Sunday's sermon: When faith falters (Genesis 12: 10-20)

You can listen to or download the sermon here

Scotty Smith's Prayer for Gospel-Smitten Grace-Saturated Local Churches

  We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. Col. 1:3-6

     Gracious Father, we bring our church families before you today, with all their brokenness and beauty. It’s not only a privilege but a central calling to pray without ceasing for one another in the body of Christ. For until the day Jesus returns, the church is your chosen means for revealing your glory, lavishing your grace, and advancing your kingdom. No wonder she is constantly being assailed by the world and assaulted by darkness.

     In keeping with the way Paul prayed for every church he planted, we ask you to inundate, saturate, and liberate our churches by the gospel of your incomparable grace—new church plants and aging communities alike. There’s no other power sufficient for the task. There’s no other story, motivation, or resources adequate for the calling you’ve given your beloved people.

     By the glorious gospel, bear great fruit in our midst, Father. Deepen and strengthen our faith in Jesus. Stun us, over and over and over again with the mercy and magnificence of Jesus. It’s not the size of our faith but the object of our faith that matters most, so keep revealing more and more of the glory and grace of Jesus to us. Let us boast in his work, not ours; our brokenness and his sufficiency. May the name of Jesus be the most heard, loved, and trusted name in our churches.

     And by the powerful gospel, make us great lovers. Give us love for all the saints, and for the broad range of non-believers in our communities. Tear down our divisions; rescue us from our prejudices; eradicate our pettiness. Help us to demonstrate the difference the gospel makes in our worship, in our conflicts, and in our suffering. Don’t let us ever get used to loving poorly. Keep us from biting and devouring one another. Make and keep us humble, for you resist the proud but give grace to the humble.

     By the hope of the gospel, liberate our hands, hearts, and resources for the work of your kingdom in our cities and among the nations. Make us a generous servant people. With us or without us, the gospel will continue to bear fruit and grow throughout the world. We want it to do so with us, Father, not in spite of us. By the gospel, revive us, transform us, and free us for your sovereign and saving purposes. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ glorious and grace-filled name.

HT:  Scotty Smith

Sunday sermon: When faith begins to walk

Sermon can be heard here

The deep roots of unbelief

“So deeply rooted in our hearts is unbelief, so prone are we to it, that while all confess with the lips that God is faithful, no man ever believes it without an arduous struggle. ... Certainly, whenever God thus recommends his word, he indirectly rebukes our unbelief, the purport of all that is said being to eradicate perverse doubt from our hearts." 
John Calvin, Institutes Christian Religion 3.2.15 
HT: Graced Again

Sunday sermon: When God comes calling

Sermon can be heard here

321: The story of God, the world and you

HT: Dave Bish and 321

Repost: Timothy Dalrymple's "Open Letter to a College Freshman"

For all you young'ns heading off to college or uni for the first time, or for those heading back for more of the same, here's some mature and very helpful counsel - from someone who clearly knows college life well - about making the most of your relatively short time there.  His main point is that your time in college/uni will have a transforming impact upon your life.  He writes, "The question is whether that transformation will be for the better... Unmoored from the people and places that once defined you, you’ll feel a fluidity in your identity that’s both thrilling and frightening.  You may feel as though you can be anyone and become anything.  I pray that you will become who you are — the individual you most truly and deeply are, the one God dreamt of when he made you — and not the person that you or your parents or your friends think you should be.  "  
For worthwhile life in this 'new world', here's his advice ...

1. Seek wisdom, not merely intelligence.
2. Seek mentors, not merely teachers.
3. Seek the truth, not merely prevailing opinion.
4. Seek answers, not merely questions.
5. Seek betterment, not merely achievement.
6. Seek fellowship, not merely friends.
7. Finally, seek first the kingdom and righteousness of God.

You can read the whole letter, and it really is well worth reading, here. 

Just before the paralympic spirit fades away ...

HT:  Zach Nielsen

Borden of Yale: "No reserves. No retreats. No regrets."

The story of William Borden had a huge impact upon me in my early twenties.  This short video is worth watching.

Sunday's Sermon: Mustard seeds and yeast ...

Update:  sermon available to listen to or download here