Study and preparation on my series, “Responding To The Da Vinci Code” has dominated my mornings.  Even after the initial 38-40 hours of reading and preparing just to get to the point to design this five week series, I am spending more time preparing each message than I have in a long time in any series.  Why?  It is challenging material, providing me a marvelous opportunity to teach our people theology as well as the challenge to make it relevant in the lives of people.  I do not want us to miss our potential for evangelizing people once the movie is released.

As I think back upon Monday or Tuesday nights in the past, where I have been blessed to have trained a few people all the way to 300-400 people in personal evangelism, or I think upon various moments in our past where we have attempted to equip people in various ways, I do not know of a greater moment for me personally as a Pastor  to equip thousands to win others to Christ in such a relevant and theological way as I am doing right now on Sunday mornings.  These five weeks are really a blessing to me in preparation, even though it has been a grind; a laborious but joyful grind.  I am really intrigued with training our people to think intellectually about their faith.  This has stimulated me in a new way as a Pastor-Shepherd, Preacher-Teacher, and Equipper-Coach.  As a church leader today, I must be all those things and more.  What a joy to know you are called:  sent, went, and put!

So much of my life is committed to study and preparation.  I am blessed to have established a discipline years ago about the importance of giving your mornings to God.  Ever since late high school days, I have committed to have a time with God in prayer and the Word to begin each day.  In my first full-time pastorate, while attending seminary, I then established the discipline of giving my mornings completely to prayer, the Word, study, and preparation.  No, it was not easy early on in my younger life with school and preschool children.  When I moved here 19 plus years ago, I took it to another level by having an office in my home.  This has been so important to taking this to a much deeper and greater level.

By the time I enter a world full of people just before noon daily, I have spent time in prayer, the Word, study, and preparation for anywhere from 6-8 hours, depending on the day.  Mondays through Thursdays this is hardly ever broken or denied.  Necessary travel or emergencies serve as the only exceptions.  Fridays and Saturday mornings I change my schedule to prepare my body and soul for the coming Sunday, my weekly Super Bowl. 

Everyone is different and each person has unique challenges in life.  There are two simple lessons through all of this to us today: 

(1) The early mornings have incredible value, so take advantage of them, whether it be 30 minutes or 3 hours, but seize them.

(2) Time with God is more valuable than time with anyone else.

Please pray for me daily.  I want to be all God wants me to be in my life.  Pray for our series we are going through right now.  Pray for my mornings to be all God wants them to be in my life. 

Somehow, somewhere, and sometime today…spend time with God.