We conclude our series on "seeking first the kingdom of God" by considering the last of the seven ways we can grow closer to God in the New Year.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Seek (Part 2)
We continue looking at what it means to "seek first the Kingdom of God" by looking a seven ways we can deepen our relationship with Him in the New Year. This is the second in a three part series entitled "Seek."
Seek (Part 1)
Is it possible to have a no worry New Year? After a difficult 2011 for many, Jesus words from Matthew 6:25-34 offer a prescription for making 2012 less anxiety filled. This is the first in a three part series that encourages us to seek first the Kingdom of God.
The First Missionary Message
Even while pronouncing judgement on the sin of Adam and Eve, God had already set in motion the Good News of the coming of One who would crush the serpent's head. This is final message of three in a series from Genesis on the foundations of missions.
The First Missionary
Who was the first missionary in the Bible? Paul? Jonah? Abraham? Actually none of the above. The first missionary in Scripture is God Himself. In this first of a three part series on missions from the opening chapters of Genesis, we look at God's seeking heart.
The First Mission Question
Am I my brother's keeper? This question of Cain frames our own understanding of missions. How we answer will determine what we do with the Good News. This is the second in a series from Genesis on the foundations of missions.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Random Puritan Quote
“We never consider that God can open the eyes of the blind with clay and spittle, he can work above, beyond, and even contrary to means… “Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain, yet the valley shall be filled with water” (2 Kings 3:17). God would have us to depend on him though we do not see how the thing may be brought about.” - Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Shut Up and Be Saved
“We are justified freely, for Christ’s sake, by faith, without the exertion of our own strength, gaining of merit, or doing of works. To the age-old question, ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ the confessional answer is shocking: ‘Nothing! Just be still; shut up and listen for once in your life to what God the Almighty, creator and redeemer, is saying to his world and to you in the death and resurrection of his Son! Listen and believe!’”
Gerhard O. Forde, Justification by Faith (Philadelphia, 1983), page 22.
HT: Ray Ortlund
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
"Sealed by the Spirit"
The last message in our series from Ephesians 1:1-14 looks at how the Holy Spirit applies the work of the Father and Son in the life of the Christian.
"Redeemed by the Son"
In our on-going series from Ephesians 1:1-14, we consider next what blessings we receive through the redeeming work of Jesus.
"In Christ"
The first in a series on messages from Ephesians 1:1-4 provides an introduction to Paul's teaching on the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ.
"A Heart of Wisdom"
This message from Psalm 90 looks at some practical ways we can "redeeem" our days.
"Walking in Circles"
Spiritually most of us tend to walk in circles, the same bad habits, the same wrong attitudes, the same destructive patterns, the same messed-up relationships, and the same sins. This message will offer us help from God and His word to get walking straight with Him.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Random Quote from Martin Luther
"The truth of the Gospel is the principle article of all Christian doctrine.… Most necessary is it that we know this article well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually.
Thursday, January 05, 2012
Random Quote From Spurgeon
I remember a remark of John Newton, once rector of St. Mary Woolnoth, across the road. He was a thoroughly Calvinistic preacher, but when one asked him whether he believed in Calvinism, he replied, “I am a Calvinist, but I do not take it as children eat lumps of sugar. I use it to flavor all my preaching, as men use sugar in tea or food.”
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
"Making A Fool of Myself"
I am the proud owner of a brand new Tundra Gear hat - bright forest green, with the distinctive big G of the Green Bay Packers pinned securely in the middle of it. How did I acquire such a fine piece of head gear, you may ask? Did I pay the $70 retail? No. Did I steal it off the unsuspecting head of a sleeping fan at Lambeau Field? No. I won it.
How you may ask or maybe not, but this is my story. I won this major award by singing. Now if you know me, this shocking to say the least, if you don't let me explain. I CANNOT sing! This is no joke. We train our new sound room people at Church by making them listen to me on headphones during the praise choruses. Painful, but necessary. No one forgets to turn my mike off after that experience!
I have wanted said hat for awhile and over the Christmas Holiday, the fine folks at Tundra Gear ran a contest to win it. The catch, you had to sing for it. More specifically you had to sing a song about Tundra Gear set to the tune of a familiar Christmas song. So you had to be not only a singer, but a songwriter, as well. So I waited and I debated. Embarrassment on a World-Wide Web scale or a free hat?
So late one night, while wife and children were asleep, I got my Droid X and filmed myself singing a little ditty about Tundra Gear to the tune of "O Christmas Tree." The result was a cross between the Blair Witch Project and the little dogs that yap out "Jingle Bells." Google my name and Tundra Gear and you can still find the evidence of my shame on YouTube.
I was one of five submissions. The other four had technical skill, proper lighting, actual songs (mine was 27 seconds of muttered prose) and most importantly, these folks could really sing. Yet I stood among them for all of Facebook and the hundreds, if not thousands of Tundra Gear fans to see.
I am assuming that it was the sympathy factor (in my case) but the folks at Tundra Gear graciously gave free hats to all of us brave or foolish (in my case again) characters that entered. And about a week later, I became the proud owner of what is truly a wonderful hat.
Now why have I bored you with all of this? The reason is that I have been thinking about the words of Jesus in Luke 9:26, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
I have seen grown men on Sunday afternoons stripped to the waist in freezing weather with letters painted upon their bellies, who on Sunday morning were afraid to sing along with their wives during the hymn. I know of young men who will pour out their hearts in sappy love sonnets to disinterested young ladies, who will never let anyone know how they feel about the Lord. Television shows garner huge ratings on the fact that people are willing to make absolute fools of themselves for a few bucks. As individuals, we are more than willing to be embarrassed for love, money, our favorite sports teams and a host of other lesser things, yet how ashamed we often are when it comes to Jesus. Why are we willing to be counted a fool for a few laughs, yet to be a fool for Christ? God forbid!
How dreadful it will be on that Day of Christ's return when we are confronted with all the opportunities we had to sing, share or shout about the Savior, but chose to keep quiet lest someone think we were odd or too fanatical. May God grant us the courage to stand up for Christ even at the risk of reputation, relationships or real injury. The one who hung naked before a mocking world for our sins, deserves nothing less and certainly quite a bit more.
How you may ask or maybe not, but this is my story. I won this major award by singing. Now if you know me, this shocking to say the least, if you don't let me explain. I CANNOT sing! This is no joke. We train our new sound room people at Church by making them listen to me on headphones during the praise choruses. Painful, but necessary. No one forgets to turn my mike off after that experience!
I have wanted said hat for awhile and over the Christmas Holiday, the fine folks at Tundra Gear ran a contest to win it. The catch, you had to sing for it. More specifically you had to sing a song about Tundra Gear set to the tune of a familiar Christmas song. So you had to be not only a singer, but a songwriter, as well. So I waited and I debated. Embarrassment on a World-Wide Web scale or a free hat?
So late one night, while wife and children were asleep, I got my Droid X and filmed myself singing a little ditty about Tundra Gear to the tune of "O Christmas Tree." The result was a cross between the Blair Witch Project and the little dogs that yap out "Jingle Bells." Google my name and Tundra Gear and you can still find the evidence of my shame on YouTube.
I was one of five submissions. The other four had technical skill, proper lighting, actual songs (mine was 27 seconds of muttered prose) and most importantly, these folks could really sing. Yet I stood among them for all of Facebook and the hundreds, if not thousands of Tundra Gear fans to see.
I am assuming that it was the sympathy factor (in my case) but the folks at Tundra Gear graciously gave free hats to all of us brave or foolish (in my case again) characters that entered. And about a week later, I became the proud owner of what is truly a wonderful hat.
Now why have I bored you with all of this? The reason is that I have been thinking about the words of Jesus in Luke 9:26, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."
I have seen grown men on Sunday afternoons stripped to the waist in freezing weather with letters painted upon their bellies, who on Sunday morning were afraid to sing along with their wives during the hymn. I know of young men who will pour out their hearts in sappy love sonnets to disinterested young ladies, who will never let anyone know how they feel about the Lord. Television shows garner huge ratings on the fact that people are willing to make absolute fools of themselves for a few bucks. As individuals, we are more than willing to be embarrassed for love, money, our favorite sports teams and a host of other lesser things, yet how ashamed we often are when it comes to Jesus. Why are we willing to be counted a fool for a few laughs, yet to be a fool for Christ? God forbid!
How dreadful it will be on that Day of Christ's return when we are confronted with all the opportunities we had to sing, share or shout about the Savior, but chose to keep quiet lest someone think we were odd or too fanatical. May God grant us the courage to stand up for Christ even at the risk of reputation, relationships or real injury. The one who hung naked before a mocking world for our sins, deserves nothing less and certainly quite a bit more.
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