I sometimes get asked why we don’t do more “practical” sermons or thematic sermons.

“Why don’t you guys preach on how to be a God-honoring family, or how to have a God-honoring marriage, or how to handle finances in a God-honoring way? That would be so practical. Plus, that’s what a lot of the other churches are doing.”

That’s a good observation.

It is true that at the Little Church we do not preach topical sermons. We always preach expository sermons. What does expository sermons mean? And how is it different than topical sermons?

Another great question.

Expository literally means explaining in a clear way. Expository sermons take a book of the bible and go through verse by verse explaining what the text means.

H. B. Charles Jr described the difference between expository preaching and topical sermons like this: “Ultimately, there are only two ways to preach; by exposition or by imposition. Either your preaching explains the God-intended meaning of the text or it sinfully imposes human speculation onto the text.”

There are two postures preachers can take in approaching the text they are going to preach.

First, they can stand under the authority of scripture and ask, “God, what do you want to communicate to your church through this text?”

Or, they can stand over the text as if they are the authority and know what needs to be communicated and declare, “This is what I want to say about Godly marriages. Now what texts in the Bible can I use to support what I want to preach.”

Did you notice the difference in the posture of the preacher in relation to the bible? There is a huge difference between these two perspectives.

I don’t ever want to put myself over God and God’s word. That is not my place. That is never the place of any preacher. The preacher’s role is to explain what God wants communicated to his church. And when preaching verse by verse through the Bible, it covers Godly marriages, Godly families, Godly sexual ethic, Godly use of money, etc.

The Little Church is committed to preaching God’s word. We do that by asking God every week what God wants to communicate to his church.

Lastly, did you know that our sermons are planned out at least a year out? We currently know what we are going to preach until the end of 2027.

Some people have wondered, but doesn’t planning out sermons like this so far into the future not allow for responding to current affairs as they happen?

Well. If you have been around the Little Church any chunk of time, it is uncanny how the texts that had been planned months and years ahead is exactly the text we needed to hear with the current affairs of the day. This hasn’t happened just once. But almost every single time there has been a major current affair, the text for that week is dealing with it.

And, every time that happens, we all remark – God is amazing! How did God know?!?!

So, why does the Little Church preach expository sermons? Because there is no other way to faithfully proclaim what God wants to communicate through his word.

One of my aunts has struggled with her mental health for most of her life. With the current regiment of meds and care, she is better than she has been in years. Recently, my family had lunch with her and her family at a restaurant. When the food was being served, my aunt remarked, “How come my serving is so small compared to everyone else?”

I thought that comment was quite odd since they gave her, what I thought was, a huge portion. And, if it was not a “huge” it certainly was not any smaller than any of the other dishes that the kitchen had prepared. But, I am telling you, her serving was HUGE!!!

Here’s the thing: because she was convinced that her portion was smaller than everyone else’s portion, that was her reality. As far as she was concerned, she had been cheated. This is part of the mental health thing I mentioned earlier. Because this is the lens she sees her world, every interaction is viewed suspiciously.

A couple of things to note:

• A misunderstanding believed to be true is true for my aunt. It doesn’t matter if it is not objectively true. Her perception is her reality and her truth.
• The lens we use to view the world impacts how we see and understand the world.

The million dollar question for us is: what lens are we using to see the world?

God commands Christians, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

• Give thanks – this is written in the imperative. This is not a suggestion. This is a command. God commands all Christians to give thank in all circumstances.
• Second, God tells Christians that this is God’s will for every single Christ-follower. This is God’s will. You don’t have to think about, guess, wonder about what God’s will for you is. God tells us straight out – this is my will for every single Christ-follower
• Third, God tells Christians that we are to give thanks in “all” circumstances. That’ a pretty all-encompassing word. Not in the good situations. Not when the Mariners win. All. All circumstances.

The lens Christ-follower are to put on is the lens of thanksgiving.

Now here’s the best part: when we put on the lens of thanksgiving, we begin seeing everything around us through the lens of gratitude. And there really is so much for every one of us to be grateful for. Putting on the lens of gratitude will change your life.

Don’t take my word for it. God says so! So, put it on. Put on the lens of gratitude.

There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken.

If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the jacket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket – safe, dark, motionless, airless – it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.

The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation.

The only place outside of heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is hell. 

C. S. Lewis – The Four Loves