From One Degree to Another

Phil Auxier's Blog

Connect

Weekend Preview – Adult SS, Galatians, New Song

by

We have many pieces moving this coming Sunday at Crestview Bible Church.

In Sunday School (starts at 9AM), we’re starting a new book in the First Principles of Family Life: Passing On Your Beliefs.  David Lansdowne will be leading this book, which will run through Labor Day weekend.

In Corporate Worship (starts at 10:15AM), I’ll be preaching Galatians 4:12-20.  This passage helps show Paul’s heart for his readers, especially that big aim of Christ being formed in them.  Pray that God works through His Word.

Finally, we’ll be learning a new song, Not In Me.

Plan to join us.

Jared Wilson’s Latest: The Imperfect Disciple

by

I’m happy to recommend Jared Wilson’s latest book, The Imperfect Disciple (Paperback, EBook, Audio, Study Guide), to you.  Why?  I love Jared’s Gospel-centered vision for discipleship.  And, that’s not just dropping a phrase.  Jared actually believes that the good news of Jesus coming to rescue sinners, dying for them and rising on their behalf, makes a difference in their ongoing growth as ones changed by this good news.  Another reason I love this book is that it’s after growth.  God’s heart for us is that we make progress in sanctification.  Wrapping our minds and hearts with application that direct us to live–really live–are needed.  Having given this short recommendation, though, let me allow Jared to speak and whet your appetite for the vision he unfolds:

What I’m trying to say [in this book] is this: you are not your quiet time.

Okay, day to day, you kind of are your Bible reading.  The spiritual disciplines–the rhythms of the kingdom–do shape us and help us become more of what Jesus is making us through them.  But, in the end, you are not your quiet time.

You are not your cruddy prayer life.  Prayer is vital and necessary.  When you pray, you strip your soul down to your proper proportion, helpless and needy and desperate.  Prayer of all kinds is basically confessed need of God.  It is an expression of our un-God-ness and God’s total God-ness.  But in the end, you are not your prayers.  Jesus is mediating for you and the Spirit is interceding for you, making up for all your prayerlessness.

You are not your standing before people.

You are not your past.

You are not the accumulation of harsh words from others and negative self-talk.

You are not even your sin, as primary and as serious as that problem is.

I’m not trying to affirm your sense of goodness.  I’m doing the opposite, in fact.

I want to, by God’s grace, give you the freedom to own up to your not having your act together.  I wrote this book for all who are tired of being tired.  I wrote this book for all who read the typical discipleship manuals and wonder who they could possibly be written for, the ones that make us feel overly burdened and over tasked and, because of all that, overly shamed.

You are not your ability to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps.

You are not the sum of your spiritual accomplishments and religious devotion.

You are a great sinner, yes.  But you have a great Savior.

Child of God, you are a child of God.  And he will never, ever, ever leave you or forsake you.  (pp.229-230)

We need this good news.  I hope you grab this book and find the encouragement it has for you.

Weekend Review – No Turning Back

by

My 7/30/17AM sermon, No Turning Back from Galatians 4:8-11.  At this part of the book, Paul is expressing his concern for the Galatian believers, warning them to not go back to their own law-keeping as a way to be right with God.  So, this sermon was my attempt to get at Paul’s heart.  We need clarifying words like this, because we easily want to build our own righteousness.  I hope this sermon encourages you.

Weekend Recap – Redeemed and Adopted

by

My 7/23/17AM sermon, Redeemed and Adopted from Galatians 4:1-7, is now online.

In this sermon, I agree with J.I. Packer:

“Our first point about adoption is that it is the highest privilege that the gospel offers” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God, 206).

J. I. Packer rightly considers adoption the highest privilege of the gospel—higher even than justification—because of the richness of the relationship with God that it begins.

In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship—he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge [justification] is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father [adoption] is a greater. (207)

We underestimate the privilege that is ours when we’ve been adopted by the Father.  I hope this sermon helps you marvel at this and find encouragement.

Weekend Preview – Galatians and New Adult SS

by

We have a lot of things happening this holiday weekend at Crestview.

We start a new adult Sunday School unit on marriage, using BILD International’s First Principles book Enjoying Your Relationship.  Tomorrow’s lesson explores Titus 1:10-16 and how the struggles on the island of Crete relate to our current struggles about what to think and believe about marriage.  Ron Rhoades will be leading this book and we hope it’s fruitful in the lives of people.

We also learn a new song for July entitled Great Are You, Lord.

Finally, I’ll be preaching Galatians 3:15-22 in a sermon called Law and Promises.  The word “promise” shows up many times in this section of Scripture.  There’s something God wants us to understand about how He makes promises and what it means for us.  So, we’ll be exploring how we can have more confidence in God and His promises.  I hope this sermon encourages you all.  Looking forward to seeing you as we gather…

9AM for Sunday School

10:15AM for Corporate Worship

Crestview Bible Church, 2401 N. Halstead, Hutchinson, KS 67502

Weekend Recap – India Reports / Galatians

by

We enjoyed an amazing Sunday at Crestview.

During the Sunday School hour, Luke and Julie gave us an update on what they’ve been up to in India.  Email me if you’d like a copy of this audio.

During the AM worship service, we enjoyed the Lord’s Supper and got to hear Vivek Jones preach Galatians 3:10-14, Assured in Belonging. The big idea was that no amount of performance or law-keeping can undo the curse that failing to keep the entire law means for us.  But, Christ bore the curse and now, by faith in Him, we get blessed with the Holy Spirit.  I hope you enjoy the audio and are helped by it.

 

 

Gospel Friday – Faith and Abraham

by

There’s amazing news throughout the Bible.  And, one of the lines we could travel would be the see how God worked through His Word to show us the amazing salvation we enjoy.  God promised Abraham that in him, all the nations of the world would be blessed.  And, today, those of us who believe are blessed because we have the same kind of faith that Abraham had: he believed God and God counted him as righteous.

Today, rest in Christ and bank all your hope in Him.  And you will be among the blessed.

Weekend Preview – India Connections this Sunday

by

As I write, we’re very close to wrapping up our 2017 Vacation Bible School.  We’ve had an amazing week with many people serving, looking beyond themselves, and working for the service of others.  We are planning on gathering for worship this coming Sunday.

At 9AM, Luke will be giving a formal report of some of the work God’s been up to in India.  Our children will be exploring God’s global work during Tide Travelers.

At 10:15AM, we’ll have corporate worship, taking the Lord’s Supper together.  Vivek will be preaching Galatians 3:10-14 and helping give us assurance from God’s Word.

We’ll enjoy a Noon Meal together and then have some prayer time for our India connections.

I hope you’ll join us this coming Sunday, 6/25.

Some Chick-Fil-A Hacks

by

Learned a new one today, so thought I’d share a few things that help me…

  1. Chick-Fil-A sauce.  If you’re not dipping your fries (or anything else) in this delicious goodness, then today’s the day to begin.
  2. The Chick-Fil-A app.  I scan this every purchase.  They give you free stuff for signing up and continue to offer you goodies (when you purchase, when a new product is released, etc.).
  3. Ice Cream.  Yes, I have young kids. Today, I learned that if you don’t want the book they include in the kid’s meals, you can exchange it for a free ice cream.
  4. Free Breakfast.  The local Chick-Fil-A (and others I’m aware of) offer a free breakfast sandwich per customer one day a week.  I learn about these deals by “liking” our local store’s Facebook page.

Those are just a few that I like.  What do you know about that I don’t?  Please share.