The Rephidim Project exists to support those on the frontlines of spiritual battle with the resources to be refreshed through the study of Scripture to spread God’s Word in this world more effectively.
RECENT POST
OCTOBER 15, 2020
Read Directions First:
Inspiring Worship Starts with a Plan
by Rev. Jack Daniel
(Excerpted and adapted from Patient Catalyst: Leading Church Revitalization, Jack L. Daniel, Overseed Press, 2018. In part 2 of this 2-part series, we’ll look more closely at developing a philosophy of worship.)
It was Christmas Eve, many years ago. I had just arrived home after preaching twice at our Christmas Eve services. Our three young daughters were asleep, and I was looking forward to a quiet dinner with my wife. The tree sparkled, a fire crackled, and dinner was ready. Then I saw it! Under the Christmas tree was a large cardboard carton with a picture of a child’s toy kitchen on top and a warning in big red letters: READ DIRECTIONS FIRST. SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. My wife reminded me that it was my job to put together Santa’s surprise before morning. Like any self-respecting guy, I studied the picture on the box for a moment, set the directions aside, and thought, “How hard can it be?” Several frustrating hours later, after many false starts and do-overs, I flopped into bed, exhausted but with mission accomplished. I have long since learned to READ DIRECTIONS FIRST (well, sometimes).
ONLINE COURSES
COST: $10.00
This course introduces the student to the principles of sermon preparation by focusing on the biblical unit of thought, often called “the upper room discourse” (John 13-17). The student studies the exegetical and theological framework of these chapters through video lectures and personal assignments. Team taught by Dr. David Lambertson and Dr. David Christensen; the student will watch video lectures on topics like “The Theology of John” and “A Chronology of the Upper Room Discourse.” Other lectures explain aspects of sermon preparation using specific examples from John 13-17. Class assignments help students implement the information presented in the lectures. The course is self-paced, so students have the freedom to learn according to their personal schedules. Students should improve their abilities to preach expository sermons through the study of this rich section of Scripture, which examines the intimacy of our relationships with Jesus.
RESOURCES
Expository Preaching
Resources
Digging
Deeper
Seminars
&
Workshops
Recursos
En
Espagnol
Preaching
Cohorts
ARTICLES BY AUTHOR
David Christensen
- The Horns of a Dilemma: To Submit or to Defy Human Government
- The Coronavirus and Regathering in Our Churches
- Preaching to a Camera? 10 tips because 10 is the traditional number to use!
- A Parabolic Paradigm for Disciple-Making Sermons
- The View from the Pit
- Grief’s Reservoir
- Fighting the Flesh
- The Cry of the Soul in the Waiting Room of God
- The Prodigal’s Turning Point
- Confession, God’s Gift of Release
- Basic Instructions About Forgiveness
- Babbles and Baubles, Avoiding Hypocrisy in Prayer
- The Three R’s of Repentance
- Paul and Philemon: A Case Study in Pastoral Influence
Mark J. Crocco
Rev. Dr. Jack L. Daniel
- Conflicts in the Church – Part 1: Minimizing Conflict
- Conflicts in the Church – Part 2: Managing Conflict
- Enjoy the Honeymoon: Making A Good Start in a New Pastorate
- Church Size and Revitalization: Is Your Church a Cat or a Dog?
- To Plant or To Replant, That is the Question
- Asking Questions Before Accepting a Call: Look Before You Leap
- Extemporaneous Preaching: It’s Not Only What You Say, It’s How You Say It
- Preaching Through the Church Year
- Milk A Lot of Cows, But Churn Your Own Butter: Avoid Plagiarism
- Read Directions First: Inspiring Worship Starts with a Plan
Dave Deuel
Lee Eclov
Ira Hall
Ken Hinkley
Garrett Soucy
- Pastoral Watch-care in a Surveillance Society
- Space/Time Presence: The Essential Nature of the Church
- Sermon Proclamation
- Conspiracy in the Church
- Why A New England Protestant Needs A Catholic Spirit
- On Celebrating A Loss of Privacy
Stephen Witmer
BOOKS
Resources can be purchased online in physical or electronic formats. Please find the following books below.
How can we preach persuasively without huckstering, manipulating, or coercing people? Sadly, we are seeing the fall of many pastors not for reasons of sexual immorality, but the pursuit of pride and power. The skillful use of marketing methods creates celebrity pastors who become significant influencers in the evangelical church. The lure of success is seductive, turning pastors into hucksters and Christians into consumers. We need to heed the warnings of the New Testament about the pride of rhetoric and the pursuit of power. David Christensen carefully analyzes the biblical warnings of Paul about the temptations of rhetorical sophistry in the first-century church and applies them to pastoral ministry today. God calls preachers to be ethical and effective persuaders. David develops an ethical grid for pastoral persuasion using principles drawn from the Bible and social science along with practical illustrations from his years of ministry. He calls preachers to be ethical and effective persuaders by emphasizing the centrality of the word of God while depending on the power of the Spirit of God.
Our Heavenly Father has adopted us into His family and our adoption is the foundation for our transformation. Spiritual transformation is a gradual process of change as we learn the ways of our Father. Christians want to live a victorious life immediately. Talk of being radical or revolutionary Christians excites us but these descriptions imply that other Christians are lesser members of the family of God. Many consider the normal Christian life inferior to the higher Christian life. What is a normal Christian life? The Apostle Paul describes a normal Christian life in Romans 6-8.
Is your Christian life dull and dry, full of rituals and responsibilities without any passion or joy? Has your obedience become a duty and your faith turned into an obligation? Renew your relationship with Jesus through this study of John 13-16. Jesus invites you to be His friends not merely His servants. Kindle the passion of fresh friendship with Jesus as He opens His heart to you in these chapters. His self-disclosure encourages your transparency as you explore what it means to be friends with Jesus.
Expository preaching exposes the ideas in the biblical unit of thought, so the sermon follows the flow of the passage. The hearers should be able to think their way through the passage after the sermon has been preached. The preacher seeks to visualize the flow of thought – to picture the structure of the passage. The sermon should expose the hinges on which the passage swings by developing an outline based on the structure but written in contemporary language. This workbook provides a structural diagram based on the Greek text side by side with a format for the expositor to develop an outline from the passage. Short, practical insights add exegetical depth and sermon seed thoughts to help the preacher flesh out the message.
Forgiveness is not easy despite the pictures painted in many sermons. We all struggle to forgive the hurts we feel. Bitterness and resentment threaten our souls if we do not release the poison to God. Pastor David Christensen deals honestly with the pain we feel while pointing us to the wonderful release we can enjoy when we give and receive forgiveness. The book uses the metaphor of faces to teach about forgiveness. The faces of those who experience healing form the backdrop for a theology of forgiveness. David lays out the practical steps we must take to experience the healing power of forgiveness.
Expository preaching exposes the ideas in the biblical unit of thought, so the sermon follows the flow of the passage. The hearers should be able to think through the passage after the sermon has been preached. The preacher seeks to visualize the flow of thought – to picture the structure of the passage. The sermon should expose the hinges on which the passage swings by developing an outline based on the structure but written in contemporary language. This workbook provides a structural diagram based on the Greek text side by side with a format for the expositor to develop an outline from the passage. Short, practical insights add exegetical depth and sermon seed thoughts to help the preacher flesh out the message. The workbook encourages the preacher to mine the riches of 2 Corinthians 2:14-7:4 for personal growth and sermon preparation.
SERMONS
These sermons are downloadable, can be listened to online, or subscribed to via an RSS feed (e.g. as a Podcast on your mobile device.) Our sermon podcast “Honey from the Rock” is available on iTunes.
Arrows of Victory – 2 Kings 13:14-19 by Pastor David Christensen
Additional Sermon Series
1 John:
Fellowship With God
1 Samuel:
Integrity, The Fulcrum
Hebrews:
The Supremacy of Christ
Titus:
Healthy Church Practice
Romans:
Sanctification
Judges:
Culture Wars
Philippians:
Living Fellowship
1 Peter: Living in a
Hostile World
Ecclesiastes: Meaningless!
Life Without God
Acts: His Church and
Our Mission
Genesis:
The Book of Beginnings
Revelation:
Final Judgement
Luke:
To Seek and to Save
Micah:
Social Justice
