Devoted Goals

On By BrianIn Habit Miscellaneous, Holidays

This past Fall our church looked at five habit of growth to which we should be devoted. Then during advent, we looked at being devoted to the gospel. Below is my attempt to pull it all together with the goal of applying our study to our lives during the coming year. I believe these would be good questions for any Christian to ponder as we look at a new year, a new month, and a new week.

Annual Goals (Review at least monthly)

Gospel: What habit will I begin this year to better remember, focus on, and live out the hope, peace, joy, and love found in Jesus?

Worship: What habit will I begin to better prepare my heart to come into God’s presence for corporate worship each Sunday? 

Prayer: What is one way I would like to grow in prayer this year? 

Word: What portion of Scripture (Old Testament, New Testament, Book(s) of the Bible, etc.) will I commit to read and meditate on throughout this year? 

Fellowship: In what ways will I partner with my church family this year in serving, giving, and prayer?

Outreach: What habit will I begin to become more watchful for opportunities to share the gospel this year? What will I do to become better prepared to share the gospel this year?  Who might I specifically pray for to receive salvation this year?

What might distract me from these goals, and how can I overcome that?
How can I live out these goals as expressions of love instead of pride?

Monthly Goals (Review at least weekly)

Gospel: What might I do to better grasp some aspect of the gospel this month, and let that aspect of the gospel better grasp me?

Worship: Is there an area in my life that I need to start submitting to God this month, and what will I do about it?

Prayer: What promise or attribute of God will I incorporate into my prayers this month?

Word: What passage of Scripture will I memorize this month?

Fellowship: What practical need in my church family will I seek to help with this month?  Who can I get together with this month around a meal?

Outreach: What practical need do I see in my workplace, neighborhood, or community that I could seek to meet this month?  How might God lead me to help with this month’s church outreach activity and/or outreach/missions project? How do I specifically need to pray for my missionaries this month? 

Weekly Goals (Review daily)

Gospel: What aspect of the gospel from my Bible reading or Sunday’s sermon will I meditate on this week?

Worship: In the midst of my current trials and temptations, what attribute of God or aspect of the gospel will I cling to this week to tune my heart to praise Him? 

Prayer: Who and what do I specifically need to pray for this week?

Word: What Biblical truth from my personal reading or Sunday’s sermon do I need to very specifically apply to my life this week?

Fellowship: Who in my church family might God be leading me to care for and/or seek to encourage this week, and how will I do it?

Outreach: How might I better shine as a light with integrity, hope, and love this week? What is one way I might purposefully seek to share the gospel this week?

Abundantly

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

This is profound consolation for us as we find ourselves time and again wandering away from the Father, looking for soul calm anywhere but in his embrace and instruction. Returning to God in fresh contrition, however ashamed and disgusted with ourselves, he will not tepidly pardon. He will abundantly pardon. He does not merely accept us. He sweeps us up in his arms again.

– Dane Ortlund in Gentle and Lowly

Infinite

On By BrianIn Grasping for God

Christianity is not about coming to God so that he can direct us to something or someone better than himself, some other thing that will make us ultimately happy. No, God himself is the one in whom all our joy, pleasure, and happiness are found. If we are made for infinite happiness – and that is what every person in the world is groping after – then the only place one will find it is in the one, and only one, who is infinite.

– Matthew Barrett in None Greater

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Burn Long Not Just Hot – Erik Raymond (TGC)
…passion for Christ is not exclusively burning hot; it’s also burning long.

Self-Talk and Sanctification – Chris McGarvey (FTC)
Having believed Jesus’s gracious words for your justification, are you now seeking to be sanctified by bullying yourself into submission? Does your inner voice sound more like “the accuser of the brothers” (Rev. 12:10) or the gentle and lowly Lover of our souls (Matt. 11:28-30)?

News as Spiritual Deformation – D. J. Marotta (TGC)
News only gives the illusion of engagement and thus inoculates you against actual engagement with real people.

The Surprising Ministry of Encouragement – Ray Ortlund (DG)
The pressures of our post-everything world are bearing down on us. But let’s not freak out. We have a more powerful way to face life today until the end comes: “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24–25).

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day encouraging and being encouraged!

Current

On By BrianIn Current Collection

Here are some helpful articles on some important current issues:

The FAQs: What You Should Know About the Pro-LGBTQ Equality Act – Joe Carter (TGC)

Inside Planned Parenthood’s Gender Factory – Abigail Shrier

Why Are Young Adults Increasingly Identifying as Bisexual? – Joe Carter (TGC)

A New Pastoral Problem – Carl Trueman

The Book Amazon Does Not Want You to Read – Justin Taylor

God Loves You

On By BrianIn All About Love

God loves you.  He proved it by coming to earth as a baby for you.  He proved it by dying on a cross for you. He proved it by forgiving your sin, and giving you a new life with Him now and forevermore.

God loves you – that might be most important you hear today.

God loves you.  But maybe you doubt it because of some sin in your life, and you wonder how he could love someone like you.  But he came and died to pay for that sin, to wash away all the shame and guilt of that sin. That sin is gone.  And he did it, because he loves you.

God loves you.  But maybe you doubt it because of some suffering in your life.  If God loved me, why am I going through this?

But his love is not found in keeping us from suffering.  We live in a fallen world, and because of that, there is sickness and death and tragedy and terrible actions by others.  We will suffer.

Jesus suffered, and we will suffer too.

But his love is not found in keeping us from suffering.  Rather, his love is found in being there to help us in our suffering.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He is with you always to end of age. 

And at end the end of the age, He will come again and bring all of our suffering to an end.

He came for you.  He died for you.  He washed away all your sins.  He purchased a new life for you.  He is with you in your trials.  And he is coming again for you.  All because he loves you.