02/15/2023
Starting this Sunday, I’m going to add a blog to our church web page each week. Though it’s not a novel idea, it is something that’s been tickling my brain for some time now.
There more than a few Sundays when I sit back and look over the week’s sermon and think, “That’s way too long, I’ve got to cut it back.” And because I’ve prayed through, studied, and word-smithed what’s on the page, it’s a lot harder than it should be to give up a scripture, illustration, or an application of God’s word. If you’ve heard me preach, you know that sometimes those things end up being used in the benediction. (I’ve had a few folks say that I have the longest benedictions that they’ve ever heard.) But even then, there’s bound to be something useful that ends up on the study room floor.
This blog is designed to catch those ‘outtakes’ and transform them into a way to follow up on Sunday’s sermon. You’ve heard me talk the talk, but the more relevant question is whether or not we are going to walk the walk. Another way to say it is: How do I go about applying the teaching or preaching I hear each Sunday to my own life and relationships? James says in the first chapter of his letter, verse 22, “Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Or as it is traditionally translated, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
I could have named the blog something like, If You Want To Take It One Step Further, or Here’s What You Can Do About it, or Never Forget Pastor Appreciation Sunday, but I settled on One More Thing… In the end, that’s what I’d like to offer my flock—one more idea, one more illustration, one more application that will make it easier for you to live out your faith in a confusing and sometimes hostile world. If it does that, then it will be well worth the effort.
May God bless you now with faith, wrapped in hope, and motivated by love—the kind of love we have been given in Christ Jesus.
Archived Posts
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.
Practical Tips To Avoid Judging Others
When I research a sermon, such as Sunday’s message on judgmentalism, I always try to think through some practical steps or tips in how to implement God’s desire for our lives. I rustled together a herd of ideas this week and I offer them to you.
The Shepherd, the King, and the Rescuer
God has got a long list of names, but some of those names are better than others. There is a small child who thought God’s name was Harold since the Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “Hallowed be thy name.” When you think of all the scriptures that are most likely to be memorized you would have to include Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16. The danger for us is our tendency to focus on the wrong thing.