an advertisement for Confessions in a Christian magazine. And it piqued my interest. While in a bookstore in Chicago last year, I saw it and bought it. The chapter titles were quite provocative, such as "I Can't Stand a Lot of Christians," "I Have to Work Hard to Stay Sexually Pure," and "I Hate Prayer Meetings," etc. I was really curious about how Groeschel would address these subjects. Would this be a reality-TV type treatment of a pastor's personal life? Was he serious? What was this book really about? I couldn't wait to read it. And I wasn't disappointed.

Once you get past the provocative way in which the book is presented, Confessions is a sound, clear, and helpful guide for those who want to have a more authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. Groeschel does make confessions about each of the things he mentions in the various chapter titles. And he is rather candid about his spiritual struggles, which was both shocking and refreshing. But, as you dig into each chapter, you soon discover that Groeschel is not just talking about himself. He's talking about you, as well. You begin to see yourself in the discussion. And then Groeschel turns to scripture to address what the Word of God has to say about the subject. And his handling of the texts he uses is both faithful and helpful, providing both a better understanding of scripture and practical guidance for drawing closer to God.

I heartily commend this book to you. It will, as its subtitle says, help you to drop your pose and get real with God. And yourself. It's about 200 pages long. But it's very readable. Groeschel's writing is clear, thought-provoking, and even entertaining. I read a lot of theology, exegetical works, and commentaries that are written with a lot of technical language. So I like to read books like this that are, well, readable - deep thoughts packaged in fresh language. I trust that this book will be a good read and a spiritual benefit to you. Likewise, my fellow preachers and teachers will find some good illustrative material in it. Let me know.

Addressing Disappointment with God

My message yesterday addressed the subject of "disappointment with God." I first began to think about this subject years ago when I read Phil Yancey's excellent book by the same name. This is also what I called the message I preached yesterday on Matthew 11:2-6, where an imprisoned John the Baptist asks the Lord Jesus if he is really the one who is to come. This passage was heavy on my heart to preach all last week. And I couldn't wait to get to the pulpit to preach it. I just knew that the Lord would have people here who really needed a message like this. And he did. Praise God! Here is the sermon skeleton on yesterday's message:

Title: "Disappointment with God"

Text: Matthew 11:2-6

Theme: Disappointment with God

Point: Your spiritual disappointment can become blessed assurance if you continue to trust the Lord when you don't understand him.

Outline:

I. The Reality of Spiritual Disappointment

II. The Reasons for Spiritual Disappointment

A. Spiritual disappointment happens when God does not meet your personal expectations.

B. Spiritual disappointment happens when God does not meet your theological expectations.

III. The Response to Spiritual Disappointment (11:4-5)

A. John's response: He took his questions to Jesus (vv. 2-3)

B. Jesus response:

1. Jesus did not get angry with John.

2. Jesus did not deliver John.

3. Jesus did not give John a direct answer to his question.

4. Jesus pointed John to the word of God (v. 5)

IV. The Remedy for Spiritual Disappointment (11:6)

The Life of the Party

Here is the sermon skeleton for yesterday's message:

Title: "The Life of the Party"

Text: John 2:1-11

Theme: The transforming power of Jesus Christ

Point: Jesus is God who has come to transform your disappointments into joy.

Outline:

I. The Gracious Presence of Jesus (2:1-2)

A. Jesus was invited to the wedding feast.

B. Jesus accepted the invitation to the wedding feast.

II. The Sovereign Authority of Jesus (2:3-5)

A. The authority of Christ is seen in Mary's report to Jesus (v. 3)

B. The authority of Christ is seen in Jesus' response to Mary (v. 4)

C. The authority of Christ is seen in Mary's command to the servants (v. 5)

III. The Transforming Power of Jesus (2:6-10)

A. Jesus does what religion cannot do (v. 6)

B. Jesus turns water into wine (vv. 7-8)

C. Jesus saves the best until last (vv. 9-10)

Preaching @ Greater Starlight

Last night, I preached for my friend, Prentiss Lewis, who pastors the Greater Starlight Baptist Church here in Los Angeles. They are having a three night meeting, which began Tuesday and ends tonight. And Pastor Lewis graciously invited me to preach the middle night of this meeting. I have been preaching different occasions for Pastor Lewis and Greater Starlight for some time now. And it is always a sweet time of fellowship and worship with them. Last night was no different.

“Saved for Sure”

We resumed our midweek worship services last night – with a few changes. The obvious change is that we moved from Wednesdays to Tuesdays. I am excited about this change. I have a somewhat wider speaking ministry beyond my local church. And it causes me to miss our midweek service at times. However, with our meetings being on Tuesdays now, I am able to avoid scheduling conflicts better. This pleases me to no end. I richly enjoy these midweek worship services and I hate it when I miss them.

Likewise, on last night I shifted to more of a teaching format, which I intend to use for the most part on Tuesdays. I prepared printed outlines for the congregation to use during the message. And I intend to make that a regular practice on Tuesdays. And I will not be writing out full manuscripts of Bible expositions for midweek anymore. As much as I enjoyed doing Psalm 119 last year, it was brutal doing two full expositions each week. The format I plan to use on Tuesdays will allow me to adopt a different and less grueling study schedule and preparation process. This, too, pleases me to no end.

Other than that, I think most everything else stays the same in our midweek services.

Last night, I began a new series that I am calling "Saved for Sure." Over the next weeks, I want to discuss the seven spiritual qualities listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7 that supplement faith and lead to spiritual assurance, growth, and stability. Last night was the introduction, of sorts, in which I gave an overview, of sorts, of 2 Peter 1:3-11. I wanted the congregation to get a sense of the passage as a whole before we narrowed our focus to the individual qualities listed in verse 5-7. It was a good start to the series, I believe. Pray for the Lord's blessings on this study and that our lives will be changed as we learn what it means to live to the full and practice godliness in Christ.

Preaching my Meditations

I was supposed to begin an exposition of the book of Joshua this past Sunday. But it is going to take me a few more weeks to be ready to begin. However, I didn't come to terms with that until the middle of last week. And Sunday was coming with a fast and in a hurry. So I have to switch gears quickly. First, I had to determine if I was going to preach. But that was a no-brainer, as tired as I was. I couldn't wait to get home from OKC to get back into my own pulpit. I felt a burden to preach. But what would I preach? I had been meditating on Hebrews 4:14-16 all week. And at some point, meditation turned into exposition. And I was comfortable enough with it by Sunday to take it to the pulpit. I trust that it was a blessing to the congregation. Here is the sermon skeleton:

Title: "Our Great High Priest"

 

Text: Hebrews 4:14-16

 

Theme: The high priestly ministry of Jesus Christ

 

Point: Jesus Christ is our great high priest who ministers everything faith requires to live for God.

 

Outline:

 

1. The Superiority of our Great High Priest (4:14)
   

   
    

   1. Where is our high priest? (v. 14a)
      

      
       

   2. Who is our high priest? (v. 14b)
      

 

1. What is the does any of this make? (v. 14c)
   

 

1. The Sympathy of our Great High Priest (4:15)
   

 

1. Jesus cares about your struggles (v. 15a).
   

 

1. Jesus knows about your struggles (v. 15b).
   

 

1. The Sufficiency of our Great High Priest (4:16)
   

   
    

   1. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ is demonstrated in the privilege of prayer.
      

      
       

      1. We can draw near to God continually.
         

         
          

      2. We can draw near to God with confidence.
         

      
       

   2. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ is demonstrated in the power of prayer.
      

      
       

      1. God will give your mercy to cover your past sins.
         

         
          

      2. God will give you grace to help you with today's trials.
         

The 63rd OKC Simultaneous Revival

I made it to OKC a little after 7 last night, and arrived at Fairview in time to preach. It is good to be back at Fairview again and to have the opportunity to participate in the Oklahoma City Simultaneous Revival again. Dr. John A Reed Jr., whom I affectionately call, "Pop," "adopted" me after my dad past in 1989. They were dear friends. And the Lord has used Pop to fill an important void in my life over these years. And the Fairview Baptist Church family is a second home to me. I am really excited to be here and pray that the Lord will bless this meeting.

For the record, my luggage made it to town 12:30 this morning.

The mass services began today. Between today and Friday, there will be mass services at noon each day and a late-night service at 10:30 each night, along with the evening services at each local church. May the Lord use each preacher, bless guide each pastor, and bless each church. And may the Lord smile on this week and change many lives in this city as a result of this week of meetings.

Always an Adventure

After a pretty uneventful Holy Week (which is a good thing), this week has begun with a bang. I missed my flight this morning. Before I went to bed last night, I looked at the itinerary, and read that I was leaving this morning at 8:20. I later discovered that the flight actually left at 7 and was to arrive in Phoenix at 8:20. This is a perfect illustration or either how tired I was last night or how clueless I am in general (you decide). But it gets better. I discovered my flight had already left after I checked-in, which included two pieces of luggage, and went through security, and was heading for my gate. The fact that the wonderful people at _______________ Airlines checked my bags onto a flight that had been in the air for almost 30 minutes is a perfect illustration of either how unhelpful they were this morning or how clueless they are in general (again, you decide).

So the wonderful people at _____________ Airlines graciously put me on a later flight that would get me into Oklahoma City at 10:30. But with TaVon's help (my administrative assistant), I found a flight on another airlines that is scheduled to get into OKC at exactly 7 this evening. So I'll spend more time today in airports that on airplanes, trying to make it to OKC to begin a week or preaching tonight at the Fairview Baptist Church (Pastor John Reed, Jr.). It is taking all the "Good Friday" comfort and "Resurrection Day" power I can muster to maintain a good afternoon. But I won't complain. After all, at least I got it better than my luggage. I don't know where it is or where it's headed!