The Cross

Been too busy to post much with preaching responsibilities on top of everything else. That is definitely not a complaint - getting to preach on the cross and resurrection the last four weeks has been awesome. I get a lot out of the study and proclamation of what Jesus did for me - weekly I am reminded of areas I need to work on, change, grow in, etc.

So, for what it's worth, here's one quick application that has stuck with me the past month. The Sunday before last (March 21 - message is on the web at www.gsfcb.org) I was preaching on the crucifixion, the actual hours Jesus was on the cross (9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.). It was a powerful day with the time in the Word and our experience in Worship. Many people responded that next week with how much the message meant to them. Several times I responded to a text or e-mail with the comment "I love to preach on the cross." Each time I said that, I thought about how sad it would be to be moving past Easter and my time in the pulpit and the opportunity to proclaim what Jesus did on the cross. As clearly as if He had spoken it audibly, God said to me, "You can preach the cross EVERY DAY."

You know, that's exactly what I should be doing. If I really love telling the story of the cross, I can tell it every day. Every day is Easter, every day the cross can be preached, every day there are people who need to hear about the cross. If the story is so meaningful to me and evidently to so many others, let's go tell it and let's keep telling it! Easter is not just a day or a season - it is a message that is timeless and unbounded.

God help me preach to one as enthusiastically as I preach to a crowd.