Jonathan Carl

God's Rest: Time (Mark 2:23-28)

2011-09-03T10:36:00.000-04:00

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Mark 2:23-28 (ESV) One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. [24] And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” [25] And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: [26] how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” [27] And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. [28] So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Accept Christ’s Gift of the Sabbath

v.28 “So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath”

Genesis 2:3 “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”

Exodus 31:12–13 “keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the LORD, sanctify you.”

John 9:16 “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’”

Matthew 12:6-7 “I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”

Enter into God’s Rest

v.27 “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”

Colossians 2:16-17 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Hebrews 4:8-11 “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. [9] So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, [10] for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. [11] Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

By Saying NO

By Saying YES

Prioritize Your Time

John 5:16-17 “And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is working until now, and I am working.’”

Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.”

Ephesians 5:15-16 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

Christ’s Authority: The Visible Creation (Mark 1:29-2:12)

2011-07-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

Christ’s Authority: The Visible Creation (Mark 1:29-2:12)
www.southforkbaptistchurch.com

Come As You Are: Sick (Mark 1:29-34) ·v.30 “Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.”
·v.32-33 “That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.”

(Mark 2:17) And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Seek God’s Authority Over Sin (Mark 1:35-39) ·v.37 “Everyone is looking for you.”
·v.38 “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

The Centurion’s Faith - (Matthew 8:9-10) “For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”

Desire Cleansing: Spiritual More Than Physical (Mark 1:40-45) ·v.40 “If you will, you can make me clean.”
·v.41 “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, ‘I will; be clean.’”

(2 Corinthians 4:16) So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

Value Forgiveness More Than Feet (Mark 2:1-12) ·v.5 “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
·v.9 “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’?”
·v.10-11 “’But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ he said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.’”
·v.12 “so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’”

(2 Corinthians 4:17-18) For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Christ’s Authority: The Invisible Creation (Mark 1:21-28)

2011-07-20T06:40:00.004-04:00

Christ's Authority: The Invisible Creation (Mark 1:21-28)
www.southforkbaptistchurch.com

Do Not Rebel Against His Authority

Demon: v.24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”
Angel: Exodus 23:21 “Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him”
Diotrepehes: 3 John 1:9 “I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.”

"We need not so much to possess the message,
but to rather let the message possess us” R. Kent Hughes

Be Overwhelmed by His Authority

v.22 “And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”
v25-26 “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him”
Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Be Filled by His Authority

v.27 “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”
Colossians 2:8-10 “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Luke 10:19-20 “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Display His Authority

v.28 “And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.”
Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mark 3:14-15 “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.”
Titus 2:15 “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

Fatherhood: The Warrior Dad (Joshua 1:5-9)

2011-07-19T06:39:00.000-04:00

Fatherhood: The Warrior Dad (Joshua 1:5-9)

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. [6] Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. [7] Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. [8] This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. [9] Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:5-9 ESV)

Trust in God’s Presence in Your Life & Battles

v.5 “Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you”
v.9 “Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go”
“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, ‘Are you for us, or for our adversaries?’ [14] And he said, ‘No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.’” (Joshua 5:13-14)

Lead Your Spouse

v.6, v.7, & v.9 “Be strong and courageous”
v.6 “for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them”
“In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” (Ephesians 5:28 ESV)

Protect Your Family

v.7 “being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you”
“And Joshua captured all these kings and their land at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.” (Joshua 10:42)

Focus on God’s Path

v.7 “Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.”
“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
“and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15)

A Believer’s Photo ID (Mark 1:1-11)

2011-07-18T06:34:00.005-04:00

A Believer’s Photo ID (Mark 1:1-11)

“Baptism is an outward, physical symbol of the inward, spiritual conversion of Christians.” - The ESV Study Bible

Where & When?

Acts 2:41 “So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
Acts 8:36-38 “And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’ And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.”
Acts 16:33 “and he was baptized at once’

Who?

Mark 1:2 “I send my messenger before your face…”
Matthew 3:14 “John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’”

SFBC’s Statement of Faith: The Baptist Faith & Message

“Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper.” www.sbc.net/bfm

Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 3:23; Acts 2:41; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12.

What about baptism? Why is it so important?

The Meaning

Matthew 3:15 “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Mark 1:10-11 “when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

The Message

Mark 1:4, 5 “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins… confessing their sins”
Mark 1:8 “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”

The Mission

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” Romans 6:3-5
Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

“Upon your profession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. Buried with Jesus by baptism into His death, raised to walk in newness of life”

Motherhood: From Fairytale to Reality (Luke 1:26-28)

2011-07-17T06:18:00.002-04:00

Motherhood: From Fairytale to Reality

A Glimpse into Mary’s Life as the Mother of Jesus

Mary was not….

A mediator between God & men
To be worshiped, enshrined, or idolized
A perpetual virgin
Sinless (Immaculate Conception, 1854)
Bodily ascended into Heaven (Assumption, 1950)

Mary was…

A Mother in Tough Circumstances: Luke 1:26-38

“But she was greatly troubled…” v.29
“Do not be afraid, Mary…” v.30
“How will this be, since I am a virgin?” v.34
"Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife” (Matthew 1:20)
“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother…’and a sword will pierce through your own soul also’”(Luke 2:34-35)
“And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’ [49] And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?’ [50] And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.” (Luke 2:48-50)

Favored & Blessed

“you have found favor with God” v.30
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” V.37
“that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”(Matt.1:20)
“For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed [49] he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” (Luke 1:48-49)

Trusting & Obedient

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” v.38
“My soul magnifies the Lord, [47] and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Luke 1:46-47)

Raising Her Son to Love & Obey God

And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (Luke 2:22)
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40)

A Sinner, yet Christ-focused: John 2:1-5

“When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” [4] And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” [5] His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” v.3-5

A Disciple First, A Mother Second: Matthew 12:46-50

“And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! [50] For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” V.49-50
“his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51)

Loved & Cared for by Her Son: John 19:25-27

“but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. [26] When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ [27] Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.”

Loved & Cared for by Her Husband: Matthew 1:18-25

“And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)
“knew her not until he had given birth to a son.” (Matt.1:24)

The Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20)

2011-07-16T06:15:00.003-04:00

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/
The Whole Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20)

[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. [16] In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; [17] and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, [18] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, [19] and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, [20] for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
(Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV)

BE STRONG in the Lord

Who?
Whose?
“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”(1 John 4:4)

PUT ON the whole armor of God

Why?
you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil
we do not wrestle against flesh and blood
but against: the rulers, the authorities, the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places

“8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:8-9)

What?
BELT: Truth
BREASTPLATE: Righteousness
SHOES: Gospel of Peace
SHIELD: Faith
HELMET: Salvation
SWORD: Word of God

How?
“7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:7-8)

Journey to the Cross: The Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)

2011-07-15T18:14:00.000-04:00

www.southforkbaptistchurch.com

A Journey to the Cross: The Resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:1-11 (English Standard Version – ESV)
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, [2] and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. [3] For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, [4] that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, [5] and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. [6] Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. [7] Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. [8] Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. [9] For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. [10] But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. [11] Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Remember the Gospel

“Now I would remind you, brothers” (v.1)
“of the gospel I preached to you, which you received”(v.1)
“in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.” (v.1-2)

Center your life on the Resurrected Christ

“I delivered to you as of first importance” (v.3)
“that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (v.3-4)
Evidence Matters - http://www.4truth.net/
Questions Matter – http://www.gotquestions.org/
Church Matters – http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Humble yourself before God

“one untimely born” (v.8)
“I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (v.9)
“by the grace of God I am what I am” (v.10)
“his grace toward me was not in vain” (v.10)

Live & Share the Gospel

“I delivered to you…what I also received” (v. 3)
“I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the Grace of God that is with me” (v.10)
“so we preach and so you believed” (v.11)
“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” (v.58)

Satan's Deception

2011-05-23T05:58:00.001-04:00

"There are many ways in which Satan, ‘the god of this world,’ seeks to deceive us. Just as he did with Eve, the devil tries to convince us to rely on ourselves and to try to get our needs met through the world around us, rather than trusting in the provision of our Father in heaven."
Dr.Neil T. Anderson in The Bondage Breaker. p.21.

Discipleship & Mental Discipline

2011-05-22T06:31:00.005-04:00

"Discipleship requires mental discipline. People who will not assume responsibility for their thoughts cannot be disciples." Dr. Neil T. Anderson in Victory Over the Darkness, p.223.

"But he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'” (Matthew 16:23)

Identity & Worth - Marriages & Families

2011-05-21T05:40:00.007-04:00

“When we look to our marriages and families to find our sense of identity and worth, they become potential enemies. When we look to God to discover who we are and why we are here, then our marriages and families become the primary instruments God uses to conform us to His image.” Dr. Neil Anderson in The Christ Centered Marriage, p.73.

Our Parents' Sins

2011-05-20T11:31:00.000-04:00

“We are not guilty of our parents’ sins; but because they sinned, we will have to live with the consequences of their sins and will likely live the way we were taught by them unless we repent.” Dr.Neil Anderson, Discipleship Counseling, 145

“We are not guilty because of our parents’ sins. Yet because they sinned, we are vulnerable to what they have taught and modeled for us.” Dr.Neil Anderson, Discipleship Counseling, 332

Nehemiah 9:2 "And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers."

Daniel 9:16 "O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us."

Ezekiel 18:19-20 "Yet you say, 'Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?' When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. 20 The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

Freedom & Truth

2011-05-14T09:06:00.002-04:00

"We experience freedom when we choose to believe God, then act on the basis of the truth regardless of our feelings”

“I was free to choose. I learned that I could say yes to sin or no to sin, but I quickly discovered that I didn’t feel dead to sin. Many times I felt very alive to it; but the truth is based on what God says, regardless of my feelings.”
Freedom from Addiction by Neil Anderson and Mike & Julia Quarles, 142-43

"So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. [13] Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. [14] For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:11-14 ESV)

A Journey to the Cross: The Cross

2011-04-19T15:54:00.000-04:00

A Journey to the Cross - Part 4 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Christ on the Cross IS…
COSTLY
-looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the CROSS, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
-And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a CROSS. (Philippians 2:8)
-It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the CROSS of Christ. (Galatians 6:12)

OFFENSIVE 
-But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the CROSS has been removed. (Galatians 5:11)

DEBT-CANCELING
-And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the CROSS. (Colossians 2:13-14)

POWERFUL
-[17] For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the CROSS of Christ be emptied of its power. [18] For the word of the CROSS is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)

PEACE-MAKING
-For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the CROSS of Christ. [19] Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:18-21)
-and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his CROSS. (Colossians 1:20)
-and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the CROSS, thereby killing the hostility. (Ephesians 2:16)

LIFE-CHANGING
-But far be it from me to boast except in the CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)
-He himself bore our sins in his body on the TREE, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. [25] For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)

A Journey to the Cross: The Word

2011-04-16T07:10:00.000-04:00

A Journey to the Cross Part 3 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
A Journey to the Cross: The Word - Source, Substance, Solution
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Christ is the Source
- (v.1) In the beginning was the Word
- (v.2) He was in the beginning with God
- (v.3) All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made

Christ is the Substance
-(v.1) the Word was with God and the Word was God
-He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (Hebrews 1:3)

Christ is the Solution
-(v.4-5) In him was life, & the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness & the darkness has not overcome it.
-(v.14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth

We Point to the source
-(v.7) He (John the Baptist) came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light

We Reflect the substance
-(John 5:35) He (John the Baptist) He was a burning & shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

We Show the solution.
-(v.16) from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
-(Matthew 5:16) In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

A Journey to the Cross: The Gospel

2011-04-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

A Journey to the Cross - Part 2 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

A Journey to the Cross: The Worst News & The Greatest News!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 ESV)

THE WAGES OF SIN: SLAVES OF SIN – FREE FROM GOD
•for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
•as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ (Rom 3:10-12)

IS DEATH:
•Then he will say …Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41)
•And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. (Mark 9:43)

BUT!!

THE FREE GIFT OF GOD:
•And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness (Romans 4:5)
•For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

IS ETERNAL LIFE: FREE FROM SIN – SLAVES OF GOD
•But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. (Romans 6:22)
•and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15)
•so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:7)

IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD:
•if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. (Romans 10:9-10)
•Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
•there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

The Suicide Deception

2011-04-03T16:51:00.005-04:00

“Suicide is the final expression of control over one’s own life. The deception is the belief that death is the solution, the escape or the end of everything.”

From Dr. Neil T. Anderson's, Discipleship Counseling, page 323

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ESV)

Bitterness vs. Forgiveness

2011-04-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

“Bitterness is to the soul as cancer is to the body.” (268)

“We forgive in order to heal. . . . Forgiveness is a hard choice that includes (1) allowing God to surface the name of every offending person with their painful memories, (2) agreeing to live with the consequences of the other person’s sin without seeking revenge, and (3) letting God deal with the offending person in His way and His time.” (266)

From Dr. Neil T. Anderson's Discipleship Counseling

"[26 ] Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27 ] and give no opportunity to the devil. . . . [31 ] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32 ] Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:26-32 ESV)

A Journey to the Cross: Prayer & Fasting

2011-03-31T22:56:00.001-04:00

A Journey to the Cross - Part 1 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
A Journey to the Cross:

Prayer & Fasting

Fasting: “A Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes” – Donald Whitney

Preparing for Ministry: The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)

Why fast? from Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney

To Strengthen Prayer
To Seek God’s Guidance
To Express Grief
To Seek Deliverance or Protection
To Express Repentance or Return to God
To Humble Oneself Before God
To Express Concern for the Work of God
To Minister to the Needs of Others\
To Overcome Temptation & Dedicate Yourself to God
To Express Love and Worship to God

How do I fast?

Normal Fast – fasting from all food, not from water
Partial Fast – limitation of your diet
Absolute Fast – fasting from all food and all water
Supernatural Fast – requires God’s supernatural intervention to survive
Private Fast - in a way not to be noticed
Congregational Fast – united focus
Other than food - “a voluntary denial of a normal function for the sake of intense spiritual activity” - Richard Foster

Prayer

“Those who know God the best are the richest and most powerful in prayer. Little acquaintance with God, and strangeness and coldness to Him, make prayer a rare and feeble thing.” - E. M. Bounds 

Preparing for the Cross: The Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)

Why pray?

Communication with the God you love!
Interceding for one another
Dependence on God
Thanking God for His work and provision
Prayer makes a difference
Loving obedience

“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…” (Ephesians 6:18a)

How can I pray?

The Lord’s Prayer
A - Adoration
C - Confession
T - Thanksgiving
S - Supplication
The Psalms
Scripture
Prayer lists
Operation World
Facebook
News
3” x 5” Card in your bulletin – The Lost by name

“The life, power, and glory of the church is prayer…without it, the church is lifeless and powerless” – E.M. Bounds

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

The Purpose of Life - Part 2

2011-03-17T17:06:00.000-04:00

The Purpose of Life - Part 2 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Purpose of Life – Part 2

Part 1 Recap: The Purpose of Life is to be Connected to Jesus in SALVATION

1) Be connected to the TRUE vine
2) Know that God is in CONTROL
3) Do ABIDE in Christ & prove to be His disciple

The Purpose of Life is to be Connected to Jesus in SANCTIFICATION

What is Sanctification?
“A progressive (increasing) work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives” – Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

What is FRUIT?
• CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER - (Galatians 5:22-24) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23 ] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [24 ] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
• CHRIST-DIRECTED PRAISE - (Hebrews 13:15)
• CHRISTIAN LOVE
• CHRIST-HONORING BEHAVIOR
• CHRIST-CENTERED KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, & UNDERSTANDING
• CHRISTIAN-CONVERTS

A fruit-bearing believer (John 15:1-17)
• IS PRUNED (DISCIPLINED): v.2
• IS DEPENDENT (NOT INDEPENDENT) v.4
• GLORIFIES GOD & VALIDATES RELATIONSHIP - v.8
• IS HUMBLE – v.16
• IS LOVING - v.17

A fruit-bearing church (Acts 2:42-47)
(Acts 2:42-47 ESV) “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. [43 ] And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. [44 ] And all who believed were together and had all things in common. [45 ] And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46 ] And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, [47 ] praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

• I – Individual responsibility of believers
• F – Fellowship – building relationships
• S – Service – demonstrating Christ’s love in practical ways
• W – Worship – glorifying God with our voices and hearts
• E – Evangelism & Missions – speaking the Good News
• P – Prayer – communicating with God
• T – Teaching – learning and sharing the wisdom of God

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/

Physical Suffering

2011-03-13T08:05:00.000-04:00

"To eliminate a fear object in your life, all you have to do is remove one of its attributes. For instance, physical death is no longer a legitimate fear object for us, because God has removed one of the attributes. Although death is still imminent, it is no longer potent because 'death is swallowed up in victory' (1 Corinthians 15:54)" - Dr. Neil T. Anderson in Discipleship Counseling: The Complete Guide to Helping Others Walk in Freedom and Grow in Christ (p.51)

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21 ESV)

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28 ESV)

Mental Illness - Secular vs. Spiritual Approaches

2011-03-12T19:45:00.000-05:00

“”Ma’am, do you believe in evolution?’ Startled, she said, ‘Of course not.’ I continued, ‘You mean to tell me that you don’t accept the scientific explanation for the origin of species?’ Again she assured me that she did not. Then I asked her, ‘Do you accept without question the psychiatric explanation of mental illness?’ ‘Yes, I do,’ she answered. …Although she did not buy into the scientific theory of evolution, she was willing to place her trust in secular psychiatry and psychology and dismiss the possibility that he son could have a spiritual problem. Secular psychiatry can alleviate some suffering related to the natural realm, but without the aid of divine revelation, how can secular psychiatry and psychologists give us an adequate understanding of who we are and why we are here, explain the nature of our problems and describe a wholistic answer?” Dr. Neil T. Anderson in Discipleship Counseling: The Complete Guide to Helping Others Walk in Freedom and Grow in Christ (p.43)

The Purpose of Life - Part 1

2011-03-10T13:02:00.002-05:00

The Purpose of Life - Part 1 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Purpose of Life – Part 1
Be Connected to Jesus in Salvation

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. [2 ] Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. [3 ] Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. [4 ] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. [5 ] I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. [6 ] If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. [7 ] If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8 ] By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. [9 ] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. [10 ] If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. [11 ] These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:1-11 ESV)

The Vine - BE connected to the __________ vine

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

The Vinedresser - KNOW that God is __________

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:2)
The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. (Psalm 89:11)

The Branches – DO __________ in Christ & prove to be his disciple

for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5b)
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)
For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. (James 2:26)
The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us (2 Timothy 2:11-12)
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20)

http://www.southforkbaptistchurch.com/ - Join us at 11:00am for Worship on Sundays in Hodgenville, KY!

Bible Verses About Death and Heaven

2011-02-11T14:08:00.004-05:00

The below Bible verses are a set that were helpful to my family and my mother as she passed away from cancer. I was reminded of them recently by the deaths and dying of others I know and care for...

If you know a Christian who is in the process of dying, consider sharing these verses with them. If someone you know is dying, and you are unsure of their salvation, ask them about their beliefs and don't hesitate to share the Gospel of Christ!

Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Philippians 4:6-8 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Matthew 6:20-21 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 6:27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?
Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
2 Corinthians 5:1-9 Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
Revelation 7:9 After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.
Revelation 7:13-17 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
Revelation 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Luke 20:36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.
Isaiah 25:8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
Romans 8:17-18 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
John 14:2-3 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
John 17:24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
Philippians 1:23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Hebrews 10:34 You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.
Daniel 12:13 "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Revelation 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Revelation 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.
1 Chronicles 29:15 We are aliens and strangers in your sight, as were all our forefathers. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Job 7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and they come to an end without hope.
Job 8:9 for we were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow.
Job 9:25 My days are swifter than a runner; they fly away without a glimpse of joy.
Job 14:2 He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.
Job 14:5 Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.
Psalm 39:5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Selah
Psalm 89:47-48 Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men! What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave ? Selah
Psalm 90:9 All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
Psalm 102:3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.
Psalm 102:11 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
Psalm 102:23-24 In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: "Do not take me away, O my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.
Ecclesiastes 6:12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?
Isaiah 38:12 Like a shepherd's tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me. Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me.
James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
1 John 5:12-13 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Romans 8:10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Ecclesiastes 8:8a No man has power over the wind to contain it ; so no one has power over the day of his death.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die
Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--
Hebrews 9:27-28 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Proverbs 14:32 When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but even in death the righteous have a refuge.
Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.
1 Samuel 2:6 The LORD brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up.
2 Samuel 22:5-6 The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.
2 Chronicles 32:24 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign.
Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 44:22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
Psalm 68:20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
Psalm 89:48 What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave ? Selah
Ecclesiastes 7:1-2 A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.
Isaiah 25:8 he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 38:1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
Isaiah 38:10 I said, "In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?"
Isaiah 57:2 Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
John 5:24 I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 8:51 I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death." (speaking of Spiritual death…i.e. eternal life in heaven)
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Philippians 1:20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Hebrews 2:15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death
Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Missionary Churches - Active Workers vs. Idlers - John Nevius (1886)

2011-02-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

"There is a great army of active workers at home, as well as idlers. ...In the early history of the Church, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Christianity spread chiefly through the voluntary zeal of ordinary church members, and the work of the Apostles consisted mainly in superintending and organizing the companies of Christians thus gathered. Their zeal was so great that persecution could not repress, but only intensified it. If there is not that zeal and effort in the Church at home, it is much to be deplored. Perhaps the want of it is due in a great measure to growing habit of leaving work for Christ to be done by those who are paid for it. Where such an idea prevails, whether at home or on missionary ground, it tends to paralyze the power of the Church for good." - John Nevius, life-long missionary to China, 1886 - in The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches (p.35)

Change - Human Instruments vs. the Holy Spirit

2011-02-08T19:46:00.000-05:00

"Human instruments, apart from the Holy Spirit, cannot change dead hearts, obstinate wills, evil imaginations, perverted understandings, and biased judgments." - J.B. Lawrence, The Holy Spirit In Missions (64).

Quoted in J.D. Payne's Discovering Church Planting (68)

Persecution - Richard Wurmbrand

2011-01-30T07:33:00.002-05:00

"Persecution has always produced a better Christian - a witnessing Christian, a soul-winning Christian. Communist persecution has backfired and produced serious, dedicated Christians such as are rarely seen in free lands. These people cannot understand how anyone can be a Christian and not want to win every soul they meet."

Richard Wurmbrand

Billy Graham - Q & A Interview

2011-01-24T12:11:00.000-05:00

Billy Graham just conducted an insightful interview with Christianity Today on the following questions.

What advice would you give to people who are aging?
What would you say to children who have aging parents?
If you could, would you go back and do anything differently?
What are the most important issues facing evangelicals today?

Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article...

On aging:

But God has a reason for keeping us here (even if we don't always understand it), and we need to recover the Bible's understanding of life and longevity as gifts from God—and therefore as something good. ... So part of my advice is to learn to be content, and that only comes as we accept each day as a gift from God and commit it into his hands. Paul's words are true at every stage of life, but especially as we grow older: 'Godliness with contentment is great gain' (1 Tim. 6:6)."
"As we grow older we should focus not only on the present, but more and more on Heaven. ... If we know Christ, we know we have 'an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you' (1 Pet. 1:4). ... Heaven gives us hope, and makes our present burdens easier to bear."
"So the first thing I'd say to those whose parents are growing older is to be prepared for it, and to accept whatever responsibilities it brings you. Then be patient with them."

On ministry and evangelism:

"I'd spend more time at home with my family, and I'd study more and preach less. I wouldn't have taken so many speaking engagements, including some of the things I did over the years that I probably didn't really need to do... Whenever I counsel someone who feels called to be an evangelist, I always urge them to guard their time and not feel like they have to do everything."
"I also would have steered clear of politics. ... looking back I know I sometimes crossed the line, and I wouldn't do that now."
"But the most important issue we face today is the same the church has faced in every century: Will we reach our world for Christ? In other words, will we give priority to Christ's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel? Or will we turn increasingly inward, caught up in our own internal affairs or controversies, or simply becoming more and more comfortable with the status quo? Will we become inner-directed or outer-directed? The central issues of our time aren't economic or political or social, important as these are. The central issues of our time are moral and spiritual in nature, and our calling is to declare Christ's forgiveness and hope and transforming power to a world that does not know him or follow him. May we never forget this."

Christian Quotes on Suffering

2011-01-22T17:35:00.000-05:00

"Jesus promised the disciples three things---that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy and in constant trouble." G.K. Chesterton

"No character is ultimately tested until it has suffered." Harry Emerson Fosdick

"Christian, remember the goodness of God in the frost of adversity." Charles Spurgeon

"They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?" Martin Luther

"God would not rub so hard if it were not to fetch out the dirt that is ingrained in our natures. God loves purity so well He had rather see a hole than a spot in His child's garments." William Gurnall

"Whomever the Lord has adopted and deemed worthy of His fellowship ought to prepare themselves for a hard, toilsome, and unquiet life, crammed with very many and various kinds of evil." John Calvin

"God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain." C.S. Lewis

"A Christian is someone who shares the sufferings of God in the world." Dietrich Bonhoffer

From http://christianquotes.org/tag/cat/35/0/34

Quote - Billy Graham

2011-01-13T05:32:00.003-05:00

"If I had it to do over again, I'd spend more time in meditation and prayer and just telling the Lord how much I love Him and adore Him and (am) looking forward to the time we're going to spend together for eternity." - Billy Graham

Quote - Billy Graham

2011-01-12T16:32:00.000-05:00

"Spend more time in study and prayer. That's the secret of successful evangelism. If you neglect that, you've neglected the very heart of God's call to you." - Billy Graham

Quote - James MacDonald

2011-01-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

"Some people think the end game is relevancy. We don't make the Bible relevant; the Bible is universally relevant. We show its relevancy. The Bible is applicable to people no matter what they're facing, because God's Spirit uses it." - James MacDonald

Quote - Charles Spurgeon

2010-12-15T06:05:00.001-05:00

"I will not believe that thou hast tasted of the honey of the gospel if thou can eat it all to thyself" - Charles Spurgeon

Quote - Charles Spurgeon

2010-12-14T12:55:00.000-05:00

"Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle. He that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God obeys God. He that is without faith is without works; and he that is without works is without faith." - Charles Spurgeon

In Christ: I am significant - Neil T. Anderson

2010-12-05T06:40:00.002-05:00

The below is quoted from Neil T. Anderson's The Bondage Breaker (p.43-45) and is an extremely helpful summary of our identity in Christ.

In Christ...

I am significant:

I am the salt and light of the earth (Matt. 5:13)
I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life ( John 15:1,5)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)
I am a personal witness of Christ's (Acts 1:8 )
I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3:16)
I am a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17-20)
I am God's coworker (2 Cor. 6:1)
I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm (Eph. 2:6)
I am God's workmanship (Eph 2:10)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

In Christ: I am secure - Neil T. Anderson

2010-12-04T06:02:00.005-05:00

The below is quoted from Neil T. Anderson's The Bondage Breaker (p.43-45) and is an extremely helpful summary of our identity in Christ.

In Christ...

I am secure:

I am free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1,2)
I am assured that all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against met (Rom. 8:31-34)
I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom. 8:35-39)
I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God (2 Cor. 1:21,22)
I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3)
I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1:6)
I am a citizen of heaven (Phil. 3:20)
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7)
I can find grace and mercy in time of need (Heb. 4:16)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me (1 John 5:18)

In Christ: I am accepted - Neil T. Anderson

2010-12-03T06:20:00.004-05:00

The below is quoted from Neil T. Anderson's The Bondage Breaker (p.43-45) and is an extremely helpful summary of our identity in Christ.

In Christ...

I am accepted:

I am God's child (John 1:12)
I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)
I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit (1 Cor. 6:17)
I have been bought with a price - I belong to God (1 Cor. 6:20)
I am a member of Christ's body (1 Cor. 12:27)
I am a saint (Eph. 1:1)
I have been adopted as God's child (Eph. 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Col. 1:14)
I am complete in Christ (Col 2:10)

Demons - C.S. Lewis

2010-12-02T11:30:00.000-05:00

"There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils [demons]. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight." C.S. Lewis in The Screwtape Letters

Our Primary Duty - John Stott

2010-12-01T06:12:00.000-05:00

“According to this commission, which is still addressed to us today, our primary duty is to be neither reformers of society nor healers of the sick, but rather preachers of the Gospel.” John Stott

The Great Commission - Part III" at The Congress on World Evangelism - Berlin, 1966

The Holy Spirit - Billy Graham

2010-11-30T05:58:00.003-05:00

"We are now living in a generation when nothing will break through the overwhelming power of Satan except the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit." Billy Graham
"Why the Berlin Congress?" at The World Congress on Evangelism, in Berlin, 1966

Turning Churches Inside Out

2010-11-29T06:13:00.000-05:00

"We deeply regret that many of our congregations are inward-looking, organized for maintenance rather than mission, or preoccupied with church-based activities at the expense of witness. We determine to turn our churches inside out, so that they may engage in continuous outreach, until the Lord adds to them daily those who are being saved" - The Manila Manifesto (1989)
Lausanne II, Second International Congress on World Evangelization

The Devil vs. The Church - John Stott

2010-11-28T05:33:00.002-05:00

"The devil uses moral as well as intellectual weapons. If he cannot deceive the church into error, he will attempt to corrupt it with sin and worldliness...Not content with his attempts to introduce sin and error into the church, the devil also attacks the church from outside, seeking either by physical persecution or by restrictive legislation to hinder the church's work."
John Stott
The Lausanne Covenant: An Exposition and Commentary

Miracles - Billy Graham

2010-11-27T05:45:00.000-05:00

“Brethren, I do not believe that the day of miracles has passed. As long as the Holy Spirit abides and works on the earth, the Church's potential is the same as it was in apostolic days. The great Paraclete has not been withdrawn, and He still waits to work through those who are willing to meet His conditions of repentance, humility, and obedience.”

Billy Graham

"Why the Berlin Congress?", World Congress on Evangelism, Berlin, 1966

Christ Crucified vs. Morality Preaching - David Brainerd

2010-11-26T06:03:00.000-05:00

"I found that when my people were gripped by this great doctrine of Christ and Him crucified, I had no need to give them instructions about morality. I found that one followed as sure and inevitable fruit of the other."
David Brainerd, in the journal of his life and doings among the North American Indians.
Quoted by Billy Graham

Daily Walk & Evangelism - Billy Graham

2010-11-25T05:59:00.003-05:00

"I am convinced that if each of us is living a Spirit-filled life, God will continually bring across our paths people in spiritual need that we can lead to Christ."
Billy Graham
"Why the Berlin Congress?", World Congress on Evangelism, Berlin, 1966

Effective Evangelism - Billy Graham

2010-11-24T05:54:00.004-05:00

"The most effective method of evangelism is organizing the laity of the church to do the work of evangelism. The clergyman is not to do the work alone. He is to be like the foreman in a shop, or the coach of a team. The actual work is to be done primarily by the laity." Billy Graham
"Why the Berlin Congress?", World Congress on Evangelism, Berlin, 1966

Satan - Billy Graham

2010-11-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

"To Jesus and the apostles Satan was very real. He was called "the prince of this world," "the god of this age," and "the prince of the power of the air." The names used concerning him indicate something of his character and strategy. He was called "deceiver," "liar," "murderer," "accuser," "tempter," "destroyer," and many other such names. The Apostle Paul said he wanted to visit the church of Thessalonica "but Satan hindered us" (I Thessalonians 2:18). Thus the evangelist and the work of evangelism is opposed on every hand by tremendous spiritual forces."

"Satan's greatest strategy is deception. His most successful strategy has been to get modern theologians to deny his existence...If we ignore the existence of Satan or our ignorance of his devices, then we fall into his clever trap. However, we have the glorious promise that: 'Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.'"
Billy Graham
"Why the Berlin Congress?", World Congress on Evangelism, Berlin, 1966

The Feast That Never Ends (Exodus 13:3-10)

2010-11-22T13:53:00.002-05:00

The Feast That Never Ends (Exodus 13:3-10) from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Feast That Never Ends (Exodus 13:3-10)
Northside Baptist Church (Elizabethtown, KY)
November 21, 2010
AUDIO ONLY
“Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you.” John 6:27

“And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the LORD had made them joyful…” Ezra 6:22a

1. _____________ your deliverer
“You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth.” Exodus 13:8-9

2. _____________ in God’s strong hand
“for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place.” Exodus 13:3

3. _____________the leaven
“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy” Luke 12:1

“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened.” 1 Corinthians 5:6-7

4. _____________ the Bread
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” Luke 22:19

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died… the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:48-51

"What does a pastor do?" - John MacArthur

2010-11-18T11:57:00.000-05:00

"So what does a pastor do? ...He makes the following commitments. I will warn my people of error. I will devote myself to the study of Scripture. I will avoid the influence of unholy teaching that sucks out my conviction. I will discipline myself in godliness. I will work hard. I will teach with divine authority. I will endeavor to be a model of spiritual virtue. I will maintain a thoroughly Biblical ministry. I will employ my spiritual gift and not neglect it. I will be passionate about this privileged work. I will let all see my growth in grace and persevere with endurance to complete the task that God gives me" John MacArthur in '12 Marks of Excellent Pastoral Ministry' (1 Timothy 4:6-16)

1 Timothy 4:6-16 (ESV) "6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers."

Quote - George Mueller

2010-11-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

"God's plan is that there shall be none of self and all of Christ. The very people who are doing the most for God in saving souls, in mission work, in the care of orphans, are those who are working on short supplies of strength, of money, of talents, or advantages and are kept in a position of living by faith and taking from God, day by day, both physical and spiritual supplies." George Mueller

FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship. (Exodus 12:1-14)

2010-11-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship. (Exodus 12:1-14) from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship.
(Exodus 12:1-14)
@ Magnolia Baptist Church (Magnolia, KY) on Novermber 14, 2010
AUDIO ONLY

1. We must FOCUS on our ________God, not the _____ situations.

Exodus 12:2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.

ISRAEL: Slavery vs. A God who is faithful.

John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

US: Slaves to Sin vs. A God who loved us first.

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

2.We must FOCUS on the promise ____________, not on the __________ circumstances.

ISRAEL: The Exodus vs. A God who keeps His promises

US: Slaves to Righteousness vs. A God Who Saves

Romans 6:17-18 “17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 10:13 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful”

3. We must FOCUS on the source of _______, not the unknown _______.

Exodus 12:25 “And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.”

ISRAEL: The Promised Land vs. The God Who Leads and Restores

Exodus 14:13,14 “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today…The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 16:8 “your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord”

US: Heaven vs. The Passover Lamb

1 Corinthians 5:7b,8 “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Luke 22:43 “And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Revelation 21:22-23 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

-Creation vs. The Creator
-Deliverance vs. The Deliverer
-Redemption vs. The Redeemer
-Saving vs. The Savior
-Provision vs. The Provider
-Health vs. The Healer
-Life vs. The Life-giver
-Crucifixion vs. The Crucified One
-Resurrection vs. The Resurrected One

Heb 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Quote - David Lowes Watson

2010-11-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

“North American congregations urgently need an inversion of their religious self-preoccupation and ecclesial self-indulgence… we find ourselves spending more time talking about evangelism than doing it – a sure sign of self-preoccupation” - David Lowes Watson

Quote - Martin Luther

2010-11-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

"This is the mystery of the riches of divine grace for sinners, for by a wonderful exchange our sins are now not ours but Christ's, and Christ's righteousness is not Christ's, but ours." Martin Luther

International Missions Funding - Southern Baptists

2010-11-11T06:59:00.001-05:00

Southern Baptists voluntarily contribute money from their churches through the Cooperative Program in order to fund missions across their state, nation, and world. Oftentimes the majority of the money remains within their state convention with the remainder being sent forward to various SBC entities. Thankfully many state conventions are currently voting to send more funds forward towards the SBC for national and international missions fundting.

The International Missions Board shares a resource HERE that allows you to see how much CP funds your state retains and how the SBC entities split the remainder.

How much does it cost to support a missionary?

• $43,845.86 a year

• $3,653.82 a month

• $843.19 a week

• $120.13 a day

• $5.01 an hour

• $.08 a minute

Reported April 2010. Support includes housing, food, children’s education, medical expenses, retirement and more.

The Marks of New Life in Christ - Charles Spurgeon

2010-11-05T12:43:00.001-04:00

"As this God-begotten spiritual life in men is a mystery, we shall speak to more practical effect if we dwell upon the signs following and accompanying it, for these are the things at which we must aim. ...conviction of sin...a simple faith in Jesus Christ...unfeigned repentance of sin...a real change of life...true prayer...a willingness to obey the Lord...A soul-winner can do nothing without God. He must cast himself on the Invisible, or be a laughing-stock to the devil, who regards with utter disdain all who think to subdue human nature with mere words and arguments."
Charles Spurgeon in The Soul Winner (19-24)

Free Audiobook Download - Christianaudio.com

2010-11-02T06:26:00.002-04:00

This month's free audiobook download from Christianaudio.com is John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, helping you to consider and fulfill God's plan for your life!

Free Downloads on christianaudio - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!

Bible Verses - Marriage Roles - Husband & Wife

2010-10-26T06:56:00.012-04:00

I think this is a helpful (not comprehensive) list of some of the Biblical roles of husbands and wives and the corresponding Scriptures.

There is a temptation for someone to use these against your spouse...but the Biblical guidance is to test yourself in your own role.

Matthew 7:3-4 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"

How does the Bible describe the wife’s role in marriage?

Helpmate (Genesis 2:18)
Loving and gracious submission to the leadership of her husband (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18)
Not strive or resist the leadership of her husband (Genesis 3:16, 1 Peter 3:1)
Respect her husband (Ephesians 5:33)
Diligent worker, whether at home or in the worklplace (Proverbs 31)
Hospitable towards others and generous towards poor (Proverbs 31)
Cares for children and household (Proverb 31)
Meet sexual needs of husband (1 Corinthians 7)
Be beautiful on the inside (1 Peter 3:4)

How does the Bible describe the husband’s role in marriage?

Spiritual leader ( 1 Corinthians 11:3) towards glorifying God and unity with each other (one flesh)
Not dictatorial or harsh (Colossians 3:19)
Leading in a sacrificial way the way Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:23)
Provide - feed and care (Ephesians 5:29, Genesis 3:17-19)
Protect - love their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28, 1 Peter 3:7)
Praise your wife (Proverbs 31:28)
Meet sexual needs of wife (1 Corinthians 7)
Be considerate and respect your wife (1 Peter 3:7)

Quote - John MacArthur

2010-10-26T06:33:00.000-04:00

"If we are truly born of God, we have a faith that cannot fail to overcome the world (1 John 5:4). We may sin (1 John 2:1) - we will sin- but the process of sanctification can never stall completely. God is at work in us (Phil. 2:13), and He will continue to perfect us until the day of Christ (Phil 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23-24)." The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur (p. 33)

Why We Should Memorize Scripture - John Piper

2010-10-25T16:05:00.000-04:00

I love this short video of John Piper's reasons to memorize Scripture. It is a helpful reminder and an encouragement for us all to be more diligent in this task!

Memorizing Scripture....

makes meditation possible at times when you can't be reading the Bible and meditation is the pathway to deeper understanding.
strengthens my faith because faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God and that happens when I am hearing the Word in my head.
shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God's viewpoint on everything.
makes God's Word more readily accessible in overcoming temptation to sin because God's warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful lies of the devil.
guards my mind, making it easier to detect error and the world is filled with error because the god of this worldis a liar.
enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist to protect myself and my family from his assaults.
provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need
provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because He talks to me through His Word and nowhere else.

HT: Matt Hess & Michael Kelley

Carnal Christianity - B.B. Warfield's Response to Lewis Sperry Chafer

2010-10-25T06:12:00.003-04:00

"'It is a grievous error to teach that a true believer in Christ can stop short in 'carnality.'"

"[Lewis Sperry] Chafer's characterization of the carnal man actually 'assigns to the lower class [of Christians] practically all the marks of the unregenerate man.'"

"He who believes in Jesus Christ is under grace, and his whole course, in its process and in its issue alike, is determined by grace, and therefore, having been predestined to be conformed to the image of God's Son, he is surely being conformed to that image, God Himself seeing to it that he is not only called and justified but also glorified. You may find Christians at every stage of this process, for it is a process through which all must pass; but you will find none who will not in God's own good time and way pass through every stage of it. There are not two kinds of Christians, although there are Christians at every conceivable stage of advancement..."

quoted from B.B. Warfield's "Review of Chafer" (p.326-327) in Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation Edited by Michael S.Horton (p.161-162)

Quote - Jerry Bridges

2010-10-24T06:10:00.013-04:00

"It is time for us Christians to face up to our responsibility for holiness. Too often we say we are 'defeated' by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient! It might be well if we stopped using the terms 'victory' and 'defeat' to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms 'obedience' and 'disobedience.' When I say I am defeated by some sin, I am unconsciously slipping out from under my responsibility. I am saying something outside me has defeated me. But when I say I am disobedient, that places the responsibility for sin squarely on me..." -The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges (p.84-85)

Missions Statistic

2010-10-23T18:24:00.001-04:00

This is a sad and discouraging statistic, but motivates me towards mobilizing our churches towards greater faithfulness, integrity, and sacrificial giving....
"Less than 6% of global Christian giving goes to support world missions, with outreach, evangelism, and translation work among non-Christians attracting the least money. 'The average church member donating his $2.75 a week, gives out of this only $0.15 to support Christian foreign missions.' In fact, the annual total amount of church money embezzled is $16 billion, more than the $15 billion spent on foreign missions.'"

The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the History of World Missions edited by Martin Klauber & Scott Manetsch (p.127)

May we be people who demonstrate by our giving and spending that we care more about the unsaved than we do about ourselves.

John Piper - Suffering, God, & Life's Purpose

2010-10-23T07:11:00.003-04:00

Here is a short but helpful interview with John Piper at the Third Lausanne Conference on World Evangelization going on in Cape Town, South Africa. In this interview he addresses the connections between:

Evangelism (alleviating eternal suffering) & Social Action (alleviating temporal suffering)
Theology (thinking about God) & Doxology (affections about God)
Purpose of Life & Idolatrous Joys

Psalm 16:11 "You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

John 15:8,11 "This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples...I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."

Peacemaking - Apology and Confession

2010-10-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

Peacemaker Ministries shares great wisdom (with some humor!) at their blog post today on apology and confession...

I love the 7 A's of Confession...helpful, challenging, and best of all...biblical!

"As God opens your eyes to see how you have sinned against others, he simultaneously offers you a way to find freedom from your past wrongs. It is called confession. Many people have never experienced this freedom because they have never learned how to confess their wrongs honestly and unconditionally. Instead, they use words like these: "I'm sorry if I hurt you." "Let's just forget the past." "I suppose I could have done a better job." "I guess it's not all your fault." These token statements rarely trigger genuine forgiveness and reconciliation. If you really want to make peace, ask God to help you breathe grace by humbly and thoroughly admitting your wrongs. One way to do this is to use the Seven A's."

1.Address everyone involved (All those whom you affected)
2.Avoid if, but, and maybe (Do not try to excuse your wrongs)
3.Admit specifically (Both attitudes and actions)
4.Acknowledge the hurt (Express sorrow for hurting someone)
5.Accept the consequences (Such as making restitution)
6.Alter your behavior (Change your attitudes and actions)
7.Ask for forgiveness

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? [4 ] Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? [5 ] You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5 ESV)

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9 ] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:8-9 ESV)

"Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy." (Proverbs 28:13 ESV)
May we be men and women of God who confess and forsake our sins!

Quote - John Newton

2010-10-19T06:22:00.010-04:00

"Their [legalists'] experience seems to lead them to talk of themselves, of the change that is wrought in them, and the much that depends upon their own watchfulness and striving. We likewise would be thankful if we could perceive a change wrought in us by the power of grace; we desire to be found watching. But whenever our hopes are most alive, it is less from a view of imperfect beginnings of grace in our hearts than from an apprehension of him who is our all in all. His person, his love, his sufferings, his intercession, compassion, fulness and faithfulness - these are our delightful themes, which leave us little leisure, when in our best frames, to speak of ourselves." - John Newton

Quote - John Newton

2010-10-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

"Satan labours to drive unstable souls from one extreme to another, and has too often succeeded. Wearied with vain endeavors to keep the law, that they might obtain life by it [legalism], and afterwards taking up with a notion of the Gospel devoid of power [antinomianism], they have at length despised that obedience that is the honour of the Christian, and essentially belongs to his character, and have abused the grace of God to licentiousness. But we have not so learned Christ." John Newton

God's Call - Pastoral Wisdom on the Ministry Call

2010-10-13T06:01:00.002-04:00

John Bisagno – Letters to Timothy - Read Charles Spurgeon’s “How to Know the Call of the Ministry” in Lectures to My Students…summarizes the five main points that influenced him

1. Desire – “There was a time when I was passionate about the music ministry, but simultaneously that passion began to fade and a new passion to preach begins to grow. I wanted it more than anything else, and I knew it to be the call of God. He will put the desire in the sincere heart to do what he wants done…if you can do anything else but preach, by all means, don’t preach. But if the passion burns, then you must preach. If it is your all-consuming, magnificent obsession, then do it.” (34-35)
2. Ability – “This is not to say you will be the greatest orator….God gives us some natural abilities and gifts to do what he wants us to do…If you have the ability to organize your thoughts and express them, let alone some special skills in communication, and this is reinforced with a passion to sue them, then the call of God is indicated.” (35)
3. Opportunity – “Where God leaves us to serve and gifts us to serve, he provides opportunity to serve. Open and closed doors are important in reading the hand of God in our lives…God will open the door for you to do what he wants you to do. A closed door is usually an indication of wrong timing or a detour.” (35)
4. Blessing – “There should be some degree of visible affirmation of your ministry as you pursue it.” (35-36)
5. The Opinion of Others – “Discuss your decision with those in whom you have great spiritual confidence. Ask their advice; seek their counsel. Let them hear your heart, and listen to them.” (36)

“Find God’s tailor-made will for you and do it…Don’t be deterred. If God has called you, God will use you…don’t drift from your call. Better to be on a side street in Calcutta in the will of God than in the White House in Washington, D.C., out of his will. If you’re called to be a servant of the king, don’t stoop to be president. The body of Christ has many parts and many different kinds of folks, and the toes are just as important as the hands.” (38)

Curtis C. Thomas – Practical Wisdom for Pastors: Words of encouragement and counsel for a lifetime of ministry (21)
1. “Does the man reach out for the work?”
2. “Is he qualified biblically?”
3. “Does he possess the gifts necessary to fulfill the functions?”
4. “Do the elders and the church think he is gifted and morally qualified?”
5. “Are his life and doctrine sound?”
6. “Will he live as an example before the flock?”

Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, “The Call to Ministry”
1. “an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work…this desire must be a thoughtful one…the desire I have spoken of must be thoroughly disinterested…[no] other motive than the glory of God and the good of souls…[a desire] that continues with us, a passion which bears the test of trial” (27-28)
2. “aptness to teach and some measure of the other qualities needful for the office of a public instructor…mere ability to edify, and aptness to teach, is not enough; there must be other talents to complete the pastoral character. Sound judgment and solid experience must instruct you; gentle manners and loving affections must sway you; firmness and courage must be manifest; and tenderness and sympathy must not be lacking…Gifts administrative in ruling well…be fitted to lead, prepared to endure, and able to perservere…read carefully the qualifications of a bishop, given in 1 Tim. iii. 2-7 and in Titus i. 6-9” (28-31)
3. “must see a measure of conversion-work going on under his efforts…if the Lord gives you no zeal for souls…avoid the pulpit as your heart’s peace and your future salvation” (31-32)
4. “your preaching should be acceptable to the people of God…none of you can be pastors without the loving consent of the flock…the sheep will know the God-sent shepherd” (32-33)

John Newton’s letter to a friend on the call to ministry:
1. “A warm and earnest desire to be employed in this service…[not] from a selfish principle…[but] from the Spirit of God”
2. “some competent sufficiency as to gifts, knowledge, and utterance”
3. “a gradual train of circumstances pointing out the means, the time, the place, of actually entering upon the work”

God's Call - Specific Ministry Calls in the Bible

2010-10-12T14:44:00.001-04:00

When we think about one's 'call' in Christian ministry, it is important to evaluate it in light of Scripture. Here are some examples and general truths that might be helpful in considering God's Ministry Call.

Satan – Beware the False Call of Satan
o Adam & Eve – “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Genesis 3:1
o False Prophets - “Behold, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or charge them. So they do not profit this people at all, declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:32
o False Teachers – “they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3b,4
o Anti-Christ – “Who is the liar? It is the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22

Abraham – Step Away from the Familiar when Called
o “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

Moses – Don’t Make Excuses when God Calls
o “Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” Exodus 4:12

Aaron – Don’t Call Yourself
o “No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was” Hebrews 5:4

Isaiah – Be Willing to Answer God’s Call without Qualifications
o “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Isaiah 6:8

Jonah – Don’t Run Away from God’s Call
o “But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish” Jonah 1:3

Jeremiah – Go to Whomever and Speak Whatever God Calls You To Do
o “I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations….Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the LORD…Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.’" Jeremiah 1:5-9

Ezekiel – Follow even when God’s Call is Difficult
o “he said to me, ‘Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me” Ezekiel 2:3

Disciples Chosen – God’s Call Means He Chose You & Appointed You to Bear Fruit
o “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16

Sending of the Twelve – Answer God’s Dangerous Call
o “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town… I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:14, 16

Peter – Do Not Doubt God’s Call
o “’Lord, if it's you,’ Peter replied, ‘tell me to come to you on the water.’ ’Come,’ he said… Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’“ Matthew 14:28,29a,31

Jesus to the Cross – God’s Call is for God’s Will
o “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” Luke 22:42
o “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” – Romans 12:1-2

Disciples Sent – God’s Call involves Great Power and Distance
o “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8

Christ’s Ambassadors – God’s Call is for Us to be Messengers
o “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Paul & Barnabas – Be Willing to Part Godly Company in Order to Follow God’s Will
o “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.” Acts 15:39,40

Paul – God’s Call Often Involves Unplanned Situations and Unfinished Work
o “23But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain.” Romans 15:23,24a

Elder/Shepherd/Pastor/Overseer/Bishop – God’s Call has Standards
o “2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.” 1 Timothy 3:2-7 (also Titus 1:6-9)

Christian Leadership Quotes

2010-10-11T11:17:00.001-04:00

"The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve." - John Stott

"The Church is the one institution that exists for those outside it." - William Tyndale

"Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nevertheless." -Francis Schaeffer

"It is a contradiction to be a true Christian and not humble." - Richard Baxter

"I believe that in the end the truth will conquer." - John Wycliffe

"The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church...grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church. He is disturbed that the corporate prayer of the Church no longer pulls down the strongholds of the devil." -Leonard Ravenhill

"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." - D.L. Moody

"Let us never put confidence in man, or in any sanctity of position, office, or dress. If apostleship did not make Judas a saint, neither will position, office, nor dress make thee a saint." -Johann Ferus

"Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame, if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago." - John Wesley

"If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth..." - C.S. Lewis

"Character is not made in a crisis, it is only exhibited." - Robert Freeman

"A bad man is worse when he pretends to be a saint." - Francis Bacon

"Whatever subject I preach, I do not stop until I reach the Savior, the Lord Jesus, for in Him are all things." - Charles Spurgeon

"With their doctrine they build, and with their lives they destroy." - Augustine

"If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility." -Augustine

"We are building many splendid churches in this country, but we are not providing leaders to run them. I would rather have a wooden church with a splendid parson than a splendid church with a wooden parson" - Samuel Smith Drury

"What a man says and what a man is must stand together." -Maltbie Davenport Babcock

"The highest and most profitable lesson is the true knowledge and lowly esteem of ourselves." Thomas A' Kempis

"Men show their character in nothing more clearly than by what they think laughable." -Johann Wolfgang Goethe

"Truth in humble dress meets with few admirers." -Edward Stillingfleet

"As a matter of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth." -Thomas Aquinas

"Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificied on the altar of conformity and popularity." - Charles Spurgeon

"Wherever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, there a church of God exists, even if it swarms with many faults." -John Calvin

"I spent twenty years of my life trying to recruit people out of local churches and into missions structures so that they could be involved in fulfilling God's global mission. Now I have another idea. Let's take God's global mission and put it right in the middle of the local church!" - George Miley

"Hypocrisy desires to seem good rather than to be so; honesty desires to be good rather than seem so." -Athur Warwick

"the pulpit is never to be the ladder by which ambition is to climb" - Charles Spurgeon

http://www.christianquotes.org/

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #8 - Information vs. Application

2010-10-07T12:56:00.003-04:00

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips # 8 - Information vs. Application from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
James 1:22-25 " 22But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."

Quote - Athanasius

2010-10-07T05:05:00.000-04:00

"The Bible is a book wholly inspired by God from beginning to end." - Athanasius, 367 A.D.

"God's Open Call" - Ministry and Pastoral Calling

2010-10-06T12:50:00.004-04:00

I love Kevin Smith's sermon on "God's Open Call" at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is a tough, cutting, biblical explanation of a minister's call. It is helpful for anyone in or considering entering into ministry.

Quote - Martin Luther

2010-09-24T07:49:00.000-04:00

“You should not believe your conscience and your feelings more than the word which the Lord who receives sinners preaches to you.” - Martin Luther

HT: Dr. Al Mohler

President G.W. Bush addresses Church Workers

2010-09-23T11:57:00.001-04:00

A great short video from President G.W. Bush to encourage service within the church....

Also from President G.W.:

a video on Small Groups
a video on Children's Workers

HT: Darryl Wilson

Quote - Bruce Demarest

2010-09-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

"It is significant that Jesus spoke more about the sorrows of hell than of the joys of heaven."
Bruce Demarest - The Cross and Salvation p. 30

Quote - Ronald Reagan

2010-09-14T14:50:00.001-04:00

"I've noticed that everybody that is for abortion has already been born."
Ronald Reagan, quoted in New York Times, September 22, 1980

HT: Angie Carl

Humility

2010-09-13T15:27:00.002-04:00

Embeded below and linked HERE is a great video interview by James MacDonald of C.J. Mahaney titled "Grace Through the Humble to the Humble" (available through The Gospel Coalition).

Cohabitation Statistics - The Consequences

2010-09-06T19:29:00.000-04:00

In "Together Too Soon" in World Magazine, author Mike McManus presents some saddening statistics concerning the growing trend of cohabitation.

"The average cohabitation last 18 months"
"Only 30% [of cohabitations] 'transitioned into marriage'"
"the 70% of couples who separate after living together experience a 'premarital divorce,' which can be as painful as a real divorce"
"Marriages that are preceded by living together have 50% higher disruption rates than marriages without premarital cohabitation"
"those who cohabited even only for one month displayed poorer communication and problem solving skills than those who had not lived together first"
"the majority of non-marital births (52%) occurred within cohabiting unions...13 million single-parent families cost taxpayers $20,000 per family in 2004, a total of $260 billion. Half of that total comes from unwed births to cohabiting moms"

Hebrews 13:4 "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."

The Gospel Coalition - Interview with Francis Chan

2010-09-04T10:14:00.002-04:00

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.
The Gospel Coalition Council members Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris ask Francis Chan why he stepped down as senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and what he plans to do next.

Quote - Rick Warren

2010-09-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

"Always being in the spotlight blinds u.The conf.speaking circuit feeds their ego. CURE:Stay home,mow the lawn,change diapers"
Rick Warren on Twitter

Quote - Edward Griffin

2010-09-03T17:27:00.001-04:00

"For your own sake, and your children's sake, cherish and revere him whom you have chosen to be your pastor. Already he loves you; and he will soon love you as ‘bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.' It will be equally your duty and your interest to make his labors as pleasant to him as possible. Do not demand too much. Do not require visits too frequent. Should he spend, in this way, half of the time which some demand, he must wholly neglect his studies, if not sink early under the burden. Do not report to him all the unkind things which may be said against him; nor frequently, in his presence, allude to opposition, if opposition should arise. Though he is a minister of Christ, consider that he has the feelings of a man."
Edward Griffin, "A Tearful Farewell from a Faithful Pastor," 1809
HT: Jamie Dunlop at 9 Marks Ministries

Quote - Seeking God

2010-08-30T13:14:00.000-04:00

"Many who plan to seek God at the eleventh hour die at 10:30." Author Unknown

Missions Statistic

2010-08-28T21:59:00.001-04:00

"Out of the global increase of 77,000 affiliated Christians every day, 70,000 (or 91%) can be found in Africa, Asia, or Latin America." --David Barrett, "Missiometrics 2008"

HT: Dr. George Martin, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Quote - Dr. Chuck Lawless

2010-08-26T12:14:00.001-04:00

"More than 80 percent of the churches on this continent are plateaued or declining. Despite having more than 350,000 churches, the United States is now one of the top four lost nations in the world" - Dr. Chuck Lawless in "Becoming a Great Commission Church"

Motivational Bible Verses - For Evangelism

2010-08-22T13:41:00.001-04:00

These Bible verses motivate and inspire me in my Christian walk...especially when it comes to evangelism!

1 Peter 2:4-5,9-12 “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

Romans 12:1-2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Matthew 25:21,23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'”

Luke 10:2,16 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field….He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

1 Corinthians 9:24b-27 “Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

1 Peter 3:14-15 “14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

2 Timothy 4:6-7 “6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”

Mark 4:20 “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown”

Matthew 13:23 “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Top 5 Research Tips & Tricks

2010-08-20T07:45:00.000-04:00

I took a research class a few weeks ago and had several people asking for me to share some lessons learned (some of which I wish I learned 10 years ago!). Some of this is tailored towards seminary-type research but the same principles apply no matter the discipline...hope it helps!

Lesson # 1 - Citation/Reference Management Software
• These programs will help you pull bibliography information off of library search engines or online bookstores (Amazon through Zotero). They then store this info so when you make a citation they can generate endnotes, footnotes, and bibliographies in the format/style you need.
• FREE – http://www.zotero.org/ , www.tinyurl.com/zoterosummary
• PC Purchase – http://www.endnote.com/ , http://www.refworks.com/ (note: some of these work on Macs as well)
• Mac Purchase – Sente (http://www.thirdstreetsoftware.com/ ) , Bookends ( http://www.sonnysoftware.com/ )
• Wikipedia Comparison

Lesson # 2 – Meet with your Librarian
• Ask your librarian to help you. Schedule an appointment with them. Often they can direct you to specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. that might be a good starting point for your paper. They can also assist you with searching their catalog or in borrowing resources from other libraries.
• Residents of Kentucky can check out from any public library (i.e. UK, UL) in Kentucky with a KY Driver’s License.

Lesson # 3 – Online Library Resources
• Invest some time online in searching your library’s website. Often you will find things prior to your library trip that can save you valuable time. Depending on your school’s library, you may be able to find entire journal articles, book texts, and dissertations that you can read and search from the comfort of your own home.
• My library has a great explanation online of how to do quality research
• Free online books catalog

Lesson # 4 – Google Books & Scholar
• Google has done an incredible job, despite lots of opposition and legal troubles, at scanning and uploading tons of articles and books. You can search against the text, and if you do it well (see lesson # 5), can find exactly what you are looking for. If you search for a particular book and keep scrolling beyond it on the search page, you will also see citations of other works to it…which then provides you other relevant works applicable to your paper topic.
• Google books & Google scholar
• Google search - “google limiters”

Lesson # 5 – Searches – Boolean & Subject
• Use Library of Congress subject headings to search for works (sometimes easily found on online searches of your website...if not, ask your librarian)
• Use Boolean logic to search online and within your library’s search engine

Some other Boolean tips:
• Boolean search: AND OR NOT (all caps)
AND = + (plus sign)
AND = & (ampersand)
OR = | (pipe sign)
NOT = ~ (tilde)
( ) – multiple searches simultaneously, nesting
" " – exact phrase
without quotes assumes ("word" AND "word")
• e.g. (dictionary OR encyclopedia) AND (ecclesiology OR sanctification)

Truncation:
o Instead of “mentoring” -> “mentor*”
o All words with “mentor” as root will show

Proximity Searching – use % plus a number (sometimes use ‘NEAR’ plus a number)
o Family %3 Discipleship (words w/in 3 words of each other)

# symbol can be used to find variant spellings, eg. arch#eology will find both archaeology and archeology.

Examples:
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangelism AND missions)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND evangel* AND mission*)
o (“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions))
o ((“Spiritual Warfare” AND (evangelism OR missions)) NOT (charismatic OR Pentecostal)
o ((evangelism %4 missions %4 “church growth”) AND (“Spiritual Warfare”))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (demonology))
o ((missions OR evangelism) AND (supernatural))

GREAT Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Leader Tips & Reminders

2010-08-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

This is an excellent training video of "the Largest Sunday School training event EVER" that all teachers (of all ages) and leaders will want to watch. It is a wonderful investment of your time to watch this entire conference (around two hours)!

Great Expectations LIVE from LifeWay Productions on Vimeo.
Your class can have even greater impact on your church, in your community, and in the lives of its members when you raise your expectations and enlarge your thinking. “Great Expectations: Live” will help you do that. This event will be inspirational and is designed to help you build a God empowered, focused, and connected Sunday School class.

Based on David Francis’ book, Great Expectations, the training is intended for Sunday School teachers ranging from pre-school to adults, Sunday School directors, class leaders, and church staff.

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ

2010-07-15T20:11:00.000-04:00

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #7 - Ambassadors for Christ from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 “11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Quote - D.A. Carson

2010-07-15T12:36:00.000-04:00

"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." - D.A. Carson

HT: The Village Church

Twilight: A Helpful Christian Response - A Mom's Perspective

2010-07-15T12:30:00.000-04:00

Mary Kassian has written on her blog a helpful response to the latest Twilight movie...'Shedding Some Light on Twilight'

Here are her concerns regarding the relationship modeled by Bella & Edward...
1. Bad Boy Attraction
2. Shared Dark Secrets
3. “Us” versus “Them” Mentality
4. Isolation and Seclusion
5. Mismatched Interests and Values
6. Neediness and Obsession
7. Rationalization and Justification
8. Failure to Seek & Heed Input

Quote - A.W. Tozer

2010-07-09T08:24:00.002-04:00

"Few are they who by faith touch Him; multitudes are they who throng about Him." - A.W. Tozer

Women & Ministry - Great Resources from 9marks.org

2010-07-09T05:47:00.022-04:00

Women and ministry is a sensitive topic in today's church and whenever I find a biblical and helpful resource on the topic, I like to share it due to help others consider the biblical guidance on these issues.

Here are two well-written articles on women and ministry from http://www.9marks.org/ (a website on biblical guidance for churches). If you've ever struggled with or gotten riled up about this topic, I'd encourage you to read the below articles and the Scriptures they reference.

'How Pastors Can Equip Women for Ministry' by Bob Johnson
'May Women Serve as Pastors?' by Thomas Schreiner

Also HERE is a link to their July/August 2010 journal that includes a multitude of other great articles in the below categories:

PASTORING WOMEN: UNDERSTANDING AND HONORING DISTINCTNESS
WOMEN’S MINISTRY IN THE LOCAL CHURCH
RESOURCES FOR TODAY’S BIBLICAL WOMEN

Finally, the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood (http://www.cbmw.org/) is the best website that handles this issue comprehensively and Biblically.

Titus 2:3-5 "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled"

1 Timothy 2:12-14 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

2 Timothy 1:5 "I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well."

Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Bible Fellowship (Sunday School) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources

2010-07-08T18:26:00.001-04:00

Bible Fellowship ( Sunday School ) Teacher Tips #6 - Christian Websites & Online Bible Resources from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Here are my top 5 online, free Bible Study Resources:

http://www.gotquestions.org/ – Answers over 195,000 tough bible questions

http://www.biblegateway.com/ – A great way to compare translations or search for keywords in the Bible

http://www.4truth.net/ – An SBC website on interfaith, evangelism & apologetic resources

http://www.biblestudytools.com/ – FREE intralinear and parallel Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, enyclopedias, lexicons, histories, and more!

http://www.bibleplaces.com/ – Amazing photos and descriptions of Bible places (some free, more extensive collections for sale)

Can There Be A Christian Nation? - Dr. Michael Youssef

2010-07-08T09:39:00.003-04:00

I recommend reading a succinct and helpful article by Dr. Michael Youssef that answers the question, 'Can There Be a Christian Nation?'

Some excerpts:

"A country, or even a culture, cannot be Christian — only individuals can be Christians. However, when people speak of America's Christian heritage, they often are referring to the moral character of our nation which is reflected in its laws and ordinances — both of which bear the distinct markings of Christianity."
"the moral character of a nation, as expressed in its policies and laws, can evoke God's response"
"After September 11, our nation appeared to go through a soul-searching process...and superficially, the nation appeared to enter into a spiritual revival...But that repentance was cheap and short-lived. It was merely a reaction emanating from fear."
"Our economic woes and national disasters, as well as our nation's security, will only be healed and protected when we get our relationship with God on the right track. Our personal cleansing, repentance, and intercession can determine our country's future."

The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer - FREE Audio Book (July 2010)

2010-07-07T05:55:00.013-04:00

You can get your copy of A.W.Tozer's The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine for FREE as an audiobook download during July 2010 at http://christianaudio.com/free

Quote - D.L. Moody

2010-07-06T10:46:00.002-04:00

"Oh, young man, character is worth more than money, character is worth more than anything else in this wide world." D.L. Moody

Sola Scriptura - 2 Timothy 3:10-17

2010-06-30T07:02:00.004-04:00

Sola Scriptura - 2 Timothy 3:10-17 - 21SEP08 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone
@ Severns Valley Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, KY
21SEP08

Solus Christus - Christ Alone
Sola Gratia - Grace Alone
Sola Fide - Faith Alone
Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Sola Scriptura – KNOW & TRUST!
BE….
•IN AWE – of God’s perfect, inspired, infallible, inerrant Word.
•CONVICTED – of our sinful and pathetic treatment and use of it
•DETERMINED – to change our handling of the Word of God to His glory and our joy
•THE CHURCH – established with a FIRM foundation!

Sola Scriptura – USE IT! (2 Timothy 3:10-17)
1) ______________for suffering
•Expect, Endure, & Enjoy!

2) _____________ who you follow
•What is their teaching and life rooted in?
•Who is your Paul?

3) ______________ faithfully
•“Imitate Me”
•Who is your Timothy?

"The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian." A.W. Tozer

A Worship-FULL Life - Isaiah 6:1-8

2010-06-29T07:01:00.002-04:00

A Worship-FULL Life - Isaiah 6:1-8 - 25NOV07 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
A Worship-FULL Life
November 25, 2007 @ Severns Valley Baptist Church
Isaiah 6:1-8

The Purpose of Life = To ___________God

__________________ God’s Holiness (v.1-4)
•"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3
•“men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

___________________ the Depths of our Depravity (v.5)
•“Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined!” Isaiah 6:5
•“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought” Romans 12:3
•“There is none righteous, not even one.” Romans 3:10

_______________ Christ’s Atoning Work in our Lives (v.6-7)
•“your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven” Isaiah 6:6
•“righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe” Romans 3:22
•“there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1

_______________ in Obedient Service and Living (v.8)
•“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
•“I am not ashamed of the gospel” Romans 1:6
•“faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” James 2:17

Love of God → Obedience → Love of Others → Share & Proclaim

The Missional Church - Acts

2010-06-28T06:59:00.005-04:00

The Missional Church - Acts - 19MAY10 from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
The Missional Church…
AUDIO ONLY
@ Severns Valley Baptist Church (Elizabethtown, KY)
19MAY10

1) IS NOT focused on its human ___________ or ___________ .
“And they prayed and said, ‘You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen…’” (Acts 1:24-25)
“But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out…” (Acts 5:19)

2) IS NOT dependent on human___________ or ___________ .
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13)
“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news” (Acts 14:15)

3) IS centered on ___________ – Jesus’ life, death, & resurrection
“you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead” (Acts 3:15)
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

4) IS empowered by the ___________
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them.” (Acts 5:38-39)

5) IS ___________ , ___________ & ___________
“And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42)
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14)
“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

6) IS ___________ and ___________
“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’" (Acts 7:59)
“He (Herod) had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. (Acts 12:2)
“when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:40-41)
“For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:16)

As the Acts 29 Church – I must….
1)___________ to God - James 4:7-8 & Ephesians 6:10-20
2) ___________ the Holy Spirit to work– Ephesians 4:22-30
3)___________ eternal opportunities – 1 Timothy 4:8 James 5:19-20

“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

THE CHURCH: Family vs. Restaurant - Servants vs. Consumers

2010-06-26T10:15:00.000-04:00

This is one of the best teachings and analogies I've heard about the role of Christians in the church. Pastor Mark Driscoll's below video exhorts us to view the church as a servant in a family and not a consumer in a restaurant. His description towards the end of a 'church whiner' is something all church leaders have dealt with and grieve at.

I am so thankful and blessed by the many church servants I know and pray that their selfless example contagiously spreads into the lives of all Christians they come into contact with.

Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"

Philippians 2:14-15 "14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"