Month: November 2012

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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In 1 Peter 1:15-19 the Apostle Peter reminds his readers that they are to be holy because the one who called them is holy (vv. 15-16).  Peter then predicates this command to be holy upon what Christ did for them on the cross.  He says that they were purchased, not with perishable things such as silver or gold (v. 18), but with the precious blood of Christ (v. 19).  Our motivation for doing good, therefore, should not be the mere command of God. Continue reading “1 PETER 1:15-19”

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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As I sit here on this thanksgiving day I can’t help but reflect on what God has taught me. The past year has been filled with extreme joy and extreme sadness. I’ve rejoiced and I’ve wept. I’ve cried with friends and celebrated with others. And I am thankful that through it all God has been faithful. He has been faithful even when I did not deserve it. As the Psalmist says in Psalm 86, “you O Lord are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. “when we do not understand what is happening in our lives, we can always trust in our faithful God. On this thanksgiving day, rejoice with me in a God who never fails and never gives up on us. Continue reading “THANKFUL FOR THE HEARTACHE AND A GOD WHO SHOWS HIMSELF FAITHFUL”

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Here is a great article by Tony Reinke on why men struggle with reading.  He provides four reasons for this struggle.

1. They do not know where to begin.
2. Because visual allurements are more appealing.
3. Because they think it is a waste of time.
4. Because they lack literary discipline.

Continue reading “FOUR REASONS MEN DON’T READ BOOKS (WITH A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION) – DESIRING GOD”

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[av_heading heading=’ECCLESIASTES, J. I. PACKER, AND THE PURSUIT OF TRUE WISDOM’ tag=’h1′ style=’blockquote modern-quote modern-centered’ size=’30’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’17’ margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-jhw0vfbf’ admin_preview_bg=”]
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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The book of Ecclesiastes provides the reader with a difficult interpretive decision.  What is the preacher of this sermon ultimately trying to communicate? In his book Knowing God, J. I. Packer provides two possibilities.  First, the preacher could be an old man at the end of his life reflecting back and seeing that there was no point to anything.  The preacher sees all the disconnected events of his life, the great injustices present in the world, and concludes that no purpose exists in the world.  Second, Packer suggests that this sermon could be an evangelist calling out for an unbeliever to believe.  The evangelist would be pointing to the things of this world, showing how they cannot provide the fulfillment the unbeliever seeks.  The evangelist then points to God, explaining how only in God can one find true fulfillment.   Continue reading “ECCLESIASTES, J. I. PACKER, AND THE PURSUIT OF TRUE WISDOM”

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[av_heading heading=’ COLOSSIANS 1:1-8′ tag=’h1′ style=’blockquote modern-quote modern-centered’ size=’30’ subheading_active=” subheading_size=’17’ margin=” margin_sync=’true’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-ji2h5a7n’ admin_preview_bg=”]
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Today I am preparing a sermon to preach at the jail on Sunday afternoon.  I am going to be preaching from Colossians 1:1-8 and wanted to share a few thoughts about this passage.  First, we see that God has a purpose and will for our lives.  Paul says that he is an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.  Here is a man who persecuted the church, imprisoned many Christians, and  killed many others.  This man can now say with boldness I am an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.  God had a plan and purpose for Paul’s life.  He used Paul’s past to influence his future, and gave him a mighty ministry.  God can and will do the same for us.  He can use our past no matter what is back there to influence our present and future ministry.

Not only do we see in this passage that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, but we are also challenged by Paul to be thankful for the faith and love of other believers (vv. 3-6).  He says that they continually give thanks to God for the faith and love of the Colossian Christians.  This is something that all to often we miss in the church today.  We are to focused on how we differ from each other, and are envious of others ministries and lives, that we cannot be thankful for how God is blessing the ministry of others.  Paul is extremely thankful for what the Lord is doing in the lives of other believers.

Finally, we see that we are to encourage people around us by talking about the ministry of others.  Epaphras was ministering on behalf of the church in Colossa and he was sharing about the faith of those believers.  Paul and his companions were encouraged by hearing what God was doing elsewhere.  We need to speak in support of amazing ministries that we are aware of around the globe.  We need to encourage each other by speaking of how God is moving in the lives of believers we encounter on a daily basis.  We fight negativity by focusing on how the Spirit of God is moving in the world.

I would ask you to please pray for me as I continue to prepare this sermon.  Pray that the Word of God would be made real in my own life, and that I would be able to apply it to the lives of these inmates on Sunday.  Pray that God would soften their hearts, and that the gospel might take root in their lives.
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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Denny Burk has a fantastic article discussing why from the perspective of a biblical worldview boys shouldn’t play football with girls.  In the article he call this act the unraveling of Western Civilization.  I would highly recommend this article for anyone who wants to think seriously about the issue.
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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Upon the conclusion of his nine month sabbatical in 2010 John Piper preached three sermons reflecting on several things he had learned about sanctification during his time off.  Editors brought these three sermons together in the book Sanctification in the Everyday.  In the book Piper is very honest about many of the sins he struggled with, giving some examples of particular situations where he had to battle with his own sinful nature.  Piper addresses several issues in this book.  This review focuses on three major concepts he explains.   Continue reading “REVIEW OF SANCTIFICATION IN THE EVERYDAY BY JOHN PIPER | @DESIRINGGOD”

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Here is a link to a great article posted on the Desiring God blog responding to an article in the New York Times.  The NYT article criticized some conservative british politicians who want to reduce the time a woman can have an abortion from 24 weeks too 12 weeks.  The  criticism arises because within the first 12 weeks certain birth defections, such as Down Syndrome, cannot be detected within that time frame.  John Knight provides a firm but gracious response to the NYT article.   Continue reading “NO, YOU MAY NOT IMPLY THAT ABOUT BABIES WITH DOWN SYNDROME. « THE WORKS OF GOD”