i love my husband.

and i especially love it when i get to hear him preach.

i had to leave early sunday morning to get to work on time and did not get to hear the conclusion to his sermon but i took some notes. the notes won't do any justice but the message was still good.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing."

The first part of this passage Paul is pretty strong in his words to Timothy:

I charge you... in the presence of God... preach the word.

preach the gospel

But how do we do that? in a culture where "evangelizing" becomes "proselytizing" and offensive, we have to find actions that speak louder than words.

1. take the blame. imagine your boss taking the hit for a mistake you made. wouldn't that be confusing? wouldn't you wonder why? take the blame for someone like jesus took the blame for you
2. have an open home. invite people for dinner. be hospitable. adopt literally and figuratively.
3. give a large amount of money to someone who needs it. when you live a life in a way that jesus did, people ask questions.

preach the gospel. and if necessary use words. remember, we are not good. jesus is.

believe the gospel.

when we reject the gospel, it's often to excuse how we want to live.

jesus makes incredible demands of our lives. the first part of the gospel: we are all damaged goods (in reference to one of last week's oprah episodes)

two parts of the gospel

1. we are far more wicked than we ever feared
2. we are all loved more than we could hope