Tag: Discipleship

Everlasting Significance

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

I will give in my house and within my walls
a monument and a name better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
– Isaiah 56:5 (ESV)

God is speaking in this verse to eunuchs who would never have children. In Israel, it was important to have children to continue the family line. To be single and never have children was a tragedy, to be a failure. But God says he will give them an everlasting name better than children. He will give them everlasting significance apart from family.

Mark this. A spouse can never give you lasting significance. If you look for your significance in your spouse, you will destroy your marriage. Your spouse was never designed to give you significance, to satisfy your soul. Only God can give you lasting significance.

Your children can never give you lasting significance either. If you look for significance in your children, you will destroy your children. And when they leave home, your sense of significance will walk right out the door with them. Only God can give you lasting significance.

Everyone is searching for significance. You may be seeking it in family, or achievements, or recognition, or fame, or power. Many today seek significance in Facebook – how many friends do you have, how many people liked your last status? People try to recreate themselves in their own image striving for significance. But only God can give you lasting significance.

Don’t seek lasting significance in the temporary. Only an eternal God can give you lasting significance. He gives us an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Cheap Grace Isn’t Grace – Ricky Stark (YMRT)
…genuine faith requires repentance—and that a call to grace is a call to holiness. 

Living Well in a Digital World – Tim Challies
I am thrilled to live in this time, and eager to use all of these new technologies for good. But I know, and you know, that we need to use them well, and to use them for God’s glory.

Preaching the Ten Commandments – Ray Ortlund
When I preach through the Ten Commandments, each sermon has four points, because each commandment does four things at once. [Not just for pastors – good thoughts on the Ten Commandments]

Two Ways To Ruin Your Relationship With The Giver – Mike Wittmer (via Tim Challies) We must see God’s gifts of creation as windows into his glory and opportunities to praise him. But we must also find pleasure in them.

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

The God Who Gives

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

BecomingWorldlySaintsThere are two ways to ruin our relationship with the Giver of all things. The first is to ignore him and focus entirely on his gifts…. The second way is to ignore the gift and focus entirely on the Giver…. If the first temptation ignores the God who gives, the second refuses to let him be the God who gives.

– Michael Wittmer in Becoming Worldly Saints

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

How Do You Know You’re Repentant? – Jared Wilson
We name our sin as sin and do not spin it or excuse it, and further, we demonstrate “godly sorrow,” which is to say, a grief chiefly about the sin itself, not just a grief about being caught or having to deal with the consequences of sin.

3 Reasons Why You Aren’t Allowed To Be Theologically Dumb – Chris Martin (ME)
When you love God with your heart but not your mind, you end up loving the god of your imagination, not the God of the universe.

Theological Black Holes – Tim Challies
And this is one of the reasons God places us in church communities where we are surrounded by people who are that much wiser and that much more mature than we are.

Making the Most of Sunday – Joe Thorn (TCC)
As we look forward to what God will do among us as we gather let’s remember that there are three ways to get the most out of your Sundays with the church: prepare, participate, and reflect….

Hope you make the most of the Lord’s Day this week as you gather with your local church!

Sermon Songs: Isaiah 55

On By BrianIn Isaiah Hymns

MusicNotes

Come, sinners, heed the Savior’s call
Come to the feast, it’s free to all
Come hear His Word and truly live
He satisfies, great love he gives

Come seek the Lord, draw near today
Turn from your wicked thoughts and ways
His Word is strong and trustworthy
Great joy and peace one day we’ll see

– From a sermon on Isaiah 55
(To the tune of “The Doxology”)

Come

On By BrianIn Book of Isaiah

Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live….

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come;
let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

– Isaiah 55:1-3a, John 6:35, Revelation 22:17 (ESV)