I had a solid 6 hours or so and got this done (I'm expecting to be done with my sermon by the end of day tomorrow since I have all day): Passage: Luke 19:45-48 Keyword: Dwelling Place Main idea: Jesus, the true temple, is rejected and will be destroyed, so that through Him God’s dwelling and access to Him might be restored for His people and the nations. Principle: God's dwelling place is for communion (vv. 46-47a, 48b; Is. 56:7) - We were designed to dwell with God (Gen. 3:8; Rev. 21:3): From Genesis to Revelation, the purpose of humanity is that God would dwell with us in communion. - Dwelling with God is expressed in prayer (v. 46a; Gen. 4:26): Living in communion with God is expressed through calling upon His name in dependence. - Dwelling with God is expressed in being taught by Him (v. 47a): Communion with God is not one-way; God communes with us through His Word as He teaches us by His Spirit. Problem: We exploit God's dwelling place for ourselves (vv. 45, 46b, 47b-48a) - We naturally use God and others for our gain (v. 45): Like the sellers, we use God and others for profit rather than for communion. - We naturally corrupt what is meant for communion (v. 46b): Like the sellers, we turn what is sacred into a means of gain, robbing God of worship and others of access to Him. - We naturally resist God when He disrupts our desires (vv. 47b–48a): Like the leaders, we oppose communion with God when it threatens our control, comfort, or gain. Gospel: Jesus was destroyed to make us God's dwelling place (v. 47; John 2:19-22) - Jesus is the perfect dwelling place of God (Luke 3:21–22; Luke 9:35–36): The Spirit rests upon Him, and He is declared to be the beloved Son in whom God’s presence fully dwells. - Jesus was destroyed so that we wouldn’t be (v. 47): His body was torn down on the cross, bearing the wrath of God for our using, corrupting, and resisting Him, so that we might be built up as God’s dwelling place. - Jesus was raised on the third day to make us God’s dwelling place (John 2:19–22): Though His body was torn down, it was raised up, and now He sends the Spirit to build us into God’s dwelling place.

Welcome to the Preach360 Community! Our goal is to help you create margin for life & ministry by drafting biblically rich, gospel-focused sermons in a single afternoon with the Preach360 Sermon Studio, which guides pastors step by step through the sermon-building process using the PPGR preaching framework. ☕️ A COMMUNITY VS A LIBRARY Preach360 is designed to be a pastoral community, not just a personal library. Real growth happens when we learn together, share wins, acknowledge challenges, and genuinely engage with one another. To encourage participation, I'm going to use the "gamification" features built into Skool's "leaderboard," not to pressure anyone, but to facilitate connection in a fun way. How to Level Up on the Board. It’s simple. Introduce yourself, ask questions, and encourage others. Engagement is our way of ensuring this remains a vibrant, supportive fellowship of pastors, rather than a quiet library. 👋 IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW ME My name is McKay Caston. Over 30 years as a pastor, author, and seminary professor, I've served churches of different sizes in urban, suburban, rural, and college-town contexts, with my last pastoral call as a church planter in Dahlonega, GA. My life mission is to help pastors preach cross-tethered sermons and live cross-tethered lives. I've been married for 35 years and have three adult children. When not here, I enjoy time at home and hiking the mountains of north Georgia. 🚦 Basic community "guidelines." 1. This is a safe place. 2. This is not a place for political rants. 3. Be constructive. 4. Honor confidentiality. 5. No solicitation or spam. HERE ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS: ✅ Step 1: Introduce yourself in the comments section below 1. Who are you & where are you serving? (City/State/Country) 2. What is your current preaching context? (Solo pastor, church planter, staff, student?) 3. What is your biggest challenge with sermon prep right now? 4. Drop a link to your church website and/or sermons (optional).

Passage: Psalm 16 Keyword: Refuge Main idea: Because Christ was not left in the grave, we have a refuge that guarantees our joy in the presence of God forever. Anchor illustration: A god who takes for himself vs. a God who gives of himself Pre-lectio: Today’s sermon will be from Psalm 16. We all long for joy, don’t we? Why? Because life is hard. We are bombarded with pain and misery everywhere we look…another illness, another loss, another war, another thing to fear. Is this fear warranted? Yes it is. But where do we find shelter? Where do we go for safety? Is it even possible to find joy in the midst of it? King David understood this. He lived with real danger. He hid in caves. He was surrounded by death. He was constantly searching for refuge…for a place of safety. Psalm 16 is a song, likely sung, that answers that question. It shows us where true refuge is found and where joy is guaranteed. And if you are experiencing pain or fear today, you are not alone. David knew it. We know it. And Jesus Christ entered into it. Today, I want you to see that there is a guaranteed refuge. There is real and lasting joy. And it is guaranteed to us because Christ’s body was not left in the grave to decay. He rose from the dead on the third day…on Easter morning. Let’s listen carefully to find this joy from Psalm 16. Principle: God is our refuge (vv. 1-3) - Anchor: The true and living God has been and always will be a giving God who offers permanent refuge in himself. - God preserves us as OUR refuge (vv. 1-2): God is truly good, and even in trouble is OUR Yahweh (I Am) Adonai (Master) - God is a refuge for his holy ones (v. 3a): God cares for his people that he has set apart for himself, they are his chosen people, a kingdom of priests. - God delights to be a refuge for his excellent ones (v. 3b): Though the Psalmist sees God's people as the magnificent ones and delights in them, as speaking for Christ by the Spirit, this is God's view and thus he loves to be our refuge. - Transition: But the problem is that…

What are you planning to preach post-Easter? Do you follow the liturgical calendar (with Ascension Day and Pentecost on the horizon, then "Ordinary Time")? If so or not, how does that affect your next series?

It's always a little concerning when I cannot verify a sermon illustration (usually something purported to be historical and true) from any source other than sermons or sermon illustration sites. Early in my preaching I was not as discerning as I am now. While brainstorming with Preach360 App/Gemini, it suggested a historical illustration that I have seen before. I couldn't find any independent verification. To its (or apparently "his") credit, I asked directly and got this response: "That is a discerning question! To be completely honest with you—as one brother to another—the Waterloo Semaphore story is largely considered an apocryphal 'preacher's story.' While it's a brilliant homiletical illustration, most historians agree that news of the victory actually reached London via a human messenger (Major Henry Percy) who traveled by carriage and boat. There was no direct semaphore line across the English Channel at that time that could have transmitted a message in that specific way." Three things can be true: 1) As communicators of Truth, we should be very discerning about everything we say, including "brilliant homiletical illustrations". You shouldn't use something if you know it to be untrue. 2) We are sometimes lazy regurgitators of untrue stories, which merely causes them to spread more. 3) If you love an illustration that you know is apocryphal and want to still use it, just say at the beginning something like: "this is probably (or is) an untrue story, but it illustrates this point..." and use it. I find it hard to do that a lot, but have done it occasionally. Other approaches or thoughts?