Tag: Church

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 3:7-13

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns

MusicNotes

We are servants of our great King
our Savior and our Lord
The good news of Jesus to bring
that He might be adored

We serve by God’s strong grace alone
We need it ev’ry day
We seek his strength before his throne
as we kneel down to pray

We serve with real humility
each sister and brother
We give of ourselves willingly
to serve one another

(To the tune of “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: Temperate – Tim Challies
The Bible makes it crystal clear—God’s people are to be enslaved only to Jesus Christ. They are to resist any competitors, chief among them alcohol.

Rest in the Prince of Peace– Jon Bloom (DG)
An accurate gauge of our level of faith is how and how much we pray. A growing prayerful dependence on God is evidence of our growing spiritual maturity. And the more we pray in faith in everything, the more we experience the peace of God.

How To Be Conformed to the World – Tim Challies
Worldliness is like gravity, always there, always pushing down on you, always exerting its influence on you. As a Christian you are charged with resisting it day by day.

Beware the Black Hole of Time – Austin Brown (GR)
People get sucked away and lost forever on the second or third or fourth visit immediately following a church service (and especially during any waiting periods- like before a fellowship meal).  This is the black hole of time. Initial hellos have been said. Handshakes have been exchanged. So everything is supposedly good now. The regulars can do their regular things, and the visitors are supposed to feel at home.  But they don’t feel at home. Not even a little…. Let me encourage you to go out of your way to fill the black hole of time with warmth. Stay with the new people. Actively invite them to your table or sit down next to them. Go out of your comfort zone.  Can I say all that again? It is really quite important.  Stay with the new people. Be a good host. Take the time to hear their story and share yours. Ask good questions. Don’t leave them feeling awkward.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our great God and enjoying fellowship with His people!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

How to Commune with Christ on a Crazy Day – David Mathis (Crossway)
Whatever the circumstances that throw a wrench into your routine, your crazy mornings raise the question, How should you think about, and engage in (if at all), the “spiritual disciplines”—or better yet, “the means of grace”—of Bible meditation and prayer when God’s good, but often inconvenient, sovereignty has you reeling without your routine?

The Character of the Christian: Hospitable – Tim Challies
An open home displays Christian love but it also enables it. Hospitality creates opportunities for relationship, for discipleship, and for evangelism. It creates a natural context for modeling marriage, parenting, and a host of Christian virtues. While we are to teach others what the Bible says, we are also to demonstrate what it says, and we do that by inviting people into our homes and into our lives.

The Character of the Christian: Gentle – Tim Challies
To be gentle is to be tender, humble, and fair, to know what posture and response is fitting for any occasion. It indicates a graciousness, a desire to extend mercy to others, and a desire to yield to both the will of God and the preferences of other people. Such gentleness will be expressed first in the home and only subsequently in the church. It is a rare trait, but one we know and love when we see and experience it.

Don’t Be Embarrassed by Your Ordinary Church – Erik Raymond
Is your church ordinary? Small? Well, my Christian friend, if it is preaching the gospel and endeavoring to help others to know and follow Jesus then it is not insignificant. It is powerfully important and surpassingly glorious. And, you should praise God for it–even as you get to work in it!

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day ready to worship and fellowship with your ordinary local church!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Character of the Christian: A One-Woman Man – Tim Challies
Thus this qualification is a call to devotion—devotion first to God and then to a God-given spouse.

Private Prayer Walk – Jordan Monson (DG)
Pray without distraction. The message is the same, but the means have reversed. One of the best ways to close the door in the 21st century is to open the door and leave your home to go on a prayer walk.

8 Ways to Grow in the Fear of God – Albert Martin (via Tim Challies)
Learn to feed your soul on the majestic greatness of God. By that, I mean those aspects of His character and attributes such as His absolute sovereignty, holiness, power, omnipotence, and immensity. As we contemplate His majestic greatness, it is unthinkable that any rational creature would not fear such a God.

The Best Day of the Week – Nick Kennicott (TCC)
Lord’s Day worship isn’t a burden to endure, but a joyful offering from God to receive. Christians don’t put aside their earthly cares each week to earn God’s favor, but to enjoy worshipping the God whose favor has already been granted in Jesus Christ. It is a true delight to forego even the best worldly endeavors for the day, without feeling any sense of guilt for being lazy or uncaring, to revel in the heavenly things of God which are the truest and greatest treasure for any Christian.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 1:23

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns

MusicNotes

Together we are His body
Christ our exalted Head
Belov’d and cherished now are we
And by Him we are fed

Together we are His fullness
Filled with his grace, glory
His love, his pow-er, His presence
That Christ others might see

As His fullness now let us live
Show Christ in everything
His body blessed by all he gives
Let all rejoice and sing

(To the tune of “O God Our Help In Ages Past”)