Something that constantly rests on my mind is the major trend in the most churched countries in our world. The nations that have led the way in Christian movement for the past century are diminishing. Some of it is inevitable, as people reject Christianity they begin to learn how to run it out of their families, towns, and states. Some of it is due to the way God chooses to work, and is evidence of the fact that He is doing something different in those places. But from my perspective, a significant part of it has to do with the fact that we are simply doing church poorly. We have added so much baggage to what it really is, that the Christian life and the Christian message are muffled.

I hate statistics, especially all the ridiculous stats that I hear from the Barna group week after week. But this one from Willow Creek is pretty challenging, and fairly true.

In the United States, with more than 162 million self-professed Christians, the news is sobering. Each year, between three to five thousand churches in the United States hold their last service, close their doors, and put up the “for sale” sign. Statistics indicate that from 1999 to 2009 the combined membership of the major Protestant denominations declined 6 percent, while the national population has increased 12 percent. The proportion of Americans who claim to have “no religion” has increased to 15 percent, up from 8.2 percent in 1990.

We need to do church differently…very differently. And although I have some ideas, I want to spark your thoughts more than I want to hand you answers. My main exhortations to you are these…

1. Evaluate the church based on the need of the world, not on what feels good. Ask, how can my church preach to and disciple 1 million people? Not 10, not 100, 1 million. Use a big goal, not a simple one. The world is a big place, it needs churches with BIG goals.

2. Look at the churches that are growing rapidly outside the U.S. and ask yourself, should church look more like that? Why is that working?

3. Make sure your church model can be reproduced. Church is about multiplication. Can my church model be used to start 100 other churches? Why or why not?

J and S – Missionaries in Middle East
Read about their work at http://www.christar.com/about.htm and contact us if you want to follow their work or give to their cause. We can’t share the details in print.

E & E – Reaching People w/no gospel
Please read check out the site http://lifeonthemountain.com/ and contact us if you want to know how to support them- we’ll have to share this info verbally to protect their work.

Mike and Kris York
Missionaries in Romania we met in 2006 that continue to coordinate the efforts of a national college ministry throughout the country. Read about their ministry on their blog: http://yorklink.blogspot.com

A & M – Missionaries in East Asia
This couple started working in China last year, and they are diligently learning the language and serving their neighbors.

The International Mission Board
One of the largest organizations dedicated to the task of sending missionaries and reaching people across the world. http://public.imb.org/globalresearch/Pages/default.aspx

Marriage Mentors
Dedicated to helping hurting marriages www.marriagementors.com

Answers in Genesis
Reaching People through Biblical Science www.answersingenesis.org

Dallas Theological Seminary
Training geeks like Patrick to teach and preach the Bible.
www.dts.edu

This is a short sermon I prepared and delivered during my seminary education. It addresses the spiritual foundation we need in times of disaster to hold our life securely and the benefits of having the correct foundation. It draws from the themes and overall message of the books of Job and Ecclesiastes, as well as from Jeremiah 17.

I counsel victims of disaster and crime as a part of Victim Relief Ministries, and this sermon is based on my experience as a chaplain as well as the counsel of the Scripture. I exhort anyone in the counseling role to avoid providing answers for those in crisis, and rather to exercise a ministry of love by being present and caring for the person.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOWtigxox7U[/youtube]

Herein lies one of the life messages that God has written on my heart over the course of the past year. When I chose this topic for my second sermon for Preaching III, I wanted to allow God to speak more fully into my life after having experienced a lot of significant events in 2010 and 2011:

Last spring, I lost my cousin in a motorcycle wreck.

Since the beginning of the year, I‘ve watched and prayed from afar as one of my fellow DTS graduates cancelled Ph.D plans to fight cancer.

This summer Stacy and I spent five days counseling victims of the tornado in Hackleburg, Alabama.

This fall I’ve been on a number of deployments as a Chaplain for crime events in the city of Dallas, including a homicide at a local bank.

Needless to say, seminary deals with the tough questions of life, but I wanted more than complex theological answers about sin—I wanted to formulate a message that I felt Scripture itself compellingly communicates to us when we experience tragedy. So many sermons I hear on this topic tend to shock us by delving into the messy details of the story, say a few things about God, and then end with a fluffy, feel-good ending of someone who experienced the tragedy and came out better. That can inspire us, but it usually does not ground us God’s words to us. It just leaves us feeling good for the person whose story we’ve heard. 

God has a better message for us than that. God has a message that applies to all of us—not just those of us that come out of the tragedy blessed. A message that leaves the Words of the Bible ringing in our ears, so that we can hear God when the storm hits our lives.

Brace yourself…this is not a feel good message…it’s a challenge.

Don’t argue with me…argue with the Bible…that’s the source of the message.

Don’t just listen to me…my message is just part 1 of what God says to us in disaster, the essential part. There’s a lot more that needs to be said, and should be considered. If you need more answers, consider reading C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain or another relevant book.

And finally…send me feedback. Your responses will make me a better preacher!

Sermon Exegetical & Theological Outlines (What the Bible says)

Sermon Homiletical Outline (How I present what God is saying)

Sermon Typed Transcript and Audio (My Presentation)

Saw this picture, and had to share it. It’s not entirely true, but it reminded me how the news tends to skew our perspective too much…

Steve Jobs died, and his life did contribute a lot to our society. But how should God’s perspective challenge our reception of his death vs. our reception of the deaths of millions who never had a chance to contribute?