Kevin W. Bounds

Victory in Jesus

Published on February 27, 2023February 27, 2023 by Kevin W. Bounds9 Comments

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
(John 16:33, KJV)

I stood by my friend’s bedside, singing Victory in Jesus with his family. His body, ravaged by cancer, was fading fast. We knew the end was near. To some, he was losing his battle with cancer, but my friend was not tasting defeat, but victory. As we sang, prayed, and wept, he was hearing the grandstand of heaven cheering for him to crossover. He was leaving this life in victory.

How can I say this? By faith. The Bible states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Some confuse faith with positive thinking. Although positive thinking is good, it only takes you so far. A preacher once said positive thinking is having faith in faith. Yet the Bible calls us to have faith in God (see Mark 11:22). The object of our faith is God and only He can comfort us in times of tribulation.

As a pastor, I’ve walked people over joyous mountaintops and through dark valleys of despair. The latter is never easy. No one, even a believer, is exempt from the suffering of this world. In fact, Jesus assured us we would face persecution, pain, and even loss. However, God promises victory to believers. Christians can experience peace and joy during trials because Jesus has overcome the world.

Our faith in Jesus’ triumph over this world (i.e., His death, burial, and resurrection) secures our victory. We have victory in Jesus! We shouldn’t base our salvation on our moralistic or religious achievements in this life. It’s not about what we do, because we will always fall short of God’s glory (see Romans 3:23). But it is about placing our faith in what Christ accomplished. He lived, died, and rose victoriously in our place. He was our substitute. Christ provided the victory for any circumstance we face. Paul writes, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37, KJV emphasis mine). By faith in Christ, we can rest in being victorious.

What the world views as tragedy and loss may be our gain by faith. God never promises the Christian a rosy experience in this life, but He does promise to never leave nor forsake them (see Hebrews 13:5). His presence provides peace, joy, and victory. You will face hard times, but you have the choice to face them with or without Him. Are you experiencing the victory in Jesus that God promised believers? Remember, it’s only found in Him.

Could I? I Wonder.

Published on February 17, 2023 by Kevin W. BoundsLeave a comment

Could I make it as a writer? I wonder. The dream of being a professional writer has followed me through life like an incessant puppy that simply wants to play fetch. But I’m too busy adulting to toss the ball. Deadlines, commitments, responsibilities force me to pet the pup on the head to pacify him, promising I will come back to play later. Later never really comes. Or at least, it hasn’t yet.

Over the last several months, I’ve lost sleep from the constant whimper and whines. Sleeping in is out of the question, since Fido is ready for the day. My lifelong dream barks for me to get out of bed to play. The sand of my life is halfway through the hourglass with the passing of another birthday. Time appears to slip by faster and faster. It’s time. No, it’s beyond time to take this yapping dream of mine to the park, take its leash off, and let it run free until his heart is content.

I wonder. Could I make it as a writer?

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.
Martin Luther

Preaching Plan for 2023

Published on December 22, 2022 by Kevin W. BoundsLeave a comment

As I write this post, I am sitting in the pastor’s study at Morningside, listening to the hum of traffic heading to and from town. My mind fills with images of families traveling for the holidays or husbands scurrying to purchase their wives’ gifts. Christmas is in three days, which means 2022 is winding down. We only have nine days until 2023!

With a fresh new year heading towards us, I’ve been working on my preaching calendar. After reading The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible by Andrew Reid and Tim Patrick, it encouraged me to keep my hand to the plow and faithfully preach through books of the Bible. In short, Reid and Patrick give practical guidance for feeding your congregation a balanced diet from the Word of God.

They suggest preaching from six sections of the Scripture over a three-year cycle (i.e., Torah, Former Prophets, Latter Prophets, Writing, Gospel, Other New Testament books). They make the case for preaching series created by following the natural breaks of the text. For example, you could cover Genesis in seven series: a series on Creation (1:1-2:25); a series on the Fall (3:1-5:32); a series covering the Flood and Tower of Babel (6:1-11:9); a series on each of the lives of Abraham (11:10-25:18), Isaac (25:19-26:35), Jacob (27:1-36:43), and Joseph (37:1-50:26). In between these series from Genesis, you would preach from other books located outside the Torah. The key is not moving to another book in the Torah until you finish with Genesis. Their advice spurred me on to map out what books of the Bible I’ll lead my congregation through next year. (Again, it’s just nine days away!)

Here is a list of the biblical books I’ll be leading my congregation through in 2023:

Acts (Partial)

I plan to have two series from the book of Acts. The first series will cover Acts 1:1-2:47 in January and February, and the second will work through Acts 3:1-8:4 in August through October. I won’t preach another book in the “other New Testament” category until I finish Acts.

Ruth (Complete)

I plan to preach a four sermon series through Ruth during the months of March and April.

Mark (Partial)

I’m planning two series from Mark. Mark 1:1-2:12 will be one series from April through June and Mark 2:13-3:35 will be another series in November and December.

Joel (Complete)

My plan is to preach the book of Joel in July in four sermons.

As you probably noticed already, preaching through books of the Bible this way allows you to plod a course through books of the Bible, but also allows you to expose your congregation to a variety of texts. In short, they receive a well-balanced diet from all portions of the Bible.

Blogging Again

Published on October 7, 2022 by Kevin W. Bounds1 Comment

I’m pushing the blinking cursor across the page again. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken a break from blogging to focus on other important stuff. I’ve been pastoring a church, leading my family, and finishing my graduate degree. Yeah, I guess my plate is full. So, blogging fell by the wayside (and the birds of the air gobbled it up).

Although I haven’t posted here, I continue to write sermons, essays, and devotionals. In fact, my devotional column in the Douglas Enterprise resurrected over the past few weeks. (It was encouraging to hear from all the faithful readers that missed my weekly articles.) I’m going to take a stab at blogging again. I’m not certain of the consistency, but I would like to post daily. What do you think?

Adopted

Published on August 8, 2022 by Kevin W. BoundsLeave a comment

He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

(Ephesians 1:5-6)

During my time of daily worship this morning, the following quote, and devotional suggestion, from J. I. Packer’s Knowing God popped into my mind from the chapter titled “Sons of God.” (If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend you grabbing a copy.) In this chapter, Packer explains the importance of the theme of adoption within the Christian faith. Although I was familiar with the theme, after reading this book, I saw it from a fresh perspective. Packer argues that, as Christians, we should meditate on this biblical truth.

He writes,

Meanwhile, the immediate message to our hearts of what we have studied in the present chapter is surely this: Do I, as a Christian, understand myself? Do I know my own real identity? My own real destiny? I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Savior is my brother; every Christian is my brother too. Say it over and over to yourself first thing in the morning, last thing at night, as you wait for the bus, any time when your mind is free, and ask that you may be enabled to live as one who knows it is all utterly and completely true. For this is the Christian’s secret of – a happy life? – yes, certainly, but we have something both higher and profounder to say. This is the Christian’s secret of a Christian life, and of a God-honoring life, and these are the aspects of the situation that really matter. May this secret become fully yours, and fully mine.

I’ve taken Packer up on the challenge to meditate on this truth. Will you do the same?

The Day After Perfect (Okay, Two Days)

Published on August 1, 2022 by Kevin W. BoundsLeave a comment

I’m a perfectionist. Especially, when it comes to writing, and writing is something that can never be perfected. You see my dilemma. Over the past month or so, I’ve forced myself to post daily. Checking off the days, became a satisfying routine. But what do I do now? It’s been two days, since I’ve opened my laptop and typed anything.

Have you been there? Maybe not with writing, but another area of life. Many feel the pressure to quit dieting after eating something unhealthy. Or stop heading to the gym, because they skipped leg day. (Doesn’t everyone skip leg day?) You don’t have to feel this way. It’s okay to start over.