3 Barriers to Spiritual Growth Faced by Teens Today

7 Ways to Shepherd the Terminally Ill

There’s something about vulnerable, compassionate service in the name of Christ, dependent on the help of the Spirit, that allays such fears. The Lord has called elders to shepherd the flock, even those sheep facing the immediacy of death. How should we shepherd terminally ill church members?

How then shall we watch?

We need to ask a question (one Wax also asks): “At what point does our cultural engagement become just a sophisticated way of being worldly?”

7 Surprising Trends in Global Christianity in 2019

Instead of evaluating Christianity based on a local or even national perspective, a global vantage point can provide a better picture of the status of the faith.

Pharisaism, Money, and the Greatness of God

ERLC Panel on Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse has been a problem and many churches have dealt with it very poorly. The statement ” the church needs to do better” is an understatement. I encourage you to make some time to listen to this panel discussion, very important for churches moving forward.

Husbands, 8 Admonitions to Love Your Wife

When God says, “Husbands, love your wives,” he speaks of the woman as a complex being. He calls every man to love his whole wife just as every man loves his whole self (Eph. 5:29). This means that a husband must do all he can to understand his wife’s world. What follows are eight admonitions to love our wives with respect to their various facets.

3 Words for Church Members on Using Social Media

Imagine the impact the church can have if members use their online influence for the good of the church and Kingdom.

The Unexpected Secret to Joy

Biblical obedience is not about keeping an arbitrary set of rules; it’s about living in accordance with our design, in harmony with our Maker. Because he wants us to flourish, he restricts us in order to truly free us. He prohibits us to drive us to what is good. He lays boundaries with hands of love.

7 Ways to Shepherd the Terminally Ill

There’s something about vulnerable, compassionate service in the name of Christ, dependent on the help of the Spirit, that allays such fears. The Lord has called elders to shepherd the flock, even those sheep facing the immediacy of death. How should we shepherd terminally ill church members?

I have been reading through Nehemiah during my devotional time and there have been certain verses which have popped out to me, caused me think and mediate on. Here is one of them,

Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. (Neh. 9:36)

Nehemiah and the people of Israel have completed the wall, Ezra read the law, they have celebrated the feast of booths and now they are repenting of their sins of idolatry and disobedience to God as a nation. Their prayer is a recounting of the nation of Israel’s history of unfaithfulness and at the same time it is a recounting of God’s faithful steadfast love.

Israel’s disobedience brought on the Babylonian exile. They decimated Israel and enslaved them. The Persians came along and decimated the Babylonians, but Israel still remained enslaved. In their enslavement they were allowed to go back to Jerusalem, they rebuilt the temple and the wall, which defends the city, but yet they are still slaves in the land of blessing. They live in the land of promise but the blessings that come with the land are forfeited and go to the king as a result of their enslavement.

As I have been dwelling on this for weeks, I have been asking myself many questions. Is it possible for us as Christians to live in the blessing of salvation and yet be bound and not enjoy the blessings God has graciously given to us in salvation?

Do we go through life like Israel forfeiting, not our salvation, but the blessings that come with being in Christ, for momentary pleasures which cause us to be bound in the land of blessing?

One of the many blessing we have in Christ is freedom, the truth of the Gospel sets us free from fear, sin, death and the kingdom of Satan. Paul lets us know we are no longer slaves to fear, sin, death, and Satan but we are adopted sons and daughters of God.

 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8:15)

But notice that first clause, “you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear”, Paul recognized their was the temptation to fall back into fear, slavery and to live bound in the land of blessing. This is not because the Lord is lacking in grace or that we are lacking something from God. The problem is when the human heart strays from God. In the words of Robert Robinson,

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it
With Thy Spirit from above.
Rescued thus from sin and danger,
Purchased by the Savior’s blood,
May I walk on earth a stranger,
As a son and heir of God.

I would like to focus this week through a series of post on how believers can be bound in the land of blessing. When we wander and leave, when other things appear to be more attractive, or our hurt overcomes us, or when we come into contact with other philosophies and teachings that may cause us to stray from the truth of the Gospel. Stay tuned…

until next time

Soli Deo Gloria

 

Here is your daily round up!

Do Human Technologies Ever Threaten Divine Sovereignty?

There are two answers to whether God is threatened today by the amazing technology and ability of the human race.

Seven Encouraging Reasons to Pray

Christian people have something that at some point, most people in our community and in our country will feel that they need—to pray. Christians know how to pray, or at least we should. 

But do we know why we pray? Here are seven reasons we pray which are meant to encourage you in your pursuit of Jesus Christ. 

Where Do Our Thoughts Come From?

I know I am not the first to have this kind of “moment”. When we sit still for long enough, all kinds of things bubble to the surface of our consciousness. But where exactly do our thoughts come from? 

Does God Want Me to be Happy?

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal made the following observation back in the 17thcentury: “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.”

Recommended Resources on Sexuality

Many of us have big questions about sexuality. What does the Bible actually say about same-sex relationships? What does it look like to faithfully follow Jesus as someone who is same-sex attracted/gay? And how can the church best love, support and share the gospel with sexual minorities? Thankfully, the last decade or so has seen the production of lots of great resources to help Christians wrestle with these questions, but we don’t always know where to start, so here’s a list of recommended resources on sexuality and related topics.

All of this has convinced me that churches and families should be collaborators, rather than competitors.

Yesterday I wrote Reason to Celebrate. I have been chewing on this line from the article for a good 24 hours.

We must engage in the worship, the sermon and the fellowship. 

I have been asking myself, what does this mean?

What does this look like?

What do I do to engage Sunday (or whatever day you attend worship service) worship service?

Engaging Worship

Have you ever been to your favorite teams sporting event? What about your child’s sporting event?

In either of those cases we get involved with what’s happening. When they score we cheer, when they lose we are upset or down. When they come from behind and win the game on a last second score, we cheer and leap with excitement.

We are engaged or involved in the sporting event with a whole heart. We are physically, mentally and emotionally invested in what is happening.

I am not saying we should treat worship service like a sporting event, but what I am saying is we should be physically (for my Baptist friends tread lightly) mentally and emotionally invested in the worship service.

How do we do this?

Here are some things I do or we do as a family to keep us engaged in the worship service.

1. Rest

Get some good rest before attending worship. I know we have all been in church when we are exhausted. You cannot focus, head is nodding, to the pastor you look like a bobble head. Engaging in worship starts with resting before you go so you are physically, mentally and emotionally alert.

2. Involve Your Body In Worship

I know this may feel uncomfortable for many of you, but when it’s time to clap, clap. Clap with the congregation when the song is upbeat, unless you are an offbeat clapper ;-).

I remember being at Passion conference with my kids, we were there worshipping, Crowder leading worship, the whole stadium is leaping and worshipping. I joined in with my kids, leaping and worshipping with joy.

You can lift your hands, sing, clap, shout, play an instrument all these are Biblical when done decently and in order, just search the Scriptures.

3. Meditate On What You Are Singing

Think about what you are singing. For example here are a few lines from Come As You Are from Crowder,

There’s hope for the hopeless
And all those who’ve strayed
Come sit at the table
Come taste the grace
There’s rest for the weary
Rest that endures
Earth has no sorrow
That heaven can’t cure

When I meditate on this song, it brings me to tears, because I am reminded of the many hopeless situations the Lord has rescued me from.

I think of the many times I have strayed and the Lord leaves the 99 to bring me back.

I think of the invitation to partake of his grace, a grace I am so unworthy of, but I’m still invited

When I sing this song and my mind is flooded with the many things the Lord has done for me, worship becomes something more than just singing a song.

4. Take Notes

When it is time for the sermon take notes. The more senses you can engage the sermon with, the more you will remember. This is a habit we instilled in our family from a very young age. To this day, my adult children come to church with a Bible and a note pad.

5. Discuss The Sermon

Something we also did as a family was discuss the sermon. Ask a lot of questions.

What did I learn from this sermon?

What am I required to change as a result of this sermon?

Do I need to repent after hearing this sermon?

Is there anything that I am still unclear on after hearing this sermon?

There are many more questions you can ask yourself, your family and others who go to your church.

Something I did was reflect on the sermon to blog about, I called it Meditation Monday, I wrote about a nugget of truth which impacted me.

5. Get To Know The People You Worship With

This is probably one of the hardest things for me to do, mainly because I am an introvert. So I have to intentionally force myself to fellowship with others.

I do not regret it either.

Getting to know the people you worship with opens doors to opportunities to serve the people you worship next to. Opens doors to talk about the sermons and grow together.

These are just a few ideas, how do you engage worship?

Until Next Time

Solo Deo Gloria

Here is your daily round up (honestly thought I posted earlier) better late than never.

How to Go Deeper in Bible Study: Letter to a 13-Year-Old

Some great ideas on how to go deeper in God’s Word.

5 Small Habits that Reform Jerk-Holes

Defeat comes in tiny steps. Jerk-holes usually become jerks slowly.

Loopholes We Use to Excuse Sin

For some of us, our cry for God’s mercy is long overdue, but our evasions keep us from real repentance. Here are five common loopholes we use to excuse sin.

White or Wrong?

Should people self-identify as “white”? In normal conversation? In the church, or other specifically Christian contexts? On a census form or diversity survey? It might seem that the answer is yes to all of the above, and that even asking the question is the height of politically correct silliness. But I think there are at least seven reasons for taking seriously the possibility that the answer is no. 

When Did We Receive the Books of the Bible?

https://youtu.be/OQCuKEiXmoQ

Some great reads today. Enjoy

Three Ways to Pray for Adult Children

Prayers for strong marriages, safety on the job, or wisdom in college selection are all good requests from the heart of a Christian mum, but Paul’s three-verse, single-sentence outpouring to God challenges me to lift my sights to motivation and to pray about the drive behind my adult children’s following lives — and to take a careful look at my own.

God’s Affectionate Sovereignty in the Minutest Details of Life

Parent, have you ever experienced a parent’s worst nightmare—your child separated from you and lost at a crowded public event?

Reader, have you ever experienced every driver’s unhappy experience—your GPS getting you “lost-er and lost-er”?

5 Myths about Missions

Hudson Taylor, the nineteenth-century missionary to China, died on June 3, 1905. He was a model of gospel devotion and personal sacrifice. He was bold, driven, gospel-focused and persevering. Yet at times he was also perceived as autocratic, impulsive, distracted, and harsh—a reminder that even once redeemed we are still imperfect, all of us. Still, his perseverance and faithfulness have had a huge impact on evangelical mission for the past century. So it should come as no surprise that several myths about missions have been fueled, at least in part, by misguided reflections on Hudson Taylor’s own complex and remarkable life as a young, ambitions, culturally contextualized, gifted, and independent missionary.

Moms, We Need the Gospel on Repeat

The things we love we set on repeat—whether it’s a song, a favorite movie, an enjoyable activity, or even a daydream. We mull over and dwell on what is important to us. We know lyrics by heart and memorize pop culture trivia facts. We schedule our daily routines around what we cherish most. In turn, these things shape our hearts and our lives.

LOOK | LISTEN | LEARN – May Edition

I know it’s June but this is interesting, check it out.