This Summer: Learn to Apply Your Christian Worldview

 This is part of the series "Summer is a Stewardship." 

Introductory post, 

Focus on the Glory of God

Pick a Fight with Your Sin

Learn to Apply Your Christian Worldview

We all have a lens through which we see the world. This doesn't mean that reality is subjective. It means that we have a way we interpret reality and answer life's big questions. Whether we know it or not and whether we are consistent or not, we apply our worldview to help us understand the world, ourselves, and questions of meaning. Thus, we must get a better handle on the biblical outlook on life and work to apply that worldview consistently to news, entertainment, ethical issues, and our goals. 

Work on thinking biblically about all of life this summer. When the Fall semester flurry of activity begins, you will be hit with all sorts of news, information, ethical claims, and temptations towards folly. Now, not in the midst of the storm, is the time to prepare. 

Let me encourage you to consider a few "daily" resources to assist you in that.

Christian music that focuses your mind on truth. 

Music (and arts) can profoundly shape how we view the world. This is good when they align with truth and not good when they align with worldly philosophies. So, find some good Christian music to tune your heart to see the world and God's kingdom as it is. A few suggested artists: Sovereign Grace Music, Gray Havens (for those who like folksy music), City Alight, Shane and Shane, Matt Boswell, and many more. 

News from a Christian worldview. 

Mainstream media seems like propaganda for the respective sides in the cultural war. I found the World News Group, specifically their podcast "The World and Everything in It," to offer meaningful news from a biblical worldview and absent all the hysterics. Al Mohler's podcast "The Briefing" also covers news from a Christian worldview (but he generally covers a few topics from the headlines rather than being a complete news service). 

And the most essential resource - The Bible. 

Read your Bible daily and let its truth renew your thinking, priorities, and interpretations of life. Think about how what you read applies to your life, explains the world around you, and directs your ethics, goals, and priorities. The Bible shapes how a citizen of God's Kingdom sees the world. 

This Summer: Pick a Fight with Your Sinful Tendencies

This is part of the series "Summer is a Stewardship." 

1. Introductory post, 
2. First post. 

Pick a Fight with Your Sinful Tendencies

Our ultimate goal is to love God more and look more like our Savior. Unfortunately, our sin gets in the way of these desires by clouding our vision of God and causing us to not live in line with our new identity. Thus, every Christian wants to put his or her sin to death (John 14:21). We sin, but we hate it and repent of it. 

So, pick a fight with at least one of your sinful tendencies this summer. 

Confession and Repentance

The first step in initiating the fight is to call the sin out and side with God against it. This is confessing (that is, agreeing with God that it is wrong, foolish, and terrible). The second step is to ask God to help you fight the sin. The third step is to repent of it. This is to actively turn away from the sin and what tempts you towards it. It involves not just changes in action but in your heart. To help you do this, you might listen to this sermon by Bruce Ware on how a renewed affection for God pushes out old affections for sin. Or you could read Thomas Chalmer's sermon "The Expulsive Power of a New Affection" (click here for a pdf version for free, or buy a book version from the bookcase in the fellowship hall). Finally, part of repentance involves finding biblical truth that replaces the wrong thinking and desires and memorizing it. If you need help with this, enlist the help of a Christian friend. 

Develop New Habits

One more thing that will help in this fight. Begin new habits that will help you. Our habits are the things we do without much thought because it is what we've always done. This can be good when the habit helps you pursue Christ (for example, daily Bible reading). But, when it is something that often opens the door for sin (like laziness, overindulgence in entertainment, or checking social media incessantly), that habit hinders godliness. What habits are not helping you put on Christlike thinking and living? What habits are making provision for your enemy? "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires" (Romans 13:14). Developing habits takes time and consistency. Ask a friend to keep you accountable and find a way to track how you are doing in developing the new habit. 

Fight While You Have Time

So, you should fight sin vigorously this summer. Don't struggle through the summer and come back expecting to not struggle when school starts. The reality is you will likely still struggle and be pressed for time when the semester begins. And you need time to think and develop godly plans and habits. So, pick a fight with one of your sinful tendencies this summer. 

Celebrating Dobbs. Pressing the Case for Life.

Dobbs, June 24, 2022.

We will remember that name and date for a long time. In the Dobbs case, the Supreme Court corrected the grave and unconstitutional injustice of legislating abortion from the bench. On June 24, 2022, the Court returned the issue to the people and our elected representatives. 

This means that Dobbs is something we must celebrate. 

As those who believe God is the source of all morality, we must celebrate what he says is good and right. God has made every person (regardless of his or her size, location, level of development, or degree of dependency) in his image. Thus, we must celebrate laws that protect innocent life and rulings like Dobbs. The Dobbs case now allows us to argue for such laws without them being immediately overruled.  

This means that Dobbs is not the end. It is the beginning. 

It is like D-day in WWII. It opened up the battlefront and allied advance. But, it was not VE-day that marked the end of the war. Victory required much more fighting. So, we must now engage even more than ever in persuading our neighbors, ministering to those contemplating abortion, and calling on our legislators to pass laws to protect the most vulnerable class of people. We have been doing that, and now we engage in it with greater urgency because there is greater opportunity. 

Here are a few resources that I encourage you to take advantage of (they are free).

• Scott Klusendorf's book The Case for Life (note there are many other articles and resources available at that link too). 
• Scott Klusendor's Article "How to Defend Your Prolife Views in 5 Minutes" 
• RC Sproul's book Abortion: A rational look at an emotional issue

If you have any questions that your friends are asking that you'd like answers to, email me at ben@gcot.org. 

This Summer: Focus on the Glory of God

This is the second part in the series "Summer is a Stewardship." Click here for the first post.

As we seek to steward our summer, the first thing you must do is aim to glorify God in all that you do. This begins by meditating on God's greatness: His attributes and acts. 

This is not something distinct from growing in your faith. Romans 4:20-21 says of Abraham, 

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 

Notice the way he grew strong in his faith. It was "as he gave glory to God." Glorifying God grows your faith in him. Why? Because in glorifying God, you are exercising the muscle of faith. That is, you believe his promises (which glorifies him). And this exercise of faith does what physical exercise does for the body: it produces greater strength.  

And to know God's promises and character (for what are promises if you don't know the character of the one making the promises?), you must be in God's Word. Read Psalm 103 or Isaiah this summer. Perhaps you could pick up a book on the attributes of God (like AW Pink's little book on the attributes of God) that will pull out various passages of Scripture to meditate on. (Here is a link to a post on methods for meditating).

One more thing to help you with this. Take time to curate the kindness of God. Write down or mentally recall things to thank God for: his sustaining grace in a trial, strength to overcome temptation, an enjoyable experience, etc. This is a means of glorifying God and will cause you to grow strong in the faith (which will glorify God). 

 

Summer is a Stewardship

 Many of you have a unique opportunity. You have a summer break that might allow more freedom with your time. This is likely a limited-time offer, though. After you graduate and begin a career, it probably won't happen again. 

Summer break is more than an opportunity. It is a stewardship. Every gift (and trial) we receive is from God and carries a responsibility to use it to the glory of God. You should enjoy some rest, good times with friends, and fun times that you can thank God for. But plan to use this gift well. Use it for the glory of God and the long-term good of your soul and life. Plan to use it to make you more fruitful in building up the church and ministering to others. 

My hope is to provide you some concrete ideas over the next few weeks on how you might do that. You have much Christian freedom here. So, you don't have to do what I suggest, but you are commanded to "redeem the time" and to "glorify God" in all that you do. If my ideas won't work for you, just come up with ones that do. Feel free to share your ideas in the comments. In fact, between now and the next post, take some time to think about ways you could steward your summer well. 

Are You Ready to Make the Case for Life?

With the intentional and subversive leak of the draft opinion of the Supreme Court on Dobb's case, abortion is being talked about a lot in the public sphere. I want to encourage you to be ready to "Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy" (Prov. 31:8-9). 

Here are three articles that will only take you five minutes to read and help you speak the truth for this class of vulnerable people who cannot speak for themselves.

We Know They Are Killing Children — All of Us Know by John Piper

How to Defend Your Pro-Life Views in 5 Minutes or Less by Scott Klusendorg

9 Myths about Abortion Rights and Roe v. Wade by Kevin DeYoung

Growing in Contentment

We recently discussed the problem we face when we ask "Why am I so unhappy?" Below is an outline that you might find helpful as you face this common problem (of discontentment). 

 I.      What is Contentment?

A.         “Contentment is that condition of consciously enjoying God’s goodness, whatever your circumstances. It is the ability to live a satisfied, God-pleasing life in any situation.”^[1]

 

B.         Illustrations and Lessons in Contentment

1.        Psalm 131 - Contentment is valuing God above all else so that you are happy in him rather than demanding.

2.        Philippians 4:10-13 - Contentment is learning to face every circumstance with joy by relying on the strength of Christ.

 

C.         What is some of the fruit of contentment?

1.        “calmed/quieted soul”—One that is not pridefully looking to the next thing all the time.

2.        Resting confidently in God’s strength (cf. anxious, angry, bitter, complaining, greedy).

 

 

II.    How Do We Grow in Contentment?

A.         Discern the roots of your discontentment (the idolatrous desires)

“What would need to happen for me to become content?” If your answer involves some change of circumstance or some improved relationship, then realize that this very thing is now functioning as your source of contentment. You think that if you have it, you will be happy, and that if you lack it, you will be sad. You are a yo-yo on its string; this thing has you in its grasp and can raise you up and down at will. It is an idol that functions as your god. For example, if your contentment hinges on finding a spouse or getting married, then it is not based on Christ. If your contentment will come only if your spouse or friend treats you better, or if you receive some financial blessing or physical healing, then it is not Christ-based contentment. You are building your life on shifting sand. God never meant for you to find lasting joy in anything other than Christ Himself.”[2]

a.      Monitor your actions … where do I see grumbling, self-pity, anger, bitterness?

b.      Monitor your thoughts…where do I see thoughts that are discontent? What is that “If only xyz, then I could be happy” thought?

 

B.         Rest in God’s providence and character

1.        God’s Character. A few areas to focus on: Sovereignty, goodness, wisdom.

2.        God’s Providence (Phil. 4:19)

 

C.         Curate God’s kindness

1.        Develop a museum (notebook) of God’s goodness. Mentally walk through it and be humbled / thankful.

2.        Psalm 103 is a good example of curating God’s kindnesses – he blesses the Lord for his kindnesses to him.

 

D.        Guard yourself from comparing and greed as well as setting your hope on the things of this world

1.        Don’t compare or get greedy (Luke 12:15, see also the Corinthians believers re spiritual gifts).

2.        Don’t set your heart on things that will fade (Ps 62:10).

 

E.         Realize there are needs around you and give and serve to meet the needs of others (2 Cor. 9:8)

 

F.         Set your mind on things above – have an eternal perspective (Col. 3:1-2, Matt. 6:19-20)

---

[1] Robert Jones “Learning Contentment,” Journal of Biblical Counseling Fall 2002, 61.

[2] Jones “Learning Contentment,”, 60.

"We Live in Confusing Times" - Illustrating the World's Confusion on Sex and Gender

 Kevin DeYoung illustrates how confused our culture is in a helpful article at the World Opinions. It is entitled "We Live in Confusing Times: Progressives can’t keep their story straight on sex and gender." It is worth the few minutes it takes to read. 

Avoiding Worldly Thinking in Your Studies

Thinking through how to glorify God in your studies is essential. I found this short (13 minute) episode of "Ask Pastor John" to be helpful. He deals mainly with the area of studying philosophy, but the principles are helpful for all academic pursuits. 

"How Can I Avoid Worldly Thinking in My Studies?"

"Laziness Ruins Happiness"

Here is a link to a helpful article by Jon Bloom, over at Desiring God, called "Laziness Ruins Happiness." Don't be lazy. Take some time to listen to it or read it.

A few quotes:

diligence is a “heavenly virtue” because it is a means of cultivating godliness — increased capacities to deeply delight in God and his gifts. 

how we behave, over time, reflects what we believe; what we do reflects what we desire; our labors reflect our loves. 

When Scripture commands us to “be all the more diligent” (2 Peter 1:10), God is calling us to work hard toward the right ends (growing in godliness), in the right ways (what God commands), for the right reasons (love).