Content & Delivery

I spend a great deal of time every week preparing sermons. I'll study original languages, do word studies and consult about a dozen commentaries in the process. All this is in addition to the prayer time and context reading from the Bible that each sermon demands. Once the preparation is finished (typically by Thursday afternoon), I'll let the message sink in to my life over the next 2 & 1/2 days. I quote my mentor and pastor, Dr Johnny Hunt, when he says "my sermon is finished, but it's not ready" once the writing process is completed, because I've got to respond to the message before I ask anyone else to.

This is not a novel idea for anyone who has ever taught the Bible at any level. I don't suppose I'm breaking any new news on this subject, but I came to my own realization last week and I'd like to share it with you...

I found myself asking God to guide the presentation of my message as much as he guided the content of my message. If it's true that many people will pay more attention to "how" I say something than to "what" I say, then my presentation needs to communicate the crux of the message as much (if not more so) than the content. Do you follow?

This past week, I was preaching the 2nd of Jesus' Beatitudes from Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The crux of the message is that Jesus is calling us to Godly mourning over personal sin and societal sin. Well, in preaching this message to the hundreds gathered at Calvary Cross-link, I became extremely emotional. I could not finish my message and found myself absolutely broken over sin: my sin (first), my church's sin and my country sin. I was overwhelmed with the reality of my sin, past & present, and broken over the fact that Jesus not only died for me, but was also comforting me! It was a tough pill to swallow.

This is something that, in 14 years of preaching, has NEVER happened to me. I am a very passionate person, but not an emotional person. I rarely cry, choke up or break down in any situation, but God brought me to a breaking point over sin and then pushed me over to communicate this concept to Calvary Cross-link. No lie, I turned into a big, sweaty, red faced, cry-baby in front of my whole church! Tears and snot went everywhere while I attempted (with a high pitch whine) to conclude the service. I wanted to find the nearest exit and leave before talking to anybody (didn't happen). You can listen to an edited version (Thanks Robert) of the sermon at www.calvarycrosslink.org and hear for yourself.

I wish that I could tell you that revival broke out and the spirit of God was poured out on our fellowship. However, that wasn't the case. Most eyes were dry, wide in surprise, but completely dry nonetheless. Very little response to the altar or visible response to the message was apparent. I assume the days to come will tell the story of how well we obey Matthew 5:4.

Even if there is no difference, this preacher has been changed and I believe that this situation is a direct result of my praying, "Lord, guide my presentation of Your truth as You have guided my preparation of Your truth."

I fear that there is more of this to come...

Big Picture

Merry Christmas! It is December 23rd and I am anxiously anticipating the Christmas Eve Celebration that commences at 4:30pm and 6:30pm at Calvary Cross Link tomorrow evening. As far as I can tell, over 7,500 invitations have been extended and I am planning to preach the Gospel with clarity, calling everyone in attendance to Jesus! If you're in the Shenandoah Valley, you don't want to miss this special event.

Well, enough for the commercial! A few days ago, at the urging of my brother-in-law, I downloaded the "You Version" app for my I-Phone. This awesome little app is provided by LifeChurch.tv and their pastor, Craig Groeschel. I expected it to provide me quick references on scriptures and word searches when I needed them. However, when I looked over the features of this App, I noticed that it provides various plans for reading through the Bible. I noticed one, in particular, that gets you through the Bible in 90 days. I have never read the Bible, cover to cover, in that amount of time and, being the competitive natured person that I am, I took that plan as a challenge! So, I'm almost 10% through and I am loving it!!! Granted I've got a long way to go, but I am deeply committed to finishing this plan in 90 days!

This reading plan requires 14-16 chapters per day. I'm currently in Leviticus and getting a detailed look at the sacrificial system of Israel under the leadership of Moses. It doesn't sound like ground breaking stuff, but the more I read about the various sacrifices demanded of the Israelites, the more and more grateful I become for the Ultimate Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ! This has led me to my Christmas Eve sermon, coming from John 1:29, "...John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"" Leviticus led me to John, which led me to Jesus which led me to the cross! That, I pray, is Christ centered preaching!

Once again, Merry Christmas! I pray God's best for you and your family into this new year!

Fleeting Thoughts on a Fantastic Sunday

If self-examination is hard, then evaluating the success/failure, quality, efficiency or productivity of a Sunday Worship Experience is just about impossible! How does one (other than God) quantify the quality of a worship service, objectively? I don't think it's really possible. But, after acknowledging the futility of the effort, here I go...

1) Patrick Simmons and his hospitality team handled a large number of visiting families with their kids in tow. I was able to introduce myself to them and the team members got their children set up in the appropriate places. Great job!!!

2) Terry Ross (my Sunday School Teacher & Part Time Director of Evangelism & Discipleship) did a fabulous job leading a packed house in his class to reach, teach and minister to people. He, furthermore, challenged the socks off his Sunday School leadership team in a post-worship service meeting. Those leaders left that meeting encouraged, challenged and convicted about their personal witness - all while trying to put their socks back on!

3) Robert Hampshire's team had the week off. But, in their place, the Christian Student Union Praise Band from James Madison University did a fabulous job leading worship! I particularly liked how, on the final song (How Deep the Father's Love for Us), they stepped back and the congregation took over, it was a sweet moment of praise to Jesus!

4) Tina Knight and Cher Younger have a fantastic team of leaders that love, teach and lead the children of Calvary Cross-link! I watched Mrs. Brenda Puffenbarger (Mrs. Puff) welcome a new child into her class, while at the same time, loving on the ones who were already there! A young man, visited Kids-Link for the first time on Sunday and came out of there RAVING about it to his mom and dad (also visiting for the first time). Bill & Karen Reedy made a real impact on that boy!

5) I preached on the value of friendship from Ecclesiastes 4:7-16 and I feel that God used the message. I am constantly fighting the battle of believing that little to no movement in the invitation does not constitute a poor message or delivery. However, I sensed a sweet spirit during the message and had someone attempt to join the church during the pastor's reception for visitors that followed the service. I know the Lord is working in our midst and I just want to be sensitive to His leading!

I deeply love the people of Calvary Cross-link! They are the most precious people I have ever had the privilege to lead and I'm so thankful that God led me here. We had 239 in worship this morning (only 3 short of the church's all-time high, set back in October), but we're growing and that's cool!

How to strike Rhythm in Worship!

I recently read a quote by the missional teaching pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama and author of "Radical", Dr David Platt. He said: "worship is a rhythm of revelation and response–hearing Scripture and responding with our hearts and lives..." He was responding to the American church’s' infatuation with stylistic identification of churches based on the type of music they play. This practice has so drastically pigeonholed the focus, process and basis of worship that it demands a corrective response! So, a few questions to ask about a corporate worship service that will, hopefully, steer us in the right direction:

Question # 1: What does this worship service reveal about person, work and character of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Question # 2: What does that revelation demand, by way of response, from the worshippers?

Question # 3: What does the leadership of this worship service invite people to do, by way of response, to that revelation?

Question # 4: Is there adequate time given to respond to the revelation presented in the corporate worship service?

Question # 5: Is your corporate worship service designed, first and foremost, to connect people with God or to make a lost person comfortable? Or both? Or neither?

These questions are complex and require much thought. Don't breeze past the issue without significant prayer and meditation!

Humility & Teachability: Inseperable Qualities

A mark of my ministry has always been a multitude of counselors/mentors. I can name, at any point in the last 13+ years of ministry, mentors who spoke truth into my life when it was needed the most. In fact, Proverbs 15:22 says: "Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established." I can talk about the "Johnny Hunt's", "Allen Welborn's" and "Danny Lovett's" that have been faithful friends to me, but over the years, there have been many, many others who have offered the desperately needed counsel that the ministry requires.

However, a "multitude of counselors" is only as good as the one receiving the counsel. Is it not?

James 4:6 tells us "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:6 explains that if we "Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time." It takes Humility to receive AND to submit to wise counsel! The combination of both Humility and Counselors equals the lost art of being "TEACHABLE!!!"

The proud person doesn't feel that he or she has anything to learn. Of course they would never "say" that out loud, but it's true. The proud person is terribly insecure, but covers it up with digging in their heels or building a team of "supporters" (usually made up of even more insecure people). The proud person feels threatened when anyone who might know a little more about a certain subject is around. Basically, the proud person is not a teachable person...AND...the teachable person is NOT a proud person!

So, how does one become a humble/teachable person? What am I going to say here? If you know me very well, you can say it with me: "Intimacy with God!" If you are not intimate with God, you have a wide-open door to pride and arrogance!!! If you cultivate intimacy with God, you become more aware of your own sinfulness and, more and more, don't feel that you are God's gift to ____________ (insert your thing here).

Attitude makes it work!

A phrase that was popular when I was in High School was this: "Act like a Rock Star till you ARE a Rock Star!" Or another one: "Fake it, till you make it!" These seem like juvenile phrases for people looking for an excuse to act like a big-shot, and that is certainly how my friends meant it. However, is there anything for the modern day believer and servant in the local church to learn from those weird slogans? At their core, these phrases deal with one single element: Attitude!

Obviously, attitude can be positive or negative, helpful or destructive, motivating or debilitating! Obviously, I am encouraging the positive, motivational and helpful attitude in all our lives, but what about an attitude that chooses to see (and accentuate) the best? For instance, when we put someone on our Hospitality Team at Calvary Cross-link, and they greet someone in the parking lot: Do we want their attitude to accentuate the best about our church? Or the Worst?

Could you imagine if someone got out of their car and complimented the grounds of the church as being well-kept, nicely presented only to hear one of our "hospitality team members" say "well they ought to be, we're swallowed up in debt on this property!" And, what about on their way in, that same "team member" tells this visitor "we've got some ornery people in there, watch your back and don't sit in the wrong seat!" Even if (and that's a BIG IF) what that "team member" was saying was true, it represents a pessimistic attitude towards the church. Wouldn't it be more productive to accentuate the positive aspects of Calvary Cross-link to those who may visit? Maybe we do have our warts (who doesn't?), but focusing attention on the things God has blessed us with the ability to do well is a strict principle of leadership that can make or break a church!

They say leaders must focus 80% of their time on complimenting their followers strengths and only 20% correcting their mistakes. So, is that "faking it till we make it?" I guess time will tell!

Knowing God

I recently began a discipleship group with a few guys from Calvary Cross-link, studying a fantastic book by J.I. Packer called "Knowing God." The title seems simple enough, but the book is incredibly challenging in many areas of my life. I was recently challenged by a dear friend and church planter, Vance Pittman, when he said, "Ministry is the only natural outflow of a deep intimacy with God! We shouldn't be shoving our people into ministry, but rather, challenging them to a deeper intimacy with God and THEN ministry will happen more naturally and effectively!" That struck a chord with me, for 2 reasons...

1) It is so hard to get people to invest in ministry that really matters! I plan an outreach time, and 2-3 people show up...but, when I plan a worship service, hundreds are in attendance. Why? Is it because only 2 or 3 people give a "rip" about the lost in this world? No, I think there is a lack of deep intimacy with God happening in the average Christian's life! I'm trying to yell at the cart for not moving, when I haven't even attached the horse to it! Intimacy with God is the Clydesdale that pulls the cart of ministry.

2) No more "dreaming up" ideas on how to grow a church! In fact, the real work is not in creativity, self-discipline or even exposition. The real work is...intimacy with God. That will be the motivator, coach and game-planner for every area of my life and ministry. And another thing...how could I presume to lead people without a deep and abiding intimacy with God? Where am I leading them? hmmmmm

Anyway, doesn't matter if you're a pastor, teacher, evangelist, fireman, major league baseball player, husband, mother, father, wife, doctor, attorney, farmer, business owner, under water basket weaver, teenager or democrat...deepening your intimacy with God will make you more effective at any of that!