Don't despise small things...
Feb/14/12
From The Ordinary Pastor blog site:
Don’t despise the small things of prayer, by means of which God changes people’s hearts.
Don’t despise the small things of service in the local church, by which God is glorified and people encouraged.
Don’t despise the small things of working in the seemingly insignificant place like the church nursery, by which you reflect Christ like love and compassion.
Don’t despise the small things like daily bible reading, by which your heart is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t despise the small things of daily obedience and sacrifice through which your heart is trained and molded after the Savior.
Don’t despise the small things of putting sin to death, by which you are responding to the victory Christ has won for you.
Don’t despise the small things like a true quotient of gospel joy, these things indicate you are alive and God is thrilling your soul with his son!
Don’t despise the small things like not getting bitter and walking in the Spirit, by which you promote the power of the gospel!
Don’t despise the small things like not lusting after women or quickly glancing at them, by which you continue to cling to and magnify grace!
Don’t despise the small things like daily loving, leading and learning your wife, through them you begin to more clearly reflect Christ’s love for the church.
Don’t despise the small things like respecting and submitting to your husband, by them you showcase the beauty of Christ’s submission to his Father.
Don’t despise the small things like honoring your parents, by them you demonstrate that there is a God who is bigger than you, whose authority you value.
Don’t despise the small things like working hard at your job or school everyday, in these things you show that there is something more profound, more powerful, more worthy than the fluctuating value of the American dollar.
Don’t despise the small things like speaking of Christ to others, by which unbelievers may come to trust and treasure Jesus.
Don’t despise the small things of corporate worship, the singing of songs and preaching of the word, through which there is an announcement of the kingdom and conquest of our Lord Jesus! And there is a growing, a swelling group of constituents in his kingdom!!
Don’t despise the small things like little church plants, it is by such things that God depopulates hell through the preaching of the Gospel!
Don’t despise the day of small things, but rejoice! Rejoice!
Don’t despise the small things of prayer, by means of which God changes people’s hearts.
Don’t despise the small things of service in the local church, by which God is glorified and people encouraged.
Don’t despise the small things of working in the seemingly insignificant place like the church nursery, by which you reflect Christ like love and compassion.
Don’t despise the small things like daily bible reading, by which your heart is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Don’t despise the small things of daily obedience and sacrifice through which your heart is trained and molded after the Savior.
Don’t despise the small things of putting sin to death, by which you are responding to the victory Christ has won for you.
Don’t despise the small things like a true quotient of gospel joy, these things indicate you are alive and God is thrilling your soul with his son!
Don’t despise the small things like not getting bitter and walking in the Spirit, by which you promote the power of the gospel!
Don’t despise the small things like not lusting after women or quickly glancing at them, by which you continue to cling to and magnify grace!
Don’t despise the small things like daily loving, leading and learning your wife, through them you begin to more clearly reflect Christ’s love for the church.
Don’t despise the small things like respecting and submitting to your husband, by them you showcase the beauty of Christ’s submission to his Father.
Don’t despise the small things like honoring your parents, by them you demonstrate that there is a God who is bigger than you, whose authority you value.
Don’t despise the small things like working hard at your job or school everyday, in these things you show that there is something more profound, more powerful, more worthy than the fluctuating value of the American dollar.
Don’t despise the small things like speaking of Christ to others, by which unbelievers may come to trust and treasure Jesus.
Don’t despise the small things of corporate worship, the singing of songs and preaching of the word, through which there is an announcement of the kingdom and conquest of our Lord Jesus! And there is a growing, a swelling group of constituents in his kingdom!!
Don’t despise the small things like little church plants, it is by such things that God depopulates hell through the preaching of the Gospel!
Don’t despise the day of small things, but rejoice! Rejoice!
Spiritual Amnesia
Feb/11/12
Let me give you a little more help. What I’m calling spiritual amnesia might best be understood in this way:even though we believe the gospel, the occasions in which the gospel (the incarnation, sinless life, death, bodily resurrection, and ascension of the Son of God) actually intersect and powerfully affect our daily life are infrequent.
The practice of corporate prayer
Feb/07/12 Prayer
1. THE PRAYER OF ADORATION.
Jeremiah 10:6-7 – There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.
Psalm 145:10-11 – All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power
2. THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Dan 9:5 – we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
Isa 64:6 – We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
3. THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION
Psa 67:1 – May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
Psa 85:7 – Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
4. THE PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Psa 67:3 – Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Psa 7:9 – Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous– you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
5. THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
2Cr 9:15 – Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Eph 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
6. THE PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Isa 26:13 – O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
Isa 63:19 – We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.
7. THE PRAYER OF DOXOLOGY
Phl 4:20 – To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:10 – and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Courtesy of BlueLetterBible website
Jeremiah 10:6-7 – There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is none like you.
Psalm 145:10-11 – All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you! They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power
2. THE PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Dan 9:5 – we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.
Isa 64:6 – We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
3. THE PRAYER OF SUPPLICATION
Psa 67:1 – May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
Psa 85:7 – Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
4. THE PRAYER OF INTERCESSION
Psa 67:3 – Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Psa 7:9 – Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous– you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God!
5. THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
2Cr 9:15 – Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Eph 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,
6. THE PRAYER OF DEDICATION
Isa 26:13 – O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance.
Isa 63:19 – We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like those who are not called by your name.
7. THE PRAYER OF DOXOLOGY
Phl 4:20 – To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Rev 7:10 – and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Courtesy of BlueLetterBible website
Healthy Church
Jan/27/12 The Gospel
from blog site of Ray Ortlund
It’s what everyone needs. Everyone.
Gospel + safety + time. A lot of gospel + a lot of safety + a lot of time.
Gospel: good news for bad people through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the present power of the Holy Spirit. Multiple exposures. Constant immersion. Wave upon wave of grace and truth, according to the Bible.
Safety: a non-accusing environment: No finger-pointing. No embarrassing anyone. No manipulation. No oppression. No condescension. But respect and sympathy and understanding, where sinners can confess and unburden their souls.
Time: no pressure. Not even self-imposed pressure. No deadlines on growth. No rush. No hurry. But a lot of space for complicated people to rethink their lives at a deep level. If we relax, trusting in God’s patience, we actually get going.
This is what our churches must be: gentle environments of gospel + safety + time. It’s the only way anyone can ever change.
Who doesn’t need that?
It’s what everyone needs. Everyone.
Gospel + safety + time. A lot of gospel + a lot of safety + a lot of time.
Gospel: good news for bad people through the finished work of Christ on the cross and the present power of the Holy Spirit. Multiple exposures. Constant immersion. Wave upon wave of grace and truth, according to the Bible.
Safety: a non-accusing environment: No finger-pointing. No embarrassing anyone. No manipulation. No oppression. No condescension. But respect and sympathy and understanding, where sinners can confess and unburden their souls.
Time: no pressure. Not even self-imposed pressure. No deadlines on growth. No rush. No hurry. But a lot of space for complicated people to rethink their lives at a deep level. If we relax, trusting in God’s patience, we actually get going.
This is what our churches must be: gentle environments of gospel + safety + time. It’s the only way anyone can ever change.
Who doesn’t need that?
Sign up today!
Jan/27/12 Humor
Thinking of starting a Circus Church plant?
Having trouble connecting with the culture of your community?
Let Monty Python’s Flying Circus Church Planting Kit do the work for you. You’ll live the life of Brian by following our guide to putting on a 3-ring circus in your church each and every week. Nothing is out of bounds. Each kit comes inside a replica can of Spam!
We will show you how to connect with the worldly folks in your area by starting a:
This is the Holy Grail of church planting kits. You’ll show folks the meaning of life once you order Monty Python’s Flying Circus Church Planting Kit. Available from Zondervan, Christianity Today, or from any Emergent Church coffee shop & new age bookstore. Also available beside the Beltone hearing aid desk in the lobby of many evangelical megachurches across America!
Get yours today… (Spam & cheese not included)
Having trouble connecting with the culture of your community?
Let Monty Python’s Flying Circus Church Planting Kit do the work for you. You’ll live the life of Brian by following our guide to putting on a 3-ring circus in your church each and every week. Nothing is out of bounds. Each kit comes inside a replica can of Spam!
We will show you how to connect with the worldly folks in your area by starting a:
- Ministry of Silly Walks
- Ministry of Silly Games
- Ministry of Short Silly Sermons
- and much, much more.
This is the Holy Grail of church planting kits. You’ll show folks the meaning of life once you order Monty Python’s Flying Circus Church Planting Kit. Available from Zondervan, Christianity Today, or from any Emergent Church coffee shop & new age bookstore. Also available beside the Beltone hearing aid desk in the lobby of many evangelical megachurches across America!
Get yours today… (Spam & cheese not included)
Recap of CodeOrange
Jan/24/12 CodeOrange
In this article Erin Benziger of the popular theological website “Do Not Be Surprised” gave this evaluation of the CodeOrange Revival.
Begrudgingly, I found myself watching all 12 nights of Steven Furtick's manufactured move of the Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Code Orange Revival. It seemed appropriate, then, that on this, the first revival-less evening, to offer a brief recap of events. I know that many of my readers were unable to witness the Code Orange shenanigans for themselves, so I offer this summary to you as a bit of a public service:
Day 1: Craig Groeschel - Preached about himself.
Day 2: Jentezen Franklin - Preached about himself and wove [un]biblical mythology.
Day 3: Matt Chandler - Preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Day 4: Christine Caine - Preached about herself. Equated Elevation Church with the temple of Solomon's day.
Day 5: Ed Young, Jr. - Preached gibberish and nonsense. "The ring is the thing and the hope is the rope." People were furiously taking notes on this, so there must have been a hidden profundity that eluded me.
Day 6: Israel Houghton - Sang a bunch of praise choruses that are still twirling around in my head as a means of constant annoyance.
Day 7: Perry Noble - Preached about Steven Furtick and Elevation Church.
Day 8: Stovall Weems - Preached about himself. Allegorized and eisegeted the story of Noah.
Day 9: Kevin Gerald - Preached about himself.
Day 10: T.D. Jakes - Took two texts (Luke 8:40ff and Hebrews 4:15-16) that have nothing to do with one another, and proceeded to force them to cohabit based upon a common word found in the KJV, "touched."
Day 11: James MacDonald - Preached his "stock" sermon about repentance, perhaps in order to stay in good standing with the more conservative crowd.
Day 12: Steven Furtick - Preached exactly what Matt Chandler said not to preach by engaging in "narcigesis" with the story of David.
Read More...
Begrudgingly, I found myself watching all 12 nights of Steven Furtick's manufactured move of the Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the Code Orange Revival. It seemed appropriate, then, that on this, the first revival-less evening, to offer a brief recap of events. I know that many of my readers were unable to witness the Code Orange shenanigans for themselves, so I offer this summary to you as a bit of a public service:
Day 1: Craig Groeschel - Preached about himself.
Day 2: Jentezen Franklin - Preached about himself and wove [un]biblical mythology.
Day 3: Matt Chandler - Preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Day 4: Christine Caine - Preached about herself. Equated Elevation Church with the temple of Solomon's day.
Day 5: Ed Young, Jr. - Preached gibberish and nonsense. "The ring is the thing and the hope is the rope." People were furiously taking notes on this, so there must have been a hidden profundity that eluded me.
Day 6: Israel Houghton - Sang a bunch of praise choruses that are still twirling around in my head as a means of constant annoyance.
Day 7: Perry Noble - Preached about Steven Furtick and Elevation Church.
Day 8: Stovall Weems - Preached about himself. Allegorized and eisegeted the story of Noah.
Day 9: Kevin Gerald - Preached about himself.
Day 10: T.D. Jakes - Took two texts (Luke 8:40ff and Hebrews 4:15-16) that have nothing to do with one another, and proceeded to force them to cohabit based upon a common word found in the KJV, "touched."
Day 11: James MacDonald - Preached his "stock" sermon about repentance, perhaps in order to stay in good standing with the more conservative crowd.
Day 12: Steven Furtick - Preached exactly what Matt Chandler said not to preach by engaging in "narcigesis" with the story of David.
Read More...
Learn to ask better questions
Jan/24/12 The Gospel
I had a boss years ago who used to teach “the quality of your life will be in direct response to the quality of questions that you ask.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. If you are a Christian some of the day to day or week to week questions you may be asking sound something like this:
Why can’t I find a job?
Why are my kids always rebelling?
Why can’t my wife just learn to support me?
Why do I always get behind the slowest and stupidest person in the grocery store?
However, according to Elyse Fitzpatrick who wrote “Because He Loves Me”, instead we should be asking the following questions.
Maybe my old boss was right about those questions.
Why can’t I find a job?
Why are my kids always rebelling?
Why can’t my wife just learn to support me?
Why do I always get behind the slowest and stupidest person in the grocery store?
However, according to Elyse Fitzpatrick who wrote “Because He Loves Me”, instead we should be asking the following questions.
- Why would God send his Son to die for me, his wretched enemy? (Rom. 5:8, 10);
- Why would he make him who knew - no sin to be sin so that I might reap all the benefits of his righteousness? (2 Cor. 5:21);
- Why would I, who was dead in trespasses and corruption, who carried out every wicked desire of my body and mind and who was, by nature, a child of his wrath, be made alive together with Jesus?
- Why should I be a par- taker of his never-dying life?
- Why am I not hanging on a cross? The only answer to these questions is that God, who is rich in mercy, has loved us with his great love and showered us with his grace (Eph. 2:2-6). This is our identity!
Maybe my old boss was right about those questions.