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Sunday's Comin' 7/26/2014

7/26/2014

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Another Newton hymn this time. You can find this one in the Trinity Hymnal, #320. That tune is not familiar to me and it repeats the last portion of each verse. The version below works with any of the "Rock of Ages" tunes you might know.
Safely through another week 
God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a blessing seek,
Waiting in his courts today;
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest.

While we pray for pard'ning grace,
Through the dear Redeemer's Name
Show thy reconciled face; 
Take away our sin and shame;
From our worldly cares set free,
May we rest this day in thee.

Here we come thy Name to praise, 
Let us feel thy presence near;
May thy glory meet our eyes,
While we in thy house appear:
Here afford us, Lord, a taste
Of our ever lasting feast.

May thy gospel's joyful sound
Conquer sinners, comfort saints;
May the fruits of grace abound,
Bring relief for all complaints:
Thus may all our Sabbaths prove,
Till we join the church above.

                        - John Newton
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Friday Fragments 7/25/2014

7/25/2014

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Here's some material to kick off your weekend.
  • Helping someone who is sinning and unrepentant is difficult and potentially unpleasant (except for those that love to fault find, which is another problem all together...). David Murray offers simple, wise counsel on our approach to someone in sin; questions to ask someone in sin; and things to remember as you go through the process (make sure not to miss what he says about Jesus at the end of this one).
  • I like hymnals yes I do; I like hymnals, how 'bout you? A few reasons to hang on to the hymnal. (I don't necessarily oppose the other popular method of delivering church music content which has its own benefits and drawbacks...)
  • Interested in trends in our culture? You might find interesting The 2014 Index of Culture and Opportunity from the Heritage Foundation; it tracks 31 indicators and evaluates whether they are on the right or wrong track. Teasers: while it may be no surprise to find that the marriage rate is on the wrong track, divorce rate is on the right track. The high school graduation rate is moving in the right direction, but student loan debt is moving in the wrong direction. (Disclaimer - I've certainly not read every word of this index, but the overview is interesting. The Heritage Foundation while conservative, is not Christian in its worldview.)
  • Kindle Deals - Nothing spectacular to offer you today.

Jesus didn't call us to seek a balanced life, an easy life, or our best life now but to lose our life and find it in him.

— Burk Parsons (@BurkParsons) July 24, 2014
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Sunday's Comin' 7/19/2014

7/19/2014

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This isn't exactly about the Lord's Day, but it is about preparing to receive the Word of God preached on the Lord's Day.
This is from John Piper in A Godward Life Book Two (368-371)
This book has 120 daily devotional readings. This is #115 entitled "Take Heed How You Hear! Ten Practical Preparations for Hearing the Word of God on Sunday Morning A Meditation on Luke 8:18, RSV

Take heed then how you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."

He goes on to give 10 points and then comments on each one. I'll just list the 10 points and some of the scripture verses he references.

1. Pray that God would give you a good and honest heart. Ezekiel 36:26, Jeremiah 24:7
2. Meditate on the Word of God. Psalm 34:8
3. Purify your mind by turning away from worldly entertainment. James 1:21, Philippians 4:8
4. Trust in the truth that you already have. Luke 8:13, Jeremiah 17:7-8
5. Rest long enough Saturday night to be alert and hopeful Sunday morning. 1 Corinthians 6:12
6. Forebear one another Sunday morning without grumbling and criticism. Psalm 106:25, Matthew 5:23-24, James 1:19
7. Be meek and teachable when you come. James 1:21
8. Be still as you enter the room and focus your mind's attention and heart's affection on God. Psalm 46:10
9. Think earnestly about what is sung and prayed and preached. 1 Corinthians 14:20, 2 Timothy 2:7
10. Desire the truth of God's Word more than you desire riches or food. 1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 19:10-11

Corporate worship is designed to require us to face the disaster of sin so we will fully celebrate the grace of Jesus.

— Paul David Tripp (@PaulTripp) July 13, 2014
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Friday Fragments 7/18/2014

7/18/2014

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  • Pretty sweet to hear someone's testimony of God's grace in their life and their joy in knowing and resting in his perfect plan for them. Pretty sobering to hear someone near the end of life struggle to let go of their independence and trust in Jesus. Pretty hopeful to hear them admit this struggle. Absolutely thankful for the God who writes so many different stories for so many different people, weaving them all together for his glory and the good of his people.
  • Don't care about sports? Don't care that LeBron James is coming back to Cleveland? Here's a reason to care. Good work from the older Hoak brother.
  • Why don't some folks invite others to church? Here are 10 common reasons. Any of them familiar to you?
  • Kindle Deals - Mark Dever's The Gospel and Personal Evangelism is just $.99 on Kindle. Smooth Stones, a helpful little apologetics book,  is also $.99.

I learned a long time ago that I have to live by the Word, and not by feelings. —RC Sproul #AskRC

— Ligonier Ministries (@Ligonier) July 15, 2014
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Sunday's Comin' 7/12/2014

7/12/2014

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Heidelberg Catechism
Lord's Day 38
Q. 103 What is God's will for you in the fourth commandment?
A. First,
     that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained,
     and that, especially on the festive day of rest,
     I regularly attend the assembly of God's people
          to learn what God's Word teaches
          to participate in the sacraments,
          to pray to God publicly,
          and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.

   Second
     that every day of my life
          I rest from my evil ways
          let the Lord work in me through his Spirit,
          and so begin already in this life
     the eternal Sabbath.

Corporate worship is not meant to be a burdensome duty, but a gift from a God of grace who welcomes us to come to him again and again.

— Paul David Tripp (@PaulTripp) June 22, 2014
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Friday Fragments 7/11/2014

7/11/2014

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Hope you have a great weekend!
  • Kids have a smart phone? Here's a short list of apps you probably don't want them using.
  • Related to our sermon series on work: a blog post noting the importance of God's design for work - even for those with special needs. He's right, work is a gift from God, not a curse! Here's an example: 
  • Kindle Deals - I've plugged this before, but if you or someone you know does battle with anxiety, Ed Welch's book Running Scared is very helpful. And it's free on kindle! Seriously it's really good. Ahem. Why are you still reading this. Why aren't you at Amazon "buying" this free book? Quick, go before the deal ends!

"Wherever we may be, or whatever our circumstances, the Lord Jesus sees them. We are never beyond the reach of His care." ~ J.C. Ryle

— J.C. Ryle (@JCRyle) March 15, 2014
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Sunday's Comin' 7/5/2014

7/5/2014

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Here are some thoughts on the Sabbath from Joseph Pipa in his book The Lord's Day:
"In Puritan England the market day was the chief business and social day of the week. Farmers, craftsmen, merchants, and housewives would come from the surrounding countryside and villages to buy and sell. Believing that God had appointed the Lord's day for especially important transactions with God, the Puritans called the Sabbath 'the market day of the soul.'...By referring to the Sabbath as 'the market day of the soul', the Puritans remind us that God gave us this day above all other days to conduct spiritual commerce. The purpose of the Fourth Commandment is to free us from our daily business so that we may do business with Him on 'the market day of the soul.'" (Pipa, The Lord's Day, 42-43)
I hope we come ready tomorrow to stock up on truth and to get reoriented towards our great God as we worship him so we are prepared to face the week ahead. We have a day given over to this wonderful privilege; may we make good use of it!

Corporate worship is designed to confront you with the evil inside and outside you and comfort you with the sufficient grace of Jesus.

— Paul David Tripp (@PaulTripp) June 29, 2014
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Friday Fragments 7/4/2014

7/4/2014

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I hope you have a great Independence Day weekend!
  • In a country where people once came to be able to freely exercise religion, this past week's Supreme Court decision protecting religious freedom is important. Al Mohler breaks it down.
  • I find it frustrating to see keeping God's good law (or calling others to do so) called legalism. If that's legalism, then Jesus and Paul and James and John and Peter are legalists.
  • Ever wonder how to get your younger kids regularly reading their Bibles without overwhelming them or making it seem like a chore? David Murray has a very helpful plan for kids. Our oldest 2 have been using it. You can check it out here.
  • 10 Verses for parents: encouraging!
  • Kindle Deals - Richard Phillips' Jesus the Evangelist is free on Kindle. What's it about, you ask? Subtitle: Learning to share the gospel from the book of John. Long Story Short is an excellent (I didn't say perfect) family worship resource for families with kids; my family is currently using it and right now it's free!

There will be no regret of faithfulness or the pursuit of holiness upon entering eternity.

— Andy Lutz (@andylutz3) July 1, 2014
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    When I quote Scripture In this blog, unless otherwise indicated, the quotations are usually from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission.

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