Testimony:
My earliest recollection of hearing about the Bible was when I was about 5. I attended a Vacation Bible School and came home worrying about the fires of hell. It scared me enough to be a good little boy, but it didn’t bring me to repentance at that time. I remember that at that VBS they took a polaroid of me standing at the church with the words “Jesus loves you” under the picture. Many times I would stumble upon that picture and stare at it for a few minutes, apparently thinking about that statement and considering what I had learned (I can’t remember that far back anymore exactly what I thought, but it certainly arrested me for a few moments every time I saw it). In hindsight, God used those things to draw me to Himself later. Growing up, if you were to ask me if I believed in God, I would have said yes. I knew that the true God was found in the Bible and that He sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins and rise from the dead on the third day, but I was not a believer. At the same time, in my own soul, I knew there was something wrong. I found myself being embittered against people, hating people, having no desire to forgive wrongs done against me, and wrestling with dirty thoughts that were floating around in my head. I hated God in my heart, even though I would have told you with my lips that I loved Him. I began attending church seriously, when I was about 14, thinking that if I went to church that would certainly make me a Christian. Two years later, my Sunday School class was going through the book of Matthew. I began reading the Gospel of Matthew myself. When I got to the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, I felt a “poke” at my heart (i. e., conviction). I was struck by the fact that one of the seeds fell on the rocky ground (vv. 20-21). That particular seed sprang up with joy, but it was only temporary due to afflictions and persecutions. Somehow, I knew that seed reflected who I was at the time. I felt as if that text of Scripture was speaking directly to me. I kept reading and got to the good soil (v. 23). I was amazed at how, at that moment, I felt as if my heart had been read like a book. I knew that my own religion was not good enough after reading that text. I prayed then and there that I would be one who would not have a rocky heart, but that I would have a heart that would bear fruit, so I would be a real believer in Christ. There were small changes at first. I remember around that time my Sunday School teacher had been teaching verse by verse through Matthew because he had heard John MacArthur on the radio doing something like that. So he brought a tape into class one morning for us to listen to. It was out of Romans 8 and that is about all I could tell you now. That sermon was way over my head but I remember being amazed at his Bible knowledge.
At roughly this time, I acquired an unquenchable appetite for Scripture. I read books pertaining to the Bible, listened to Christian radio and read the Bible cover to cover several times over the next several years. I was growing like a weed. God was answering my prayer concerning growth. I also developed a desire to teach the Bible and to serve Christians. It also became apparent that the church I had been attending was not teaching the Bible at all. Just a few months before that I had no clue of that reality and quickly realized I needed to leave. Thankfully, I found a church where there was a man preaching the Word and who at that time had a son attending The Master’s Seminary (I mention that because that was the first time I had heard of TMS and it reminds me of how amazing God’s Providence is!). I soon realized that if I had a desire to teach the Bible that meant I should be a pastor. I knew this desire had to be of God because I hated being in front of people and especially public speaking. Yet, I was unsure what a pastor did, what that looked like and I even knew for sure if I really wanted to be a pastor. This new pastor helped me tremendously in helping me figure out how I was called and what I should do from there. I had just graduated high school and was attending college at a local Junior College and really had no idea what I was doing. He encouraged me to go Bible College. I was sold on that idea because I knew I could learn the Bible for college credit! By God’s wonderful providence again, just a few weeks after starting at Shasta Bible a representative from The Master’s Seminary visited our school for a chapel service. I was sold on going to that seminary when I was done with Bible college but I had just started a few weeks before! Interestingly enough, TMS never came back to visit the school until my senior year after I had already been accepted into the seminary. Once again, God’s providence is utterly amazing! I enjoyed my time at SBC and learned a lot about the Bible. I was able to fill pulpits, teach on a regular basis, shepherd teenagers and learn the Bible. I also got a heavy dose of humble pie. I was very prideful in all my learning and made that known to my teachers in class. Through many months of discipline from the Lord, rebukes from students, professors and others, God finally got a hold of me. I had much repenting to do with students, teachers. For the last year and a half tried to keep my head down and keep my attention focused on studying the Bible for classes, teaching and just for devotion. While going to college, I also knew that I needed to go to seminary to get more training for future ministry.
Immediately after college I moved to LA to attend the seminary. I was geared up for 3.5 years to attend TMS but once the time to move came I really struggled with that concept and wrestled with the idea. Even a few months into my time in seminary I had great doubts about being there. Thankfully, I got sick mid-way through my first semester and for some reason that sicknesses was enough for me to realize that I needed to be a good student and work as hard as I could to learn what I needed for ministry. I am glad I stayed for many reasons. In seminary I learned how to work hard under immense pressure, learned to write better, read the good books and was given the tools for life long ministry. About a year and half into seminary I got involved in a local church as a youth pastor and there I met my wife, Sarah. Seminary pushed me hard but being married was rather different. I discovered that I was extremely selfish and focused totally on myself. So seminary provided in depth Bible study, ministry provided an outlet to teach and shepherd and marriage provided me the opportunity to obey God in ways that I had never done before.
Years later, it is my desire to love my wife as the Bible commands, serve Him faithfully in the local church and give glory to Him in all that I do. I still have an insatiable desire to learn more about God through His Word. And now I have five children who need dad’s attention and it is my earnest desire for them to be saved and if/when saved to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. I am very thankful for God’s providence and the Holy Spirit’s work in sanctification.
Preparation for Sermons:
Here is a typical week synopsis: I studied for the passage maybe 10-12 weeks ago. I translate my passage from the Greek (or, Hebrew), I wrestle with some with the syntax and grammar, make observations and sometimes diagram the passage if it is helpful. Then on a different day I read several commentaries about that particular passage. Then from there I take an hour or two to type into a document what each verse means in its context. And then I let it sit for 10-12 weeks, on the back burner in my mind. I used to work on sermons week by week back when I was in seminary and realized that it did not give my brain long enough to get it all down. So I began working weeks in advance to help things click in my brain and it does really help me a lot! So in those 10-12 weeks, I begin working on other passages so that I can stay ahead. However, as I am reading, or talking to people, working through my own sins or my children or various other people in counseling situations or as I read the Bible or while talking to the congregation or talking to other pastors or in other words, living my life, I might think of illustrations or examples of application for a particular passage that I have worked on. I sometimes jot those thoughts onto paper or type them into my phone so that I do not forget. As I read, I think of a lot of applications for my own life and for the sermons I am preparing. Reading in some ways is like sitting in a classroom or getting advice from others. So I will go to my document and make notes of things I have been thinking of. So that by the time I get there when 10-12 weeks has passed, sometimes I have a good idea where I am going and sometimes not. So the week of preaching that particular passage then I come back to that passage I worked on 10-12 weeks previously. Monday of that week I read through the passage several times, read through my notes and start to get my brain going again on all of this. Tuesday then I try to fill in with applications/illustrations and work with some of the matters that I think I don’t fully understand yet, sometimes I end up reading more stuff and read the passage a lot. I typically let it sit all day Wednesday to let my brain go to work and it usually does. Sometimes if it doesn’t then I feel a bit more pressed. Then Thursday, after a day of not working on it, I sit down and fill out the rest. Then Thursday before I head home, I read my notes one more time and make corrections here and there. Usually by then I am done. So then I let it sit for a few more days. Friday, I rarely think of the sermon, usually again to let my brain work things out. Saturday, typically by evening I have several thoughts running through my head about the sermon. Sometimes I go back to my document to jot down notes or just mentally jot them down. Then Sunday morning, I go back over my notes, filling in those areas that I had thought about Sat. evening or taking out things I think don’t work or that I just don’t think work as much as I thought they would on Thursday. This is partly why I get my sermon done on Thursday, to allow my brain a few more days to work things over, to pray about it and meditate on the passage some more. This process usually takes 8-10 hours, sometimes less for an easier passage and sometimes more for a harder passage. Also, the reference works and books I use vary depending upon the book I am preaching through. I always consult James Rosscup’s book on Commentaries to get an idea of what commentaries I should be using. I stay ahead for the reason that if there is an emergency in the church, I need to go to a hospital visit or any of those types of things, I can drop my work immediately because it can wait and I am ahead for that reason. I work better at this pace than under pressure to do it all on a Saturday evening as some pastors I know do that. I do a fair amount of reading, praying and meditating on the passage. Honestly, I should do more. But there are often lots of other things going on, people who want to talk to me from the church and other projects I need to work on.