Jesse Joyner, PhD

I have the blessed opportunity to preach this weekend at my church. The pastor asked me and I was both humbled and honored. But most importantly, I feel slightly nervous with the task of preaching God’s Word to God’s people.

The irony is that I push the importance of children’s ministry so much, but don’t feel this “holy reverence” to the task of teaching God’s Word when I’m in the children’s worship room. Maybe it’s familiarity, maybe it’s mediocrity. Maybe it’s me relying on my own strength. Whatever it is, may the Lord challenge me with this opportunity to ALWAYS (no matter the age group) see every teaching/preaching moment with a holy fear. They said that Martin Luther’s knees would knock beneath the pulpits from which he preached.

Now for the Shema – that is the text of my sermon. My main point will be that God’s first command to Israel AFTER the Shema is the “greatest commandment” (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength). And then, the first thing Israel needs to do with that command is teach it to their children. Passing on the legacy of faith to children is something so key yet so forgotten these days.

Marva Dawn said that she once had a hard time finding an honest roofer – a worker with integrity. Where do people gain or lose their standards of integrity? Not in trade school. It was when they were lying down and waking up and walking along the road with their parents as a little child.

Parents should be the primary spiritual leaders to their kids – not the church children’s/youth pastors.

Please pray for me this coming Sunday. His Word. His Church. His grace.

-Jesse