Can Jesus relate to Me? 20 Reasons Why He Can.
It is easy for us to become too heavenly minded when thinking about Jesus of Nazareth. He is, of course, the man from heaven and He now reigns in heaven … Continue reading
Mark’s Gospel: Series Introduction
This week in Grace-for-Life class, we launched a new series on following Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. We often miss the fact that Jesus was fully human and limited Himself with … Continue reading
Insane Worship
“The Christians’ choice of a cross as the symbol of their faith is the more surprising when we remember the horror with which crucifixion was regarded in the ancient world. … Continue reading
Forgettable Truth
“The church at large, not only the church at Corinth, never has learnt, and never can learn, this truth in such a way as to be beyond the danger of … Continue reading
Where Joy Decreases, Regulations Increase
“Wherever authentic, joyful confidence in Christ diminishes, regulations will increase to preserve what once the power of Christ had created.” – John Piper from “Flesh Tanks and Peashooter Regulations.”
Make Every Effort: Sowing to the Spirit
2 Peter 1:5, “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge…” The passage in 2 Peter:3-11 has meant a very great … Continue reading
I Gotta Have My Joy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKm60OkV0iQ
I don’t know how you navigate life from day to day but one thing I have discovered in 2011 is that I simply cannot operate without a deep measure of joy in the living God.
If you grew up in a church using the Pentecostal Praises hymnal then probably know what page 202A was: “Joy Unspeakable.” We wore that song out, but we loved, I loved it.
But my favorite hymn on joy is this classic song, “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee.” The melody was taken from the Ode to Joy, the last movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, one of the beautiful pieces of music ever written, and the words are from a poem written in 1907 by Henry Van Dyke. The melody and the words were published together for the first time in The Presbyterian Hymnal of 1911.
No other song captures for me the truth that God alone is the source of abiding and lasting joy. And I particularly enjoy this contemporary rendition of it with several new refrains added. It is the most played song on my iPod in 2011.
There are many things I can go without, but I tend towards despondency and the one thing I must have is joy in the Lord because joy and hope are two sides of the same coin.
Psalm 43:3-5 [ESV]
3 Send our your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
The Ascension: A Neglected Essential
The Ascension is something I have heard precious little about in the preaching and teaching of the church. Below is a masterful exposition of Luke 24:50-53 on the event and … Continue reading
The Greatest Reason to Give Thanks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zNEMUZUZhY
“Jesus, Thank You” by Sovereign Grace Music, led by Bob Kauflin.
Destroyed by What You Desire
I’ve been working my way through the book of Judges and have come to the Samson narrative. Now I have come to the end of that story, Judges 16. I … Continue reading
Studying for Joy: A Forgotten Discipline
Psalm 111:2 – “Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.” I have been thinking about this verse a lot of recent. It motivates … Continue reading
Oh, The Things I’ve Heard
By my calculations, I have sat in something like 5,900 weekly church services and heard 5,900 sermons. Throw in at least another 500 special services, revival meetings, camp meetings, and … Continue reading
Discipline without Direction is Drudgery
Don Whitney writes: “Discipline without direction is drudgery. But the Spiritual Disciplines are never drudgery as long as we practice them with the goal of Godliness in mind. If your … Continue reading
Mile Wide, Inch Deep
Don Whitney on the need for spiritual discipline: “I’ve seen Christians who are faithful to the church of God, who frequently demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the things of God, and … Continue reading
Some Twang but No Waylon
I’m a fan of country music. Yes, I am. I enjoy both the old true country and the new pop country. I heard a little quip the other day though, … Continue reading
