From One Degree to Another

Phil Auxier's Blog

Connect

Weekend Recap – Love To The End

by

My 9/4/16AM sermon, Love To The End from John 13:1-38, is now online.  This wrapped up a busy Sunday morning this Labor Day weekend.  And, this sermon helped continue to move the direction we’re heading in the Gospel of John forward.  In this sermon, we have that classic scene of Jesus in the Upper Room with His disciples.  He washes their feet.  He exposes betrayal.  He gives them a new commandment to love another.  So, Jesus is on the move in this sermon to love His closest followers to the end.  In this passage, Jesus moves us to love, too.  I hope it stirs your heart and moves you to action.  Have an enjoyable Labor Day.

Wed PM Programming at Crestview

by

CRESTVIEWkids

We kicked off a new year of our school year programming at Crestview Bible Church last night, 6:30PM.  We use the Gospel Project curriculum.  The night looks somewhat like VBS and somewhat like Sunday School.  Specifically, we open with a Scripture Memory verse, some singing, and a preview of the lesson (which at this point makes some connections to Jesus out of Old Testament history).  We go into classes and study the lesson, then some rec time.  Finally, we wrap with a video of today’s story and we’re done.  We’re hoping this intentional time of engagement with kids will produce fruit of belief in their hearts and lives.  If you’re interested in this, join us next Wednesday at 6:30PM.

Weekend Preview – Love To The End

by

washing-feet-john13

This coming Sunday, Lord willing, we will continue working our way through the Gospel of John, studying John 13:1-38.  John tells us that as Jesus’s hour has come, He loved His disciples to the end.  He gives an example for service, exposes His betrayer, and even provides His followers a new commandment for how they should act and live.  So, I’m excited to dig into this amazing chapter as Jesus gives us a picture of love that emerges with technicolor brilliance.  I hope to see you this Sunday at 10:15.

Our service will also begin with a baptism, so be on time.

SS Recap – Making A Defense of the Faith

by

I posted last week a brief update on the Sunday School class I’m teaching at Crestview.  This class is studying BILD International’s First Principle book, Participating in the Mission of the Church.  In the three lessons in this particular book, we’ve noticed the strategy of the early church: proclaim the Gospel, plant churches, establish leaders and move on.  Then, we saw the role of having good deeds to back up the message we’re proclaiming.  In week 3, we saw how we should speak to make the Gospel attractive and invite opportunities with those who are outside the faith.  In this lesson, the focus was on making a defense, using 1 Peter 3:8-17 as our springboard.

I pointed to Tim Keller’s writings on Defeater beliefs as well as Barry Cooper and Paul Williams’ book If You Could Ask God One Question.  On the whole, though, what stuck out to me wasn’t so much about being ready to get an answer out as much as living in a compelling way that accentuates the defense.  It might be the case that if we were prepared to answer with gentleness and humility rather than know it alls who don’t need others, we’d be able to give a more compelling defense.

Weekend Recap – Funeral / Jesus’s Hour

by

Had a busy weekend at Crestview.  First off, David Gaeddert passed away and our church hosted the viewing on Friday evening, following by a funeral service Saturday morning, with graveside following.  The family had asked me to preach the Gospel, and I used the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead to remind people of the compassion Jesus has for us in these moments, how Jesus gives life, and what Jesus being the resurrection means. I closed trying to read Romans 15:13 pointing to Gospel hope.  (We’re still editing the audio, but you can click on the Dave Gaeddert Memorial on our live stream page to watch the video captured).

Then, Sunday quickly came.  I preached on Jesus’s final words in a sermon entitled Come To This Hour from John 12:20-50.  This sermon unpacked Jesus’s final exhortation to the crowds before the upper room, arrest, and crucifixion.  To put it simply, He calls us from ourselves, to believe in Him, live for His glory, and escape judgment.  I hope the sermon encourages you.

This was the weekend.  Feel free to take advantage of any of these resources.  Have a great week.

Gospel Friday – Death? Sting? Victory!

by

death_where_is_thy_sting-300x300

Today, remember how the sting of death and the grave’s victory is swallowed up in Jesus Christ, the Lord. He conquered death, the grave, and is ALIVE today.  Trust Him?  Lean into Him and find Him faithful.

 

Here’s the beautifully poetic way the Valley of Vision prayer Resurrection, shows this reality:

“Jesus strides forth as victor,

conqueror of death, hell, and all opposing might;

He bursts the bands of death,

tramples the powers of darkness down,

and lives forever.”

 

“Give me the assurance that in Christ I died,

in him I rose,

in his life I live, in his victory I triumph,

in his ascension I shall be glorified.”

Resources for Men, Mothers With Young Children, and Small Groups

by

BHMensConf

Ray Ortlund spoke at the Church at Brook Hills Men’s Conference recently.  Here’s a link to audio/video of those sessions.

smallgroupleading

GoThereFor had an encouraging article on Leading a (very) small group and I found it encouraging for those who have small groups with a smaller number of people.

2016-08-22-mother-child

And, GoThereFor also had a nice read encouraging mothers of young children to persist in attending that women’s Bible study they often dread.  Good thoughts.

 

Weekend Preview – Jesus’s Time Has Come

by

bucketlist

You’re familiar with this term “bucket list” more than likely.  It’s things you’d like to accomplish before your time is up.  This coming Sunday, in John 12:20-50, we’ll be looking at what Jesus would exhort you to do.  After all, we’re told His time has come and therefore, these are His closing words for us.  So, I hope you’ll dig into this amazing passage with us Sunday and see what God might want to shape in you.  See you then.

Wisdom, Outsiders, and Opportunities

by

I’m still feeling the challenge from this past Sunday’s Sunday School lesson at Crestview.  We’re working through BILD International’s Participating in the Mission of the Church.  We’ve talked about the New Testament strategy and how good works relate to that.  We got into a lesson that dealt with this passage:

[2] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. [3] At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—[4] that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. [5] Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. [6] Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:2-6)

So, what do we make of this?  A few thoughts…

  1. Thankful prayer – interesting isn’t it?  Paul invites these believers to join his work of Gospel advance by praying prayers (continually with perseverance) of thanksgiving.  Yes, they pray that doors are opened for the Gospel mystery.  Paul wants them to pray that his speech would be clear.  But, thankful prayer, that doesn’t seem too dynamic.  Paul placed an emphasis on this, though.
  2. We’re called to walk with outsiders.  Church people have a hard time doing this.  We’re great, good friends with people who see the world, vote (by and large), and enjoy the things we enjoy.  This isn’t bad.  After all, the church is meant to be a compelling community to the world.  But, we need to walk with outsiders in life.  This is Gospel 101.
  3. We walk with wisdom.  We’re not free styling.  There’s a degree of intentionality with this walk we have with those outside.  We’re walking in ways that make the compelling storyline of Christianity attractive to the watching world.  This takes wisdom.
  4. Making the best use of the time.  The time/opportunity given to us is the time we have with others.  We get to drink coffee, work, be involved in kids sports, eat, drop off/pick up our kids with all kinds of people that we individually have an opportunity to walk in wisdom with, drawing them close with our attractive, gracious speech, enticing them to ask questions.

What would happen if we gave ourselves to thankful prayer, walking with outsiders, in wisdom, realizing that God’s given us this opportunity for Gospel witness?  It might be that “sharing our faith” might not be such an elusive thing.  So, let me encourage you to get walking and see what fruit God might give.