Some new music I have been digging for the last couple of days is Josh Grabbel.  He is a blend of folk, blues with a little hip-hop.  I stumbled across him on the internet.  Check out his website and click the listen button at the top.  Let me know what you think.  Josh’s website.

“There is nothing more true than the fact that the self-confident are near a fall, that those who lean on themselves must be overthrown, and that carnal security has but a baseless fabric in which to dwell.”
-C.H. Spurgeon-

Just read a great quote by George Whitefield, 18th century evangelist.  This will pierce your heart.

“‘There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus;’ but if you cannot fall finally, you may fall foully, and may go with broken bones all your days.  Take care of backsliding; for Jesus Christ’s sake, do not grieve the Holy Ghost. You may never recover your comfort while you live. I have paid dearly for backsliding. Our hearts are so cursedly wicked, that if you do not take care, if you do not constant watch, your wicked hearts will deceive you, and draw you aside.  It will be sad to be under the scourge of a correcting Father…Let me, therefore, exhort you that have got peace to keep a close walk with Christ.  I am grieved with the loose walk of those that are Christians, that have had discoveries of Jesus Christ; there is so little difference betwixt them and other people, that I scarce know which is the true Christian.  Christians are afraid to speak of God, they run down with the stream; if they come into worldly company, they will talk of the world as if they were in their element; this would not do when you had the first discoveries of Christ’s love; you could talk then of Christ’s love forever, when the candle of the Lord shined upon your soul.”

After a crazy week last week, I am relishing in this quiet Monday morning.  I am sitting in my office, drinking a couple of cups of coffee and trying to play a little catch-up.  We had a great day yeasterday!  There was energy in our services.

Our new youth pastors were with us for the first time and seemed to mesh well with the congregation.  James preached a good sermon last night.  It is amazing how God gets His points across.  James’ sermon was along the same lines of what I preached Sunday morning.  No, we didn’t coordinate that, the Holy Spirit did.

We began “My Last Series” yesterday morning as I shared “My Last Sermon.”  It is amazing to think about what you would preach if it was your last sermon to preach.  I talked about, if I were looking back on my life, I would be more passionate.  More passionate about prayer, souls, and eternal things.  Most people get to the end of life with regrets; wishing they would have done things differently.  I have determined that we need to look back at our lives now and make adjustments so that when we get to the end of life, we have no regrets.  Let’s be more passionate.

I showed a picture of Sonya and I, when we were 19 years old.  Many people thought I ought to grow my hair out like it was in the picture.  Let me know what you think.  It might be possible.  By the way, is there any questions about why I married Sonya, she was and still is beautiful!  I am not sure why she picked me, I think it was my taste in shirts.

This week, we are looking forward to our training with Pastor David Plank.  He will be here Saturday sharing with our leaders.

Sunday I will be preaching “My Last Sermon”.  There has been a little confusion for one of our children who actually thought I was leaving the church and this was my actual last sermon.  I was thankful for the fact that this child was upset rather than happy.  No, it is not my last sermon.

It is a sermon thought that I have had for several weeks.  “If I Only Had One Sermon Left to Preach, What Would I Preach?”  After much thought and many changes to what I had originally intended to preach on, I have finally arrived at what I “think” I would preach.  If you want to know what it is, you have to come Sunday morning, but a little hint, I am going to use the Bible:)

Also Sunday is our first Sunday with our new youth pastors.  I am excited about what God is up to.  Make sure you attend services Sunday.  It will be a special day!

 

Just read this quote and I thought I would share it:

   “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people! Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then doing of you world shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. Everyday you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God.”

   — Phillips Brooks

Last night, we started our series on the Sermon on the Mount.  We began with a look at the beatitudes which are instruction for right living.  When I got home, Sonya shared with me an email from my mom that had the devil’s beatitudes.  Yes, my mom sent the email to me too. “Sorry mom, I don’t read everything I get by email.”  Nonetheless, this is a good picture of what our enemy wants us to live like.

“If the Devil were to write his Beatitudes, they would probably look like this: 

1. Blessed are those who are too tired or busy to spend an hour once a week with fellow Christians — they are my best workers.

2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked — I can use them.

3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church — they are my missionaries.

4. Blessed are the trouble makers — they shall be called my children.

5. Blessed are the complainers — I’m all ears to them.

6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister’s mannerisms and mistakes, for they get nothing out of his sermons.

7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church – for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.

8. Blessed are those who gossip — for they shall cause strife and divisions that please me.

9. Blessed are those who are easily offended — for they will soon get angry and quit.

10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God’s work — for they are my helpers.

11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister — for he shall be with me forever!

12. Blessed are you who, when you read this think it is   about other people and not yourself — I’ve got you, too!”

 -Author Unknown- 

When I was a young boy I had a problem that I am embarrassed to admit.  I was a bed-wetter.  I know this is not the usual subject for the blog world but there is an important application to this confessional.  It was a chronic problem that could not be easily fixed.  A child who is a bed-wetter struggles with feelings of inferiority because every time he “goes” in the bed ,it upsets the parents.  I understand that cleaning sheets and mattresses is no fun but there needs to be more grace for bed-wetters.

When I was around 10 or 11, I finally conquered the bed-wetting.  It was a victory that was won only because fear was struck in my heart.  I know all Grandmas are supposed to be sweet and nice, but on this occasion my Grandmother had enough of cleaning the sheets.  She took me into the room where I slept and pulled back the sheets to show me the plastic mattress cover underneath.  The words she spoke to me will forever be etched on my heart, “Danny, this is a special mattress pad, if you wet the bed again it will catch on fire.”  How traumatic for the bed-wetter!  How unjust to put a flammable mattress cover that would ignite with a single drop!  My Grandma was serious.  She knew it wouldn’t catch on fire, but I didn’t.  Sweet Grandma had run out of grace.

Going to sleep was tough that night.  I didn’t drink anything after six just to be on the safe side.  Guess what?  I did not wet the bed again. Ever!  I still have fear when I drink too late:)

In life, there are many people who are believers who fall into temptation’s way.  They may stay on the right path for a while but then all of a sudden they fall back.  They cave in and sin against God.  What is our reaction to these children of God?  Is it to drive them out of fear or out of grace?  Often our approach to those that falter is a message of condemnation.  Giving them the “truth” to make them not want to do it again.  Hell is real!  Habitual sin will lead you down the path to Hell, but should our approach be to condemn them or lead them back to grace?  We never need to shy away from the reality of judgment but we do need to be careful that we do not paint a hopeless picture.

The truth is, many people sin and feel ashamed enough in their sin.  They do not need our damning judgment but our loving persuasion to follow in the ways of the Lord.  Many people have given up hope on serving the Lord because they never felt like they could be “good enough” to keep up the standard.  Our challenge as a child of God is to point people to the grace that will help them to live holy.  If they are a chronic sinner, it may be necessary to use the “mattress pad that will catch on fire” approach but sometimes simply loving them in grace will help them keep the right path.