Self-esteem apart from Jesus is pride is self-worship is idolatry.
Man--this idolatry cuts deep.
May God give us grace to see our idols...
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Idols in our Lives
The problem with idolatry is the pervasiveness and subtlety of its allurement. I have them...we all have them.
The other problem is that anything can become an idol--something or someone we put in the place in our affections that God alone deserves.
This has been an eye-opening study these two weeks along with some conversations with friends about the subject.
It is my prayer that we will all yield to the Holy Spirit's scalpel, the Word, so that He might work in our hearts and show us our idols and remove the grip that they have upon us.
God give us grace.
The other problem is that anything can become an idol--something or someone we put in the place in our affections that God alone deserves.
This has been an eye-opening study these two weeks along with some conversations with friends about the subject.
It is my prayer that we will all yield to the Holy Spirit's scalpel, the Word, so that He might work in our hearts and show us our idols and remove the grip that they have upon us.
God give us grace.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Commandment #1
Two observations from today's sermon about the 1st commandment...
#1 - Commandment #1 declares the singular and exclusive nature of God's existence.
#2 - Commandment #1 prohibits the accumulation of rivals or competitors even if they are false.
Idolatry is so pervasive in our culture. We have replaced the one true and living God with all kinds of false gods to whom we look for security, peace, comfort, and salvation.
Idolatry is not something that affects "all those pagans" out there. We are susceptible to the pull of idolatry as Christians--maybe even more so because of our pride and self-righteousness as we "think" we are better than them.
See, the temptation toward idolatry is so subtle.
Only by God's grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit are we able to detect what our idols are and remove them.
What are your idols? What are my idols?
#1 - Commandment #1 declares the singular and exclusive nature of God's existence.
#2 - Commandment #1 prohibits the accumulation of rivals or competitors even if they are false.
Idolatry is so pervasive in our culture. We have replaced the one true and living God with all kinds of false gods to whom we look for security, peace, comfort, and salvation.
Idolatry is not something that affects "all those pagans" out there. We are susceptible to the pull of idolatry as Christians--maybe even more so because of our pride and self-righteousness as we "think" we are better than them.
See, the temptation toward idolatry is so subtle.
Only by God's grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit are we able to detect what our idols are and remove them.
What are your idols? What are my idols?
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Francis Schaffer
I've been at the hospital reading his book "Escape From Reason". I am amazed at how right on target he was in terms of what has happened in our culture since the the time of his writing.
He gives a great summary of what has taken place.
We are definitely living in a time of un-limited and un-restrained freedom and autonomy where man is the center of our own universe-
We have become our own 'god'-really our own idol-we worship ourselves in our own self-centered little world.
No wonder the first commandment is "you shall have no other gods before me".
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular
He gives a great summary of what has taken place.
We are definitely living in a time of un-limited and un-restrained freedom and autonomy where man is the center of our own universe-
We have become our own 'god'-really our own idol-we worship ourselves in our own self-centered little world.
No wonder the first commandment is "you shall have no other gods before me".
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device from U.S. Cellular
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Biblical Womanhood
Elements of Biblical Womanhood from 1 Peter 3:1-6
1. A biblical woman displays conduct that exemplifies the gospel (1-2)
2. A biblical woman displays a beauty that emphasizes the internal (3-4)
3. A biblical woman lives a life that extends her legacy of faith (5-6)
Here are some resources to help promote biblical womanhood...
1. Nancy Leigh DeMoss – “Lies Women Believe” and “Lies Young Women Believe” at Revive our Hearts
2. “For Women Only” – bible study book for women
3. “Worldliness” – CJ Mahaney’s wife writes a chapter on this very issue
4. Girls Gone Wise: A Quiet Counter Revolution
5. Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Pray for the next generation of young women...
1. A biblical woman displays conduct that exemplifies the gospel (1-2)
2. A biblical woman displays a beauty that emphasizes the internal (3-4)
3. A biblical woman lives a life that extends her legacy of faith (5-6)
Here are some resources to help promote biblical womanhood...
1. Nancy Leigh DeMoss – “Lies Women Believe” and “Lies Young Women Believe” at Revive our Hearts
2. “For Women Only” – bible study book for women
3. “Worldliness” – CJ Mahaney’s wife writes a chapter on this very issue
4. Girls Gone Wise: A Quiet Counter Revolution
5. Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Pray for the next generation of young women...
Friday, May 8, 2009
New Reading Assignment...
My sidekick (aka. Jonathan Carbo) has given us a new reading assignment--"Future Grace" by John Piper.
I began it a couple of days ago.
Here are two quotes from the preface of the book.
"I have found in twenty years of preaching and teaching and struggling with people who want to be authentic Christians, that the way they think about Christian living is often absorbed form the cultural air we breathe rather than learned from categories of Scripture. Not only that, some of the inherited categories of Christian thinking are so out of sync with the bible that they work against the very obedience they are designed to promote"
"As a culture and as a church we are not give to much serious reflection. The consequence is that we are often molded by popular notions, rather than permeated by biblical ones. And the church looks very much like the world."
I found these quotes very insightful...
I began it a couple of days ago.
Here are two quotes from the preface of the book.
"I have found in twenty years of preaching and teaching and struggling with people who want to be authentic Christians, that the way they think about Christian living is often absorbed form the cultural air we breathe rather than learned from categories of Scripture. Not only that, some of the inherited categories of Christian thinking are so out of sync with the bible that they work against the very obedience they are designed to promote"
"As a culture and as a church we are not give to much serious reflection. The consequence is that we are often molded by popular notions, rather than permeated by biblical ones. And the church looks very much like the world."
I found these quotes very insightful...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Fan the Flame
I just finished watching John Piper's sermon from The Gospel Coalition conference last week.
He spoke from 2 Timothy 1:1-12 focusing on Paul's exhortation to Timothy about fanning into flame the gift.
I needed that for myself this morning.
He spoke from 2 Timothy 1:1-12 focusing on Paul's exhortation to Timothy about fanning into flame the gift.
I needed that for myself this morning.
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