Be Prepared

1. What do we do?

How many people appreciated Michelle sharing last week?

Applause and cheering

Now Michelle gave you her version of how everything came about, but I want to give you my version. As it is, last week started with every one of our kids getting sick at various stages and with different symptoms. What inevitably happens when the kids get sick? At some point mom or dad get sick as well. So by Friday, I started to feel unwell, so I rested as much as I could because I didn’t want to miss the KLBC tournament. I went out, I played the round of golf, but by the end I was right out of energy and still feeling off. After supper, my insides wanted to be on my outsides and it was not good. Michelle looked at me and said, “You are not going to church.”

So then the question starts racing through my mind. What do we do now? Every possible scenario went through my head. I could call a bunch of different dads, do a panel session where each can share about the highs and lows of being a biblical dad. I could call Darren, he’s usually good for a last minute bail out. Maybe I could find an old sermon from Andy Stanley or someone and we could have a famous guest speaker. Maybe Michelle could do an extended worship set, the church code spend a little extra time in prayer and connection and call it a morning. Maybe we just cancel service, since pulling together all these little details would be chaotic and I really don’t want to cause Michelle and the team any more stress then is necessary.

While all these thoughts are going through my head, the Holy Spirit is moving in Michelle’s heart, laying a word on her heart that she can’t help but share with you. One of the amazing things in our marriage is that Michelle and I rarely talk to each other about the songs she’s singing or the word I’m sharing. Yet, by the power of the Holy Spirit, things always line up. Last week, that was never more apparent. After spending some time gathering her thoughts, Michelle shares with me her message, and every point she makes are the exact points I was going to share. It was amazing and I am so proud of how much Michelle has grown since I’ve known her.

This got me thinking. A couple years ago, around this time actually, I preached a series called Elementary. The series was based on what the author of Hebrews called the 6 elementary truths of the faith. How many people remember that series?

Allow for interaction

I started that series off by reading this passage:

Hebrews 5:12 NLT

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. I followed up reading that passage by asking this question:

If asked, how many would take the opportunity to teach?

So, two years later, I ask that question again. How many people here would take the opportunity to teach if it was offered? Raise your hands.

see how many hands go up

blank

See, that’s interesting. It has been two years since I preached that message, two years of diving into the scriptures and unpacking things of faith, and yet I would bet the same number of hands went up this morning as it did two years ago. Yet the author of Hebrews would suggest that most of the hands this morning should have gone up.

Why is that? I think there’s two sides to this issue. On one hand, I acknowledge that I may not have done enough to empower you to feel like you could do it. Whether it is devoting a Sunday morning to giving you an opportunity, or offering some extra training, I’m sure there is more I could do to help you grow in your confidence of teaching. Remember, teaching isn’t necessarily what happens from the stage. It looks like mentoring someone in their faith or leading a small group. These are all opportunities to teach and help someone along in their journey of faith.

On of the other side of the coin, the lack of confidence or even the unwillingness to teach is a reflection of how church has become a spectator sport. See when you come together for a Sunday gathering or even tune it to a Christian podcast, are you taking in information for the purpose of learning more, or being able to share more. The same way God’s love for you is an opportunity to share that love with others, the things you learn about God and faith should be through the lense of being able to share it with others.

Then, on Thursday, as I was having my personal devotion time, God spoke to me as I was reading Ezekiel. I was chapter 38 when these words jumped off the page at me. It was if the Holy Spirit bolded them for me in that moment so that I was sure not to miss it.

Ezekiel 38:7 NLT

“Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them.

“Get ready; be prepared!”

As I went on to read, chapter 38 and 39 are all about Gog, Magog, and the surrounding nations. Why does Gog and Magog sound familiar?

because they come up in Revelation

blank

That’s right, they appear in Revelation 20 as part of the battle of Armageddon. Gog and Magog are figurative, futuristic places, and though there is lots of speculation, these place ultimately represent the culmination of the enemies of Israel gathtering together to wipe out Israel, and God sending his army to irradicate them. As I was reading, being reminded of the last days writings, I could help but think about what is happening in the Middle East with Israel and Iran. There is rumors of World War 3 coming, and one can’t help but think this is it. The world is in such a state the idea of 1/3 of the population being wiped out by war is very much a reality. If there was ever a time to start getting ready and being prepared, Church, now is the time. It is time for the church to prepare itself for everything that is about to come!

Along with that, summer is coming, and with summer comes

‘Summer Mode’

In some ways, summer mode has already kicked in. Church attendance is starting to take a dip in favor of camping trips and holidays. Our programs like youth and small groups have already started to wind down. Camps are in the final stages of prepare, with camps like Living Waters and Manhattan already getting senior’s camp up and running.

blank

As the church, meaning the organization, changes gears for the summer, it is easy for the church, as in the people, so also wind down. Some people go from daily devotions to semi-daily devotions. Sunday attendance goes from regular to optional. Even when you’re here, you’re really not here because you’re thinking about what comes next or what you would rather be doing. Summer is for resting and relaxing, so why can’t you rest and relax on the things of faith as well? When September comes and life gets back into its regular routine, then you will get back into being a good disciple of Jesus. Until then, July and August are yours to do what you want.

So I want to clarify some misconceptions about ‘Summer Mode’ at the church. Does the church calendar get a lot lighter over summer? Absolutely. We go from four small groups, a weekly youth meeting, monthly potlucks, and Sunday gatherings to church BBQ and Sunday gatherings. On the outside, it looks quieter. But behind the scenes, Michelle and I are going hard, re-evaluating the way we do things, determining what needs to keep going, what needs to stop, what needs to change, and what can be added. We are planning, meeting with others to brainstorm and tweek. We spend more time in prayer for each of you, for the church, our communities, trying to determine how God wants us to serve in the coming season.

On top of that, there are some things in motion that I hope to share with you in the coming months. These are exciting things that require a lot of work to get into place, and once they are in place could completely the feel and tempo of OneChurch as a whole. A couple of these things will require a members meeting, and those only get called for the really big decisions.

I share all that because summer isn’t quiet at the church. It is different busy because we stop some of the regular things and give a lot more attention to other behind the scenes things that don’t often get talked about. But some of these big things and shifts will require the involvement of everyone to make it all work. So just as the words in Ezekiel I say to you as well. Be prepared; get ready!

To further drive home this point, I want to show you a picture.

show a picture of AJ Oulette

If you don’t know who this is, this is AJ Oulette, running back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. One of these pictures is before the beginning of the off season, one is after the off season. I’m sure some of the sports fanatics already know the answer, but I’m going to ask. How many people think picture A is before the off season? Hands up

allow for interaction

In the article associated with this picture, we are told that AJ exited last season at 225 pounds. At that weight he was one of the most dominant backs in the league. It would make sense to reward himself by taking the off season off, relaxing a little bit, and just picking up where he left off. Instead, AJ worked hard in the off season and entered the 2025 season 200 pounds and shredded. This year, when you watch him, he is faster, more maneuverable, and still able to run over guys if he so chooses. After what some would consider a highly successful season, AJ committed to taking the off season to get better.

Unforuntately, if you were take this picture and apply it to the spiritual health of many in the church, I would say the opposite happens. Many come into summer after a great season of serving and devotions the most spiritually healthy they have ever been, only to relax, put on some spiritual pounds, and not quite able to do what they could prior.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NLT

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

blank

Paul is not just talking about physical health. He says this to Timothy.

1 Timothy 4:8 NLT

“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

blank

So what is Paul saying in the 1 Corinthians 9 passage? That he appraoches spiritual discipline and health with the same determination as a professional athlete. Every step is taken with purpose. Paul watched every aspect of his life, not wasting a moment, always with his eyes on eternity. The same way that athletes diligently watch what they eat, Paul would watch what kind of stuff he would allow into his life, not allowing sin or corruption to take root in his life.

Get ready; be prepared.

Now I could end there, encourage you to approach this summer with the diligence of an athlete, to use the next couple months to grow and be ready for what comes next. However, if you’ve set out with the intention to lose weight, but never had a plan, you will know that it typically doesn’t work out for you. I would say the same about your spiritual health. I can tell you to take the next couple of months to prepare yourself spiritually, but without a plan, it probably won’t happen. Many great ideas have died in the seas of good intentions, lost at sea without the plan to pull it off.

So, I have a plan! The same way a weight loss plan will focus on every aspect on health, my ‘Spiritually Fit’ plan focuses on five areas of faith that I believe will help you enter fall on the right note. Are there other areas? Sure, and I will look into them, and next year’s plan will be more robust.

Summer P.R.E.S.S.

Pray

Hands down the most important discipline that every believer should be proficient. Your faith is all about having a relationship with God. It is really hard to have a relationship with someone you don’t talk to.

Read

Faith is also about knowing who God is and knowing what he promises he is going to do. The best way to know those two aspects is reading God’s word. The bible is also the most common way that God speaks to you, so reading the word is vital to consistent growth.

Engrave

What I mean by that is memorize. The reality is that you won’t always have your bible ready and waiting with you. It is important that as believers, you internalize God’s word. The more you memorize and meditate on God’s word, the most your thoughts will come into alignment with God’s.

Sing

Music is deeply spiritual. It is why it is so important to be mindful of what kind of songs you listen, as it can embed thoughts and attitudes you don’t want. It is also why we take time to sing each time we gather. Singing even one song can create a deeper connection to your Father, helping you focus on the bigger picture, rather than your immediate circumstances.

Share

It is so important that you talk about your journey of faith and the things that God is teaching you. Sometimes the lessons you are learning can impact someone’s elses life as deepily as it is changing yours. Your faith is meant to be lived out in community, and you may have the missing piece in someone else’s journey. This is why we need to be constantly willing and open to sharing.

blank

So here is what I did for you this morning. In the foyer is a double sided sheet. For those online, I will post it later today so that you can have access to it.

On one side, you will establish the baseline. As with any workout regiment, you need to understand where you are starting so that you know where you can grow. So the baseline is meant to be basic enough that if you are just starting, it will be challenging but attainable for you. So here is the baseline I established to start you out. Over the course of the summer, I am asking you to:

Pray - say the Lord’s Prayer once a day for 31 days.

Read - Read the Bible for 15 minutes once a day for 31 days

Engrave - Memorize the first part of the Romans Road (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10)

Sing - Sing one worship once a day for 31 days

Share - Have 2 conversations about faith

blank

Now, to clarify. We don’t say the Lord’s prayer anymore at our Sunday gatherings, so Sunday’s count. We don’t read the Bible for 15 minutes at a time, so the 20 minute sermon on Sunday doesn’t count. We do sing Sunday morning, but it only counts if you actually sing on Sunday morning. And finally, Sundays don’t count for your spiritual conversation. This is a conversation outside of church.

So let’s say you have a pretty good handle on one or multiples of these challenges. On the flip side, is the advanced section. It will look like this:

Pray - add the Lord’s prayer to what you are already doing, OR incorporate some silent listening prayer to your routine.

Read - add 15 minutes to your routine or incorporate SMORP into your reading

Engrave - memorize the entire Romans Road or as many verses from the ones given

Sing - Sing one more song then normal or resing the set from Sunday

Share - have at least 2 spiritual conversations with someone you don’t normally have faith talks with

The point isn’t the knock these lists off and fall back into a bad routine. The point is to challenge yourself, position yourself in a way that you can grow in your faith.

The last days are here, Jesus is returning soon.

Get Ready; Be Prepared.

The time is now. May this be the best summer ever for you spiritually!

Let’s pray.

Discussion Questions

What stood out to you?

What are some obstacles you face in staying spiritually disciplined during the summer?

Of the 5 concepts, ‘Pray, Read, Engrave, Sing, and Share’, which do you feel most confident about? Which one needs the most growth?

Who can you lean on to keep you accountable this summer with the P.R.E.S.S. Program?