I trust your year is off to a great start already. I pray that for each of us, 2008 will be a year of Christian growth, unlike any other. As mentioned on the previous post, this year Lancaster Baptist Church will endeavor to Consider Christ in everything we do. I want to encourage you to make this a personal theme of your own. Imagine the impact we would see in our lives!

On January 27th-30th, we will hold our annual Winter Revival Services with Dr. John Goetsch. For some months now, Dr. Goetsch has been preparing messages from God’s Word. I greatly anticipate these services and how the Lord will speak to our hearts.

It is of supreme importance that we prepare our hearts so that God can do a work in us. Revival does not come accidentally nor will come arbitrarily. There are condition for revival. Second Chronicles 7:14 tells us that we must be a prepared people, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

During the entire month of January, many members of Lancaster Baptist will invest hours in prayer and fasting. We believe that revival can only come about when we as a church family are faithfully seeking God’s will in each of our lives.

But even when our Winter Revival is over, I pray that the spirit of revival would long remain. God never intended for revival to be a period of time, but rather the constant norm of the Christian life.

Please spend some time in prayer today for the Winter Revival at Lancaster Baptist Church on January 27-30. We want God to do something amazing in our lives but know it can only come about as a result of our obedience and submission to Him.

Over the course of the next 11 months, candidates from every political party will be campaigning, maneuvering, and positioning for their shot at the presidency. These candidates will pull every available resource in order to get you to consider them, consider their record, and consider their promises.

This November, I will proudly exercise my right to vote; however, I recognize that there is a much more important vote to cast this upcoming year. More important than our consideration for any candidate will be our consideration for Jesus Christ.

This year, will you consider Christ?

The theme for the Lancaster Baptist Church family this year is Consider Christ. This past Sunday night, as we unveilved the theme, I preached a message for Hebrews 12:3 which says, “For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

In this passage we learned that when we consider Christ…

I. We Renew our Focus vs.2a
A. Focus on the Person of Christ Hebrews 11:36-38
1. His Eternality Colossians 1:16-17
2. His Sovereignty Isaiah 44:6

B. Focus on the Work of Christ vs. 2b
1. His work is finished John 19:30
2. He is favored. Ephesians 1:20-21
3. He is faithful. I Timothy 2:5

II. We Refresh our Spirit vs. 3
A. Refreshed by His Example
1. He endured the cross
2. He endured the contradiction of sinners. Psalm 69:20

B. Refreshed by His Encouragement
1. When we are weary Isaiah 40:30-31
2. When we are fainting 2 Timothy 1:7

III. We Revive our Purpose
A. We have a heavenly purpose. vs. 2
B. We have a hopeful purpose.
1. Consider Christ in our serving. Philippians 2:5-8
2. Consider Christ in our singing. Colossians 3:16
3.Consider Christ in our stewardship.
4. Consider Christ in our soulwinning. Luke 19:10