One of the most important books I've read... Here's a creative video with a poignant story from Piper's book... Challenging.
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
CHEER UP! YOU'RE WORSE THAN YOU THINK
Today R.W. Glenn over at Solid Food Media had a great post on how to handle criticism, gossip, slander, misrepresentation, you name it... Ever experienced it?
I've copied the article below and provided a link to the Solid Food Media site. While the article addresses people in pastoral ministry, all of us have experienced criticism and all of us can use Mr. Glenn's wise advice...
Glenn's post reminded me of some counsel I received a few years ago related to criticism and accusation, especially when it comes from the "accuser" or "the evil one" himself. This person reminded me of Jesus' counsel in Matthew 5:25.
Matthew 5:25 (NKJ), Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Jesus' counsel refers specifically to two people tied up in some kind of legal dispute and he's actually encouraging people to settle out of court, to avoid lawyers and litigation... That's the basic meaning of the text.
But this person pressed for another application. He encouraged me, "When the evil one blasts you with accusation and criticism, simply agree with him! Let him know, you're right! I'm all of that and worse... But I've been cleansed, forgiven and set free because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for me on the cross."
Glenn's post reminded me of this counsel. Here's his article: CHEER UP! YOU'RE WORSE THAN YOU THINK!
CHEER UP! YOU’RE WORSE THAN YOU THINK.
Posted 6/25/2011 | By: R W Glenn
One of the occupational hazards of pastoral ministry is that you are often the subject of people's destructive criticism, gossip, slander, misrepresentation, foolish inferences, ignorant speculations, and the like. And any pastor who's being honest with himself - even a hard-nosed guy like me - will admit that the hurtful things people say are just that - hurtful. They hurt.
How do you heal the hurt? How do you prevent the hurt from festering, from becoming a root of bitterness toward your enemies?
The answer is to remember this: you are far worse than your enemies make you out to be! They don't know the half of it.
Now they may not be correct or truthful in what they are saying about you, but you (and your spouse) could tell them things about yourself that would make their mouths hang open in shock and disbelief. You could tell them things about yourself that would make their petty criticisms pale in comparison. After all, what is wrong with you is so wrong, that it took the one perfect person who ever lived to die for you and suffer God's wrath for you.
Now I know that this may not seem all that encouraging - in fact, you might think that it would only make matters worse. You're already wounded. Why pour salt into the wound?
And let me say that it would be very discouraging if you stopped with bringing to mind what a mess you are. So don't stop short. Go farther. Go all the way to the cross and realize that even though you are far worse than your enemies think you are, Jesus went to the cross willingly. He was not reluctant to die for you: "No one takes my life away from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:18)! Even though you are a million times worse than any of your enemies know, Jesus does know, and he loves you anyway. The cross proves it.
The late Jack Miller used to put it this way: "Cheer up! You're worse than you think." In a strange way, this does put a smile on my face. As bad as people may think I am, I'm worse than they think, even worse than I think, but Jesus knows me fully and loves me so much that he went to the cross in my place.
LOVE TEST 1.0 Extended Notes and Worship Download
I absolutely love what God is doing at a2 Church! Yesterday the church “gathered” for worship and renewal, so that we could “scatter” to make a difference in our world. The entire worship experience was about love – experiencing God’s love and sharing it with others.
Here’s the run down on all the action… The worship set was smoking and included the following:
Praise Is The Offering by Gateway Worship
Our God Is Love by Hillsong
How He Loves by John Mark McMillan or Kim Walker
a2 Student Ministries Pastor, Darrell Garrett gave us a glimpse of God’s activity in the life of a2 Student Ministries during their recent missions trip to Cincinnati where they participated in “Week of Hope.”
The band continued worship with:
Like An Avalanche by Hillsong United
The message notes are contained below. We closed out the worship experience with a call to love and Caley covering, To Make You Feel My Love, a song written by Bob Dylan and most recently performed by Adele. Wow! The song provided a perfect backdrop for the extent to which love will go to reach out to and connect with people that matter to us...
I’m pumped about seeing what God continues to do in and through us as the love we “feel in our hearts” moves to our hands, feet, calendars and wallets.
Love one another!
LOVE TEST 1.0 Extended Notes
Proof of Life – Part 8
1 John 3:1 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
NOTES: John is describing the idea of adoption… Adoption is a premeditated act of love… God looked at us and said, “I know your hang-ups… I know your hurts… I know you pain… I know your past, but I choose you to be a part of my family…”
ILLUSTRATION: 1 John 3:10-24 describes two kinds of hearts… One is soft, pliable and even playful… One is hard, cold and frozen to the purpose and plan of God…
1 John 3:10 (NIV), This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
John 13:34-35 (NIV), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must lone one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 John 3:12 (NIV), Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
Envy is “resenting God’s goodness in other people’s lives while ignoring God’s goodness in your own...”
NOTES: In this text, Cain represents at least two things:
• He’s a type of the world and how hearts that are cold, calloused and frozen respond to hearts that are soft, pliable and submitted to God.
1 John 3:12-13 (NIV), Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
• Second, Cain is a type of religious people who forget about what’s really and ultimately important.
NOTES: The rift between Cain and Abel started over worship and how they ought to worship…
It’s interesting that the word John uses for “murder” actually means “butchered” or “slaughtered.” It’s a word that sometimes gets used in the Greek Version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) to describe sacrifice…
According to Gary Burge in The NIV Application Commentary on the Letters of John, this word “…implies a religious butchering – a slaying wed to piety – (religiousness), murder laced with prayer.”
1 John 3:14 (NIV), We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
1 John 3:15 (NIV), Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Love in 3-D:
Acknowledgement: This outline was borrowed from Mike Breaux in an excellent message on 1 John 3:10-24 from a series titled, “Love That Lives Next Door.”
1. Love is a decision.
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:14 (NIV), We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other…
A Definition for Love: “Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.” — Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?, page 188.
2. Love is a demonstration. It acts.
NOTES: Love isn’t really love until it gets demonstrated…
1 John 3:16-18 (NIV), This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
“Love calls you beyond the borders of your own wants, needs, and feelings. Love calls you to be willing to invest time, energy, money, resources, personal ability, and gifts for the good of another. Love calls you to lay down your life in ways that are concrete and specific. Love calls you to serve, to wait, to give, to suffer, to forgive, and to do all these things again and again.
Love calls you to be silent when you want to speak, and to speak when you would like to be silent. Love calls you to act when you would really like to wait, and to wait when you would really like to act. Love calls you to stop when you really want to continue, and it calls you to continue when you feel like stopping. Love requires you to lead when you would really like to follow, and to follow when you really want to lead. Love again and again calls you away from your instincts and your comfort. Love always requires personal sacrifice. Love calls you to give your life.” — Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?, page 188.
EXAMPLE: The Good Samaritan
NOTES: “…He had compassion on him…” (Luke 10:33) is the same word John used for “pity” in 1 John 3:17.
It’s the Greek word, splagchnon. The KJV translates it “bowels of compassion” in 1 John 3:17… It’s that feeling that hits you in the gut when you see a need and it compels you to take action…
IMPORTANT: The Good Samaritan saw a man lying unconscious, stripped, bleeding and left for dead and it hit him… His love for this unknown guy got into his hands, his feet, his calendar and his wallet…
3. Love makes the difference.
1 John 3:19-22 (NIV), This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
QUESTION: Could some of our unanswered prayers be a result of our failure to love?
1 John 3:23-24 (NIV), And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
NOTES: That’s the TRUTH TEST… Do you believe the irreducible core truths about who Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished?
1 John 3:23-24 (NIV), And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
NOTES: That's the LOVE TEST.
1 John 3:24 (NIV) The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
NOTES: All of this is made possible by the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV), If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
NOTES: Paul said, “If I don’t have love, I’m nothing but an obnoxious noise… I’m absolutely nothing…”
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
EXAMPLE: Kenneth Scott Latourette
“By what steps did [Christianity] win against its admittedly formidable rivals?”
“Against these competitors Christianity seemed to have little chance. The state cults had the support of the government and the latter sought to stamp out any serious dissent.”
“Christianity’s success is to be found in its absolute inclusiveness. More than any other of its competitor religions it attracted all races and classes. The Pagan deities, for example, were often tied and confined to certain regions and nations. Even in the days of its most active proselytizing activities Judaism never overcame its racial boundaries because its converts had to become culturally Jewish. Christianity, however, gloried in its appeal to Jew, Gentile, African, and Barbarian. The philosophers to Greece and Rome, on the other hand, appealed to the educated only and could never win the masses. It was one of the charges against Christianity that it drew the lowly and uneducated multitude that its essential teaching was so simple that anybody could understand. Yet Christianity also developed a philosophy that converted some of the greatest minds in the society. Christianity too was for both sexes and women were active in its work while two if its main competitor religions were almost exclusively for men. Finally, the mystery religions were mainly for the rich and initiation was very expensive. There was no other religion that took in all groups and all strata of society.”
Latourette then asks: “Why did this idea of unprecedented radical inclusiveness appear in Christianity in the first place?” In other words, “Where did Christians get the idea to love like this?”
Latourette’s answer: “The one tenable explanation of Christianity’s inclusiveness was probably its teaching of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. For if Jesus was not a teacher showing the way of salvation, but the Son of God who accomplished salvation, then members of both sexes and all races, the learned and unlearned, the high and the low, the able and the non-able, might all be able to share in the salvation made possible in Christ.” — Kenneth Scott Latourette (Quoted in a message by Tim Keller titled, The Marks of a Christian on 1 John 3:10-18 preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Also researched on-line and quoted in several on-line articles.)
HOMEWORK:
I’ve included 12 Characteristics of Love that Paul Tripp mentions in his book, What Did You Expect? I want to encourage you to walk through those characteristics… Apply them to your relational world… Ask yourself, “How am I doing?”
What Real Love Looks Like:
Adapted from Paul Tripp’s book, What Did You Expect?
• Love is being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of another person without impatience or anger…
• Love is actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental, but instead looking for ways to encourage and praise…
• Love is the daily commitment to resist the needless moments of conflict that come from pointing out and responding to minor offenses…
• Love is being lovingly honest and humbly approachable in times of misunderstanding, and being more committed to unity and love than you are to winning, accusing or being right…
• Love is a daily commitment to admit your sin, weaknesses and failures and resisting the temptation to offer up excuses, shift the blame or rationalize your sin or mistakes…
• Love is being unwilling to do what’s wrong when you’ve been wronged, but looking for concrete and specific ways to overcome evil with good…
• Love is being willing to ask for forgiveness when you’ve blown it with a friend and always being committed to granting forgiveness when forgiveness is requested…
• Love is a commitment to say no to selfish instincts and to do everything within your ability to promote real unity, functional understanding and active love…
• Love is treating people with appreciation, respect and grace, even in those moments when they don’t seem to deserve it or are unwilling to reciprocate it…
• Love is being unwilling to make any personal decision or choice that would harm a relationship, hurt or wound a friend, and weaken a bond of trust…
• Love is refusing to be self-focused and demanding, but instead looking for specific ways to serve, support, and encourage another individual…
• Love is admitting to yourself, to others, and to God that you can’t love like this without God’s grace rescuing you, His love transforming you, and His Spirit empowering you…
Here’s the run down on all the action… The worship set was smoking and included the following:
Praise Is The Offering by Gateway Worship
Our God Is Love by Hillsong
How He Loves by John Mark McMillan or Kim Walker
a2 Student Ministries Pastor, Darrell Garrett gave us a glimpse of God’s activity in the life of a2 Student Ministries during their recent missions trip to Cincinnati where they participated in “Week of Hope.”
The band continued worship with:
Like An Avalanche by Hillsong United
The message notes are contained below. We closed out the worship experience with a call to love and Caley covering, To Make You Feel My Love, a song written by Bob Dylan and most recently performed by Adele. Wow! The song provided a perfect backdrop for the extent to which love will go to reach out to and connect with people that matter to us...
I’m pumped about seeing what God continues to do in and through us as the love we “feel in our hearts” moves to our hands, feet, calendars and wallets.
Love one another!
LOVE TEST 1.0 Extended Notes
Proof of Life – Part 8
1 John 3:1 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
NOTES: John is describing the idea of adoption… Adoption is a premeditated act of love… God looked at us and said, “I know your hang-ups… I know your hurts… I know you pain… I know your past, but I choose you to be a part of my family…”
ILLUSTRATION: 1 John 3:10-24 describes two kinds of hearts… One is soft, pliable and even playful… One is hard, cold and frozen to the purpose and plan of God…
1 John 3:10 (NIV), This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
John 13:34-35 (NIV), “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must lone one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
1 John 3:12 (NIV), Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
Envy is “resenting God’s goodness in other people’s lives while ignoring God’s goodness in your own...”
NOTES: In this text, Cain represents at least two things:
• He’s a type of the world and how hearts that are cold, calloused and frozen respond to hearts that are soft, pliable and submitted to God.
1 John 3:12-13 (NIV), Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
• Second, Cain is a type of religious people who forget about what’s really and ultimately important.
NOTES: The rift between Cain and Abel started over worship and how they ought to worship…
It’s interesting that the word John uses for “murder” actually means “butchered” or “slaughtered.” It’s a word that sometimes gets used in the Greek Version of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) to describe sacrifice…
According to Gary Burge in The NIV Application Commentary on the Letters of John, this word “…implies a religious butchering – a slaying wed to piety – (religiousness), murder laced with prayer.”
1 John 3:14 (NIV), We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
1 John 3:15 (NIV), Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Love in 3-D:
Acknowledgement: This outline was borrowed from Mike Breaux in an excellent message on 1 John 3:10-24 from a series titled, “Love That Lives Next Door.”
1. Love is a decision.
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
1 John 3:14 (NIV), We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other…
A Definition for Love: “Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not require reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving.” — Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?, page 188.
2. Love is a demonstration. It acts.
NOTES: Love isn’t really love until it gets demonstrated…
1 John 3:16-18 (NIV), This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
“Love calls you beyond the borders of your own wants, needs, and feelings. Love calls you to be willing to invest time, energy, money, resources, personal ability, and gifts for the good of another. Love calls you to lay down your life in ways that are concrete and specific. Love calls you to serve, to wait, to give, to suffer, to forgive, and to do all these things again and again.
Love calls you to be silent when you want to speak, and to speak when you would like to be silent. Love calls you to act when you would really like to wait, and to wait when you would really like to act. Love calls you to stop when you really want to continue, and it calls you to continue when you feel like stopping. Love requires you to lead when you would really like to follow, and to follow when you really want to lead. Love again and again calls you away from your instincts and your comfort. Love always requires personal sacrifice. Love calls you to give your life.” — Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?, page 188.
EXAMPLE: The Good Samaritan
NOTES: “…He had compassion on him…” (Luke 10:33) is the same word John used for “pity” in 1 John 3:17.
It’s the Greek word, splagchnon. The KJV translates it “bowels of compassion” in 1 John 3:17… It’s that feeling that hits you in the gut when you see a need and it compels you to take action…
IMPORTANT: The Good Samaritan saw a man lying unconscious, stripped, bleeding and left for dead and it hit him… His love for this unknown guy got into his hands, his feet, his calendar and his wallet…
3. Love makes the difference.
1 John 3:19-22 (NIV), This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.
QUESTION: Could some of our unanswered prayers be a result of our failure to love?
1 John 3:23-24 (NIV), And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,
NOTES: That’s the TRUTH TEST… Do you believe the irreducible core truths about who Jesus is and what Jesus has accomplished?
1 John 3:23-24 (NIV), And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
NOTES: That's the LOVE TEST.
1 John 3:24 (NIV) The one who keeps God's commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
NOTES: All of this is made possible by the Holy Spirit!
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV), If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
NOTES: Paul said, “If I don’t have love, I’m nothing but an obnoxious noise… I’m absolutely nothing…”
1 John 3:11 (NIV), For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
EXAMPLE: Kenneth Scott Latourette
“By what steps did [Christianity] win against its admittedly formidable rivals?”
“Against these competitors Christianity seemed to have little chance. The state cults had the support of the government and the latter sought to stamp out any serious dissent.”
“Christianity’s success is to be found in its absolute inclusiveness. More than any other of its competitor religions it attracted all races and classes. The Pagan deities, for example, were often tied and confined to certain regions and nations. Even in the days of its most active proselytizing activities Judaism never overcame its racial boundaries because its converts had to become culturally Jewish. Christianity, however, gloried in its appeal to Jew, Gentile, African, and Barbarian. The philosophers to Greece and Rome, on the other hand, appealed to the educated only and could never win the masses. It was one of the charges against Christianity that it drew the lowly and uneducated multitude that its essential teaching was so simple that anybody could understand. Yet Christianity also developed a philosophy that converted some of the greatest minds in the society. Christianity too was for both sexes and women were active in its work while two if its main competitor religions were almost exclusively for men. Finally, the mystery religions were mainly for the rich and initiation was very expensive. There was no other religion that took in all groups and all strata of society.”
Latourette then asks: “Why did this idea of unprecedented radical inclusiveness appear in Christianity in the first place?” In other words, “Where did Christians get the idea to love like this?”
Latourette’s answer: “The one tenable explanation of Christianity’s inclusiveness was probably its teaching of the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. For if Jesus was not a teacher showing the way of salvation, but the Son of God who accomplished salvation, then members of both sexes and all races, the learned and unlearned, the high and the low, the able and the non-able, might all be able to share in the salvation made possible in Christ.” — Kenneth Scott Latourette (Quoted in a message by Tim Keller titled, The Marks of a Christian on 1 John 3:10-18 preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Also researched on-line and quoted in several on-line articles.)
HOMEWORK:
I’ve included 12 Characteristics of Love that Paul Tripp mentions in his book, What Did You Expect? I want to encourage you to walk through those characteristics… Apply them to your relational world… Ask yourself, “How am I doing?”
What Real Love Looks Like:
Adapted from Paul Tripp’s book, What Did You Expect?
• Love is being willing to have your life complicated by the needs and struggles of another person without impatience or anger…
• Love is actively fighting the temptation to be critical and judgmental, but instead looking for ways to encourage and praise…
• Love is the daily commitment to resist the needless moments of conflict that come from pointing out and responding to minor offenses…
• Love is being lovingly honest and humbly approachable in times of misunderstanding, and being more committed to unity and love than you are to winning, accusing or being right…
• Love is a daily commitment to admit your sin, weaknesses and failures and resisting the temptation to offer up excuses, shift the blame or rationalize your sin or mistakes…
• Love is being unwilling to do what’s wrong when you’ve been wronged, but looking for concrete and specific ways to overcome evil with good…
• Love is being willing to ask for forgiveness when you’ve blown it with a friend and always being committed to granting forgiveness when forgiveness is requested…
• Love is a commitment to say no to selfish instincts and to do everything within your ability to promote real unity, functional understanding and active love…
• Love is treating people with appreciation, respect and grace, even in those moments when they don’t seem to deserve it or are unwilling to reciprocate it…
• Love is being unwilling to make any personal decision or choice that would harm a relationship, hurt or wound a friend, and weaken a bond of trust…
• Love is refusing to be self-focused and demanding, but instead looking for specific ways to serve, support, and encourage another individual…
• Love is admitting to yourself, to others, and to God that you can’t love like this without God’s grace rescuing you, His love transforming you, and His Spirit empowering you…
Thursday, June 23, 2011
STEVEN FURTICK ON THE "13:13 MOMENT"
Here's a great post from Steven Furtick on what he calls the "13:13 Moment." Never heard of it? Check out Steven's post. It's thought-provoking and contains a much-needed reminder of what we could miss out on by careless disobedience.
"Oh, God, please help me to completely follow YOU. To devote all I am to 'one pure and holy passion.' I don't to look back with regret, thinking about what could have been if only I had honored and pursued YOU."
Thanks for the important reminder, Steven.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
TO SPANK OR NOT TO SPANK
Denny Burk shares an excellent article on the subject of spanking over on his blog. You can check it out by clicking here.
Janet and I have three girls - ages 22, 19 and 11 - and we've always believed that wise, consistent, loving discipline is crucial in the life and development of a child. At one time or another, all three of our girls received a spanking. It was never our first option. We attempted to never spank when we were frustrated or angry. It was usually reserved for cases of "willful defiance." We always attempted to follow a spanking with a hug and loving affirmation. And finally, as our children grew older the frequency with which they received spankings declined.
Denny quotes an article by Paul Wegner that suggests several different levels of discipline. I've included Wegner's comments below, but check out Denny Burk's blog for some additional insights on the subject of discipline and spanking.
By the way, on July 31, a2 Church will host its first FX — that's a cool abbreviation for Family Experience — a special combined worship experience where children can take their parents to learn more about God. During our first FX we'll share some thoughts about how a2 wants to "partner with parents in their mission to lead their children into a personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ." Make plans to join us on July 31.
Here's a portion of Wegner's article:
In an article titled, "Discipline in the Book of Proverbs: To Spank or Not To Spank," Paul Wegner shows from scripture several different levels of discipline, one of which is corporal punishment (#6).
Level 1. Encourage proper behavior: A wise parent encourages a child to behave properly (Prov. 1:8-9; 2:2-5; 3:13-15; 4:7-8).
Level 2. Inform of improper behavior: A wise parent is proactive and addresses certain issues before the child might be confronted by them (Prov. 1:10-15; 3:31-32).
Level 3. Explain the negative consequences of sin: A wise parent points out the negative consequences that lie along the path of life (Prov. 1:18-19; 5:3-6).
Level 4. Gently exhort: Wise parents will, on an ongoing basis, advise and exhort their children against sin that can easily become a pattern and encourage them to use wisdom (Prov. 4:1-2, 14-16).
Level 5. Gently rebuke or reprove: The wise parent knows when to use rebuke properly (Prov. 3:12; 24:24-25).
Level 6. Corporal punishment that does not cause physical harm: A wise parent knows when to use corporal, non-abusive punishment (Prov. 19:18; 13:24; 23:13-14; 29:15).
Level 7. Corporal punishment that causes physical harm: The book of Proverbs does not suggest that parents use this technique for discipline, but that serious sin can lead to serious punishment (Prov. 20:30; 10:31).
Level 8. Death: The book of Proverbs also does not include this in the realm of parental discipline, but in the realm of consequences meted out by government or society’s leaders (Gen. 9:6; Prov. 19:18).
Monday, June 20, 2011
THE CELLO SONG
Hey, I like music and this instrumental totally rocks! Here is Steve Sharp Nelson with "The Cello Song."
IMMIGRATION AND THE GOSPEL
Here's an excellent post by Russell Moore on IMMIGRATION AND THE GOSPEL.
Thumbs up to Russell for this excellent post.
Thumbs up to Russell for this excellent post.
EVER HEARD OF JOSH GARRELS?
Now you have... This is an amazing performance of a terrific song. Enjoy
Mason Jar Music Presents... Josh Garrels from Mason Jar Music on Vimeo.
TOP TEN THINGS YOU WILL NEVER HEARD DAD SAY...
In honor of Father's Day, here are the TOP TEN THINGS YOU WILL NEVER HEAR DAD SAY.
10. I'm craving a salad...
9. Sure, you can keep my daughter out as late as you like!
8. You kids don't need a job! I make PLENTY of money!
7. Here's my credit card and car keys. GO CRAZY!
6. Do these jeans make my butt look big?
5. Your mother’s coming to stay for two weeks? I wish she could stay longer…
4. Your mom and I are going out of town this weekend. You kids should throw a party!
3. Well, if all of your friends are doing it, then OF COURSE you can, too!
2. Here… You can have the remote, I don't need it.
1. I think we’re lost… Maybe we should stop and ask for directions...
10. I'm craving a salad...
9. Sure, you can keep my daughter out as late as you like!
8. You kids don't need a job! I make PLENTY of money!
7. Here's my credit card and car keys. GO CRAZY!
6. Do these jeans make my butt look big?
5. Your mother’s coming to stay for two weeks? I wish she could stay longer…
4. Your mom and I are going out of town this weekend. You kids should throw a party!
3. Well, if all of your friends are doing it, then OF COURSE you can, too!
2. Here… You can have the remote, I don't need it.
1. I think we’re lost… Maybe we should stop and ask for directions...
CHANGE TEST - Proof of Life (Part 7) Extended Notes
Absolutely loved Dad's Day at a2 Church this year.
Deborah Wiggins knocked it out of the park with amazing decor that made the foyer look like the coolest Cracker Barrell ever... Old fashioned rocking chairs, checker board and flying mason jars filled with flowers! Total awesomeness!
Caley Goins did an amazing job coming up with a cool theme for refreshments that involved Buffalo Rock Gingerale, root beer, cream soda and cookies with a moustache on it! Coolness!
We also had photo opps for families featuring hand-held moustaches that totally rocked! Thanks Brittney Owens and Chelsea Norton for your help!
Great fun!
The worship experience included the following numbers:
You by Hillsong
You'll Come by Hillsong
Where The Spirit of the Lord Is by Chris Tomlin and Christy Nockels
One of the coolest parts of the worship experience was that yesterday our band premiered an a2 original titled, "When I'm In Need" written by Chris Miller and Eric Gay! Yay, God! Big time!
The team also covered an accapello version of "Change In My Life." Great job, team!
Our Guest Services team continue to blow me away by the way they love and care for people - regardless! You guys and gals totally rock! Thanks for being an extension of the amazing love of God!
Finally, here are the extended message notes from yesterday's message. Hope they're helpful. During the message we talked a lot about the importance of the Holy Spirit being active and present in our lives. We also talked about this reality: When God is in us, holiness flows out of us…
Peace!
CHANGE TEXT
Proof of Life - Part 7
THOUGHTS: In the book of 1 John, John lays out three crucial tests or proofs of LIFE…
Three Crucial Tests:
• The TRUTH Test: What do you believe about Jesus? Do you believe the irreducible core of doctrinal truth about who Jesus is and what He has accomplished?
THOUGHTS: Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God (1:1-4)? Do you believe He actually, literally, physically came in the flesh? That He actually, literally, physically died for your sin, in your place and that His sacrificial death has the power to cleanse and purify you from all sin (1:7)? Do you believe that He actually, literally, physically was raised again to life? Do you believe that He is the divinely appointed and anointed King of Israel and King of the world?
• The LOVE Test: Do you genuinely love people? Do you love people inside the church and people outside the church?
• The LIFE Test: Have you seen your life change?
THOUGHTS: This message is about change.
“When [transformation] happens, I don’t just do the things Jesus would have done; I find myself wanting to do them. They appeal to me. They make sense. I don’t just go around trying to do right things; I become the right sort of person… Ordinary people can receive power for extraordinary change.” — John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted
Four Defining Differences Between “Christians” and "Non-Christians"
Romans 8:5-17
• A Changed Mindset.
Romans 8:5 (NLT), Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
THOUGHTS: The mind is important because the way you think determines the way you feel and the way you feel determines the way you act. The most effective way to change a person’s behavior is not by dealing directly with that person’s actions, but by changing that person’s thought life.
• A Changed Lifestyle.
Romans 8:6 (NLT), So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
John 10:10 (MSG), I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
• A Changed Attitude (especially in regards to your attitude towards God).
Romans 8:7 (NLT), For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
THOUGHTS: The Biblical idea is the idea of REPENTANCE…
Repentance Defined:
Repentance is the word "metanoeoo" and is from the Greek word for "mind." It is primarily a word about "thinking" and is sometimes used to indicate a "change of mind."
According to Dallas Willard, repentance actually means “to reconsider your strategy for living based on the news of God’s Kingdom that is available in Jesus.”
• A Changed Purpose.
Romans 8:7-8 (NLT), For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
THOUGHTS: In the next three verses Paul describes THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE in the life of a believer.
THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER IS
THE PERSON, POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Romans 8:9-11 (NLT), But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
The Difference The Spirit Makes:
• The Holy Spirit gives us new power for living!
Romans 8:11 (NLT), The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
THOUGHTS: Imagine living life with resurrection power… The power of the resurrection is the power to cancel your past, power to conquer your problems, power to change your personality. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that lives inside you.
• The Holy Spirit gives us a new desire to do the right thing.
Romans 8:12-13 (NLT), Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
• The Holy Spirit provides an internal GPS system for direction and guidance in life.
Romans 8:14 (NLT), For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
• The Holy Spirit reminds us of our new relationship with God.
Romans 8:15-17 (NLT), So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
THOUGHTS: The word "Abba" is an Aramaic word. The word for "Father" is a Greek word. The word "Father" shows up in two different languages. In Aramaic and Greek.
If you were to visit the Middle East today, it's very common for children to address their father with the word "Abba." It simply means, "Daddy." It's one of the first words a kid in the Middle East learns. It's the most intimate word you can use when addressing your father.
Paul says that the way God wants you to relate to Him. God wants you to call Him, "Abba, Father" or "Daddy, Papa."
QUESTION: What would take place in your life if you began viewing God as a loving Heavenly Father? How would that affect your prayer life? What would that do to the cold formality that characterizes much of our approach to God?
THOUGHTS: There's something special about adoption. Think about it. It never happens by accident. I've heard of unplanned pregnancies but never an unplanned adoption. I mean when was the last time you ever heard someone say, "I don't know how we got that one. He was adopted."
Adoption is a PREMEDIATED ACT OF LOVE… It’s special because when a parent adopts a child, that parent actually selects or chooses the child to be a part of their family.
Do you realize that God selected and chose you to be a part of His family? God said, "I know your hang ups. I know your quirks. I know your problems and your past. But I want you to be a part of my forever family."
• The Holy Spirit gives us new confidence and security in our new identity as children of God.
According to Verse 16, the Holy Spirit "…speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children."
* * * * *
1 John 2:28-29 (NIV), And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 2:29 (NIV), If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1 John 3:1-3 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
THOUGHTS: The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Jesus… That process will not be complete until we see Jesus face to face…
I’m not all I want to be.
I’m not all I’m going to be.
But thank God I’m not what I used to be!
1 John 3:3 (NIV), All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:4-6 (NLT), Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
1 John 7-10 (NIV), Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
1 John 1:8-10 (NIV), If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Sin: any action, attitude, thought or behavior that goes against God… It includes both things you shouldn't have done, but did (sins of commission) and things you should've done, but didn't (sins of omission).
Righteous Practice: when you do the right thing for the right reason in the right energy or power.
IMPORTANT THOUGHT: When God is in us, holiness flows out of us…
Three Truths That Can Radically Change Your Life:
Why Christians Want To Do The “Right Thing”
1. God the Father loves you and has made you a part of His family!
1 John 3:1 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 (NKJ), Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 (Phillips), Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called “children of God” – and that is not just what we are called, but what we are.
Wiersbe, “Behold, what peculiar, out of this world kind of love the Father has bestowed upon us…”
Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV), For [God] chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
2. Jesus came to take away your sin and to completely annihilate the works of the devil.
1 John 3:4-8 (NIV / NLT), Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV), God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. The Holy Spirit lives in you, and He refuses to leave you the way He found you!
1 John 3:9-10 (NIV), No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Deborah Wiggins knocked it out of the park with amazing decor that made the foyer look like the coolest Cracker Barrell ever... Old fashioned rocking chairs, checker board and flying mason jars filled with flowers! Total awesomeness!
Caley Goins did an amazing job coming up with a cool theme for refreshments that involved Buffalo Rock Gingerale, root beer, cream soda and cookies with a moustache on it! Coolness!
We also had photo opps for families featuring hand-held moustaches that totally rocked! Thanks Brittney Owens and Chelsea Norton for your help!
Great fun!
The worship experience included the following numbers:
You by Hillsong
You'll Come by Hillsong
Where The Spirit of the Lord Is by Chris Tomlin and Christy Nockels
One of the coolest parts of the worship experience was that yesterday our band premiered an a2 original titled, "When I'm In Need" written by Chris Miller and Eric Gay! Yay, God! Big time!
The team also covered an accapello version of "Change In My Life." Great job, team!
Our Guest Services team continue to blow me away by the way they love and care for people - regardless! You guys and gals totally rock! Thanks for being an extension of the amazing love of God!
Finally, here are the extended message notes from yesterday's message. Hope they're helpful. During the message we talked a lot about the importance of the Holy Spirit being active and present in our lives. We also talked about this reality: When God is in us, holiness flows out of us…
Peace!
CHANGE TEXT
Proof of Life - Part 7
THOUGHTS: In the book of 1 John, John lays out three crucial tests or proofs of LIFE…
Three Crucial Tests:
• The TRUTH Test: What do you believe about Jesus? Do you believe the irreducible core of doctrinal truth about who Jesus is and what He has accomplished?
THOUGHTS: Do you believe that Jesus is the eternal Son of God (1:1-4)? Do you believe He actually, literally, physically came in the flesh? That He actually, literally, physically died for your sin, in your place and that His sacrificial death has the power to cleanse and purify you from all sin (1:7)? Do you believe that He actually, literally, physically was raised again to life? Do you believe that He is the divinely appointed and anointed King of Israel and King of the world?
• The LOVE Test: Do you genuinely love people? Do you love people inside the church and people outside the church?
• The LIFE Test: Have you seen your life change?
THOUGHTS: This message is about change.
“When [transformation] happens, I don’t just do the things Jesus would have done; I find myself wanting to do them. They appeal to me. They make sense. I don’t just go around trying to do right things; I become the right sort of person… Ordinary people can receive power for extraordinary change.” — John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted
Four Defining Differences Between “Christians” and "Non-Christians"
Romans 8:5-17
• A Changed Mindset.
Romans 8:5 (NLT), Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.
THOUGHTS: The mind is important because the way you think determines the way you feel and the way you feel determines the way you act. The most effective way to change a person’s behavior is not by dealing directly with that person’s actions, but by changing that person’s thought life.
• A Changed Lifestyle.
Romans 8:6 (NLT), So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.
John 10:10 (MSG), I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
• A Changed Attitude (especially in regards to your attitude towards God).
Romans 8:7 (NLT), For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.
THOUGHTS: The Biblical idea is the idea of REPENTANCE…
Repentance Defined:
Repentance is the word "metanoeoo" and is from the Greek word for "mind." It is primarily a word about "thinking" and is sometimes used to indicate a "change of mind."
According to Dallas Willard, repentance actually means “to reconsider your strategy for living based on the news of God’s Kingdom that is available in Jesus.”
• A Changed Purpose.
Romans 8:7-8 (NLT), For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
THOUGHTS: In the next three verses Paul describes THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE in the life of a believer.
THE DEFINING DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER IS
THE PERSON, POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!
Romans 8:9-11 (NLT), But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) 10 And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
The Difference The Spirit Makes:
• The Holy Spirit gives us new power for living!
Romans 8:11 (NLT), The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
THOUGHTS: Imagine living life with resurrection power… The power of the resurrection is the power to cancel your past, power to conquer your problems, power to change your personality. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that lives inside you.
• The Holy Spirit gives us a new desire to do the right thing.
Romans 8:12-13 (NLT), Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
• The Holy Spirit provides an internal GPS system for direction and guidance in life.
Romans 8:14 (NLT), For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
• The Holy Spirit reminds us of our new relationship with God.
Romans 8:15-17 (NLT), So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.
THOUGHTS: The word "Abba" is an Aramaic word. The word for "Father" is a Greek word. The word "Father" shows up in two different languages. In Aramaic and Greek.
If you were to visit the Middle East today, it's very common for children to address their father with the word "Abba." It simply means, "Daddy." It's one of the first words a kid in the Middle East learns. It's the most intimate word you can use when addressing your father.
Paul says that the way God wants you to relate to Him. God wants you to call Him, "Abba, Father" or "Daddy, Papa."
QUESTION: What would take place in your life if you began viewing God as a loving Heavenly Father? How would that affect your prayer life? What would that do to the cold formality that characterizes much of our approach to God?
THOUGHTS: There's something special about adoption. Think about it. It never happens by accident. I've heard of unplanned pregnancies but never an unplanned adoption. I mean when was the last time you ever heard someone say, "I don't know how we got that one. He was adopted."
Adoption is a PREMEDIATED ACT OF LOVE… It’s special because when a parent adopts a child, that parent actually selects or chooses the child to be a part of their family.
Do you realize that God selected and chose you to be a part of His family? God said, "I know your hang ups. I know your quirks. I know your problems and your past. But I want you to be a part of my forever family."
• The Holy Spirit gives us new confidence and security in our new identity as children of God.
According to Verse 16, the Holy Spirit "…speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children."
* * * * *
1 John 2:28-29 (NIV), And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
1 John 2:29 (NIV), If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1 John 3:1-3 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
THOUGHTS: The Christian life is a process of becoming more and more like Jesus… That process will not be complete until we see Jesus face to face…
I’m not all I want to be.
I’m not all I’m going to be.
But thank God I’m not what I used to be!
1 John 3:3 (NIV), All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
1 John 3:4-6 (NLT), Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
1 John 7-10 (NIV), Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
1 John 1:8-10 (NIV), If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Sin: any action, attitude, thought or behavior that goes against God… It includes both things you shouldn't have done, but did (sins of commission) and things you should've done, but didn't (sins of omission).
Righteous Practice: when you do the right thing for the right reason in the right energy or power.
IMPORTANT THOUGHT: When God is in us, holiness flows out of us…
Three Truths That Can Radically Change Your Life:
Why Christians Want To Do The “Right Thing”
1. God the Father loves you and has made you a part of His family!
1 John 3:1 (NIV), See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 (NKJ), Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 (Phillips), Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called “children of God” – and that is not just what we are called, but what we are.
Wiersbe, “Behold, what peculiar, out of this world kind of love the Father has bestowed upon us…”
Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV), For [God] chose us in [Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
2. Jesus came to take away your sin and to completely annihilate the works of the devil.
1 John 3:4-8 (NIV / NLT), Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV), God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
3. The Holy Spirit lives in you, and He refuses to leave you the way He found you!
1 John 3:9-10 (NIV), No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)