Category: PASSION Collections

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: Family Leaders – Tim Challies
From beginning to end the Bible places upon every parent the responsibility to teach and train children and in that way to exercise kind, caring, loving oversight of them.

The Unappreciated Blessing of Busyness – David Qaoud (GR)
See, there’s a difference between busy and hurry. Busy is when you have a lot on your plate. Hurry is when you have too much on your plate.

What is grumbling? The seditious sin of grumbling pt 1
Contagion of Complaint: The seditious sin of grumbling pt 2
Can griping be godly? The seditious sin of grumbling pt 3
– Clint Archer (Cripplegate)
To God, our complaining about a situation he has allowed into our life is offensive. Because of Jesus’ death, we are in a relationship with God, he is our Father, we are his children, he loves us and he provides for us. To complain about what he has handed to us is to slap away the gracious hand of providence….  Are Christians just always supposed to suck it up? No. You can respond without sinful grumbling and disputing, just bear these five principles in mind…

5 Distinguishing Marks of a Fruitful Church – Jared Wilson
Do the people of the church speak more highly of Jesus than simply doing good or knowing the right doctrine? Do the pastors exhibit high esteem of Jesus? Are they Jesusy people?

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: Generous – Tim Challies
It is the Christian’s duty and delight to hold loosely to wealth and to give generously to the Lord’s work. Any problem with money is not the fault of the money itself but with the sneaky, sinful human heart.

What if you’re not as awesome as you think you are? – Denny Burk
There is often a gap between the reality that God sees and the illusions that I sustain in thinking about myself.

25 Quick Tips and Reminders to Help Your Prayer Life – David Qaoud (GR)
17. Meditate on Scripture before prayer as a bridge into prayer.

Nine Questions to Help You Steward All of Your Life for God’s Glory – Brad Hambrick (BCC)
The main thing is to begin to have a vision for life that involves being God’s servant and actively engaging that vision where you are currently equipped.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day celebrating our Lord’s resurrection with your local church!

Jerry Bridges Collection

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jerry-bridges

Jerry Bridges went to be with the Lord this past Sunday.  His writings have had an important impact on my life, especially Transforming Grace and the Joy of Fearing God.  Here are some tributes to his life to challenge you in your walk with the Lord.

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016) – Justin Taylor

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016): My Prayer Partner, Mentor, and Friend – Bob Bevington (TGC)

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016): Five Lessons from a Remarkable Life of Faith – interview by Tony Reinke (DG)

My Too-Weak Tribute to Jerry Bridges – Tim Challies

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: Temperate – Tim Challies
The Bible makes it crystal clear—God’s people are to be enslaved only to Jesus Christ. They are to resist any competitors, chief among them alcohol.

Rest in the Prince of Peace– Jon Bloom (DG)
An accurate gauge of our level of faith is how and how much we pray. A growing prayerful dependence on God is evidence of our growing spiritual maturity. And the more we pray in faith in everything, the more we experience the peace of God.

How To Be Conformed to the World – Tim Challies
Worldliness is like gravity, always there, always pushing down on you, always exerting its influence on you. As a Christian you are charged with resisting it day by day.

Beware the Black Hole of Time – Austin Brown (GR)
People get sucked away and lost forever on the second or third or fourth visit immediately following a church service (and especially during any waiting periods- like before a fellowship meal).  This is the black hole of time. Initial hellos have been said. Handshakes have been exchanged. So everything is supposedly good now. The regulars can do their regular things, and the visitors are supposed to feel at home.  But they don’t feel at home. Not even a little…. Let me encourage you to go out of your way to fill the black hole of time with warmth. Stay with the new people. Actively invite them to your table or sit down next to them. Go out of your comfort zone.  Can I say all that again? It is really quite important.  Stay with the new people. Be a good host. Take the time to hear their story and share yours. Ask good questions. Don’t leave them feeling awkward.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our great God and enjoying fellowship with His people!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

How to Commune with Christ on a Crazy Day – David Mathis (Crossway)
Whatever the circumstances that throw a wrench into your routine, your crazy mornings raise the question, How should you think about, and engage in (if at all), the “spiritual disciplines”—or better yet, “the means of grace”—of Bible meditation and prayer when God’s good, but often inconvenient, sovereignty has you reeling without your routine?

The Character of the Christian: Hospitable – Tim Challies
An open home displays Christian love but it also enables it. Hospitality creates opportunities for relationship, for discipleship, and for evangelism. It creates a natural context for modeling marriage, parenting, and a host of Christian virtues. While we are to teach others what the Bible says, we are also to demonstrate what it says, and we do that by inviting people into our homes and into our lives.

The Character of the Christian: Gentle – Tim Challies
To be gentle is to be tender, humble, and fair, to know what posture and response is fitting for any occasion. It indicates a graciousness, a desire to extend mercy to others, and a desire to yield to both the will of God and the preferences of other people. Such gentleness will be expressed first in the home and only subsequently in the church. It is a rare trait, but one we know and love when we see and experience it.

Don’t Be Embarrassed by Your Ordinary Church – Erik Raymond
Is your church ordinary? Small? Well, my Christian friend, if it is preaching the gospel and endeavoring to help others to know and follow Jesus then it is not insignificant. It is powerfully important and surpassingly glorious. And, you should praise God for it–even as you get to work in it!

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day ready to worship and fellowship with your ordinary local church!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

John Calvin’s 4 Rules of Prayer – Joel Beeke (Ligonier)
For John Calvin, prayer cannot be accomplished without discipline. He writes, “Unless we fix certain hours in the day for prayer, it easily slips from our memory.” He goes on to prescribe several rules to guide believers in offering effectual, fervent prayer.

The Character of the Christian: Sound Judgment – Tim Challies
When we put these traits together we see a person who has mastered his thinking and behavior so he is now capable of making wise judgments. His own life is a showcase of such wisdom.

Helping One Another Forsake Sin and Follow Jesus – Randy Alcorn
We should share the truth with humility, as an act of grace, reminding ourselves and each other that we desperately need God’s grace every bit as much as do those we’re offering it to.

How to Have Intimacy with God– Jon Bloom (DG)
The secret to drawing near to God and having him draw near to us is revealed clearly in the Bible: we draw near to God through faith in Christ who alone gives us access to him…

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: A One-Woman Man – Tim Challies
Thus this qualification is a call to devotion—devotion first to God and then to a God-given spouse.

Private Prayer Walk – Jordan Monson (DG)
Pray without distraction. The message is the same, but the means have reversed. One of the best ways to close the door in the 21st century is to open the door and leave your home to go on a prayer walk.

8 Ways to Grow in the Fear of God – Albert Martin (via Tim Challies)
Learn to feed your soul on the majestic greatness of God. By that, I mean those aspects of His character and attributes such as His absolute sovereignty, holiness, power, omnipotence, and immensity. As we contemplate His majestic greatness, it is unthinkable that any rational creature would not fear such a God.

The Best Day of the Week – Nick Kennicott (TCC)
Lord’s Day worship isn’t a burden to endure, but a joyful offering from God to receive. Christians don’t put aside their earthly cares each week to earn God’s favor, but to enjoy worshipping the God whose favor has already been granted in Jesus Christ. It is a true delight to forego even the best worldly endeavors for the day, without feeling any sense of guilt for being lazy or uncaring, to revel in the heavenly things of God which are the truest and greatest treasure for any Christian.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Testimony Collection

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I challenged the folks at my church this past Sunday to write out their testimonies.  Here are some helpful related posts:

How to Tell Your Story of God’s Grace– Chris Castaldo (TGC)

If You Don’t Have a Dramatic Testimony – Stephen Altrogge (DG)

When Your Testimony Just Isn’t That Good – Tim Challies

The Beauty of ‘Boring’ Testimonies– J.F. Arnold (TGC)

Total Depravity: The Great Equalizer – Tim Challies

Should We Use Our Personal Testimony in Evangelism? – Richard Phillips (Ligonier)

Don’t Just Share Your Testimony – Randy Newman (TGC)

The Great Commission Means Sharing Christ’s Story, Not Yours – Trevin Wax