Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:1-2

It’s Monday morning and I am home, after what I can only describe as a beautiful weekend in Northern Ohio. I may have “big picture” reflections later, but for today I want to talk, briefly, about Sunday.

I have been privileged, ever since my first book was published, to speak at events from coast to coast. Invitations have ranged from national conventions, to conferences, to retreats, to local churches, to three guys meeting at a noisy Panera!

But it’s not often I am asked to deliver “the message” at a worship service. Or, as I say, “speak during the time a preacher usually gives the sermon.”

So Sunday morning, after teaching the combined adult Sunday school classes, I was blessed to have the opportunity to wrap up our weekend together with a short message that – even though I wrote the outline a week ago – seemed to get to the heart of what I had experienced and learned with both First Christian Church and the wider community of men.

Rather than copy my notes here, I’d like to invite you to listen to the message.

The production quality of this video is exceptional, and you can find my part of the worship service at around the 34-minute mark (or, if I did the tech right, I should be introduced a moment or two after you hit “play”).

God’s word for us today:

For those who do not listen to the message, here is the main idea:

There is a huge “So What?” when it comes to our personal experiences of God’s grace and love. What are we going to do with this privilege? How are we going to respond to the gifts we are invited to receive?

Well, the scriptures are clear, and the passage from Revelation 22 helps me to put everything in focus, from meeting God on top of Mt. Sinai to John’s words at the beginning of his Gospel, to the conclusion of Revelation. “We are the leaves for the healing of the nations. Our opportunity is to join in with God’s initiatives of love and grace….”

In love, and because of love – DEREK