"The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own."-Charles Spurgeon, Sermon: Paul, His Cloak And His Books
God commands what he wills and grants in measure what he commands, but we should always pursue what he commands. He says, "Work out your salvation...for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13). God does not say, "Since I work, you shouldn't." He says, "Because I do, you can." God's gift does not replace our effort; it enables and carries it.
A healthy church has a pervasive concern with church growth--not simply growing in numbers but growing members. A church full of growing Christians is the kind of church growth I want as a pastor. Some today seem to think that one can be a "baby Christian" for a whole lifetime. Growth is seen to be an optional extra for particularly zealous disciples. But be very careful about taking that line of thought. Growth is a sign of life. Growing trees are living trees, and growing animals are living animals. When something stops growing it dies.
Growth may not mean that you negotiate this rapid in half the time you negotiated the last; it may simply mean that you are able to continue in the right direction as a Christian, regardless of the adverse circumstances. Remember, it is only the things that are alive that swim upstream; the dead things all float along with the current.
Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology is an excellent resource for Christians (personal study and reference) and churches (pastors, church libraries, group studies). I recommend it to everyone - layperson, seminary student, high school student - anyone who is seeking to go deeper in the knowledge of God...It's a great resource for new believers, for anyone who wants to strengthen their doctrinal foundation, and I especially think it would be terrific for a study group.The book is divided into 20 chapters on major topics like the Bible, God, the Trinity, creation, prayer, the atonement, the Resurrection, etc. Each chapter is about 5 pages long and hits the high points of the doctrine with ample Scripture references, and also shows the importance and relevance of the doctrine to the Christian life. There are also review and application questions at the end of each chapter. These are sometimes a little trite, but many could be good discussion starters.
"He who finds a wife finds a good thing; and obtains favor from the Lord."
1. Study Jesus & The Gospel. Read and study one of Gospels this summer. Read your Bible!2. Have breakfast everyday….Don’t waste your mornings. Get up before 9.
3. Read a Good Book this Summer.
4. Get Discipled or get a Disciple.
5. Share the Gospel with someone.
6. War with your sin.
7. Serve in your Church or Go to Church!
8. Tithe..if you have a job already, or if you are getting a summer job.
9. Pray for other people.
...For more depth on each of these 9 resolutions, see the full post here.
Ever so subtly, we start to think that success more critically depends on thoughtful sociological analysis than on the gospel; Barna becomes more important than the Bible. We depend on plans, programs, vision statements - but somewhere along the way we have succumbed to the temptation to displace the foolishness of the cross with the wisdom of strategic planning. Again, I insist, my position is not a thinly veiled plea for obscurantism, for seat-of-the-pants ministry that plans for nothing. Rather, I fear that the cross, without ever being disowned, is constantly in danger of being dismissed from the central place it must enjoy, by relatively peripheral insights that take on far too much weight. Whenever the periphery is in danger of displacing the center, we are not far removed from idolatry.- From D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons From 1 Corinthians (1993), p. 26.
Is it enough to “believe in Jesus” in some amorphous sense that divorces “faith” from any particular doctrine about Him, or is doctrine—and the content of our faith—really important after all?Scripture plainly teaches that we must be sound in the faith—which is to say that doctrine does matter (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 4:2-3; Tit. 1:9; 2:1). It matters a lot.
“If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing” (1 Tim. 6:3-4, emphasis added).
Sound, biblical doctrine is a necessary aspect of true wisdom and authentic faith. The attitude that scorns doctrine while elevating feelings or blind trust cannot legitimately be called faith at all, even if it masquerades as Christianity. It is actually an irrational form of unbelief.
I resisted at first....As we become increasingly Jesus-centred we'll become increasingly other-centred.
There are many seasons to life. You are in the season of new ministry and the cares and concerns of a new family. There will be other seasons of life as you and your family mature and even grow old. It is important that you are a predictable, stable leader with integrity. Your wife and family will draw strength from seeing you live as a man who is dazzled by God and who is, therefore, full of joy and confidence in all the seasons of life.- Tedd Tripp, Love Your Family. Chapter 3, p. 61, in Dear Timothy: Letters on Pastoral Ministry.
Teaching that lasts - and books that last - will be the kind that "bleed Bible." C. H. Spurgeon said of John Bunyan, "Prick him anywhere; and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God." God wills that there be human teachers of his divine Word, but he wills that teachers be "full of the Word of God." The Bible should "flow from them." Their blood - and their books - should be "Bibline."
I love the words of John Wesley: "I am a creature of a day. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book." That book is the Bible, the precious Word of God. Only there do we find the way to heaven. Only there do we learn a Godward life.
This morning, as I was finishing one devotional book (Pierced by the Word) and beginning another (A Godward Life), the thought came to me to share with you what I use for devotional readings - at least what I have been using lately...
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