From One Degree to Another

Phil Auxier's Blog

Connect

Weekend Recap – Slain Lamb Standing

by

My 5/26/13AM sermon, Slain Lamb Standing, from Revelation 5:1-14 is now online.  In this sermon, I seek to show how Jesus Christ is uniquely worthy of worship and praise.  While we may rightly remember those loved ones who are no longer with us and those who have sacrificed to give us our freedom, let’s not neglect worshipping the only One who is eternally worthy of praise this holiday weekend.  I hope this sermon helps you get there.

Weekend Recap – The Creator’s Throne

by

My sermon from 5/19/13 entitled The Creator’s Throne from Revelation 4:1-11 is now online.  This sermon continues our church’s work through the book of Revelation and really helps us get a glimpse into this God we serve.  Specifically, in this text, we see that He’s Holy, He’s Worthy of Praise and He’s the Creator of all things.  He’s pictured in this chapter as sitting on a throne.

I hope you’re drawn in to worship and awe Him through this picture of Him in His Word.

Chandler & The Magic Silver Bullet

by

Got some exercise this morning and listened to Matt Chandler’s sermon from 6/17/12.  It was entitled Sowing, Reaping and Gospel Good from Galatians 6.  I loved in the middle of the message when he pressed this idea so prevalent in some pockets of Christianity that holiness will just happen someday.  That we will flip the switch and hear a sermon and the change will be instantaneous for sanctification.  That will not happen.  People who are allegedly called to ministry, for instance, don’t magically decide to not be lazy and start aggressively serving in the church once a church calls them to a position.  If they are called that is their heart now and it should be seen now.  This relates to our pursuing holiness.  It’s sowing, then reaping.  At any rate, take some time and listen to this word and be helped.

Desiring God Pastor’s Conference 2012 LIVE

by

As I mentioned, I have the privilege of being up in Minneapolis, MN (where it is quite mild this particular winter) for the Desiring God Pastor’s Conference.  If you’re not able to be here, the entire conference is available for free online as a live stream.  Here’s the info:

If you aren’t able to make it Minneapolis this year for the conference, that doesn’t mean you have to miss it. The entire conference will be live-streamed, for free. And this year in addition to English it will also be live-streamed in Spanish, Chinese and Russian.
Live-Stream Schedule (EST)
Monday
8:30 – 9:30 PM Doug Wilson – “Father Hunger” in Leading the Home
Tuesday
10:00 – 11:00 AM Crawford Loritts – Lessons on Biblical Manhood Learned from His Father
11:30 – 12:30 PM Darrin Patrick – Being and Building Men for the Local Mission
2:45 – 4:00 PM John Piper – Biographical sketch of J.C. Ryle
8:30 – 9:30 PM Doug Wilson – “Father Hunger” in Leading the Church
Wednesday
10:00 – 11:00 AM Ramez Atallah – Pastoring with Vision, Creativity, and Courage in Hard Places
11:30 – 12:30 PM Speaker Panel – Doug Wilson, Darrin Patrick, Crawford Loritts, Ramez Atallah, John Piper
2:00 – 4:00 PM A Conversation with Doug Wilson and John Piper – The Supremacy of Christ in All of Life: The Pastor and His Worldview

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity and join me here.

Just in Time for Spring…

by

…The GirlTalkers recommend giving C.J.’s series on modesty a listen. It was recently re-aired on Family Life Today. Here are the three sessions:

Allegiance – Audio / Transcript
Appearance – Audio / Transcript
Attitude – Audio / Transcript

In the interview, C.J. references a Modesty Checklist, which can be found as a PDF document called Modesty Heart Check, written by C.J.’s wife and daughters.

Keller on Cultivating a Healthy Marriage…

by

This sermon, Cultivating a Healthy Marriage by Tim Keller was recommended to me and I’ve found it helpful. Here’s a summary of one section and how the Gospel brings perspective:

Human Heart Presupposition:
I’ll be the spouse I should be; if and to the degree you’re the spouse you should be.

Gospel Reenactment:
I’ll be the spouse I should be even if you’re not the spouse you should be since Jesus loved me in spite of me.

Listen and all your message to be shaped by the Gospel.

(*Updated with the following outline…)
Cultivating a Healthy Marriage
Timothy and Kathy Keller

1.Think of marriage like a garden
A. Whether rain or draught is going to take lots of work
B. Marriage is not the flowers, sod, or leaves but it’s to the best fruit out of the “garden”
C. Can’t walk away from a garden for a few days and think it took care of itself

2.Planning/Planting
A. Why did you get married?
1. Happiness?
2. Family Stability?
3. Both 1 and 2 are unbiblical!
B. Gospel Reenactment is the purpose
1. Requires Gospel Motivation
2. Sacrificial love creates freedom
3. Sacrificial love is always an action first and feeling second
4. Servant or ministry perspective should always be used

3. Headship – both husband and wife play Jesus
A. Husband is the head of the family like Jesus is head of church
B. Wife plays Jesus submitting to the Father to glorify and serve
C. Both headship reveal God’s character because male and female are both created in God’s image
D. Helper possesses strengths the other doesn’t

4. Authority
A. Never used to get something they want
B. Always a gift and used in service to the best interests of the other
C. Voluntary submission between equals
D. Jesus gave used His authority as a sacrifice and will be forever in glory

5. Submission
A. Jesus revolutionizes headship and submission
B. He is exalted above all for His service to God’s children
C. Never submit to a man who is habitually sinning against God

6.Communication
A. Always ask, “What is the goal in what I’m about to say?”
B. Remember the log in your eye
C. Attack the problem not the person
D. Slow down your responses and let the other talk

7.Love Language
A. Behaviors that others do to make me feel loved
B. Speak in the same language. If you speak in French or German your English speaking spouse won’t get it.

8.Conflict Resolution
A. Conflict avoiders and conflict confronters, which are you and why?
B. Use all your energy to solve the problem instead of attacking
C. Keeping a scorecard is a recipe for death in any relationship and especially marriage!
D. The occasion of the conflict never supersedes the cause of the conflict. The cause is always a sinful heart!!

9.Repentance and forgiveness
A. Truth without love ends in breaking people apart
B. Love without truth leads to avoidance of the problem and zero growth
C. No excuses, center on the wrong, and offer to change

Weekend Recap – AM on Prayer

by

We finished out our series on prayer by looking at Matthew 6:13. The sermon, Model Prayer (5), is now online. The big idea was that just like we need God to help with physical needs and our salvation, we also need His help for sanctification issues of fighting temptation and evil.

I’m hoping God uses these sermons on prayer in our church to draw us closer to Himself and make us a praying people.

Passion 2011

by

If you haven’t logged in and checked out the Passion 2011 conference live, you must. Here’s the link:

Passion 2011 Live

You listen to talks by Louie Giglio, Francis Chan, Andy Stanley, Beth Moore and others. Enjoy.

Hope for the “Average” Church…

by

You might know that “the median church in the U.S. has 75 regular participants in worship on Sunday mornings.” (Stats here) While many pastors would love to be in the mega-church, the simple fact of the matter is that many are called to more “meager pastures.”

I found great hope and encouragement, therefore, in a message given at the 2010 Sovereign Grace Pastor’s Conference entitled, “The Advantage of the Small(er) Church“. We often don’t think of smaller churches as having much to offer. But, Loftness, with typical Sovereign Grace Ministries humility, finds the evidences of grace prevalent in churches of this size and urges us to get after our Lord’s work with renewed vigor. I think leadership teams, in particular, of smaller churches would benefit from this message.