Preping for Preaching

May 5, 2011 in Bible Study, Building Theology, Preaching Prep with 2 Comments

Tim_Keller

I am preparing my sermon for Monday, May 9th.  I have chosen the Scripture I will be preaching on, and I am in the process of studying it and tearing it apart. While doing so, I have decided to blog the process. Last fall and winter I was privileged to attend a preaching cohort at my church. We spent out time discussing a method in sermon writing designed by Tim Keller as laid out in The Journal of Biblical Counseling.*

Just a few things of note before I go on. One is, I have only written two sermons using this method.  Actually, I have only written one-and-a-half. This means I have a) not perfected it, and b) I have adapted it to fit my preaching style thus far, bad habits and everything. For those of you who have preached or are starting to preach, feel free to take notes, ask questions, and give pointers.

Two, I will be delivering the sermon on May 9th.  While I will be writing / blogging the process, you will not actually see the results until after I preach the sermon. I hope to record the sermon and make it available to you after I finish posting the articles. If you can, please download the sermon after I post it and offer up some critique. I would love to hear your feedback.

Finally, the passage I am preaching on is Galatians 1:6-12:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
(Galatians 1:6-12 ESV)

Keller tells us to first read the passage 5-10 times, and then break it down into it’s basic parts. You can do this by making the passage into an outline while determining why the author used certain connections and words. Tomorrow I will post my outline. If you have the time, I would welcome you to participate in this exercise and post your outline in the comments (I know, that is a tall order!).

Overall, let me know your initial thoughts on this passage. Also, if you have read any other great articles on preaching preperation, please, share them in the comments.

Thanks,

-Don-

*Volume 12, Issue 3, Spring 1994

Preaching in Their Language

May 4, 2011 in Uncategorized with 8 Comments

I will be preaching for the second time at our local homeless shelter next Monday. It was one of the most attentive audiences I had ever met. When I walked into the chapel area, the men were watching a local news station on a TV mounted to the wall. One of them asked me if I would be interested in joining them as “chapel will be starting soon.” They sent a young man to go find the pastor when I informed them I was actually going to be the preacher that evening. They burst out in laughter at the mistake and told me to get up there and preach.

Suddenly, I was nervous. Never mind I spent the better part of a year preaching almost every Sunday. Forget the fact I went through a preaching cohort at my church. Set aside my preaching and public speaking classes from college. My palms were sweaty. My stomach developed butterflies. I did the only thing I could do. Channeling my best John Wimber, I prayed the one prayer I could think of under my breath. It was a prayer he (Wimber) always encouraged people to pray. Its short and sweet, but it is honest. It goes something like this:

HELP!

Wouldn’t you know it, the Holy Spirit answered in spades. Not only did I preach, I felt alive. I connected with the guys that night in a way I never imagined. What is interesting is, the Holy Spirit was working hard in the earlier part of the day as I rewrote my sermon. Let me explain.

Earlier that day, I had a sermon I preached before in my hands. I figured it would not be too difficult to recycle the material for these guys. I was looking over my notes when I started to get uncomfortable with my verbiage. Words jumped out at me that had no place being in my sermon. They were words like Sanctification, Propitiation, and Absolution.

Please, do not get me wrong, these are wonderful words. These are words with meanings I adore. To be sanctified, or made one with the Father, the death of Jesus is the offering which satisfied God’s wrath so I could be free. I have been absolved of my sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Son!  AMEN! I get excited just thinking about it. But, what do these words mean to the average human being?

Dropping four syllable words in a conversation among believers is almost standard fair in my church. We know these words, embrace these words. What do they mean to a bunch of guys who have been living on the streets? Or guys getting over addictions? What do these mean to men who may have not darkened the door of a church in years? To men who may have never heard the words before?

Nothing.

As I looked over my sermon, I felt a conviction. I was convicted of my pride in preaching. I almost approached this honorable task as like I would a debate. I wondered how many million dollar words could I spit in order to sound worthy of the pulpit I was blessed to preach from. As I walked through my sermon, the Holy Spirit humbled me. I rewrote my sermon.

I delivered a sermon in the words of everyday man. I preached in a way that was comfortable for me and connected with my audience. I did not water down the message (it was on idolatry), but I did ditch some words which have not been in regular rotation in everyday speech since the Mayflower docked at Plymouth Rock.

As I get ready to preach next Monday, I am keeping these things in my heart. I want to pray more about my preaching and the words I speak. I want to honor God with my tongue, and not myself. I want to show people Jesus, not my amazing vocabulary.

Please keep me in your prayers for next Monday. Pray I glorify God and not myself.

Thanks,

-Don-

Win This Bible

May 3, 2011 in Giveaways with 1 Comment

esv_new_classic

Hey all,

G.A. Dietrich is hosting a Bible giveaway over on his blog.  To be honest, I get TWO entries just for posting about it on my blog :-) If you would like to prevent me from winning this Bible, feel free to enter the contest here. Here is a little about the Bible that is up for grabs:

In celebration of the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version in 1611, Crossway presents this special commemorative edition of the ESV New Classic Reference Bible. This limited edition includes a publisher’s foreword recognizing the historic significance of the King James Version, and features stunning artwork illuminating the four Gospels, commissioned by Crossway and painted by world-renowned artist Makoto Fujimura.

The Bible itself retails for $70, so you know it is a good value. Sound good? Don’t wait, enter and try and win!

-Don-

The Lost Art of Rejoicing

April 27, 2011 in Joy with 1 Comment

There are times in life to celebrate.

You know, those moments when you fill up with a feeling which lifts your spirit so high you can barely contain it? Words cannot describe it? It is more than seeing your football team score a go-ahead touchdown in a big game. It’s bigger than when you get a promotion at your job or come into a large sum of money unexpectedly.

It’s that feeling of knowing you are a son or daughter of God. It is that feeling of knowing your eternity is going to be spent with a creator who loves you and wants nothing more than to be with you. It’s seeing God work in the lives of others as it brings you to the point of tears.

I experienced such a feeling this past Sunday while watching five individuals get baptized at our church. I wish I could remember all their stories instead of just bits and pieces. There was the young lady who survived cancer, the young man who came to a church event in need of help, another young lady who served in Haitian relief efforts.

All of them would seem to have very little in common if you knew them only individually. Collectively they all had the same thing in common, they had accepted the gift of salvation and where making a public proclamation. They were proclaiming they had been changed by the power of the risen Christ.

Something about baptisms chokes me up. I want to cry when I hear the stories of how God has welcomed his sons and daughters home. My eyes fill with tears as I see the graciousness and mercy of God playing out in the lives of others. When I hear the testimonies, I feel my spirit lifting higher. I feel a joy inside of me which shakes my inner being. A joy which puts a lump in my throat makes tears burst forth from my eyes.

A joy I long for and wait for.

A joy I do not want to live with out.

A joy which makes me remember what it means to rejoice.

-Don-

The Event and the Book

April 25, 2011 in Resources with 4 Comments

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Can I have your attention just for a moment?

I want to make an official announcement regarding what is up. I am currently working hard on two big (at least for me) things.  These things are part of my goals and dreams and I am ubber excited to be working on. Here they are:

The Event

On May 7th from 1-2:30 PM I will be hosting an event at Kidd Coffee in Middletown, Ohio for anyone interested in blogging, writing, or building creative websites for the purpose of spreading the Gospel! During this time I hope to network with other bloggers and answer any questions you may have!  Please stop by during this event and let’s get to know each other!

The Book

The cat is out of the bag, I am writing an ebook which I hope to have ready by late summer or early fall. So far I have a meager 5000 words and hope to have more soon. What is the book’s premise you ask? It’s kind of a beginners guide to Christianity. Shortly after I was saved I had tons of questions I sought answers for. Some people where helpful, some where not.  This book is for people who want to know where they can go to learn about the God who just saved them. There is some doctrine, theology, and practicality in this book. My aim is to help others from falling into inconsistency and obscurity like many others I know have.

My wife will be my chief editor, but I am looking for a couple other people who would like to take a hack at the book. Interested? Please contact me or leave a comment.

I’m excited

Please pray for me as I move forward with these endeavors.  If you want to be a part of them in anyway, please, let me know, I would love the company.

-Don-

 

REVIVAL! It Might Look Different than You Think

April 12, 2011 in The Everyday with 4 Comments

tent

A young lady starts a Young Life club for teenage mothers.

A group of guys give a clinic on how to do basic car repairs.

A church partners with others to clean up local parks.

A group of guys get together to teach others how to brew beer, making connections with others in order to spread the Gospel.

Does this look like a revival?

Growing up, I heard of The Great Awakening (and the sequels). They were large “revivals” that birthed denominations (and some cults, unfortunately). I have driven past churches with large tents outside with “revivals” scheduled on their signs (I didn’t know you could schedule such a thing…). I have been among charismatic and Pentecostals who have had “prophetic” visions of revivals happening all over the world.

Nobody seems to notice the revival in the mundane.

There seems to be very few who look out in their neighborhoods and their cities in order to see the ways God is moving. Many times we (myself included) sit back and wait for something earth-shattering to happen in order to do even the tiniest thing to spread the Gospel.

Our pastor preached last Sunday on the trial of Jesus before his crucifixion. One of the points was the fact God has all the power in the world and we can tap into it for His purposes. Not in a crazy charismatic way, but in a loving and compassionate way. A way which makes people notice the power of Christ. A way which garners true enthusiasm for Jesus and uses it to transform a city.

The city I live in (Middletown, Ohio) is ripe for a mundane revival. Not a flashy or charismatic one, but a natural one. One where people get involved in what is going on in their community. One where people get to know their neighbors and have compassion on them. One where we care for the “least of these.” Where we preach the Gospel to those near us. Where what we call “Gospel Transformation” happens because we are obedient in our everyday lives.

I believe our city is a blank slate. I am excited to see it takes only a little effort and enthusiasm, to live missional lives. In my list above, most of these things were started by one or two people who just took their (God-given) ideas and ran with them. They chose to tap into the power of God instead of waiting for life to happen to them. It didn’t take a dramatic event or catastrophe for these people to act. It took the love they had for others and an obedience to the calling God has for them to move.

It is my prayer you and I would do the same. I pray we would use our gifts and talents to transform our cities by the power of Christ; through His love and compassion. I pray we stop waiting for the perfect time, and see it is already here.

-Don-

Transform Your Bible Reading

April 6, 2011 in Bible Study, Building Theology, Resources with 5 Comments

transform

I came across a GREAT article on how to transform your Bible reading from the Resurgence the other day. The entire article (found here) is worth the read. I did, however, most enjoy the tips on how to read the ‘weird’ or ‘difficult’ parts of the Bible. As someone who loves perusing the Old Testament, I found the following tips very helpful:

  • How… do we read obscure Old Testament records of wayward Israelite kings or wicked priests? The answer from the perspective of biblical theology is this: We read them as stories increasingly heightening our longing for a true king, a final priest, one who will lead as these men were meant to—truly representing God to the people (king) and the people to God (priest).
  • How do we read genealogies? As testimonies to the grace of God to real individuals, carrying God’s promises down specific family lines in concrete ways, promises that are never derailed, and which ultimately come to fruition in Jesus.
  • How do we read Proverbs? As good news of wise help from another for stumbling disciples like you and me.

To be completely honest and transparent, genealogies kill me. A couple months ago I was reading 1 Chronicles and had a hard time. The first half of the book is almost entirely genealogies. I almost lost it when trying to read all the ancient Hebrew names.

What parts of the Bible do you find hard to read? Were any of them in the above list? Does this seem helpful to you?

Let me know in the comments.

-Don-

Minding Your P’s and Q’s

March 29, 2011 in Building Theology, Start Here with 1 Comment

P3115327

Theology is tricky.

Writing about it is even trickier.

I suppose this is true in writing about any subject. But when you write something down for public consumption it can be very hard to express what you mean, or to express it correctly.  You never know how your audience will read it and where their mind will put inflections or even how they will view punctuation.  Theology provides an even greater task of trying to figure out how to convey things to a pickier audience.

I have found while writing about forming theology (that’s right, not even theology itself, but just how to go about forming a good theology) I have to go back and constantly re-write things. The majority of my readers fall within two camps; they are either hyper-critical, or even more critical than those who are hyper-critical. I blame the anonymity of the Internet and people’s pride. This brings about a certain fear at times when it comes to writing about (or even talking about) theology and theological matters. It seems I have to mind my P’s and Q’s.

In one case, I have a certain amount of pride. I have spent a lot of time and money on learning about theology. I want to make sure my dollars and minutes were well spent. I fully acknowledged this as sin and I repent of it. On the other hand, this often comes from others who wish to demonstrate how much smarter (and holier) they are than me or other readers. They often forget our boasting is not supposed to be in ourselves (Gal. 6:14).

I am posting this for one reason. I am about to embark in a series of posts about building theology. Our tendency is to talk about how much we know and to allow all of our knowledge to stop at our heads. Many times this leads to pseudo intellects trolling my site.  In other cases it leads to people who are content in making asses of themselves while trying to show how much they know. Humility sometimes becomes an afterthought.  This is not the place for such people or attitudes. I want to teach people about Jesus. I want to give research advice and show great resources. This means I have no qualms with deleting the comments of those who believe they are more elect than others.

Don’t take what you learn on this site and let it stop at your head. Do not be afraid to ask questions or even to contest or add to something I am saying. Recommending corrections and suggestions are always welcome if they are done with humility.

Remember, even the great men of Scripture and church history often had questions at one time or another. They did not come out of the womb blessed with infinite wisdom.

Thanks for understanding.

-Don-

Your Theology Definitions

March 28, 2011 in Building Theology with 4 Comments

Thanks to everyone who took the challenge of defining Theology in under 140 characters. Some of the definitions were not from the comments on my site but instead came through email.  The email exchange became a bit of a friendly “one-up-man-ship” (thanks to the ability to “reply-all”) and it was good to see some of the definitions.  For your viewing enjoyment, here is the email transcript:

  • “The study of God.” That’s 17 characters. I dare anyone to do it in less. :-)
    -Demian
  • “The study of God” — there, Demian, I beat you because unlike you, I didn’t use a period. Ha!
    -Jonathan
  • “Study of God” Touché. ;-)
    -Demian
  • Boys, don’t be ridiculous. Just go with “God study” and be done with it. We are getting awfully close to the word, “theo-logy,” aren’t we? ;)
    -Daniel
  • I think Daniel won… can’t think of anything shorter than “God study.”
    -Jonathn

Of course, if I had to pick a comment from the site I liked best, it would have to be Matt’s:

as long as you have good theology, who cares how you define it… thats a joke… sorta.

Honestly, I would like to thank everyone for forcing me to think more and more about what theology actually means.  My main thought is how I can explain it separate from the word Doctrine, as my posts are going to be centered around these topics for relatively new Christians.

Thanks again and have a good week.

-Don-

 

The Accidental Reformation

March 25, 2011 in Resources with 2 Comments

t5_2riuy

About a year ago (maybe more, maybe less) I started a sub-Reddit*

Basically, I was kind of sick of the trolling in the Christianity sub-Reddit so I thought it would be cool if there was one for reformers* to share articles with like-minded men and women. After the birth of my daughter last May, I stepped back from the blogging world and neglected my newly created sub-Reddit. I was alerted by a friend on Twitter that the sub-Reddit blew up and was doing well, but it needed moderators because I was MIA.

I jumped over there to see what was up and noticed there were 65 readers who were sharing articles (today there are 90). I quickly identified some leaders and made them moderators to help the thing move along.  Since then I have visited daily to read the amazing articles written and submitted by the members of the Reddit.

I would encourage all of you out there who are interested to check it out: http://www.reddit.com/r/Reformed/

It is a great resource for people who want to read great (and sometimes not-so-great) articles on theology and our risen Lord.

One really cool thing is, a member made the little Reddit alien symbol look like Calvin (you can see that in the picture next to this post)!

I love it.

-Don-

 

*Reddit is kind of like Digg, only a little smaller and sort of open sourced.

*Here is a great article on the basic tenets of Reformed Theology

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