Study of Scripture as a Discipline

So this Sunday's Message is on the value of studying Scripture.

Three points.

I. Plan - have a plan.

II. Prioritize - why, what is studying scripture.

III. Practice - How to study the Word.

Looking forward to it!

The Music Controversy in Church!

Dan Kimball
has a interesting post on this very issue. (Talk about timing since I'm doing the Spiritual Disciplines - and Worship is comign up in the next few weeks)

Here is what I found amusing was this quote:

The letter said:

"I am no music scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church music when I hear it. Last Sunday's new hymn - if you can call it that - sounded like a sentimental love ballad one would expect to hear crooned in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to rubbish like this - in God's house! - don't be surprised if many of the faithful look for a new place to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all we need."

This letter was written in 1863 and the song they were concerned about was the hymn "Just As I Am".

Another letter said:

"What is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship God, not to be distracted with learning a new hymn. Last Sunday's was particularly unnerving. The tune was un-singable and the new harmonies were quite distorting."

This letter was written in 1890 and about the hymn "What A Friend We Have In Jesus".


Oh, how far we've come. It almost seems this can be said today!

Sermon Worksheet

The following is a guide that I use and isn't original with me - I borrowed it from others ...feel free to use.

Step 1 Choose the Passage to be preached.
Passage:______________________________
Step 2 Study Your passage and Gather your notes.
A. Did you read the book of which the passage is a part?____
B. What introductions to the book did you read (in commentaries, study Bibles, dictionaries, encyclopedias, online etc)?


Biblical author?______________________Date Written________________
To whom Written?_____________________________________
Historical situation:


C. What is the topic of the passage immediately preceding yours?
D. What is the topic of the passage immediately following yours?
E. Versions or translations in which you read your passage (Circle all that apply)
KJV NIV NASV RSV Greek/Hebrew Interlinear
Other:
Any interesting differences between translations?

F. Any interesting or obscure details, background, terms, figures of speech in the passage.
G. Check and/or list the reference works you used to examine the individual words and details of your passage.
General:
___Young, Analytical Concordance
___ Strong, Exhaustive Concordance
___ Guthrie, New Testament Introduction
___ Richards, Expository Dictionary of Bible Words
___ Vine, Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words
___ New Bible Dictionary
___ NIV Exhaustive Concordance
___ Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia
___ Nave’s Topical Bible

Other: _____________________

Old Testament commentaries or resources used:


New Testament:

H. What important names, places, events or theological terms appear in your passage?


Step 3 What is the Central Idea (Exegetical idea) of the Passage and How does the Biblical Writer Develop it?

1. Subject (What is he talking about?)
2. Complements (what does he say about the subject)
3. In a single sentence, state the central (exegetical) idea of the passage (combine the subject and complement)
4. Give a brief outline of the Biblical writer’s development of the idea.


Step 4 Does the Biblical Writer develop His idea through narrative, explanation, proof, application or some combination?


Step 5 Determine the Purpose of the Sermon
A. What did the Biblical writer expect his readers to do?

B. What should your audience do as a result of hearing your sermon?


Step 6 State the thesis sentence (Homiletical idea) of your sermon:


Step 7 How should your thesis primarily be developed to accomplish your purpose?
___ as an idea to be explained
___ as a proposition to be proved
___ As a principle to be applied
___ as a story to be told

Step 8 Outline the Body of the Sermon
Thesis (From Step 6)

Action word: (Circle one) Can Should Must Are Other:_______

Question the thesis (Circle one)
How? (Respond by ….)
Why? (Respond because ….)
What? (Respond There are …)
When? (Respond There are …)
Where?(Respond There are …)
Who? (Respond There are …)

Key Word: (Example: principles, reasons, truths)

Major points that answer the question:
I.
II.
III.
Iv.
V.

Step 9 Fill in the outline with supporting material that explains, proves, applies or amplifies the points.

Step 10 Write the introduction and the conclusion.

Step 11: Practice until you know it thoroughly and can preach it with a minimum reliance upon your notes.

Bibliography
Davis, Ken How to Speak to Youth. Loveland, Co: Group, 1986.
McCarty, C. Barry. Advanced Preaching Lecture Notes. Roanoke Bible College. Elizabeth City, NC. 1984.
Robinson, Haddon. Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids. Baker. 1980.

Being Authentic

A good Reminder
that as a church leader, our lives are not our own.

We belong to Jesus and are the Hands and Feet of Him at all times.

Sure, we're messy. Sure we are broken. And sure we as leaders struggle with sin. The issue is having boundaries, accountability, and integrity.

I can tell you that sometimes my own vocabulary needs to be cleaned up too. People can misunderstand or rather read into wording that sounds like you are cursing.

Phrases like "O Crap" and "Gosh" can be exchanged for other words in their usage.

So what's one to do?

Be the Leader God has called you to be. I've known many leaders that have fallen due to immorality. Some being restored, others still broken and needing their way back (Like the prodical son).

I had the chance about a year ago to ask one leader who seemed to have everything going for him - Big Church plant, hiring staff, worked with several mega churches to plant the congregation. (Everything we think of as successful on the outside) (Only this church leader almost lost it all due to an affair)

I asked what would be one thing to help me avoid the mistakes you made? Accountability? (HE said - nope ...he had that but just lied)

His answer: Know yourself. Know your weaknesses and try to avoid those areas to be tempted in.

Sometimes it scares me that one wrong move and I can lose it all.

But you know what excites me? The right moves ... working for the Kingdom of God, loving my family, the ministry I'm at - makes life all worth the efforts. Because it isn't about me but God working through me.

Criticism - How one can take it!

So Vince has a post
on how some bloggers are so easily to criticize other speakers and such.

Personally, it is easier for people to criticize others rather than look at themselves. And it is a struggle because we like to point out the faults of others rather than take the logs out of our own eyes.

There is such a thing as good criticism and a such a thing as slander as well.

Personally, I'm so busy logging the forest out of my own eye; that I don't have time for the speck in my brother's.

Why I'm a Restoration Movement Minister!

I'm part of the Restoration Movement


It
has been a part of my heritage.

I went to a Christian Church
growing up.

My preacher Terry Tanner
was a great man of God - who influenced me.

My Alma Mater
was RM in and out!

And I like its plea
though some would disagree with the issue of baptism.

I believe we are save by grace, through faith, (We confess, repent), in baptism, unto good works.

And of course some of the best authors I've read out there go by the names:

Jack Cottrell, Denver Sizemore, Don DeWelt, Mark Moore (I do like Jeff Walling too)

Speakers: Bennett, Bousman, I always liked David and Ronnie Jones.

In my first ministry in Ohio, I never forgot meeting Clarence Mansfield and Ben Merold. Great mentors.

When I was in Indianapolis - it seemed all the churches were too busy and not alot going on ....except for the wisdom I gained from my friend, Guthrie Veech.

I moved to Virginia and well lots of great preachers all around there. Those preacher meetings were ones were they treated me with respect and I admired these guys being in ministry and what they were doing for the Kingdom.

In North Carolina - there was times where I felt alone - but God was there and still alot of influence from RM preachers like Phil Curry and gaining insight from the guys from the triangle and triad area.

I believe I'm RM because I believe in its tenants and its plea. We are to be people of the Word.

That's all I want to do is people to say of me: Gerrard was a follower of the Word.

Top 10 DOs & DON'Ts for a Missions Trip.

Top 10 DOs for a Missions Trip.

1. Do take it seriously.

2. Do make the trip worth taking.

3. Do take students that are ready. There is nothing like spoiling a missions trip by having a student there that doesn't want to be there.

4. Do have an application process. Screening and questioning why the want to go.

5. Do have team building together. Gets them prepared for the trip.

6. Do fundraising together.

7. Do your scheduling and when everything is to be done.

8. Do investigate the site and do some prep work before forming the team.

9. Have all the RIGHT paper work, applications, liability forms and passports together and deadline.

10. Do have alot of prayer time and effort both individually and as a group. Pray up and never Give Up!

Bonus: Do have Fun! Be yourself and try to make an impact on the Kingdom of God recognizing it is bigger than any one congregation.

Top 10 DON'Ts for a Missions Trip.

1. Don't treat your missions trip as Site sighting or Cruise. If you want a trip or to travel do it yourself. Missions Trips aren't the time or place or focus for such.

2. Don't waste or be invading of the missionary's work. You being there sometimes hinders the work being done. So try not to be in the way.

3. Don't send students unless they want to have a life change and want to impact the world.

4. Don't Go. Sometimes the best investment isn't spending all the $$$ to go on the missions trip but to invest and raise $$ for the mission and missionary themselves and sending good over to help them achieve what needs to be done. With rising gas prices and the extra fees for luggage and airport travel sometimes the mission can best served if you just send the funds.

5. Don't glorify. Sure the pictures are nice and we like to pat ourselves on the back and say what a wonderful job we did on such and such missions trip. We've seen the powerpoint presentations of look what our teens did (and they did do some good things). But problem is sometimes it glorifies and boosts egos rather than Glorifies God and saying "Look at what God did through us."

6. Don't pray! Sometimes we forget the power of prayer and investing in. We think the funding and the going and reaching people on this missions trip is impossible. Until we reach out in faith and pray - we won't see God work. So if you don't pray - don't expect great things.

7. Don't expect everything to work out! Emergencies happen. Be flexible. Not everything will come together as you would like. Plan to fail at times.

8. Don't be surprised at what God can do. Sometimes the best trips have been what God has done and not even regonizing it until later.

9. Don't use Missions organizations. Afterall who wants to be organized and have an organization that actually sweats the details for you? (I suggest this as a Do use mission Organizations: places like Missions Alive, CIY, Group Workcamps are great)

10. Don't take the trip lightly. Do take it seriously. It could be the one trip that helps your students decide they want to impact the Kingdom. Continue on missions and share and be the hands and feet of Jesus to others.

Others you would add?