Writing is harder than you think…so is the rest of life.

I know some people who think writing is a breeze and everyone should be able to do it. For example I find it easier to write things than my dear bride does. For her the struggle is real. I know this is where we get all holy and sanctified and say Philippians 4:13. But I am not going there because that would be taking this verse greatly out of context.  I will say however that prayer and dogged determination will get the job done. Notice I did not just say pure determination. There is a humble reliance on God that takes place as it should in every aspect of our life.  We all have been given certain gifts and one of mine is the ability to write almost effortlessly. That is until I start with this blog. I am trying to be more pro-active with this vast opportunity to reach a wider audience than I will ever have here in my home town. 

For what ever reason we have been sold a bill of goods that life is supposed to be this easy thing and we should never experience hardships. In the book of Second Corinthians the Apostle Paul recounts all of the bad things that have happened to him(2 Cor 11:16-33). I am talking about things we go through not things that tempt us because we know from 1 Corinthians 10:13 that there is no temptation new unto man that God has not provided a way of escape from. Life does not have to be hard though, we have one who has offered to give us his portion. Does that mean we won't face challenges no,  because we will, but as long as we rest in the Christ who strengthens us then we can say along with Paul " Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:11-13 ESV) 

So may we be encouraged no matter what we may be facing to trust in God. Because something is hard doesn't mean it wasn't meant for us to go through or have. Cry out to Jesus and he will make a way, maybe not the way you want but he will make a way. This holiday season has already been a trying time for my family and I am afraid it may get worse before it gets better. BUT I am not trusting what my eyes can see, I am going to live by faith (Romans 10:17). Like Luther "Here I stand, I can do no other."

Go in God's peace!

-Preach

Lessons learned from a day in the woods

 It is amazing. Gods' creation that is. Thanks to a loving wife, who has been home with two troublesome little boys today. It is refreshing being able to get out into Gods creation, not everyone gets this opportunity. My wife being one of those people. I have to commend her because she is trying very hard to be a Proverbs 31 woman.

Why call this post a day in he woods? Because I have learned a lot today. I have realized that I at times take my wife for granted, and for that I repent. I hope that she will forgive me. I have also learned that I need times in my life without a bunch of distractions, I have had my phone which I have been on but for good. Trying to inspire others. I wish I knew how to love my family better is something this time of renewal has shown me. I can be a bit abbrasive and need to not be so stressed out. It is not only good for me but is good for my family. Even the Lord took time away from other people to rejuvenate (John 6:22; 8:9). I hope to find a way to give the same type of time to my wife. We are both students with children who are in school. The Lord is good we will make a way.

How are you taking time to rejuvenate? Is it actually refreshing or is it full of distractions that cause you to feel just as tired as when you started? I was able to come home and be a fresh pair of eyes to a situation that needed a new perspective. How can you get a change of perspective? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Expository Or Experiential Preaching

In your thread, relate what you have learned about the importance of person and spiritual-preparedness in your own preaching ministry. Also explain the balance between academic, expository preparation versus solely spirit-let (or experientially-led) preparation.

            So what is the difference between expository and experiential preaching, they sound similar?  To the untrained person they would not automatically recognize the difference.  Even a trained person for that matter may still have some difficulty recognizing the difference is the latter is done well.  To be an expositor of God’s Word means that you rely on the text and what it meant to the original audience while making it applicable to todays society. An experiential preacher is one who claims to be Spirit lead and does not do very much study of the original setting and focuses the majority of the time on what the Bible does for the person, without using Scripture to fully support their stance.

            As for my preaching I am first an expositor and then an experiential preacher. I believe that in order to have a proper sermon it must be based off of the Word of God, and nothing else. That does not mean we do not use other things for emphasis, but our basis is Scripture. A good example from my life comes from delivering the same sermon to two different groups about a month ago, the first time it was to a small group of guys and I had not prayed as much over the sermon as I should have and did not feel the presence of the Lord during my delivery and relied solely on my manuscript. Fast forward about a week or two and I delivered the same message to a congregation and was “prayed up”. During that delivery I felt the Lord using me and he gave me some illustrations and things I had not thought of or used in my previous delivery. I am willing to bet that the congregation was better fed than the small group of men. Not to say that the Lord could not use my message. Charles Spurgeon says, “Feed the people always with knowledge and understanding, and let your preaching be solid, containing food for the hungry, healing for the sick, and light for those who sit in darkness.”  (An All Around Ministry, Chapter 6)There is less of a chance we can properly be solid if we don’t try and understand the work done prior by the author.

            I think that there is room for both forms of preaching in the preacher and should be used as a compliment to one another. Meyer says, “There are many kinds of preaching, and his the wise and successful man who knows how to very them.”(Meyer, Expository Preaching 25). In my humble opinion we should do the foot work of study saturated in prayer and trusting the Lord to give us the words that need to be heard by the audience. He can use your written words while giving you things to say during your time in the pulpit that we should be open to receiving. I believe that expositors have the chance to be more faithful to Scripture.

Brief Devotion on Psalm 135:5-6

Here is a brief encouragement from God's word to get you through your day. Be Blessed and bless someone else. -Preach

One mans view on race relations

Tonight is just one of those nights where sleep eludes me. There is not much on my mind. I see a lot of my friends having a lot to say about the events in Ferguson, MO. I don’t have much to say because I was not there and do not know what evidence was or was not presented. Some may say that I am being racially insensitive by not being outraged over the fact that a young black male is dead and a white cop is not being charged with murder/wrongful death. I say that my response is not to jump to make a rash decision for either side of the case, again because I do not know the whole story. There are only two people who truly know what happened that day and one of them is buried and in the ground.

One thing I saw on my Facebook feed that made me just nod in agreement came from a black friend. She said I quote “This is why we get treated like animals....cause we act like it! Smh Go home and get on your knees and ‪#‎Humbleyourselvesandpray” There is rioting and looting taking place in MO right now, which is serving no good to any community all it does is bring people down. I will never understand how a mob mentality works especially when it works against your own people. All you are doing is harming the community you claim to love. It is not the “white man” doing this but the people who live there.

What this community needs to be treated with is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They need to understand that while it may seem like justice has not been served, leave it in the hands of Christ. He is the ultimate judge and jury. If this officer is not a believer he will pay the ultimate price in eternal torment, and if he is a believer he can experience a forgiveness that no human being can offer. The only reason we have a sense of justice is because of God and what he has engrained into us. Let us learn to trust him and his great plan. I am no authority on race relations; I know that I have friends I would never want to see on either end of this spectrum. I’m going to follow the words of Proverbs 10:19 and stop talking here, this was just one mans perspective on a situation that has caught the attention of a nation.  

-Preach