The Road to the Cross

Dear friends, one might think after forty-four years of pastoring (I was an Associate Pastor for two years before that), I would have this preaching thing, ‘nailed down.’ But….as I hope you can tell from this outline, I am continually refining my preaching in an effort to best

honor God and the Bible,
help others learn how to craft sermons or teaching material,
serve you, and
tell others about Jesus.

So, I guess you could say, I have those four audiences in mind – God, elders/CG leaders/teachers, the congregation, and the lost - whenever I perform my sermon preparation.

I think it was last year that I introduced the CG questions in the Observation, Interpretation, Correlation and Application format. That’s just a basic study outline for any Bible text, much as Creation, Fall, Redemption and Restoration is the basic subplot of the Bible. (I most often use the larger scheme: Creation, Fall, Israel, Church, Jesus, New Creation).

I also introduced the Daily Devotion that same year.

Last week, and without notice, I introduced a summary verse, theme, concern (problem) and purpose of the text. This is intended to help me, you, CGs and our people focus on the raison d'être for the text. But I do want you to notice it this week and hope to make it a weekly part of The View from My Study each Monday morning. I’m hoping these three thoughts will give us laser focus on any passage we read, study or preach and teach.

As you can tell, sermon preparation is hard work. It is solo, even lonely work and I often think about how John MacArthur’s responded when someone asked him for the source of his preaching ministry success. He replied, “Keep your bottom in the seat until the work is done.” That’s good advice. The problem is, I’m never done. Four fifteen on Thursday afternoon arrives, and the sermon material has to be delivered to Debbie. And then, Sunday morning at 10:30 arrives and it has to be preached. What I hope, is as Jerry Vines, once said, “Pray the sermon will be born once in the study and born again in the pulpit.” Well, those are two good words from two masterful preachers.

And then, of course, hermeneutics, (the science of interpreting the Bible) and homiletics (the art of writing sermons) is only the mechanical part of it. Preaching is mostly a spiritual work. And so, as we study and as we preach/teach we must acknowledge that “all is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down,” and so we cry, in the study and in the pulpit, “Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.” (from the song, Brethren, We Are Met to Worship).

This is my particular prayer verse in the study:

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

(2 Timothy 2:7)

This verse reminds me of the divine/human efforts in sermon preparation. God does not bless laziness. I must “think over” what the Bible says. At the same time, the Lord will honor that effort, yet, only “the Lord will give you understanding.” This is call to humility in sermon preparation and preaching. As we study, it’s as though the Holy Spirit stands over our shoulders, whispering in our ears so that we can “have the mind of Christ” in every passage (1 Corinthians 2:16).

This is how I view the text today and hope to build on this outline for the Sunday sermon.

Please note that I’ve included some questions, (in the form of QUES, in the preaching outline specifically for you as a CG leader. I hope these questions will stimulate your thinking about this passage. That too, I hope to make a weekly part of The View from My Study.

Friends, if these changes are helpful, let me know how. If they discourage your study, please let me know that too.

Here are my thoughts thus far on this Sunday’s passage. I hope this is helpful to you.

The Road to the Cross

Text: Luke 18:31–34

Summary verse - “…everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished…” (v 31).

Theme – Jesus deliberately sets His face toward Jerusalem to fulfill the divine plan foretold by the prophets. This demonstrates that the cross was not a tragic mistake, but the triumphant, design of God.

Concern - That people hear about the cross without understanding its necessity or implications, just as the disciples did. People cannot be saved without understanding the cross.

Purpose - To awaken us to God’s work in Jesus on the cross and to remind us that Jesus knew, foretold, and embraced His suffering for our salvation. I want to call listeners to trust the cross and simultaneously marvel at Jesus’ obedience, causing us to fall greater in love with him and trust him more.

Intro: Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem where he will die but he is joyfully determined to get there and perform the Father’s will. (He knows something the disciples don’t know).

First: The Road to Jerusalem is the Road to the Cross (v. 31a) - “See, we are going up to Jerusalem…”

QUES: What do you know about Jerusalem? I hope to insert a biblical history of Jerusalem here, God’s city on the earth—Jesus intentionally heads toward suffering.

Think about Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, Zechariah 12:10

App: The cross was always God’s plan A and not plan B. How does that encourage me to trust God in my suffering?

Second: Prophetic Precision in Divine Suffering (v. 31b) - “…everything that is written…will be accomplished.” The Old Testament prepares the way for the cross.

QUES: I hope to illustrate this from the OT. What OT texts can you think of? Jesus fulfills every prophecy with divine accuracy.

Just how many OT scriptures did Jesus filfill?

App: The Bible is amazingly (divinely) accurate. How does the Bible’s reliability strengthen my faith?

Third: The Scope and Depth of Christ’s Humiliation (vv. 32–33)- “…delivered …mocked…shamefully treated…spit upon…flogged…killed…”

(Speaking of the Scripture’s reliability, look at how exact Jesus’ prophetic word is)

The Passion predictions are shockingly specific.
Christ suffered physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

App: Jesus endured every breadth and depth of pain for your redemption. Does this give you the assurance of salvation and does it make you love Jesus more?

Fourth: The Disciples’ Incomprehension (v. 34) - “…they understood none of these things…” Let’s talk about human blindness to spiritual truth.

QUES: What texts do you know that demonstrate human blindness to spiritual truth and God’s remedy? Divine truth often remains hidden apart from grace.

App: I’m a “Beholding is Becoming” kind of Christian. I think if we truly see Jesus, we will love him and follow him. Will you pray that God will let you see Jesus in all his glory?

Conclusion

Jesus walked knowingly into His suffering because He walked obediently into the Father’s will. The cross was never a surprise to Jesus — it was His mission. May we marvel at His resolve, trust His plan, and follow Him without reservation.

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Redefining Service

By Reggie Weems • February 23, 2026

Redefining Service Mark 10:42-45

Let's Learn To Pray

By Reggie Weems • February 18, 2026

Let's Learn to Pray - Matthew 6:9-13 Friends, Good Monday morning to you. The sun is shining; the weather is going to get in the 60’s. Spring is in the air!!! But let’s turn our attention for a moment from what’s going on outside, to what’s going on inside…our hearts. This needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized. The difference between living like verses 2-4, as modeled by Janes and Jambres who have “a form of godliness (but deny its power) is Paul’s encouragement to “abide” in the Scripture; to “trace” the life of God that makes us “wise for salvation which is through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3). That’s it, friends. To master the word until we are mastered by it. Because the more you know the Bible, the more you will know God, the more in love with him you will be and the more closely you will follow him with your heart, mind, soul and strength. You, the elders and I, as the spiritual leaders of Heritage must live this life, model it and teach our people to thrive in the Bible. Take the doctrine of prayer, our subject matter this Sunday. Had Jesus not taught the disciples how to pray, they would not have known how to pray. Had the Gospel writers not recorded Jesus’ words on prayer, we would not know how to pray. If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. This text alone teaches us the Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. It is not enough for us to hold the Bible in high esteem, to talk about it or to have innumerable copies of it in our homes, on our phones, etc. We must immerse ourselves in it. We are saved by the Word – 1 Peter 1:23 We are sanctified by the Word – John 15:3 We are told how to live in the Word – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 The Bible is literally the answer to everything for us. So, let me encourage you to be a person of the Word, to listen to God’s command to Joshua (1:8) and to sincerely follow it – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth = The Word must not drift away from your speech or consciousness. but you shall meditate on it day and night = the word “meditate” = to prize the Bible like a lion growling over its prey, its food, its sustenance. so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it = continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. It’s the only way to “prosper” and have “success” (1:9) in the Christian life, friends. With that in mind, let’s prosper in our prayer lives. Let’s have “good success” in prayer. It begins with knowing what Jesus said about prayer and then living a life of prayer. Here’s a proposed outline for this Sunday – Let’s Learn to Pray Matthew 6:9–13 (cf. Luke 11:1) Big Idea : Jesus teaches us to pray by reshaping who we trust, what we want, and how we live. Introduction: The Request Behind the Prayer (Luke 11:1) - “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ authority and power, and they traced it to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in Jesus’ life. It was foundational. When Jesus says, “Pray then like this,” he is not giving a script to recite mechanically, but a pattern to form disciples. IMP: We are never more the Christians our private prayer life and private Bible study reveal us to be. First: Prayer Recognizes a Father (Matthew 6:9a) - “Our Father in heaven…” Prayer is all about a relationship and relating to God. Second: Prayer Reorders Our Priorities - (Matthew 6:9b–10) Before Jesus allows us to ask for bread, he teaches us to long for glory. Third: Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) As sinners, we strive for independence, but we are dependent creatures. Until we realize this and live like it, we won’t pray. Nor will we possess the life God intends us to have through prayer. Fourth: The Movement of the Whole Prayer a) Father — Identity b) Glory — Priority c) Kingdom — Mission d) Will — Surrender e) Bread — Dependence f) Forgiveness — Humility g) Protection — Watchfulness Jesus is not merely teaching words. He is forming the lives of disciples. Prayer reshapes: · Who we trust · What we want · How we live Conclusion: When the disciples said, “Teach us to pray,” they were not asking for things. They were asking about a relationship. Jesus answered not by giving them a formula to master, but by giving them a Father to trust, a kingdom to seek, and daily posture to embrace. Prayer begins in a relationship. It moves toward adoration. It ends in surrender. And the more we pray like this, the more our hearts begin to look like Heaven. Here’s this week’s TRAP devotion for you, to help the Scripture fill your mind and heart as you live prayerfully in Jesus and prepare to lead your CG to do the same. Monday - Teach Us to Pray (Luke 11:1) Think. Before Jesus gives the model prayer in Matthew 6, the disciples ask in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teaching. And they traced his life to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in his life; it was foundational. As such, they did not assume they knew how to pray. They asked to be taught. Prayer must be learned from Scripture. If Jesus had not taught them, they would not have known how to pray. If the Gospel writers had not recorded his words, we would not know how to pray. The Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. Reflect. As a CG leader, learning to pray is a prerequisite to teaching others how to pray. How are you learning to pray? What are you learning to pray? Are you still asking to be taught? Apply. Read Matthew 6:9–13 aloud three times today. Slowly. Do not analyze it yet. Just listen. Let the words shape your thinking about prayer. Pray. Father, teach me to pray. Do not let me teach others what I am not living myself. Tuesday - Prayer Begins with a Father (Matthew 6:9a) Think. Prayer begins with relationship. Not performance. Not technique. Adoption. “Our” reminds us prayer is covenantal. We belong to a people who are being conformed to Jesus’ image. “Father” reminds us we already are reconciled and our approach to God is based on Jesus’ life and works, not ours. “In Heaven” reminds us he reigns over all our requests and should reign in our lives. Your view of God determines your prayer life. If he is distant, you will be formal. If he is harsh, you will be guarded. If he is Father, you will come. Reflect. Do you approach God as Father or as evaluator? Does your prayer life reveal intimacy and reverence? Apply. Before asking for anything today, spend five full minutes addressing God as Father. Thank him for saving you. Rehearse to him and yourself what it means to belong to him. Pray. Our Father in heaven, anchor my life and CG leadership in sonship, not performance. Wednesday - Prayer Reorders Our Priorities (Matthew 6:9b–10) Think. Glory comes before bread. God gave Israel manna in the wilderness to display his glory. God’s priorities shape how he provides for us. Can you trust him with that? In this prayer, Jesus trains our desires before he allows us to request anything. Otherwise, we are wasting our breath. To hallow his name means to treat it as weighty, the priority. To seek his kingdom means to want his reign extended, in us and the world. To pray for his will means surrender to that kingdom. Prayer is not aligning God with our agenda. It is aligning ourselves with his. Reflect. When you pray, what comes first: your crisis or his kingdom? Does your leadership in the CG reflect God-centered priorities? The difference will shape your life. Apply. Write down your current prayer requests under three headings: 1. God’s Name 2. God’s Kingdom 3. God’s Will Let Scripture reshape your prayer list. This will change your life!!! Pray. Father, reorder my loves. Make your glory weightier to me than my comfort. Thursday - Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) Think. Daily dependence dismantles self-sufficiency. “Forgive us our debts.” – We all need mercy. “As we forgive…” Unforgiveness suffocates prayer. “Lead us not into temptation…” Prayer assumes our need for God. This prayer retrains the illusion that we are strong, sufficient, and secure on our own. Reflect. Where are you living independently instead of dependently? Is there someone you must forgive before you teach this Sunday? Apply. Confess one specific sin today before God. Name it. Receive forgiveness. Extend forgiveness if needed. Pray. Lord, keep me humble, dependent, and vigilant. Friday - The Word Forms the Prayer (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3) Think. Continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. We are: · Saved by the Word (1 Peter 1:23) · Sanctified by the Word (John 15:3) · Equipped by the Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. The Bible should not be a prop. It is our life. Reflect. Are you holding the Bible in high esteem? Are you daily immersing yourself in it? Are you mastering the Word to be/and being mastered by it? Apply. Work on memorizing Matthew 6:9–13 before Sunday. Speak it aloud. Don’t let it depart from your mouth and heart. This will reshape every day of your life. Pray. Father, make me a person of the Word. Let your Word form my prayer and let prayer shape my life.