Category: PASSION Points

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points1 Comment

As I continue to try to catch up on the last month, this edition will focus on Growing in Godliness.  All of these links are well worth the look…and time for reflection.

We’ll start with Kevin DeYoung’s Ditches on the Path to Godliness.  We tend to either think on one hand that the path is easy or on the hand that the path is impossible.  As DeYoung puts it:  In contrast to these two dangers, those on the path of holiness realize that growth is possible and it is also hard work.

Recognizing the ditches, how can we grow in godliness?  Dane Ortlund asked several Christian leaders what they thought the key to growth was.  The answers are thought-provoking.

But why do we grow so slowly?  What holds us back?  Ray Ortlund quotes Archibald Alexander who gives us three reasons we make so little progress. 

Finally, as we remember that growing in godliness is a path through life rather than a destination, check out these beautiful and often amazing pictures of roads.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points3 Comments

It has been a few weeks since I have featured this, and good posts have piled up a bit.  I feel like I’m editing a magazine as I choose posts I would encourage you to check out.  I think perhaps we will do this in a couple installments.  This post will focus on God and idolatry.

We begin with a post from a month ago when Anne Rice announced she was leaving the church.  Mike Wittmer suggests the underlying sin behind her decision – and none of us are immune to it.  Indeed Mike suggests it is our modern sin.  It makes an idol of ourselves and directly opposes three passion living.

Another popular god is fashion which many seemed enslaved too (do you regularly have to have new clothes, a new car, a new ipod, etc. to stay in fashion?), and all of us are influened by it to some degree.  Tullian Tchividjian gives us a great quote from Spurgeon for all of us to consider on fashion.

One big problem we have is that we can make even our views of God into idolatry (as the Second Commandment warns us against).  Ray Ortlund gives us a classic quote from A.W. Tozer reminding us how important our view of God is.  How closely does our view of God match what he has revealed to us?

When our views of God get small, idols become more tempting.  Justin Taylor gives us a great quote from John Piper reminding us that God is better than all the idols in this world.  And Thabiti Anyabwile gives us a quote from Thomas Watson calling us to see the empiness of our idols that we might turn to the fullness of Christ.

One final quote and one of my favorites on the folly of idolatry from Jeremiah:
Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak;
they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. 
Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.
As idols call our name, may this verse come to mind.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

The summer seems a bit slow in the blogosphere with many taking breaks, but here are a few posts to chew on:

One of my desires is not only to live this three passion life, but to pass it on to my children.  This requires me to spend time teaching my children about Christ and our response to him.  In that vein, Brian Croft has a helpful blog about fathers shepherding their children.

Humility is essential for true compassion for others.  If we love to be first, we simply will not show compassion toward others.  With that in mind, consider Scotty Smith’s prayer for humility.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Maybe I should have called this Web Bi-weekly, but I’d lose the alliteration.  Anyway, here are some highlights from the last 2-3 weeks related to living the three passions life.

First, Ray Ortlund gives another good picture of a passion for God versus idolatry.

Second, Justin Taylor notes the important distinction between loving people in abstract and really having compassion for people (and it even includes a Peanuts cartoon!)

Finally, here are a number of recommended posts about important habits of three passions living – daily prayer, worship, church, simplicity, and even an interesting discussion of modesty.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Last week was a very good and busy week of VBS at our church, so I wasn’t able to blog much.  Let’s start this week with a few recommended posts to visit from around the web related to Three Passion living.

First, we start with God’s passion for us.  Justin Taylor explores how Paul describes God’s grace throughout the book of Ephesians.  His question at the end of his post is important for us to consider: “Do we feel, with Paul, how truly great God’s grace is?”

People are obsessed about all kinds of things in our world, but our passion should only be found in one place as Mark Altrogge reminds us.

If we are going to grow in our passion for God and compassion for people, we need to be in God’s Word.  James MacDonald reminds us of some of the Bible’s vivid pictures of itself – and what they mean for us.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

A few days late, but here are some noteworthy links from the past week (and in same cases older).

First, some good links on prayer: wandering prayer, morning prayer, and a prayer for generosity.

Justin Taylor quotes D. A. Carson about how we tend to drift from holiness, and ways we try to justify it.

Finally, some important questions for us to ponder from Chris Brauns and Coram Deo.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

A few gems from the past few weeks.  First Chris Brauns challenges us to get serious about fighting sin with a great quote from Billy Sunday.  He also challenges us to get serious about preparing to hear God’s Word preached with a quote from Spurgeon.

Meanwhile Justin Taylor quotes Tim Keller on how salvation by grace encourages our outreach.  And Kevin DeYoung gives us some helpful thoughts on assurance of salvation.

Finally, He Is My Delight asks us, “What were we made for?“

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

It has been a few weeks since I have surveyed some of the best from the web, so here is a compilation of the last few weeks.

Tullian Tchividjian quotes from Sinclair Ferguson with a necessary reminder that our focus must not be on ourselves, not even on our spiritual growth, but rather our focus must be upon Christ – and then we will grow.

If we focus on our our own growth instead of Christ we will either get big heads thinking (falsely) that we have arrived, or we will mope about as we realize how far we have to go.  It is this moping constant guilty feeling that Kevin DeYoung addresses, as he reminds us of our need to cling to the gospel.

There are a number of good articles to read about various spiritual disciplines that help us grow (habits of love), including confession (DeYoung), Scripture memory (John Piper), and church membership (DeYoung again quoting from Jonathan Leeman).

Finally, Crossway gives us a portion of  Tullian Tchividjian’s new book Surprised By Grace.  This portion deals with one of the recurring themes here on this blog – the important issue of idolatry that steals our passion for God.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

All kinds of good stuff this week!

First, Crossway has several excerpts of Trevin Wax’s new book Holy Subversion.  This is a book I have wanted to read – even more so after reading the excerpts.  These excerpts all relate to how we use our free time.  The last one relates to my last several posts on being a church family as he addresses relationships and free time with application for the church.  See here, here, here, and here.

First Things shares the secret to appreciating church – and it closely relates to being a church family.

Also related to being a church family, and especially unity amidst offenses is Ray Ortlund’s helpful post on guarding and repairing relationships.

Finally, Donald Whitney has a great strategy for outreach that shows real compassion for people.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn PASSION Points1 Comment

The best around the web this week that I found deals with spiritual disciplines – habits that help us grow in love for God and people, and indeed that are expressions of our love for God and people.

Coram Deo reminds us of the need to keep it simple, coming back to the basic disciplines of life.  Chris Brauns calls us to consistent prayer with a quote from Bryan Chappell.  He Is My Delight gives a great example for compassion in outreach.