Apr 11 2009

Dr. Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology MP3s

Chapter by chapter - going all the way back to 2005! Here's the link!

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Feb 27 2009

Volunteer Ministry Opportunitues

  I amlooking for opportunities for me and my family to minister to others. Below are a couple of good options. Do you know of others?

 

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Jan 17 2009

Three Main Steps to Starting Family Worship

My Pastor recently blogged about starting family worhsip. I thought is was great. You see the original post here.

Here they are:

  1. Plan to have family worship after an evening meal
  2. Read through a good book (like this one)
  3. Say the Lord’s prayer after reading the book

Now for the more full explanation. When I first discovered the tradition of family worship, it was a real breakthrough for me and my family. Although it took a while to get past the awkwardness of the moment, since we had not done this before, it is well worth the effort. But to start off, we need to keep it very simple.

I have discovered that men who have not lead their families this way are generally uncomfortable with starting this out. Two things usually stand out as concerns: 1) they do not pray well, and 2) they cannot explain the Bible well. So my advice for starting this tradition deals with those specific objections, and makes things as simple as possible.

First, plan to have family worship after the evening meal. It is usually the best time to accomplish this because everyone is settling down for the evening. If you do not eat together as a family, then start doing it. If you want to pick one night, pick Saturday night to start, and that way you are connecting your Saturday evening into your Sunday worship. As you do this, you can expand to other nights. But as you begin, do not do it every night. You are setting yourself up for failure.

Second, read through a good book. My suggestion is the Jesus Storybook Bible. We read through this book as a family, and I love it. Guess what…so did my kids! The great thing about this book is it explains stuff. So this will take away the initial worry of trying to explain a Bible passage that you do not understand. And as you read this, your kids will start asking you to read it after every meal, not just the Saturday evening meal! They will want to finish that book and go onto to more books. After the Jesus Storybook Bible, try The Big Picture Story Bible and The Child’s Story Bible.

Third, once you finish reading the book, say the Lord’s Prayer together as a family. Make sure you say it the same way (i.e., debts or trespasses), but just say the Lord’s Prayer. Overtime, you can add to this, but in my opinion, this is the best way to start at first.

So here you go: after you finish your Saturday evening meal, pull the book out, say you are going to read a short chapter about the Bible to get everyone reading for worship on Sunday. Read it. Pray the Lord’s Prayer as a family.

As you advance at this, you can add more to it. I noticed that Tim Challies pointed to a website with lots of resources. Joel Beeke has a short booklet on this topic, and Terry Johnson’s book on the subject is very good and comprehensive; he will direct you to other resources as well. But whether you are starting out or have been doing this for a while, don’t make it into a burden. You will defeat your purpose if you treat this as a strict discipline. Your kids need to enjoy this, and if you include them and keep it simple at first, they will help you build it into more.

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Jan 04 2009

Helpful Post on Praying for Your Own Soul

Original Post by John Piper at Desiring God can be found here:

Here are some ways to pray for yourself so that you're praying in sync with the way God works.

1. For the desire of my heart to be toward God and his Word.

Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain. (Psalm 119:36)

2. For the eyes of my heart to be opened.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. (Psalm 119:18)

3. For my heart to be enlightened with these "wonders."

[I pray] that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. (Ephesians 1:18)

4. For my heart to be united, not divided, for God.

O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. (Psalm 86:11)

5. For my heart to be satisfied with God and not with the world.

O satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. (Psalm 90:14)

6. For strength in this joy, and endurance during the dark seasons.

[I pray that God] would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. (Ephesians 3:16)

7. For visible good deeds and works of love to others.

[I pray that you] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord...bearing fruit in every good work. (Colossians 1:10)

8. For God to be glorified.

Hallowed be thy name. (Matthew 6:9)

9. In Jesus' name.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? (Romans 8:32)

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Jan 04 2009

An Entire Theology Curriculum on iTunes

 Original Post by Michael Patton at ReclaimingTheMind.org can be found here:

Just in case you had not heard, we now have the entire curriculum of The Theology Program for free on iTunes as well as all the electives.

  • Introduction to Theology with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
  • Bibliology and Hermeneutics with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
  • Trinitarianism with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
  • Humanity and Sin with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
  • Soteriology with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck
  • Ecclesiology and Eschatology with C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck

Here is a list of the electives.

  • Introduction to Apologetics with Robert Bowman
  • Apologetic Methods with Robert Bowman
  • Christian Philosophy with Paul Copan

Be sure to subscribe to these on iTunes as we will be updating them with new courses soon.

Also, here are the COMING ELECTIVES:

  • Church History through the Reformation with Sam Storms
  • The General Epistles and Revelation with Mark Hitchcock
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons with Robert Bowman

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Jan 04 2009

Helpful Post on Praying for Your Pastor

Original Post by Ligon Duncan at Together Four the Gospel can be found here:

Pray -

1. That [your pastor] would know and love the living God, would have a saving interest in Christ, being purchased by His blood, and thus would be bound to the Lord by the indissoluble bond of the Holy Spirit.

2. That [your pastor] would know, embrace and ever more deeply understand the Gospel and be shaped by it in life and ministry.

3. That [your pastor] would be useful servant of the Lord, that he would know and love God's word, God's people, and God's kingdom; that he would be used to build it up and so that it prevails even against Hell's gates.

4. That [your pastor] would study, practice and teach the Word of the Lord, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

5. That [your pastor] would love to pray, because he loves to commune with his God, and that he would be a man of prayer, characteristically.

6. That [your pastor] would be ever dependent upon and filled with the Spirit; and that he would possess true Spiritual wisdom.

7. That [your pastor] would be holy unto the Lord. That his tongue and heart would be wholly God's.

8. That [your pastor] would be kept from pride, and especially spiritual pride. That the Lord himself would be gracious to slay pride in him, and that your pastor would endeavor to always be putting pride to death, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

9. That God would give [your pastor] guidance as to where to focus his efforts in ministry.

10. That He would protect [your pastor] from himself, from the enemy of his soul, and from all earthly enemies.

11. That no decision which [your pastor] ever makes or desire that [your pastor] ever pursues would restrict his ability to pour his whole soul into the Gospel ministry.

12.That many would be converted and many built up under [your pastor]'s ministry, to God's glory alone.

13. That the Lord would bless [your pastor]'s wife, [. . . ], with holiness and happiness, Gospel assurance and Gospel rest.

14. That God would make [your pastor] a decent husband and father.

15. That [your pastor] would be a good friend to his wife, and love her self-sacrificially,

16. That [your pastor] would be a good daddy to his children. That they would love God, their parents and the church.

17. That [your pastor] would be a testimony in the home so that his wife might be able to respect him when he is in the pulpit, and so that [your pastor] will be able to feed her soul, along with the rest of the congregation.

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Jan 04 2009

Helpful Post on What to Pray for our Children

Original Post by Jon Bloom at Desiring God is here:

That Jesus will call them and no one will hinder them from coming.

Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15)

That they will respond in faith to Jesus’ faithful, persistent call.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

That they will experience sanctification through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit and will increasingly desire to fulfill the greatest commandments.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-39)

That they will not be unequally yoked in intimate relationships, especially marriage.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)

That their thoughts will be pure.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

That their hearts will be stirred to give generously to the Lord's work.

All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:29)

That when the time is right, they will GO!

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

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