Isn’t this what Ruth is experiencing from Boaz in Ruth 2:8-16?
I really like how Chris Elrod weighs in on how this kindness to those we don’t deem worthy is expressed in evangelism at the church entrusted to his care, Compass Point.
Isn’t this what Ruth is experiencing from Boaz in Ruth 2:8-16?
I really like how Chris Elrod weighs in on how this kindness to those we don’t deem worthy is expressed in evangelism at the church entrusted to his care, Compass Point.
Over at 9Marks, the latest E-Journal is up. You may not normally check these out, but I would highly recommend this one. It is on marriage. You can get a PDF of the whole thing.
Some things that really stand out to me are:
The Marriage Book Comparison Chart – This chart takes some popular books out there and rates them for their faithfulness to a complementarian position, whether or not they center on the Gospel, encourage involvement in the local church, etc. This chart alone is worth having.
An article by C.J. Mahaney on marriage and pastoring.
There is also a nice section for pastor’s wives.
Check this out: How to Sleep Comfortably on a Hot Night
Here’s the first paragraph:
When it’s very hot out and you do not have air conditioning, it’s difficult to fall asleep. You can toss and turn to no avail. All this movement will make you even hotter than you already are, but there are ways to get cool and remain cool long enough for you to fall asleep.
(HT: Adrian)
It’s Wednesday and time for my free audio of the week post. Adrian Warnock has been posting on some sermons that have influenced him. He was able to obtain and get permission to post this sermon by C.J. from a while back. Introduced as one Charles Mahaney, this sermon is C.J. with a younger voice but with the same infectuous passion. Check it Out.
For today’s Marriage Monday segment, I want to follow up on last night’s message on God’s Word by reminding you of the importance of God’s Word in your family’s life. In his book Simplify Your Spiritual Life, a former professor of mine, Dr. Donald Whitney writes of the importance of the Bible in family devotions:
The centerpiece of family worship is the Bible. Read a passage of appropriate length for your family, making any impromptu comments that come to mind. Those wtih younger children should emphasize the narrative portions of Scripture and possibly the Proverbs. Eventually, most seem to work up to about a chapter a day, reading consecutively through a particular book of the Bible. I recommend that you ask a few questions to determine comprehension, or just ask the children to repeat what they remember.
A simple procedure like this could work wonders if your family. We regularly use a Bible storybook, since we have children aged 2 and under currently. The Word must be the center of our lives as families. If the Bible is God speaking (and it is), then we had better listen. Center your family life on God’s Word.
Midweek I usually recommend some free audio on the web. This week, I am happy to recommend this sermon from Matt Maka (a pastor of Youth and Parenting at Covenant Life Church). I appreciated Matt’s passion for God’s Word exposed in this text. This is influential to me because this Sunday night, I am starting a new series on God’s Word seeking to stoke the embers of passion for God in His Word in our people. This sermon got at the blessing as well as the discipline required in embracing God’s Word. I highly recommend it.
Matt Maka – Psalms Part 10: The Young
How many times have you sinned and quickly sought to blame someone or some circumstance? If we were honest, we would admit that it happens far to much.
In this post from Ben Reaoch, he exposes 12 specific sins we blame on others. These sins are: Anger, Impatience, Lust, Anxiety, Spiritual Apathy, Insubordination, A Critical Spirit, Bitterness, Gluttony, Gossip, Self-Pity and Selfishness. I encourage you to not only read this post, but avail yourself to the grace God extends to you in Christ to deal with sins such as these. Let’s confess our sins to one another and be healed.
Here is my Wordle of the book of Ruth.
I continue to hear good things about all that God is doing in our congregation through small groups. I thought I would allude to one question that really exposed some weakness when it comes to fellowship. On p.26 of the chapter “Fellowship Rediscovered,” we have a big box with question #3:
Do you have any habits or heart attitudes that keep you from growing in Christ through fellowship? How about these?
- Because of my heritage, I’m naturally stoic and reserved, so I tend to keep to myself.
- I tried that kind of fellowship once, and I gave a whole lot more than I got, so I tend to keep to myself.
- I was an only child, so I tend to keep to myself.
- My brothers and sisters were the ones always clamoring for attention, so I tend to keep to myself.
- Maybe I’ll go along with this fellowship stuff, as long as somebody else goes first.
In my experience, these are probably as a good a sampling as you’ll find in print of the excuses people use for failing to pursue intimacy. I think we just need to continue what Scripture teaches and embrace fellowship with one another. As we walk in this, it is a bit frightening at times to open up ot others, but we get to experience grace from God in the fellowship He has ordained for us. I hope you are encouraged as you live this out in your life.