My 10/26/14AM sermon, Shaped by Grace from Romans 12:1-8 is now online. This sermon honed in on how God’s grace is on the move to shape our relationships with God, ourselves and one another. I personally felt it exposed some areas of my life that had grown stale or cold and needed reshaped by grace. So, I’m hoping God was at work through His Word to give you encouragement through this. Have a terrific week.
Weekend Recap – Glory of Overflowing Grace
My 10/19/14AM sermon, Glory of Overflowing Grace from Romans 11:33-36, is now online. In this sermon, on one level I try to showcase God who is rich in mercy and how that mercy demonstrates that He is the most glorious being in the world. On another level, I’m engaging my hearers to reckon with the God of the Bible who is the most unique person of all. He’s is categories all to Himself and His actions call for all that we are. All things are to the glory of God. I hope this sermon helps you awe God in deeper ways and glorify Him as the supreme one in your life.
Forty
I have a big birthday today. 40.
One thought I had was all that Ecclesiastes has to say about youth, age and days:
I only have a few days from God to make the most of life on this earth. (Ecclesiastes 6:12)
All the days God gives me are to be used to live a full life. (Ecclesiastes 6:3)
I should pursue joy with my life. (Ecclesiastes 8:15)
I should try to do good all the days God gives me on this earth. (Ecclesiastes 2:3)
I should be careful with what I give my heart to in the days of my youth. (Ecclesiastes 11:9)
I’ve been, by God’s grace, able to live a full life so far. I’m blessed beyond anything I deserve with a faithful wife, fun children, a job full of joy, a work that is beyond this world and a life that is rich.
I also think about the mortality of days. I asked my Mom and others some facts about my dad and grandfathers when they were 40 and the churches they were pastoring at the time. At age 40…
My dad was pastoring Canaan Baptist Church in St. Louis, MO and I was a sophomore in high school.
My Gpa Auxier was pastoring in Sterling, IL and would soon move to Mt. Vernon to pastor a church he would retire from (and my dad was either graduating or about to graduate high school).
My Gpa Lemay was enjoyed a fruitful ministry at Park Avenue Baptist in Mt. Vernon (and my Mom was a sophomore in high school).
Why these facts? Because these men are gone. My dad would pass away at 48 and both of my grandfathers have passed away in recent years. To know the lives they lived makes my desire to make every day count all the more pressing.
So, thanks for indulging my meditations on this birthday. Would you mind praying for me, that God’s grace would flow in the next chapters as free and rich as it has in these first few? Ask God to make my life useful for His purposes and for the good of others. Thanks.
Weekend Recap – Matt Perman’s Visit
We enjoyed a great weekend at Crestview yesterday (10/12/14). Matt Perman of What’s Best Next was at church serving our people. During Sunday School, Matt visited with the class we have working through his book, fielding some questions and offering up solid answers. The class seemed energized through the content we were engaging.
Matt preached during the AM service from Ephesians 6:5-9 on a Christian View of Work. This sermon really challenged us with a biblical vision of work that helps us do all that we do for the glory of God and the good of others.
Later in the day, Matt spoke at our annual Men and Boys Chili Supper. He gave an apologetic for Christianity through the lens of time management in what I labeled a TED(like) Talk.
Like I said, many enjoyed this full day with Matt. I was grateful to have some unhurried time of fellowship with Matt and left encouraged and challenged to work more fully for the good of others. It was a great weekend. Hope you enjoy the audio and take advantage of the practical information on Matt’s site, What’s Best Next.
Weekend Recap – Strong In Grace
My 10/5/14AM sermon, Strong In Grace from Romans 11:11-32, is now online. This sermon teased out how God strengthens His church by grace. Specifically, that middle section highlighted how God calls us to humility as a response to His kindness. It’s difficult to talk about humility because we often don’t prize this as a virtue, but God has a different way of doing things than we might envision. I tweeted out this AM: “How are you demonstrating humility in what you text, post, and say today? (hint: try not using ALL CAPS as a start)”. If you don’t know using all caps online is like screaming. At any rate, it’s easy for me to be prideful in speaking of the pride in others, but often more difficult to recognize the pride in my own heart. Pray for me in this regard that I would model humility in my words and actions. Listen to this sermon and see if it encourages you. Blessings.
LRC Email – 3 questions with Bob Bush
Here’s my latest installment for Leadership Reno County alumni…
In this, Bob Bush answers the following questions:
1) Our program defines leadership as “mobilizing people to do difficult work.” How have you seen this definition at work in our community?
2) How does having a clear purpose flesh itself out in your life?
3) How do you work to build bridges between parties that disagree in our community?
Hope this is encouraging to your work in leadership.
H2Go post: Cup of Cold Water
Here’s a post I wrote for our church’s missions blog:
It’s our privilege to dispense Gospel Compassion to the world. Our logo here gets at Jesus words…
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward!” Matthew 10:42
Here’s what Spurgeon says on this…
Well, I can do as much as that. I can do a kind act toward the Lord’s servant. The Lord knows I love them all, and would count it an honor to wash their feet. For the sake of their Master — I love the disciples.
How gracious of the Lord to mention so insignificant an action — even a cup of cold water! This I can do, however poor; this I may do, however lowly; this I will do cheerfully. This, which seems so little, the Lord notices — notices when done to the least of His followers.
Evidently it is not the cost, nor the skill, nor the quantity, that He looks at — but the motive. That which we do to His disciple, because he is His disciple — the Lord observes, and recompenses. He does not reward us for the merit of what we do — but according to the riches of His grace. I give a cup of cold water — and He makes me to drink of living water. I give to one of His little ones — and He treats me as one of them. Jesus finds an apology for His liberality, in that which His grace has led me to do, and He says, “He will certainly not lose his reward!”
“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine — you did for Me!” Matthew 25:40
Today, who are those that need to know the reaches of your Gospel Compassion? Why not GO to them?
Weekend Recap – Mercy
My 9/28/14 sermon, More Merciful from Romans 11:1-10, is now online. In this sermon, I tried to demonstrate how God’s mercy is often more than we could imagine. It’s expressed more widely and shown to more people and probably revealed in ways that surprise us. I hope it was encouraging to those who heard it. Have a great week thinking about God’s mercy.
Weekend Recap – Gospel Response
My 9/21/14AM sermon, Gospel Response from Romans 10:14-21, is now online. In this sermon, I sought to show how neither God’s Word nor His saving intentions had failed, but that the God who is overflowing in mercy demands a response to the good news that He’s made known to others. This sermon helped call for a response from both believers and unbelievers to the message of the Bible.
Weekend Recap – Christ Is The End
My 9/7/14AM sermon, Christ The End, from Romans 9:30-10:4 is now online. This sermon was a deep one for me, one that I care about. I think Romans 10:4 is close to what some may call a life verse. It speaks of Christ being the point, the destination, the signpost of everything. He’s the end of righteousness (the destination of what it means to be in a right relationship with God) for those who believe. Having Him is everything. I hope this sermon helps you (should you choose to listen) and encourages you to more deeply glorify the God who made you for Himself.
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