Reflecting on the Sermon 9/26/10

It is good to reflect on the sermon delivered by our pastor each week.  I hope to blog (in the near future) about why this is a good habit to develop and some practical ways to do it. 

In order to encourage us to reflect on what God has taught us through the sermon, I would like to start posting something that stuck out to me or that I am reflecting on from the sermon.  I hope to do this each week (I'll do my best to do it every week...don't hate me if I miss a week occasionally). 

The sermon for this week was from Romans 8:12-13.  Here is one point that I found tremendously encouraging this week:

As a Christian, I never have to be hopeless [even when I fail and sin in the same old ways] because the Spirit lives in me.  I may not grow as fast as I'd like, but the Holy Spirit gives me the power to grow and change.

I hope you are as encouraged by that as I was.  If you had anything that stuck out to you, feel free to share about it in the comments.

College Football Mascot Wanted

Ole Miss is still looking for a new mascot...it appears Admiral Ackbar won't work out...check out this commercial by ESPN.

Elder Qualifications and Your Life

If you've been coming to Bible study, you know we've been talking about elder qualifications in Titus.  I wanted to briefly type out a review of the qualifications we looked at during last night's study along with the practical applications for "the rest of us."  Remember elders are held to these standards, but ALL Christians are called to pursue these qualities (or to avoid the vices).  There are not two separate classes of Chrsitian- some who should seek to live God-honoring lives and others who don't have to worry about that.  All Christians are being conformed to the image of Christ.  So, these should matter to you.  We should say, "I want to have a life characterized by those virtues and not full of those vices.”  

Take some time to prayerfully think about your life in relation to these character traits.  Praise God for areas you are doing well in (knowing it is his grace at work in you) and ask him for help to grow in areas you are falling short in (knowing you need the Holy Spirit to be at work in you).

5 Vices that must NOT characterize an elder

 

Vice	Opposite	Application
Arrogance/Self-will- This is being pushy and seeking one's own will instead of God's and instead of looking out for the interests of others.  It is also a pride that won’t receive criticism well.	A humble servant who looks out for the interest of others instead of using his power for personal gain (Matt. 20:25-28).	Do you often push for your own way?  Or do you joyfully look out for the interest of others? How do you handle criticism?  Do you examine it humbly to see if it is true?  Or does it always roll right off your back?
Quick-Tempered- Having a “short fuse,” or being easily angered	Humility, gentleness, patience, love (Eph. 4:1-2)	Do you have a short fuse? Are you easily provoked to anger? If you ask someone to do something and they don’t do it the way you want or fail, how do you respond? With patience and love or in anger?
Drunkard- This is a person whose companion is wine (or any other substance that causes a person to not be clear-headed/sober-minded).	Being self-controlled and filled with the Spirit (Eph. 4:18)	Do not allow alcohol or drugs to control you or master you. If you choose to drink, do not do it to the point of losing mental capacity and sound judgment.  Exercise self-control and temperance. Be filled with the Spirit (ie. under His control).
Violent- Abusiveness, meanness, or fighting to get one’s own way or suppress opposition.  Riding rough-shod over others or bullying them with physical violence or striking them with your words.	Gentleness (1 Tim 3:3) and being a peacemaker (Rom. 12:18).	Do you like brawling to get your way (physically or striking with your words)?  Or, do you seek peace in situations?
Greedy for Gain- Seeking financial or material gain without integrity.  Loving money and material things- always wanting more.	Contentment (1 Tim. 6:6), seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness above all (Matt. 6).	Are you content financially and materially?  Or do you seek happiness in having a new car, dreaming of getting rich and retiring (it’s not wrong to have things, but to be mastered by a desire for them is to be ruled by them…and they make terrible gods)?  Store up treasure in heaven where it won’t be destroyed or stolen or lost.

6 Virtues that must characterize an elder 

Virtue	Application
Hospitable- One who gives practical help to anyone in need- friend or stranger.	You may not have a “home” to open up or a kitchen to prepare meals in, but hospitality is more than that.  You can do this even if you live in a dorm.  You can be hospitable by caring for lonely friends/dorm-mates (be wise- guys help guys and women help women).  Be welcoming to newcomers who are at church or C/C group instead of just focusing on your comfort or talking to those you know.
Loving what is good- Loves what is good as opposed to sinful, worthless, not God-glorifying.	Our close Friendships should be with those that are virtuous and good- with those who love good things. Do the TV shows you watch exalt that which is evil?  Do you get some secret delight from the immorality, gossip, slander, or glorification of sin portrayed?  Be honest. The problem is not that you would go do the things you see, but that you are mentally delighting in what is not good.
Sensible- Being wise and thoughtful.  Not being driven by emotion, but cool-headed.	Are you controlled in your thinking, not given to a lack of control and being feeling driven?
Upright- Living righteously and justly before others.	Do you seek to practice righteousness in your everyday life?  Do you want to be just in your dealings with others?
Holy/Devout- Living a life that is pleasing to God.	Do you regularly confess and repent of your sin before the Lord?  Do you seek to find out what pleases the Lord (you find this in his revealed will (ie. his Word).
Disciplined/ Self-controlled- Having one’s desires in check and under control.	Are you ruled by your desires for money, sleep (laziness), food (overeating), material things?  Do you lack control with your use of time (wasting much time on TV or the Internet)? Or do you rule over your desires so that you might be focused on pursuing the one prize- Jesus (1 Cor. 9:24-27).

 

What's the Point?

So what's the point of this blog?  What is this new blog on the block for?  The main purpose of the blog is to encourage Grace Church of Tallahassee College/Career members to think biblically in all areas of life and to grow in the knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness (Titus 1:1).  

The title is based on Titus 2 where Paul says,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:11-14, Emphasis added). 

The grace of God saves us and trains us to live godly lives in the present age.  Our modern era comes with many challenges and much complexity, but the simple, old truths of the gospel provide us with all we need to live Christian lives in the present age.  I want this blog to be a tool that God uses to help us see the gospel and its application to our lives, in the present age, more clearly. 

This will be accomplished by posting (about once a week) something that I write or a link to another blog/article relating to one of the following issues:

1. Theology
2. Apologetics
3. Culture
4. Christian Living 

In addition, I will also provide meditations on Scripture, quotes from godly men and women, and links to helpful resources on the web.  I hope you find this blog edifying and enjoyable.  Next week I will start with some "real" posts (instead of all this introductory stuff).

Let's Get Ready to Blog

In a world full of digital technology, blogging almost seems like a given.  Most of us (all of us if you are reading this post) read blogs.  Some of us write them.  But in spite of this increasingly common cultural phenomenon, I am entering the blogging world with anticipation and apprehension.

I am excited about the medium this provides to communicate God's truth and encourage those I minister to at Grace Church.  Another avenue to have input into your lives is a valuable gift from the Lord that I do not take lightly.  I am prayerful that this will be another means by which we grow in our knowledge of God and His Word and that this would result in our growth in godliness.  So I am excited to embark on this journey.

I am apprehensive, however, because there are already many great blogs for Christians to read.  So, as I made the decision to enter the blog world I had to ask, "Is this a worthy use of my energy and your time/attention in reading this blog since there are already other great (better) blogs out there?"  In answering this question, I realized two things.  1. Not all of us have time to scan several good blogs to dig out a few helpful gems.  So, in my blog I will do some scanning for you and link to things that I believe you will find helpful.  2. As your college/career pastor, I can use my understanding of our group's setting to post and link to things that are, I pray, quite beneficial to our group's particular circumstances.

All that to say, "let's get ready to blog."