4 ways, One Truth

Have you ever seen the movie "Vantage Point"? It is a great one. It tells the story of a president assassination, but it does so from each perspective of a handful of people who were there. It keeps rewinding to a certain beginning point and looks through the eyes of a body guard, a pedestrian, a news person and some others.
Well I am working on my sermon for this Sunday and I thought it would be really cool to look at the Garden scene in the Gospels from all four of them. In this I have noticed that each one has told the exact same story but all from their point of view.
Matthew gives a general overview of what went down. Mark emphasizes a little more on the details. Luke goes into fine detail of what happened and where Jesus prayed. John just notes that they went to the garden and skips over to when Judas betrays Him.
Its interesting thought because all perspectives compliment each other! Each one gives a certain tone and emphases, but each one wants you to look at a certain aspect of the story for a specific reason and message.
So here my sermon thought for today:
What message is He trying to tell you in your reading today, try looking at it not from your perspective, but the authors. What is the context, the background, spiritually, historically, theologically.
What is His message for you?
God bless

GO

Interesting enough that in Genesis 12:1, God calls Abram to, "Go from your country, your kindred, and your father's house to the land that I will show you"
He continues to give Abram a very vague description of what He will do if Abram follows. Verse 4 says, "So Abram went, as the Lord has told him..."
No questions asked, God called Abram to walk into the desert with out any reason really... and Abram doesn't ask why, or says He needs a couple days to pray and think about it... He just goes.
Thought here is... what is He calling you to "Go from your country, your kindred, and your father's house" from? And what is stopping you?
GO!

Sermon Thoughts: In the Beginning... well maybe not the very Beginning

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to look at scripture from with new eyes? As if you were experiencing it for the very very first time? I always have, it would be so cool to really.
Recently I started a volunteer internship at my church, basically I lead an in depth Bible study for an hour or so every Sunday night.
It has been a huge opportunity, and not just because it is a great thing to put on a resume for someone who wants to go into Youth Ministry. No its been a great opportunity in the way that my Ministry Goal for this internship to to fully Encounter the word of God with fresh eyes so to speak. To see what He really has for us in it, not what we think we know, or what we know we know about His word... but what He really wants to tell us.
And so I have started this blog to share some short thoughts about things I think are cool that I come across in my Sermon writing journey. I hope you will find them interesting too!
Let us have Fresh Eyes and actually Encounter the word of God.