Most of us have tried to pack a present in a box that wouldn’t fit. The gospel is that way. We just can't contain it. We never really grasp it. As Paul says, because of the vastness of its dimensions, God's love for his people "surpasses knowledge."

“16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” ~ Eph. 3:16-19

Getting grace is like knowing God. The finite seeking to understand the infinite. Yes, God is knowable, but not exhaustively knowable. The same is true with the gospel. 

I heard someone say recently that we may be aware of about 4% of our sin, which means we probably get (and this is in my opinion a great overstatement) 4% of God's grace. This means we have plenty of gospel learning to do—which means we have plenty of gospel preaching and hearing to do. 

So, if you are a preacher, lift up the cross of Jesus tomorrow and give them pure, undilluted, unmixed grace. Give them Jesus.

And if you will be attending a gathering of believers, listen well. Listen for the cross and believe. Listen for grace and believe. Listen for the Savior and believe, so that "you may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

I've got to go read, but first this... : )

"What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is want of reading. I scarce ever knew a preacher who read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, you have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. Reading only can supply this, with meditation and daily prayer. You wrong yourself greatly by omitting this. You can never be a deep preacher without it, any more than a thorough Christian. Oh begin! Fix some part of every day for private exercises. You may acquire the taste which you have not; what is tedious at first will afterwards be pleasant. Whether you like it or no, read and pray daily. It is for your life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty, superficial preacher. Do justice to your own soul; give it time and means to grow. Do not starve yourself any longer."

John Wesley, writing to a young preacher, quoted in D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge, Letters Along The Way, page 169.

It really is a blessing to have the Appalachian Trail in our community's back yard. There are lots of great hikes in our area. But there are a few hikes that are uniquely beautiful and memorable. One of those is the hike up to the peak of Blood Mtn. As we ascend the summit of Romans 8, we are going to experience a view from the gospel's perspective like the view from Blood Mtn., a spectacular vista revealing the mountains of grace that are ours through the cross of Jesus. However, with all hikes, we make our journey from a variety of backgrounds. Anyone who has through-hiked the AT knows the colorful cast of characters who can be found on the trail each year. On Sunday at Creekstone, I suspect that we will have a similar variety. Some will be skeptics, others prodigals, and those who have been wounded by the fall and are just looking for hope. There will be some who are in really good shape, too. We'll count on you to carry those who are too weak to climb the steep parts. At any rate, my hope is that all of us will find Creekstone to be a safe context in which to make the journey. Feel free to take your time. Ask questions. Confess your doubts. It's okay to be real. We'll take one step at a time together. Sometimes stumbling. Again, it's okay. The main thing is to start hiking. The view will be worth it.

1. We must exegete both the text and our culture.
2. Continually distinguish the gospel from religion.
3. Always be reading a top 10 best seller to stay current.
4. Know the questions people would ask in the text and how it applies to them.
5. If we wound with the law, we must heal with the gospel.
6. I must deal with my own heart before preaching / preach as a broken man who needs the gospel as the chief of sinners. So don't just prepare the message; prepare the preacher.
7. Preach to minds as well as to hearts (emotions/affections) and motives, emphasizing that the power for change and the right motive resides in gospel-faith (Jesus is my righteousness), not self-effort.
8. If I am not believing the gospel, I am under the influence of an idol -- idols must be uncovered in sermons and replaced with the gospel.
9. Speaking to non-Christians, addressing their issues, questions, fears, etc. (even if they are not yet present) in sermons will equip Christians to share with non-Christians. If we preach this way, non-Christians eventually will be present.
10. Can my message pass Bryan Chapell's 3AM test? If roused from sleep at 3am on Saturday night, could I state clearly and confidently the main point of that morning's sermon? In other words, would hearers be able to tweet the main point of the message (140 words or less)? 

Yesterday I watched a National Geographic documentary on the tombs of Egypt. As archaeologists dug into millennia old burial chambers for relics of that ancient civilization, they used great care as they chiseled, brushed and swept away sandstone debris from their treasures.

As I watched, I began thinking of expository preaching. Okay, so I'm a preacher and everything is an illustration. However, the illustration is helpful. For when we de-posit something, we put something in. When we ex-posit, we get something out. So, just as archaeologists exposited valuables from ancient tombs, so also preachers exposit truth from ancient texts. It takes a great deal of work and prayer to study and mine in this way, but, as the dusty Frenchmen in the sands of northern Africa would tell you, it is worth the effort.

And that is what I want to define my teaching this year at Creekstone. Gospel-focused, expository preaching that digs, verse by verse, into passages in the same way an archaeologist would an underground chamber in the valley of the kings. As many of the Egyptian relics now are on display for the world to see, I desire for the treasures of grace to be displayed for us from every passage that we explore together as we uncover spiritual riches beyond imagination!  

If you are in the Dahlonega area, I hope that you will consider joining the expedition. We begin our dig into the Gospel of Mark this Sunday.

For more information on Creekstone, see our website, www.creekstonechurch.com.

I've been preaching and teaching for so long that you'd think I'd have it down by now. 'Fraid not. Even tonight, after the message, I went home thinking, "Man, you made a powerful, simple truth way too complicated. You preached far too long. Just make it simple next time, okay?" Okay, I'll try. But no promises. Because preaching is like sanctification. A couple steps forward, then one or two (and sometimes many more) backward. But we learn from those backward steps, don't we? They profit us in some providentially kind, though ironic, way. The fact is that, just like my preaching effectiveness and skill seem to go backwards at times, I will never "have it down" with regard to following Jesus. I will never be the master. Always the disciple. Always learning. And I pray that I will learn from every backstep is just how dependent upon God's grace I was, am and forever will be. Now that is a lesson worth learning... even if it is learned the hard way.

Still want to listen? The message is here.  

I am looking forward to preaching this Sunday for Christ Community Church in Acworth/Kennesaw, GA, during their missions emphasis month. I'll be teaching from Psalm 40:1-3, a message entitled The Propulsion of Grace. Can't wait to see my CCC friends- we deeply appreciate your prayer and financial support of Creekstone Church in Dahlonega!  

 And yes, I'll be back in the evening for Creekstone's fourth preview service. We're gathering at 5:30 to pray- everyone is welcome. The service begins at 6:00 p.m.