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Gospel Centered…

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Here’s a helpful post from Tim Challies answering the question:

I was hoping for some guidance on something. I am looking for books about being ‘Gospel-Centered.’ I know that is a buzzword nowadays and it is really intriguing to me. I am a long-time Christian, but am new to this Gospel-Centered idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jesus and Scripture and the Gospel, but I’ve never really heard or really understand the Gospel-Centered.

. Check out the post to read what he wrote about living Gospel-Centered.

Passion 2011

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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.

Weekend Recap – Hypocritical Prayer

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Yesterday’s sermon, Hypocritical Prayer, from Matthew 6:5-6 is now online. This sermon helped kick off our Week of Prayer. As a church, our elders have devoted a week to turn and look to God, expressing our dependence on Him. This sermon also started a series of about 7 sermons on Jesus’ words on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount, so it was a great day.

The sermon showed the rewards of hypocritical prayer and the rewards of secret prayer. What was staggering to me is that God promises that when we go to Him in secret prayer He will be there. He will reward. I hope you can listen to this and find the confidence to go to Him in prayer.

Weekend Preview – Parenting/Prayer

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This weekend, on top of New Years, we are launching some new things at Crestview. During SS, I will be teaching through Paul Tripp’s Getting To The Heart of Parenting curriculum (the other adult class features Tom Dixon teaching Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel by Mack Stiles).

To introduce Tripp and my class, I will be showing about the first 45 minutes of an interview that Desiring God did with Tripp (called Ask Paul Tripp Live). Here’s the video:

In the AM Worship Service, we will also begin looking at Jesus’ words on prayer from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:5ff). This will be our kickoff for the Week of Prayer and include a prayer time after a Noon Meal. Look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Marriage is Dying

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My sermon for Mike Vernon and Renee Swisher’s wedding is quoted below. I was “inspired” so to speak by reading Peter Leithart’s A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermonswhich had a chapter on marriage being death. Here’s what I will say tonight:

Just one month ago, Time Magazine’s cover asked the question “Who Needs Marriage?” What the article in that cover story went on to show was that many in our nation and culture view marriage as an optional thing. The author, Belinda Luscombe argues that marriage is “in purely practical terms just not as necessary as it used to be,” she has a rationale to back up her argument. “Neither men nor women need to be married to have sex or companionship or professional success or respect or even children.” This is the prevailing opinion of our culture. Marriage is dying.

But, we read in God’s Word that marriage isn’t an optional thing or just an afterthought but at the core of God’s plan for our lives (Read Genesis 2:18-25)

It wasn’t good that man and woman be alone, so God created the institution of marriage. God set this apart to be the foundation of our lives and society.

And tonight, I want you to remember that to have a successful marriage you must remember that marriage is dying. No, don’t just look to culture and what it says. Look to God. Notice that God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam and from him created marriage. In other words, for marriage to thrive, you both must die to yourselves and to all the selfish things you would live for. God has told us that our lives are to be governed by 2 realities: loving God and loving others. So, die to yourselves and love God. As God is the priority of your life, loving Renee, Mike and loving Mike, Renee, will inevitably follow.

We know this is the standard because this love is found in God Himself. God didn’t choose selfishness in showing His love for us, but while we were still sinners Christ died for us. And Christ gave Himself for us rather than choosing His own way or the path that was most convenient. For Him to love His people, dying had to occur. Today, Mike & Renee, remember that marriage is dying, and see if you don’t look like your Lord and Savior. May God allow you to live this way.

Planning in the New Year

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Each year, I try to find a big hairy audacious goal for the large roles I play in life (Husband/Father, Pastor, Christian, Human). My husband/father goals usually relate to serving my wife and children better (obviously). My role as a pastor might include a goal to be more humble or to lead with a different emphasis. My role as a Christian includes specific aims I hope to achieve spiritually. And the human involves physical things like diet and exercise.

Some tools I’ve found helpful over the year(s) are:

Don Whitney’s Questions To Ask At The Start of A Year

A worksheet for Mark Driscoll’s sermon The Biblical Man

Plodding through a Word.doc of brainstorms from the previous year

What emerges after spending time in these things includes clarification as to what are the big areas needing attention which I plan to attack in the coming year. So…there you go. Take it for what it’s worth. But plan so that the Gospel is more deeply rooted in all that you are in the coming year.

Pray for Sudan

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The Africa Inland Mission urges us to Pray for Sudan. Here’s the need:

Sudan – Africa ’s largest nation – needs our prayers. A referendum to decide whether the already semi-autonomous south will secede from the north is scheduled for January 9, 2011. This land has already seen two million die as a result of over two decades of civil war between the north and oil-rich south. Pray that this will not happen again.

We are urged to pray for:

• Please pray for peace and acceptance of the results of the referendum, whatever they may be.
• Pray for those organizing the referendum; that all preparations will be made in time, and that the process would be fair.
• Pray for Sudan ’s leaders: President Salva Kiir in the South, and President Omar al-Bashir in the North.
• Pray that AIM ministries in Sudan will be able to continue, and that God will continue to open doors for more outreach in this nation that so needs the Prince of Peace.
• Pray that the Church in Sudan will play a large part in the reconciliation process in Sudan and that it will take the lead in holistic development.
• Pray for AIM’s team of missionaries who currently serve in southern Sudan and desire to stay.

Will you join others in praying for these needs.