I have treasured Your Word in my heart so that I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11
Your heart is critical…
…A friend of mine told me about preaching on the back of a flatbed truck next to Red Square in Moscow some years ago. The communist government had just fallen and many people there were searching for meaning and purpose. My friend was put on the back of the truck, given a microphone, and told to preach to the walking masses through a translator. Continue reading
Posted in books, Christianity, discipleship, faith, Uncategorized
Tagged bible, Christianity, faith, God, Immersed, Moscow, relationship with god, Religion and Spirituality, scripture, spiritual growth
I make a big deal out of small groups (we call our Sunday School classes LIFE groups) at FBC O’Fallon, IL. Why would I even care since I’m not preaching in those classes? (Insert your own sermon joke punch line.) Here are 3 important reasons why Christians should be in a small group in their church.
1. For Connection. People are like legos- made for connection. Small groups allow people to get connected on more personal levels. You need that connection- even you computer nerds who are socially awkward! And, more importantly, other people need you. Small groups allow us to know each other’s names and favorite ice cream flavors.
2. For Information. I don’t let people ask questions during the sermon. I probably wouldn’t know the answer anyway! But discussions can happen in small groups. We can sharpen each other and think together. It is a great way to learn and study and grow. Attend a small group bible study long enough and you will probably know much more about the bible than you do now. And that is a good thing.
3. For inspiration. Okay, I can’t relate to the pastor. He’s kind of weird anyway. But I can sure relate to that guy in the class who is struggling to live out his faith in a hostile work environment. I can relate to the lady who wants to shine the light of Christ in her life even though she has a suspicious spot on the x-ray. Those people inspire me- and I hope I can inspire them!
I love small groups enough that Vickie and I are going to teach a LIFE group on Saturday nights for the 7 weeks our church goes through the “Immersed: 40 Days to a Deeper Faith” study beginning this weekend- even though I already preach my sermon 4 times each weekend.
Small groups or bust!
Posted in books, Christianity, Church, discipleship, faith, preaching, small groups, Sunday School, Uncategorized
Tagged bible, christian book, Christianity, church, devotion, discipleship, God, local church, relationship with god, scripture, small groups, Sunday School, worship attendance
I’m all for people being babies- when they are actually babies! But it isn’t as attractive when big boys act like babies.
I’m all for Christians being immature. But if they are still immature after years of faith we have a problem.
The example I use is the kiddie pool and the high dive. Permit a brief quote from the introduction of my devotional book “Immersed: 40 Days to a Deeper Faith”.
“I still remember my first time jumping off the high dive.
In the summertime I spent a lot of afternoons at the community pool in my small towns. Most of my time was spent in the shallow end, splashing and playing with my bothers and friends. I watched other kids jumping off the diving boards at the deep end of the pool. It seemed fun and exciting, but too scary for me.
As the summer progressed, I thought more and more about what it would be like to overcome my fears and worries and plunge into the deep, blue water of the deep end. I even walked by that area of the pool a few times to calculate the possibilities. The deep water was so inviting, yet I was so frightened to plunge in…”
Okay, you can get the book to read the rest. But suffice it to say that God made us to swim in the deep water of faith.
Shallow Christianity will never fully satisfy because we long for the deeper faith of spiritual growth. We need the meat instead of the milk. We want the diving board instead of the kiddie pool.
Come on in. The water is fine!
The reason I don’t listen to sermons is because I’m usually the one preaching. But during my vacation time this summer I sat in some other churches and listened to someone else preach. It is a different perspective, sitting in the congregation instead of standing behind the pulpit. Here are some lessons learned.
1. Part of a good sermon depends on the speaker. On vacation, I heard some fine preachers deliver some fine messages. When they spoke with passion and grabbed me through stories or humor, I tended to listen better. Boring messages are, I have to admit, harder to follow. Please, no “amens” from the FBC O’Fallon, IL crowd! 🙂 And really, boring people with the greatest message ever? Unacceptable.
2. Part of a good sermon depends on the listener. If I am eager to learn, eager to worship and listening carefully for the Lords’ Word for my life, It makes a difference. Analyzing the preacher’s ability- or lack thereof- isn’t that helpful. Allowing my mind to wander limits the impact of the word. Focus and a tender heart makes a difference regardless of the speaker. If I am prayed up and eager to listen, I tend to get more from the message.
3. Part of a good sermon has nothing to do with the sermon. If I was drawn into worship through music and prayer I found my heart better prepared to listen to the sermon. If I got some decent rest the night before, I found the message easier to follow. If the congregation was friendly and inviting to me before the service even began, I was apt to anticipate the message with greater enthusiasm. If my relationship with God and my family and others was right, I found I was better at listening to the message that day.
4. Part of a good sermon depends on the Holy Spirit. There were times when I felt the Holy Spirit was applying the message to me in a way the preacher might not have been able to anticipate. God can use the words of the message to draw us in ways that are only indirectly related to the message itself. Sometimes the message was more of a “God thing” than the result of the preacher.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to preach. But I am so very thankful for those who listen. I’ll try to do my best when I preach. I will study and pray and practice. But I know that it is about more than me and my abilities.
I pray- for those of you going to a church service this weekend- that you will be a good listener; that you will have a “God moment”. I pray your preacher does a good job. But, I pray that you do your part.
Listen well this weekend.
Posted in Church, preaching, Uncategorized
Tagged bible, Christianity, church, communication, God, preaching, relationship with god, sermons
Before she was even two years old, our granddaughter would entertain us with the words to this song: “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad.Take a sad song and make it better.” You’re welcome! 😉 While it is absolutely adorable coming from a two-year-old’s mouth, it is truly a sad song because the writer was a […]
Doug Munton 