Mike Fabarez

According to a study from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, trust in our elected officials is at an all-time low. How should Christians respond to this growing political cynicism? How should preachers address it? In this week's sermon—"God's Surprising Use of Governments"—Mike Fabarez explores Romans 13:1-7 as a compelling, contemporary preaching text. And he explores it in depth! But here's what he calls the "foundational principle" from this text: "The authorities that exist, exist from God. Because of that, we have to align ourselves under whatever human government we find ourselves under. In doing so, we affirm the proxy leadership of God—no matter how flawed that leadership may be … whether they are good or bad, moral, or immoral."

Abram Kielsmeier-Jones

And since we know there are preachers out there who love hearing about or experimenting with all sorts of geeky preaching tools (and we commend you for it!), check out this week's skills article by new contributor Abram Kielsmeier-Jones. He calls it "a method of spatial outlining." I confess that I still haven't gotten over my love affair with paper, but this is pretty cool. If someone can help me understand and organize my preaching texts and preaching thoughts, I'm all for it.

Also, check out these new resources:

• Featured Illustration: Daughter Receives Mom's Letters 23 Years After Death
• Featured Video: Isaiah 53 - A reflection on the suffering and victory of Jesus as foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
• Featured Sermon: "God's Surprising Use of Governments" by Mike Fabarez
• Featured Skills Article: "How Mind Mapping has Rejuvenated My Sermon Prep" by Abram Kielsmeier-Jones

Matt Woodley
Editor, PreachingToday.com
mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

Matt Woodley is the pastor of compassion ministries at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois.