Sunday we begin 3 weeks on the "stuff of life".
April 6: God and our Eating
April 13: God and our Work
April 20: God and our Sleep
While I won't be able to go in-depth on any of these... I will be seeking to point you to Christ-centered resources along the way
here is a wonderfully gospel-centered testimony of a woman recovering from food idolatry
excerpt: Food is my comfort and the source of my private joys; food is my penance and the place where I am punished; it offers a standard by which I can measure success or failure in my own terms. This idol has promised to mold me and make me—not after its will, but after my own will. As Ed Welch says, “The purpose of all idolatry is to manipulate the idol for our own benefit.”
Monday, March 31, 2008
a working doc
--UNFINISHED--Primer on Deacons
I. The Office of Deacon
A. Its origin. Acts 6:1-6
B. Its purpose. The office of deacon is designed to meet the physical needs of people. However, this ministry is a spiritual ministry, since it arises from spiritual motives (the experience of God's grace, Luke 6:33-36) and makes a spiritual impact (Acts 4:33, Philippians 4:10-20).
II. The Qualifications for the Office
A. Character. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 tells us deacons must be:
1.) Realistic & practical ("dignified")
2.) Honest ("not double-tongued")
3.) Simple in their lifestyle ("not greedy")
4.) Practicing what they preach ("holding to the mystery of the faith with clear conscience")
5.) Self-controlled ("not addicted to much wine")
6.) A good leader of his family ("managing his family well")
7.) Experienced in the faith ("tested")
Deacons had better not be phonies nor easily discouraged! The people they will work with can spot phonies and can try patience.
B. Gifts
Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 tell us of spiritual gifts of "deaconing" (service), "giving", "helps", and "administration" that deacons can have.
III. The Work of the Diaconate
A. Mercy. To meet physical/economic needs inside and outside of the congregation. Visiting the sick, the poor, the elderly, single parent families and helping families in emergencies are included under this heading.
B. Stewardship.
C. Property.
D. Helps.
Note: Although these duties are not necessarily performed by the deacons, the deacons are responsible for their discharge.
Key Events & Dates
Prayer (March 30 thru April 13)
Nominating (April 13 thru April 20)
Training (April 26 through May 17)
Testing, Evaluation, and Encouragement by the Session of Elders
Vote by Congregation (June 1)
Ordination (June 15)
I. The Office of Deacon
A. Its origin. Acts 6:1-6
B. Its purpose. The office of deacon is designed to meet the physical needs of people. However, this ministry is a spiritual ministry, since it arises from spiritual motives (the experience of God's grace, Luke 6:33-36) and makes a spiritual impact (Acts 4:33, Philippians 4:10-20).
The office is one of sympathy and service, after the example of the Lord Jesus; it expresses also the communion of saints, especially in their helping one another in time of need.
Jesus is the Great Deacon... see Mark 10.
II. The Qualifications for the Office
A. Character. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 tells us deacons must be:
1.) Realistic & practical ("dignified")
2.) Honest ("not double-tongued")
3.) Simple in their lifestyle ("not greedy")
4.) Practicing what they preach ("holding to the mystery of the faith with clear conscience")
5.) Self-controlled ("not addicted to much wine")
6.) A good leader of his family ("managing his family well")
7.) Experienced in the faith ("tested")
Deacons had better not be phonies nor easily discouraged! The people they will work with can spot phonies and can try patience.
B. Gifts
Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 tell us of spiritual gifts of "deaconing" (service), "giving", "helps", and "administration" that deacons can have.
III. The Work of the Diaconate
A. Mercy. To meet physical/economic needs inside and outside of the congregation. Visiting the sick, the poor, the elderly, single parent families and helping families in emergencies are included under this heading.
B. Stewardship.
C. Property.
D. Helps.
Note: Although these duties are not necessarily performed by the deacons, the deacons are responsible for their discharge.
Key Events & Dates
Prayer (March 30 thru April 13)
Nominating (April 13 thru April 20)
Training (April 26 through May 17)
Testing, Evaluation, and Encouragement by the Session of Elders
Vote by Congregation (June 1)
Ordination (June 15)
When Love Comes To Town...
that song U2 did w/ BB King is so great... with the chorus
When Love Comes to Town I'm gonna jump that train
When Love Comes to Town I'm gonna catch that flame
the idea throughout the song is of the power Love has in a person's life...
and this reaches apex when BB sings:
When Love Comes to Town I'm gonna jump that train
When Love Comes to Town I'm gonna catch that flame
the idea throughout the song is of the power Love has in a person's life...
and this reaches apex when BB sings:
I was there when they crucified my Lord
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide
I held the scabbard when the soldier drew his sword
I threw the dice when they pierced his side
But I've seen love conquer the great divide
great day together....
... every time the Church of Jesus Christ gathers it is special... but yesterday when I sat down to lunch I found myself praying for the meal... beginning with these words....
"Thank you, Jesus, that you have brought us into your church."
"Thank you, Jesus, that you have brought us into your church."
Saturday, March 29, 2008
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
-- Colossians 1:15-20 (English Standard Version, ESV)
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard
“The best preaching is, ‘We preach Christ crucified.’ The best living is, ‘We are crucified with Christ.’ The best man is a crucified man. The best style is a crucified style: may we drop into it! The more we live beholding our Lord’s unutterable griefs, and understanding how he has fully put away our sin, the more holiness shall we produce. The more we dwell where the cries of Calvary can be heard, where we can view heaven, and earth, and hell, all moved by his wondrous passion—the more noble will our lives become. Nothing puts life into men like a dying Savior. Get you close to Christ, and carry the remembrance of him about you from day to day, and you will do right royal deeds. Come, let us slay sin, for Christ was slain. Come, let us bury all our pride, for Christ was buried. Come, let us rise to newness of life, for Christ has risen. Let us be united with our crucified Lord in his one great object — let us live and die with him, and then every action of our lives will be very beautiful.” -C.H. Spurgeon, sermon “To Lovers of Jesus”
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Growing in holiness is not not not not not BUT
this is a great small statement on growing in holiness (sanctification)
"I believe the classical Reformed view—that on the one hand, sanctification is not by ‘works’ but by a continuous re-orienting ourselves to our justification. So sanctification is not moralistic. Yet it takes enormous effort (so it is not quietistic.) When we feed on, remember, and live in accordance with our justification, it mortifies our idols and fills us with an inner joy and desire to please and resemble our Lord through obedience. But the feeding on, remembering, and living in accordance—takes all our effort." --Tim Keller
Takes all our effort to feed on, remember, and live in accodance with our absolute acceptance by grace! Stunning. Lord, help my unbelief!
"I believe the classical Reformed view—that on the one hand, sanctification is not by ‘works’ but by a continuous re-orienting ourselves to our justification. So sanctification is not moralistic. Yet it takes enormous effort (so it is not quietistic.) When we feed on, remember, and live in accordance with our justification, it mortifies our idols and fills us with an inner joy and desire to please and resemble our Lord through obedience. But the feeding on, remembering, and living in accordance—takes all our effort." --Tim Keller
Takes all our effort to feed on, remember, and live in accodance with our absolute acceptance by grace! Stunning. Lord, help my unbelief!
Vows of Church Members
- Do you acknowledge yourself to be a sinner in the sight of God, justly deserving his displeasure, and without hope, except through his sovereign mercy?
- Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and savior of sinners, and do you receive and trust him alone for salvation as he is offered in the gospel?
- Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes a follower of Christ?
- Do you promise to support the church in it's worship and work to the best of your ability?
- Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the church, and promise to strive for its purity and peace?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
The Faith He Gives Us Procures His Favor
“We cannot be saved through Jesus Christ, till His righteousness be so far made ours as that it will answer the demands of the law for us, and procure the favour of God to us; but His righteousness cannot be thus imputed to us, or accounted ours in law, till we are so united to Him as to be one in law, or one legal person with Him. Now faith is the bond of union; faith is that which interests us in Christ; and therefore without faith we cannot receive any benefit from His righteousness.”
Samuel Davies
How Goes it With Your Soul?
I've edited some of CJ Mahaney's words here:
If I had the privilege to sit across from someone in (any kind of church leadership position), one of the questions I would ask them is: How goes it with your soul? And I would do my best to draw them out, particularly about the presence or absence of affections for the Savior. So I wouldn’t want to begin with discussing the particulars of ministry or the skills involved for the effective execution of leadership. What I would want to talk to each and every leader [about] first and foremost is: How is it with your soul?
If I had the privilege to sit across from someone in (any kind of church leadership position), one of the questions I would ask them is: How goes it with your soul? And I would do my best to draw them out, particularly about the presence or absence of affections for the Savior. So I wouldn’t want to begin with discussing the particulars of ministry or the skills involved for the effective execution of leadership. What I would want to talk to each and every leader [about] first and foremost is: How is it with your soul?
Monday, March 24, 2008
"A singing bird in an open cage ......Who will only fly......... only fly for freedom"
this lyric from U2's WALK ON (album All you can't leave behind)
has absolutely been gnawing at me.... I'm not sure of the original meaning for U2... but for me it has become a tantalizing picture of the struggle with sin.... the temptation to "settle for sin".... the allure of thinking of anything as beautiful or healthy that is prohibited by my all-knowing and wise Father....
and so... day by day... hour by hour... minute by tick-tick minute we refuse the "freedom" to fly around in a house .... because we will wait until there is true freedom... the opportunity to fly around outdoors.... yet we wait with hope!!! the bird is SINGING!
then again, what do i know?
this lyric from U2's WALK ON (album All you can't leave behind)
has absolutely been gnawing at me.... I'm not sure of the original meaning for U2... but for me it has become a tantalizing picture of the struggle with sin.... the temptation to "settle for sin".... the allure of thinking of anything as beautiful or healthy that is prohibited by my all-knowing and wise Father....
and so... day by day... hour by hour... minute by tick-tick minute we refuse the "freedom" to fly around in a house .... because we will wait until there is true freedom... the opportunity to fly around outdoors.... yet we wait with hope!!! the bird is SINGING!
then again, what do i know?
Connor baby born!!!
On Friday March 21, 2008 at 2:13pm Ezra Patrick Douglas Connor was born at the Birth Center of Gainesville, FL. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 12.7 oz.measuring 21 inches in length. Celebrate with Breanna and Will and Big brother Silas and Big sister Lydia
Sunday, March 23, 2008
He is not here
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Tom Wright Quotes on Easter & NEW CREATION
"Heaven is important, but it's not the end of the world." In other words, resurrection means the new earth continues after people have gone to heaven.
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Because Jesus is raised from the dead, God's new world has begun. We are not only the beneficiaries of new creation; we are the agents of it. I just can't stop preaching about that, because that is where we're going with Easter.
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"Our task…is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and the foretaste of the second."
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The message of the Resurrection is that this present world matters; that the problems and pains of this present world matter; that the living God has made a decisive bridgehead into this present world with his healing and all-conquering love and that, in the name of this strong love, all the evils, all the injustices, and all the pains of the present world must now be addressed with tire news that healing, justice, and love have won the day. That’s why we pray: “Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.” Make no bones about it: Easter Day was the first great answer to that prayer.
-----------------
Because Jesus is raised from the dead, God's new world has begun. We are not only the beneficiaries of new creation; we are the agents of it. I just can't stop preaching about that, because that is where we're going with Easter.
---------------------------
"Our task…is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and the foretaste of the second."
----------------------------------------
The message of the Resurrection is that this present world matters; that the problems and pains of this present world matter; that the living God has made a decisive bridgehead into this present world with his healing and all-conquering love and that, in the name of this strong love, all the evils, all the injustices, and all the pains of the present world must now be addressed with tire news that healing, justice, and love have won the day. That’s why we pray: “Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.” Make no bones about it: Easter Day was the first great answer to that prayer.
Holy Saturday People
The prophet Jeremiah (in the book LAMENTATIONS) looks out on chaos and ruin, but the backbone of his poem is a dogged, tearful statement of faith in God's order and purpose.
That is the strange sort of waiting to which Holy Saturday summons us and it's a call that many communities, and many individuals, badly need to hear today, both in the forgotten wastelands of our post-industrial landscape and in the equivalent rustbelt within our hearts and our memories and our imaginations. Somewhere between nihilistic atheism on the one hand and a glib, chatty, easy-going religion on the other there is a different sort of thing, something deeper and darker that simultaneously refuses to despair even as it refuses cheap and shallow solutions. Again and again, in the communities where we live and in our personal lives, we are called to be Holy Saturday people, not because we've forgotten about Easter but because we don't yet know what form Easter is going to take in this particular moment of sorrow. --Tom Wright
Thursday, March 20, 2008
a little ol' phone call
Just y'day someone told me that they got a phone call from someone they barely knew... the caller said, "Helen, I don't know if you are into this or not but for some reason i thought I should call and invite you to our Bible Study. Wanna come?"
Well "Helen" went and loves it and won't miss now.
who is in your sphere of influence that might need (maybe even want?) that little nudge to get them to Easter sunday?
Well "Helen" went and loves it and won't miss now.
who is in your sphere of influence that might need (maybe even want?) that little nudge to get them to Easter sunday?
Congregational Singing on Easter
we won't sing all the stanzas... but here they are for your meditation/enjoyment as you survey the wondrous cross today and tomorrow and prepare to celebrate sunday...
Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!
Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!
Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
This great writing (and more glorious vision!) is because of EASTER
Aslan turned to them and said: "You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be."
Lucy said, "We're so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our own world so often."
"No fear of that," said Aslan. "Have you not guessed?"
Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.
"There was a real railway accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are—as you used to call it in the Shadowlands—dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. (C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle, New York: Collier Books, pp. 183–84)
Lucy said, "We're so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our own world so often."
"No fear of that," said Aslan. "Have you not guessed?"
Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.
"There was a real railway accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are—as you used to call it in the Shadowlands—dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning."
And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. (C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle, New York: Collier Books, pp. 183–84)
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