December 12, 2022

This Week's Teaching | Prayers | Christmas Meetup

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This Week's Teaching: "Three Sins to Watch Out for in the Preachers You Listen To"

Whenever you catch yourself quoting a preacher (or pastor or podcaster or meme), ask yourself whether you can say the same thing by just quoting scripture. 

If you can't, that doesn't mean the preacher is wrong. It probably just means that it's a constructed opinion, synthesized from a variety of sources. If those sources are all scripture, it's probably a strong opinion. But if those sources are other people's constructed opinions about scripture, it is a weaker opinion. It's farther from the true source. And if those other people's constructed opinions are synthesized from unbiblical sources, it is a dangerous opinion.

I believe the church's pulpits and podcasts are filled with weak and dangerous opinions.

That's why I believe it's so important that we learn to go back to the scriptures, to read them personally and in small conversational gatherings like we're doing with X242 (and like I taught last week). This devotion keeps us from being led astray by fancy thinkers and eloquent speakers. And it helps us to say Amen with a reasoned conviction when we come across fancy thinkers and eloquent speakers who speak a biblical truth!

In fact, I want to be sure to say this clearly: This isn't to cast aspersions on preachers. Not at all. Preachers are called by God to preach the gospel. Jesus was a preacher. The apostles were preachers. And I personally feel the weight of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, "Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel."

But the church has become too fascinated with, and dependent upon, preachers as their primary source of God's word. And from that fascination, it seems we've lost discernment. We've become tolerant of three sins:

1. The sin of Diotrephes
2. The sin of Peter
3. The sin of Aaron

I explain the first two in this week's teaching, and plan to explain the third next week. So, open your bible to the following scriptures and read along as you watch/listen above:

• 1 Corinthians 4:6
• 3 John 1:5-11
• Galatians 2:5-12

With conviction and hope.

Prayers for this week

• Pray for the disconnected believers in your life — those who are not in regular, intentional, spiritual fellowship with other believers. Even if they're good people, sincere in their faith, doing their devotions regularly, and listening to preachers and worship music and podcasts, etc., pray that they would recognize their need for being in spiritual conversation with other believers. Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir up in them this desire. And pray that you would have opportunity to recommend what we are doing in X242.
• Pray for the unbelievers in your life — those who either have never believed or have stopped believing. Pray that God would stir up faith in them. And hope. And conviction. And pray that you would have opportunity to be the voice of faith and hope and love to them.
• Pray for those who are sick and in need. May it be said of us that "there were no needy persons among them."
• ​Pray for the X242 Network. Keep praying for our microchurch hosts and leaders, and for new church plants.

Christmas Sing & Dessert, December 20, 2022

The Sarasota churches are meeting Tuesday night, December 20, at 6:30pm to eat desserts and sing Christmas carols. Bring your favorite dessert to share with others. We'll provide plates, utensils, and drinks. We'll eat, sing, and pray together. Mark your calendars and RSVP here for the address!   ​