Theme for Second Quarter
Posted by Bob on March 26, 2007
This next week I will begin a sermon series from the book of Colossians. The theme for the year is Keep Your Eye on Heaven in 2007 and the theme for this next quarter is “Living Heavenly Values on Earthly Soil.” I choose the title and the book of Colossians because of 3:1-4 where Paul tells them to keep their minds on things above. Here are my titles:
Living Heavenly Values on Earthly Soil
1. Begins with a Faithful Church 1:1-2
2. Characteristics of a Faithful Church 1:3-14
3. God Brought Heaven to Earth 1:15-20
4. The Results of Heaven coming to Earth 1:21-23
5. A Heavenly Ministry 1:24-2:5
6. Walk with the One from Heaven 2:6-7
7. Leaving Behind Earthly Values 2:8-23
8. Keep your eyes on heaven 3:1-4
9. Putting to death Earthly Practices 3:5-11
10. Putting on Heavenly Virtues 3:12-17
11. Heavenly Households 3:18-4:1
12. Presenting Heaven to Outsiders 4:2-6
13. Heaven’s Fellow-workers 4:7-18
I really love preaching a series from a book. Colossians is always a favorite. I’ve come to believe that the church in Colossae was actually a quite mature congregation, even more so than the church in Philippi. I don’t think that the things Paul mentions in 2:8-23 were present in the congregation as they were on the horizon. Paul is warning them about trends that were headed their way (or possibly present in a small way). Anyway, I think it is the perfect NT book to talk about living the Christian life here on earth while keeping your mind on heaven.
Trey Morgan said
Bob,
Isn’t it nice when you know where your going long before you get there. It makes preaching SO much easier.
Bob said
Trey, just after I got started in my second congregation (second year of full time ministry, first pulpit gig) I was struggling trying to figure out what to preach each week. Sometimes Saturday would roll around and no inspiration. On a foliage trip my father-in-law (Lon Mohundro) was telling my about how in the seminaries they teach their preachers to set aside a week in the summer to do sermon planning and then another week to get started on studying for those sermons. I went home and started coming up with all kinds of ideas for topical sermon series and book sermons series. I now try to set aside some time in October to do my planning. Every year is different in terms of how I lay out my year but I’ve been doing it now since 1980. It really does make preaching SO much easier.