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Epic of the Ordinary: Christian Mission for You and Me
Originally Posted at Desiring God The Book of Acts is clearly one of the most action-packed segments in the storyline of Scripture. The title, “The Acts of the Apostles,” cues us in on this clue from the start. As many commentators have suggested, a more accurate title would be something to do with the acts of the Holy Spirit, or perhaps “The Action of the Ascended Christ by His Spirit Through His Church.” The book opens with Jesus ascending as human to the throne of the universe, sending the Spirit, and commissioning his messengers. “You...
read moreFamily Ministry: Shaping a Child’s Soul, a Task Too Important to Be Turned Over to the
Originally posted at Timothy Paul Jones I saw something beautiful one day while walking down Breckenridge Lane. In a front yard not far from my home, a young mother was removing a layer of leftover leaves from the fall in preparation for planting spring flowers—an ordinary activity in the middle of an ordinary day. What was extraordinary about this scene was what I saw beside this young woman. A tow-haired boy, perhaps three or four years old, was attempting to assist her. His rake was man-sized, his movements were far from efficient, and he...
read moreIf You Sit On Your Horse It’s Under You
Originally posted at Desiring God. What does Paul mean when he prays, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 3:17)? He is not praying for unbelievers but for the saints at Ephesus. Why pray for believers that Christ may dwell in their hearts? The definition of a believer is that the Spirit of Christ dwells in him (Romans 8:9). How can you pray that someone who is already in your heart dwell in your heart? I suggest that it means: “Lord, keep on dwelling in their hearts and don’t forsake them.” Even if you believe in...
read moreRepentance Should Grow from Relationship
Originally posted at Approaching Damascus by Rick Holland In high school I was taught that God’s Word was the means and motivation for fighting sin. The text that was often cited, and which I memorized, was Psalm 119:9, 11. Those two verses are some potent medicine for a sin sick soul. How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Pretty straightforward. Keeping and treasuring God’s word is the cure and prevention for sin. But I think the...
read moreFour Good Reasons to Read Good Books
Originally posted at Challies.com This weekend I spoke to a group of men down here in Nashville, Tennessee. The pastor asked me to speak to the men about reading and, specifically, why Christian men need to be readers. While what I prepared was directed specifically to men, it is applicable to both men and women. Here are four good reasons to read good books: To know, to grow, to lead, and to love. Read to Know The best reason to read books is to know God. We believe, of course, that each of us can and will meet God in his Word, but this does...
read moreNot By Might, So It Just Might Work
Originally posted at the Gospel Coalition I think one of the main reasons we struggle to tell people about Jesus is that deep down we just don’t think it will ever work. We think we’ve already tried to share with people before and nobody was interested. We imagine sharing our faith to be nothing but muscling up our strength to go do our duty and embrace failure. We soldier on, expecting fruitlessness, so we can say, “I did it, pastor.” Most of us lack faith that God actually has people prepared for us who will listen. This is where the...
read moreDoes Grace Make You Lazy?
Originally Posted at The Gospel Coalition The gospel doxologically declares that because of Christ’s finished work for you, you already have all of the justification, approval, security, love, worth, meaning, and rescue you long for and look for in a thousand different people and places smaller than Jesus. The gospel announces that God doesn’t relate to us based on our feats for Jesus but Jesus’ feats for us. Because Jesus came to secure for us what we could never secure for ourselves, life doesn’t have to be a tireless effort to establish...
read moreFive Promises for Your Bible Reading and Prayer
Originally Posted at DesiringGod by Steve Fuller Do you consistently seek God in the word and prayer? Or have you tried again and again, become discouraged, and given up? We are deep enough into January that this is the story for many us. Resolutions have began to stall. And even if you do get time with God, is it life-giving? Or is it just going through the motions, reading an assigned passage, praying through your list, and being relieved when it’s over? It’s not too late to make some good changes. So if you are struggling to spend...
read moreOn To The Next One…
Originally Posted at The Gospel Coalition by Tullian Tchividjian Today is the very first day of a brand new year. And for many that means a fresh start. This is the year. It all starts now. We resolve to turn over a new leaf–and this time we’re serious. This time we’re really going to try, we’re not going to quit. We promise ourselves that we’re going to quit bad habits and start good ones. We’re going to get in shape, eat better, lust less, waste less time, be more content, more disciplined, more intentional. We’re going to be better...
read moreManufacturing, Marketing, and Minimizing God’s Presence
Originally Posted at Worship Matters The past few days I’ve been posting on issues related to God’s “active” presence, especially in corporate gatherings. A couple people suggested that “active” isn’t the best word to use. When we say God is “present” we are implying He is active, whether that’s to sustain, illuminate, bless, convict, or something else. What I call God’s “active” presence is often the evidence of his “promised” presence. I agree. But most Christians will acknowledge times in corporate gatherings when we are physically or...
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