LIFT Style & Galatians: So, Mike's Talkin' In "Big" Church Again

I really enjoy my job. Late last year, we merged our youth and young adults/singles team to have a more 'all hands on deck' feel for the programs, services, leadership, and most importantly, the relationships of both teams/ministries. I'm excited about this upcoming weekend because we get to lead our congregation's worship services and we are doing it in true lift fashion. Instead of having one person from our team teach in first service, drive to our south campus, and then race back north for second service, we are splitting up the teaching duties. Not only does each campus have its own speaker this weekend, but each service has a different teacher. Ben is down south. I'm north first service and Earl is north second service. It's going to be fun and a nice statement about the way we can do church (not personality driven).

This service comes at a crucial point in my development as a 'preacher.' Last week, I asked some trusted friends, and ministry peers to review my speaking style, delivery, content, and structure via an mp3 file shared on facebook. The common thread to the constructive criticisms they gave me centered around not saying too many things or using too many texts. For instance, they encouraged me to use one Bible verse and then get really specific examples of what it meant to the people it was written to and then share examples of what it means for our specific context.

When I read their comments I had to laugh at myself. I paid lots of money in undergrad and grad school to learn that stuff, but working for a while in certain circles leant me to picking up a few bad habits. However, not all the things I caught have been bad. So, this weekend I will endevor to only use one text, Galatians 2:20. I will spend more time in thei whole letter to the Galatians and getting to know what it says, rather than making it say something I want it too and finding other verses that say the same thing. I know that everything on the internet isn't true, but it's amazing what you can find on google as far as Bible research goes. Which reminds me...I was prepping for this sermon...

Theme: Galatians has been called “the Magna Carta of the Reformation” and Luther’s “Katie von Bora.” It is the book on which the Protestant Reformation was founded. The key to this epistle is seen in 2:16: “Know that a man is not justified on the basis of the works of the Law, but on the basis of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified on the basis of Christ’s faithfulness, and not on the basis of the works of the Law—for no flesh will be justified on the basis of the works of the Law.” Paul thus links Christ’s complete faithfulness to the old covenant as grounds for the abolition of the old covenant and as the basis for our salvation. In a nutshell, we are justified by faith in Christ because Christ was faithful.

Bible.org: Galatians:Introduction, Argument, and Outline

Blogged with the Flock Browser