THE BLOG
Topic
- Anxiety 2
- Beauty 1
- Bible 7
- Blessings 1
- Body of Christ 1
- Burden 1
- CEO 1
- Christian Living 189
- Christlikeness 6
- Christmas 12
- Commandments 1
- Community 1
- Conflict 1
- Cults 1
- Culture 1
- DDM 1
- Death 2
- Discipleship 5
- Emotions 6
- Eternity 2
- Evangelism 7
- Faith 2
- Forgive 4
- Freedom 1
- Fusion 1
- Gather 1
- God 2
- Gospel 3
- Gratitude 2
- Hebrews 11 1
- Holiness 1
- Holy Spirit 1
- Homosexuality 1
- Humility 1
- Israel 2
- Jesus 9
- Joy 2
- King of Glory 1
- Lying 1
- Missions 3
- Outreach 1
- Pastor Jeff 1
- Perspective 2
- Prayer 8
- Psalm 119 3
- Reading 1
- Salvation 13
- Sanctification 1
- Satan 1
- Scripture 3
Keep the New in View
How many times did you hear the words “Happy New Year” this past week? Most likely more than a few times. It is part of our annual tradition of ringing in a New Year and there is always something enticing about new things: new opportunities, new friends, new energy, new experiences, new blessings, a new year. The word “new” is often used to highlight things that are fresh, updated, or improved. It is used by marketers to bait us into wanting things that are “new and improved.” God uses the word “new” and its derivatives to teach and motivate us about the best and ultimate kind of new which never needs an update or improvement, but only a regular application of its fresh dynamic in our lives.
Why Read the Bible
There are many reasons to make a commitment to read your Bible regularly, and there’s no better time to start than at the beginning of a new year.
God is all-knowing, all-wise, all-truth, and all-good, so what He says is authoritative, accurate, supernatural, sufficient, and indispensable for our lives. Here are just a few of the many benefits of reading God’s Word:
Christmas Quotes
Three of my favorite quotes around Christmas time are the following. Take a moment and let them sink in, especially the third one.
A Savior in 16 Words
Which part of Christmas causes you to think about your great need of a deliverance? The decorations? Gifts? Songs? Lights? Food? Parties? Maybe the family traditions?
Christmas American-style is not designed to highlight our need for deliverance, but our wants for lesser things and this can cause you and me to miss one of the central truths of God’s Christmas story: deliverance.
BIBLE READING PLANS
This is the perfect time to make a habit of reading the Word daily! God’s Word is His message to you. He will help you navigate the challenges of life through His Word.
Here are some ideas to help you make a plan to spend time in His word every day.
“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
This last Sunday, the worship team and I presented a classic, liturgical, Christmas hymn called “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” The song “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” reminds us to receive with deep humility the incredible blessing of Christ’s incarnation, who humbled Himself to be born among us. Yet, the hymn also venerates Christ’s incredible power, a power so great that all of heaven bends to the will of Jesus, our “Lord Most High.” Below are the full 4 verses of the original song with Scripture
Indescribable
What comes to mind when you hear the word “indescribable”? An amazing family event? A stunning sight of beauty? A spectacular moment of joy? A one-of-a-kind experience?
Synonyms for “indescribable” are words like incommunicable, indefinable, ineffable, inexpressible, unspeakable, and unutterable.
It seems that very few things should be able to fit the description of this adjective. As we enter into the Christmas season, we are reminded of the one thing that defies description and that is Jesus Christ.
Social Repercussions
In the Tuesday Briefing this week (a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview), Al Mohler highlights several important and stunning social repercussions that are negatively impacting our American life and culture. He makes this comment about the findings he reports: “This development is entirely new in human history. Nothing like this has happened in the past. Nothing like this could have happened in the past.” Here’s a few of the key data points he shares and comments on: