At RPC one of the most pivotal choices we made early on was the decision to plan our sermon series out several months in advance. It enables us to maintain a balanced approach to the subjects we’re discussing, and gives our creative people the chance to plan better (creativity actually flows much better with structure). So this fall I thought I’d do something I’ve never done before: give you a sneak peek at what we’ve got planned. I’m really excited about what’s on tap. I feel like God led us to each of these series, and that they represent a healthy balance of subjects for this season of life at RPC. Here’s a quick rundown of each series and what’s in store, followed by the disclaimer we’ve always given when we discuss the sermon planner:
#FAIL – When Life Disappoints: In this 3-week series we’ll talk about what to do when the wheels come off in life – when your spouse leaves or your kids get sick or you lose your job or your country experiences an earthquake. We’ll cover how to not give up hope, finding triumph through failure and learning to minister to others out of your misery.
Sacred Cow Tipping: The church in America is full of Sacred Cows – some good and healthy and some in dire need of being “tipped” over. In this 4-part series we’ll have some serious fun discussing how to balance truth & relationships, battling the consumer mindset, and cooperating with other churches instead of competing with them. This will be our big Fall kickoff series, including lots of materials to help you invite your unchurched friends & family.
Shuffle – Learning To Listen To The Right Voices: In this 6-week series we’ll preach through the book of James, looking at the major themes that God (through this early church leader) wants us to pay special attention to. Topics will include the value of trials, how to put our faith into action, the danger of showing favoritism, the power of our words, what true wisdom looks like and the value of fully submitting to God. I’m especially excited about this one because I enjoy preaching through books of the bible.
Storytellers: In this 3-week series we’re going to let you hear some of the stories behind who we are as the body of Christ. There are incredible people that make up RPC, and this fall we’ll take 3 weeks to tell their stories so that you will be inspired to live a life that’s fully devoted to God. You don’t want to miss a single week of this one.
This certainly isn’t everything we have planned. In between some of these there’ll be some individual “stand-alone” sermons about topics we need to discuss. And, as always, we reserve the right to call an audible and change things up a bit. The schedule is subject to modification due to circumstances, including our relocation to Auburndale High School and the continual leading of God’s Spirit. But these are subjects we need to preach about soon, so if one of them gets bumped from the fall lineup it’s safe to say it will reappear early in 2011. Later we’ll discuss the importance of balance and seasons in your spiritual life.
[...] In fact, I’m pretty stoked about all of this fall’s sermons. [...]