Albert Mohler has 3 simple tips (and recommends some good Bibles for you to own).
MM – Togetherness
For today’s Marriage Monday segment, I thought I would allude to the theme that was to occur last Friday night at HomeWord (we ended up cancelling for a few reasons). I was struck by 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 and the outright command (“order” in the original) he gave married couples based on the authoritative word of Jesus to stick together. Wives aren’t to separate and husbands aren’t to divorce.
I’m wondering what keeps you together as a couple? I mean I’ve heard people say they are toughing it out for the kids (which is noble) or Jesus (which I have some questions about — I mean if Jesus is really the reason you are holding it together, shouldn’t you both be growing more together…anyway, I regress) or maybe even pride and ignoring public embarrassment. Paul appeals for us to stick together because it is God’s will for us. You don’t have to pray about whether or not God wants you in that marriage relationship. I think Jesus said it best: “What God has joined together, let not man separate.” Therefore, if we are seeking God’s desires above all, we will stick together. We will pursue “togetherness.” So how are you doing at this?
Upcoming Weekend…
Just wanted to communicate where we’re headed this weekend as a church:
Friday PM @ HomeWord – We will encourage a consistent fortification of your marriage covenant and sticking together from 1 Corinthians 7:10-11.
Sunday AM – We will be encouraged to be humble under God’s mighty work by looking at Mary’s life in Luke 1.
It should be a great weekend. Ask God to bless His Word and work in our midst.
Free Audio – Sinclair Ferguson on Angels and Advent
I love the preaching of Sinclair Ferguson for its clear, Gospel-saturated content. In this series of messages preached during the Christmas season of 06, he encourages us to worship and marvel at the true meaning of Christmas–Jesus Himself. (Got this sermon recommendation from Justin Taylor)
Ferguson admits that these are 3 Christmas gifts he wishes to unwrap for his listeners and I’m sure you’ll find them to be a great gift as well.
You need to go shopping…
…at our local Starbucks (17th & Lorraine in Hutchinson). It isn’t very often that you can get 20% of most things in a store (including beans) and that’s what’s happening here. Come join the fun! (But hurry, the sale is only through the 15th)
Death by Love Video Trailer
In the previous post, I mentioned Death by Love. At the book’s website, I noticed they had a video for the book. Enjoy!
Read Death by Love!
I really enjoyed Mark Driscoll’s latest book Death by Love. In this book, Driscoll writes a series of letters to encourage people in his church who are facing various questions about whether or not the Gospel can give them hope. In the midst of these letters, what emerges is a love and passion for the Gospel — specifically Jesus’ work on the cross and how that can enable someone to face life head on and have hope in the midst of what would otherwise be hopeless scenarios. I was drawn into each chapter and there, like a jewel shining on the floor of the ocean, were great Gospel truths to dive deep into. I would encourage you to read these, for it will help you make Gospel connections to life.
TCT – On Ministering to Children
As we continue our consideration of the book Total Church, in chapter 12 they address ministering to children and young people. I thought the chapter was excellent on why the need for prioritizing ministry to these age groups is important. But they don’t encourage a typical evangelical feel for ministry. The authors seek to use the same Scriptural, community-centered approach that ministers to others: letting God’s Word speak to these ones of their need for the Gospel then incarnating Christ to them through genuine community and encouraging their involvement in community. In a day when age-graded divisions are seen as the norm, the insight in this chapter was fresh.
Here’s their summary from p.190:
We have a simple rule of thumb in our church: if we would do this as family, we can do it as church; if we would not do this as family, why do it as church? This is not intended to cover every possible eventuality, but it has proved useful in maintaining a church life that is refreshingly simple and uncluttered, with space for relationships and front-line evangelism. But these pragmatic benefits are only favorable consequences; the principle of church as family is primary. Mutual responsibility between the generations is normative for family life and the way in which values are transmitted. Should that not be normative in the church also? As those relationships develop and grow over the years, and as the child moves into adolescence, the strength of those intergenerational friendships can be powerful means of grace. In the purposes of God they can be ways of keeping the young adult from becoming one among the hundreds who leave our churches each week never to return.
Is this not a compelling picture of what God intended the church to be? Let’s honor God and relate to those who aren’t the same age as us.
MM – Got Bitterness?
For today’s Marriage Monday, I thought I would give good encouragement to “be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.” Recently I’ve been reading an excellent book entitled, How To Be Free From Bitterness. In just the first chapter, the author was used by God in tremendous ways to get at my heart and reveal how bitter I really am over some things. Here’s an excerpt:
How can we tell if we are bitter?
One good rule of thumb is this: bitterness remembers details. You have had thousands of conversations in your life, most of which you have forgotten. But this one took place five years ago, and you remember every single word, his intention, and the inflection of every part of his voice. You know exactly what happened–which means you are bitter.
Scripture calls on us to get rid of all bitterness. Is there any bitterness you need to turn away from today? Don’t let the canker of bitterness sour you! Kill it and walk in victory.
You don’t have the right…
to worry. Here’s how MLJ put it:
It is a poor type of Christianity that has this wonderful faith with respect to salvation and then whimpers and cries when confronted by the daily trials of life.
There is no circumstance or condition in this life which should lead a Christian to worry. He has no right to worry; and if he does he is not only condemning himself as being a man of little faith, he is also dishonouring his God and being disloyal to his blessed Savior.
Taken from p.403 of Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
So, what does your worrying about “stuff” really communicate?
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