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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.

Weekend Recap – Losing Jesus?

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Yesterday’s sermon, Losing Jesus from Luke 2:41-52, is now online. In this sermon, I draw applications from Jesus’ parents losing Jesus to how we so easily lose the Gospel and drift from the core foundational realities that are to define our life. I think it was C.J. Mahaney who urged his listeners (in sermons on the Cross-Centered life from New Attitude 2001) to “tighten our grip on the Gospel — no days off allowed.” Too often we relax and subtly drift from the message of first importance. This was the heart of my sermon: for you to not drift from the Gospel but to hold fast to it.

I know we had a lot of people out visiting family, as well. I hope you had a great weekend and continue to delight in your Savior through these days.

What Christmas Is All About…

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…from someone who researched the matter fully:

The Birth of Jesus Christ

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

— Luke 2:1-20

Is ‘zat you Santa Claus?

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Lots of confusion about, as the guy asks on top of the Polar Express on one’s “opinion on the big man”. Kevin DeYoung gives us great help with this two part series on Santa Claus with the Baby in Bethlehem. Here’s his brilliant conclusion:

So this Christmas, give gifts if you like. We will in our family. Receive them all with thanksgiving. But do not forget what we need most–salvation from our sins. This is one gift the real St. Nicholas would not have overlooked. In fact, I’m convinced, if given the opportunity, he would have loved to be there with the shepherds and the angels, bowing down around the manger in Bethlehem. And I bet he would have brought a present too.

Kevin DeYoung “Santa Claus with the Baby in Bethlehem” (Part 1, Part 2)