Thankful...

I want to thank God for his love for us, especially his love demonstrated though Jesus Christ.  That even in my rebellious sin, he saved me. Not because of any thing that I had done or by any worth on my own, but because of his love and mercy. Through Jesus Christ my sins are forgiven because he paid the penalty of my sin by dying on the cross, and through Jesus Christ, I can stand before God as righteous because he has applied the righteousness of Christ to me.

I want to thank God for my wonderful wife who loves and cares for me and our family. She is an example of a godly woman, full of grace, love, and hospitality.  She is one of the hardest workers I know. She both encourages me and challenges me.  She sees my faults and loves me anyway. She is my partner in ministry. She laughs at my jokes (most of the time). She is my best friend.  Thank you, Laurie. You are an image of Christ to me.

I want to thank God for my four beautiful boys.  J1, J2, J3 & J4.  I cannot imagine what my life would be like without them. (Well, quieter and calmer, I suppose, but certainly not as fun!) I am thankful that they are my sons, but also thankful that I am their dad. Fatherhood is a responsibility that consistently stares back at me challenging me to be a better man, and I'm thankful for that.

I want to thank God for giving me the ministry of being a pastor. I am thankful for Evangel Baptist Church in Taylor, MI, where I first knew God was leading me to be a pastor and for the opportunities to experiment with my gifts for ministry. (Thank you Bud, I miss you my friend.) I am thankful for First Baptist of Flat Rock where a handful of teens called me pastor for the first time. I am thankful for Ridgewood Baptist in Wadsworth OH, where Laurie and I first served side by side as a married couple. I am thankful for South Baptist in Flint, where for 10 years God gave me a fruitful ministry to teens, where I grew through ups and downs, where I fell in love with wilderness, where our family tripled in size, where I forged deep friendships in the trenches, and where God prepared me to be where I am today. I am thankful for Solid Rock, where I have seen the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ take root and begin to open eyes and change hearts, where I have had to rely on God more than ever, where daily I feel the weight of responsibility of being a shepherd, where my faith has grown, where I get to boldly proclaim the Word of God every week, where I'm beginning to find my own voice and style in preaching, where I'm ever-encouraged by the support and participation in new ideas (Good Friday Service, wilderness, Lake Ann, Biblical Counseling, etc.), and where I know God has great things in store for our future.

I am thankful for many other things and people as well, but I'll save that for another time.

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

“How do you pick what to preach on?”

Someone asked me recently “How do you pick what to preach on?  Is there a calendar or a website that tell you? How do you know what your messages are supposed to be?”

It’s a valid question. Much of what a pastor does is a mystery to many, so I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you what goes into picking a message series.

First, there is the idea of a series.  I do not like, what I call, “hit and run” messages. I like to be in a series of messages for a few reasons. One, there is often too much information to cram into one message that it requires multiple Sundays. Two, I like the idea of giving each message in the context of other messages, so if someone missed last week, they haven’t missed everything on that topic or passage. Three, I can’t imagine having to come up with fresh topics, passages, or ideas every week. Being in a series lets me know where I’m going next. I like to have my preaching plan laid out for about 6 months.  I don’t have all the messages written, but I know generally on what topic or from what passage I’ll be speaking.  For example, I know what I’m going to preach on through June 2014.

So how do I choose what I’m going to preach on?  Well, it is a combination of factors to consider…

First I look at the needs of the church. Is there some bit of truth that they need a better understanding of?  Is there a challenge coming in the future that they need preparation for?  Is there some action they need to take or behavior they need to change? In what areas of Scripture or doctrine do they need to be fed?   However, I will not do, what I call, “manage from the pulpit.” This means that I won’t preach a message to address one person’s comment or behavior, or react to rumors through the Sunday sermon. There are times when it is appropriate to switch something up at the last minute due to major cultural or news events, or a significant crisis or circumstance in the church, but for the most part, it is best to plan your work, then work the plan.

I also consider what I’ve been learning.  Either through my own personal study of God’s Word, a book I’m reading, sermon I listen to, or conference I attend, I always like to preach something that is both meaningful and impacting to me personally.

Lastly, I listen.  I listen to what people are saying in the church to get a sense of the need, I listen to people I’ve asked to critique my preaching and I listen for God’s leading. I don’t listen for God with my ears as much as with my spirit. Through prayer, silence and much thought, I settle on a plan for the next preaching series.

What would you like to hear/study in a Sunday or Wednesday message?

"Thanks for taking time out of your schedule, Pastor..."

One of my loves as a Pastor is the opportunity to help people with real issues in their lives.  It could be helping a married couple that is going through a difficult time, or a person struggling with a certain gripping sin in their life.  Whatever the issue, I get to apply the Word of God to their life. God’s Word has the key to healthy relationships, victory over sin, a life filled with joy, and in general God’s design for our lives.

 Unlike the ever-changing world of psychology and secular counseling, the Bible is unchanging. Though being written thousands of years ago, it speaks throughout all generations to the very best way for humanity to live and interact. In fact, that is one of the reasons I believe in the Divine authorship of the Bible. Only the Creator of humanity would know how they would best function in all time and situations.

 James chapter 1 refers to the Bible as a mirror. It allows us to see blemishes and blind spots and then shows us how to correct it.  It teaches us the root of sin is found in our own hearts and points us to the forgiving, delivering, transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 After I attended the Biblical Counseling Training Conference at Faith Church, in Lafayette, IN, my confidence in the Bible’s ability to address issues and my ability to apply it to people’s lives greatly increased. I’m looking forward to attending again in February with Laurie. In fact, I am hoping that others from Solid Rock with join us. We (Solid Rock) are so committed to the value of Biblical counseling and its potential to impact our church and our community that we (Solid Rock) are willing to cover the cost of the conference ($445) for anyone that wants to go. (Each will have to cover their own cost of lodging, food, and travel.) For more information on the conference click here.

 But that’s not really what this post is about.  I love the opportunity to help people through counseling. However, many times, probably most of the time, after I am done meeting with someone they say, “Thanks for taking time out of your schedule, Pastor”

I’m not taking time out of my schedule, this is my schedule. I wish I had more meetings like these in my schedule (there certainly is no shortage of problems, struggles, and issues).  So please, let this be an invitation to any and all who read this, it is not a burden for me to meet with you and minister to you with the Word of God, it is a joy.