Category: PASSION Resources

Habits for Growth in 2012

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous, Holidays

In response to God’s grace and by His grace:

Which habits are you already practicing that you will continue?

Which habit are you already doing that you will seek to enhance?  How?

Which habit will you seek to begin this year?

Some Habits

  • Daily time with God in His Word and prayer
  • Read through the New Testament
  • Read through the Bible
  • Regular Scripture memory
  • Join a Sunday School class or small group Bible study
  • Greater commitment to prayer
  • Regularly attend Prayer Meetings
  • Closer fellowship with other believers
  • Join a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching church
  • Actively seek ways to encourage others
  • Serve in some church ministry
  • Better stewardship of time
  • Better stewardship of money
  • Tithe
  • Personal evangelism
  • Get involved in church outreaches

Passion Points – Christmas

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Points

Here is your Christmas edition of Passion Points, and it includes some really interesting reflections for Christmas.  An excerpt from each post is included.

Calvin & Claus – Every Christmas, poor Calvin is a tortured soul, torn between his desire to be “good” so that Santa will bring him lots of presents – and the (at least for a little boy) overwhelming temptation to smack the little girl next door with a perfectly formed snowball.

Scrooge, Overjoyed – Writing in A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens tells us that Cratchit’s wife initially refused to participate in a toast to Scrooge on Christmas. We’re tempted to follow her example. We let bitterness, anger, and discontentment dim the light of Christ’s birth from shining brighter in our lives.

The Best Christmas Songs Tell The Truth – Sins, sorrows, curse, Satan, alienation, death. Doesn’t sound much like holiday cheer, does it? But this is the context of the comfort and joy of the Christmas announcement. Bethlehem’s star is only visible against the black sky of sin and death.

All Oppression Will Cease, Even in North Korea – Dictators and despots will continue to learn from their predecessors and build bureaucratic machines of terror and oppression.  But only for a time.  The fact remains that a day is coming when in Jesus’ name, “all oppression will cease.” Even the oppression of totalitarians in North Korea.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day/Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior who changes everything!

O Savior of our Fallen Race

On By BrianIn Holidays, Songs of Passion

I have been enjoying Keith and Kristyn Getty’s new Christmas album – Joy.  With a strong Irish/Celtic flavor, it includes wonderful renditions of traditional carols like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Carol of the Bells.  The album also includes a number of worthwhile new songs.  Below is one of my favorite songs on the album – O Savior of our Fallen Race -with great lyrics and haunting music.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory1 Comment

Outside our home last winter.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Thanksgiving Quotes To Ponder

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Quotes

Never was there an eminent saint who was not full of thankfulness.
– J.C. Ryle

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
– Psalm 100:4-5

Good God, many and great are the blessings by which I am bound to Thee, and for which I give Thee most hearty thanks; but how can I sufficiently thank Thee for having enlightened me with the holy faith?  I tremble, O Lord, when I compare this Thy great gift with my own ingratitude.
– Francis de Sales

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men.  We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
– 1662 Book of Common Prayer

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Glen Lake in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Beyond Grateful Hearts

On By BrianIn Holidays, Virtue Miscellaneous1 Comment

In Luke 17:11-19, ten lepers come to Jesus to be healed.  Jesus tells them to go and show themesleves to the priests.  As they go, all ten are healed.  One turned back and “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.”

Were the other nine glad to be healed?  Undoubtedly they were!  Leprosy was a horrible disease, and made one an outcast of society.  Certainly they were happy to be healed.  You might say they were thankful, that they had grateful hearts.  But they never came back to give thanks.

Many in America this week, will celebrate Thanksgiving.  They will have grateful hearts as they think of the good things in their lives.  But they will never come to the Lord who gave them every good thing, and give thanks to him.

As Christians, we too can fail to give thanks.  God answers a prayer, and we are very happy about it.  But we forget to thank the Lord.

This week and every day, may God help us to not only have grateful hearts like the nine, but to return to the Lord and give thanks to him.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Near our home in northwest Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20

Declaring The Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Near our home in northwest Michigan

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
– Psalm 19:1

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,
in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
– Romans 1:20