I came to Him and I remain with Him

Here is a quote from a book I am reading...

I came to Him because I did not know which way to turn. I have remained with Him because there is no other way I wish to turn. I came to Him longing for something I did not have. I remain with Him because I have something I will not trade. I came to Him as a stranger. I remain with Him in the most intimate of friendships. I came to Him unsure about the future. I remain with Him certain about my destiny. I came amid the thunderous cries of a culture that has three hundred and thirty million deities. I remain with Him knowing that truth cannot be all-inclusive.


How powerful!

Curtis

from Ravi Zacharias, Jesus Among Other Gods

You gotta love this...

From the "Smile You're Saving Even More" Department comes this.


This was taken at you're friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart this morning. I think Wal-Mart is the one smiling with this kind of price "rollback."

Curtis

Cravings, Conflict and the Check Engine Light

I have found this sermon by C. J. Mahaney helpful in thinking about how to do deal with relational conflict.

It is called “Cravings and Conflict" and is taken from James 4:1-2.

I listened to the sermon a while back on a trip that our family took out of town (after everyone else had fallen asleep in the car). I saw a link to the transcript of the sermon posted on a blog today and was reminded how important the truth of James 4 is.

Here is a highlight from the sermon:

“Cravings underlie conflicts” is an excellent summation of the wisdom found in James 4. Why do we fight? Because we don’t get what we want. It’s that simple. Wherever there’s a conflict—whether it’s between two people or two countries—there’s a sinful craving that hasn’t been satisfied yet. There’s no deeper reason.

Take James 4 with you into your next conflict, and you will be able to identify the source of the problem. Ask yourself, “What do I want that I am not getting right now?” The answer will help you recognize the specific sinful craving that is fueling your quarrels and fights.

Despite the unflattering nature of this discovery, we can be grateful for the clarity and specificity of God’s Word. In his kindness, he has provided us with precise and practical wisdom for understanding our hearts in the midst of relational conflict.

By contrast, we often live in a world of unhelpful generalities. For example, you’re driving along and a light appears on the dashboard: “Check Engine.” That’s all it says. What are you supposed to make of that? The first time it happened to me, I dutifully complied. I pulled over, opened the hood, and stood in front of the engine, thinking, Wow, there’s a lot of stuff in here. But there were no blinking lights, no tiny flags waving, nothing at all to tell me what exactly I should be checking. Within moments I had determined beyond any doubt that the level of the windshield wiper fluid was just fine. Having exhausted my checking abilities, I got back in the car and continued on my way, clinging to the vague hope that such checking had been sufficient........

.........I am so glad that when it comes to relational conflict, God doesn’t provide mere generalities. He gives us so much more information than, “Sin has occurred” and “It’s worse than you think.” Now that is accurate and even quite valuable, but it doesn’t suggest a solution any more than does “Check Engine” or “Error has occurred.” No, God provided James 4:1-2 so that we can identify and confess our specific cravings, receive forgiveness, and begin to weaken our cravings and cultivate righteousness.

You can read the entire sermon here.

You can download and listen to the sermon here.

Mark

Some resources

I live in kid-land. From the toys on the floor to the cartoons in the morning, that is where we live. And, I LOVE it. But, with having kids comes an enormous pressure of training them and encouraging them to love God with all their hearts. I also feel especially challenged to ingrain in our kids a love and knowledge of God's Word. So, with that in mind, here are some resources that the Hill family uses.

SEEDS MUSIC - These Scripture songs are designed to help kids learn the Bible. And yet, they are not so "kiddie" that an adult cannot use them to worship and enjoy God as well. I love the CD's. Some of the songs are pretty much aimed at kids, but I think a lot of them could be used in worship services as well. I can personally recommend the Praise and Courage CD's.

HIDE 'EM IN YOUR HEART - Steve Green, who was singing praise and worship before it became a genre, has put together a collection of songs on a CD and DVD that comes straight from Scripture as well. Our son knows so many of the songs (which translates into Bible verses) because he has a slight addiction to the videos. He refers to "Steve" like he is one of his buddies. They are great. Maybe a little dated, but a 3 year old could care less (me too!). If you go to this website, they have a great deal on the DVDs and CD's (I don't get any commission for the recommendation). NOTE: I especially like the song that says "Do everything without complaining or arguing." I have gotten lots of mileage out of that song!

The Big Picture Story Bible and The Jesus Storybook Bible are both great tools in teaching the overarching plan of God beyond individual stories. We use the first and I have skimmed the second. They are awesome and reliable.

I mentioned in another place about Foundation memory verses. Great tool. We are working through the 5th verse in that list (Isaiah 30:15b - In quietness and in trust will be your strength).

Another GREAT resource for helping your child walk with God is Brainerd Baptist Church. Seriously! Our church is here to equip you for ministry for your child, and we work hard to accomplish that goal.

Curtis

We can be humbled in more than one way...

I think most people have a general appreciation of humility. I have reminded myself in the past, that "a little bit of humility goes a long way."

God talks about humility in the Bible. He reminds us to humble ourselves. If we do that, He works in our lives. If not, he opposes us! Who would ever want to be opposed by God?

And yet, I am reminded that God often DOES humble us. Sometimes that is in a painful way. Our sin is exposed, our independence is crushed, or our strength (add wealth, position, authority or whatever makes us happy) is taken away.

But God humbles us in another way. It is through His gracious work in the lives of others and their kindness to us. I was humbled in that way this morning. I got an email just as my day was starting. It was so kind, so encouraging. My initial thought was, "God, I don't deserve this kind of encouragement." I realized that my initial thought was right on target. I DON'T DESERVE IT. And yet God is kind enough and so gracious to give it to me.

Thank you God for humbling me!
Curtis

A statement made nearly 2000 years ago...

This morning my Bible reading took me through Acts 5. It details the boldness of the apostles in their message of Jesus Christ. They are confronted, thrown in prison, and forced to give an explanation of their actions. In the midst of a heated interrogation, a man named Gamaliel
reminded the people of some current events, and what they might mean in relationship to the followers of Jesus.

• There was Theudas - "For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing."
• There was Judas the Galilean - "After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered."

Gamaliel does not commit to saying that the same thing will happen with Jesus and his followers, but suggests a "hands-off" approach. "So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for 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. You might even be found opposing God!”

When I read those words, I was reminded as to just how many people have come and gone claiming to be God's chosen one. And yet Jesus has validated his claims. He has been talked about for 2000 years, and trusted in nations around the world. That One is the One who we worship for eternity. Isn't God awesome in the work of the Son, Jesus Christ!

I am not sure Gamaliel even had a clue as to Who he was talking about.

Curtis

Some resources based on Bob's Message Sunday

Those in our Sunday morning services were challenged about our level of knowing God's Word. Bob Reccord asked how many people could quote at least 25 verses. I didn't look to see who had their hands raised and who didn't, but I did want to share with you some resources that I have personally used in the task of Scripture memory. I hope they are of some assistance.

BIBLEMEMORY.US - This site will send you a link by email each day to work on memorizing a verse. You end up memorizing about 1 a week. It is free.

FIGHTER VERSES - This resource is an awesome resource. It comes from John Piper's ministry and will help you learn many verses over time. It does cost a little bit, but believe me, it is well worth it. We are working with our son through a similar set of verses made for preschoolers called "Foundation Verses."

ESV MEMORY VERSE BLOG - For those of you who like to track blogs, this might be a help.

I would encourage you not to be overwhelmed by the thought of memorizing God's Word. God is not going to accept you more/less based on the number of verses you know. However, your knowledge of God will increase as you know His Word better.

Curtis

An enlightening approach to the environment

I read an article that was very thought provoking concerning the environment, and a Christian's response to it. The article is entitled Blood, Gore, and Global Warming, and was written by Russell Moore who is Vice President at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.

Curtis

Upcoming this Sunday, July 15th

This Sunday we look forward to the preaching ministry of Bob Reccord. He is an accomplished author and the former president of the North American Mission Board (NAMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention. He will be joining us in the morning (10:30 am) and evening services (6:00 pm) at Brainerd Crossroads.

You can get to know more about Bob by visiting his blog and website.

Stay posted for more information on guest speakers during this transitional time in our church.

Pursuing Holiness

Here is a great quote by Jerry Bridges in The Pursuit of Holiness

"Farming is a joint venture between the farmer and God. The farmer cannot do what God must do, and God will not do what the farmer should do.

"We can say just as accurately that the pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part. God has made it possible for us to walk in holiness. But He has given to us the responsibility of doing the walking; He does not do that for us."

Good words for the day,
Curtis

God-thoughts and the Big Red Dog

This morning before I left the house, I joined my son in watching a few minutes of Clifford. For those of you, not so familiar with The Big Red Dog, you are missing oh-so-valuable life-lessons every morning at 7:30 am on the local PBS channel.

In the episode, the characters were kicking the ball up into the sky, and my son said, "They are kicking it so high that God is going to have to throw it back down to them." I have found that three year olds are great for helping us ask honest questions about God. So, I got the opportunity to talk about God's home, but the fact that God is with us.

However, I was reminded that often we think wrongly about God. Even as adults. Even as Christians. And the problem is that our "wrong" thoughts about God can have a devastating impact on our lives. If we think that God could never forgive us, we will always feel alienated and distant from Him. If we think that God could care less about sin, we will miss the power of what Jesus was doing on the cross. And how many more things do our God-thoughts impact?

The stakes are too high for us to take our thoughts about God too lightly. As I got a chuckle out of my 3 yr old, I gave myself a warning to get back in God's word, and open my heart in prayer so that I can know God.

Desiring to know God more,
Curtis

Life's Most Important Truth

My son recently turned one and he finds just about everything fascinating. As we were playing outside last week he came to a large tree which he had to stop and examine. He would touch the leaves and branches to see what they felt like and then he would shy away because he was not quite sure what was going to happen next.

This fascination extends to birds, cars, cases of bottled water in the aisle of the grocery store and especially dogs. When he sees a dog or hears a bird he immediately takes notice and wants to investigate.

All of this caused me to think how many times I pass these types of things by on a daily basis without giving them a second thought.

I just finished reading Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney and was struck by the quote that opens the book.

Life’s most important truth can be the easiest to forget.

As I think about the gospel I realize that I am prone to forget how wonderful it is. I need to be constantly reminded of the truth that Paul describes in Ephesians 2:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…..But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-

May I never lose the wonder of the gospel.

Mark