Preparing for the Lord's Day What brings you joy? What activities cause you to feel deeply fulfilled and intensely engaged? In John 4, we find Jesus "wearied" from a long journey that was filled with hard work. He is "sitting" beside a well in the heat of the day. He asks a Samaritan woman to give him a drink. (4:7) This scene seems to describe a man who is depleted and i...

Preparing for the Lord's Day It was supposed to be a warmup fight for Mike Tyson as he prepared to defend his title against Evander Holyfield later that year. However, no one saw what was coming the evening of February 11, 1990, when Mike Tyson stepped into the ring with James "Buster" Douglas. Prior to this fight, Tyson was the undefeated, undisputed heavyweight champion...

Preparing for the Lord's Day What does it cost to follow Christ? It cost very little to be a merely outward Christian. There are many who would proclaim to follow Jesus. They might show up to church a few times a year, give a bit to the offering, have Christian dcor in their homes, and listen to the family-friendly radio station. However, true sacrifice never seems to com...

Preparing for the Lord's Day This week, I will continue our summer sermon series on discipleship by looking at the "Endurance of Discipleship." This is yet another challenging area of discipleship. Why? Because following Christ is a lifelong commitment and process. It is a marathon, not a sprint. Discipleship stretches and moves us and there are times when it steps on our...

Preparing for the Lord's Day This week, I will continue our summer sermon series on discipleship by looking at the "welcome of discipleship." The passage I've chosen (Matthew 25:31-40) is a challenging one. It's challenging not because it's difficult for us to understand. Rather, it's challenging because it reminds us that discipleship will cost us. The currency of discip...

Preparing for the Lord's Day As a college student, a few of my classmates memorized a number of verses to help us mature in Christ. We shared a love for our Savior and wanted to follow Him. One of those verses is anchored in our sermon text for this Sunday in worship. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinth...

Preparing for the Lord's Day On July 4th, while our nation celebrates the political revolution of the Declaration of Independence and the victory of the Revolutionary War, we will begin our study on the Spiritual Revolution of the Great Commission and Discipleship. After Jesus won the victory against sin and suffering by dying and rising for us, He sent the church on a li...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Trash talking has always been a part of a competition. During the 1986 NBA All-Star week Larry Bird, prior to the three-point shooting contest, declared, "I'm just looking around to see who's gonna finish second." He went on to win. Prior to Super Bowl III, Jets Quarterback Joe Namath, declared, "We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it." He ...

Preparing for the Lord's Day Many of us agricultural metaphors are intelligible yet not relatable. What I mean is that we can understand the concepts that are being expressed but we have very little first-hand experience with the actual phenomena. In our passage for this week Paul uses a common biblical metaphor or reaping what you sow. The modern reader can comprehend wh...

Preparing for the Lord's Day When we think of spiritual people, we often think of people who have isolated themselves from the broader community. A monk who takes a vow of silence or a nun who is cloistered away from society. Spirituality, in popular belief, takes place when we are alone. When Thoreau went into the woods for a spiritual experience. People would fast, pray...