While speaking at the Together for Adoption Conference, I visited a bit with my friend with Tony Merida. The Meridas have recently adopted four children from the Ukraine and have a passion for orphan care. I always appreciate his passion for the gospel and the mission of God.

Seeing him, reminded me that Tony's new book is out and I wanted to share a bit about it through the foreword I wrote for the book. It is a short foreword, but for some reason I manage to quote a Journey song, the Fireproof movie, and Lord of the Rings.

Not sure what got into me that day... but the book is worth your time, even if my foreword might not be!

Earlier this Spring I was preaching through a series called, "Lies We Believe." This is Part 6, and the lie is, "All the church needs is programs."

Lies We Believe: Pt. 6 from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

Here is a sermon I preached a couple of weeks ago at my church on living a "God-imitating life."

* Update: Now the audio from a Q & A session between Piper, Driscoll, Greear and me is up. See bottom of post for link. *

Advance 09 was a great gathering that centered around the gospel, Jesus' church and mission. For those who couldn't make it here's the audio. I'm including some photos from the conference taken by Gabriel Boone. Be sure to check out the rest of photos on flickr.

Mark Driscoll - "What Is the Church?"
Mark Driscoll - "Ministry Idolatry"

John Piper - "Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 1"
John Piper - "Let the Nations Be Glad, Part 2"

Ed Stetzer - "Keys to Understanding the Church and Kingdom"

Matt Chandler - "Preaching the Gospel to the De-churched"

Tyler Jones - "The Resurgence of the Church"

Bryan Chappell - "Communicating the Gospel Through Preaching"

J. D. Greear - "Planting Is for Wimps: Revitalizing a Church Around the Gospel"

Eric Mason - "The Ultimate Shepherd"

Danny Akin - "Marks of a Healthy Community of Faith"

Chandler, Driscoll, and Chappell - Q&A Session

* Piper, Driscoll, Greear, and Stetzer - Q&A Session

Here are some things I mentioned in this morning's message.

First, here is the Newsweek story I mentioned. Jon Meacham, the author of that Newsweek story, talked with my friend Tim Keller during "Morning Joe" here:

And, here is the clip from the Colbert Report:

Of course, this is comedy-- but I love the part about him "burying the lead: God died."

For more information, J.D. Greear addresses Ehrman's comments here (and references his earlier post here). Ben Witherington also addresses Ehrman's claims does in the comments here.

As I said in my message this morning, I want to follow the one who was dead and is now alive!

Have a great Easter!

Sermon Central is the largest on-line community of pastors in the world. So, when they ask us to write an article, we always agree! (And, for full disclosure, they may ask me because I am on the Sermon Central Advisory Council.)

So, I was glad to submit the article to my friend Ron Forseth (purveyor of all things Sermon Central and the only person I know who spent four and a half years in Outer Mongolia). He specifically asked us to write about preaching to the younger unchurched.

You can read the whole article at this link for Sermon Central, but I have included a few excerpts below. Give it a read over at Sermon Central and then come back here to discuss.

Preaching to The Younger Unchurched Ed Stetzer and Jason Hayes

Let us begin by saying that not only is it possible to preach to the unchurched, it's quite probable you're already doing so, perhaps weekly. Just because someone has awareness of your church or has attended a service at your church does not make them churched. Consider those that show up for their annual visits on Easter and Christmas. They may have sat through the last 20 years of your holiday cantata, but that doesn't make them churched. Entertained, sure. Inspired maybe. But certainly not churched...

While the research that we share in the book discusses a broad scope of issues related to young adults and their opinions, we will focus in this space specifically on preaching and teaching. We'll leave specific stats for the book, but we hope you'll be encouraged as you read through the provided recommendations we've drawn from our research. Take note especially that so much of what the younger unchurched are looking for lines up directly with the biblical instruction we've received as teachers.

Examine Your Approach

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "It is not length of life, but depth of life." Interestingly enough, our research shows that young adults agree. The survey data confirms that the younger unchurched maintain a high level of interest in theology, apologetics, worldview, and other religions.

Many churches have chosen to lessen their emphasis on depth in order to complement their inaccurate stereotypes of this generation. This isn't working now, and it certainly won't in the future. In fact, most young adults are turned off by shallowness and are beginning to walk away from environments (including churches) that foster it...

What they are interested in, however, is preaching that engages on several levels, that provokes deeper thoughts, that reveals complexity. This doesn't mean watering down the truth. It means teaching the truth in all its challenging fullness. Preaching that engages the younger unchurched is deliberate preaching crafted with depth of thought and delivered with conviction. Think and rethink. Evaluate and reconsider.

Encourage Struggle

Directly connected to the younger unchurched's aversion to simplistic preaching is their aversion to "tidy" preaching. The Church has somehow forgotten that life is not always about having a neat, pat answer...

This means that the moralizing of our preaching past is out like the 80s. Our preaching should encompass more than do's and don'ts. It should reach to the why and the how behind our proclamation. Great preaching requires mining truth down to its deepest core and assigning it to resonate within the hearts of our listeners. As a result, our preaching must go beyond appeals to behavior modification, beyond pithy platitudes on being happy and living well. Our preaching must wrestle with the meat and marrow of human existence, because this is what young adults are already doing. Otherwise it is like tossing a fortune cookie to a man starving in the desert.

Be Authentic and Transparent

We must remember that preaching is not just about what you say; it's very much about who you are. One of the reasons so many young adults think negatively about churches is because they see very little authentic struggle from their leadership. Indeed, a large majority of the younger unchurched believe the church is full of hypocrites.

Consider the "foolishness of preaching" from the perspective of an unchurched young adult. What they see is a pastor standing up and presenting the message in a way that implies that implies the pastor already has everything all figured out. When pastors relate to no doubt, no struggle, and no experiential element, they are just begging to be tuned out. But preaching is not just about the level of intellectual content; it's also about the teacher's relationship with that content.

Leaders who know the value of speaking to people, not over people, are leading churches that are reaching young adults. There is no substitute for authenticity. Preaching with transparency has to do with being open and honest with a purpose that is redemptive and developmental. A preacher who is being transparent opens a window for the divine and pure purpose of helping others change in positive ways, without hidden motives or pretense. That is the kind of transparency that will connect with younger adults...

Head over to Sermon Central, read the full article, (while you're there you should sign up for their newsletter where articles like this get sent to your inbox) and then come back here to discuss preaching to the younger unchurched.

This Sunday, I gave a "beginning of the year" message. I make it a practice to make my first message of the year about the nature of the gospel. We asked people to respond via a communication card at the end of the service (something the church does not usually do). I was encouraged to see 10 people indicate first time commitments to Christ, 40 want to get more information about connecting through membership, and hundreds committing to grow deeper in 2009.

I promised the church I would post my notes here. So, they are below.

Mike from my church shared with me an online quote from Rob Zinn's SBC sermon. (I mentioned Rob yesterday.)

The story explains:

At my church, we recently completed a 4 week message series called "The Road to Financial Freedom." Our platform was covered with road signs that related to different parts of the message (see below).

You can learn more here. Ashley Clayton is the brains beyond the operation.

Ashley asked me to write and deliver a series of four messages that they would videotape and outline to use in future iterations of the message series. So, since they are using the outlines, I won't put them here... but I will tell you a little about the emphasis.

The web site explains:

"It's A New Day�? is about stewardship! It's about the lordship of Christ over everything in our lives! It's about getting out of debt! It's about being ready to fulfill God's call upon our lives!

And there is a good reason for helping your church to encourage people toward financial freedom:

Imagine what churches could do for the kingdom if their members were not burdened with debt. Imagine what could be accomplished if church members were free to fulfill God's call of ministry. There has never been a better time than NOW to experience true joy and liberty that comes through financial freedom!

I built some of the series around a symbolic metaphor related to an earlier argument with my middle daughter. One day she complained that I had eaten all the Cheese-Its and she became obsessed with getting her own Cheese-Its.

I showed this photo in church to introduce the issue of fear and greed.

She did not know that her father could provide more... and would meet all her needs. When you really want something, your greed becomes idolatry and then it becomes an idol in your life. Then, you get trapped by your stuff.

On the week we talked about greed becoming an idol, and your stuff taking over your life, we illustrated with a big box:

For many (most?), money is an idol:

"Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to... greed, which amounts to idolatry" (Colossians 3:5, HCSB)

In other words:
• Fear leads to greed
• Greed creates idolatry
• Idolatry leads to bondage

(The final message had a prison of the Cheese-Its.)

Admittedly, it was a bit "cheesy," but it seemed that everyone "got" the metaphor.

The message series can be found at the church website. They were:

1. God's Ownership
2. Debt's Dangers
3. Greed's Antidote
4. Money and Work's Purpose

Since the message series was for Crown Financial Ministries, we did not use much from other organizations in the presentations. However, Michael Edwards, occasional blog commenter and regular church attendee, put up a Dave Ramsey video on-line that relates well. It was played at the Catalyst Conference and it is worth taking a look.

And here is Dave Ramsey speaking on finances (if you listen be sure to go to the end):

This is an important issue and one we frequently overlook... and it requires sensitivity and honesty to address the topic.

Here are a few Saturday night misc. items.

New Series

Tomorrow I will start a 4 week series on stewardship. The morning message will be based on :

1 Chronicles 29:10-14 (HCSB) "Then David praised the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, "May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. In Your hand are power and might, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name. "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.

The series will include:

• God's Ownership (1/27)
• Debts Dangers (2/3)
• Greed's Antidotes (2/10)
• Money's Purpose (2/17)

Upcoming Conference:

I just received a nice note from Tim Keller. Tim has invited Mark Driscoll, CJ Mahaney, Darrin Patrick, and me to come to N.Y.C. for a conference in April. The conference is called "dwell" and it will focus on urban ministry.

The theme is built around Jeremiah 29:4-7:

Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters--that you may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

It is my anticipation that after hearing Tim I will want to move to New York City, C.J. will make me want to be more humble, Darrin will make me want to be more culturally aware, and Mark will get me in some sort of trouble.

And, I do love N.Y.C., having been reared just outside of the city on Long Island.

Upcoming Conference:

The folks at New Spring Church have asked me to share about their upcoming conference. I have had the chance to share a platform and visit with Perry Noble, and the growth of their church is remarkable. Also, Tony Morgan (who send me this info) was on a panel I moderated at the National Outreach Convention.

Here are the fast facts on Unleash:

Unleash 08 hosted by NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC on March 13
One day. Two main sessions with Perry Noble. 14 breakout topics.
Featuring worship music from Lee McDerment's new CD.
NewSpring launched in 2000 and has grown to over 8,000 people each weekend. The Church is located in a town of only 25,000 people.
Early bird registration deadline is February 11.
Learn more at NewSpringMinistries.com.

Perry and Tony are both in my Bloglines reader and they both challenge my thinking.

A New Podcast

Doug Baker, a friend from way back, is leading a new podcast feature called InSight. Doug is now on the saff of the Baptist State
Convention of North Carolina and he recently sent me info about the new podcast. You can read the press release here.

His most recent interview is with Nathan Finn. Nathan is an emerging young scholar that does a great job blogging at The Fullness of Time.

The bowtie makes it hard for me to completely me endorse him (see our exchange about it here). Before reading the ugly reality of my bigorty, keep in mind that Nathan called me "pernicious" and, after looking that word up, I have to make a comment about the bowtie.

I see Nathan as one of those few who can demonstrate firm convictions, a sense of humor, and an irenic spirit. May his tribe increase.

If he just did not wear a bowtie...

Note:

Now, this leads to the obvious question: if you mentioned Unleashed and Insight because they asked, will you mention my conference/blog/podcast/t-shirt sale?

Probably not... but these guys are friends, so what can you do? Grin.

Schedule Next Week:

Next week is a crazy one.

On Monday, I am in Orlando at Global Church Advancement with Steve Childers (prof. at Reformed Seminary). You can find out more here.

Tuesday it is off to Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago for a joint E.Free. / Acts 29 / Trinity church planting focus. I preached at Trinity's Church Planting Week a few years ago, so this is basically the same type of event.

Wednesday it is off to Liberty University to speak to Thomas Road's Wednesday Night "Campus Church" to speak on church planting, then to consult with Jonathan Falwell, Ergun Caner, and others about their plant to plant 500 churches in 5 years.

It would appear, based on the schedule, I am interrupting the series that Ergun is currently teaching: "Sex in the City of God." I imagine the attendance will drop from its current thousands to dozens when I don't address that topic.

Please pray for God to be glorified, for close flights to not misconnect, and for strength!

Yesterday, I focused on "communion" with God in my message. I will link the audio soon. I taught on how Jesus was the Great High Priest. The outline is below.

During my message, I briefly mentioned legalism and recommended Grace Awakening by Chuck Swindoll. The book was on my mind becuase I recently read an interview with Howard Hendricks and Chuck Swindoll where Swindoll defined the legalism problem as:

...when we get into areas that are not set forth in Scripture, either in precept or even in principle. These may be such things as length of hair, tattoos and other body piercings, skirts or pants for women, makeup or no makeup. Those are not scriptural issues. Sometimes these issues are cultural, and you do have to address them when you are in that particular culture. But I think legalism begins when you do or refrain from doing what I want you to do or not do because it's on my list and it's something that I am uncomfortable with.

Then, he gives his blunt advice:

The problem with legalists is that not enough people have confronted them and told them to get lost. Those are strong words, but I don't mess with legalism anymore. I'm 72 years old; what have I got to lose? Seriously, I used to kowtow to legalists, but they're dangerous. They are grace-killers. They'll drive off every new Christian you bring to church. They are enemies of the faith. Other than that, I don't have any opinion!

So, if I am trying to force my personal list of no-no's on you and make you feel guilty if you
don't join me, then I'm out of line and I need to be told that.

Download the interview here.

Here is the message outline:

I have already posted my first message from the Theology of Christmas series here. The audio is up (see below) and I have included my outlines for all three messages (at the bottom).

First, here is the audio:

The Theology of Christmas:

Incarnation
Kenosis
Glory

The outlines are below. (This will probably be my last post until I am back from family vacation time.)

I have been doing a series of messages at my church that focus on the Theology of Christmas. I have not talked much about donkeys, wise men, and shepherds... though they are important. Instead, my focus has been on what God did in Christ.

You can download here:

The Theology of Christmas: Incarnation
The Theology of Christmas: Kenosis

This week I will preach "The Theology of Christmas: Glory."

Here is the outline of the Incarnation message:

Thanks to the folks at SBCLife for printing my SBC sermon in their most recent issue.

Preaching that message was a challenge... Honestly, I was quite nervous. But, I felt that I had a message that God had laid on my heart and tried to be faithful, honest, and encouraging. But, it was a bit intimidating to preach to such a great group of pastors and leaders.

I am not the greatest preacher in the SBC... not even close. But, I do care deeply about this denomination, its churches, and its mission. Hopefully that came through in the message.

If you want to watch the message on line, you can do so at 316 Networks by clicking here or just click on the frame below. There is also a bootleg version posted on youtube and I believe more people have downloaded the message than were left in the room that night!

The folks at Sermon Central just released an article I wrote on contextual preaching. See it here and feel free to dialogue in the comments.