TMI

i was talking to a friend of mine, Will Pavone, today. he was on our staff as a worship leader, now he's finishing up his Th.M at DTS, and he's coming back on staff in December. he shared with me a pretty good preaching principle that he's observed in Tim Keller's preaching:

don't reference Greek (or Hebrew) unless its absolutely essential for understanding what the passage is trying to communicate.

it reminds me of what my dad once told me about preaching: "your fascination can become other people's frustration."

no need to "wow" people with everything you know. just share what helps them understand the passage better.

(by the way, tmi stands for too much information)

online study tools

Here are the standard sites that I typically use when I'm preparing for a sermon:

www.biblegateway.com - great bible search site

www.blueletterbible.com - basically all the Bible study tools you need

www.biblestudytools.com - i particularly love the NAS with Strong's Numbers but you can also click "include study tools" and it'll pull up commentary on each verse

http://www.antioch.com.sg/bible/vines/ - online Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

www.dictionary.com - self-explanatory plus their thesaurus site

what are your favorite online resources?

to be a christian

"It doesn't take much of a man to be a Christian--it just takes all of him."

A.L. Huxley

theology drives ministry

i was glancing through the village church's website and read something that is so true:

"theology influences philosophy which in turn determines practice."

wow. i know it's an obvious thing for people in ministry but how often is it overlooked? everything we do must not only be supported by but derived from the scriptures. so small groups should be formed from a biblical theology of community. outreach should be formed from a biblical theology of service and evangelism. and the list goes.

at every level of ministry in the church, there should be clearly articulated biblical reasons for the why and the how of what we do.

locker room moments

Typically, before every event, there's that "locker room" moment where you gather all your volunteers to give last-minute instructions, pray, etc. Here's some steps I go through (in addition to prayer) to prepare for those times. I also included some examples from a locker room moment i had today:

1. Think through what your team might face.
How might they feel throughout the event (tired, discouraged, etc.)? What situations might they have to deal with? Who will they interact with? For example, earlier today we had teams of people going to do work at public schools in Washington, DC. I knew they would definitely be talking to and working with unbelievers.

2. Think about how God would want them to respond.
If you know they'll face frustration at some point, what would God want them to do or not do with that frustration? If they'll experience a lot of crowds, how did Jesus handle crowds? Knowing that our folks would be with unbelievers today, I wanted them to be sensitive to opportunities to share the Gospel.

3. Find a passage that clearly articulates that response.
Here, you're looking for a biblical idea to brand into people's minds that will hopefully inspire them to see a situation the way God would want them to see it and respond the way God would want them to respond. For our event today, Colossians 2:5-6 fit the scenario perfectly.

4. Summarize it into a concise, memorable phrase.
Hopefully that phrase will come to their minds throughout the day. It doesn't have to rhyme or work its way into a melody; it's just something to emphasize a driving "God idea." Today, mine was "Make the most of every opportunity." I repeated that over and over again and then had them repeat it to each other. I was hoping, for example, that they would be talking to an unbeliever, quietly hear "Make the most of every opportunity" (in a scary whisper voice) and then hopefully that would encourage them in that moment to share Christ.

locker room moments have so much potential. be prepared!

learning greek

i LOVE this website: http://www.ntgreek.org/.

struggling to write a sermon

sermon preparation is a very difficult process for me, probably because i'm relatively new at it and i'm still learning the process. but last night i was sitting and working on what i'll preach next week and i was STRUGGLING! i can't seem to break through all my random thoughts and grab hold of that driving idea. and then i wrote this in my journal:

"maybe i'm striving according to my flesh. maybe i'm trying to muscle this through in my own strength. maybe i just need to humble myself before the Lord, in fasting and prayer, and let him guide."

that was huge for me. i think sometimes we're working and striving and it's just not there yet. for whatever reason, God hasn't given it yet. i think in those moments you have to pull back, go do something else, clear your mind, pray, and come back to it fresh.

so i packed up, went home and had dinner with my wife. hopefully the Lord will clear the fog today.

ingredients of effective bible study

as i've been teaching the Bible more regularly lately, i've noticed what i call "the three secret ingredients of effective bible study" (specifically for preparing to teach but applicable to general study also). here they go:

1- lots of questions - i've noticed that the best teachers challenge the text. they don't leave any stone unturned. that's what i've been noticing in my observations of great teachers and then applying to my own teaching preparation. "why did he use this word instead of that?" "why is 'the month of nisan' important to the context of this passage?" the difference between good teachers and great teachers is the questions they ask.

2 - lots of prayer - this is something i've learned in "the school of failure and fatigue" as i've heard some say. we as teachers get so absorbed in the study of the text that we forget to engage the Spirit who inspired the text. our studying must be soaked in praying. that's what makes a passage take life. that's where a 'burden' is formed in our hearts. that's what gives our teaching that "demonstration of the Spirit's power." (1 Cor.1).

3 - time to let it marinate - this is so crucial and all too often i'm pressed up against the last minute. there is a depth of insight and precision of application that rarely comes immediately. i'm sure you've had that "if only i had more time" afterthought. something you noticed later. clarity you didn't have at the time. an illustration that would've been perfect. we all know that feeling. but when we sit with a text, then leave it, and let it turn over and over in our minds, it has a way of working its way down into our hearts, and the Spirit brings it back up with a refined, spiritual quality to it that can only happen with time. so START EARLIER!

that's what i'm learning. take a passage of scripture, throw in lots of questions, add lots of prayer, then give it time to marinate and...now you're cookin! (yep, couldn't resist it. it was just too perfect.)

soul glo and bad decisions

Short blog. Not real deep, but very insightful.

Met a grown man a few months ago with a FRESH Jheri Curl (reference the twirly guy to your left). Yes my friends, it was authentically a Jheri. Dude had on a very greasy chinese-collar dress shirt, sweat(or grease) dripping from his brow, gold fronts talkin bout Farrakhan and prison life. Guys, I didn't really know what to say. I almost felt like it was the twilight zone, as if I'd been transported back in time. If he was wearing a headband too I think I might have fainted.

I had on a suit, coming from a meeting with pastors. Dude walks up to me and says "you look like you a preacha or a lawya. butcha prolly a lawya so ima give you this business plan. i need you to give this to all the millionaires and professional sports players you know." (mind you I hear him but it all sounds like an echo cause I'm still in the twilight zone). He pitches this crap to me for like 30 MINUTES outside in 85 degree weather (which would explain the meltdown coming from the back of his neck). Then he pauses, looking boyishly into my eyes like a Save the World infomercial, and with a sensitive quiver in his voice says "brova don't throw that away. promise me you won't throw that away." Wow. Not only is dude a time transporter but HE'S ALSO A MIND READER!!! Amazing.

Now this is serious and very insightful. Why? Because there are some very important biblical principles here:

Proverbs 12:15 - The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.

Generations of advice have pleaded with us to forsake the days of the drip curl. But so many times we reject the objective Truth because we have our own truth. We live by what is right in our own eyes, while wisdom points us to a higher standard. Don't be a fool. I pity the fool! And God does too.

We don't create truth, we either accept or reject it. Be wise people.

For your own reading pleasure - Psalm 133:1-3. Guess they had Jheri Curls back then too.

FYI- THIS IS JUST A FUN TEST BLOG TO GET THIS THING STARTED :)