Our Prevailing Purpose

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 
– I John 2:1a (ESV)

John is the patriarch of the church, the last remaining apostle.  He writes to the church with the affection of a father for his little children, and he has a purpose in his writing – that we may not sin.

Is that your purpose?  To not sin? 

Is that your goal?  Your desire?  Your ambition?  To not sin?  To stop sinning?

Our world, of course, has other goals: to be comfortable, to be healthy, to be happy.  And comfort, health, and happiness are wonderful blessings.  I like those things too, but they are not our purpose, our goal.

Our purpose here is that we would not sin.

Is that your purpose? 

When you are uncomfortable, is your prevailing purpose to pursue comfort, or to not sin in your discomfort?

When you are unhealthy, is your prevailing purpose to get healthy, or to not sin in your unhealthiness?

When you are unhappy, is your prevailing purpose to get happy, or to not sin in your unhappiness?

Our trials and struggles are not an excuse for sin, but rather opportunities to overcome temptation and not sin.

Is that your goal in whatever you face today? 

Is that your prevailing purpose? 

Saturday Strands

On By BrianIn Uncategorized

Here are some loose strands from various places for your growth:

The Difficult Discipline of Joy: What Keeps Us from Seeing God? – Clinton Manley (DG)
Joy is indeed a difficult discipline. Greed, self-centeredness, and the relentless pull of inattention constantly creep in and cut us off from divine delights.

With Friendship in Decline, Belonging Is a Powerful Apologetic – Sam Allberry (TGC)
What will show the presence of heaven itself among God’s people? What will show that God is alive and well and right here? It’s our love for one another. This isn’t an afterthought, as though what really mattered were other things and our love for one another was the icing on the cake. No, the quality of our relational life is to be an apologetic to the world around us.

Humility and Overcommitted Busyness – Alasdair Groves (Ligonier)
I want to direct our gaze to a significant blemish on humility in our own generation where we need further chipping and sanding: our overcommitted busyness.

Unpacking “Look inside Yourself” – Brian Rosner (Crossway)
Humans are not self-defining, isolated units. The biggest problem with only looking inside to find yourself is that it is hopelessly reductionistic, ignoring crucial dimensions of what it means to be a human being. Human identity does not exist in isolation, it cannot be defined without reference to the narrative in which it finds itself. We know ourselves by looking around to our closest relationships, back and forward to our shared life stories, and upward to something bigger than ourselves. We are profoundly social, deeply story-driven, and we have eternity in our hearts.

Flashback: The Shepherd’s Care
Is this how you think of God – as a gentle shepherd?

Sermon Songs: Hebrews Overview

On By BrianIn Hebrews Hymns

Jesus is better than angel beings
Better than Adam and Moses too
A better hope of salvation brings
Better promise and covenant new

Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

A better sacrifice once for all
By His own blood He offers mercy
Proclaims a better reward for all
A better life in God’s own country

Fast, Fast, Hold fast
Hold fast to Jesus the Better One
Near, Near, Draw Near
Draw near to God through His only Son

© 2022 Brian Mikul

(Sing to tune of “Grace Greater Than Our Sin”)

Christ Our Wisdom

On By BrianIn Sing A Song, Songs to Sing

Here is a great new song by Sovereign Grace Music that looks to the wisdom of Christ in the midst of our suffering. With Biblical lyrics that teach the mind and touch the heart and a modern hymn format that is singable and playable, it would be a great song to consider introducing to your church (I know I am). Or add it your playlist for your own encouragement (already done).

Lyrics, chord charts, lead sheets, related Scriptures, places to listen or buy, and more are available on their site here.

Blog Reboot

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

For many years this blog has been called Three Passions with the tagline: Because of Christ’s PASSION for us, we will live with a PASSION for God and comPASSION for people. And this remains an important theme for me. But there are other important themes that I have been focusing on too – idolatry, Sabbath, rest, identity, culture, wonder, family worship, small town church ministry, and more. And so this blog is getting a fresh look with a fresh tagline: For the Christian, For the Small Church.

For the Christian
I hope this blog will encourage Christians in their walk with the Lord. Through regular reflections, quotes, songs, studies, recommended resources, and collections of posts from others (Saturday Strands), I hope this blog will spur you to follow Christ.

For the Small Church
I have been a small-town pastor for over 20 years, and so I am also writing this blog to encourage small town pastors and churches in their important ministries. I want to share ministry ideas, songs, studies, resources, and posts from others that have been helpful to me, that I pray might also be helpful to other small-town church ministries too. Larger churches might find much that is helpful too, but I am writing with the small-town church in mind because that is what I know.

For a while I considered writing two blogs – one for Christians and one for small town churches, but the reality is that there would be too much overlap. For example, I hope that my Sermon Songs would both encourage individual Christians and provide a possible closing song for small town churches. The Bible Journey studies could be used by an individual Christian on their own or in a group, as well in a small-town church Sunday School or group.

So welcome to the new blog. I hope that you will be encouraged, and that God would be glorified.

Declaring the Glory

On By BrianIn Declaring the Glory2 Comments

Bryce Canyon National Park

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 Week: Resurrection Sunday

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Reflections

Read: Mark 16:1-7.
“And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” – Mark 16:6-7 (ESV)

Reflection: Ponder this amazing announcement that Jesus is risen. Who can you go and tell? One day you too will see Him!

Sing:
“Christ the Lord is ris­en to­day,” Al­le­lu­ia!
Sons of men and an­gels say, Al­le­lu­ia!
Raise your joys and tri­umphs high, Al­le­lu­ia!
Sing ye heav’ns, and earth re­ply, Al­le­lu­ia!
(Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, Written by Charles Wesley)

Passion Week: Saturday

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Reflections

Read: Mark 15:42-47.
And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone  against the entrance of the tomb. – Mark 15:46 (ESV)

Reflection: For the disciples, it seemed all hope was lost. How would your life be different if Jesus had stayed in the tomb?

Sing:
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me
To tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
(American Folk Hymn)

Passion Week: Good Friday

On By BrianIn Holidays, PASSION Reflections1 Comment

Read: Mark 15:24-37.
So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” – Mark 15:31-32 (ESV)

Reflection: To save us, He must not save Himself.  He had to stay on the cross so that we might know His grace.

Sing:
To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.
(When I Survey, Written by Isaac Watts)