Sunday Means SERMONS!

Oh, what a beautiful day! Sundays are very nice indeed- especially sunny, bright-blue-sky, crisp and clear ones!

Sundays in my life bring sermons- usually several of them. I absolutely LOVE listening to good sermons. I hope you do, too. I have learned so much from some truly Godly people through their sermons. Soooo…

I'd like to share some of my favorite sermons with you!

I'm not sure exactly how I'll do this, because I have several on my list of favorites. I thought of featuring one a week on Sundays, but that's too slow for me! Maybe I'll do one with every post! Haha. I'll just start with today, and we'll see.

So, the first life-changing sermon I want to share with you is by my very favorite preacher- Eric Ludy. Now, I know that there have been many amazing Christian men throughout history who have preached many amazing sermons. There are many who are much more well-known than Eric, who have lived longer than Eric, who have been more places and had more education and done more things than Eric. I love them too! However, this man's preaching has a special place in my own life. I have listened to more of his sermons than anybody else's, probably. And, one of the best things about Eric is that I know him personally. I know his wife and his kids, I know his church, I've talked with him, been to his home - I've seen how he lives his life, and it is by faith in Christ. I know that what he preaches is what he lives. And I believe him when he claims to be the happiest man alive on Earth today! : )

Now, Eric is an incredibly happy man, and an incredibly Christ-like, honorable, peaceful man. However (or, rather, because of that), his preaching packs some punches. He's not afraid to poke around at the hard places. He's not afraid to speak the truth boldly. So, don't expect fluffy or politically-correct or feel-good messages from him. This is truth, and it is undiluted. And Christ said we shall know the truth and it shall set us free. So before you listen, I'd advise you to make a few decisions:

1. Decide to listen with Bible-minded ears. This is THE MOST IMPORTANT note. Not open-minded ears, or close-minded, or narrow-minded, but Bible-minded. Test what he says against Scripture. Decide right now that the Word of God is the ultimate authority for man. Whatever it says is what goes. Not the word of man. Man doesn't get to judge the Word of God. If you don't first understand and submit to this, then this preaching will just be offensive, foolish, and/or confusing to you.
   
2. Decide to apply the preaching to your own life. Don't just try to make it apply to your friend's life, or your mother's life, or your neighbor's life. First of all, let it apply to YOU. This kind of preaching brings so much conviction to my own soul, and that conviction is the beginning of freedom and wonderful, indescribable joy. At first, I feel it cut like a knife- but then, I realize that it is cutting away at all the JUNK in my life that gets between me and my Lord. Then I begin to pray, "More, Lord. More conviction for me, please! I need to grow. I need to see You. I need to do whatever it takes to know You more!"
   
3. Decide to keep listening. You may be tempted to only listen to part of the message. However, I guarantee that you will miss something wonderful (or be sincerely confused) if you don't continue on. Some of these sermons are much longer than what most of us are used to, but the more you listen to them, the more you will crave for them to be even longer! I promise. So, download 'em, plug in your headphones, and go for a long walk. Or clean the kitchen. Or take a drive. Or listen to one instead of your usual movie. I really don't think you'll be disappointed.
   

So, without further ado…here's the first sermon!

A FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE PROMISED LAND

Download it here (where you can also read a description):

Eric Ludy Sunday Sermon - A Friday Night in the Promised Land

I first listened to this sermon last November, while I was on my way from Birmingham to Atlanta. When I finished it, I remember feeling several things- including intimidated, deeply convicted, terribly excited, and hauntingly peaceful. I listened to it again when Eric preached it live to our class at Ellerslie last spring, and I just played it over again last Thursday night while I closed up the café. There is no doubt about it- this is a life-changing message. If you aren't led to make some sort of change in your life after listening to it, then you're either hardening yourself to this message, or you're already further along the road of Christ-likeness than almost anyone I've ever met. Each time I've heard it, my precious Lord has pressed me closer to Himself, taught me something even sweeter, and led me down the narrow way even further. Now, how could you resist that? Give it a listen. (Just don't forget to make those decisions I told you to make beforehand!)

Happy listening!

(Oh man, I can hardly wait to post another one! These are SO good. Just a taste of who to look forward to in the future… Paris Reidhead, Jackie Pullinger, Paul Washer, Voddie Baucham, David Wilkerson, Carter Conlon, Leonard Ravenhill, Richard Wurmbrand…woo-hoo!)