Praise to the Branch, the coming King
His sin-cleansed people all will sing
Safe in his presence we will dwell
And of his glory, beauty tell
– From a sermon on Isaiah 4:2-6
Author: Brian
Follower of Jesus, Husband, Dad, Grandpa, and Pastor
Lord Be With Us This Day
Lord be with us this day,
Within us to purify us;
Above us to draw us up;
Beneath us to sustain us;
Before us to lead us;
Behind us to restrain us;
Around us to protect us.
– St Patrick
Patrick
Who was St. Patrick? Find out in two minutes:
In the Hands of the Father
We are in the hands of a Father, who is at this moment doing for us precisely the thing which we ourselves should ask at his hands,
if we knew, as he does, what is best for us.
– Charles Simeon as quoted in Charles Simeon by Derek Prime
Current
A weekly collection of current news and issues in the church, country, and world.
The homosexuality issue isn’t going away any time soon, and refusing on religious grounds to participate in a same-sex ceremony seems to be the latest front. Here are some helpful posts to help us think through some of the issues:
Would Jesus Bake a Cake for a Gay Wedding in Arizona? – Joshua Wood (CT)
You Don’t Bring Me Flowers – Mike Wittmer
Should a Christian Photographer Work at a Same-Sex Wedding Ceremony – Russell Moore (GC)
Does This Look Like Jim Crow Discrimination to You? – Denny Burk
The Terms of Our Surrender – Ross Douthat
Sermon Songs
Behold the proud ways of our land
This path of sin is sinking sand
For her we pray, the gospel share
We humbly walk, His light to bear
– From a sermon on Isaiah 3:1-4:1
Reflections on Church History
My youth/adult Sunday School class recently finished a 20 week study of church history. Looking back, here are a few thoughts:
- The giants of church history were yet sinners saved by grace. Time and again as we looked at various heroes of the church, we saw not only great godly achievements, but also sinful failure. How could such a great man or woman of God do that? But God uses sinful people to accomplish his purposes so that we might glory not in the people but in their God. All have sinned and need a Savior.
- God is still at work in his world. God wasn’t just active in Bible times, as it is easy to conclude when we ignore the last 2000 years. He has been at work in his church and world during the last two millennium, and he is still at work today.
- The church today needs to study church history. It is important for us to know where we came from. It is essential for us to understand how the church came to understand Biblical truths so we can better discern truth from error today. It is helpful for us to look at life through the eyes of those who have gone before so that we might overcome some of the blind spots of our times. And it is a great benefit for us to learn from and be encouraged by the lives and writings of those who have gone before us.
If you have never studied church history, I encourage you to jump in!
Ministry Monday
Here are some good posts on preaching:
How to Preach a Stale Sermon – Erik Raymond (GC)
Preaching the Wrath of God – Steven Lawson (Ligonier)
Sunday’s Coming and God is Sovereign – John Newton quote and appropriate picture via Kevin DeYoung
Songs of Passion: Holy Spirit
This song is also a great prayer:
God Will Be Glorified in Men
Our great comfort is, that God reigneth,
and that he will ultimately be glorified in men,
whether they will or not.
He can not only work without them, but against them,
or even by them against their own designs.
– Charles Simeon as quoted in Charles Simeon by Derek Prime
Brian J. Mikul 