Why I have to preach through books

For those of you who don't attend Hope Pres, I wanted to at least give you the opportunity to hear my sermon on patience and the Lord's Return. At times I feel guilty about preaching on patience, since I have so little of it-and it often shows both in public and private settings. And I hate my lack of it. I really do.

But when you preach through books of the bible, you preach through topics that you normally wouldn't preach through because they are hard (election/tithing/Hell) or because you feel too guilty to preach them (patience, the tongue, mercy-all of which are present in the book of James).

So I'm glad that the Reformers have set a good example for me by preaching verse by verse through entire books (instead of bouncing around from topic de jour to topic de jour) so that whatever congregation I'm in, they'll hear God's Word-even the sections I don't like to read or struggle to apply. Worst case scenario for the hearers (and the preacher as well!) of God's Word is that they have to repent more and cling more deeply to Jesus. And that isn't too bad, eh?

Anyhow, if you want to listen to that sermon, click here and then click on "When Soon Isn't Soon Enough" James 5:7-11.