Tag: Discipleship

Community of Redemption

On By BrianIn Uncategorized

Heard Calvin Miller speak last night.  He is a great storyteller, but one phrase stuck out to me – the church is to be a “community of redemption.”  I started thinking about that phrase:

Community – not just a collection of individuals but a community, a family, a group.  Think relationships.  Think loving one another, caring for one another, encouraging one another.  Compassion.  Community.

Of redemption – not just a social club or a holy huddle.  Rather a people who have been redeemed that go out to share that redemption with others in great need of it.  Again, there is compassion as we share that redemption with others.

May God help our churches (and may we do our part) to be communities of redemption.

Revival Lessons

On By BrianIn Revival1 Comment

Just attended a seminar  by Jeff VanGoethem on the Welsh Revival and the Layman’s Prayer Revival.  Here are a few takehome thoughts:

  • We ought to be seeking a deepening relationship with God.  Too often we are seeking success as defined by the world.
  • We need the power of the Spirit.  Too often we minister according to the flesh.
  • We need to get serious about prayer and evangelism.
  • We need to challenge our young people to draw near to God – revivals often begin with them.
  • It is easy to listen to a seminar (or read a blog) about revival, but how will we respond?

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Here are a few posts I recommend checking out from this week:

Trevin Wax addresses the issue of idolatry in relationship to blogging.  Idolatry is something we slip into so easily.  If you blog (or even if you Facebook) check out this link.  May God help us to find our contentment in him.

This blog often focuses on Christ’s passion for us and our passion for God, but we can’t forget the compassion for people part.  Kevin DeYoung gives us a great example from James Davison Hunter of how to love people consistently in the small things.  He also notes seven habits of highly evangelistic Christians from Thom Rainer.  If we really love people, we have to point them to Jesus.

Examples of Grace 10

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Judges gives us a repeated example of grace.  The people rebel against God, and so God sends judgment.  Finally, the people call out for help.  God could have let them continue to suffer the results of their sin.  He could have let the enemy continue to dominate them.  Instead, God shows his grace.  He raises up judges through whom he rescues his people.  God sends deliverance.  Likewise we too have rebelled against God and deserve only judgment.  But if we cry out to him, God will send us deliverance.  He has raised up Jesus to rescue us from our sin and the devil.  We don’t deserve it, but God sends his grace.

Open Our Eyes

On By BrianIn Uncategorized

I read yesterday that a Christian musician I listened to a few years back is in a homosexual relationship.  What’s more, this person apparently finds this relationship in accordance with Christianity – despite the Bible’s clear statements against it.  Oh the deception of sin!  I find myself wondering if this person is simply trying to justify (excuse) their sin that they find desirable, or have they really come to believe that it is not sin – have they become blind to their sin.  I suppose it would be easy for many to judge this individual, but this entire thing brings two questions to my mind.

Are there sins that I enjoy and seek to justify or excuse?

Are there sins in my own life to which I am blind?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24

Book Look: This Momentary Marriage

On By BrianIn Book Look

This Momentary Marriage – John Piper

I’ve already mentioned in past posts how helpful this book was in helping me think through what it means to have a gospel shaped marriage.  Christ’s passion for us should affect our marriages.  The book also tackles being single and the issue of divorce.  Recommended.

Click here for other posts about the family.

Book Look: Counterfeit Gods

On By BrianIn Book Look1 Comment

Counterfeit Gods – Timothy Keller

I’ve read some other books on the issue of idolatry, so there was a lot familiar territory here.  Nonetheless, I needed to hear the truths about idolatry again, for it is a real issue in my life and indeed in all of our lives.  Other things quietly seek to steal our passion for God.  Keller’s focus on four common idols – love, money, success, and power – was very helpful.  He nailed me good on one of them.  If you haven’t thought through how idolatry affects your life recently, you should read this book.

Click here for other posts on fighting idolatry.

Examples of Grace 09

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

The book of Joshua continues to show forth the grace of God.

God showed his grace to Joshua by promising that he would be with Joshua wherever he went.  God would not leave him or forsake him.    This indeed is grace, and we know that it is true for us as well.  Jesus promised to be with us always to the end of the age.  So whatever we face, we need not fear or be dismayed.  We can be strong and courageous for God is with us!

God also showed his grace to Rahab.  As one of the Canaanites, she was to be wiped out, but God showed her grace, sparing her life.  She even is found in the genealogy of David and Jesus.  We too deserve only judgment, but God has poured out his grace upon us through Jesus, making us part of his family.

God showed his grace to Israel by bringing them into the Promised Land.  And he will one day show his grace to us by bringing us to a new Promised Land – the new heaven and earth where there will be no more suffering, pain, sin, or death.  In Jesus, truly we have been given grace upon grace.

Web Weekly

On By BrianIn Idolatry, PASSION Points

Here are some recommended links from the past week related to Three Passions living:

Tullian Tchividjian uses a quote from Elizabeth Elliot to help us ask the much needed question – why do we serve? He also provides a wonderful quote from Cornelius Plantinga that reminds us of who truly satisfies.  Timothy Keller likewise calls us to find our contentment in God alone, and not in what he does for us.  It strikes me that all three of these links ultimately deals with the issue of idolatry.

Finally Joshua Harris gives us a poem from Kevin Hartnett that helps us reflect upon the cross.

Examples of Grace 08

On By BrianIn Miscellaneous

Deuteronomy is Moses’ review of Israel’s history and God’s commands for the generation about to enter the Promised Land.  In this book, there are some wonderful examples of grace.

God is a great God who is near to Israel and hears them when they call upon him (4:7).  In the same way, God is near to us today.  By his Spirit, he is present with us always.  No matter what we face, God is with us.  And he hears us when we pray.  He is not to busy to listen to our cares.  And as a great God he has the power to answer our prayers.  Yet as sinners we do not deserve his presence or his listening ear.  That he gives us both is all grace.

God delivered the people from slavery in Egypt (5:6).  In the same way, God has delivered us from slavery to sin.  Once we were in bondage to sin, but now we are free to live for Christ.  Again we did not deserve this, but he has poured out his grace upon us.

God chose Israel to be his treasured possession – not because they were great, but simply because God chose to love them (7:6-8).  They were not lovable (indeed they were repeatedly rebellious), but God chose to love them.  In the same way, while we were still sinners, God loved us, and saved us, and chose us as his treasured people (Romans 5:8, I Peter 2:9-10).  Ponder what it means to be chosen as God’s treasured people!  Grace.

God promised the people that another prophet like Moses would come (18:15-19).  And so he has come – our Lord Jesus Christ who revealed to us the way of God.  Where would we be without Christ?  Lost forever.  But he did come – and that is grace.

Finally, God gave the people good things for them to enjoy (26:11).  And so he showers good things upon us to enjoy.  That is grace.

And how should we respond?  “…worship before the Lord your God.  And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you…” (26:10-11).  As we ponder God’s amazing grace, let us rejoice and worship the Lord today!