Three Takeaways from Preaching Through the Gospel of John

My resent sermon series in the Gospel of John has had a personal impact on my life. Here’s what I took away from it.

Preaching through a book of the Bible is a milestone for any preacher. It takes planning and perseverance to work through sequential passages from the same context in an engaging way. It’s a good and rewarding challenge for a pastor on any level.

I just finished presenting the Gospel of John to the church I have the privilege of serving and I wanted to share three takeaways from my time in the text. This wasn’t my first time preaching through the Gospel of John, but it was the most meaningful.

Takeaway #1: The Gospel of John is memorable. It contains quotable verses like John 1:1-4, 1:12, 2:15, 3:16, 4:34, 12;16, 14:6, 15:13-15, 19:26-27, 20:30-31, and 21:15-17, just to list a few. It also contains the seven visually striking “I Am” Statements. It’s hard to forget the images of Jesus as “the bread of life,” or “the true vine.” The book is also memorable because John uses such consistent vocabulary, using and reusing the same terms and concepts throughout the whole book. The English terms, “believe” “world,” and “know” all appear close to or more than 100 times. These factors make it easier to hold on to the teaching of this Gospel.

Takeaway #2: The Gospel of John is personal. The writer refers to himself several times as “The disciple whom Jesus loved” (19:26, 20:2, 21;7, 21:20). This wasn’t a prideful label. It was a subtle way of including himself in the story, without overshadowing Jesus. John was an eyewitness to everything that happened, but he was also profoundly impacted by his interactions with Jesus Christ. In addition, John includes Christ’s touching interactions with Nicodemus, the woman at the well, and Lazarus and his sisters, plus many more. In my view, John does a wonderful job of developing the theme found in chapter 1, verse 14: “And the Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us” (NASB).

Takeaway #3: The Gospel of John is powerful. Jesus is presented as the most powerful force mankind has ever known. He turns water into wine, heals a long list of people including bringing Lazarus back from the dead, and walks on water. John inserts an editorial note in chapter 20:30 that states that Jesus did even more miraculous things than he has room to record. But the power of John’s gospel extends beyond the document’s portrayal of Jesus. The message of the Gospel is powerful too. Readers are pushed to consider their own faith and relationship with God in a powerful and undeniable way. It’s hard to walk away from the Gospel of John without thinking about how you should respond for yourself.

A seasoned preacher will experience many sermon series in their ministry. But this sermon series in the Gospel of John has been very meaningful for me. I encourage you to spend as much time as you can reading and studying it for yourself.

Three Books to Read about Preaching

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Most people who go to church only thing about preaching on Sunday, but preachers think about preaching all week long. I have the privilege of explaining God’s Word every week to an eager congregation. Here are three books that have had the biggest impact on my preaching.

1. He Is Not Silent by R. Albert Mohler

41fz3IoB3fL._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_Albert Mohler argues that preaching God’s Word is a central, irreducible, and non-negotiable part of authentic worship.  The kind of preaching he has in mind is expository preaching. He defines expository preaching as “reading the text and explaining it – reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and patiently teaching directly from the text of Scripture” (p. 52). This book has been foundational in my approach to preaching.  It would help anyone who wants to make the most of their ministry.

2. Biblical Preaching by Haddin W. Robinson

41G7zdZdvqL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_Haddon Robbin makes a case for expository preaching and then explains in step-by-step detail how to produce an expository sermon. The thing that I like best about the approach described here is the flexibility. Messages that are based on the text of Scripture need to conform to the contours of each passage preached. This book is great for the preacher who wants to sharpen his skills or the church member who wants to get the most of the messages he or she hears.

3. Planning Your Preaching by Stephen Nelson Rummage

51kUpd7ZGpL._SY346_Preaching is a privilege, but it’s also a great responsibility. Preaching expository sermons week after week can benefit from careful planning. In this book, Stephen Rummage explains how a preacher can plan his preaching up to a year in advance. I don’t usually plan that far ahead, but  I have used his approach to plan out my preaching calendar for almost a decade. It works! Preachers who want to make the most of their time and resources would do well to use the techniques described in this book.

As always, you can find these books at your online retailer or bookstore. If you decide to pick up one of these books as a last-minute Christmas gift for your preacher, make sure you don’t include a note that says, “Your preaching stinks. I hope this helps you get better.”

Three Books to Read on Revivals and Spiritual Awakening

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I’ve met a lot of believers who are eager for revival and spiritual awakening to come to our nation or their community, but few who know what it takes to experience such things. Revival and spiritual awakening are a gift that only God can give, you and I can prepare ourselves to receive that gift. Here are three books you should read about the mighty movements of God.

1. Miracle in the Mountains by Lonnie and Belinda Riley

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Lonnie Riley and his wife, Belinda, left a pastorate in a well-established church in Mississipi for an opportunity to serve God in Lynch, KY – with no official position and no salary. This book is about all the ways God took care of the Rileys and how He brought spiritual awakening to the town of Lynch and the surrounding area. Check out what God is doing today through the network of ministries that have grown up through their faith at www.meridzo.org.

2. Fresh Encounter by Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby

51e8Fyf2twL._SX328_BO1,204,203,200_Henry and Richard Blackaby are most well know for their Experiencing God study. In this book, the Blackabys explore the factors involved in having a face-to-face encounter with God. They discuss the difference between revival and spiritual awakening then outline the seven phases of revival through Bible study and examples from history. This book would be great for those who want to teach and lead others to have a life-changing encounter with God.

3. Firefall by Malcolm McDow and Alvin Reid

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In this book, McDow and Reid describe the revivals that have shaped the world from the first awakenings in the Old Testament to the movements of the twenty-first century. Even though this book focuses on the history of revivals and spiritual awakenings, it’s aim is contemporary. When I read this book, it makes me think more and pray harder bout what it would take to experience one more mighty move of God in my generation.

You can find these books at your favorite retailers. Feel free to share this post and share these books with the people who are eager for revival and spiritual awakening in our neighborhoods and our nation.

Three Books to Read about Personal Evangelism

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Personal evangelism is sharing one’s faith in Jesus Christ, God’s Son. D.T. Niles described it more vividly as “One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”  As exciting as evangelism is, most believers find it challenging and intimidating. Here are three books to read about personal evangelism.

1. Everyday Evangelism by Matt Queen

81a75EKsx2LMatt Queen wants to create a culture of evangelism in churches across North America. He writes as a Southern Baptist to other Southern Baptists, but his simple strategy can be applied to any church that wants to improve her evangelistic efforts. Queen explores a number of common questions and challenges before recommending a hands-on strategy for personal evangelism. This book is great for church leaders who are looking for straightforward way to motivate others to share their faith.

2. Turning Everyday Conversations into Gospel Conversations by Jimmy Scroggins and Steve Wright

81u0LR0h7DLOne of the most difficult parts of personalism evangelism is making the transition from talking about everyday things to talking about spiritual things. Scroggins and Wright use the concept of “brokenness” to move unbelievers into a conversation about the gospel and our need to recover God’s original design for our lives. This book is will be a help to anyone who is afraid of personal evangelism

3. Evangelism Is… by Dave Earley and David Wheeler

51pSyEc0VVL._SX335_BO1,204,203,200_This book is a devotional book about sharing one’s faith. In it, Earley and Wheeler approach evangelism from 40 different angles – from motivations to methods. This book is thoughtful, thorough, and practical. It is great for readers who are willing to reexamine their thoughts about personal evangelism in order to become a more faithful witness. Every chapter is full of ideas on how to share Jesus with passion and confidence.

As always, you can find these books at your online retailer or bookstore. Feel free to share this post and these books with anyone that you know who wants to improve their personal evangelism.

Three Books to Read to Spark Gratitude

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Thanksgiving is a holiday built around gratitude. It has been a national holiday since 1941 and it was an annual tradition for a longtime before that. We should be thankful all year long, but the holiday helps to remind us of our God-given blessings. Here are three books that will spark your gratitude this Thanksgiving.

Choosing Gratitude: Learning to Love the Life You Have by James Autry

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James Autry is a former Fortune 500 executive turned author, poet and business coach.  In this book, Autry writes about finding gratitude for the simple things of life like family, friends, spiritual matters, those who serve, and even the pain of life. He doesn’t necessarily come from an evangelical Christian direction, but his writing is humorous, warm, and inspiring. His original poetry is a breath of fresh air too. This book is great for someone who is looking for new inspiration this holiday season.

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin

81k6cZbsAYLCranberry Thanksgiving is a classic children’s tale about sharing with others and mistaken impressions. In the Devlin’s tale, Grandmother and her granddaughter Maggie invite someone poor and lonely over for Thanksgiving dinner. When one of their guests steals the receipt to Grandmother’s famous cranberry bread their meal takes a surprising turn. Share this book with your children or grandchildren as you prepare for your own Thanksgiving feast.

Choosing Gratitude: Your Journey to Joy by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

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In this book, DeMoss challenges and equips readers to live intentionally based on the freedom that is found in Christ Jesus. My favorite quote in this book is, “Gratitude is a lifestyle. A hard-fought, grace-infused, biblical lifestyle. This is a guide for readers who want to push back against the bitterness and resentment that exists all around us and who want to choose joy. Gratitude and joy exist together in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

You can find these books at your favorite retailers. Feel free to share this post and share these books with any one that you know who wants to grow their gratitude.

Three Books to Read Before You Go to Seminary

 

pawel-czerwinski-yqp59hghp8y-unsplash.jpgSeminary offers intense instruction and specialized training for those called into various leadership roles in the kingdom of God. Seminary exposes students to wide variety of Biblical, theological, and practical themes. It also inevitably involves a lot of reading. Here are three books a student should read before he or she goes to seminary.

1. How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren

51crijZbWGL._SX320_BO1,204,203,200_This suggestion is not a put down. Before I went to seminary, I didn’t realize how bad I was at reading, analyzing, and interacting with written text. Alder’s and Van Doren’s book on how to read gave me the tools I needed to become a better reader, which a must in seminary. This book is  especially for those who already think they are a good reader and those who would like help improving their skills in this area.

 

2. Who Needs Theology? by Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson

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In this book, Grenz and Olson describe why everyone is a theologian and why theology (especially good theology) matters. Then they explain how to “do” Christian theology well. The authors go into the tasks, traditions, and tools that are available to a theologian in order for him or her to do their work. This book is good for the student who may look past the reflective side of seminary in a rush to learn the more practical skills of ministry.

3. Why I Am Not An Arminian by Robert A.Peterson and Michael D. Williams and Why I Am Not A Calvinist by Jerry L. Walls and Joseph R. Dongell

62469585The titles of these two books alone should be enough to explain why they are this list. Too many seminary students have emerged from there first semester of study thinking they have solved a debate that has been raging in the Church for generations. These books should be read together by the student who wants to get better, humbler handle on these popular approaches to salvation.

You can find these books at your favorite retailers. Feel free to share this post and share these books with any one that you know how is thinking about going to seminary.

 

 

 

Three Books to Read about Discipleship

florencia-viadana-DsqgRPnrfW0-unsplashChurches can be as creative as they want to be with their vision, strategy, and values, but  not when it comes to the mission of the church. In the Great Commission, Jesus tasked the church with making disciples in His name (Mathew 28:18-20). The mission of the church is and always has been to make disciples. Here are three books I would suggest about how that can be done in today.

  1. The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman

9780800788087This book has evangelism in the title, but it’s really about discipleship. In it, Robert Coleman traces the eight guiding principles Jesus used to train His disciples and to send them out in His absence. Coleman cautions church leaders against prepackaged discipleship programs. Instead, he encourages a more relational approach. This book would be good for anyone who is thinking though the overall process of discipleship and leadership development.

2. Rediscovering Discipleship by Robby Gallaty

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Robby Gallaty builds his case for discipleship in the church on the ministry of Jesus and other discipleship leaders throughout church history. He goes on to suggest a model of progressive discipleship found in Charles Wesley’s ministry. Gallaty gains ground by including  spiritual disciplines like Bible memorization and journaling into his suggested model. This book is excellent for church leaders who want to refocus their churches on reproducible discipleship.

3. Disciple-shift by Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington

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Jim Putman and Bobby Harrington believe that discipleship should be the core focus of the church. To that end, they suggest five shifts to engage the “engine” of discipleship. The shift that is most meaningful for me as a pastor is to go from informing the church to equipping the church. This book is best for those who are already looking to ramp up the discipleship efforts in their churches. Readers will find value insights to help them troubleshoot their revitalization efforts.

You can find these books at your favorite retailers. Feel free to share this post and share these books with the people who know who care about discipleship in the church.

Three Books to Read Once You’re Saved

markus-spiske-wbqdgo6cxq-unsplash.jpgNew believers need lots of encouragement and instruction when the begin their walk with the Lord. Ideally, this should happen within the supportive community of a local church. In addition to the Bible, here are three books that I would suggest.

1. New Christian’s Handbook: Everything Believers Need to Know by Max Anders

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Max Anders does a wonderful job of summarizing all of the introductory issues of Christianity in one relatively small and approachable volume. He focuses on what Christians believe, why they believe it, and how they should live in response. Each chapter is organized around a different question like, “Who is God?” and “How Did We Get the Bible?” making it easy to digest. This is a great place to start for new believer.

2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

51W5H+JR4DL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpgC. S. Lewis is a literary legend. In this book, Lewis helps believers (and unbelievers as well) come to grips with a Christian view of the world. He unpacks a Biblical view of morality and explains how it applies to difficult issues of like human sexuality and personal forgiveness. He cautions against “the greatest sin” of pride and encourages the virtues of faith, hope, and charity (love). This book would especially helpful for new believers who are wrestling with big questions in their life.

3. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney

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Donald Whitney recognizes one of the greatest needs of a new believer is growth. In this book, he describes ten personal and corporate habits (spiritual disciplines) that promote spiritual growth. Each chapter has application questions to urge the reader towards action. Whitney has written some related resources, but they point back to this volume. This book is great for new believers who are ready to grow in their faith.

 

You can find these books at your favorite retailers. Feel free to share this post and share these books with the new believers that you know.

Introducing the “Three Things” Series

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Charlie “Tremendous” Jones” once said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Some have add, “the experiences you have” to Jone’s insight and I would agree. These are the things that have shaped me and they have inspired me to start a new weekly series called “Three Things.”

I will start the series with what I think are the three most important books to read on a particular topic. For example, three books someone should read once they get saved. You will notice that I will be pick categories that should matters to wide variety of believers.

The absolute importance of the Bible will be assumed in all my posts. I write, teach, and preach using the Bible all the time.  It is God’s inspired word and it gives us everything we need for faith and godliness (2 Timothy 3:16-17). At the same times, it can be a tremendous help to read how other people think about a particular topic.

You may wonder why just three things. Here are three reasons why:

  1. Focus. The number of choices in our modern world can be overwhelming at times. This includes books as well. The writer of Ecclesiastics warned, there is no end to the making of many books (Ecclesiastics 12:12, HCSB). A book in your hand that you will actually reading is more valuable than a whole bookstore worth of books.
  2. Developement. Reading forces us out of our comfort zones and into a new world of possibilities. It helps us to develop and grew, even when we are defending our treasurer assumptions.
  3. Memorability. Three things stick together. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. They make an easy list to follow up on.

I will launch this series with three special posts over the next three days covering:

  • Three books to read once you’re saved
  • Three books to read on discipleship
  • Three books to read before you go to seminary