As Pastor Carl and I anticipate our pastoral transitions at the end of March, one of the things that he has handed off to me is the 2020 preaching calendar. At the beginning of each year he has given us a calendar of what will be preached at our morning and evening services, who will be preaching, when we will do the Lord’s Supper and have Baptisms, and all the other calendar related items that are known at the start of a new year. This calendar is a huge help to us as staff, so it is definitely something I plan on continuing to do - although it was a bit overwhelming when I started working on it a couple months ago, since in my previous senior pastorates I was the only or primary preacher, and so didn’t need to plan out everything a whole year at a time. But God has been gracious, and I’m looking forward to what 2020 will hold in terms of the preaching of the word.
On Lord’s Day mornings, we will begin the year by continuing to work our way through Genesis. By the time March 22 rolls around (the date of my installation as Senior Pastor), we will have finished the Jacob narratives. Soon after the transition we will begin a new series in I Peter. This letter is one of my favorite books in the Bible because of its emphasis on how Christians are to live as resident aliens in the world, and the way it grounds our holiness and our witness in the character of God and the gospel of Jesus. Filled with rich theology and practical instructions, particularly regarding how to walk through trials, my prayer is that this this book will be a great encouragement to our souls and will set the course of my ministry among you. Following I Peter, we will pick back up in Genesis at chapter 37, the story of Joseph. This last section of Genesis will take us into 2021, with a break in December to sing along with Dr. Luke’s carols (the songs of Mary, Zacharias, the angels, and Simeon at the birth of Jesus). Throughout the year I have also planned a handful of topical sermons to fit the need of the particular moment.
On Lord’s Day evenings, we have just started a series on Proverbs 1-9, seeking to learn the wisdom of Solomon for our daily lives. When that is completed we will begin a series on idolatry entitled “Broken Cisterns” (taken from Jeremiah 2:11-13). We will be preaching topically through a number of common idols of the heart with which Satan and the world seduce us. Following that series, we will preach our way through several of the shortest books of the Bible: 2 John, 3 John, Philemon, Jude, Obadiah, and Ruth.
This is the plan. And like all plans, we hold it with an open palm, knowing that “the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Would you pray with us that the Lord would use these sermons to build up His people in faith, hope, and love, and to convert His elect from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation? As ministers of the gospel, our primary calling is to preach God’s word to feed Christ’s sheep. It is our chief delight and highest privilege. Thank you for calling us to open up the Scriptures to you, and for your readiness to hear it, your encouragement, and your prayers.