Why the Repetition?

Every week, when I preach to a congregation, I tell whoever is listening that my name is John Thomason and that I am the lead minister here at Buckeye. It is repetitive, and those who know me say, " Yes, we know your name, and we know your position at the church.” So the question is, why do I say it every single week? This answer is multifaceted, and I pray it will help explain the why. First, here at Buckeye, we have been greatly blessed with opportunities for people to enjoy our sermons. We livestream and archive every single sermon onto our Facebook page, website, and app. This has been an awesome opportunity to reach anyone looking for a sermon online, and I can tell you that we have hundreds of people who watch every week. In addition to our online presence, our sermons are also aired on The River radio station. One thing we believe here at Buckeye is that it is about building God’s kingdom, not our own. The River Radio station has been a way for us to connect to a very large group of people, to bring the good news of Jesus, which we would not be able to accomplish by having them all come to our building at the same time. So why the name? When someone hears who you are and what you do, it already makes it more personal and can bring comfort in knowing that this person has devoted their life to giving the Word of God. Now, as I always say, never just take someone’s word for flat-out truth; go and read the Bible for yourself. But sharing who you are does open the hearts of all people who are listening to the gospel. Sharing the truth of Jesus Christ is very relational, and when people know a little about who you are, they can feel more connected to you. When Paul wrote his letters, he would say who he was and what role he played.

I know from the outside this can look like a place of pride, but it is more about familiarity and credibility. In Paul’s time, if a letter arrived with no author or indication of who sent it, people would ask why they should even read it. This world we live in is a world of anonymity on the internet, where anyone can say and write anything, and you may never know who they are, what credentials they hold to give you this information, or if it is at all a credible source. 
This little connection of giving your name and what you do allows people to have a name to put with who shared the gospel with them and it can open new listeners up to the teachings of this person. With that being said…
My name is John Thomason, and I am the lead minister here at Buckeye Christian Church. I pray that everyone has a blessed week, and praise be to God for all the blessings He has given us! God Bless!!