Born To Die - The Real Story of Christmas

I put this together in as in introduction to a guest sermon I preached the day after Christmas last year. Since it was after Christmas I never uploaded it, but I figured I would share it this year in hopes that it could have the same impact on you as it did on me. Soli Deo Gloria!

If you want to hear the sermon, you can listen to it or download it here:

-W.S. (Mike)

Are You Ready?

This is amazingly powerful...and true.

My Guest Sermon: "Raising The White Flag" James 4:7

Last week I was honored to be asked act as guest preacher and deliver the message at my church. This is a huge reponsibility that I don't take lightly. I decided to teach from one of my favorite books in scripture, James 4. The sermon below is the result. I pray it was, and continues to be Glorifying to the Savior.

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For His Glory,
W.S. (Mike)

Resolved 2009 Live Streaming

I'm watching Steve Larson now, and figured I'd post the link here just in case there were others who were interested. If you want to find out more about the conference, check this out:

http://www.resolved.org/conference.aspx

As you can see below, there are some heavy hitters in the list of speakers and they are offering live streaming so if you want to watch it live (this is an awesome thing) go here:

http://www.resolved.org/LiveStreamPlayer.aspx

Saturday, June 13 (all times in PST)

• 11am - Session 2, Steve Lawson
• 5pm - Session 3, C.J. Mahaney
• 6pm - Session 4, Enfield Concert

Sunday, June 14

• 11am - Session 5, Steve Lawson
• 5pm - Session 6, John MacArthur
• 7pm - Session 7, John Piper

Monday, June 15

• 9am - Session 8, Rick Holland
• 11am - Session 9, John MacArthur
• 5pm - Session 10, C.J. Mahaney
• 7pm - Session 11, John Piper

-W.S. (mike)

A few weeks ago, my Pastor asked me to sub in for him and teach our Wednesday night bible study. He and I talk quite often about evangelism, and he knows the burdent the Lord put on my heart about reaching the lost, so he asked me to teach on that subject in particular. It turned out that there was no way that I could fit it all into a 1 week class, so it has turned into a 3 week series.

The first session was focussed on two main ideas, "What is evanagelism" & "Why we don't evanglize". Below is the 1st of the 3 sessions, if you are intersted in evanglism I urge you to give it a listen. If you're not intersted in evangelsim...I beg you to listen to this message.

I know there are a lot of smart people that read this blog, and I would love your thoughts and comments on this message, but not related to me. I would like them to be focussed as to how this message could be improved and how effective it was in Glorifying the Lord. That's why we preach & teach, for His glory.

The Most Important Thing We Have (Session 1/3)

(1Cor 15:1-4)

"Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (emphasis mine)

1. What is evangelism?

• a. Evangel literally means "_______________" - Or Good "___________________"


• b. Evangelism is the _______________ of "Good News"


• c. An Evangelist is the ______________of "Good News"

2. What is the Good News? The Gospel

The Gospel is

• ________________________________________________________________________________________________


• ________________________________________________

3. Why don't we evangelize (more)?

• Not my gift (Eph 4:11-12)


• I don’t know how (2 Timothy 2:15)


• Not my personality (Eph 6:20)


• What if it doesn’t work? (2Cor 4:1-5)


• I don’t know enough of the bible (Eph 3:8-9)


• I don’t like confrontation (2Ti 4:1-2)


• People don’t want to hear they will go to hell! (2Ti 4:3-5)

The video referenced (and audio heard) in this message is called "Do you believe the Gospel?" from I'll be Honest

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For His Glory,

W.S. (Mike)

My New Sermon Jam - Todd Friel Sermon Jam

I've only been working on this one for a couple weeks, but I was quite surprised it came together a little faster than the last one. The sermon jam comes from Todd Friel's (from wretched radio) sermon "How do you know you are a Christian?" sermon he delivered on 1-John. The Jam just highlights the 10 point test Todd cites in 1-John. You can play it using the player below:



Or you can dowload it here in mp3 format.

Todd's original sermon can be found here if you have never heard it.

Would love your thoughts and comments on it. For His Glory.
-W.S.
(Mike)

Why I Was So Scared To Preach

If you had a chance to listen to my first sermon posted here, you may have noticed that I started off talking about what an honor it was to be asked to preach the Word, and how seriously I take that honor.

I was absolutely petrified by the thought that I was to be responsible for conveying the message of God to the people of my church. It's not the public speaking part that bugs me, I do a lot of public speaking and teaching at work. Since I can't say it any better than the Lord:

James 3:1 (NASB)
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."

Now do you see why? Preaching is so much more than just getting up in front of a group of people and delivering a message on what I think the Lord wants me to teach. worked on my message for 2 months prior to last Sunday, and had it pretty well finished going into last weekend. I wanted to preach on 1-John, but the Lord had other plans

You see, when I was reading my bible on the plane ride to Atlanta last weekend for the deeper conference the Lord hit the reset button on my Sermon. 

I wish I could remember how it happened, but it was a combination of things I had spoke with about my with Pastor and my study that made it happen. All I knew was that the sermon had too much ME in it, and I needed to empty it of ME and fill it with Him. You see, as I got closer to Him and His Word, it all started to become clear:

James 4:8 (NASB)
"Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

It is no conincidence that I was reading James on the plane. It is no conincidence that I had spent nearly 2 months studying 1-John developing a sermon that the Lord would just erase.

You see, the Lord used my study of 1-John to teach me something I will never forget. I articulated this lesson to my pastor this weekend with this statement, "The Lord has taught me that I need to study it like I'm going to preach it". 

Ultimately what I've learned over the past 2 months was that regardless if we are going to be delivering a sermon, we need to approach our study of the Word like we are. And if you are going to preach, you better make sure you put everything you have into making sure that you are doing in right. Not in your eyes, but in His.
-W.S.

Presented With Humilty: My First Sermon

I struggled on whether not I should post this b/c I am still overcome by the emotion after delivering this sermon last Sunday (it was my first). It is such a humbling experience, and something I don't take lightly.  I was asked to deliver this sermon as a part of an ongoing series on Stewardship.

I post it here today not for any type of recognition for myself, but for the Glory of God. Please pray that this message will be received by those who need to hear it.

This is the illustration I reference in the begining of my sermon.  This was put together by our Assiociate Pastor based on the sermon our Senior Pastor preached the week before entitled "The Greatest Return".  Pastor Randy asked each person to fill out a card which said "I once was..." and the congregation laid it at the foot of the cross.

You can listen to the Sermon here:

Here are the notes:

---

The Greatest Testimony- "Becoming a Doer"

(James 1:19-27)

Your Testimony

1. What is a testimony? 
   
• Having personal and immediate knowledge of something”
  
• This “something” is God
2. How do you get a testimony? (vs 21)
   
• Receive the word of God, (this is God’s promise)
  
• “Receive it in Humility
  
• put aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness
  
• repent & no longer live a life marked by habitual

Proving Your Testimony

Signs of a “Doer”

1. You are obedient to God’s Law (vs 25)
   
2. You control your _tongue (vs 26) (James 3)
   
3. You remain “unstained From The world” (vs 27)

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-W.S.