Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as he is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring Him nearer to our own image.
– A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
Tag: Discipleship
Classic Quote
Most men hope to go to heaven; but few take trouble to consider if they would enjoy heaven if they got there.
– J. C. Ryle
Passion Posts
Here are some really good posts for your weekend reading:
You Were Made for the Godward Life – John Piper (DG)
A Godward life is lived leaning toward God. We turn our face toward him and not away from him. We enjoy the consciousness of his presence moment by moment. We remember him and do not forget him. At every turn of the day, we put our trust in him.
Why You Should Be Praying the Psalms – Don Whitney (CBS)
Praying the Bible means talking to God about what comes to mind as you read the Bible. Usually you might read the passage first, then go back and pray through what you just read.
When Routines Become Idols – Christina Fox (CBMW)
Some of us are so attached to and defined by our routines that we can’t stand when they are interrupted, changed, or tampered with in any way. That’s because of what our routines represent to us. Comfort. Ease. Control. Peace. When we trust in our routines and cling to them, we are relying on them to give us comfort.
When Your Heart Isn’t In It – Joe Thorn (FTC)
We are made by our triune God to worship him in spirit and truth. In him we find grace and mercy and fullness of life. He speaks in his word, hears our prayers, and delights in our songs of praise. And when we engage in these disciplines by faith we are sanctified. We experience more grace. And despite all of this we sometimes just don’t want to do it.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
The Only Thinkable Relation
Every soul belongs to God and exists by His good pleasure. God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours. We owe Him every honor that is in our power to give Him. Our everlasting grief lies in giving Him anything less.
– A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
The Way of Sin
The 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
Classic Quote
It becomes us to regulate our minds and our tongues,
so as never to think or speak of God and his mysteries
without reverence and great soberness.
– John Calvin
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
With 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
Chosen
None can know their election
but by their conformity to Christ;
for all who are chosen are chosen to sanctification.
—Matthew Henry
Passion Points
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!
