By Arron Chambers
Christian leaders, some of them preachers themselves, tell us about a sermon they can”t forget””and maybe you won”t either.
Rick Chromey
Rick Chromey has served as a youth minister, professor of youth and family, church consultant and, most recently, “edu-trainer.” Rick also writes extensively and teaches online graduate courses for Hope International University, Fullerton, California. He currently serves as director of leadership for KidZ at Heart International and travels widely equipping teachers and leaders.
Rick and his wife, Linda, live in Meridian, Idaho, near their four children. His website is www.rickchromey.com.
Rick”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I”ve heard on following God”s call was preached by Mark Bryan, senior pastor at Harvest Church, a nondenominational congregation in Meridian, Idaho. Listen to the sermon, titled “God Is Able,” at http://bit.ly/2cfSqiE.
Why Rick likes this sermon: “When I heard this message, I was struggling to know and follow God”s will. Mark”s sermon charged and changed me. It”s truly helpful, encouraging, life-changing, and memorable.”
Hannah Lightfoot
Hannah Lightfoot is a Christ follower, wife, mother, church planter”s wife, and speaker. Hannah and her husband, Patrick, left the business world to follow God”s calling into ministry. Only five years later, hearing God”s clear calling once again, they left their home church of 13 years, Journey Christian Church, Greeley, Colorado, and stepped out in faith and planted Traverse Christian Church in their hometown, Windsor, Colorado.
Hannah devotes as much time as possible to Patrick and their two children, Nolan (13) and Libby (10). She serves as the official “hole filler” at TCC, filling any role or need on any given week. Hannah speaks openly about her walk with anxiety and depression, and she has written on covenant, prayer, and the value of a woman.
Hannah”s Best Sermon: The best sermon I heard was actually not a sermon at all but a story . . . a story telling of the Bible! Tommy Nelson from Denton (Texas) Bible Church walks through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, from “In the beginning” to “Come, Lord Jesus.” Tommy paints the picture of God”s grace, love, justice, and divine plan through the covenant and the final atoning sacrifice of his Son. Watch it at www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y6T0USqpxA.
Why Hannah likes this sermon: “I love this “˜sermon” story because quite often we focus in so tightly on Scripture that we miss the narrative. We miss the beautiful love story of the Alpha and Omega, the great I AM! We lose sight that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and that we are a part of the greatest story ever lived!”
Marty Young
Marty Young is a graduate of Milligan College in Tennessee who has served as senior minister of Vernal (Utah) Christian Church since 2001. God has blessed Marty and his wife Diane”s faithfulness, growing the congregation from 90 to nearly 300 in weekly attendance. The heartbeat of the fellowship is missions, and over those 15 years, missions giving has risen from 10 percent of total giving to 50 percent.
VCC is the sponsoring church for a Christian day school, prekindergarten through eighth grade. The congregation is known in the community for its compassion and desire to gracefully share truth to all””from children to jail inmates to those in crisis to the disenfranchised.
Marty and Diane have been married 45 years. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren, all living in California.
Marty”s Best Sermon: The best teaching I”ve ever heard on the importance of calling people to a decision was a sermon on the resurrection by Cam Huxford, senior minister at Compassion Christian Church in Savannah, Georgia. View the sermon at https://compassionchristian.com/watch_online/the-resurrection.
Why Marty likes this sermon: “Since hearing and applying the obvious challenge of actually calling for and expecting people to come to Christ expressed in this message, [my] church has immersed more than 100 individuals, with two-thirds of them spontaneous responses to the clear invitation to believe and be baptized.” Seeing hundreds come forward to be baptized in Georgia was inspiring, he said. “It offered a new compulsion to me to just invite them to “˜do it,” Acts 2 style, without excuses and without delay. God has certainly honored that determination.”
Arron Chambers, a CHRISTIAN STANDARD contributing editor, serves as lead minister with Journey Christian Church, Greeley, Colorado.
0 Comments