Troy Harrison

Christ-follower. Husband. Father. Servant. Pastor.

[Jeremy Visser @JeremyMVisser]

Look, let's just say it straight. Churches go all in on special Christmas services with the full spectacle. Multiple candlelight services, orchestras, drama teams, elaborate staging, giveaways, the whole high production deal. And the building is packed. Thousands show up and everyone feels great about the big win.

Then a few days later the Sunday after Christmas arrives. It's just ordinary Lord's Day worship. Faithful preaching of Scripture, prayer, congregational singing of psalms and hymns, the sacraments administered reverently and in good order. And suddenly the place is half empty. Attendance crashes so hard that many churches combine services or outright cancel because far too few will come.

That massive drop isn't mainly because everyone's exhausted or traveling. The hard truth is that they have trained people to think worship only matters when it's emotionally charged, entertaining, and spectacular. When it's a big show they come. When it's the simple commanded means of grace that Christ actually promises to use it feels optional or even boring by comparison.

And here's the part nobody wants to say out loud...

All those Christmas extravaganzas are optional. They're not commanded in Scripture. They can be nice in moderation but they're extras we invented. Yet we pour massive resources into them. Then we watch as the one thing God does command, the weekly gathering of his people on the Lord's Day, gets diminished, downsized, or skipped entirely because the crowd trained on spectacles doesn't show up for "ordinary worship."

We've got it backwards. The ordinary Lord's Day isn't supposed to be the disappointing follow up to the Christmas production. It's supposed to be the main thing. The steady rhythm where Christ meets, feeds, and builds his church week after week.

The extras shouldn't be crowding out the essential.

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

@espn and @YouTubeTV are pretty much worthless. I wonder how many days of a large consumer blackout - unsubscribe from everything - would cost them deeply and return power to the consumer.

[Trevor Sheatz @TrevorSheatz]

The modern gospel says, “Accept Jesus in your heart.” The biblical gospel says, “Repent and believe in Jesus.”

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

This sums up much of how I feel about my weekly study. I would not have it any other way.

[hbcharlesjr @hbcharlesjr]

I don't need fifteen hours to prepare a sermon. I can prepare a sermon in half an hour. I need fifteen hours to understand the text with clarity. It's hard to get to the point of clarity. You have to be driven to understand it. But, if you step into the pulpit with a substantially clear grasp of the biblical concept, it has a profound effect on how you preach. - John MacArthur Jr.

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

@benmckee14 Praying for God’s healing and strength

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

There is only one hero in our redemption story - the Lord Jesus Christ. But Dr. John MacArthur has been one of those rare gifts that God has employed to help us to boldly stand up for biblical truth and in the gap against this wicked culture. Thankful for his life and ministry.

[Grace to You @gracetoyou]

Our hearts are heavy, yet rejoicing, as we share the news that our beloved pastor and teacher John MacArthur has entered into the presence of the Savior. This evening, his faith became sight. He faithfully endured until his race was run.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

[Virgil L. Walker @virgilwalker]

A new pope has been crowned—but the old lie remains. No priest, no pontiff, no pope can save you.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone.

Flee false shepherds. Run to Christ.

[Truth For Life @TruthForLife]

"There is a very real danger in contemporary America, in Christian circles, that our churches are increasingly filled with people who have a genuine interest in Jesus taking care of their felt and superficial needs but have never understood nor have been prepared to acknowledge that 'my greatest need is the forgiveness of my sins.'" —Alistair Begg

Listen to today's program: https://t.co/UAIPKFUQ5J

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

@davidpollack47 Interceding for your wife and your entire family

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

My feeble attempt at humor on this important day ... what do Election Day and Santa Claus have in common? They both wait until everyone is asleep to distribute their surprises.

Too true or too passive-aggressive?

[Daniel Henderson @DanielHenderson]

“You are a fraud if you go to the scripture to preach your sermons but go to the world to run your church.” @hbcharlesjr

[Burk Parsons @BurkParsons]

Being dogmatic about being biblical isn't being legalistic.

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

Waiting for @KingJames, @SteveKerr or some of our other politically outspoken athletes to weigh in on the direct affront to the Christian faith in the opening ceremony of the Olympics last night. Will you now use your megaphone to decry the mockery of our personal faith?

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

Praying for our former president, @realDonaldTrump, and all others injured in this senseless shooting this evening. We live in a dark world indeed.

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

@BarstoolTexasAM A & M with some of the best and classiest fans in the country. Aggies were a fantastic team and were also title-worthy.

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

The climb has been fun, but the view from the top is amazing! 🍊

[Southeastern Conference @SEC]

🚨 For the first time since 1951...

Tennessee will play for a college baseball National Championship!

@Vol_Baseball x #MCWS

[GoVols247 @GoVols247]

🏆 EVERYTHING SCHOOL 🏆

Tennessee wins third straight SEC All-Sports Trophy.

➡️ https://t.co/9KIF2jUBKZ #Vols

[SEC Network @SECNetwork]

THE TOP TEAM IN COLLEGE BASEBALL IS ON ROCKY TOP‼️

No. 1 overall seed @Vol_Baseball

[Troy Harrison @trharrison]

Good start to the postseason. But let’s get more!