Preaching
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Tuesday, April 15th, 2025
“You talk at an audience, but you talk with people.” (Quote from The Dancing King by Glynn Young-p.131). I’m going to continue with my thoughts that The Dancing King spurred within me as I finished my reread of Book #3 in the series of 5.
Interviewing for a job with the king, Jay said the preceding quote to King Michael. Previous to that quote, Jay said this: “What struck me (after listening to Michael preach) about all of this is that you’re not a brand, but a person, a breathing, living person, and that comes through clearly in the videos and interview, but especially in the sermons. And from what I could tell, you want to talk with people, not communicate at them. Most communications people think of everyone as an audience, and I hate that. You talk at an audience, but you talk with people. And it seems to me that everything I’ve seen and read about you suggests that you want to talk with people.” (pp.130-131)
As a pastor, as a speaker, that statement hit the nail on the head. I honestly don’t care about branding (whatever that is and entails). I sincerely pray each Sunday that I am not in the pulpit to impress people or to WOW people. (I surely fail in that). What I do want to do is plainly and clearly present the truth of the Gospel of Jesus and His love for each and every one of us. To borrow another quote from the book: “God does not ask me to campaign for social justice. He does not ask me to promote cultural pluralism. He does not tell me to promote inclusiveness as the only virtue left in a country that seems to have been stripped bare of its moral virtues (Note: he was speaking of the UK in the book but…). And he does not ask me to promote tolerance, because he knows that my efforts to promote tolerance will actually create intolerance.” (p.330). And then the coup de grace: “He simply says, find the lost. Serve my people. Preach the gospel. Feed my sheep. Tend to my lambs. Disciple my flock. Watch over my people. Love them as you would love yourself. Love me with all your heart, and soul, and mind. Worship me, your Lord God, and not the false idols you have set up on the altars of your heart.” (p.330)
I was strangely challenged to take stock of my preaching and my love for the people of the church God has asked me to pastor after I read that. I wore a t-shirt Sunday that said, “This Pastor has an awesome congregation.” I firmly believe that. I want to be nowhere else and have no desire to be a mega church pastor. My heart is here. I am blessed with people who love me and have loved me for over 19 years. And I thank God He has allowed me to love them back.
So ends my comments on Book #3. I suggest you read the books for yourself. 🙂
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Tags: Church, God's Plan, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Pastor's heart, Preaching, Reflection, Speaking, Story, Thanksgiving
Tuesday, February 25th, 2025
Politics or not? Racial shots or not?
I have pondered writing this since last night, but decided to sit on it. I’d like to preface it with these words from the Apostle Paul: “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God…When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness-timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18; 2:1-5 NLT)
With those words in mind, please allow me to share my thoughts. While waiting for a delivery late yesterday afternoon, my wife had the TV on and featured was an African American “pastor” ranting and raving and hyperventilating this past Sunday morning from his pulpit. He was using racial slurs that if I had used them would have led to demonstrations and calls for me to be cancelled. It was, in my opinion, a disgusting display from the pulpit- the place where God’s Word and God’s Word only should be preached. I have NEVER in my 72 years and 50+ years of ministry ever preached politics from the pulpit (and I won’t start now), nor have I ever displayed the disgusting speech I heard from Sunday’s “sermon.” I will not give the man’s name since I don’t want to give him any press. I won’t call him a “pastor” because pastors are shepherds who feed sheep, not incite or beat sheep. Now, maybe his people are used to that type of carrying on. But I do not see that as anywhere close to what the Apostle Paul says ought to be our main focus: Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (2:2). How anyone could have walked away from that display and said, “Christ was preached and honored today” would be beyond me. Nor could anyone walk away saying, “I heard the Gospel of Jesus and how much He loves me and I want Him as my Savior and Lord.” All they would walk away with would have been hatred and vitriol and incitement to riot.
I’ll get off my soap box. I’ll close with more words from Paul: “You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us.” (2 Cor. 2:17 NLT). I will continue preaching the Word of God and only that. Not politics. Not incendiary garbage. Christ crucified and raised and coming again.
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Tags: Church, God's Word, Jesus, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Politics, Preaching, Reflection, Scripture look, Sermon topic, Speech, Story
Friday, January 12th, 2024
So…if you go to my other blog, Cycleguy’s Spin, you will see a post about this week’s sermon also. I’m trying to resuscitate Cycleguy’s Spin with a variety of approaches-book reviews, guest posts, upcoming sermons, and even a commentary of sorts when the “feeling” arises. If you have been there, thanks. I have a new series starting this Sunday called WELCOME HOME…where… I have been developing it and working on it since last October. Why you might ask? Simple. I think church needs to be different these days. I don’t mean compromising different where the gospel is withheld or not preached for fear of offending someone. But the church should be a “Safe Place.” Let me explain by using my approach for the next two months:
WELCOME HOME…where…
The Gospel is Preached
Jesus is Honored
Grace is Offered
Lives are Changed
Obedience is Encouraged
Truthfully, the Gospel is often hindered or hidden by pastors and churches who are afraid of being seen as bigots or hardhearted or uncaring or narrow-minded. I realize those are and can be said about churches, and quite possibly, me. I don’t think they are accurate though of what the church is supposed to be. We can be firm, but friendly. We can be convicted, but caring. We can be solid, but sweet. We can be passionate, but pleasant. But one thing we must never be is COMPROMISING.
We have a mandate in the Bible. Check out Col. 1:3-14. I Cor. 1:18-31. Romans 1: 16-17. I found this to be quite revealing:
The goal of the Gospel is not just that we might pass some kind of test by accurately recounting the importance of Jesus. The goal of the Gospel is to produce a type of people consumed with passion for God and love for others.
As you can gather, this first sermon is on the Gospel being preached without compromise. I can honestly say that I am more excited about this series than one I have preached in recent memory. I am so looking forward to it! I hope you will join me in person if possible. If not, we live stream our service at 9:00 and 10:45 a.m.
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Tags: Christian Living, Church, God's Word, Leadership, Opinion, Preaching, Reflection, Scripture look, Sermon Series
Tuesday, July 13th, 2021
Sometimes people say something or write something that rocks my world. Or at least stops me dead in my tracks.
Time for an honest confession: I put a lot into Sunday morning. Study. Research. Study. Reading. Prayer. Practice to an empty auditorium. Study. Did I say study? 🙂 All for a short (but hopefully not too painful) 20-25 minute span of a Sunday morning. And I have to keep reminding myself that most, if not all, will not remember what I said.
That is why what Bob Goff wrote stopped me dead in my tracks:
Words will never move people the way love does. If our actions are motivated by love, we don’t have to worry about having big platforms or positions of power, because nothing holds a candle to love that has no agenda. (p.233)
Ouch!! I take his words seriously. All my yacking from the pulpit “ain’t worth spit” if I don’t love. Hmmm. Sounds a little like I Cor. 13:1 doesn’t it?
Recently I texted somebody and said, “It is one thing to say you love and another to live it. You live it.” I was dead serious.
I believe it is important to be ready for Sunday morning, don’t get me wrong. But I also think it is important to get to the point of hating the spotlight (it glows off my bald head anyway) and just be a light. To borrow a further thought from Bob: hate the spotlight and just be a light.
“Father, help me to love by living for you. That light will shine brighter than any effort I may make.”
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Tags: Christian Living, Humility, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Worship
Tuesday, June 1st, 2021
Responsibility.
That word carries a lot of weight. What does it conjure up in your mind?
A husband/father who feels the weight of providing for, taking care of and protecting his family,
A teenager’s maiden (and each subsequent) voyage in his/her dad’s car.
Dad/mom/teen reporting to work on time each day and giving a full day’s work while on the job.
Daily chores. Taking care of animals. Cleaning the house. No age limit on that.
Here is one I have: “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you.” Col.2:25-27 (NLT)
Such a weight! To know that the great responsibility I have is to take the message of the Gospel and give it to the people God has entrusted to me. Admittedly, sometimes I feel like Frodo carrying the ring-the ring is too heavy to bear. But to see a face light up; to see someone grasp the truth of the message; to see acceptance of that Good News as it sinks in, is worth it all.
Even if I need a SamWise to carry me for awhile.
“Father, the responsibility is there. May I be faithful to carry out that responsibility.”
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Tags: Christian Living, God's Word, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Reflection, Story, Truth Telling
Friday, October 9th, 2020
I turn 68 years old today. (Don’t applaud just throw money! 🙂 You can also throw in a shock emoji here). I was officially ordained on April 13, 1975, my late mother’s birthday. I could think of no better way to honor the one person more responsible for my faith walk (other than my grandfather) than her. So that means for 45 years I have been “officially” a pastor. But I have been preaching since the end of my Sophomore year in college (1972). I’m not sure that little church in Irvine, KY ever fully recovered. Being a pastor has been all I have wanted to do (except play professional baseball or basketball. But there was a huge roadblock to both. It’s called talent). 🙂
But it is time for a heart check. After reading 2 Cor. 2:17 I got reflective. “For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s Word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.” That verse led me back to I Cor. 2:1-5. (I encourage you to look it up or click on the link). It’s time for a heart-to-heart check with myself. Here are some thoughts based on the Scriptures:
- The word peddle used in 2 Cor. 2:17 means “to corrupt” in the Greek. It came to refer to corrupt hucksters, or con men who by their cleverness and deception were able to sell as genuine an inferior product. We would call them “cheap knock-offs.” It reminds me of the street vendors who sell “cheapies” that look original. People think they are getting an original but…nope. Fooled you!! This is a picture of a false teacher who worms his/her way in only to spew rank heresy couched in spiritual language.
- Good language, perfect speech, even high falootin’ words cannot resuce a wrong message. I was visiting a couple Wednesday and was told that she really appreciated my sermon from this past Sunday on “What about Doubt?” She explained why and I cried inside that she lived so many years with inside turmoil. Our conversation went on and I commented how someone had said he didn’t think they (as a couple) would stay at OVCF (they came from a very strict, traditional church) because of our music. They both said, “Well, we don’t know the songs…although we are learning them…and do miss the hymns, but we stay because of the Word. We hear the Word being preached.” Is a pastor allowed to feel good? Proud…but not the bad kind? At peace? A sense of “I-did-okay?” I sure hope so because, to be honest, I felt validated. I hope that’s not wrong. I suspect if it is then God will bring me down a peg or two. 🙂 In a time of questions and evaluation, it was good to hear God say through them, “Good job.” I am humbled and eternally grateful that God chose me to do this.
I have no idea how much time I have left (who does?) but I do know this: as long as God gives me breath and as long as He gives me good health, I want to be found guilty of preaching the foolishness of the cross. I want to point people to the cross. For as long as I can remember my brother, Rob, has always signed his letter using Gal.6:14- “May I never boast except in the cross of Christ.” May that tribe increase.
And those are my ending words to this devotion/reflection.
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Tags: Church, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Reflection, Story
Thursday, September 10th, 2020
As a pastor one of the hardest things to do is to watch a person/family leave the church. Usually. Getting close to people is something I was told to never do. Unfortunately, that is not my personality. It’s just not me. So when people leave because they are moving away, it is hard, but understandable. Just about two years ago I had some very close friends move to another town that made it impossible for them to make the weekly trek here. I still miss them.
If someone leaves because they can no longer agree because of doctrine, it is time to leave. We had someone leave in the past several years-a family I had come to love and the church had loved well-because they wanted to follow Bethel and their wacky teachings. People need to leave if the teachings of the church no longer “fit” them.
Then there are those I will call “blessed subtractions.” They are the kind that bless the church by leaving. They tend to be gossips, busybodies, cantankerous, opinionated, loud, obnoxious, “me first,” I-am-right people. Their beef is a personal thing, almost a vendetta against another. Now, if it is a doctrinal issue-like the Virgin Birth, or the nature of God, or who Jesus is-then that is a legitimate reason. But because someone or someone(s) won’t agree with you…bye.
To all who are in a church that teaches false doctrine I say this: Get out! That is not without Scriptural precedent. In Matthew 15: 13-14 Jesus is talking about false teachers. His advice? “Ignore them.” Get out of there! There are churches which dot the landscape that teach false doctrine…get out! Heresy is nothing to play around with. If a person is unhappy in a church over its teaching…get out! Heresy and cult often go hand in hand. Aberrant doctrine. Domineering leadership. Get out!! Avoid like the plague. That’s a scriptural reason to leave. Leaving because people won’t see things your way is not.
“Father, please give me discernment to know truth from error.”
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Tags: Choices, Church, God's Word, Leadership, Opinion, Preaching, Truth Telling
Thursday, August 27th, 2020
Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill has always been an interesting one to me. You can find it in Acts 17: 16-34. Paul is in Athens, the religious center of Greece. In fact, as you walk with Paul and listen to him, it is easy to come to the conclusion that Athens was the home of virtually every god known to man. In 17:16 it says, “Paul’s…spirit was provoked as he saw the city was full of idols.” In verse 22 it says he begins his sermon with “I perceive in every way you are very religious.” I’d say those are dead giveaways! 🙂
As Paul reasoned with the people, the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were curious (they loved engaging with others for the purpose of learning and discourse), but some were hostile. Why? Because he preached Jesus and His resurrection. He didn’t “preach” health and wealth. He didn’t “preach” a glory cloud will fall. He didn’t “preach” God wants to bring a miracle to your life. No. He preached Jesus and His resurrection.
They wanted to hear more, but it was more of a defense of what he believed. The Areopagus was a court named for the hill on which it once met. His defense is interesting.
- He alludes to their multiple gods. They were “very religious.”
- He zeroes in on the altar To An Unknown God. They were “spiritual;” they believed in the supernatural. Sort of like many in our day. They believe in something; they just aren’t sure what or who.
- He teaches with purpose. Take note of it: The God who made the world (the one they classified as unknown); He doesn’t live in temples; He gives life, breath, and all things; He has made us all equal (one blood); He has put in all of us a need for Him and a desire to seek.
- He presents the appeal. Now is the time. God has overlooked our rebellion but no more.
Such a far cry from the mere pablum of our day. No hype. No promise of wealth. No “God wants His kingdom here now.” No “think better of yourself because you are worth it.” Just Jesus and our need for Him. Just Jesus and our need to repent. Just Jesus- and it was all cemented not by our agreement-but by His resurrection. And like today the response was mixed. Yes, as expected there was hostility. But that day Paul’s honesty in preaching brought some into the kingdom and raised the curiosity of others.
“Father, my mandate is to preach Jesus and Him crucified and resurrected. Help me not to waver from that mandate.”
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Tags: Choices, God's Word, Jesus, Leadership, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Resurrection, Salvation, Scripture look, Truth Telling, Worship
Thursday, September 26th, 2019
My title for this devotion is Preaching Myself vs Preaching Christ.
If you have had a chance to read my other blog you can read between the lines and see I’ve been asking myself about my role, my purpose, as a pastor. Even though I am 66 and in less than two weeks will turn 67, I still love what I do and do not see retirement on the horizon any time soon. So I think its healthy to ask questions and do introspection upon occasion. Guilty as charged. You’ve caught me voicing my questions.
I’m reading Job right now, which can be a challenge on its own. 🙂 But I’m also reading Remaining Faithful in Ministry by John MacArthur. The following quote from his short little book caught my attention this morning. In the Introduction he wrote these words:
The gospel is a message about Jesus, and at all times He is to be the singular focus of the message we proclaim. False apostles and hirelings always seem to find a way to shift attention to the themselves. They make themselves the central character of every anecdote. They point themselves as the hero of every story they tell. Thus they make their preaching little more than a display of their own egos. Pulpits today are full of men who constantly preach themselves. (p.15)
Ouch! That is a rather sobering and scathing observation and rebuke. Sadly, it is true. I wish I could say I was innocent of that. I shudder when I think about how often I preached and it was more about my ego, my impressiveness, than it was Him and the fame of His Name. That’s enough to give even the most hardy person nightmares. I know I cringe when I reflect back over my years of ministry. Ugly.
But its not too late! With what remaining years I have left it needs to be all about Him. What about you?
“Father, my prayers this morning is for my life to be all about You. My preaching. My teaching. My talking. My laughing. All about You and the fame of Your Name.”
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Tags: Christian Living, God, Jesus, Leadership, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Preaching, Story, Worship
Friday, January 11th, 2019
Several years ago I read a book by Stephen J. Lawson entitled Famine in the Land. It was a call to stop the type of preaching so prevalent, and restore expository preaching to its place in the pulpit. It was a good wake-up call for me to recommit myself to expository preaching. It seems almost “prophetic” that the words of Amos 8:11 and words of G.C.Morgan (written over 100 years ago) have come true. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land-not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.”
“This famine of the lack of the Word of God…Not that God ceases to speak, but that man loses his power to hear. Not that God withholds His Word from men, but that men hear it, and never hear it…The church without the Word is a lamp without a light…Therefore the abiding need of the church is a knowledge of the Word of God, and an obedience to the Word of God.” (excerpt from pages 28-29)
This weekend I, and thousands of others, will stand in the pulpit and “preach.” Will I present God’s Word? Will I preach the Truth of God’s Word with man-made additions? Will I gloss over the Truth to tickle ears? Will I present the Truth as a meal to be enjoyed or cram it down their throat? Will I fudge on God’s Word to make it more palatable?
That is my challenge to me. My challenge to you is to go hungry and “demand” to be fed. Plead with God to be fed meat not candy. Insist on a full-course meal.
“Father, make me hungry for your Word. Make the deliverer of your Word respect it, love it, and present it with honesty and clarity.”
Your verse for the weekend: “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Ps.20:7
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Tags: Opinion, Preaching, Scripture look
