Get Ready for Saturday!: UL and UK

This is just a sweet video in anticipation of Saturday's game. Uk is picked to win, but Louisville just might pull it off.

High Speed Internet is Here!

Good news everybody: high speed Internet has reached the parsonage! This will be a huge help for me especially as we try to keep everybody updated on what's going on. I won't have to be running to the library once or twice a week and taking up precious ministry hours now. We're still working on setting up the wireless system here.

Hope everyone is having a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year/Deacade.

A Week of Links

I haven't been able to stay up on top of things lately, so here is a list of links that I recommend ya check out:

Vital Virginity - by Kevin Deyoung
This is a good article, written by an excellent pastor and author, on why the Virgin Birth is necessary.

Avatar: Ramboe in Reverse - by Dr. Russell Moore
Dr. Moore is a professor and administrator at SBTS and has written an excellent review regarding the new movie "Avatar." I encourage people to read it and think about what he says. I love the opening paragraph: "If you can get a theater full of people in Kentucky to stand and applaud the defeat of their country in war, then you’ve got some amazing special effects."

I Love the Gospel - by James MacDonald
I love Dr. James MacDonald. He is one of my favorite pastors in America. Here is a great video on how to share the gospel.

Luther's Simple Way to Pray - by Justin Taylor
This is an interesting insight into how the Great Reformer prayed.

NewsNote: The Death of Oral Roberts - by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Dr. Mohler is the President of SBTS. He has written an insightful article on the passing and legacy of Oral Roberts.

Mass. 2nd-grader sent home for crucifix drawing
This story was brought up one Wednesday night.

Unholy Trinity - by John MacArthur
Dr. MacArthur is no fan of TBN and he has good reason. In light of what we've been discussing on Wednesday nights, I found this to be a timely article. MacArthur is pretty straight forward and sounds harsh, but would Jude agree with him? I think so.

Is It Contextualization or Effective Communication? - Thabiti Anyabwile
Contextualization is big business today. Thabiti offers an important critique. The gospel is not subject to culture or opinion polls or dressing/music styles.

What have we done to the Gospel?!?! - Defending Contending Blog
Every Christian needs to know and take seriously Paul Washer. He says what we need to hear even if we don't want to hear it.

Fruitie-Tales: Living By the Fruit of the Spirit Series

Well it has been a long trip, but we have finally completed our series on the Fruit of the Spirit. Although more could be said, I hope this has been an encouraging series. It seems like every week God was reminding me to be more like Him as I repeatedly failed to do. Below are all of the sermons, links, and book recommendations made throughout this series.

Sermons:
April 26, 2009 - Got Fruit?
May 17, 2009 - Walk In the Spirit

Love:
May 24, 2009 - What's Love Got To Do With It?
May 24, 2009 - All You Lack Is LoveWhat is Love? - Audio
June 7, 2009 - 1 Corinthians 13:8-13: Love Never Ends

Joy:
June 15, 2009 - Matthew 5:1-5: Joy of Spiritual Humility
June 28, 2009 - Matthew 5:6: Starving? Why Wait?
July 12, 2009 - Matthew 5:7-9: The Joy of Holiness
July 19, 2009 - Matthew 5:10-12: The Joy of Persecution
(Sunday Night) - July 19, 2009: Hebrews 11:30ff - The Legacy of Suffering Joy

Peace:
August 2, 2009 - Psalm 23:2: Peace of Rest
August 9, 2009 - Psalm 23:3: The Peace of Restoration (notes only)
August 16, 2009 - Psalm 23:4: "The Peace of Comfort"
Sunday Night - The Agony of Job and the Sovereingnty of God
August 23, 2009 - Psalm 23:5: The Peace of the Shepherd's Sovereignty
August 30, 2009 - Psalm 23:6: The Peace of the Shepherd's Providence

Patience
September 6, 2009 - Faithience: When Faith and Patience Collide
September 13, 2009 - Genesis 13:1-18: The Biggest Loser
September 20, 2009 - Genesis 15:1-18: The Patience of Our Deliverer
October 4, 2009 - Genesis 16: Impatience

Goodness:
October 18, 2009 - 1 Peter 2:21-23 - Christus Exemplar and the Goodness of God
October 25, 2009 - Galatians 6:6-14: Selfless Goodness

November 1, 2009 - "I Believe, Help My Unbelief": The Power of Faithless Faith
November 8, 2009 - "God Be Merciful To Me a Sinner": The Gosple in 7 Words
November 15, 2009 - Living In Meekness
November 22, 2009 - Self-Control in the Face of Temptation

Book Recommendations:
Weekly Recommendation: "A Gardener Looks at the Fruits of the Spirit"Weekly Recommendation: "The God Who Loves"Weekly Recommendation: "The Greatest of These is Love"
Weekly Recommendation: "Kingdom Living"
Weekly Recommendation: "Foxe's Book of Martyrs"
Weekly Recommendation - "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23"
Weekly Recommendation: "Traveling Light"
Weekly Recommendation - "Restore My Soul"
Weekly Recommendation - "A Grief Observed"Weekly Recommendation - "Finding Peace"
Weekly Recommendation - "Heaven"
Weekly Recommendation: "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"

Other:
True Love From Veggie Tales
Bonhoeffer: The Meaning of Poor In Spirit and the Joy of Being Spiritual Bankrupt
Bonhoeffer on Matthew 5:7-9
Mephibosheth and the Sanctity of the Disable: God's Glory In the Face of Deformity
Theodicy as Evidence of a Theos
"I Am so Easily Satisfied With Just Going About" - A Gut Check

Oprah and Universalism

Here is the video we showed last week from Oprah's show several years ago. To many people, this is surprising to see, but she is very much into New Age theology.

Evenings with Spurgeon

I love Charlse H. Spugeon; the Prince of Preschers especially his bi-daily devotional "Morning and Evening." each entry is short yet profound and today's really spoke to me.


“I am crucified with Christ.”
Galatians 2:20

The Lord Jesus Christ acted in what he did as a great public representative person, and his dying upon the cross was the virtual dying of all his people. Then all his saints rendered unto justice what was due, and made an expiation to divine vengeance for all their sins. The apostle of the Gentiles delighted to think that as one of Christ’s chosen people, he died upon the cross in Christ. He did more than believe this doctrinally, he accepted it confidently, resting his hope upon it. He believed that by virtue of Christ’s death, he had satisfied divine justice, and found reconciliation with God. Beloved, what a blessed thing it is when the soul can, as it were, stretch itself upon the cross of Christ, and feel, “I am dead; the law has slain me, and I am therefore free from its power, because in my Surety I have borne the curse, and in the person of my Substitute the whole that the law could do, by way of condemnation, has been executed upon me, for I am crucified with Christ.”

But Paul meant even more than this. He not only believed in Christ’s death, and trusted in it, but he actually felt its power in himself in causing the crucifixion of his old corrupt nature. When he saw the pleasures of sin, he said, “I cannot enjoy these: I am dead to them.” Such is the experience of every true Christian. Having received Christ, he is to this world as one who is utterly dead. Yet, while conscious of death to the world, he can, at the same time, exclaim with the apostle, “Nevertheless I live.” He is fully alive unto God. The Christian’s life is a matchless riddle. No worldling can comprehend it; even the believer himself cannot understand it. Dead, yet alive! crucified with Christ, and yet at the same time risen with Christ in newness of life! Union with the suffering, bleeding Saviour, and death to the world and sin, are soul-cheering things. O for more enjoyment of them!

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/spurgeon/morneve.d1214pm.html

Weddings and Facebook

This is just hilarious. I will a $1 to anyone that does this at a wedding I perform. Although I must warn, it may not be the best way to start off a marriage.

December 6, 2009 - Matthew 1:18-25 - We Are the Reason For the Season: The Necessity of the Virgin Birth

Here is the audio and notes from yesterdays sermon as we begin a new series: Merry Holidays.

Audio
Notes

For previous sermons and sermon notes, check out the podcast by clicking here.

Holy Ghost Machine Guns: From the Horses Mouth

Wednesday Night, I read some quotes from Charismatic leaders that fit well with Jude 11-13. Here are the videos of Benny Hinn and Paul Crouch on TBN on video saying the things I quoted.








H/T: Pure Truth