What are you preaching?

I will start a series on forgiveness- God forgiving us, forgiving others, and forgiving yourself( that may be the hardest forgiving to do).

I am using verses from Isaiah, Hebrews, and 1 John.

Part of the main idea is the precious gift of forgiveness. I desired to wrap this within the idea of a gift because of the focus on Christmas right now.

 

This Sunday is the first day of Advent so that will be the source of my preaching for the next several weeks. We are also having a hanging of the green service Sunday night, to "review" the meaning behind the colors and items of Advent with scripture reading and carol singing. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus!

 

FINALLY! Someone doing an Advent series.

I was starting to wonder if anyone was doing their job :tongue3:

I love Advent. I wish more evangelicals didn't have an allergy to it. One sermon (if they even give that) at Christmas is hardly enough, just as one for the Easter season isn't enough.

 

I didn't come to the lectionary until several years into pastoring. Though I am not a slave to the text of the week and preach series not based on the lectionary, I can't imagine missing Advent, Epiphany, Pentecost, Lent and Easter week. It has made these seasons much more enjoyable for me spiritually. I just can't handle the "keep Christ in Christmas" sermon the Sunday before Christmas as adequate preaching considering the importance of Incarnation.

 

I'me doing a series on the life of Samuel. Not sure what I'll tackle next - probably a New Testament book.

 

Yes, but one does not have to go the advent route in order to preach more than a single sermon on Christ, His long-promised birth, the Incarnation, etc.

 

Are you suggesting that those with an allergic reaction to Advent only preach about the Saviour's incarnation once, at Christmas, and about His glorious resurrection once, at Easter?

If so, that isn't necessarilly true. Expository preaching through the gospel of Luke, for instance, will involve more than one sermon on the coming into this world of Jesus Christ, no matter what time of year it is started.

 

There isn't much I could say to say to those with the lectionary allergy that would help them see the value in it, you either appreciate it or you don't. One thing I failed to mention was the joining in with the collective church worldwide in emphasizing the same thing in our preaching.

 

This Sunday, I'm going to begin a new series entitled, "From the Cradle to the Cross to a Crown" (am).

 

...on second thought, that should have read "next Sunday..."

 

Action creates Opportunity

I preached on Acts 3 about how the action of Peter in healing the cripple created an opportunity for the Gospel to be preached.

And it worked, for me even....

A high school friend of mine's sister posted a note on Facebook that her brother was in the VA Hospital and would like some visitors. So after church I went to see him, hadn't seen him in 10 years or more, took him some hunting magazines and we had a nice visit. Found out he was saved and in church.

The next day his sister sent me a message and asked me where I preached, she was looking for somewhere to attend. Yesterday both her and her sister showed up for service, they had made a special trip back from vacation to attend. I firmly believe that my trip to the hospital, to see her brother, made the connection.