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Weekend Recap – It’s Time

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My 12/15/13AM sermon, In the Fullness of Time, from Galatians 4:4-5 is now online.  We had a great morning singing songs of our Savior’s coming to save, Children serving the congregation by presenting the Song of the Stars musical and lots of energy.  My sermon got at how God sent His Son to redeem and adopt sinful humanity.  I hope it served everyone well.

Hope you had a great Sunday, too.

Music Review – Folk Angel’s All the Earth Rejoice

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Been listening A LOT to Folk Angel’s All The Earth Rejoice.  If you don’t know Folk Angel, according to their website, they “write and rearrange traditional Christmas songs, and through that creative process, retell the Gospel story that illuminates all things.”  I have most all of their projects, but this most recent one has been getting a lot of play, mainly because I enjoy the stylistic diversity.  There are traditional songs redone in fun ways, new songs that help us glorify Christ and songs that I anticipate using in the local church.  My favorite track features Isaac Wimberley and is entitled He Knows.

I can’t say enough to recommend this to you.  But, don’t just take my word for it…go over to the All The Earth Rejoice page and sample each of the songs.  And, then, give them support by purchasing it for your holiday worship and enjoyment.

Folk Angel is also on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram



Weekend Recap – It’s Christmastime…

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My 12/8/13 sermon, Christmas In Revelation, is now online.  In it, I try and unpack the meaning of Christmas in the book of Revelation, showing how the eternal GodMan took on flesh, brought salvation to all and is coming again.  We had a great morning looking at these things.

I mentioned Jared Wilson’s blogpost Don’t Let Christmas Distract You From Jesus, so go over there and read it…

And, I was encouraged by 2 ladies singing Born Is the King.  Here’s the track with lyrics:
 

Small Group Prep – Saving Grace

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Had some time this AM to think about our upcoming small group session which, for my group, will include looking at what has been called “the most important paragraph in the Bible”: Romans 3:21-26. 

With Advent on the mind, I read these words:

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Also, encouraging, though, were the notes from the Gospel Transformation Bible: 

If previous verses might lead to despair, Paul now sets forth grounds for rejoicing. What Abraham set his hope on by faith, so that God granted him a righteous standing (Gen. 15:6), Jesus Christ has accomplished “for all who believe” the gospel promise as Abraham did (Rom. 3:22). Yes, the sinful human condition is universal and terminal (v. 23). But believers “are justified” by God’s “grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 24). The term “redemption” suggests a picture of slaves being purchased and freed. God sent his Son to be a “propitiation”: he satisfied the demands of God’s wrath by his death on the cross in the place of sinners. When he “passed over former sins” (v.25) prior to Jesus’ coming, God did not merely dismiss the charges against the guilty. Rather, God’s righteous demands were met in Jesus’ death. God proved to be “just” in not overlooking sin, and he also freely chose to act as “justifier” for “the one who has faith in Jesus” (v.26).
Our hearts are moved as we marvel at the wisdom of God in providing a righteous way of rescue for guilty sinners that does not in any way compromise his justice and holiness. We marvel, too, at God’s great love in sending his own Son to accomplish this salvation.

So, as we prep (at least my group prepares) for Sunday’s Small Group, let’s marvel at God sending His Son to accomplish these things for us.  Ask God for a heart that treasures and boasts in this one great focus.