How I’m going to rethink my sermon prep

In 2013, I said this about sermon preparation.

In 2021, it’s time for an update. In addition to Steve, Mark, and Bill, I’ve been influenced by more great speakers like Steven, Liu Zi-Jvn, and Kris. As I’ve been studying and thinking more, I’ve seen something pop out. They all have this in common. They engage. They engage people in what God’s doing and how it applies to them.

So, I’m on a journey to figure out how to do this.

I need to tell better stories. That’s the first thing. What’s in a good story? There’s background, and setting. There’s tension and conflict. There’s resolution and transformation. All of those, speak to me. They show how we’re on a journey to be transformed. That’s what the Bible is all about. It’s the story of God and how He invites us into His story. He’s the hero. We get to join. We become part of His story and get to share in His greatness because of what He’s done.

But how does this look practically. Well, I appreciate how Steven has a simple anatomy. He gives a verse, a title, talks to God, tells a story, and teaches from the Scripture. He almost always follows this outline. He does an excellent job of understanding the culture of the people at Elevation Church and uses that as a backdrop for stories that connect well. Liu Zi-Jvn does this well as well. He’s got captivating stories that he uses to apply the teaching of Scripture. He typically flows from one verse that he has everyone read out loud.

Kris, on the other hand, begins a bit more prophetically, or with a word of knowledge. He ties the message he believes God has given him into something He believes God is also doing currently in that moment. Because Kris is so in the moment, He can discern how God may want to adapt the message and stories to what’s on God’s agenda.

And I want to see how interaction actually accentuates and drives transformation.

One thing these speakers do well is interaction with the audience. They have good jokes. They are vulnerable with their own stories. They each invite their people to respond through declarations, clapping, or even talking with their neighbor. These physical responses help cement the message in the minds of the listeners and allows them to stay focused on what’s coming next.

In 2013, I said good sermon prep is these steps:

1. Pray
2. Read
3. Research
4. Outline
5. Write out
6. Condense
7. Create
8. Check
9. Review and Pray

These steps are good. I will still preach exegetically from Scripture. I will still spend time in prayer. I will stil try to get input from others and make sure I’m writing out what I’m going to say after having researched what others think. These steps will continue, but now I’m also looking for something else: engagement with God and His People. Preaching is too important not to do it with excellence. Our goal is to host the Presence of God, engage in what He’s doing, and help people to engage in the depths of the Word of God.

To do this, we need to:

1. Tell great Stories (and maybe great jokes, too). Is there one story that will engage people, showing them how the Word of God will connect to their lives?
2. Be Vulnerable. Is there an example that vulnerably enlightens people to how it applies to me, and subsequently to them?
3. Engage in the Prophetic. Is there something God wants to say in the moment?
4. Keep it Simple and Deep. Is there a way to share a profound truth in a simple phrase or sentence that can capture the essence in a memorable way?
5. Invite and Challenge. Is there something that God wants to invite people into or something He wants to challenge them to do?

This is a bit less of a checklist, and a bit more of a sense in which direction I’m going to move. I hope it’s helpful for you as you prepare your sermons.

Stuff, Thoughts, and Doors

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I woke up and the coffee pot was already on! Thank you, Atomic Habits, for showing me how setting things up ahead of time can lead to successful habits that result in the transformation of a human being!

Once the first cup was poured, I opened up to Luke 11:1-10:

Now Jesus^[a] was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ² And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
³ Give us each day our daily bread,^[b]
4 and forgive us our sins,
    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

⁵ And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? ⁸ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence^[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. ⁹ And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

It hit me. Hard. I realized God was showing me something about how His Kingdom works, particularly in verses 9-10, where Jesus says, “Ask, Seek, and Knock.” I realized God has set us up, and so many believers miss out on the abundant life promised (John 10:10), because we stop going deeper. The abundant life is found in the depth of these three verbs: ask, seek, knock. What hit me, perhaps for the first time ever, was the process by which God directs us to experience His goodness.

It starts with an ask. We need to be willing to ask. If we just stop here, already, life will be getting better. How much do we hold back because we feel that God’s not interested in our lives. We ask. He gives. I wonder how much we miss out on because we simply don’t ask. He wants to give us fish and bread (Matthew 7:9).

It goes deeper with search. I believe God said this searching is less about a specific thing, and more about a thought, a process, a way of life. What if we went beyond just asking for things, and decided to search out, to seek His ways. What if we could move from bread for today (ask), to processes that would allow us to plant seed, raise grain, and bake bread, etc (2 Corinthians 9:10). What if we could learn the ways of God, even the thoughts of God (1 Corinthians 2:16).

It goes deeper still with a knock. Here’s where Jesus really dives into something that’s beyond our natural comprehension. He says, if you knock, the door will be opened. This is an invitation to relationship. You knock on a door, because you’re on the outside and you want in. When you finally do come in, you are part of something, part of a family unit. Recently, our friend came over unexpected. She rang the doorbell and opened the door. She came right upstairs and into apartment. We stopped what we were doing and engaged with her. Perhaps, it was because she brought a cute dog with her, but I think it was way more than that. She’s been a good friend for more than 12 years. We’ve been through ups and downs. She’s given us stuff. She’s let us understand her heart and mind. Most importantly, she’s done relationship with us. There’s such a depth to this friendship. It goes beyond our disagreements. It goes beyond our misunderstandings. It goes right to the heart. And that’s what Jesus was inviting into. He says if you’re willing to knock, I’ll let you come upstairs. You can interrupt jump right into intimacy and connection. You can share the stuff, and even the thoughts, that’s great. But what I have for you is something so deep, so profound, so close, so satisfying. I have Myself for you. Would you like to come in and be connected to me?

Like A. B. Simpson said,

Once it was the blessing,
  Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
  Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
  Now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
  Now Himself alone.

I did some research and found this discussion as well:

Ask, seek, knock. Notice the three different senses being considered here. Asking is verbal; Christians are to use their mouths and petition God for their needs and desires. And believers are to seek with their minds—this is more than asking; it is a setting of priorities and a focusing of the heart. To knock involves physical movement, one in which the Christian takes action. Although asking and seeking are of great importance, they would be incomplete without knocking. The apostle John said Christians ought not to love in word alone but with actions also (1 John 3:18). In the same way, it’s good to pray and seek God, but if one does not also act in ways that are pleasing to God, all is for naught. It’s no accident that Jesus said believers should love God with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27).

We get the privilege of engaging our whole selves in all of Him. I don’t see anything wrong with asking. I see no issues with seeking. But where the real depth is at is in the knocking. And that’s why I believe the Lord revealed this progression. Many people start with stuff, but they forget there are thoughts and relationship waiting. Don’t stop at stuff. There’s so much more satisfaction waiting for you when the door opens.

Why Everyone Should Have a Mandatory Two Week Quarantine

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I just got out of a two week quarantine followed by seven extra days of basically quarantine, and I loved it! I believe everyone should have a quarantine at least once a year.

Now, I realize this spells trouble for you, and I also realize I’ve been so spoiled in 2020. I do not want to downplay the fact that lockdowns and quarantine have caused devastation in lost jobs, family separations, missed life events, people dying alone in hospitals all of which have resulted in terrible mental health issues. I realize there’s a horrific downside to quarantine, and I don’t want to pretend that doesn’t exist.

Yet, I do believe there’s a silver lining that we can learn from quarantines in 2020, and I want to share that. If you’re interested, keep reading.

Taiwan has a strict quarantine policy that requires 14 days in your home (as of our entry on 1/12/21) or a quarantine hotel (required as of 1/15/21) followed by seven more days of self-observation. Each day we were called or sent a message from a police officer assigned to our case. We had to take our temperatures and report any symptoms. We developed some wheeziness and runny noses, so we did end up getting taken by ambulance to a testing facility where we got “the swab!” Spoiler alert: we tested negative.

Of course all of that was a bit tedious, but in a country with fewer than 1,000 cases as of 2/8/21 (924 cases, 843 recovered, 9 deaths), they have been doing a great job of controlling the pandemic. It has resulted in an economic GDP growth nearly double what was originally forecast. This leads me to three question

1. How did quarantine time affect us personally? We had an epic time. Each day we ate three meals together. We exercised together. I had some work meetings, but in-between work meetings I got to jump into the boys’ room and play legos for a few minutes. We felt connected. We enjoyed time together. Of course, there were a few fights, but we found constructive ways to work through them. We learned to communicate more and enjoyed doing various activities together. I learned to enjoy a slower pace. After our first day of freedom, I fell asleep by 6pm. I was already so used to a slower pace, my body wasn’t ready to run around all day.
2. Why do we as people desire vacation? God made us to need rhythms of work and rest (Genesis 1:28-2:3). He even blessed a day of rest. Society has taken that and said we need a flashy vacation where we galavant around the world. We have to travel there. We have to pay for hotels and meals out. We have to plan extravagant activities. Sometimes, we come back more tired than we left. That’s not rest and rejuvenating. That’s shifting the focus of our work from our job to our travels. We need to actually rest. I learned that traveling vacations can be fun, but maybe sometimes I just need a staycation.
3. How should we move forward? We all need healthy rhythms that include rest and work. Perhaps, one way to help everyone gain healthy rhythms is to allow for “annual quarantine leave” where people are allowed to stay home, work more minimal hours, and spend more time with family. Quarantine cuts down on travel time. Quarantine allows more interaction with roommates and family. Quarantine saves waste. Quarantine can be a way of bringing people together. Don’t spend money you don’t have to do things that make you super tired when you could spend that time relaxing and regenerating.

What’s more, I believe 2020 was a great plot twist. I love this post from Instagram:

We all have our complaints about 2020. But what we’ve learned is that if we’re still around, we have grown. We have adapted. We have overcome. Maybe you won’t choose to quarantine two weeks a year. But I hope you will consider one thing 2020 taught you and put a change into practice. 2021 is going to be a spectacular year, and the best is yet to come!

Starting my MBA… will I regret this?

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I got accepted into an MBA program. I’ve wanted an MBA for years. I’ve talked about it since I was around 25. I haven’t pursued it as much as I could have even though I’m intensely interested in the business world. I have read more than 60 books on the subject, subscribe to many-a blog, and consume tons of content through podcasts, online forums, and YouTube. But, recently I found an online program that could be completed in 13 months and cost less than $10,000. When they accepted me, they included a scholarship that lowered the price to less $5,000. It seemed like the perfect opportunity. I need to go for it right?

Well, I’ve also recently built an Advisory Team. This is a group of people who have gone way further than I have in virtually every aspect of my life. They’ve built bigger businesses, planted stronger churches, mentored and coach more people to grow in bigger ways than I could even imagine. The purpose of this team is to come together and discern what God is saying. They take time to listen to what’s going on with me personally, in our family, and in our ministries. They bring their experience, insight, and attentiveness to God’s voice to bear on the situations I’m facing. I sought them out. I feel it’s quite valuable to have a group of people cheering you on, pointing out new opportunities, and most importantly of all, challenging you.

So, I brought this decision to the team and asked them to weigh in on it. What would they see as a benefit? How would they see me responding to this situation.

At one point, one of the members commented,

Avoid the MBA. If you do it, you’ll likely be stretching yourself too thin and won’t be able to do things well. Ask God about the meaning of the MBA to you. What does it mean in the Spirit? The MBA connects, but you’re already connected in the Spirit. God will give you super-provision, and it doesn’t come from a full brain. He can multiply your 10 hours. Let go and make room for God.

So, I decided to defer my start until 2022, and pursue a Holy Spirit MBA, or HSMBA, first.

I started asking God what an HSMBA was going to include. I felt God started giving me insight. I was praying and inviting Holy Spirit. I felt like God was speaking to me about things to come, although nothing extremely specific at this initial point. What’s exciting to me is considering how this is about a journey and a process. It’s about trusting God in the steps. It’s fresh.

Then, as I opened my Bible, I turned to two different passages: 1 Corinthians 2:7-16 and John 16:13-15.

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul says there’s wisdom, revelation, thoughts, impartation, truths, and discernment available to believers, because of the Spirit of God.

⁷ But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But, as it is written,“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” ¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³ And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.^[d] 14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ¹⁶ “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

In these verses, we see God’s goal: for us to be fully equipped. In fact, 1 Corinthians 1:7 says, “You are not lacking in any gift.” God’s desire is for us to have all we need.

As I turned to John 16:13-15, I saw how Jesus says Holy Spirit is going to take everything from Father and Son and give it to us, including “the things to come.”

¹³ When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵ All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Think about that for a moment. In the context of perfect relationship between Father, Son and Spirit, there is intimate sharing. There is intense exchange of information, totally free-flowing. All that Father has, He’s willing to share with the Son. And the Spirit is going to share all of that… with us! This is mind-boggling. As believers, we have so much access. You’ve probably heard someone say before, “God isn’t surprised.” We believe in the doctrine of the omniscience of God. If that’s true, we have a lot of access. We’re even talking about things that are to come. What would it look like to know the future through connection with God. How would that apply to business?

I sat for a while longer, and have subsequently processed a few of the “classes” I plan on taking during my HSMBA. I felt like God said HSMBA includes:

• Get five hours per week of downloads from Me. You have to make space for it. You have to quiet yourself and your other inputs, and just listen to me.
• Learn how to speak life and cast vision into your team.
• Learn how to read reports with HS highlights. If you’ll look at the reports with My Eyes, you’ll see. 
• Go after strategic development, making a plan. You’ll see where to focus when you seek My Face.
• Learn operations and delegation. You’ll see how to delegate operations and empower people around you when you tune into the way I see things.
• Discern when to run, and when to rest – HS rhythms.

I feel God challenged me to “Ask questions just like you would in class. Listen well. Take notes.” For some of you, this might sound a little crazy. I think it’s going to be challenging. It’s going to take rewiring my brain. It’s going to take setting that time aside. It’s going to take allowing myself to see things in a new way. For me, it’s exactly the MBA I want to start this year.

If you want to hear some of the things I’m learning from my HSMBA, make sure to subscribe, send me an email, DM on social, do whatever you gotta do to get connected. Let’s run together and see where our HSMBA’s can take us!