First, to my blog brothers and sisters and all whom I spar with on Tuesday's, today I have decided to take a break from sparring and write about something less controversial. My reason has nothing to do with being beat down by all of my fellow bloggers and friends for last weeks rather provocative post :-). So to all of my stable mates and spectators, expect me to come out swinging and swinging hard next week.
This week, I want to write about the love of my life, who also happens to be the Mother of my children and more recently a cherished and valuable friend. Blog community and friends, I am talking about none other then the preachers wife, my boo... Lori Fitts! I am so thankful to God for my beautiful wife.
Over the past couple of months, my wife and I have become very close. I attribute this to us both surrendering our will and desires to the will of God. I wish we would have done this a lot earlier but I thank God for the now. Since I have surrendered my desires to His will, the Lord has shown me so much about the value that Lori brings to the table. Before, it was all about me and what I was going through but now I see that she has been in the fight all along.
As Pastors wife, she often has to deal with a part of me that no one else has to deal with. The frustrated, discouraged and sometimes burned out step away from pastoring for just a moment DeAntwan Fitts. She has done it and I appreciate her more today then ever before. Lori if you are reading this I want you to know, you mean the world to me.
Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church. Protect and provide for her at the cost of your life.
Pastors, cherish your wife as a valuable prize possession set apart for you and only you. Give her the assurance that even though she has to share you with so many others, there is a part of you that belongs to her and her only.
To the Church, I like HB Charles formula; you take care of your Pastors wife, she take care of the Pastor and the Pastor take care of you.
To all of the Pastors wives who read this post, God bless you for what you do for the body of Christ. You are indeed the underrated heroe amogst the community of God's people.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday's Outline
Are you Getting The Most out Of the Preached Word?
James 1:19-25
Illustration: A gray-haired old lady, long a member of her community and church, shook hands with the minister after the service one Sunday morning. "That was a wonderful sermon," she told him, "-- just wonderful. Everything you said applies to someone I know."
I. Proof in Attentiveness
Verse 19a “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen”
a. We pay attention with our ears “quick to listen” not with our mouth “slow to speak“ vs. 19
b. We pay attention to God’s word “listen to the word” vs. 22 & 23
c. We pay attention with our eyes “looks intently” vs. 25
d. We pay attention with our minds “not forgetting” vs. 25
II. Proof in Attitude
Last part of verse 19-21 “slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”
a. We should not get angry when the Word of God exposes an area of our life that we do not want exposed. “slow to become angry”
1. Because “man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” vs. 19
b. We need an attitude of surrender “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” verse 21a
c. We need to have a teachable and submissive attitude. “humbly accept the word” vs. 21a
1. Because it “can save you” vs. 21b
III. Proof in Action
Verse 22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does”
a. Put it into practice “Do not merely listen to the word” “do what it says vs. 22
1. Because you only “deceive yourself”
b. Make it your lifestyle “the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it” Verse 25
Benefits:
1. You will be blessed (last part of verse 25)
2. It will give you power over sin “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (last part of verse 21)
It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians.
Francis Bacon.
James 1:19-25
Illustration: A gray-haired old lady, long a member of her community and church, shook hands with the minister after the service one Sunday morning. "That was a wonderful sermon," she told him, "-- just wonderful. Everything you said applies to someone I know."
I. Proof in Attentiveness
Verse 19a “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen”
a. We pay attention with our ears “quick to listen” not with our mouth “slow to speak“ vs. 19
b. We pay attention to God’s word “listen to the word” vs. 22 & 23
c. We pay attention with our eyes “looks intently” vs. 25
d. We pay attention with our minds “not forgetting” vs. 25
II. Proof in Attitude
Last part of verse 19-21 “slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”
a. We should not get angry when the Word of God exposes an area of our life that we do not want exposed. “slow to become angry”
1. Because “man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” vs. 19
b. We need an attitude of surrender “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent” verse 21a
c. We need to have a teachable and submissive attitude. “humbly accept the word” vs. 21a
1. Because it “can save you” vs. 21b
III. Proof in Action
Verse 22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does”
a. Put it into practice “Do not merely listen to the word” “do what it says vs. 22
1. Because you only “deceive yourself”
b. Make it your lifestyle “the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it” Verse 25
Benefits:
1. You will be blessed (last part of verse 25)
2. It will give you power over sin “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (last part of verse 21)
It is not what men eat but what they digest that makes them strong; not what we gain but what we save that makes us rich; not what we read but what we remember that makes us learned; not what we preach but what we practice that makes us Christians.
Francis Bacon.
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