Be afraid of God? Be very afraid? Our culture—and even our church culture—gets upset and even offended by the idea that we should fear God. But in this week's featured sermon—"Good News for a Dying Thief," John Lindell reminds us that apart from Christ we have no basis to stand before a holy God. If we don't know Christ, that should make us very afraid. But the thief who was crucified beside Jesus did fear God's judgment, and that opened his heart to Christ. Lindell's message isn't popular, but it's deeply biblical and Christ-centered.

This week we also feature:

• Sermon Series: Living Free
• Illustration: Award-winning Writer Can't Get Over His "Jesus Phase"

God's richest blessings on your sermons during this Holy Week.

In Christ,

Matt Woodley, Managing Editor
PreachingToday.com
Mwoodley@christianitytoday.com

P.S. Also, check out our News That Illustrates column for preachable angles on current news stories about Trayvon Martin, The Hunger Games, Richard Dawkins and the "Reason Rally," overly-aggressive parents at an Easter Egg hunt, and nuns and strippers possibly living as next-door neighbors.

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