Tag: Christianity

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Lord, Search My Heart: Breaking the Power of Canceled Sin – Jon Bloom (DG)
Micah 6:8 exposes me: I can love abstract ideas of justice and kindness, and neglect their concrete expression. It admonishes me: I cannot “do justice” or “love kindness” without loving real people. It humbles me, which is just what the Doctor ordered, if I’m really ready to walk with him.

10 Sure Marks of Humility – Tim Challies
Is there any trait more odious than pride or more precious than humility? Is there any trait whose presence we so highly honor in others and whose absence we so readily excuse in ourselves? Truly, pride is the chief of sins and humility the highest of virtues. Yet the Christian has the joy of seeing the Holy Spirit put pride to death and bring to life the beauty of humility. Here are 10 sure marks that you are growing in humility.

Doubt Your Own Anger: How to Kill a Quiet Killer – Ed Welch (DG)
We want peace, health, respect, love, control, influence, safety, and much more. Sinful anger appears when these desires and expectations quietly become more important to us than loving God and loving neighbor (James 4:1–2).

Why Do Christians Sing? – Tom Olson (EM)
Our singing is more than a warm-up for the sermon or a filler in the service. Singing stands alongside preaching as one of the two great ways God has ordained for His word to dwell richly in our hearts.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day singing and growing with your local church!

Sermon Songs: Revelation 12

On By BrianIn Revelation Hymns

MusicNotes

See the battle of the ages, On one side our glorious Lord
Against Him the devil rages, Hatred toward the saints outpoured
But our God wins, The snake is crushed
Against him, Christian, stand firm

A women ready to give birth, A dragon waiting to kill
A Male Child caught up from the earth, After He has done God’s will
Satan loses, Is disgusting
Against him, Christian, stand firm

The devil is thrown from heaven, With all his accusations
See the ancient serpent Satan, Work to deceive the nations
Against his lies, Accusations,
Against him, Christian, stand firm

(To the tune of “Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending”)

Reflections on Jonah 3-4

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Jonah goes to preach to Nineveh, and then is angry when the people respond to his message.

  • Obedience – God told Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah ran the other way. After God got his attention, Jonah finally went even though he didn’t want to.  Are you currently acting in disobedience?  Are you obeying only because you feel like you have to?  Or are you obeying out of love for God and people?
  • Mercy – Jonah is a story about mercy. God shows mercy first to Jonah, and then to Nineveh.  But Jonah doesn’t think God should show mercy to Nineveh, and so he is angry.  What about you?  God has shown you great mercy.  Are you willing to extend that mercy to others?

Book Collection

On By BrianIn Book Look, PASSION Collections

I’m a bit late this year, but here are several “best books of 2017” posts.  With a great variety of categories, there is something for everyone.  If you are looking for some good books to read this year, check out these lists.

2017 TGC Book Awards

Christianity Today’s 2018 Book Awards

Best Books of 2017 – Kevin DeYoung

Top 17 Books of 2017 – Tony Reinke

My Top Books of 2017 – Jared Wilson

The Collected Best Christian Books of 2017 – Tim Challies

One of my top books for 2017, that showed up a few times on the above lists, is David Murray’s book Reset which I highly recommend (even passed out a few).

For youth, Jaquelle Crowe’s book This Changes Everything also showed up several times.  I am taking our youth group through it right now.

For children you might try Trillia Newbell’s God’s Very Good Idea which is also on numerous lists.

A few others that are now on my reading list include This Is Our Time by Trevin Wax, The Story of Reality by Greg Koukl, Recapturing the Wonder by Mike Cosper, and The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington.

And if you want to know in general what not to read, you might check out Tim Challies’ new post: A Guided Tour to 2017’s Bestselling Christian Books.  Surely we can do better.

 

Q&A#4: Our Great God

On By BrianIn PASSION Catechism

Q/A#4
Q: What are some further attributes of God?
A: God is eternal, self-existent, self-sufficient, and unchanging, full of glory and beauty.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
– Psalm 90:2 (ESV)

Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
– Psalm 96:6 (ESV)

Reflections on Jonah 1-2

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

God called Jonah to preach to Nineveh, but Jonah runs the other way.

  • Salvation – Jonah tells the sailors to sacrifice him to the sea to calm the storm, but the sailors try to save themselves. Many people today try to save themselves instead of looking to the sacrifice of Jesus.  Where are you looking for salvation?
  • Hope – From the belly of the great fish, Jonah prays with hope that God will yet save him. At the same time, he recognizes that there is no hope for those who worship idols (v8).  Where do you look for hope?  Are you looking to God with hope in the “belly” of your great trial?

Jonah 1-4: Mercy

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(1) God calls Jonah to go to a wicked people, but Jonah doesn’t want to go.  How does this contrast with Jesus?

What does Jonah attempt to do instead (v3, 4, 10)?  Why might we attempt to do the same?

How well does Jonah’s attempt work?  What happens?

The sailors try to save themselves.  How do people try to save themselves today?

What did the sailors need to do instead?  How does this point to Jesus?

(2) How would you describe Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the fish?

Where do you see his hope?

Why is there no hope for those who worship idols (v8)?

How might his prayer serve as a useful pattern for us?

What happens to Jonah?  What does this tell us about God?

How does Jonah’s experience point to Jesus (Matthew 12:40)?

(3) What message does Jonah give to Nineveh, and how do they respond?

How does God respond?  What does this tell us about God?

(4) How does Jonah respond?  What does this tell us about Jonah?

Jonah was grateful when God extended mercy to him (2:9), but grumpy when God extended mercy to Nineveh.  In what ways are we like Jonah?  Why?

What lesson does God want Jonah (and us) to learn?

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

He Will Restore Your Soul – Jon Bloom (DG)
Do you feel forsaken by God? Jesus understands. He truly understands more than you know. We can feel forsaken by God; Jesus was forsaken by God. We feel lonely; Jesus was, for a horrible moment, truly alone. As our Great High Priest, he is able to sympathize with us in all our weaknesses….

The Easiest Sin to Justify – Tim Challies
When we sin in anger, we tend to absolve ourselves of blame by pleading the circumstances around the anger….

One Simple Thought On MLK Day – Kevin DeYoung
Just one thought, and it is this: every human being—regardless of color, nationality, economic status, or intellect—has been created in the image of God and should be treated with dignity and respect.

4 Practical Threats to the Church Today – Jared Longshore (Founders)
If I were the devil, I would get Christians separated. I would convince them that one hour a week is plenty of time for them to spend together.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church worshiping our glorious God!