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Notes from Sunday – 05/26/13

May 27, 2013 in Notes from Sunday 2013 with 2 Comments

safe_image.php_Happy Memorial Day!

May the Lord grant you a blessed and safe holiday.

Let’s remember today those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy.

Memorial Day weekend is an anniversary, of sorts, for me. I preached at the Shiloh Church for the first time Memorial Day weekend five years ago (2008).

I was only invited to preach. Before my trip, however, I was asked to do several meetings. Worst interviews ever! I preached two sermons and flew home Sunday afternoon. I thought the services were warm and the people were kind. And the message was received well. But I had no intentions of returning to Shiloh again. Oops. The Lord had other plans. And I praise him for the great privilege of pastoring the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church.

We had a lot of guests for a holiday weekend. Way cool.

Praise God for the three brothers baptized yesterday!

We have a new choir that sang for the second time. This group is only a month old. But they did a great job. We don’t have a name for this group yet. So I have started calling them the No-Name Choir.

I resumed my study of Daniel with a message on Daniel 6. I called it, “Daniel in the Lion’s Den.” (Don’t laugh, I work hard on my sermon titles!)

Sermon Point: God is worthy of your full devotion no matter the consequences.

This was the first time I preached Daniel 6.

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church!

So… I am planning to wade into the second half of Daniel this week. We’ll see how this goes.

I am honored to continue signing copies of my new book, It Happens After Prayer, for Shiloh members after services.

Sunday afternoon, we worship with Pastor Kelly Brown and the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. I preached. The No-Name Choir sang. Good service. Thanks Shiloh for your presence.

Special Note: Please pray for Bishop Rudolph McKissick, Jr. of the Bethel Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Pray that his surgery Tuesday morning (6/28) will be a complete success and that he would have a speedy recovery.

Have a good, safe, and blessed holiday! 

Saturday Shout-Outs: Augusta, Chicago, & Ministry Links

May 25, 2013 in Saturday Shout-Outs with 0 Comments

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Shout-out to Pastor Reginald Jones for the opportunity to speak at the Sharon Baptist Church in Augusta this week.

I attended the 2013 Moody Pastors Conference in Chicago this week. It was great. I especially appreciate the messages I heard from Alistair Begg and Voddie Baucham. Looking forward to speaking at this conference next year!

Thanks Shiloh for praying for my meetings this week. Can’t wait to tell you about what the Lord is up to!

Be sure to pick up my new book, “It Happens After Prayer.” 

The 2013 E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference is fast approaching.

Ed Stetzer: We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes 

R. Albert Mohler: The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil 

Unlocking the Bible: 14 Ways to Use the Bible 

Chuck Lawless: 7 Ways to Teach Theology in the Local Church 

William Boekestein: Husbands, 8 Ways to Love Your Wife

Thom S. Rainer: Seven (Plus One) Deadly Sins of a Church Website

Joe Carter: Christians Who Tithe Have Healthier Finances

Tony Morgan: 6 Questions to Shape a Healthy Organizational Structure

Justin Taylor: On Writing Well: Four Suggestions

Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers. – Max Lucado

Have any shout-outs? Have you read something this week worth sharing? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Notes from Shiloh’s 138th Church Anniversary

May 20, 2013 in Notes from Sunday 2013 with 1 Comment

safe_image.php_We had a great weekend at the Shiloh Church as we celebrated our 138th church anniversary!

Praise God for his faithfulness in sustaining the witness and ministry of this great congregation in Jacksonville for more than a century! And our dreams are even greater than our memories!

Special thanks to our church staff for organizing the events of the weekend. I am glad to have you on our team and appreciate all you do!

Likewise, thanks to all of our volunteers for serving so diligently this weekend. You make it happen!

Saturday, we had a church picnic on the grounds. The weather was good. The food was better. The fellowship was best of all!

photoDuring our 10:15 service, we ordained 19 new deacons. It was a special moment in the life of our church.

I preached on “The Importance of Christian Fellowship” from Philippians 3:15-19.

Sermon Point: You need Christian fellowship to become what God wants you to be, fulfill what God wants you to do, and receive what God wants you to have.

I endeavored to give three reasons why true Christian fellowship matters:

  1. You need the patterns of Christian fellowship.
  2. You need the perspective of Christian fellowship.
  3. You need the protection of Christian fellowship.

Philippians 3:19 is one of the most provocative verses in the entire epistle! I don’t know of a greater indictment than to call a person “an enemy of the cross of Christ.”

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church!

After service, the pastors, deacons, and deaconesses and their families – along with those who have been members of our congregation more than 50 years – had lunch together.

I had no intentions of signing books. But after the 8 AM services, members were emphatic. So we planned an impromptu book signing after to 10:15. I am grateful for the warm response.

God willing, I will resume our study of Daniel with a message on Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6).

The Miami Heat will meet the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Heat in 5!

Serena Williams won again this weekend!

I am not paying attention to baseball yet. But my New York Yankees seem to be doing well, even with a depleted line-up.

There was boxing on TV this weekend. But I kept missing it. Argh!

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Saturday Shout-Outs: Charlotte, Phoenix, & Ministry Links

May 17, 2013 in Saturday Shout-Outs with 2 Comments

Thanks for reading my blog. You can sign up for email updates under the picture to the left.

Thanks to all who have picked up my new book, It Happens After Prayer. May it motivate you to pray!

Thanks for your comments on my post: A Wake Up Call for Gospel Artists. I hope it starts an long-overdue conversation.

A shout-out to Michael Diduit for the opportunity to speak at the National Conference on Preaching 2013 in Charlotte. By the way, Don’t miss the National Conference on Preaching 2014 in Atlanta.

Shout-out to Pastor Alexis Thomas for the opportunity to speak again this week at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church of Phoenix.

ChurchLeaders.com: Discover the Bottom Line of Ministry by H.B. Charles Jr.

You still have time to register for the 2013 E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference.

You should make plans to attend the Expositors Summit at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary this October.

Tim Challies: Prayerlessness is Selfishness 

Carl R. Trueman: Tragic Worship 

Ray Ortlund: Daily slogging in the power of the Spirit

Stephen Altrogge: Are You REALLY Interpreting the Bible? 

Keith Mathison: The Reformed Doctrine of General Revelation: What It Is and Is Not  

Larry Osborne: The Myth of Endless Growth 

Ron Edmondson: 7 Ways to Help an Introvert Engage in Meetings 

Lindsey Carlson: The Plastic Fruit of Online Living

J.D. Greear: 10 Ways to Fight Like a Christian

Today every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a priest. Israel had a priesthood; today the church is a priesthood. – J. Vernon McGee

Do you have any shout-outs? Have you read anything this week worth sharing? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

A Wake Up Call for Gospel Artists

May 14, 2013 in Gospel Music with 27 Comments

I love Gospel Music. Traditional. Contemporary. Praise & worship. Choirs. Groups. Solo artists. Old and new. From Rev. So-and-So Presents… albums of the 80s to today’s Bishop So-and-So Presents… albums. I have even started to listen to some quartet and Christian hip-hop.

I love music. And I especially love music that exalts the Lord Jesus Christ. But my true love for Gospel Music has broken my heart.

In two ways…

First, I am grieved by the excessive commercialism of contemporary Gospel Music. I can cite various examples of this illicit love affair with the world. But there is an explicit seduction of the world on Gospel artists that burdens me: reality TV. What is this about? Why are Gospel artists joining the ranks of these mind-numbing reality TV shows? Don’t you now know that “reality TV” is an oxymoron?

Of course, Gospel artists are not the only ones joining this parade of worldly foolishness. It’s also preachers, preacher’s wives, and preacher’s daughters. More and more religious personalities are nakedly pursuing fleeting celebrity. We want to be famous, rather than promoting the name, message, kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please to tell us you are doing this to expand the influence of Christ in culture. If that’s what you think, you are extremely confused. Deceived. Out of touch with “reality” (pun intended!). It is easier for the world to pull you down than for you to pull the world up. And in leaning over to reach the world, the church often falls in. And we are dragging the precious name of Jesus down with us.

Where did we get the idea that Christ wants us to help him be relevant in this God-ignoring society? The Lord commands us to be holy, faithful, obedient, wise, and loving. The Lord does not want us to show the world that we are regular people just like everyone else. The world already knows that! That’s why they don’t respect the church. We need to be different. Light. Salt. Our influence in the world happens by the difference Christ makes in our lives, not by blending in. The world cannot see our good works and glorify the Father in heaven by watching so-called Christian leaders divas argue, boast, shop, covet, date, lust, and complain on TV. Get real!

My heart is broken for another reason.

Not only are Gospel artists fallen in love with the world; even worse, they have fallen in love with Word of Faith theology. Prosperity Theology used to be on the fringes of the Christian landscape. Now these faith teachers are the mainstream. And many prominent Gospel artists have digested their unbiblical teachings and regurgitate them in their music.

As I listen to the new Gospel Music released, I am blown away by how talented Gospel artists are. The music, singing, and production can rival anything “secular” project. Unfortunately, I am hearing more thoughtful reflection in some Pop and R&B music than among those who claim to sing for the glory of God.

I buy a lot of Gospel Music. But I can commend very little of it for worship, private or corporate. Too much Gospel Music has too little gospel in it. It is not God exalting, Christ focused, or biblically saturated. It is fixated with self.

“It’s my season…”

“My harvest is coming…”

“What’s to come is greater than what’s been…”

“I don’t look like what I’ve been through…”

“Praise him till you get your breakthrough…”

“Speak those things that are not as though they were…”

“I’m taking back everything the devil stole from me…”

“Speak it into the atmosphere…” “

“I’m claiming my destiny…”

On and on it goes.

Just because you use biblical phrases does not mean you are communicating biblical truth. Cults play that game. Christian musicians and singers should not.

We need music that teaches truth (Col. 3:16), not just cherry-picks phrases that sound good. We need Gospel Music that proclaims the gospel! We need reverent, bible-rooted music that will lead worshipers to think deeply about Christ. We need musicians to record music that will lead us to sing to the glory of God, not just cheer-lead to get an emotional response.

Don’t look now, Gospel Artists, but the upstart Christian hop-hop artists are lapping you. Now, I am not a big hip-hop fan. And I don’t know any of these artists personally. But I am encouraged by their willingness to rap about God and Jesus and the gospel and holiness and doctrine. They are daring to compose and perform truth-driven messages, not mere foot-tapping music.

Gospel artists, please wake up! We are in a storm. And you are playing the Jonah, sleeping your way to Tarshish when you should be headed to Nineveh. The church – and the world – needs you to wake up and give up music about the true and living God!

For Further Reading: 10 Recommendations for Gospel Artists from a Loving Fan and Concerned Pastor

Notes from Mother’s Day 2013

May 12, 2013 in Notes from Sunday 2013 with 7 Comments

safe_image.php_Happy Mother’s Day!

A Special Happy Mother’s Day to my wife, Crystal, and to my mother, Ellen.

We had a great day of worship at the Shiloh Church today.

Grateful for all of our guests today. I even got to meet BrothaRollins’ parents. Way cool.

Praise God for the five persons who were baptized today.

Our Genesis Choir (children) sang today.

I preached “God’s Graffiti” from Daniel 5, continuing my series through Daniel.

I outlined the chapter in four movements:

  1.  The Foolish Celebration (Belshazzar)
  2. The Party Crasher (God)
  3. The Uninvited Guests (Daniel)
  4. The Tragic Conclusion (Dairus)

I stole this sermon title from my pastor. And I used his lines in the sermon: “Out of the sleeve of the night, came a disembodied hand that started writing graffiti on the wall!” Classic Melvin Wade!

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church in both of our morning services today!

After both services, I signed copies of my new book, It Happens After Prayer, for members. What a joy! Thanks for the support and encouragement.

I really missed being with my Bible Study Fellowship group the past several weeks.

So the Bulls’ game-1 victory was a fluke. I got the Heat in 5.

Who will the Heat meet from the Western Conference in the NBA finals?

Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova today to retain her #1 WTA ranking and win her 50th tournament.

Tiger Woods won The Players Championship at Sawgrass today. Is Tiger back?

Random Thought: I really wish Christians “personalities” would STOP doing reality TV shows! Please… stop!

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this week? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Saturday Shout-Outs: Los Angeles, On Preaching, & Ministry Links

May 11, 2013 in Saturday Shout-Outs with 3 Comments

Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly bulletin board of things I have found interesting over the course of the week. 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Thanks for reading my blog this week. You can sign up for free email updates of future posts under the picture to the left.

A big shout-out to Tim Challies for his review of It Happens After Prayer.

Thanks to George Hurtt, Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, and my friends in Los Angeles who warmly received me during my book tour there this week.

Shout-Out to Pastor L.A. Kessee and the Bethany Church of Los Angeles for the opportunity to preach their Communion Service this past Sunday night.

Shout-Out to President X. Thompson and Baptist Minister’s Conference of Los Angeles. It was great to fellowship with you again!

Check out the new addition to my “On Preaching” series of articles: “On Consecutive Exposition.” 

The National Conference on Preaching 2013 meets this coming week in Charlotte. Hope to see you there.

Russell Moore: W.W. Jay-Z? How Christian hip-hop could call the American church back to the gospel – and hip-hop to its roots 

Practical Shepherding: What can I pray when praying for the sick in the hospital?

Tony Reinke: How Introverted Pastors Love 

Julian Freeman: Top Preaching Mistakes I Make in Preaching

Michael Patton: How to Preach a Text When You Don’t Know What It Means 

Thom Rainer: Five Ways to Avoid Lying about Church Attendance 

Trillia Newman: I Wore White

Sam Storms: Why God Doesn’t Always Heal the Sick? 

Joe Carter: 9 Things You Should Know About Pornography and the Brain

Chuck Lawless: Ten Signs of Hope for a Declining Church 

Jen Wilkin: Showing Honor on Mother’s Day (even when it’s hard) 

I am certain that to preach the wrath of God with a hard heart, a cold lip, a tearless eye, and a unfeeling spirit is to harden men, not benefit them. – Charles Spurgeon

Have any shout-outs? Read anything this week worthy sharing? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

On Consecutive Exposition

May 10, 2013 in On Preaching, Uncategorized with 12 Comments

“People have short attention spans. So you really do long series through books anymore. People will check out on you after four to six sermons.”

This authoritative claim is simply not true. People are hungry for the word of God. Consecutive exposition both satisfies people’s hunger for scripture and shapes it. Expository preaching is an acquired taste. Before people get it they don’t know what they are missing. But when they get it they don’t want anything else.

Consecutive exposition is not the only way to preach faithfully. Jesus did not preach that way. Charles Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, did not preach consecutively through scripture. And I never heard my father do it growing up. Yet I contend that consecutive exposition – preaching through a book of the Bible from beginning to end – is the most faithful way to preach.

Many preachers reject consecutive exposition for various reasons But the main issue may simply be that it’s hard work. But the hard work of consecutive exposition is worth is for the following reasons.

It helps you to understand the word of God better. We encourage our people to read through the Bible, convinced that it is essential for their growth in Christ (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Even the Bible reading plans we use are organized to help us read through scripture. Why do we hesitate to study and preach this way? We rob ourselves when treat scripture as a topical reference guide. But it is to our benefit to follow the complete train of thought of a scripture in its context, rather than lifting selected verses at our discretion.

It models contextual Bible study for the congregation. We study to preach. We also model study as we preach. The way we handle scripture in the pulpit exemplifies how to study the Bible, for good or bad. A constant diet of random scriptures gives the wrong impression about how to approach scripture. There is nothing wrong with looking to the Bible for answers to topics. But you should also let the Bible raise the questions through texts. Consecutive exposition is a platform to demonstrate proper Bible interpretation.

It keeps you from overemphasizing your favorite topics. We all have particular books of the Bible we enjoy preaching. We gravitate toward select doctrines. Certain subjects light our fire. But these must not be the extent of the menu we feed our people. We must declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27). Consecutive exposition ensures your congregation is properly exposed to the unfamiliar texts, obscure personalities, and unpopular truths of the Bible they need to hear.

It demonstrates the sufficiency of scripture. The world continues to does not hold to the inspiration of scripture. But the church has laid aside the sufficiency of scripture. We lack a true confidence in the word of God. We almost apologize for it, constantly seeking to “make it relevant.” But if scripture is not inherently relevant, you cannot make it so. Preaching through a book of the Bible can show the organic relevance of scripture to your congregation as you tackle neglected texts that teach life-changing truths.

It forces you to address difficult subjects and passages. Without consecutive exposition, there are some things we will never preach on. We avoid some texts. And we never think to discuss certain subjects. But working through a book of the Bible causes you to cover neglected but important truths. It also protects you from the accusation that you are meddling in your sermons. If a difficult word is preached, your defense is that you were only working with the text that was in front of you.

It makes it easy to plan your preaching in advance. How can you be consistent and effective on Sunday morning if you don’t know what you are going to preach on until Thursday? You need to have a plan that allows you to get an early start, or even work ahead. Consecutive preaching is tailored for this. Start by outlining the book for preaching. Then move on to the next text from week to week. If you are moved to preach something else, do it. Then get back to your exposition. And take advantage of the extra time having a preaching schedule gives you.

It is a practical way to build an expositors library. If you are a new pastor, you probably cannot afford to aggressively build your library. You have to do it slowly and carefully. In that regard, jumping from text to text can be expensive, if you try to secure helpful research tools. But as you preach through a book, you can select the best available works on the book. Work through them as you preach the book. And wait to secure other materials when preparation for the next series requires it.

What others benefits of consecutive exposition would you give? Or what are you objections to it? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

Related Resources: 

On Sermon Preparation

On Writing Sermon Manuscripts

On Preaching Without Notes

“That’s Not My Crowd.”

May 9, 2013 in Preaching with 24 Comments

iStock_000013250669SmallMy pastor rebuked me yesterday.

We spent most of the phone conversation catching up. And we exchanged prayer requests for upcoming speaking engagements. Then Pas brought up an event I preached not too long ago. He told me he was proud of me. He also asked me about my observations of the event. I answered the same way I answer anyone who asks me about it.

“That’s not my crowd,” I said.

Pas interrupted me. He firmly told me that he did not ever want to hear me say that again. He knew what I meant by the statement. And he understood. The crowd to which I preached did not share my more conservative theological convictions. And there were things that happened in the service that I did not agree with.

He wasn’t finished.

I was not invited to prepare the order of service, he asserted. They invited me to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. If they had asked me not to preach Jesus, I would be obligated to decline the invitation. But if they actually invited me to talk about the cross of Jesus Christ, my singular focus should be on carrying out my assignment faithfully.

There was more.

Dad then reminded me that any group that needs to hear that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in the flesh, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the day with all authority is my crowd. If I am a herald of the gospel, any group that needs to hear the gospel is my crowd.

I stand corrected.

I claimed those who I preached to that night was not my crowd, because I think they were not used to my attempt to preach the scriptures in an expositional manner and did not receive me well. But that is not my business. It is not about how they received me. It is about whether I faithfully preached the blood and righteousness of Christ that the hearers might have an opportunity to receive him by faith.

May the Lord help me to stop focusing on how a congregation receives me and start focusing more on doing what I have been called to do.

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching. – 2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV)

Notes from Sunday – 05/05/13

May 6, 2013 in Notes from Sunday 2013 with 0 Comments

safe_image.php_It was a long, good weekend at the Shiloh Church.

Our Saturday morning men’s Bible study was great. Kingdom Man is challenging us.

Our Kingdom-Focused Prayer Meeting was very moving.

Saturday afternoon, we a mass wedding for 14 live-in couples that made the step of faith to get married. Our church adopted them. We counseled them for more than six weeks. And we donated everything for the couples. It was a great experience.

Please continue to pray for these couples.

Shiloh, thanks for your prayers, generosity, and service. You make it happen!

Sunday morning, we celebrated the Lord’s Table in both worship services.

It was great to have our guests in worship.

Our youth worshiped with us to conclude their weekend purity conference. I am excited about what God is doing among the young people at Shiloh. Praise God!

I continued my study of Daniel with a message from chapter 4 that I called, “Only God Is Great!”

Praise God for those who were saved and added to the church yesterday!

Next Sunday’s Sermon: “God’s Graffiti” (Daniel 5)

Between services, I signed copies of It Happens After Prayer for our members. It was a joy. And I am grateful for the encouragement I received.

After our morning services, I flew to Los Angeles to promote my new book,.

I preached last night for Pastor L.A. Kessee at the Bethany Baptist Church of West Los Angeles and signed books afterward.

It was great to see family at the service and members of the Mt. Sinai Baptist Church.

LeBron James won his 4th MVP award. How dare one writer not vote for him!

While we are at it, you can just give the Miami Heat the championship now.

I am disappointed that the Memphis Grizzlies took down the Los Angeles Clippers.

Will Chris Paul stay with the Clippers? Will Coach Del Negro remain the coach? Will Blake Griffin get a jump shot?

Floyd Mayweather showed no signs of ring rust Saturday night, coming back from a yearlong layoff to win a unanimous decision against Robert Guerrero.

How was your Sunday? How did your teams do this weekend? Join the conversation in the comments section. 

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