Sketchy Sermons
Charles Billingsley preached at Thomas Road Baptist Church on Sunday and brought the š„! The sermon was great, loaded with exposition and motivation. This is the first in a series of spiritual disciplines that will be preached about over the next month. Sermons like this can be difficult for me because I start writing down every single sentence. Having to trim and decide what to actually post is a real struggle; Itās all so good!
Iām really looking forward to the rest of this series!
This book…man, itās packed full of realistic habit changing fuel that you can apply to your life today. Seriously. Itās almost a reference manual in that there are so many good ideas and tactics that are explained in a simple and clear manner. Here are some of the most salient points that stuck out to me:
Scale down your habits
Iāve heard James mention this on quite a few podcasts but when building a habit itās important to break it down into the smallest repeatable element to instill the habit. From a Christian perspective; if youāre trying to read your Bible everyday donāt set up a habit like āIām going to read my Bible every day for 30 MINUTES.ā Itās way too big. Make it super tiny so that executing the habit is almost effortless. Just read a page, or a paragraph, or even a sentence. Just make it tiny enough that you wonāt fail to do it. Then track it.
Systems not Goals
I loved this point so much because as weāre told many times over to set goals (SMART,BHAG, and other such goals-type acronyms come to mind) if we fail to design the systems to accomplish those goals we are taking a shot in the dark. As James writes; āWinners and Losers have the same goals.ā Design your systems to achieve your goals!
Your Habits are your Identity
This one is deep. Itās one of those phrases that appears obvious but when you really look at it; we donāt really believe it on some level. When someone states āI want to be Xā our response should be āAre you doing X?ā I concede that this falls down a little bit when someone says āI want to perform brain surgery!ā But for every person who has ever said that they want to be a writer, or a dancer, or an artist (ahem) they just need to write, dance, and make art. You ARE what you DO. If someone wants to be a better Christian, are they doing the things that a ābetter Christianā would do?
To summarize, this book is one of the better ones Iāve read on habit change. The tactics that James lays out here are actionable and something that anyone could start doing immediately. Whether we are aware of it or not, habits are a major part of our functioning life; understanding why we do them and learning how to manipulate them can aid us in doing whatever it is we set out to do. Buy this book, donāt wait for a discount, itāll be the best twenty bucks that youāll spend today. Thanks James!
I illustrated a great message from Wilson Community Church down in North Carolina. Pastor Jonathan Minter was actually my boss way back in the day when I got my first development job and was instrumental in me starting this sketchy sermons journey. Definitely a recommended message because I thought I knew the parable of the lost son pretty well and there are key aspects I totally missed. A timely message for the gate keeping culture we sometimes find ourselves in!
I love so much about this sermon; personally I get wrapped up in new iPhones and pens and other stuff that really doesnāt matter all that much beyond the point of purchase. Great sermon Pastor Jonathan!
Joy to the world! Not much to say here; between Pastor Jonathanās teaching and the actual words of the song I would only have inadequate words to describe this event we celebrate every year. Another great sermon in a great series atĀ Thomas Road Baptist Church!
I had the opportunity to sketchnote a service for West End Baptist church in SC and it was awesome! Pastor Ray brought a great message of peace and where you could find it and I was honored to try and capture it all. There was A LOT that I cut from this one; I literally ran out of room! I was determined that I was go get the flames mention and both Lennon and Longfellow in there though! š
This was a commission for my brother-in-law Rick Ouimet, pastor of Mosaic Church here in Lynchburg. Itās a summation of his most often used (and beloved) catch phrases! His wonderful wife wanted to surprise him with it for his birthday and I appreciated being a part of it. You could probably string together an entire sermon series off of these phrases alone! š Happy Birthday!
*Quick note: This is a diversion from the kind of content I usually post here but hereās what Iām thinking. I like books but I tend to buy more than I read (this book came out in 2017)- I donāt want to have a big library so Iām going to read the books, summarize and sketch them out, then post the sketch and give away the books. The theme of most of the books I buy are books about Christianity, self-help, and creativity so thatās mostly what youāll see when I do this. Iāll compare them to the ultimate word on Christianity, self-help, and creativity: the Bible. Donāt expect long exposition here, a paragraph or two and thatās it!
I like books that get to the point and āDiscipline Equals Freedomā gets to the point immediately. Thereās no meandering around the idea that discipline can be the ally in solving some of the problems you may be facing in your life. Jocko Willink (a retired Navy Seal) splits this book into two parts: how to think and what to do. The thinking part of the book reads more like a prescription; if you have problems with motivation, procrastination, waking up early, or what my brother-in-law eloquently describes as stinkinā thinkinā thereās a page to go to with simple idea of how you can change your mind. The second part of the book is a literal manual: how to eat, how to work out, etc.
The Bible has a lot to say about the virtue of self-discipline. I could list a dozen or so verses like Proverbs 12:1, 1 Corinthians 9:27, and practically the entire book of James that all speak to the idea of self-discipline. I love the idea of taking control of your life and your body; itās an empowering notion and when guided by the love and direction of a God who has a plan for our lives itās literally a prescription for living a purposeful life.
Personally, I love it. Itās best used as a quick shot of motivation and as a..well…a field manual. I will say, the book design makes this one of the manliest books Iāve ever held. No dust cover, all black (including the pages that are black with white text) and so many pictures of sweaty concrete. Itās super masculine but Iām sure the words could apply to woman just as well. The picture I drew is a little more abstract because like I said, thereās not a narrative. Itās a tool, packed with a lifetime of knowledge, pressed into a book that looks like a brick.
Get the book here: Discipline Equals Freedom
When Charles Billingsley gives a sermon, he definitely leaves you with a couple of things to think about along with some great facts and stories. This Sunday at Thomas Road Baptist Church was no exception. This note was a little difficult because there was SO MUCH that I had to cut and I already I feel like there’s a lot of inside information that you might not get if you haven’t seen it but I definitely recommend checking it out, this one is all about HOPE!
Sermons like the one Scott Bullman preached this weekend at TRBC always stick with me because the idea of angels out there walking among us is interesting, comforting, and terrifying all at the same time. Iāve been thinking about them ever since the sermon. I remember Charles preaching a sermon about them a couple of years ago, I didnāt digitally sketch that one so I may need to dig it up and redo it!
Anyway, God bless your week!