Tag: Discipleship

The Way of Sin

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

TakingGodSeriouslyThe way of sin is to live, not for God, but for yourself; to love and serve and please yourself without regard for your Maker; to try to be independent of him, to hold him at arm’s length, to keep the reins of your own life firmly in your own hands; yet at the same time to try to manipulate him as a means to your own ends and to use him as a safety net when you are in trouble…. Sin is deviation from the God who wants our fellowship and worship, and sin embraces self-absorption in place of God-centeredness.

– J. I. Packer in Taking God Seriously

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

What Is Reformation Day All About? – Robert Rothwell (Ligonier)
But what is the significance of Reformation Day, and how should we consider the events it commemorates?

Reformation Day: Jesus Came Knocking – Jon Bloom (DG)
In fact, given the prosperity that most of us in the West are experiencing and the arid spiritual climate most of us live in, it may be that the best way we can observe Reformation Day is to do some serious, prayerful soul-searching….  And we should ask ourselves, is Jesus knocking — or pounding — on our door? Are we hearing him? Are we ignoring or even resisting him? Are we tolerating and justifying any idols? 

How To Lose Your Zeal for Christ – Tim Challies
Are you zealous for Christ? Do you have a genuine zeal to live for him and to advance his cause in the world? Or have you lost the zeal that once marked you?

Two Ways To Sing To God – Joel Limpic (D&T)
Psalm 81:1 commands us to “sing for joy.” How does this command play itself out practically in our worlds, particularly when we feel joyless? I want to propose that to fully embrace this command, we must learn to sing in two ways: from affection and for affection.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day singing for joy to the Lord!

A Healthy Christian

On By BrianIn Classic Quotes

MorningEveningWith a truly healthy Christin, his grace is externally displayed in his walk and conversation. If you talk with him, he cannot help speaking about Jesus. If you notice his actions, you will see that he has been with Jesus. He is so full of Christ that He must fill his conduct and conversation.

– Charles Spurgeon in Morning and Evening

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points1 Comment

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Anselm’s Prayer for Fullness of Joy in God (via Justin Taylor)
I pray, O God, that I may know you and love you,
so that I may rejoice in you.

The Joy of Living in Jesus’s Shadow– Marshall Segai (DG)
What we learn from John the Baptist is that the greatest glories in this life are not in receiving attention or fame, but in funneling it all to Jesus.

Five Steps to Meditating on the Bible – Colin Smith
To meditate, then, is to think deeply about what God has said to us in the Bible and to prepare our minds and hearts for prayer. Scripture is the foundation of our praying; meditation readies us for it by helping us focus, understand, remember, worship, and apply.

The Sunday Worship Killer – Jason Helopoulos
Donning the robes of the critic maims and kills many would-be worshipers in churches every single Sunday morning.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping our great God!

Servant to Someone

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

PursuitofGodWe must of necessity be servant to someone, either to God or to sin. The sinner prides himself on his independence, completely overlooking the fact that he is the weak slave of the sins that rule his members. The man who surrenders to Christ exchanges a cruel slave driver for a kind and gentle Master whose yoke is easy and whose burden is light.
– A W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God

You Were Chosen

On By BrianIn Books of the Bible

You were chosen.

Before the foundation of the world. Before time and space existed. Before all of creation. You were on God’s mind. He was thinking about you.

You were chosen.

According to the purpose of his will. His purpose. His will. It was his purpose, his good pleasure, to choose you. It was his desire to choose you. It was his delight to choose you.

You were chosen.

To be holy and blameless before him. To have your sin and guilt and shame removed. To be declared righteous in his sight. To live as one set apart unto God. To live for Him. To one day stand before him holy and blameless forever.

You were chosen.

For adoption as sons. To be God’s beloved child. To be part of God’s family. To receive an inheritance forever.

You were chosen.

In Christ. Through Jesus Christ. All because of Christ. As we are united to Christ.

You were chosen.

To the praise of his glorious grace. That God might be praised, exalted, lifted up, worshiped, glorified. For his grace toward us, his underserved favor, his unearned blessing, his glorious gift of salvation for us.

You were chosen.

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts on Bible reading and study for your weekend reading:

Five Strategies for Daily Bible Reading – Gavin (Soliloquium)

Re-ignite Bible Reading That’s Become Boring – David Murray

Four Prayers for Bible Reading – David Mathis (Desiring God)

4 Tips for Using a Study Bible Well – Justin Taylor

7 Great Study Bibles (Infographic) – Tim Challies

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day studying God’s Word with your local church!