This morning, on the elliptical, I really enjoyed the community driven application found in this message from Paul Tripp on James 5:13-18. Tripp, the author of such outstanding books as Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, and The Quest For More, currently serves on the pastoral team at 10th Pres. in Philadelphia.

At the Desiring God website, they have host of helpful articles on parenting. You might go there for further info…

I thought we had a great weekend here at the church. The messages will soon be posted online. I hope you are encouraged to instruct your children and realize that much of that instruction comes from your example.

Have hope for parenting in the Gospel.

Over at Pulpit Magazine (ministry of John MacArthur’s Shepherd’s Fellowship), there are some helpful posts on parenting. Worth your time to ponder and read.

This week, in prepping to speak on parenting this weekend, I have really benefitted by the following books:

Shepherding A Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp
Hints for Parents by Gardiner Spring
Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp

(Some will be given away this Friday at HomeWord)

For this week’s free audio and thinking about Parenting, I would highly recommend these messages by C.J. Mahaney entitled, Gospel-Centered Parenting.

This essay by J.C. Ryle entitled The Duties of Parents (available free online) would be well worth your attention if you are looking for ideas to stimulate your parenting. I commend it to you for tomorrow’s Marriage Monday column.

Here’s an interesting post from Mark Altrogge (author of Give Me One Pure and Holy Passion) on what to do when your pastor offends you (and he will, since he is simply a sinful human being being a tool in God’s hands).

Among the suggestions:

1) Pray
2) Ask, “What does this offense reveal about my heart?”
3) Ask, “Is this one of the “multitude of sins” love covers or a serious sin or pattern of sin that God wants to help him with?”
4) If you can’t cover it in love, go to him. But before you go, ask, “What are my motives for going to him?”
5) Try to believe the best.
6) Forgive him in advance.
7) Go humbly.

From the Editor’s Note:
There’s plenty of material out there on living the Christian life. But there’s not so much, from what we can tell, on living together as a church.

This issue deals with what it means to live in unity. Check it out.

Being humble is a war. All that I am is bent on serving self. Pursuing humility is fight, then. Sure, Peter tells us to “clothe ourselves in humility.” That seems all nice. Like grabbing a shirt out of the closet to put on was ever a difficult thing. Clothing ourselves in humility, though, is a fight. We don’t naturally go there. Our world doesn’t go there. With all the jersey-popping, self-serving, I-want-this-my-own-way, I’ll-do-whatever-I-want attitudes that are swarming around us, the commands to be humble are hard to live.

Here are two helpful items for pursuing it (from 2 of my favorite pastors):

1) John Piper on how he pursues humility.

2) C.J. Mahaney from Humility:

HOW TO WEAKEN PRIDE AND CULTIVATE HUMILITY
(A List of Suggestions):

ALWAYS:
1) Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ.

AS EACH DAY BEGINS:
2) Begin each day by acknowledging your dependence upon God and your need for God.
3) Begin your day expressing gratefulness to God.
4) Practice the spiritual disciplines-prayer, study of God’s Word, worship. Do this consistently each day and at the day’s outset, if possible.
5) Seize your commute time to memorize and meditate on Scripture.
6) Cast your cares on Him, for He cares for you.

AS EACH DAY ENDS:
7) At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God.
8) Before going to sleep, receive this gift of sleep from God and acknowledge His purpose for sleep.

FOR SPECIAL FOCUS:
9) Study the attributes of God.
10) Study the doctrines of grace.
11) Study the doctrine of sin.
12) Play golf as much as possible.
13) Laugh often, and laugh often at yourself.

THROUGHOUT YOUR DAYS AND WEEKS:
14) Identify evidences of grace in others.
15) Encourage and serve others each and every day.
16) Invite and pursue correction.
17) Respond humbly to trials.
(Taken from pp.171-172 of his book)

I have personally been helped immensely by these direct applications. Applying these to my heart and life has helped me see the depth of my pride problem and wage ware all the more valiantly (depending on God’s grace as my only hope).

Fight for humility – it leads you onto the path of Biblical greatness.

This week, I really enjoyed Thabiti‘s thoughtful exposition of Psalm 51 recently at Covenant Life Church. The message is entitled: The Guilty. Enjoy!