Quotes to Ponder

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

Before the next hurricane, tornado, or tsunami come, nail it down:
“Even the winds and the sea obey him” (Matt. 8:27).
– John Piper

To manage a life of pain, as a believer in Jesus,
remember: This is all the hell you will ever bear. 
– Robert Murray M’Cheyne

The Lord makes his people sensible of the vanity of the present life,
by a constant proof of its miseries.
– John Calvin

There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained
only through the discipline of suffering. 
– D.A. Carson

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Lake Superior near Copper Harbor

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

Passion Points

On By BrianIn Family Collection, PASSION Points

I’m preaching on love in the family tomorrow, so here are some good posts on family love:

22 Descriptions of Marital Love – Paul Tripp (via R. W. Glenn)
1. Love is being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of your husband or wife without impatience or anger.
2. Love is actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental toward your spouse, while looking for ways to encourage and praise.

Leading in Love – Wayne Grudem (via Tim Challies)
Headship doesn’t mean selfishness. It means being willing to give of yourself for your wife and care for her as well.

Christian Husband’s Only Option: Love Your Wife – Jason Helopoulis
Every Christian husband knows that in Ephesians 5 the husband is exhorted to love his wife as Christ loved the Church. What many of us need to hear, especially in Western modern culture, is that an aspect of Christ’s love for the Church is that it endures. Christian husbands must take note that Christ’s love for the Church is not momentary or even for a season. It is a love that continues. It is steadfast and true. And these qualities are to mark a husband’s love for his wife. There is no other option.

When I Don’t Feel Love for My Spouse – Steve Cornell (via Gospel Coalition)
A woman once told me that she planned to leave her husband because she “just didn’t love him anymore.” I asked her to change the way she worded what she planned to do so that her decision could be understood accurately. I asked her to say it this way: “I am choosing to no longer value my husband and to break my commitment to remain faithful to him.”

If you are married, I hope these posts will help to strengthen your marriage.  And as always, have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our Savior who loved his church and gave himself up for her.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Sunset over Lake Superior at Copper Harbor

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

Passion Points

On By BrianIn Church Collection, PASSION Points

As you prepare to gather with Christ’s church tomorrow, here are some good posts to consider:

We Weren’t Created For Isolation (Short Video) – Brad House (via Crossway)
We weren’t built for isolation, we were created for community. And community isn’t ultimately about us, it’s about God. The church should be the most compelling expression of community in our culture. It should stand in contrast to the counterfeit community that costs us nothing.

The Difference Between Church as Individual Divers and Church as an Organic Body – Richard Lovelace (via Justin Taylor)
No individual, congregation or denomination of Christians is spiritually independent of the others. . . .

Church as an Oasis of Grace – Trevin Wax
Our churches ought to be filled with people who have gospel-focused conversations, where we bring the gospel to bear on every inch of life, hold one another accountable, rebuke one another in love, and encourage one another in grace.

Can I Grow in Holiness Without the Local Church? (Short Video) – David Powlison (via Desiring God)
The role the local church plays in our sanctification….

May we approach church tomorrow in a more Biblical way as we seek to worship our great God together!

Declaring The Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Rocky Beach at Lake Superior

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

The Lord Is My Portion

On By BrianIn Hymns

From pole to pole let others roam
And search in vain for bliss
My soul is satisfied at home
The Lord my portion is

Jesus, who on his glorious throne
Rules heav’n and earth and sea
Is pleased to claim me for his own
And give himself to me

His person fixes all my love
His blood removes my fear
And while he pleads for me above
His arm preserves me here

His word of promise is my food
His Spirit is my guide
Thus daily is my strength renewed
And all my wants supplied

For him I count as gain each loss
Disgrace, for him, renown
Well may I glory in his cross
While he prepares my crown

Let worldlings then indulge their boast
How much they gain or spend
Their joys must soon give up the ghost
But mine shall know no end

 – John Newton from Olney Hymns
(Can be sung to the tune of Am I Soldier of the Cross?)

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory

Tree roots making a “natural staircase” (it was quite a climb up and down!)
in the Presque Isle area in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

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

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts on the Word and prayer for your weekend reading:

How to Listen to a Sermon – Phil Ryken (via reformation 21)
So what is the right way to listen to a sermon?  With a soul that is prepared, a mind that is alert, a Bible that is open, a heart that is receptive, and a life that is ready to spring into action.

A Smorgasbord of Bible Memorization Methods – Jean Williams (Matthias Media)
Every Bible memorization method has one or more of the three Rs at its heart: Repeat, Recall, Review. Repeat a passage over and over until you’re familiar with it; practise recalling it until it’s worn a path in your memory; then review it so you don’t lose it. But there are different ways to do these three things, and not all of them will suit you.

Does Your Church Pray Together? – Sinclair Ferguson quoted by Justin Taylor
I greatly wish that our churches would learn to keep the main things central, that we would learn to be true Churches, vibrant fellowships of prayer, Gospel ministry and teaching, genuine mutual love.

31 Petitions to the Lord on the Occasion of my 31st Birthday – Trevin Wax
My knowledge of You as a loving Father is what compels me to come before You, to ask You, plead with You, beg of You: Accomplish these 31 things in the years to come….

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshipping the Lord as you sit under His Word and come before His throne.

Waterfalls

On By BrianIn God & His Glory

Creation points to God; it declares its Creator.  Waterfalls, as part of creation, point to God.

Waterfalls point to God’s beauty.  The cascading water sparkling in the light is a reflection of God’s beauty.

Waterfalls point to God’s power.  The deafening roar of the thundering water speaks of God’s great power.

Waterfalls also point to God’s infiniteness.  Each waterfall is different – different heights, different widths, different angles of descent, different rocks, different cascades.  I’ve never seen two waterfalls the same.  Each one is a new sight to behold.  And so it is with God.  There is always a new beauty to behold, a new manifestation of his power.  We will never exhaust the depths of God.