Worship as a Weapon

Dr. Jimmy Young      

We, the staff, are constantly talking about you, the congregation.  Don't worry, it's usually good.  What we often talk about is how we can do our job better, i.e. how we can be more effective in aiding you in the spiritual maturation process.  

One conclusion we have come to lately is that we need to reemphasize the need for worship, both corporate and private.  With that in mind I ran across this quote from Ed Clowney:  

"Worship is evoked by the presence of God; a response, not a self-initiated creative activity on our part It is adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable, and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our primary sin and the source of all actual sins."  

Should you ever wonder about the value of worship, realize this: Among the numerous reasons given by God in His Word and in His Person to worship, one is that it attacks our self-centeredness.  That alone should excite us.  We all hate that ugly side of us that causes such strife among all of our relationships.  We know that we are selfish slobs.  So, here is one way to begin to attack that: WORSHIP.

Submission to Authority

Chris Leuck      

You don’t have to look too far or think very hard to discover the fact that there are good bosses and bad bosses, good husbands and bad husbands, good and bad parents, good and bad Presidents… you get the picture. There are good authority figures and bad authority figures. However, we often find bad authority figures in a good authority structure.

It is vital that we Christians understand the distinction between authority structures and the figures operating within those structures, because as Christians we are called to unconditionally respect those that God has placed in authority over us, even if they are ignorant, foolish, or unjust... even if you are angrily mocked or threatened… yes, even if they are disobedient to the word of God (1 Peter 2:13-3:7).

We should be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution that God has ordained for people (1 Peter 2:13). This includes:

• governing authorities (1 Peter 2:13-17; Romans 13:1-7)
• workplace authorities (1 Peter 2:18)
• and family authorities (1 Peter 3:1-7; Ephesians 5-6)

We are not only talking about a way of thinking, but also a way of doing. Yes, you should think of yourself as subordinate to the authorities that God has put in your life, but you should also act in subordination. 

So, what does that mean? How should we act? HONOR and RESPECT.

Regarding your relationship to the governing authorities: Be subject to them. Think of yourself as subordinate to them and act in subordination. Honor them. Respect them, even if they are not worthy of your respect. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 3:15).

Does this mean that you shouldn’t stand up for righteousness? Does this mean that you should cower from and compromise the truth? It most certainly does not. But it DOES mean that all of your opinions, positions, and criticisms should honor the authority structure that God has put in place. They should be communicated respectfully, or not communicated at all. After all, there is no authority except that which has come from God (Romans 13)… so who are you really mad at?

These things also apply to your relationship with the workplace authorities: Be subject to them with all respect, not only to the gentle but also to the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). “What!? On what basis!?” you say… On the basis of Jesus Christ. God has given Him as our example in these matters. You WILL suffer for doing what is good and right. Follow Christ… He suffered unjustly at the hands of sinful men. When he was mocked, he did not mock or threaten in return. No, instead He continued to entrust Himself to the One who judges justly, our Father in heaven (1 Peter 3:18-25).

How about those authorities that God has put in place within our families? Indeed, God HAS instituted authority structures for our family relationships and we should be subject to those authorities for the Lord’s sake…

*Children, honor your father and mother that it may go well with you (Ephesians 6:2-3). You might be put off by their rules around the house. You might be ready to be on your own. If you are newly married and trying to effectively leave and cleave to your spouse, or if you are taking care of your parents as they are aging… young or old, you never again have to question how you should act toward your parents. Honor and respect them. It will go well with you.

*Wives, be subject/submit to your own husbands. It is important to note that this IS NOT a blanket command for women to be subordinate to men. This is the way that a woman should act with HER husband… respect him unconditionally (1 Peter 3:1-2; Ephesians 5:22-24; 33). Even if they are disobedient to the word of God, win them without a word. Win them by your respectful and pure conduct (3:1-2).

*Husbands, we are all to be subject to every human institution for the Lord’s sake, including governing authorities and workplace authorities… in the same way, you should show honor and respect to your wife in everything. She is an heir of God’s grace with you (1 Peter 3:7). You never again have to question the way that you should act towards your wife in EVERY situation… Honor her. Respect her. Give yourself up for her (Ephesians  5:25).

There are good authority figures and bad authority figures operating in God’s authority structures, which are very good. Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution. If they are foolish, silence their ignorance by doing good. If they are unjust, continue to entrust yourself to the one who judges justly. If you are mocked, do not mock or threaten in return. Christ is your authority and example in these things. Follow Him.

Toxic Charity – A Book Recommendation

Johnathan Todd      

Giving money away is easy. Giving money away wisely is difficult. One suggestion to encourage wisdom in giving decisions is to read the book Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton. Lupton has spent four decades ministering in the inner city of Atlanta and has seen firsthand how good intentions often have dire consequences. He offers insight and suggestions for charity to be given in a manner which encourages and builds instead of destroying.

Here at Grace Evan, the Grace Venture Strategy Committee works hard to investigate and steer our giving to be wise, not toxic. The committee has implemented a vetting process which seeks to capitalize on the wisdom gained from men like Robert Lupton. So know that as you follow the Grace Venture Lifestyle (Live More Simply, Give More Sacrificially, Accomplish the Great Commission), a group of your peers works hard to make sure our charitable giving is done wisely.

Teaching at Fall Creek Falls

Johnathan Todd

This past week, I engaged with 100+ Jr. High students at the Fall Creek Falls camp and challenged them with the question from Jesus: “…but who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29) 

Who do you say that Jesus is? This question is of the utmost importance and one that every human will answer. I aided the students in answering this question by looking at four passages from the Gospel of Mark; let me encourage you to do the same.

We find that Jesus is God in human form in Mark 2:1-12.

We find that Jesus’ perspective is eternal in Mark 4:35-41.

We find that Jesus is the keystone…he makes everything work…in Mark 9:2-8.

We find that Jesus is a suffering savior in Mark 8:31-33.

Who do you say that Jesus is? If you are a parent, how are you instructing your child to answer this question?

Christina’s World (And Ours)

John Ottley        

Our daughter gave us a poster of Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth. We finally had it framed and I hung it the other day. Wyeth painted the original in 1948. “Christina” was Anna Christina Olson (1893-1968), a friend of Andrew and Betsy Wyeth in Cushing, Maine. That’s her home in the painting. She lived there her whole life with her brother, Alvaro. 

Christina had a degenerative muscular disorder that left her crippled. Rather than use crutches or a wheelchair, she crawled around the house and grounds. Wyeth saw her “crawling like a crab on a New England shore” and was inspired. "The challenge to me,” Wyeth said, “was to do justice to her extraordinary conquest of a life which most people would consider hopeless."

Here’s a broken woman. She’s alone in the middle of a field. She’s dragging herself along on the ground by her hands. “Crawling like a crab on a New England shore.” She’s gaunt and bony. Not much to look at. A cripple.

Some of the women I know best are broken. Maybe all women are broken. Bob Dylan wrote, “Ain’t no use jivin’ / Ain’t no use jokin’ / Everything’s broken.” Some women are alone. Many feel lonely. Anita Lustrea, host of a popular radio show and author of What Women Tell Me, wrote, “I sense that loneliness is epidemic among women, especially Christian women, even those who go to church every Sunday.”

The woman in the painting is crawling home. Where has she been? Maybe she spent the morning with her friend. Maybe they drank coffee and played Bridge. Maybe they prayed and laughed together. She may be gaunt and crippled but she’s strong. Nobody’s carrying her. And she’s been somewhere. How long has it taken her? Do her shoulders ache? 

There’s real beauty here. And strength in weakness. Maybe even grace. That’s what I like about the painting. It reminds me that God’s grace can make brokenness beautiful. It portrays the attitude of Paul who had learned “the secret of being content in any and every situation through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)

Understanding Yourself

Dr. Jimmy Young        

Understanding other people is a real art form.  But understanding myself is next to impossible.  The Bible helps me understand myself.  Numerous are the times when I get an insight to my own heart just by reading the Bible.  

A case in point is in Exodus 32.  After Moses had been away for several days, the people get antsy and want to “get on with it.”  So, they approach Aaron about making for them an idol.  He obliges and verse 4 tells us that he took their gold and “fashioned” a golden calf.  However, when Moses does finally get back, not in a very good mood, he approaches Aaron and basically asks him to explain himself.  In verse 24, Aaron describes his actions this way:  “…and I threw it (the gold) into the fire and out came this calf.”  That’s not what he did!  He fashioned the thing himself.  But when caught, he’s looking for some explanation that will allow him to look less bad than he ought to.  

I am a master of that same strategy.  I so want you to think highly of me that lying seems better than owning my sin.  But now my sin has been complicated by more sin.  “Oh what tangled webs we weave.”  And I think the motive underneath so much of my subterfuge is that I can’t stand you knowing what a doofus I am.  

The only remedy is to return to my identity in Christ.  My worth is due to my belonging to Him.  And though my behavior is sometimes regrettable, my standing is unchanged.

Corner Pillars

Kim Killebrew      

May our sons in their youth
be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace...     
(Psalm 144:12)

Did you hear it?  Were you there Sunday?  Did you hear our senior pastor take us to that verse in Psalm 144?  If you didn’t, listen to it here.  “A blessed culture” is one where the strength, stability, and weight-bearing is carried out by the women!  That’s pretty exciting to me.

As I looked around the sanctuary, I saw women who I know are corner pillars.  Women whose feet are immovable and whose hearts are strong even when the worst of circumstances surround them.  When I consider the role of a pillar and what that may look like as I seek to live it out, I’m reminded of another verse - 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”  Being the weight-bearing, godly women we are designed to be is not easy when we have not been entirely freed from our sinful nature.  I know my feet grow restless and my heart sick and sore.  But the comfort, freedom, and peace comes in knowing that this role is not a circumstantial result of sin.  It is the design and purpose that a holy God has assigned to me.  And if he has deemed it good and necessary, he will give me the strength I need to continue.

Last week, I received a blog post from Desiring God Ministries (video below).  Johnathan Todd also shared it with us on GOL, so you may have already seen it.  But I have been so moved by this story of Ian and Larissa.  There is no doubt that this precious woman knows her design.  I have been humbled and mystified by the conscious decision this young, darling, energetic woman has made to display the glory of God in her life and in her marriage.  I want you to see them.  The video is beautiful... dreamy.  But poke around and read the letters that Larissa shares.  Larissa is living in a real, broken world but with the purpose of stability, strength, and hope.  Only in Jesus.

Truly, not every woman has a physical child in this world.  However, every woman was equipped to be a nurturer, and we are all mothering all the time through our relationships with one another.  I do not know Larissa Murphy personally, and I am older than she is.  But she has mothered me by pointing me to the cross and encouraging me to embrace my design as a “corner pillar cut for the structure of a palace.”

May the Lord raise up our women to act and function as corner pillars.  And may he give us the wisdom to encourage each other to keep our feet firmly planted in our God. 

*The Story of Ian and Larissa (video w/ remarks by John Piper)

*Follow-up articles from Larissa:

• Part 1: Why We Got Married
• Part 2: Learning Contentment in Suffering
• Part 3: A Daily Disabled Life

Hidden Service

John Ottley      

When we set out on a consciously chosen course of action that accents the good of others and is for the most part a hidden work, a deep change occurs in our spirit. Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition.  It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. (Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, p. 114)

Stephanie is a nurse and a member of Grace Evan. She wanted to be able to explain the Gospel to her patients, so she listened to the Grace Evan Scripture Songs to help her memorize some key verses. As she chats with her patients, she tries to turn the conversation to the spiritual side of life, if they’re willing. Usually they are. If they’re interested, she tells them what the Bible says about eternal life in Christ.

One of her patients was a scientist and an expert on light.  He also had a condition that rendered him unresponsive at times. Sometimes he’s “on” and sometimes he’s “off.” When he’s “off” he appears to be asleep but he’s not. When Stephanie first met him he was “off” so she just started talking and sharing the verses she learned. Turns out Dr. G heard everything she said. Stephanie was startled when Dr. G said, “I’ve heard these things but never believed them. Now I want to believe.” He trusted Christ and poured out his heart to God and to Stephanie. As he confessed his sins, Stephanie said, “God can forgive that… God can forgive that too…” And “there’s enough grace for that…” On and on. God’s glory and the two of them hidden away in a hospital room.

Dr. G wanted more. Stephanie often returned to his room after work to read and explain God’s Word. She started with the Gospel of John. There’s a lot about “light” in John. “The light shines in the darkness.” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” This made a big impact on a scientist who had studied light. Coincidence?  Hardly. The nurse was letting her light shine.

She read Genesis (“Let there be light…”)... Luke... Ephesians... Philippians. He loved it. He drank it in like a deer panting for water (Psalm 42). He couldn’t get enough. Plus, he was lonely. He wondered if Stephanie had other friends who would be willing to come and read God’s Word to him. Stephanie mentioned this to Dr. Young during a recent Wednesday night supper. Dr. Young told her to talk to Roger. Roger and others came up to Dr. G’s room to read God’s Word. Roger set up a schedule to keep track of what had been read. Hidden service.

One day, before Roger learned about Dr. G’s “on/off” condition, he was reading Genesis. He thought Dr. G had fallen asleep so he stopped reading. Dr. G, with eyes still closed, yelled, “DON’T STOP!” It shocked Roger. He’d never heard Dr. G raise his voice like that. He kept reading!

Dr. G spent his last days listening to the reading of the Word of God. Two people hidden away in a hospital room. One in a bed listening. The other beside him in a chair reading. Hidden service. Dr. G died Monday morning.

The true light, which gives light to everyone…was in the world… He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:9-13)

Cut It Off!

Brent Wilkins      

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he tells his disciples that sin must be dealt with drastically because of its deadly effects. He goes as far as to say, “if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, for it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell” (Matthew 5:30).

Jesus was not advocating self-mutilation. Cutting off your hand does not solve the problem of sin because sin lies in the heart of man. But Jesus is saying that we must abhor sin and take extreme measures to not mess around with those things which can tempt us to sin. If a part of the body is gangrenous, it endangers the whole body. If something is causing you to sin, then get rid of it! It would be more profitable to lose a member of one’s own body than to bear the eternal consequences of the guilt from such a sin.

Maybe you’ve heard of Aron Ralston, the young man who while canyoneering in Utah’s Blue John Canyon became pinned to the canyon wall by a shifting boulder. He spent the next six days trapped with his hand pinned under an 800-pound rock. In the end he cut off his arm to free himself and he survived to tell the story.

I still have the September 2004 issue of Outside magazine where Aron’s account of survival was first published. Since then, a book (Between a Rock and a Hard Place) has been published and a movie created (127 Hours) to tell the terrifying story. In the Outside account… day 6… Aron is near death and prepares to do the unthinkable. In order to live, he realizes he must amputate his arm. He describes the moment he realized “it” must be done in order to live [Rated R]:

“Out of curiosity, I poke my thumb with my knife blade twice. On the second prodding, the blade punctures the epidermis, like it is dipping into a stick of room-temperature butter, and releases a telltale hissing. Escaping decomposition gases are not good; the rot has advanced more quickly than I guessed. Though the smell is faint to my desensitized nose, it is abjectly unpleasant, the stench of a far-off carcass.

I lash out in fury, trying to yank my arm straight out from under the sandstone handcuff, never wanting more than I do right now to simply rid myself of any connection to this rotting appendage.

I don't want it.

It's not a part of me.

It's garbage.

Throw it away, Aron. Be rid of it.”

Friends, sin will destroy you. It will ensnare your heart! Flee from it. You don’t want it. It’s not a part of you. It’s garbage. Throw away the rotting appendage and be rid of it. Rely on the Holy Spirit who enables you to say no to temptation and strengthens you to be obedient.

Life Is Mundane

Johnathan Todd      

We are set up. We long for and are encouraged to experience grand, big, exciting, fascinating lives. Yet most of life is actually quite mundane…

…wake up so I can go to bed again that night.

…wash dishes so I can dirty them again.

…take a shower so I can get dirty again.

…eat, only to find myself hungry again.

Sadly, we discount all of this mundane part of life when in fact, we should treat it worshipfully. Huh? Let scripture speak here…

      1 Corinthians 10:31

      So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the 

      glory of God.

      Philippians 4:4

      Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

      Romans 12:1

      I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of 

      God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and 

      acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

      1 Thessalonians 5:18

      Give thanks in all circumstances.

So, as you go about those mundane parts of life, you can either be frustrated and disappointed because it isn’t the “exciting” you were hoping for, or you can choose - even in the mundane - to glorify God, rejoice, give thanks, and present your life as a living sacrifice.

Mythbusting Toward a New Day

John Ottley        

We had a terrific event for “Adults Over 55” (formerly known as “Seniors”) Thursday evening.  If you were old enough to attend, but couldn’t for some reason, we missed you and you missed a great time!  We had an excellent turnout… about 120 people.  We had a great meal courtesy of the Germantown Commissary and plenty of great desserts.   I tried to blow up three myths of “Seniors Ministry.”

Mythbuster #1:  We’re not labeling anyone.  We want you to be involved in the mission of Grace Evan to "reach an unchurched world through maturing believers."  We want you to be what God wants you to be (a Christ-like servant) and do what God wants you to do (the good works spoken of in Ephesians 2:10).   We want you to be content with your age but not complacent.   We don’t want “adults over 55” to be discontent, defensive or in denial.  “No stinkin’ badges.”

Mythbuster #2:  We’re not trying to make busy people busier by giving them more to do.  We do want “adults over 55” to prioritize their personal spiritual growth.  We want everyone to have “a ministry in the church and a mission in the world.”  We want to challenge and inspire each other to mature by “emulating Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

Mythbuster #3:  It’s not about you.  We’re not here to make sure everything’s goin’ your way.  Someone has said, “The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness.  If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.”  And not just any god.  The God who has spoken in Scripture and in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3).

Lee Harrington and Jim Umlauf played and sang a great set of “oldies.”  It’s rumored that people were dancing in the aisles, but of course, we can’t confirm this.  Andrew Bryant brought the house down with his rendition of a Michael Buble’ number.  Dr.Young gave an excellent message from Mark 8 about “the leaven of aging.”  He challenged us about the leaven of bitterness, false guilt, fear, and feelings of regret or uselessness.  Betsy Bryant capped the evening off with a great “prayer in song” to remind us that it’s a new day for adults over 55 at Grace Evan.  Let’s make the most of it.

Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me,

The changes that are sure to come I do not fear to see;

I ask Thee for a present mind intent on pleasing Thee.

Eyes Fixed

Morgan Martin        

“Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.” - Colossians 3:2

I’ve heard an analogy before:  Just as a ballerina must focus her eyes on a fixed point to keep her balance while she is spinning, so we must focus our eyes on Christ to keep from getting distracted and “falling.” That picture is such a helpful one for me. Circumstances are constantly changing, and the world is spinning so fast around us. The only way to keep balanced is to fix our eyes on the One who never changes.

Beneath the Cross of Jesus

Kim Killebrew        

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
the shadow of a mighty rock
within a weary land;
a home within the wilderness,
a rest upon the way,
from the burning of the noontide heat,
and the burden of the day. 

Beneath the cross of Jesus
mine eye at times can see
the very dying form of One
who suffered there for me;
and from my stricken heart with tears
two wonders I confess:
the wonders of redeeming love
and my unworthiness. 

I take, O cross, thy shadow
for my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
the sunshine of his face;
content to let the world go by,
to know no gain nor loss,
my sinful self my only shame,
my glory all the cross. 

---Beneath the Cross of Jesus, by Eliz­a­beth C. Cle­phane, 1868

I love this hymn.  It seems to be the natural cry of my weary soul.  When we sang it a few weeks ago, a few words caught my attention.  Shadow. Home. Rest. Abiding place.  I imagine the few people gathered at the foot of the cross, content in the shadow of it.  I feel myself, thousands of years later, piled in a wounded and weary heap at his feet, desiring to be nowhere else but in the safety of redemption.  

While I know that this abiding place ultimately is our eternal home with God, I wonder about the beginning of our eternal life here on earth.  Shouldn’t these words describe the church? How often do we think of the church as our home within the wilderness?  As we gather with other sick and sore pilgrims, aren’t we all seeking the same thing: the assurance of his redeeming love, despite our unworthiness?  

But how do we treat these other pilgrims?  Do we welcome one another into the shadow?  Do we care to bear one another’s burdens? Are we brave enough to share ours?  I wonder when people see Grace Evan, our church home, do they see the reflection of “the sunshine of his face.”  I certainly hope so... don’t you?

Feed Your Soul

Erin Pearce      

I'm learning more and more, the older I get, what a ministry music is to my soul. I remember in college days getting my very 1st RUF CD (Reformed University Fellowship) that had many of the hymns and songs that we sang in large group. As I would drive around, I remember just listening and meditating on the powerful, truthful words, and then Scripture would come to mind that would remind me of and confirm these truths. Music was such a blessing to my soul, as I was constantly singing these truths alone in my car on days that I was struggling, doubting, fearing, repenting, confessing, rejoicing, praising. Through all kinds of myriads of emotion, these songs would help me cling to the truth when I was having a hard time seeing straight.  Even this morning as I was worrying about my grandmother who is in the ICU and several other people in my life that have had really bad turns in life recently, I heard this song playing as I was putting on my make-up:

Abide With Me by Henry Lyte

Abide with me; falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers, fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, abide with me. 

Thou on my head, in early youth didst smile;
And, though rebellious, and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee,
On to the close Lord, abide with me. 

I need Thy presence, every passing hour.
What but Thy grace, can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, abide with me. 

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless
Ills have no weight, tears lose their bitterness
Where is thy sting death? Where grave thy victory?
I triumph still, abide with me. 

Hold Thou Thy cross, before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, Lord, abide with me. 

I was reminded yet again that our Lord is faithful even when we are not. That He is with us when help and comfort flee. He is our constant stronghold who cannot be moved when things seem to be falling apart around us. My soul was encouraged by these truths, and I hope yours is too.

Obedience and Feelings... in that order

By: Chris Leuck     

We live in a “feelings-based” culture. We tend to operate as “feelings-driven” people. By “feelings” I mean one’s personal will, emotions, desires, motivations, etc.

In the current cultural paradigm, an individual’s feelings are seen as a trustworthy primary source for life direction. You have heard and maybe even used the sayings, “Just follow your heart” or “I just have a good feeling about this one…”

This is not the way we should live as Christians (or as human beings, for that matter). Your feelings are not a trustworthy primary source for life direction.

Why?
We are “fallen”… every last one of us. Sin has corrupted mankind and contaminated us to our very core. No man will experience complete freedom from his indwelling sin this side of the grave.

Christians ARE free from sin in another way (in the sense that we no longer have to serve sin as our master… the chains have been broken and we ARE FREE to serve our new master, Jesus Christ). However, we will continue to have indwelling sin as we serve Him.

Stay with me… we live in a time when popular thought says that your feelings ARE a trustworthy source of direction for your life. I am telling you that this is NOT TRUE because you are contaminated with sin down to your deepest parts, including your feelings.

At best, your feelings are often confused. Worse than that, they are often misleading and can be downright destructive. In fact, the corruption in this world has been caused by sinful desire (2 Peter 1:4).

The biblical paradigm puts your feelings in their proper place. Your feelings do not dictate your obedience to God. Your obedience to God dictates your feelings.

1 Peter 1:22-23
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”  (I would recommend reading all of 1 Peter 1 to get the fuller context… Peter describes the great GIFT of salvation and the Christian’s responsibility in light of the gift).

Have you ever been faced with this dilemma? “I REALLY WANT to do ‘that thing’ but I know that God hates ‘that thing’ so I know I shouldn’t do ‘that thing’… but I really want to.”

If you have been a Christian for more than 5 minutes, you have had that dilemma. You have competing sets of feelings. Sometimes you are in touch with the PURE feelings that God has given you, but sometimes you are in touch with your SINFUL feelings. They wage war against each other inside of you. They compete for your loyalty.

Take heart… you ARE FREE from the slavery of service to your sinful desires. You ARE FREE to serve Christ. HOWEVER… please understand that your feelings are not trustworthy. They are NOT to be the primary source of direction for your life. The truth is.

What should you do in that dilemma?
Obey the truth not your feelings. Peter says that your obedience to the truth purifies your soul. Is Peter being legalistic? No. Peter is not talking about earning your salvation… he is talking about living out your salvation.  If you are truly a Christian, you have experienced a second birth… born of an imperishable seed… you have been given salvation.

What are the makings of this second birth?
From 1 Peter 1:23 we at least know that it has come “… through the living and abiding Word of God,” also known as the truth.  Elsewhere, we find more clarity into the fact that God has actually given His people HIS HOLY SPIRIT! See Ezekiel 36:25-27. God has given His people the inner means of obedience. If you are a Christian, he has caused you to be born again of the truth for obedience to the truth. Salvation IS a gift… and the means of your obedience is part of the package. Do not despair of your indwelling sin… live your life in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit… live your life in obedience to the truth.

Ezekiel 36:27
“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

Regardless of the way you feel, obey the Word… and as you live your life in obedience to the truth, your soul will be purified. This is an important distinction. Your motivation for obedience is not to be the driving force of your obedience. Truth is. Truth dictates what you should or shouldn’t do and obedience to the truth purifies your motivations, or feelings. The more you follow God, the more you will want to follow God (and I would say that the more you live in sin, the more you will want to live in sin).

Think about the implications in the context of marriage:

Ephesians 5:24-25
"… as the church submits to Christ so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

But what if I don’t FEEL like it!?

Ephesians 5:33
“… and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

But what if he is being a jerk and he makes me mad? What if I don’t FEEL like it!?

These are not conditional commands… in fact, the call is for unconditional love. Put your feelings in their place. Husband, your call is to sacrifice yourself for your wife’s sake. Wife, respect your husband… submit to him in everything.

Obey God’s commands… He has given you the ability to do so. After a while, you will feel like it.

Chuck Colson

By: Dr. Jimmy Young     

I was saddened to hear on the news Saturday night that Chuck Colson had died.  You younger folk may not recognize that name, but, boy I do.  Nixon’s “hatchet man” of Watergate fame, converted in prison, founder of Prison Fellowship.  What a brother he was! 

I had supper with him one night many years ago.  But I most remember his books, of which there were several.  The guy was brilliant.  There were so many keen insights contained in his books, like this one: 

“I was reminded of a young woman profiled in Psychology Today.  Counseled to give up the endless round of parties, drugs, sex, and alcohol that was driving her into despair, she gasped to her psychiatrist, ‘You mean I don’t have to do everything I want to do?’”  

He was full of the thought-provoking, and did it in a way that made Christianity appear as the most credible option that ever existed.  In a day when we Christians are made to look as if we have committed intellectual suicide, Colson was a star.  I will miss him.

No Stinking Badges

By: John Ottley      

People wonder what I do at Grace Evan.  A short answer besides “Not a whole lot” is “Pastoral Care and Senior Adult Ministry.”  I’ve learned something about the latter.  The word “senior” evokes a gamut of responses.  Lots of people don’t want to be thought of as a “senior” and they don’t want to be rounded up, branded and herded off to a "Senior Adult Ministry."  These folks aren’t mavericks.  Many of them are galloping after the glory of God.  (OK, no more horsing around with metaphors.) 

Grace Evan exists to reach an unchurched world through maturing Christians.  Maturing Christians   are growing more like Christ who did not come to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).  Maturing Christians reach an unchurched world by using their resources (time, talents and treasure) for God’s glory.  And there are no age restrictions or limitations on this mission.  It’s for everyone—young and old.  “Junior” and “Senior.”

One of my goals as “Senior Adult Minister” is to encourage those 50 and older to mature, that is, to be what GOD wants them to be and do what GOD wants them to do (Ephesians 2:10: "created in Christ for good works…").  Many of these folks can inspire and encourage their peers to “get off the bench and into the game.”  Some of these folks will challenge their friends to join a Sunday School class, Grace Group, or MIT.  Others will build friendships with younger couples or serve in Amazing Graceland.   Again, the issue, the goal, the mission is to mature in order to reach an unchurched world.

There’s a great quote about “badges” from John Huston’s The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.  Mexican banditos have cornered Fred Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and his gold mining cronies.  The bandits pretend to be law enforcement officers to trick the prospectors into giving up their guns.  Dobbs and his buddies see through their pretense and call their bluff by asking to see their badges.  That’s when one of the bandits says, "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges."

So if you don’t like the “Senior Adult” badge, forget it.  We don’t need no stinking badges.  We just want you to be what God wants you to be and do what God wants you to do.  And if you happen to be, you know, over… say… 50 and you want to have a fun evening with some other great people, then put May 3rd on your calendar.  You’ll get great barbeque, great music and a great message.  And we promise not to brand you.

Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”   Romans 4:19–22

Living to Play Another Song

By: Kim Killebrew        

I read this article today.  Maybe you saw it, too.  Israeli violin maker Amnon Weinstein of Tel Aviv lost 380 relatives to the Holocaust.  He has spent the last decade scouring the globe for violins that were played in Nazi ghettos, work camps, and death camps.  He has collected 18 instruments that will now be on display at The University of North Carolina, Charlotte: College of Arts and Architecture.

I did not realize that music was even a part of the Nazi reign of terror.  Reportedly, prisoners were forced to play during the inmates roll call, marching time, work time, and even to showcase executions.  

“Weinstein likes to tell of the violin he was working on one day in his shop in his native Israel. He found himself scraping away black gunk until he realized what it was. The violin had been played by an inmate in the orchestra at Auschwitz, a short walk from the gas chambers and chimneys. It was ashes.”

Naturally, many survivors wanted nothing to do with these instruments of death.  So the violins were discarded and lost.  However, Weinstein has searched them out, restored them to working condition, and now displays them in an exhibit called “Violins of Hope.”

Ladies, does that sound familiar?  God designed us to be life-givers. Sin caused us to be life-takers.  Christ’s redemption, the life he has given us, has restored our life-giving capabilities.  Just like the violins.  We were once instruments of death, but today we live to play another song.  Will we?

I am challenged to see life through a new set of eyes.  I can choose to gripe and complain and point fingers - tearing down the lives around me, celebrating the death of this world we live in.  Or I can choose to pray, and wait, and deny myself, and encourage, and convey a message of hope for the future. Oh God, give us the strength to play a new song!

Songs That Prepare Kids to Meet Their Maker

By: Johnny Coggin      

Have you ever wondered why we sing the songs we do? There are a number of factors that determine whether or not we use a song in our worship services at Grace Evan. Yet nothing factors higher than the content of the lyric, what the song is saying. Whatever pleasing qualities the tune or arrangement may bring, whatever emotions may be stirred up by the performance, we're wasting our time if what we sing together as God's redeemed people isn't calibrating our minds and hearts to the glories of who God is and what he has done.

John Bell makes this point in his book, The Singing Thing, in a discussion of children's songs:

...what we learn in childhood we retain all our life and [...] the images of God we receive from such songs will determine our faith and theology. That means that whenever anyone teaches a child a hymn or religious song, they may be preparing that child to meet his or her Maker. Does that seem too extreme?

Then consider the experience of those who minister to the elderly. A hospital chaplain colleague talks of how when she takes prayers in a geriatric ward, where people cannot read hymn texts, she uses songs they have in their memory. So they will sing "Jesus Loves Me" and "If I Come to Jesus, He Will Make Me Glad," both of which not only invoke the past but speak positively of the love of God.

Consider a child born in the 1970's, finding himself coming towards the end of his life in a geriatric ward in the 2060's, and as he prepares to make his peace with God summoning up such a deeply spiritual ditty as: 

        "If I were a fuzzy wuzzy bear,  

         I'd thank you, Lord, for my fuzzy wuzzy hair."

Children's hymns should never be seen simply as a form of entertainment to keep the kids happy. These songs, in the future, will be evocative of God.

It's true of kids' songs, but it's true of our songs too. Granted, music can simply be fun and entertaining. But as a church, we have a responsibility to use the divinely-designed power of music to teach and shape "our faith and theology" for the long haul. And the tunes and truths we sing together will often be what will come to mind in the trials of our lives.

- A loved one's death may bring to mind the reassuring words of "It is Well with My Soul."

- A season of grief and loneliness may be met with sweet comfort as you are reminded of the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

- A fear of death and/or a nagging uncertainty of your standing with God may be put at ease as you recall the truths of "Before the Throne of God Above."

This is why we invest so much time and energy into Scripture Songs for the kids (and everyone else!). This is why we sing songs in our gathered worship that are rich with biblical truth about God. We're preparing ourselves - young and old - to meet our Maker, yes, but also to face life, now and future, with bold confidence in him.

Justice Smiles

By: Jim Umlauf      


Quite a few years ago, I spent about six months down at 201 Poplar. No, I wasn’t incarcerated—I worked there. On my last day, I thought it would be fun to get my picture taken in a judge’s chair, so I asked a court clerk friend of mine if he could make that happen. At 8:45 am, fifteen minutes before the whole “all rise” thing, I made my way into the courtroom through a door behind the judge’s desk. To my surprise, the place was packed. I mean shoulder to shoulder, crammed to capacity. As I sat down and looked out, what I thought would be a fun photo op turned somber very quickly. These people staring up at me had all been accused. They were going to be judged. They knew that punishment awaited them.

The sinner is in a cosmic predicament. God, the source of truth, good, and called by the Bible, “holy, holy, holy,” cannot allow the integrity of perfect justice to be compromised. If he did, he would be untrue to himself, which would mean he was imperfect, and you can see how it all unravels from there. Instead of meting out his justice upon sinners whom he loved, he poured it out on his perfectly just Son, the only possible substitute. What an amazing thing to ponder!

Here are some lyrics by John Newton that offer a fresh take on God’s justice:

Let us wonder; grace and justicejoin and point to mercy's store;when through grace in Christ our trust is,justice smiles and asks no more.

A courtroom scene is very familiar to most of us (thanks to television). We know what it means to throw one’s self on the mercy of the court. We know what it sounds like when the judge smacks his gavel. And we know the tension as the jury foreman says, “We the jury, find the defendant ________.”

Because of Christ, we not only hear the words, “not guilty,” but justice actually smiles.

Life-Givers

By: Kim Killebrew        

Well, she came.  Susan Hunt, that is.  She had a profound message for us.  (If you happened to have missed it, you can listen to it here or on our Grace Evan mobile app (iPhone/iPad or Android)  

Her message is simple.  Women have a unique design, and redeemed women have unique gifts.  We are the only ones who can be “life-givers” on this earth. The fall has made us “life-takers,” but Christ has restored our “life-giving” capabilities.  What does that mean?  How does it get fleshed out in daily life -- in our marriages, with our children, in our workplace, in friendships, our community, and our church? 

Susan Hunt draws our attention to some of the women who knew Jesus.  We find them in Luke 8:1-3: 

“Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.”

There is much we can imagine about these women who worked and provided for Jesus and his disciples.  Jesus was the only sinless one of the bunch, so it must have been rather interesting.  But what we know for sure is that each woman who had been given life was moved to give life back to the One who had healed her.

I hope that we will consider this passage and pray for the Lord’s direction.  May we be led to give life wherever we find Jesus.

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

By: John Ottley      

Kathleen and I got into it last Sunday afternoon.  We’d just gotten home from a great morning at Grace Evan when something happened and all of a sudden we were, shall we say, having a robust conversation.  Stress and fatigue are like gasoline on my indwelling sin and the sparks flying from our friction really got my "old man" blazing (Romans 7, James 3).  My accelerated heart rate helped me realize I needed to calm down, so I went to take a nap and listen to the convicting voice of God’s Spirit.  God helped me repent and take responsibility for my role in our rumble.  After my “time out” I sat on the couch, held out my left arm, and invited my bride to join me for a calmer conversation.   She immediately complied, we exchanged perspectives, and peace was restored.

The Grace Evan staff recently read and discussed Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp.  The subtitle is “People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change.”  The book says that when God calls us to himself, he calls us to serve Him by serving others.  “…God uses people, who are themselves in need of change, as instruments of the same kind of change in others.”

Yesterday, someone who is going through some tough times in their marriage asked me for advice.  I was tempted to plead incompetence, but I remembered Paul Tripp’s book about "needy people helping needy people."  I realized how little I know about helping someone in this specific situation.  I felt inadequate because I’m no “expert” but what I’d read in the Tripp book encouraged me to point to the Redeemer.   So that’s what I did.  I tried to point my friend to Christ.

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." - 2 Corinthians 12:9

A Milestone By Biblical Standards

By: Johnathan Todd       

This morning as I was brushing my hair, I noticed a gray hair.  I am 42 years old; my oldest is now 15; my youngest is into double digits. So this gray hair presents a choice:

1. Pluck it because it is a sign of getting old.

2. Leave it because it is a sign of getting old.

I am surrounded by messages telling me that my outward appearance determines my value, and youth has the greatest value. However, as part of the process of renewing my thinking, the Bible has an alternative perspective on my gray hair.

*A concrete reminder that this is not the way it’s supposed to be.

Yes, we grow old which is an indication of sin’s impact – I am physically dying; creation groans under the tyranny of sin’s temporary deterioration. Yet Peter reminds me that “according to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5). The way I experience life right now is not the way I will experience life for all of eternity. This life is tainted. That life is perfect. This life is temporary. That life is eternal. This life fades. That life shines.

*An indication of (potential) wisdom.

Culturally, we disdain any sign of aging because we are intoxicated with youthful appearance. Biblically, aging is the result of sin’s ravaging all of creation and an indication of potential wisdom. Proverbs 16:31 states: “Gray hair is a grown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” Living long is a gift from God and the potential wisdom gained from longevity and increased experience is a valuable asset.

*A reminder of God’s faithfulness and kindness.

How did I get to the point where I have a gray hair?

Isaiah 46:3-4:
Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.

So this gray hair is a reminder of God’s faithfulness and kindness in my life – once again, he has given me breath.

*A call to prioritize my legacy.

A gray hair becomes one of those moments that dissects life and causes me to look back and look forward. What am I living for; what am I accomplishing? Will my life have eternal significance? In Acts 20:24, Paul states, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Ultimately, I will not be remembered a few years from now by many. But I hope that God uses my life to further proclaim his good news and glorify himself. If a gray hair and some aching bones remind me of this, then so be it.

My intention here is not to try and convince any of us that growing old is fun; it is not and there is difficulty and suffering which accompanies age. However, I am attempting to call us to sober up from our intoxication with youthfulness. Let’s live for eternity, not 22!

Oh, by the way, I chose to leave the gray hair.  ;-)

Father, I Know That All My Life

By: Erin Pearce      

We sang a song recently at church that Andy and I have been talking about a lot lately. Take a look:

Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me,
The changes that are sure to come, I do not fear to see,
I ask thee for a present mind, intent on pleasing thee
I ask thee for a present mind, intent on pleasing thee 

I would not have the restless will that hurries to and fro,
seeking for some great thing to do or secret thing to know,
I would be treated as a child and guided where I go,
I would be treated as a child and guided where I go 

I ask thee for the daily strength, to none that ask denied,
a mind to blend with outward life while keeping at thy side,
Content to fill a little space if thou be glorified,
Content to fill a little space if thou be glorified 

In service which thy will appoints, there are no bonds for me,
My secret heart is taught the truth that makes thy children free,
A life of self-renouncing love is one of liberty
A life of self-renouncing love is one of liberty 

- Father, I Know That All My Life 

  words: Anna L. Waring (1850) // music: J.M. Umlauf (2000)

I keep thinking, "What is it that is so captivating about this song?" I think it's because it begins by stating that our Lord is sovereign and in complete control of our lives. He has a plan, and we should not fear. This makes me feel very safe.

I think the other thing that draws me in is that there is a sense of peace and calmness in this person's spirit. It's a person that is content to follow Jesus wherever he or she is led. They don't need to make a huge splash; just to be a faithful servant and glorify the Lord in all that they do.

We can get so distracted with so many things in life. Always on the go, sprinting from one thing to the next. I long so much to be a calm, peaceful, faithful servant.  

The God Who Serves

By: Morgan Martin        

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

I have been reading through the Gospel of Mark, where Mark tells of miracle after miracle that Jesus is performed - healing the blind, making the lame to walk, causing the mute to speak, and making the dead alive again. I was reminded again how powerful Jesus is! 

Then I read the verse above. It says that the Son of Man didn’t come to be served, but to serve. That blew me away. This King of kings, Lord of lords, Almighty God did not come to earth to be served --- although that is exactly what He deserves --- but came to serve, and give His life so that I might have abundant life through His death. I was reminded of His grace, and how undeserving I am. 

Thank God for Frustrated Plans

By: Dr. Jimmy Young        

Take a look at Psalm 33:10:  

"The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples."

The last half of this verse points out that God “frustrates the plans of the peoples,” going on to explain in the next sentence that “the counsel of the Lord stands forever.”  One can clearly see that our plans often come to naught, while His are unbudgeable.  Verse 10 seems to be aimed at those who oppose Him, but He also frustrates the plans of His friends.  And I, for one, am glad He does.  

Some of you may recall that, in 1991/1992, the fledgling congregation of GEC voted 98% to purchase Woodland Hills Conference Center (a once thriving country club and golf course).  To not bore you with details, our efforts failed and the deal blew up, much to the chagrin of our young, small congregation.  However, 20 years later, we all look back on that as a disastrous decision on our parts, a disaster avoided, because God, in His kindness, “frustrated” our plans.  

It is often His way to refuse to give us what would eventually be bad for us.  But at the time of the refusal, we find ourselves disappointed and bewildered.  Whenever that happens to me, I recall Woodland Hills, and eventually, am able to thank Him for frustrating me, because if He isn’t in it, I don’t want it.

God Gives the Love Itself

By: Kim Killebrew        

When I was a child, one of my teachers read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom to our class.  This book is the detailed story of her experiences during World War II, including time in concentration camps.  It profoundly affected me, as it does so many people.  As I was reading more of Susan Hunt the other day, she pulled a story from that powerful book that is worth repeating. 

“Hundreds of people arrived at the beautiful home in Blomendaal.  Silent or endlessly relating their losses, withdrawn or fiercely aggressive, every one was a damaged human being.  Not all had been in concentration camps; some had spent two, three, even four years hidden in attic rooms and back closets here in Holland... for all these people alike, the key turned out to be the same.  Each had a hurt he had to forgive:  the neighbor who had reported him, the brutal guard, the sadistic soldier.”

Then Corrie tells of her most difficult forgiveness encounter:

“It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck.  He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time.  And suddenly it was all there - the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s [Corrie’s sister] pain-blanched face.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. ‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein,’ he said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’
His hand was thrust out to shake mine.  And I, who had preached so often to the people in Blomendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them.  Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?  'Lord Jesus,' I prayed, 'forgive me and help me to forgive him.'

I tried to smile; I struggled to raise my hand.  I could not.  I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity.  And so again I breathed a silent prayer.  'Jesus, I cannot forgive him.  Give me Your forgiveness.'

As I took his hand, the most incredible thing happened.  From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current  seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

And so I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world’s healing hinges, but on His.  When He tells us to love our enemies, He gives, along with the command, the love itself.”

Susan Hunt says, “Probably nothing will stifle spiritual growth and development as much as an unforgiving spirit, and nothing will stimulate growth and development as much as forgiveness.”  While we may never face the dilemma of forgiving a mocking captor, we must ask ourselves this question.  Do I have a spirit of unforgiveness that keeps me stuck spiritually?  May the Lord lead us all into a grateful spirit that forgives as our great God has forgiven us.

(Don’t forget that Susan is coming in 10 days.  It’s a great opportunity to hear her in person and open your heart to the Lord’s leading in your own life.  Don’t miss it!  Register here!) 

Just Two Things

By: Kim Killebrew      

A few weeks ago I got to meet Susan Hunt, the conference speaker for this year. She is a precious woman, warm and lively. It was truly delightful to be with her, as I would honestly liken it to being with Jesus. She encouraged me to read one of her books, and I have been faithfully following through with her homework.

On page 51 of Women’s Ministry in the Local Church, we read, “John Owen, the great Puritan theologian, teacher, and vice chancellor of the University of Oxford, wrote twenty-four volumes of theology in tiny print and elephantine English. After reflecting upon God’s teaching about the church for the whole of his life, he said that all pastoral ministry basically boils down to two things: making those who are not in union with Christ to know that they are not in union with Christ, and making those who are in union with Christ to live as if they are in union with Christ.”

As I read this book and other Susan Hunt books, I am faced with the question, “Do I want other people, particularly women, to glorify God?” It is not enough to want to glorify God in myself, but do I long to see others living in union with Christ? It is this question that changes the way I view every relationship and every circumstance. Do I love Jesus and enjoy him so much that I want others to enjoy him, too?

Susan Hunt is a gift to women. She is accomplished and impressive, but humble and endearing. Please don’t miss the opportunity to hear what she has to say! Make plans to join us for the Women's Conference on March 31st. You won’t regret it!

Titus 3 and the Beauty of Sentence Diagrams

By: Stacey Fiser      


In graduate school, my friends from above the Mason-Dixon line would often laugh that I was “fluent” in four languages: French, German, English, and Southern.  Almost 20 years later, fluent definitely has a definition, and I have English teachers who would line up to testify that any level of proficiency I achieved was not due to a love of the subject.

However, as our house relives various grade levels, I am reminded that one area of English I did like - as strange as it sounds - was diagramming sentences.  I liked, and still like, the analysis and the structure that comes with looking at each little word.  And oh, how that breakdown of sentences can hit me where it counts.

"But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
- Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)

Who “he” is and “his” attributes, works, and plan point out the inability of “us.”

The subject is our God. He saved us. He poured out his Spirit. His attributes of goodness, loving kindness, mercy, and grace reflect his undeniable role as Creator, Savior, King of Kings, Lamb, and Provider. All three persons of the Trinity are revealed in this saving work as well: God the Father (the King, able to designate heirs), God the Son (our Savior), and God the Spirit (the source of regeneration and renewal).

The direct object is us. He saved us—we could not, would not, and did not save ourselves.  The object of the preposition is us.  Not by our actions, accomplishments, or works, but by his mercy and grace.

It's in the adverbs: He doesn’t just provide; he provides richly.  It's in the predicates: He does not just make us inhabitants, but heirs.

How often in the heat of daily battles, as I am focusing on the direct object (ME), do I lose focus of the subject (HE)?  What freedom and security he allows me to derive when the sentence is diagrammed correctly --- with him up front, and me as simply the object of his saving grace.

Who knew some elementary grammar could reveal so much?

Whom Does the Lord Lead?

By: Dr. Jimmy Young        

I am so drawn to Psalm 25.  I think the allure has to do with verses 4 & 5.  David asks for things that I ask for all the time:  make me to know your ways, teach me, lead me.  Oh, how I long for those things!  

Then in verse 9, David tells us who the Lord leads and teaches: the humble.  Verse 12 seems to equate humility with the fear of the Lord, which is another subject I love.  So, to be led, to be taught goes to the humble and those who fear God.  What a powerful truth!

God Meant It For Good

By: Erin Pearce       

As I continue to read through Genesis, I am completely overwhelmed by the story of Joseph. So many things seem to go so wrong for him. His brothers plot to kill him, then decide to sell him as a slave. He was a slave, but was a successful man and Potiphar trusted him. Joseph then is seduced by Potiphar’s wife, but he is a righteous man and would have no part of it, so she accuses him of coming after her. So Joseph is thrown in prison, and well, the story goes on and on. (Gen 37-50)

In the end, God saves many people from a famine through Joseph. He also saves Joseph’s family, and Joseph forgives his brothers. Not only does he forgive them, he tells them that God had a plan all along.

"'Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.' Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them."

I’m overwhelmed because I want to trust God so much more than I do --- to the point of looking at my life and knowing that the Lord has a plan for every step of the way, for me and everyone around me. Sometimes I think we try to skim over the "bad parts" of our stories, but we have to remember that the Lord was in control of those parts as well. The Lord is about redeeming His people. We must hold fast to the truth that one day all things will be made right. But until then, we must keep pressing forward, serving the Lord through every up and down we have. We won’t do it perfectly, and there is much grace for our failures. But I know I want to look more towards the sovereignty of God and know that His finger is upon me every step of the way. Even through the seemingly "bad times.”

The Old Man of the Mountain

By: John Ottley    

I used to speak at a summer camp in New Hampshire.  One of the many highlights of being in New England was getting up into the White Mountains.  We often drove past “The Old Man of the Mountain” on I-93 near Franconia Notch.  “The Old Man of the Mountain” was a 40 foot high and 25 foot wide rock outcrop that looked just like a face.  It didn’t take much imagination.  You could see the Old Man’s prominent forehead, nose and granite chin jutting out.

I got out my road atlas to find it just now and noted the “point of interest” caption in tiny red letters—“Former Site of Old Man of the Mtn.”   “Former site”?  What?!  Did they move it?!  Actually it collapsed.  Cannon Mountain’s “face” fell off and rumbled down to Profile Lake in the middle of the night in 2003.  Locals were shocked but not surprised when word got out that Cannon Mountain had “lost face.”

Centuries of freezing and thawing had formed tiny cracks in the Old Man's forehead.  The cracks had gradually widened through the years.  In the 1920s they stitched the fissures with heavy chains.  In 1957 the Old Man “had some work done”:  twenty tons of fast-drying cement, a plastic cover, steel rods for extra support and a concrete gutter to keep the rain water off his “face.”  The state kept the patchwork up to date each summer.

But these external, “cosmetic” facials did not fix the problem below the surface.  Little drops of winter water kept seeping deep down into the cracks.  Seeping and freezing.  Freezing and splitting.  The ice split and broke the old rock.  And it gave way.  And it fell with a great crash.

Collapse in the life of a Christ-follower is rarely a big, blaring blowout.  Usually it’s a long, slow, quiet leak.  Take anyone you know with a self-inflicted problem.  Say a couple is divorcing after being married for decades.  Rewind the tape and take a close look at their lives ten, fifteen, twenty years ago.  Where are the “leaks”?  Where are the “cracks”?  What are they ignoring?  What are they lying about or denying?  What are they minimizing, rationalizing or excusing?

Or look at this from another perspective.  What do we need to do today to prevent spiritual “leaks” and “cracks”?   If your love for Christ is leaking… If cracks are widening somewhere in your life… If those around you know you’re about to fall apart… “cosmetic” and superficial treatments aren’t enough.  “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.”  Only radical surgery can stop the leaks.  Only God can change a cold heart of cracked granite into a new and living heart.   It may be time for you to stop minimizing, rationalizing, and excusing yourself, and blaming everyone else.   Find someone who will speak the truth to you in love and let them help you.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12


"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.   If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:8–9

Alien Love

By: Brent Wilkins        

In 1 John 3:1 we read, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

In the Greek, the kind of love described in 1 John 3:1 is potapen. According to John MacArthur, potapen is classic Greek for something foreign, something alien, something that is inexplicable in known terminology. It really says, "Look, there is a love that is utterly unknown to us. It is not at all like human love. It is alien, it is a love that human experience doesn't know. It's a love that's outside of us, above us, beyond us."

It is that alien love that makes us children of God.

The final words of this verse are beautiful too… “and so we are.” Children of God is not merely a name that is bestowed upon us. It is a reality! We ARE children of God. The Father has adopted us as his own and nothing can separate us from that great love.

This great assurance gives us confidence to live as children of God; to be imitators of Christ in the holiness of his life, making him our pattern and example. We can walk through this day excited and encouraged by the fact that we are indeed his children. Children who are loved with the alien love of God.

A Careful Balance

By: Jim Umlauf

One of my favorite hymns was written in 1850 by a woman named Anna Waring. In it, she uses an intriguing and strangely contemporary line. It’s a request of God for “a mind to blend with outward life while keeping at (his) side.” She realizes that we dwell in the world, but are not of it. It’s our home for this earthly life, but we are sojourners, and look forward to our true heavenly home.

Even Jesus, when praying for his current disciples and those who would one day become believers said, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15).

This is the careful balance in which we must live. The temptation is to cloister one’s self and family from the world around us. Of course, with young children you do try to guard their little hearts and minds. But as we gain insight into the world, the goal isn’t to yank ourselves out of it. That’s not what Jesus did, nor what he commands us to do, and it’s just plain impossible. Neither is it spiritually healthy to become personally coarsened so that the sharp edges of holiness can no longer be felt.

Here’s something I read this morning; it’s full of helpful things to note about ourselves, and to ask of God as we strive to blend with the challenges of outward life, while at the same time, move through it near the Savior:

I am blind, be thou my light,Ignorant, be thou my wisdom,Self-willed, be thou my mind.Open my ear to grasp quickly thy Spirit’s voice,And run after his beckoning hand.Melt my conscience that no hardness remain,Make it alive to evil’s slightest touch.

When you get a quiet moment, pray that. When you get another, pray it again.

Missing Medicine

By: Landon Ditto      

“We shall all do well to remember the charge: “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is” (Heb. 10:25). Never to be absent from God’s house on Sundays, without good reason – never to miss the Lord’s Supper when administered in our own congregation – never to let our place be empty when means of grace are going on, this is one way to be a growing and prosperous Christian. The very sermon that we needlessly miss, may contain a precious word in season for our souls. The very assembly for prayer and praise from which we stay away, may be the very gathering that would have cheered, established, and revived our hearts. We little know how dependent our spiritual health is on little, regular, habitual helps, and how much we suffer if we miss our medicine.” –J.C. Ryle

Reading this quote in 1900 (the year of Ryle’s death) and in 2012 carries different weight, doesn’t it? Surely our English brother doesn’t understand the demands of life in 2012. Surely he doesn’t understand that as quickly as I can receive a news update from Fox, I can receive some sort of spiritual "word for the day" and be about my life.

Friends, let’s not fool ourselves. The admonition of Hebrews 10:25 is just as weighty in 2012 and 1900 as when it was originally penned. If we rightly understand that the gathering of God’s people for worship reaches far beyond religious exercise, Ryle’s words resonate deep within. How seriously do we take “missing our medicine”?

Obedience as Worship

By: Dr. Jimmy Young        

Blogging is not my “long suit.” I find it so strange to think that anyone really wants to read about my “cogitations.”  There are hundreds out there who are better thinkers than I.  So, read this with only one eye.  I had a thought that hopefully will be as helpful to you as it is to me.  

As some of you know, I am immersed in the subject of legalism.  I am teaching on that subject on Wednesday nights.  One topic that I often mention is obedience.  How can a subject like that become controversial?  It isn’t, unless one tries to attach some sort of merit to one’s obedience.  When that happens, you have fallen into the trap of legalism.  

Yet, obedience is very important.  So, here is my “insight”:  my obedience is a part of my worship, not a merit-producing act.  Jesus says as much in John 14:15:  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”  My desire to obey is the outgrowth of my desire to express love.  Thus, my obedience is worship.  

Sanctification is the synergistic work between the Holy Spirit and me.  My heart is the problem and it will never be changed from the outside-in.  The Holy Spirit must do work that only He can do.  So, my obedience is not my effort at changing me.  It is my feeble attempt at worship.  When I obey, I’m not earning anything.  I am simply saying, as best I can, "I love You, Lord."