I’m learning to be a leader.  Experience is the best teacher.  But good, juicy leadership quotes help too.  Here are three quotes I’ve been challenged by this week.

“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” —Aristotle

“It’s easier not to lead.  To not do anything.  To not say anything.  To go with the flow.  To accept the status quo.  To just sit there.  To criticize instead of create and solve.  To watch things happen instead of making things happen.  To play it safe.  It’s easier not to lead.  You have to decide whether you want easy, or you want leadership.” —Justin Buzzard

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you don’t do than by the ones you did.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”  —Mark Twain

Sermon audio can be downloaded here.

The Lord’s Supper

Lauren’s got some more pictures from our Easter Sunday over at her blog.

“Occasionally I am asked by young men seeking a church to pastor if I know of a church without any problems.  My response to them is ‘If I did, I wouldn’t tell you; you’d go there and spoil it.’ The point is, there are no perfect churches.  The church is not a place for people with no weaknesses.  It is a fellowship of those who are aware of their weaknesses and long for the strength and grace of God to fill their lives.  It is a spiritual hospital for those who know they are sick and needy.”

From John MacArthur’s, Because the Time is Near: John MacArthur Explains the Book of Revelation, 86.

Holy Spirit Stained Glass

In his book, Spirit-Led Preaching: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Sermon Preparation and Delivery, Dr. Greg Heisler includes a helpful list of ways the Holy Spirit is at work in preaching (p. 4).

1. The Spirit’s inspiration of the biblical text
2. The conversion of the preacher to faith in Jesus Christ
3. The call of the preacher to preach the Word
4. The character of the preacher to live the Word
5. The illumination of the preacher’s heart and mind in study
6. The empowerment of the preacher in proclaiming the Word
7. The testimony to Jesus Christ as Lord and mediator
8. The opening of the hearts of those who hear and receive the Word
9. The application of the Word of God to the listeners’ lives
10. The production of lasting fruit displayed in the lives of Spirit-filled believers

Every point on this list is a great reminder that the power of preaching does not reside in the preacher himself, but in the Holy Spirit working through the preached Word.  Both humbling and helpful.

Dr. Heisler is slotted as the plenary speaker at the upcoming annual meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society.

The Gutenberg Bible, the first printed Bible

I’ve been serving Milton Baptist Church for roughly seven months.  Yesterday I recorded my first sermon there.

The sermon was a “one-off”—meaning it wasn’t part of a series of related sermons.  I’m in between sermon series right now and felt the transition period from one series to the next was a good opportunity to address a few different topics.

So I preached a message titled, “The Power of the Tongue,” based out of James 3:1-12.  Click the “PLAY” button below and you should be able to hear the sermon.  It’s about thirty minutes in length.

I know.  I’ve been a bad blogger.  But my wife’s been doing enough posting for both of us!

Jonah: Lessons in How Not to Obey God—that’s the descriptor for my new Sunday morning sermon series.

Over and over again Jonah gets things wrong.  He’s a test case in how not to listen to God. I saw where John MacArthur went so far as to preach a sermon about Jonah titled, “The Worst Missionary.”  It’s amazing that God uses Jonah at all (there’s a lesson for us somewhere in there).

Here’s my preaching plan for Jonah over the course of the next four Sunday mornings:

1. “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” (Jonah 1:1-16)
2. “From Worst to First” (Jonah 1:17-2:10)
3. “The God of Second Chances” (Jonah 3:1-10)
4. “Pity for a City” (Jonah 4:1-11)

Hopefully we’ll figure out a way to start recording the sermon audio at my new church. Then I’ll make sure to post it here on the blog so all four of you regular readers can give it a listen.

[P.S. I Found the whale graphic at simpledeskstops.com]

Elisabeth Elliot records the following apocryphal tale in order to expose the misguided mindset of doing the right things for the wrong reasons.

[Jesus said to his disciples,] “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” He didn’t give any explanation. So the disciples looked around for a stone to carry, and Peter, being the practical sort, sought out the smallest stone he could possibly find. After all, Jesus didn’t give any regulation for weight and size! So he put it in his pocket.  Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey. About noontime Jesus had everyone sit down. He waved his hands and all the stones turned to bread. He said, “Now it’s time for lunch.” In a few seconds, Peter’s lunch was over.  When lunch was done Jesus told them to stand up. He said again, “I’d like you to carry a stone for me.” This time Peter said, “Aha! Now I get it!” So he looked around and saw a small boulder. He hoisted it on his back and it was painful, it made him stagger. But he said, “I can’t wait for supper.” Jesus then said: “Follow Me.” He led them on a journey, with Peter barely being able to keep up. Around supper time Jesus led them to the side of a river. He said, “Now everyone throw your stones into the water.” They did. Then he said, “Follow Me,” and began to walk. Peter and the others looked at him dumbfounded.  Jesus sighed and said, “Don’t you remember what I asked you to do?  Who were you carrying the stone for?”

—From Elisabeth Elliot’s, These Strange Ashes: Is God Still in Charge?

Tim Tebow sportin’ the John 3:16 eye black.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (ESV)

While reviewing a book last semester for a seminar on doctrinal preaching I came across a gem of a description of John 3:16.  The book is Kent Hughes’ homiletical commentary on Romans—Romans: Righteousness from Heaven (Preaching the Word).

The relevant snippet concerning John 3:16:

For God — The greatest Lover
so loved — The greatest degree
the world, — The greatest company
that he gave — The greatest act
his only begotten Son, — The greatest gift
that whosoever — The greatest opportunity
believeth — The greatest simplicity
in him — The greatest attraction
should not perish, — The greatest promise
but — The greatest difference
have —The greatest certainty
everlasting life — The greatest possession.

I like the way Hughes puts things.  Very simple, yet superlative language regarding a verse deserving nothing less than the best superlatives we can give it.

The photo is pretty big. Click to see larger version.

I put in a request to get a reserved carrel in the library several months ago.  I finally got approved and stopped in the other day to see if my carrel was reserved.  Check!

Excited for the upcoming fall semester.  Taking courses on preaching and rhetorical criticism, American religious history to 1860, and a preaching colloquium (though I don’t yet know what the focus of the colloquium will be).  Currently taking an independent study in German through the University of Arkansas in order to satisfy one of my research language requirements.