[UPDATE: audio added]

Well, I know this is a little belated, but a week ago Monday I had the privilege to preach in chapel at The Master’s College before almost one thousand people. I originally had visions of starting a small revival on the campus, but as the day drew near, I merely wanted to get up and down without doing anything incredibly stupid. It was one of those feelings where you don’t foresee how you can go from start to finish without at some point looking like a complete moron. John MacArthur preached the chapel before on Friday, so I had to follow the president on Monday.

But how dare I doubt the goodness of our God. He pulled me through it in ways that I did not think possible. I was calm and comfortable. I didn’t lose my place in my notes. I only stumbled over one or two words and I said things that I hadn’t thought of before that fit perfectly in the flow of the sermon. I am most thankful that the Lord gave me joy through the whole process.

I spoke on Hebrews 12:1-2 and I showed how this passage gives us three strategies for how to endure to the end of the race. If you want to endure you must:

1. Run by Recalling those who have gone before you
2. Run by Removing all that hinders you
3. Run by Regarding Jesus Christ

Listen

[audio:http://www.masters.edu/podcast/chapel/Running%20the%20Race%20of%20Faith.mp3]
Download MP3

Watch

Video of the chapel (requires Windows Media Player)

The best part of the whole morning was seeing my dad and Sean show up. I thought I saw my dad at the end of my sermon, but I figured that there was no way that he would have flown down. But afterward, Dad came up and gave me a hug and told me that he wasn’t the only one there. I was very honored to have both men, who have invested so much in me, come to hear me preach. I love them both. We enjoyed some In-N-Out and after four hours in Santa Clarita they made the drive back to the Northwest.

You can read Sean’s account here and follow his Twitter posts during my message here.