Today is the Fourth of July and it reminds me how thankful I should be that I was born and raised in this wonderful country. Thank you for all those who serve or have served our country in the United States Armed Forces and for all the sacrifices you have made so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have. Its great to have grown up in a country where everyone is free to believe what they want, but where the gospel of Jesus Christ is freely shared with all. Although our country is far from the Lord, I am grateful that God has kept us from plunging deeper than we are now.
Many times I’ve sat on the front pew just prior to the sermon time looking at the steps to the pulpit. In these moments each Sunday morning I’m reminded of the great task with which I have been entrusted and my own weakness to perform it. After hours of painstaking study and prayerful preparation, I still stare at those steps and feel under qualified, knowing I’ve only scratched the surface of the message. There is a certain holy trembling a preacher feels before climbing those steps to proclaim God’s eternal Word. In centuries past, preachers like Charles Spurgeon and Martyn Lloyd-Jones had to climb winding staircases to reach the “sacred desk”, but many pulpits today are just a few steps above the floor. Whether you have many steps or none at all, it is an other-worldly task we have been given. The following are a few practical steps preachers can take before climbing the real ones on Sunday morning... 1. Get in the Word We must immerse ourselves in the text at the outset o
Comments