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Heading To Lincoln Today

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Heading to Lincoln Elementary today for their end of year party. Should be a fun day and hoping the weather cooperates. Then, this afternoon, get to be a part of a Communities That Care training. All in all, good day to get some relationships cooking.

What You Read and Your Heart…

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Was challenged by Russell Moore’s post yesterday, Can Romance Novels Hurt Your Heart? Here’s the conclusion:

How many disappointed middle-aged women in our congregations are reading these novels as a means of comparing the “strong spiritual leaders” depicted there with what by comparison must seem to be underachieving lumps lying next to them on the couch?

This is not to equate morally “romance novels” with the grave soul destruction of pornography. But it is worth asking, “Is what I’m consuming leading me toward contentment with my spouse (or future spouse) or away from it? Is it pointing me to the other in one-flesh union or to an eroticized embodiment of my own desires? Is this the mystery or a mirage?

You really should read his entire post…

However, I recognize that my heart can easily drift toward self-righteousness when my wife or another Christian woman is reading the “fluff stuff.” Therefore, I think we would do well to ask the question, how does what I read affect my heart? For some, the newspaper might affect your heart. For guys, in particular, it might be that catalog, motorcycle or golf magazine, or sports stuff. Just ask these questions about what you read…am I able to be discerning as I read, or is this holding too much sway or influence over me? Realize that what you ingest into your heart will come out of your mouth. Therefore, be careful what you read!

A Modest Proposal…

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Ladies, there are simple ways you can serve men this summer. In this article, What Not To Wear, by Mary Kassian, she offers 3 questions to ask yourself as you dress:

Is it becoming or unbecoming?
Is it decent or indecent?
Is it moderate or excessive?

Check out this article to see the practical ways you can help serve others around you in the way you dress.

Conference Christians…

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…or, why thou shalt not love other pastors or teachers at the expense of your own…

Good counsel and words here from one Mark Driscoll on the particular perils of what he calls a “conference Christian.” The conclusion:

As I see it, conference Christians really only have one of three options. One, they can repent of attending too many conferences and pour themselves out as servants in a local church rather than consumers at yet another conference. Two, they can continue to attend conferences but mainly for the purpose of growing as a humble servant-leader with new passions and ideas to implement in their local church. Three, they can now start discussing why they disagree with this critique, which will give them something to do until conference season kicks up again in the fall.

Read the whole thing.

Weekend Recap – Jesus, the GodMAN and wisdom for parents

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…audio from our weekend is now online:

In the AM, we looked at Hebrews 2:11-16, a sermon called GodMAN, and how Jesus took on human flesh to identify with us, defeat death and deliver us from slavery.

In the PM, we sought wisdom in Proverbs 4:1-9, a sermon entitled Parental Counsel, to see the high calling we have as parents to impart wisdom, be examples and made wisdom attractive.

I hope you had a blessed Lord’s Day.

7 in ’11 – Gluttony

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This past weekend, the men of our church gathered (we’re meeting 7 times in 2011 to see how we need to gospel to fight the seven deadly sins) to study gluttony. I love it when others gifted to teach in the body can use their gifts. And last Saturday was no different. One quote I enjoyed was from Evagrius of Pontus, who, on gluttony, said,

There is gluttony then, the mother of fornication, nourishing the thoughts with words, the relaxation of fasting, the muzzling of ascesis [exercise], terror over one’s moral purpose, imagining of foods, picturer of condiments, a dissolute fawn, unbridled madness, a receptacle of disease, envy of health, an obstruction of the throat, a groaning of the innards, the extremity of insults, a fellow initiate in fornication, pollution of the intellect, weakness of the body, wearisome sleep, gloomy death.

He was tying in the sin of gluttony to the sin of lust. Really great help! So, are you struggling with gluttony. If so, run to a Savior who has put all sin, including overindulging in food, under His feet.

All I Have Is Christ Animated Video

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This coming Lord’s Day, May 15, we will show this video as our offertory…

Some things about this:
1) The song is amazing in helping us hold onto Jesus as our Righteousness
2) The setting of this video and the setting of the readers who read the book of Hebrews the first time were pretty much the same. Both were holding on Christ as their hope and both needed hope to persevere.
3) Christ is our only Hope. He is able to sustain us in that difficult hour of testing.

I hope this inspires fresh courage in us all.