Tag: Discipleship

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

The Attraction of Idolatry – Kevin DeYoung
It is easy to see how we can make idols out of everything from health insurance to retirement accounts to political candidates to academic approval to sports to entertainment to Facebook to food and sex.

3 Godly Ambitions for the Christian – Tim Challies
Some of my favorite biblical commands are the ones that most counter our culture, and even our little Christian subculture. We find just such a series of commands….

4 Ways to Win the Battle Against Busyness – J. D. Greear (TGC)
The draw of busyness is that it gives us a sense of importance. When my schedule is full, I feel like I’m in demand. Without me, we think, all of this would fall apart. As Christians, we all too often baptize this idolatry by assuming that busyness equals faithfulness. And all the while we’re “burning ourselves out for Jesus,” we’re running on the fumes of our own self-importance. Meanwhile, Jesus is unimpressed.

If We Are So Burdened Then Why Aren’t the Prayer Meetings Full? – Erik Raymond
If we believe that God is good, sovereign, and holy, and that he has told us to cast our burdens on him in prayer then, where are the public prayer meetings by God’s people? If we are so exercised by injustice and depravity, why don’t Christians flood to church prayer meetings to gather with their brothers and sisters and plead with God in prayer? Why aren’t prayer meetings overflowing with burdened and broken people who want God to intervene and act?

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

Sermon Songs: Ephesians 5:22-24

On By BrianIn Ephesians Hymns

MusicNotes

The church is Jesus Christ’s body
Of which He is the Head
We do submit to Him freely
Now risen from the dead
His love for us – it is secure
In His love we abide
Each marriage now is a picture
Of Jesus and His bride

Each wife should respect her husband
And submit joyfully
As the church follows Christ’s command
Commits to Him gladly
Each husband should love his own wife
And lead her for her best
As Jesus gave up His own life
To give us hope and rest

(To the tune of “We Sing the Greatness of Our God”)

 

Reflections on Joshua 22-24

On By BrianIn OT Reflections2 Comments

As the eastern tribes return to their land, and again as Joshua nears death, Joshua charges the people to follow the Lord alone:

  • Follow the Lord – Joshua uses many words to help Israel and us to understand what it means to follow the Lord. First, we are to obey his commandments (22:5).  We must walk in his way. We are to do everything God’s Word says to do.  Second, we are to love him (22:5, 23:11).  He must be our first love above all else.  Third, we are to cling to him (22:5, 23:8).  We must stay near to him and let nothing come between us.  Fourth, we are to serve God with all of our heart and soul (22:5).  We must be faithful and sincere in our service (24:14).  We owe him our entire allegiance.  Finally, we are to fear the Lord (24:14).  We must have a reverent awe of God, treating him with proper reverence and respect.  Review these words.  Does your life look like this?
  • No other gods – Israel must choose between God and the gods of the nations. We too must choose who we will serve.  While we claim to serve God, it is possible that idols have propped themselves up in our lives.  What are you living for?  What is first in your life?  What is your life centered around?  Is it God?  Someone else?  The American dream?  Popularity?  Power?  Pleasure?  Are there idols you need to topple?  Choose this day who you will serve.

Cultivating Your Prayer Life

On By BrianIn Habit of Prayer

In How Can I Cultivate Private Prayer, Joel Beeke’s second way to take hold of yourself is to maintain the priority of prayer.  He notes Jesus’ commitment to prayer, and then asks:

If the incarnate Son of God needed to pray often to His heavenly Father, then how much more do we need to make prayer a priority in our lives?

So then how much of a priority is prayer in my life?  Do I make time for it?  Even when I’m busy?  Is it the first thing to go in a crunch, or the last?

Do I prioritize time daily for prayer?  Do I prioritize praying together with my church?  For my church?  For my family?  For myself?

CultivatePrayerWhat is it that distracts me from prayer?  What is it that keeps me from prayer?  Are there distractions in my life I need to seriously address to maintain (or even begin to have) the priority of prayer?  Does media eat up too much of my time and crowd out prayer?  What have I prioritized, even without thinking, above communing with God?

I need to rethink my priorities this week, and then make application to my life.  What about you?

Reflections on Joshua 18-21

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

After some apparent procrastination on the parts of the remaining tribes, Joshua finishes dividing up the land.

  • Procrastination – The remaining tribes were apparently dragging their feet when it came to scouting out the land that they might receive their inheritance. Joshua confronts them and gets them moving.  Has God called you to do something?  Maybe he has challenged you to respond to his Word in some way, but you are dragging your feet.  Don’t wait any longer!  Get busy doing what God has called you to do!
  • God’s faithfulness – Our passage yesterday and today has been focused on the dividing up of the land. Now at the end of our passage today, we read in summary that God gave Israel the land he had promised to their fathers.  Over 400 years earlier God had promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the land of Canaan, and now in God’s perfect time, he had fulfilled his promise.  God keeps his promises.  He is always faithful.  How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life?  Will you trust him to be faithful in the future – no matter what you face?

Joshua 18-24: Faithfulness

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(21) How did God show his faithfulness to the people of Israel (21:43-45)?

How do these verses encourage you today?

(21-23) What did God grant Israel according to these verses: 21:44, 22:4, 23:1?

Where do we find rest today (Matthew 11:28-30)?  What does this rest look like?  In what current circumstances do you need to find this rest?

(23) The faithfulness of God is not always good news for people.  What promises will God be faithful to keep to Israel in v15-16?

What “negative” promises has God made today (John 3:18, 36, Revelation 21:8)?  How should we respond?

(22-24) In response to God’s faithfulness, God calls his people to be faithful to him.  List the expectations in 22:5 and 23:6-8.

How might we practically apply these instructions to our lives today?

What part does the heart play in keeping these instructions (22:5, 24:23)?

What might we do to incline our hearts to God (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Psalm 19:8, Hebrews 3:12-13, 10:24-25)?

(24) Joshua again reminds Israel of God’s faithfulness in v1-13.  In v14-15, Israel was to respond by serving God fearfully, sincerely, faithfully, and exclusively.  Why are each of these four descriptive words important in serving God?

What would it look like for “you and your house” to serve the Lord?