Prayer & Preparation for June 22nd, 2025
This Lord's Day
Hey church,
If you were able to attend last Lord's Day, you know I didn't cover all I'd hoped. It may be helpful to look again at last week's email/blog. I won't repeat myself here. I'll just say that this week I'm taking another crack at the fear of the Lord, attempting to come to some kind of resolution.
Here's a favorite quote from a great book on preaching. If it sounds familiar to you, it's probably because I cite it often, both for my preaching and for your prayers. I also think it's addressing matters related to our fear of the Lord.
"The immediate tendency when we think about preaching to the heart is to begin with man-his needs, state and condition. A more direct and biblical route to the heart, however, is to begin with God himself.... This concern to ennoble and uplift people by drawing their focus to God is of supreme importance. We minister to people who spend much of their time immersed in the things of the world. They rush from one task to another amid constant noise and stress. To give them more of the same-noise and stress-when they come to worship God is completely counter-productive. They need to be lifted above the level on which they usually live. They need to have their minds filled with something glorious, beautiful, majestic. They need to be re-focused. They need to be captivated by something beyond themselves and the demands of life. They need to meet God! The preacher's task is to lead people into another world-a world of peace, joy, hope, love, light, grace and power. That world is not found within but found in God. It is in preaching him, his attributes, works, plans and purposes, that we uplift people's souls. They are drawn to worship God because of the preached Word. Preaching is worship.... For preaching to uplift the soul in this way it must center on great biblical truths. The best preachers usually make you feel that they are dealing with something of immense importance, and that the text they are about to open is of massive significance to you. They are not preaching on mere technicalities, abstract theological niceties, or even down-to-earth practicalities. They preach God."
Murray Capill
What a good word that helps me to pray for you and preach to you! I think it also can inform your prayers for me (as well as for yourselves).
Here are some plans for our worship together this week:
Songs we'll sing: "Turn Your Eyes," "I Want to Know You," "Only a Holy God," "Be Thou My Vision (O God Be My Everything)," & Holy, Holy, Holy"
Sermon text: Proverbs 1:7
Sermon title: The Fear of the Lord (part 2)
Cross-references: Job 28:28; 38:1-42:6; Ps. 2:11; 10:4; 14:1; 16:8; Proverbs 2:5; 8:13; 9:10; 14:27; Jer. 32:38-41; Luke 7:14-16; 2 Tim. 2:7
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."
James 1:5 (ESV)
Love you, church!
By His Grace & For His Glory,
Jeff Tague
