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One Crazy Spring

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I thought I’d get a post up on an upcoming event in my life. On May 23, I was working in the yard and tore 3 tendons and a bicep tendon in my shoulder, which is getting me a rotator cuff surgery this Thursday, June 11. This means, among other things, that I’ll be one-armed for the next 6 weeks. I’ve heard from lots of people who have had this procedure and I guess the recovery is a rough one. So, there’s that.

Many of you also know that in late April, Meg was out teaching our youngest how to ride a bike and hopped on to show him how it was done only to have a freak accident that got her a concussion and quite a few weeks of bedrest, trying to recover from this.

While you’re keeping track, you know that with everyone else we were under stay at home orders due to COVID concerns in late March/April. So, this has been one crazy spring for us.

Some things I’ve noticed through these days already:

  1. We are surrounded by amazing friends and family who have supported us in these days. They continue to be there no matter what we need.
  2. I’m indispensable. I think that’s the way to word this. I’ve done some work to plan the upcoming weeks but the church has been served well as I’ve needed to back off from my public ministry. My friends have stepped in to serve in so many ways. I won’t be at VBS for the first time in a long while, but it will still be a great week. Even at home, my OCD tendencies are on pause (and Meg’s probably breathing a sigh of relief).
  3. I have a new appreciation for those who are battling long term illnesses or issues of pain. I can better imagine what your lives are like, and I’ll be praying God gives you mercy as you endure this.
  4. I’ve been humbled and reminded just how needy I am. We humans tend to do independence well. But, in this season, I’ve been forced to be dependent on others: God, my family, my friends, and others. This isn’t bad. In fact, it’s encouraging to be reminded that I’m created in the image of God and need Him.

Those are some quick thoughts. I’ll probably be in a different level of understanding about all of this soon. You can pray for a successful procedure, recovery, and support for my family in these days. I appreciate each of you.

2 Corinthians 4:7–11

[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (ESV)

Weekend Recap – Our Blessed, Helping God

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My 5/31/2020 sermon at Crestview entitled Our Blessed, Helping God from Psalm 124 is now online. It was a big day for us as we re-opened after the COVID closings. I was happy to continue our series in the Psalms of Ascent and preach on Psalm 124 and how God helps His people. Specifically, my outline asked us to suppose if God didn’t help His people, and then to answer the call to praise God He did. I did try to bring an application to all the goings-on in our world these days. I hope the sermon encourages you.

Weekend Recap – Direction for Life’s Frustrations

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My 5/3/2020 sermon, Direction for Life’s Frustrations (Psalm 120), which also served to introduce Crestview’s new series on the Psalms of Ascent, is now online. Many of us are looking for hope in the midst of these frustrating days. God’s Word is up to the challenge of giving us a firm footing these days. Specifically, this sermon dealt with how we can have direction when life is overwhelming to us. I hope this sermon encourages you.

Coronavirus and Christ

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In a short turn around, John Piper wrote and published a book to address the current worldwide pandemic. The book is Coronavirus and Christ, which is translated into many languages and available for free. I hope you’ll consider some of the truths he points to and weigh it Scripturally. Let’s keep navigating these days together.

Our Hope? In the Hands of Christ Our King

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Austin Stone Worship is releasing a new album soon (called Within). Crestview’s students had a chance to learn this song at camp in 2019, as part of the Austin Stone team led musical worship for us that week. This song really encourages my heart to center all my hope on Christ. What a refreshing reminder for the midweek! Have a good week.

Ministry Roundtable Discussion (hosted by Heerema)

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Matt Heerema hosted a ministry roundtable with some of my heroes, asking them what they were thinking, considering, and working toward in these days.

His guests were:

Jason Thacker – Associate Research Fellow and Creative direct at the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. Author of “The Age of AI”. You can find more of his work at jasonthacker.com

Tim Challies – Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario. Blogger at challies.com, and a speaker and author of multiple books.

Mike Cosper – Pastor at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY. Director of Podcasting for Christianity Today, he’s also an author, speaker, podcaster, musician. Find him at his website (which looks like it needs an update 😉 mikedcosper.com.

Matt Perman – Director of Career Development at The King’s College, NYC, founder of What’s Best Next, and an author of a book by the same title. You can find more about him at mattperman.com. 

Eric Schumacher – Associate pastor at Grand Avenue Baptist Church, Worship Songwriter, and author of Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women. His site emschumacher.com.

If you have the time to listen to this, I think you’ll find it extremely helpful.

Weekend Recap – Wrapping up 1 and 2 Samuel Series

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My 4/26/2020 sermon at Crestview, Heart Stirrings (2 Samuel 23-24), is now online. This sermon was the final sermon of 48 covering the 55 chapters of 1 and 2 Samuel. I began this series in January of 2019 and while taking a few breaks here and there, this was the regular preaching rhythm for me on Sunday mornings.

This final sermon was entitled heart stirrings because I had hopes that studying these books left our people like the Emmaus Road disciples whose hearts burned as Jesus was consistently seen in the pages of the OT. And, I also believe that the writer, in these final two chapters, was trying to move us, that our hearts might be drawn out in worship to God.

There were amazing things that we saw in this passage and I hope it encourages you.

And, if you’re looking for other sermons in the series, they’re archived over at Crestview.

Weekend Recap – The Lord Is My Rock

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My 4/19/2020 sermon at Crestview Bible Church, The Lord Is My Rock (2 Samuel 22), is now online. This sermon dug into David’s long prayer of thanksgiving (which you can also read in Psalm 18) to show how God gives us stability. He’s repeatedly called our “Rock” in this passage.

You may feel very unstable these days wondering what God is up to, whether or not He cares, if He’s able to help, or a host of other things. This sermon might help point you to some of the answers to those musings. I hope it’s profitable for you.

Weekend Recap – Easter 2020

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My 4/12/2020 (Easter) sermon, My Redeemer Lives (Job 19:25-27), is now online. I think my fascination with this as an Easter text was first born through listening to Handel’s Messiah as I grew up. Here’s Christopher Ask giving some of the back story on using this text on Easter:

“George Frederick Handel’s librettist (Charles Jennens) was absolutely right when he set Job 19:25-26 alongside the words “Now is Christ risen from the dead…” in that great aria in The Messiah.  It is precisely the bodily resurrection of Christ that gives us the assurance that Job’s confidence was not wishful make-believe but sure and certain hope.  The Father stood upon Christ’s tomb and acted as His Redeemer, to vindicate him by resurrection.  This same God will stand upon the grave of every man or woman in Christ, to act as our Redeemer.  And on the last day, we will stand justified and vindicated before Him by grace”

Christopher Ash in Job: The Wisdom of the Cross, p.217

So, I thoroughly enjoyed the privilege of preaching the greatest event in the history of the world: Jesus’s resurrection through the eyes of Job. I hope the sermon encourages you.