Saturday, March 04, 2006

Tomorrows sermon

Been having trouble with this weeks sermon. The theme is "Becoming Like Christ". We're doing the 40 Days of Purpose, so I'm supposed to be following Rick Warren's sermon outlines. Did a fairly good job of following his outlines on worship and fellowship. Can't follow it for tomorrow - he approaches the sermon with things like "Trouble causes us to trust". Well, that may be true; but does it help me to be like Christ? So, my sermon will be on who Jesus was so we can know what to imitate.
Two books have helped shape my thoughts for tomorrow - The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey - that he makes the point that sinners were comfortable in the presence of Jesus; and he was comfortable in their presence as well. Today, the church is not comfortable being in the presence of sinners - and the sinners aren't comfortable in the church either. Yancey asks the question - what has gone wrong? Great question isn't it?
The other is a chapter called "Jesus" in Donald Miller's book "Searching For God Knows What". Great stuff.
Well, I'd better get back to it. The sermon has been a burden to me all week. Usually that means that I'll get little sleep - get up early - and God will give me a message sometime before 8:15. He always has; he always will.

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