Dr. Vance Havner

Michael Catt

The following is a guest post by my dear friend, Gary Miller. His words are timely and true.

 

“We have come all the way from burning hearts to itching ears, from ‘Amen’ to ‘So what?’”

Vance Havner

In 1975, I was a seminary student in Ft. Worth, Texas. It would be the last time I would hear the voice of Vance Havner. He was small in stature, unassuming in appearance, but he could still project a laser beam of light from the pulpit. To hear him preach was to see the light. Continue reading “Dr. Vance Havner” →

The Prophet Pays a Price

Michael Catt

Several years ago, I took a spiritual gifts test. I’ve taken others since, and they all reveal the same thing. My spiritual gift is prophet. The spiritual gift of prophet is not so much foretelling as it is forth-telling. The prophet sees a problem and addresses it. Such was the role of the prophets in Israel. The Old Testament prophets called God’s people to repentance, revival, and renewal. They could not and would not settle for status quo. Continue reading “The Prophet Pays a Price” →

What Does Revival Look Like?

Michael Catt

If you study the history of revival, there are common denominators: a return to first love, a return to the authority of Scripture, and an elevation of prayer. While we have seen a few breezes of revival at Sherwood, I would not say we have seen revival on the scales I read about. There is a sense in which we have had an atmospheric revival in our midst. For years now, there has been an unusual sense of God’s presence when you walk on our campus. We did not orchestrate it. We have not manipulated it. It hasn’t been worked up; it’s been prayed down. Continue reading “What Does Revival Look Like?” →

Our Need for Revival

Michael Catt

I am currently preaching two new series, “The Keys to Revival in America” on Sunday mornings and “Unfaithful” from the Book of Judges on Sunday evenings. As I prepare and preach, I’ve made two observances:

1) Occupy the altar every Sunday to say to those who are casually observing in our services and to God who is seriously watching, “We are serious…we want revival…we desperately need you.” I know this, you can’t read 2 Chronicles 7:14 and think God will answer a half-hearted prayer or a contented people. We need extraordinary effort and desperation to see any change. Continue reading “Our Need for Revival” →