Afternoon sermons…

I have started a new series of sermons in the afternoon services. I’m working through a variety of Psalms. I started with Psalm 19 last Sunday (May 27). This week it’s Psalm 139.

From now until early September I will be taking requests from people to preach on a psalm of their choosing. Here is my bulletin announcement on this… which requires a little bit of work from you, “the picker.”

If you have a particular favorite that you would like to be preach on, please contact me… but you have to be willing to tell me why you like this psalm, what you get from it for your daily life, as well as provide at least a couple of songs to go with the psalm or to be put into the service. I look forward to hearing you on this… or at the very least you will appreciate hearing my picks throughout the coming months.

Drop me a line if have a pick you want to hear explained more.

May 20, 2007

Spiritual Gifts - Teacher

This Sunday we continue our focus on the spiritual gifts from Romans 12:6-8. This is the third sermon on a series of 7. We look at Teacher this week. Our Scripture texts are: Deuteronomy 6:20-25; Acts 18:24-28; Colossians 3:1-17.

Pastor Richard’s top spiritual gifts are teacher and administrator.

Characteristics of the Teacher

• Presents truth in a logical, systematic way.
• Checks the facts.
• Loves to study and do research.
• Enjoys word studies.
• Prefers to use biblical illustrations rather than life illustrations.
• Gets upset when Scripture is used out of context.
• Wants to see truth established in every situation.
• More objective than subjective.
• Has a large vocabulary.
• Emphasizes facts and accuracy of words.
• Checks out the source of knowledge of others who teach.
• Prefers teaching believers than engaging in evangelism.
• Feels Bible study is foundational to the operation of all the gifts.
• Solves problems by starting with scriptural principles.
• Intellectually sharp.
• Self disciplined.
• Emotionally self-controlled.
• Select group of friends.
• Strong convictions and opinions based on investigation of facts.
• Believes truth has the intrinsic power to produce change.

Problems of the Teacher

• Tends to neglect the practical application of truth.
• Slow to accept viewpoints of others.
• Tends to develop pride in intellectual ability.
• Tends to be legalistic and dogmatic.
• Easily sidetracked by new interests.

June 4, 2007

This coming Sunday I’m preaching on the Spiritual Gift of “Giving.” I haven’t done any Stewardship sermons this year… so the texts I’m using will examine this gift from that angle.

Is that being exegetical or thematic or just plain sneaky?

I argued against thematic preaching in seminary… however, I have been preaching themes for the last two years. People need to hear God’s Word… and they do. They want to hear specific things in their current life… and they do.

What I have found to be amazing is that even with these “theme sermons” God is moving in a powerful fashion. I arranged to preach on this series several months back. Current events made it so that some sermons got pushed around. Then some situations and events made themselves “available” in the congregation after the sermons were finally set. The text, the theme, and the event coinciding together on a single Sunday. Not just once or twice, but each week thus far. God works in mysterious and wonderful ways.

Let me know what you think about “giving.” My texts are: Genesis 14:13-24, Hebrews 13:15-16; Acts 9:32-43; and 2 Corinthians 8.

Pictures

We have finally received the copy of the blueprints for the new building. It is exciting and scary for us as a church… a small one that seems to be growing and growing. Yet when it finally happens it is frightening. We have sold our current building and we are about to begin the stages of putting up a new one.

Check out the pictures on the “Moving!” page.

Keep you eyes open for a ground breaking ceremony… all be it after they have actually put a bigger shovel into the ground. But at least we can say, “Thanks be to God for His faithfulness to all generations!”

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