Preaching @ Mt. Freedom Baptist

Over the labor day weekend I was blessed to share Christ twice! On sat. at a youth conference held by Unity Christian Church & on Sunday morning at my local church (Mt. Freedom Baptist). Unfortunately there were just a few kids at the youth conf. due to all the youth being out of town for labor day but that didn't faze me because I came to lift up Christ to one or one thousand. It is just an honor to preach the very gospel that saved my own soul & also my wife, Amanda, reminded to never forget that God rejoices over ONE SINNER that repents (Amen). I experienced a very precious time with the Lord praying in a small room in the back of the sanctuary before I went up to preach. God comforted me & I felt strengthen to faithfully share the gospel to all who came. God is gracious.

Back in Wilmore the next morning I was to preach a 'remix' version of Psalms 51 at Mt. Freedom Baptist (I previously preached it at Auburndale Baptist on july 19). Our pastor, Nathan, asked me to preach that morning since he had just finished 1 Samuel and was going to be out of town. What a privilege & honor it was to preach before my local church, friends & some basketball teammates for the first time. My focus in this sermon was to explain the great problem of "How can God uphold justice and yet forgive sinners?" I also went back into Psalms 51 to show examples of what biblical repentance should look like in a Christian's life for individual examination/assurance.

Overall it seemed like the Lord blessed his word and many were attentive and really seemed to be soberly thinking about what I was saying. I got great responses after the service and talked with a few people individually about the gospel. I've been praying for those who heard the gospel that morning and I know the Spirit is doing work in the lives of his people. Pray for grace to know Christ as our eternal bread & living water that satisfys every desire of our soul forever!

FCA Team Camp

Asbury College hosted a FCA Team Camp the last week of June for high school basketball, tennis, & wrestling teams. I had the privilege to be the leader of team devotions for Pikeville H.S. basketball & briefly speak in a camp chapel. With very short notice I prepared to give a concise presentation of my testimony & more importantly the Gospel. I needed to be 'ready in & out of season' to preach the gospel & I heavily relied of God's grace to bless my message.

THE CHAPEL
The crowd of over 400 campers & coaches poured into the chapel very 'hyper' from a day full of competition. My wife & I had been praying for the hearts of these campers to be prepared to receive the gospel but the prepping wasn't what I expected. The chapel began with a silly rap skit... that was designed to 'loosen' the kids up & entertain them. Then I was schedule to go on... but I was encouraged by my wife, Amanda, who was praying for me in the back of the chapel. Seconds before I went up she looked at me & said, 'Phillip, these kids need to hear what you have to say to them.' That was all I needed to hear from her & I felt like a man on a mission... sent by God Himself to proclaim truth from the rooftops!

I humbly took the stage & gazed into the eyes of these teens who I know would not give a rip about what I have to say unless the Holy Spirit gives them ears to hear, eyes to see & hearts to understand. I have nothing to offer but the gospel that saves & the testimony of my life (that God radically saved a wretch like me). I feel like I had gripped their attention & poured myself out in that short time with only one goal. To humbly, clearly, & boldly preach the gospel of Jesus Christ & call all to repent & believe. I feel like God blessed our time in chapel & the next evening Pastor Patrick Whyte preached a beautiful & powerful message on the Gospel. My heart burned inside of me when I heard it & I felt like the Holy Spirit brought life to many spiritually dead souls.

THE WORD TAKING ROOT
Every night after the chapels I met with Pikeville's basketball team to have a devotional & answer any questions they may have. On the last night I know the Lord blessed our time. I just began to share with these young men my own testimony & the importance of examining their own hearts to see if their is genuine repentance & faith present. Our time started out a little awkward but soon the players & even their coaches began opening up to me. One of Pikeville's coaches (who is a very reserved man) felt led to read from the Bible & encourage his players. From there I felt like the Lord was bringing Scriptures to mind so I shared with them & we finished with prayer. After we finished a player pulled me aside to talk. He thanked me for the devotionals but had been really examining his life about true repentance. He confessed a growing guilt of sin within & the growing pressure of outwardly looking like the 'golden boy' to adults around him. I just encouraged him & gave him some Scripture to read & pray through. I was very excited to see a heart was being pressed upon by our discussions. It was a great camp & to God be the glory!

Preaching @ Auburndale Baptist: Psalms 51

It was a privilage, honor, & joy to finally preach for the first time at my home church in Louisville, KY. It was the first time my pastor, my family & friends have ever heard me in a formal setting at our Sunday night service. My text was Psalms 51 & my sermon was titled "True Repentance".... my goal was to explain what repentance means, why we must repent to be saved, & what true repentance looks like in a believer's life.

Before I got to examples of true repentance in a believer's life from Psalms 51, I wanted to clearly present one of the greatest problems in the Bible. That is: how can God uphold justice & still forgive guilty sinners (David & us)? Many know the story of David & Bathsheba... full of lust, adultery, decite, murder, shame, etc. Well then how can God be a just judge & just forgive David as if He is letting David go unpunished? And of course, sins will not go unpunished.... God is just and God is love! He has made a way for sinners to be forgiven, sins to be punished, & justice to be upheld: It is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus fulfilled all righteousness & the law by living a sinless life & then died on a cross to pay our sinful debt to God the Father. We, as rebels, have broken God's law but Jesus removed God's wrath against our sin by stepping in to take our punishment for us.... Amazing grace: Jesus took our bullet, our death sentence, the judge stepped down to take our prision sentence! This is how God is just & yet justifer the one who has faith in Christ.

As I took the pulpit-though I was armed with prayer, hours of study, & a burden from God... it was extremely surreal looking out at all the faces of my life. I saw the lost, faithful brothers & sisters in Christ, mentors & friends I have witnessed too...all in expectation to hear what I would say. But I knew no words of mine, no eloquence, no pleading, nothing could save a single soul or geniuenly encourage a believer unless the Holy Spirit opened hearts. But I feel like the Holy Spirit blessed our time as the gospel was preached & the call for repentance & faith made & I know God's Word will take root in hearts. I encourage you to listen to this sermon if you get a chance. To God be all the glory, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to recieve the reward for his suffering.

Reflecting on recent Evangelism @ Southland

Recently I had the opportunity to share the gospel at a large sports banquet for Southland Christian Church. My coach informed me on the opportunity and I was all over it. Hey, 'we got one life to live that soon will pass & only whats done for Christ will last' right? I really prayed & prepared for this opportunity knowing I would get to share the gospel with who knows how many souls? Southland Christian is a huge mega church so I figured there would be a great turnout for this event. The director of this event was great, he gave me alot of freedom to speak what was on my heart (the gospel) and was very encouraging.

Game Day:
After practice I cleaned up & took Amanda with me to the church...my coach & teammate (T.J.) came as well for support. Amanda was getting nervous for me because alot of people started pouring in...I've never spoken to a crowd bigger than maybe 50...and by the time the banquet started there could of easily been over 400 people. Wow!!! what an opportunity to exalt Christ through the preaching of His Gospel. The banquet was pretty creative, it was set up like the NBA Draft for the kids involved and Southland had it all....announcers, highlight videos, a commissioner, you name it.

Tip Off:
Before you know it I was called up to the podium, but it was now a pulpit for me. I was pretty nervous, I mean I love preaching the gospel with all my heart but I'm still a weak, broken, flawed vessel who has no power unless the Lord blesses my words. So what was my message, my goal, my method??? Just to humbly & boldly preach Jesus Christ crucified & resurrected. I used a basketball analogy to grip the audience's attention & just went right into the 'ground work' for the gospel. The ground work is explaining the question before I give the answer.

You see, most Christians are quick to say 'Jesus is the answer' but a lost sinner doesn't even know what the question is. Christians say turn to Jesus but the unregenerate they're not that bad & would say 'I didn't even know I had to turn, I'm content of going my way.' Christian brothers & sisters we need to take our zeal for the gospel & use the evangelism methods of the ultimate evangelist, Jesus Christ. His method striped a sinner of their self-righteousness and exposed their sinfulness before a holy God. How did Jesus & the apostles do this? Simple, take them through God's law (10 commandments) and help sinners see their sin & understand how hopeless they are before God's righteous judgment....Then they'll see their need for grace, and a Savior from the wrath to come.

Now it is time to offer the free gift of Salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. He alone fulfilled God's righteous requirements by living a sinless life and then amazingly died on a Cross in our place as a sacrifice for our sins. 3 days later He rose from the grave as a victorious Savior over sin & death. We have rebelled and God commands us to repent & put our trust in Christ. Sins will be punished, either we will pay for our sins in hell or we will have Christ pay for our sins on the cross.

Needless to say everything went great & I could see in the eyes of many in the audience that they were taking in this message. I only pray that God gave them ears to hear & the eyes of their hearts see the glory of Christ. A few men in leadership at Southland came up to me and said they really appreciated the clear explaination of the gospel. What more could a soul want or need? We were created to glory in God & be enthralled by his love. Christ has done the work for us to be reconciled back to God. What can the world offer us? Money, fame, possessions, praise? Its all empty & it will only last for a vapor of time & then its gone. Joy in God is ever increasing & will satisfy for all of eternity!!! God offers Himself as our supreme treasure...God demands that we have what will bring us the most joy & happiness forever......Himself!

Sharing the gospel with middle school squad

One thing I love about Asbury College is the freedom to talk about the Lord and its not awkward....usually. Being at a conservative Christian college that emphasises holiness has been encouraging in my evangelism efforts. Today I had another privilege to lift up Christ and share His gospel. A former Asbury basketball player brought his middle school basketball team to our game tonight. A few hours before tip off me, my coach, and another teammate had a chance to meet these young people, encourage them, tell them about Asbury, and most importantly share the gospel.

My teammate Daniel spoke first, he talked about utilizing the simple gifts God has given us to be the best we can be. Daniel is a great teammate and that is saying alot in a generation of selfish players. Then I spoke with a bible in one hand and basketball in the other. I started with Col. 3:23 "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." I grew up playing with & against some great ball players in Louisville, but the best would have to be Rajon Rondo. He's the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics and we grew up playing with or aganist each other from church league, YMCA, middle school, high school, and even won an AAU state championship together. I realized at a young age that I was never going to be as athletic as Rajon so I'd have to work very hard and become as skilled a player as I could to compete at a high level. Working hard is rewarding & a must in life but to work hard as unto the Lord rather than men is the prime objective. God alone deserves the glory and its His favor and blessing that one must truly have when its all said in done.

I then took my bible and showed them how I had exchanged God's Word for a basketball when I was their age (12-14 yr old). Basketball is a blessing but not the reason for our existence...in the end the most important thing is if we have a right relationship with God. To hammer this home I scanned the room & asked, "Did anyone see how many points Michael Jordan scored last night?"....their faces seemed blank & confused....I answered, "Of course you didn't, MJ doesn't play anymore because he is to old now"....the kids smile back...I then ask, "Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a game once but did anyone see how many points he had last night?"...blank looks again...I answer back, "You didn't see Wilt Chamberlain score last night because he's dead".....now I'm getting sober looks from these kids with pin drop silence.

I said this to bring to light the fact that we're all going to die one day and have to stand before a holy God and give an account for our lives. Basketball won't really matter on this day, all that will matter is if we are right with God. These kids may be young, but they're old enough to sin and they're old enough to die and I care about them & their souls. Life is but a vapor, yesterday I was in their shoes and tomorrow I'll have grandchildren (Lord willing). I then guided them through the standard of God's law (10 commandments) to show them their need for a Savior. Explained sin, God's justice and why we deserve nothing but a place in hell. All this was to bring forth the glory of Christ our only Savior who takes away the sin of the world!!!

As I was unpacking the gospel and explaining all that Christ accomplished on the cross I was encouraged to see a young girl in the back nodding her head as if the light bulb had come on. I finished with the power of Christ's resurrection and the command to repent & trust in Jesus for Salvation with a new heart. These kids were very attentive and that's all I could hope for when sharing the good news. There is no feeling like sharing the gospel, its like beginning born again & again....it reminds us of the miracle of our own conversion. Lord I praise You for Your loving kindness toward sinners, glorify Your great name by saving those who heard Your gospel today. Amen

Winter Storms glorify God

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge. -Psalms 19:1-2






Over the last week we have experienced an amazing winter storm. Its just been freezing weather, power outage, falling tree branches, snow, ice, ice and more ice. Through all this I have tried to enjoy the beauty of God's power in creation. On my way to the gym or class I have seen some of the most beautiful and breathtaking views I have ever witnessed. Massive ice sickles hanging from power lines, frozen trees sparkling with thick ice, and a soft canvas of snow covering the ground.... these are just a few of the glories of God's hand.

I pray that this winter storm only points believers to love, adore, fear, and worship God even more. To be in awe of His power, creativity, and his transcendent nature that makes us finite humans lay our hands over our mouths in reverence of the only One worthy to be praised. May we give glory to God...not sleding, not frosty the snow man, not days off from school, not snowball fights. These are fun & can be blessings but may we treasure God and see His beauty in all that He reveals to us.

Dear Father, be merciful to me a sinner. Thank you for your love and patience through Christ. You truly are long suffering and full of lovingkindness...You not only give rain to the just and the unjust....you also give snow. To You belongs the glory. Amen.

Home for the holidays...or better yet CHRISTmas!!! I am truly blessed, my wife and I are back home for a week to enjoy family, great food, relaxation and even gifts. But as a follower of Christ I am on guard and aware of all the idolatry and silly things that are done in the name of Christmas that bring empty satisfaction and false hope. I'm not trying to put coal in anyone's stalkings but I'm so grieved that everything seems to get glory around Christmas except Christ. Santa, the mall, wrapping paper, football, food, Christmas trees, etc. all of it seems to get more attention and adoration this time of year than Christ Himself! Is not this Savior who came to save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:21) the reason for the season?

Sure the world will ignore Christ, this babe in a manger who would soon call men to repent and follow Him. But even the church in America seems hypnotized by rampid materialism and a fat jolly myth who lives upon parent's lies and stealing God's glory. Santa works for Jesus, and he was once a saint who would be appauled at what his story has become. I am a pilgrim who journey's through this world until I am at home with Christ. May Christ get the glory on Christmas in the hearts of His people whom He has redeemed with his very blood.

I pray that my heart is kept from loving this world or anything else for that matter anywhere close to my passion and love for Christ. I don't want to waste my life, or my marriage, my abilities, opportunities, holiday, or money on anything. But Lord, may all that you give me to stewart be used to bring glory to your awesome name!