Preaching at Wheaton (23)

I was so glad in this morning's sermon to be able to use a story emailed to me by a member of the congregation. It referred to a particular crisis he had just gone through and his discovery of God's presence. He mentioned the help he received from his small weekly prayer group. After both services some men came up to me and said: "I know who you were talking about!" I was glad I had his permission to use his story! But one of them said: "It's just great to hear about what difference faith makes in every-day life of one of us!"

I believe there is immense power in the congregation telling up-to-the-moment faith stories. Not just the preacher constructing a set-piece sermon but hearers directly contributing the pieces. Thank you for continuing to share.

My last sermon in this series focuses on the question "You do not want to leave too, do you?" (John 6:67) It's a question of loyalty. It's asked in some complex teaching on Jesus the Bread of Life, and the Scripture passage will run from John 6:53-71. However, I may also include Mark 4:13-20, the story of the sower and the seed because I see some strong connections.

I shall post some more of my preparation shortly. Thanks for preparing with me.