Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Expository Preaching - Guest Post by My Husband

Why do I believe so strongly in expository preaching? Because I believe it is the only right and proper way to truly preach the Bible. The scripture passage determines the subject and main point of the sermon. The passage verse by verse and thought by thought are the content of the sermon. This is true exposition.

99% or more of the churches in the USA do not preach this way. In the last 11 years since my last pastorate I have not been in a single church of any denomination that preaches this way every single week.

If we are going to preach the Bible we must preach it the way God gave it to us. It is His Word. It is His Message. If we go into and preach our ideas and thoughts then it is our message not God's. My ideas, my thoughts and my opinions are totally worthless in view of the inspired Word of God. My words do not save any souls. My words do not change any lives. My words to not have any eternal value. It is God's Word (The Bible) that saves souls, changes lives and have eternal value. Not mine.
As you can tell I am passionate about it and long to see pastors and churches truly get back to the Bible and trust the Holy Spirit to use it change people. I have seen it first hand and I long to see it again.

If it isn't in the passage is shouldn't be in the sermon. That has been my rule for the past 50 years since I preached my first sermon as a teenager. I believe every sermon should be a passage of Scripture not one verse and especially not one word. When you take a word or verse out of context you can very quickly lose its correct meaning. When you stay in the context of the surrounding verses, chapter and book then you are much more likely to have the correct interpretation, meaning and preaching.

It takes work and effort to preach expository sermons. It is much easier just to make up what you want to say instead of searching out the correct meaning of the verses. In my pastoring days I often struggled with passages to make sure I had it right. A couple of times I even rewrote my sermon notes on Saturday evening to make sure I preached it correctly on Sunday morning.
For the past 11 years of being out of full time ministry it has been extremely difficult and frustrating to listen to sermons Sunday after Sunday where the context and main point of the passage is discarded to that some man can pontificate their own thoughts and ideas that they are always sure that they are correct about. I have seen the Bible diluted and and actually massacred in pulpits across the country.

God help us to come back to the Bible. Only His Word gives life!



How do you know if a sermon you are listening to is expository? It is really not that hard.

1. Do they have a passage of scripture and do they stick to it? I like to have a passage that is 4-6 verses in length. That is not a hard and fast rule. It will be dictated by the passage itself. The authors think and write like we do. They have groups of thought. One group of thought should usually be one sermon. Much of the Bible was written in paragraphs. Those paragraphs usually contain one main thought. A sermon should never be just one word or just one verse. It needs to be taken in its complete context.

2. Does the preacher stick to that text for the whole sermon? Not to say that they can't refer to related or supporting verse elsewhere in the Bible. But that should be at a minimum. If they jump to another passage and stay there for more than a few minutes then it is no longer an expository sermon. I have seen preachers go to 20-30 other verses in one sermon. That gets confusing to the listener. You then lose the thrust of the passage being preached. They need to preach the passage based on the interpretation from the original languages. What does it mean in the original Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic? There are many great tools you can use to accomplish that even if you aren't a great Greek or Hebrew scholar.

3. Do they often or even continually quote commentaries? Commentaries are just that, someone else's comments or opinions. I can count on one hand the number of times I have quoted a commentary in a sermon. I rarely use them even in preparation. I have heard sermons almost completely made up of quotes from commentators. I don't want to hear other people's opinions. I can get that anytime I want on TV. I want God's Word and what does He say through His Word. Man will often be wrong. God will never be wrong.

4. Is the passage interpreted though the culture of that day? I will give 2 examples. First is marriage. You will understand the Bible's teaching on marriage more completely and simply if you understand how a Jewish marriage worked from betrothal until death. It is much different from what we are used to in the western world. Second is adoption. You have to understand adoption in the Jewish culture of the first century. Their adoption was nothing like our adoption. No children were ever adopted into a family. There was the "spirit of adoption" when every child reached adulthood. I was "born" into God's family (John 1:12 and John 3). I was NEVER adopted into God's family. No more than my natural born children were adopted into my family. They didn't need to be. Understand the culture of the day and you will better understand the Bible.

In Bonds of Calvary,
David

Sermons:

The book of Romans series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTcKEmDMorAr2Em0exDjGp7rhIYj04Iu

The Church series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTcKEmDMorA0A966m-oPvFpGstS5QTI_

Jonah series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOTcKEmDMorAGvW_cpqq-iEL27iqqMeUp

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@versebyversebibleexpositio5817/playlists
Click this for more series and playlists.


Wednesday, September 6, 2023

The Priscilla Principle

The Priscilla Principle is now available in book form! Currently, you can get the Kindle version here.  The paperback version will be available in the next couple days. 

The Kindle version is easy and convenient to read and can be downloaded today!




The paperback version comes with around 50 blank, lined pages for notes and has a slightly different format than the Kindle version.

The versions are identical in content and you will refer back to your copy again and again as you search the Scriptures.

~Tricia



Thursday, August 31, 2023

Who is God Talking To? A Patriarchy Pitfall

God is talking to you. When you read His Word, He is talking to you. He is not talking through any other person to communicate with you - He is talking to you.

The Bible has no subtext that requires women to receive God's Word through a husband or male leader. The Bible is talking to you. If you are a woman, God is talking directly to you. If you are a child, God is talking directly to you.

I recently met a woman named Kathy. Kathy was shocked to learn that God was talking to her directly. She had never considered that to be the case because she was married and her church experience had taught her, in subtle ways, that she had no voice and that God only spoke to her through her husband. She told me she would be reading her Bible with a new perspective, a personal perspective. Praise be.

A few years ago, I published a blog post called Patriarchy Promotes Idol Worship, and in that post, I said, "Don't let your husband become an idol. Pursue Jesus, with or without him. If he does not pursue Jesus as strongly as you, leave him in the dust and pursue Jesus alone. Ideally, couples will pursue Him together, but each of us still has a personal responsibility to pursue Him ourselves, waiting on no one." 

You might be shocked to learn that I received quite a bit of backlash against that. Christian women began to send me private messages telling me that I am not in God's will, that I should look to my husband for spiritual things, that I will not be blessed if I do not follow what they consider God's plan and they believe God's plan is patriarchy.

They were/are wrong. My Bible tells me to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith (Hebrews 12:2). There is no included qualifier for this for women. He is talking to you. You are to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith. You. By yourself. You personally. You, no matter your gender or marital status.

If I am reading God's Word through my husband because of the filter of patriarchy, I am making my husband an idol because he is coming between myself and my Savior. No one comes between you and your Savior. No one.

I believe the Fundamental churches, whether Baptist or not, have given patriarchy a place that God, Himself, never gave patriarchy. It was very much how society was set up in the Old Testament, at least by men. God did not require that. God does not prefer that. God does not operate within that.

There is no patriarchal filter in the Bible.
Look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

~Tricia



Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Tell Your Story

Recently, a young woman I know found out that her abuser, a pastor, leader in the church, and missionary, had died. She had mixed emotions about it because she had never had the opportunity to get justice.....and now she can't because he died. She wasn't sure there were other victims. She can be sure there were. Abusers don't stop with one victim. Never.

I hope she finds the strength to tell her story. Those other victims need to hear it. They need to know they are not alone and that the future offers hope because of Jesus Christ. 

I was recently dismissed when I tried to tell one of my stories. I was told that it was not necessary to tell what happened because "everyone has stories" and we need to focus on other things.

But, telling the stories is so important. Here's why:

For someone who has been abused, telling their story adds to and aids in the healing process. It's therapeutic for them to tell their story. It helps them process it and the effect it had on them. Being able to articulate it gives them power. The more they tell it, the more powerful over it they become. If you will listen and let them tell their story, you are a hero.

Telling your story helps other victims. If you are able to articulate your story, that is a victory in and of itself and other abuse victims need to see and hear that you can tell what happened to you. There is power in hearing someone else's story because it gives hope to the hearer. 

Your story can help other abuse victims process what happened to them. Getting out of an abusive situation does not put an end to what an abuse victim has to deal with. Memories are strong. Dreams that were shattered because of abuse take time to rebuild. Safety and trust have to be regained. Seeing you be able to tell your story while no longer living under the power of the abuser is mighty medicine for other victims. 

God heals all abuse and victims need to hear how God healed your abuse so they can have confidence He will heal theirs. Coming off abuse, a victim often feels hopeless and is filled with despair. Hearing your story gives them that spark of hope that will eventually end their despair.

Telling your story breaks the shroud of silence that is essential for abuse to keep happening. All abusers depend on the silence of their victims. When you tell your story, you are smashing one of the most important tools and abuser has, silence.  

Sometimes you will try to tell your story to someone and they will dismiss you and not let you. When that happens - and it will happen - move on. That person will not be part of your healing. It's best to move on quickly and realize your relationship with that person will remain surface. While that may initially hurt because you thought you could be closer to that person, it's best to see the reality right away and move on quickly. You can still be friends with that person, but it will be more of a shallow friendship because you can't share your whole heart.

Tell your story.
Tell your story again and again. 
As much as you need to, tell your story. 
Those who will listen will have a huge part in your healing.

~Tricia


Tuesday, April 5, 2022

Two Years post Stroke

 Today marks two full years since I had a stroke, or a series of strokes as some believe. I've learned a few things throughout this process. I can see God's grace throughout this entire process. What He has taught me through this is hard to put into words. Fortunately, I lost no theology through this....I only got stronger in my theology. His grace is sufficient.

Stroke recovery takes time. I am rather amazed at the time some of my recovery is taking. I've had to learn to be patient with myself. There are a few things I still struggle with.

I still can't sing. I used to sing soprano/first alto, now I can barely do tenor and one or two verses of a song is all I can handle. I can't sing at all in the mornings but can usually do a verse of a song later in the day. It's really a very sad thing for me and I miss singing so very much. A lady asked me just this past Sunday why I don't sing in church. 

I still choke on liquids. Not every time I take a drink, but often enough to make me think about it when eating in public and limit my liquid intake.

I still have balance issues. I don't fall over - I did once, though, the day I came home from the hospital -  funny story  - but I'll often have to pause when walking and kind of reset myself to get a balance.

I lost my bearings for driving, although they are now returning and I can tell the difference. Having bearings is different than a sense of direction. It has taken two years for my bearings to start to come back. For the longest time, I had the feeling I was lost all the time when going places. Now, that feeling is less prominent. 

I still struggle with Pseudo Bulbar Affect, or PBA. It's a laughing/crying disease which causes me to laugh or cry harder than a situation calls for. Any emotional situation can trigger it and I can never see it coming. Some have commented how wonderful it is to laugh so much, but I'm laughing when I don't feel like laughing. I mostly laugh but it manifests itself in crying, too, and it's hard and emotionally exhausting to not be able to stop. One doctor said it's like my emotions are incontinent. As funny as it sounds, it is no laughing matter! My husband wins all arguments now because I simply start laughing and am unable to stop. This morning, I started laughing so hard I had to stop and just laugh it out. I was supposed to be helping my husband with something, but, instead, I just stood there laughing and it was out of control. I was very frustrated but laughing hysterically.

Interest in things I love is returning. I'm just now, this spring, getting interested in photography again. I have quite a bit of photography equipment that has been collecting dust for two years. My motivation for it was gone. My motivation for writing and for many other things has been buried under the cloud the stroke brought. It's all starting to come back now and I'm loving it.

I regained the ability to swim last summer by going to the pool every day and relearning how. I've known how since childhood but my ability to swim was lost with the stroke. The doctor said it's because even though I knew how to swim, my brain no longer had a path to tell my arms and legs what to do. I had to relearn so I could create new paths for my brain to use to tell my body what to do.

I had to create new paths for many things. Things I did without thinking now had to be thought through step-by-step. For example, I knew how to brush my teeth, but my brain had to find a new path to tell my hands how to brush my teeth. This came about by telling myself what to do step-by-step repeatedly for many days, then actually doing it until I created enough muscle memory to do it without going over each step. It was exhausting but very effective.

As much time as my recovery is taking, it is encouraging to see and feel progress. I'm in better health now than before the stroke and have more energy, which is a wonderful feeling. 

Thanks for reading and caring.

~Tricia

Saturday, November 13, 2021

Does Patriarchy Promote Idol Worship?

 Does Patriarchy Promote Idol Worship?  

Smith’s Bible Dictionary defines “idol” as, “An image or anything used as an object of  worship in place of the true God.” 

In a recent conversation on social media, I was confronted by a woman who strongly  disagreed with a statement I made in which I said, “If your husband does not pursue Christ  as strongly as you, leave him in the dust and pursue without him.” She said my statement is  unbiblical and flawed. She compared the statement to being non-submissive as though  pursuing Christ could be construed as non-submissive. She went on to say, “I do look to Jesus  but I also rest in my husband and look for his godly input.”  

Another statement she called me out on was, “Look to Jesus, not your husband, for your  faith and courage.” My statements were made in the context of helping abuse victims  overcome the deeds of their abuser(s). However, I really think the context is irrelevant to  this statement because looking to Jesus for our faith and courage is straight out of Scripture (Hebrews 12:2), yet this woman argued with me. She’s a Christian woman, yet she disagrees  with the idea of looking to Jesus instead of our husbands for faith and courage. 

We can look to other people for input….and we judge their qualifications to give input by  God’s Word, but that does not change the fact that the Bible tells us to “Look to Jesus, the  author and finisher of our faith.” Because this woman equated my statement of looking to  Jesus with never, ever getting my husband’s input, she felt I was teaching non-submissiveness. She said my advice was wrong and unbiblical.  

She filters all through her husband. She said, “Yes, we look to Jesus first, but we also look to  our husbands for our faith and courage. It was the seeming omission of the husband’s part  in the wife’s spiritual growth that is not scriptural.” I find no “husband’s part in the wife’s  spiritual growth” that she spoke of, other than a normal admonishment to edify one  another as joint heirs of Christ.  

This is idol worship.  

This is extra-biblical teaching.  

This is dangerous teaching. 

And this sums up the poverty of patriarchy. That a wife would be discouraged from looking  to Jesus in any way, shape or form speaks to the fact that patriarchy teaches, and even  encourages, idol worship. The Bible says, “Look to Jesus…” This woman said, “Look to Jesus,  but…” Big difference. There are no buts. The verses, Hebrews 12:1&2, come after chapter  11, which names and briefly describes many great witnesses of the faith. Chapter 12 opens  with references to this great cloud of witnesses we are surrounded by and encourages us to  “lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and run with endurance the race that  is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”  

This passage does not have a sub-message for wives. This passage is talking to every  Christian…young, old, male, female, married, single, etc. There are no “buts…” included and 

we are out of line to add one. There is no marital filter in Scripture. Jesus, not your husband,  is your top priority. Seek Jesus. Follow Jesus. Look to Jesus. Jesus, not your husband, is the  object of your focus. No portion of Scripture tells us to pursue a spouse over Jesus. It’s  simply not taught. No portion of Scripture tells us to pursue Jesus through a spouse. This is  man’s idea, rooted in patriarchy, bathed in idol worship and designed to draw us away from  Jesus. Your primary relationship is your relationship with Christ. Let nothing get in the way of that relationship. 

Give your relationship with Christ the most time, attention and energy. Your marriage will  be better and stronger if you do. Many wives find themselves, out of the frustration of  patriarchy, manipulating and plotting to control their husband. Time spent trying to  manipulate a husband is time better spent learning of Jesus. Manipulation, a product of  patriarchy, shows a complete lack of faith in God. Manipulation is nothing more than an  effort to control. But, that is a nearly inevitable response because patriarchy is nothing  more than an effort to control and it has the support of the church. Most independent thinking women struggle against it, not because they are rebellious or un-submissive, but  because their walk with Christ comes into question and they are told to pursue their  husband over pursuing Christ.  

It’s better if Jesus is in control. When we pursue Christ above all else, all else falls into place.  

Never compromise any part of your relationship with Christ for the sake of another  person…. Including your husband.  

Never slow your pursuit of Christ for the sake of anyone else…. Including your husband.  Wait for no one.  

Pursue Christ with gusto.  

Patriarchy creates idol worship by encouraging wives to put their husband before Christ by way of a perceived “marital filter” which teaches wives that everything they  do/think/feel/say has to go through their husband. Some have gone so far as to say a wife’s  focus should be submission. Oh, my, no. A wife’s focus should be Jesus, only Jesus. 

There’s an umbrella image floating around the internet and I’ve seen many Christians  embrace and promote this image declaring it “the natural order of the family.” This image  shows a large umbrella with Christ written on its opening. Under that is another umbrella  which is labeled “husband.” Under that, yet another umbrella which is labeled “wife.” This  image is disturbing to me because it puts the husband between the wife and Christ. The  Bible tells us there is but one Mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (I  Timothy 2:5), but this widely embraced graphic teaches the opposite. This graphic openly  teaches idol worship. It needs to be debunked. I am confused as to why so many Christians approve of this image. 

“Debbie” called me on a Wednesday afternoon, utterly frustrated and distraught over her  marriage. Her husband, “Tony,” had decided married life was too burdensome and wanted  out. He had stopped going to church altogether. He traveled all week and was only home on  weekends, making it rather easy to distance himself from the family. Debbie’s question for  me was anything but typical, however. Because her husband had stopped going to church 

regularly but, when he did go, liked to go to a certain church she felt compromised the  Word, she thought maybe she and the children should go back to that compromising church  just in case he decided to go. 

So, I answered her question with a question. I said, “Let me understand this. You want to go  where you know the Word is compromised in case your husband decides to come back to  God, and to you, because that’s where he likes to go?” 

She hesitated, then said, “Well, when you put it that way…” I asked her how else I could put  it and she had no reply. I proceeded to advise her to let nothing stand in the way of her  relationship with Jesus. I advised her to not compromise on the true preaching of the Word  in order to accommodate her husband’s wayward decisions. I reminded her that if he goes  back to a compromised church, he’s really not going back to God. I advised her to pursue  Jesus, alone, pray for her husband and let Jesus handle him. I told her to never slow down  her own pursuit of Jesus for anyone, ever, and to go to a church which preaches the Word  without compromise. She was unsure if she was “allowed” to make such a decision. I  assured her she was very much allowed to make that decision and any other decision she  wanted to make. 

She felt unable to make a decision concerning her own spiritual well being, as well as that of  her children. What made her feel unable and unsure about making this decision was  patriarchy. She thought the husband was supposed to lead and at least approve and agree with anything she decided. This is simply not true and it left her in spiritual poverty.  

We women are free to choose Jesus and everything that goes with choosing Jesus. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength; there is no  reason to hesitate or question ourselves when it comes to pursuing Jesus, even if our  husbands will have none of it. 

My walk with Christ has always been mine. I cherish my relationship with Jesus and let no  one, not even my husband, get in the way of my pursuit of Jesus.  

Don’t let a patriarchal system force you into idol worship by putting your husband before Jesus. Anyone who comes between you and Jesus is an idol. Patriarchy leaves women in  spiritual poverty, unable to claim Jesus above all else.  

Patriarchy encourages idol worship.

~Tricia


Friday, November 5, 2021

How Patriarchy Stole my Education

 Patriarchy Stole My Education  

  

I went to Clarks Summit University, formally Baptist Bible College, at age 21, four years after  my high school graduation. After growing up in a tumultuous, violent home due to my  alcoholic father, I had no dreams for the future upon my high school graduation. A good  student academically with a gift for singing (I won the National School Choral Award for my  high school choir), what I lacked was confidence to think I, of all people, could go to college.  So, instead, I took a job as a waitress and just worked to no particular end. 

Then, at 18, I heard the gospel of Jesus Christ and my life was turned upside down. My  family initially rejected my decision and made life very difficult at home, so I moved out and  got an apartment and a better job. Without my own plan, God led in ways I had not  expected and after traveling with a Christian singing group for a year, I ended up at a  Christian camp in Lake Ann, Michigan. There, I met a married couple who were professors  at a Bible College in PA. I knew about the school and had had an ongoing letter-writing  relationship with a young man who attended there.  

By the time I went there, I had nothing to my name. I literally owned nothing but the  clothes in my small suitcase and my small purse. I had sold my car and other possessions to  travel with the group. I had not lived with my parents for three years and I had no income.  But, even though I had been on my own for three years, the financial director insisted on  using my father’s income on all my financial applications and pursuits. 

My dad, although an alcoholic, held down a very good job and his income put me in a  bracket that disqualified me from all financial aid. The financial director of the school simply  did not know how to process me as an individual. I had no choice but to go along with his  idea that I was “still” under my father’s household, and I had not a penny to my name. I  begged him to understand that I had lived on my own for more than three years, but I might  as well have been talking to the walls; he could not hear me and he would not process me  as an individual. 

When I say I had nothing, I mean nothing. I had a bar of soap I had bought in Michigan  through the camp and a small bottle of shampoo. I could not call my family for help. I did  my laundry by hand in the dorm bathroom, with shampoo, because I had no quarters for  the washer and dryers there. I quickly began typing papers with a borrowed typewriter for  other students so I could buy my necessary toiletries but I literally had no money for  anything else at all. I lived in the dorm and had the food voucher, so I could eat and sleep. I  scraped enough together from the typing jobs to get some cheap sheets and a blanket and  pillow. Many times, the typing jobs kept me up all night long. I struggled academically for  the first time in my life because the Bible was all new to me; I had not grown up in Sunday  school and heard even the simplest stories from the Bible. I floundered but seemed unable  to make my professors understand. 

My entire tuition for that year was put into a student loan and I had no resources to pay it  at the end of the year, so I had to go to work instead of return to school. I earned a simple 

one-year Bible certificate. Shortly after graduation, I got married and had eight kids and  have not yet been financially able to pursue further education.  

My point is this: Had the financial aid office treated me as the individual I was and not under  my father’s financial umbrella, I would have had many more options and qualified for  financial aid. 

The school’s system at the time was based on patriarchy. I was nothing if I did not claim my  dad’s income. I seemingly had no other resources. If his happened now, I would fight  harder, but at the time, I didn’t know how to fight such nonsense, but I knew it was  nonsense. 

Patriarchy left me in educational poverty.