Many of my friends, including my pastor, think that this is the best sermon I’ve preached so far. I think the delivery could have been better, but I loved the content. This sermon was inspired by a neighbor who, when discovering that I was a pastor, got quickly defensive, saying “I’m a spiritual person.” That reaction got me thinking, and this exposition of John 15. It includes these main points:
- Intro: False Vines
- Starting the Journey
- Experiencing God
- Knowing God
- The Obedience of Love
- Loving Others
- Being Prepared to Suffer for what is right
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Hey James, hoping for your input on this one – Aaron, you too, fellow pastors in training!
And you will have it for sure! Hopefully tomorrow, maybe the day after. I owe you one on John 10, too!
My boy Isaac cut 3 teeth this weekend, working on 1 more that I can see, and I suspect at least 1 that I can't. Low sleep = low concentration = behind on my work. :p
Ugh, I understand. I have three kids, ages 5, 3, and almost 1.5
Chuck's new book, if anything, is too dense. My hope is that the common reader will be exposed to ideas that make him angry or hungry, but either way, will go searching for a greater explaination. He covers "What Christians believe, Why they Believe it, and Why it Matters," in only 240 pages. It's very ambitious.
"Not sure what chart you meant "
Heh, I'm not sure either. As you were wrapping things up, you said something like "take a look at the chart and see what you need to work on."
(*nods*) On the time constraints and picking and choosing. My home church does that as well. I have a feeling that we may see more of a mix on verse by verse exposition at least occassionally coming up. Some discussions with my Sr. Pastor, just shooting the stuff mostly, have brought up repeatedly that in the interest of time constraint and moving the ball, that we've skipped some deliciously difficult passages. I wasn't attempting to dig that at him, but after the last time it came up naturally in conversation, he mentioned that he's got to find a way to not skip the stuff that jumps out at him.
I know I certainly love the teaching and and nurtured by it. I also love and am fed well by some expositional, verse by verse teachers like Alistair Begg (Truth for Life Ministries) and Collin Smith (Unlocking the Bible, more of a local presence).
Meh all of that to say… we make choices. Given that time constraint, I trust that you focussed on what would help your people the best, and what you gave was good. Can't wait to hear your "What is Truth?" Oh man is that a dense three words! Can't imagine where you might draw some anecdotes from… ;)