The more trouble we have seeing Jesus, the more we wander into foolish thinking. The consequences are devastating: sinful patterns of self-indulgence, angry conflicts with other people, and bitter thoughts about ourselves as well as others. If these are some of the struggles that we have – habitual sin, broken relationships, self-loathing – then we must not be seeing the love of Jesus the way that God wants us to see it.
– Phil Ryken in Loving Jesus More
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
What We Need Most – Kevin DeYoung
I’m convinced that more evangelism, more prayer, more fruitfulness, more holiness will flow from the fountain of our lives only when we start drinking more deeply of Christ.
70 Prompts for Praising God – Lianna (Of Larks)
Praise Him with me through this list of 70 prompts…
The King Is Within Earshot – Tim Challies
If you would simply consider how much God loves that other person, you would never speak ill of him.
The Weight of the Church – Nicholas Batzig
…the church is far weightier than any job or school in this world. It is the place of God’s promised spiritual blessing.
Hope you have a great week worshiping our great Lord with your local church!
Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:
Yes, You Can Please Your Heavenly Father – Kevin DeYoung
Over and over, more than a dozen times in the New Testament, we have this motivation. We ought to be generous. We ought to be godly. We ought to love and live a certain way because it pleases God.
Lay Aside the Weight of Discouragement – Jon Bloom (DG)
What discourages us is not as powerful as it feels in the moment. We overcome our fear by confronting our discouragement and exercising faith in God’s promises. Those are precious moments in which we will see the power of God.
The Blessing of Weather That Confounds the Control-Freak – Trevin Wax
In a world where we try to sustain the illusion that we are in control of reality, the weather does not comply. Again and again, we remember: This is bigger than us. We must react to reality, for we cannot subdue it. Call it common grace for a technologically idolatrous age.
Study at the University of Jesus – Erik Raymond
In other words, you are never to graduate from the University of Jesus. You are always attending. Always studying. Always learning. Always marveling.
Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!
The only worthiness we have for entrance into God’s Kingdom is in Christ.
The only worthiness we have with which to come before God is in Christ.
And the only worthiness we have to qualify us for ministry is in Christ.
If we are to progress in any aspect of the Christian life,
we must look outside ourselves and only to Christ.
– Jerry Bridges in Transforming Grace
If Jesus reigns, then by definition, I cannot reign.
I must be a subordinate.
If Jesus is active today, right now,
then I must first and foremost surrender to his influence
on a minute-by-minute basis.
– Gary Thomas
Jesus is far above all things
All powers, ev’ry name
He is the sovereign King of Kings
Forever He will reign
He is the sovereign King of Kings
Forever He will reign
So let us walk in peace today
Hope in our coming King
Submit in all we do and say
His praises ever sing
Submit in all we do and say
His praises ever sing
(To the tune of “All Hail The Power of Jesus’ Name”)
Here are some good posts on doctrine:
Doctrine Matters: Eternal Life Depends Upon It – Kevin DeYoung
Christianity is much more than getting your doctrine right. But it is not less.
Take a Quiz on Christ – Tim Challies
How well do you know what the Bible teaches us about Jesus?
Your Highest Privilege – Tim Challies
Of all the privileges that are ours through the gospel, which is the greatest? According to many theologians, there is no privilege higher than adoption.
Jesus the Lord’s Anointed One
Proclaims the year of grace
A great reversal, salvation
For us, the human race
The poor receive great hope anew
The humble His mercy
The mourning find His comfort true
The captive liberty
Those ruined by their sin and shame
Once broken and hopeless
Now beautiful in Jesus’ name
Clothed in His righteousness
So go to Jesus every hour
Find grace to meet your need
In all your weakness, seek His power
Upon His favor feed
Our Lord will come, end suffering
All evil He’ll defeat
We’ll praise Him with great rejoicing
Our salvation complete
– From a sermon on Isaiah 61
(To the tune of “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing”)
In Isaiah 61, we are encouraged to go to Jesus.
Go to Jesus with your poverty and affliction and receive good news of hope for future.
Go to Jesus with your mourning and sorrow and find his comfort.
Go to Jesus with your captivity to sin and find freedom.
Go to Jesus with your sin and receive forgiveness and righteousness.
Go to Jesus with the ruins of your life and let him rebuild you into something beautiful.
Go to Jesus with your shame and dishonor and receive the honor and joy found in him.
What do you need to go to Jesus for today?
Brian J. Mikul 