A message from Pastor Spurgeon

I preached on 1 Timothy 4:13 as part of my message this last Sunday. "Until I come devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture. Charles Spurgeon preached a very heart stirring message on this text on September 5, 1912 which will help you learn how to read the Bible well in your own private worship of God. In summary he urges us to READ and. . .

• Depend on the Spirit of God
• Meditate
• Apply
• Practice
• Pray
• Try
• Tell out what you have read

Spurgeon ends the message by saying,

"What a grand crown and close to this night’s service it would be could we be used of God to bring a soul from darkness to light, and from slavery to liberty. We cannot do it of ourselves; but God may help us. Would you not walk a mile, ay! many miles to do it? Well, you need not walk miles. It is quite possible that the very person, who, as it were by chance, is sitting next to you to-night, is the person whom God has predestinated to be blessed, and to be blessed by you. At any rate, try it. There shall be nothing lost, there may be much gained. Why hath God taught the truth to thee? For thine own good? Ay, but thou art not to be selfish! Be thou, at least, as unselfish as the three lepers, who, when they found the Syrian camp deserted and an abundance of gold and silver, said, “We do not well to stay here; this is a day of good tidings; let us go in the city and tell.” Dear friend, thou doest not well if thou readest only for thyself. Having read go out and tell what thou hast read, and the blessing shall come into thine own bosom, even if it go not out to others, and thou shalt be blessed, and God shall be glorified."

50 Ways to Coach Your Children

I read Steve Farrar's Point Man several years ago and benefitted from it greatly as a dad. He has a more recent book called Anchor Man which I have not read yet but Colin Adams has and highlights one section from the book where Steve gives 50 Ways to Coach Your Children that are very helpful.

1. Coach them how to pray.
2. Coach them that the most important book in all the world is the Bible - and that they should read it every day.
3. Coach them in how to buy a car by taking them with you the next time you buy one.
4. Coach them how to use the library.
5. Coach them in how to stand up to a bully and defend themselves.
6. Coach your sons that men protect women.
7. Coach them about money - at least 10 percent to God, 10 percent to savings, live off the rest (and while they are living under your roof, they can take 10 percent for spending money and bank the other 70 percent).
8. Coach them to never make a major purchase without thinking about if for at least 24 hours.
9. Coach them to dribble with their left hand.
10. Coach them ahead of time how to handle pornography.
11. Coach your daughters that there are two kinds of beauty - outside and inside - and that inside is more important to you and God.
12. Coach them to respect and obey authority - parents, teachers, police officers etc.
13. Coach them to be kind to kids at school whom other kids make fun of.
14. Coach them not to cheat on homework or tests.
15. Coach them to immediately return the money when they have been given too much change.
16. Coach them to do a job right - the first time.
17. Coach them to open a door for their mother.
18. Coach them to share their victories, joys, sorrows, defeats and hurt with you. You do that, by the way, by listening.
19. Coach them to do what’s right when no one else is around, because Jesus is always around. And Jesus will reward them because they have character.
20. Coach them not to lie - before they get into the habit.
21. Coach them that some things are more important than sports- like Sunday worship.
22. Coach them to change their oil every 3000 miles - and get your daughter a cell phone when she starts driving (trust me on this…you’ll have a a better quality of life).
23. Coach them to say no to movies that their friends, even their Christian friends, say yes to.
24. Coach your son to be a gentleman.
25. Coach your daughter to be a lady.
26.Coach your son to tie a tie and polish his shoes - before he’s thirty.
27. Coach them that when you say no you mean no.
28. Coach them that it’s pretty great to kiss your wife.
29. Coach them that their very best friend ever will always be Jesus.
30. Coach them to call home if they’l be late - and to keep the battery charged on the cell phone.
31. Coach them to stand to alone.
32. Coach them that they aren’t followers - they are leaders.
33. Coach them that its better to be respected than popular.
34. Coach them that motherhood is the most important job in the world and definitely more important than a career.
35. Coach them that it’s a father’s job to provide for his family.
36. Coach them that God wants men to lead in the home and in the church.
37. Coach them to never give personal information to someone they don’t know on the phone.
38. Coach them that even if they do not make it to the NBA, they are going to have to do something else for the next forty years.
39. Coach them that good daddies hug and kiss but they also spank, and they make sure to hug and kiss after they spank.
40. Coach them to know what to look for in a husband.
41. Coach them to know what to look for in a wife.
42. Coach your daughter that both God and you think she is very, very, valuable - and she won’t act cheap.
43. Coach your son to keep his hands off his date.
44. Coach them how to handle a checking account by letting them have one when they are in high school.
45. Coach them to love people and use things - instead of the other way around.
46. Coach them to measure twice - and saw once.
47. Coach them that Daddy will never leave Mommy.
48. Coach them that the narrow way is always the best way.
49. Coach them that there is nothing they could ever do that would make you stop loving them.
50. Coach them that there is nothing they could ever do that would make God stop loving them.

After the Amen: pray and do it

What did God teach you from the Word of God recently? Maybe from yesterday's message in your gospel-preaching church?

Often in my life I know what God wants me to do and ask others to pray for me about this. Frequently other Christians will say things to me like, "I know God wants me to read the Bible [or ssubstitute "witness, pray, serve. lead in family worship, etc."]. I am praying about doing that. Will you pray with me?" How often do we substitute prayer for action. Here is a good Monday morning wake up call for our "disobedience" in praying for things we know God wants us to do. We need to pray and do, not just pray about doing!

We Christians too often substitute prayer for playing the game. Prayer is good; but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is nothing but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism. To your knees, man! And to your Bible! Decide at once! Don’t hedge! Time flies! Cease your insults to God. Quit consulting flesh and blood. Stop your lame, lying, and cowardly excuses. Enlist!
--C.T. Studd

What is sin?

Romans 6-8 is a glorious passage on holiness and the Christian. It is so helpful in learning about how to overcome sin and temptation in our lives. We often rail against many preachers, churches, and even the world who don't take sin seriously anymore. And yet I find that every time I sin it is because I don't take it seriously either. Before you read the quote below stop and ask yourself the question, "What is sin?" and then read the thorough, biblical description that John Piper gives of it. After doing so, I think you will agree that we need to take sin much more seriously.

What is sin?

Sin: The ultimate outrage of the universe

What makes sin sin is not first that it hurts people, but that it blasphemes God. This is the ultimate evil and the ultimate outrage in the universe.

The glory of God is not honored.
The holiness of God is not reverenced.
The greatness of God is not admired.
The power of God is not praised.
The truth of God is not sought.
The wisdom of God is not esteemed.
The beauty of God is not treasured.
The goodness of God is not savored.
The faithfulness of God is not trusted.
The promises of God are not relied upon.
The commandments of God are not obeyed.
The justice of God is not respected.
The wrath of God is not feared.
The grace of God is not cherished.
The presence of God is not prized.
The person of God is not loved.

The infinite, all-glorious Creator of the universe, by whom and for whom all things exist (Rom. 11:36) – who holds every person’s life in being at every moment (Acts 17:25) – is disregarded, disbelieved, disobeyed, and dishonored by everybody in the world. That is the ultimate outrage of the universe.

Why is it that people can become emotionally and morally indignant over poverty and exploitation and prejudice and the injustice of man against man and yet feel little or no remorse or indignation that God is so belittled? It’s because of sin. That is what sin is. Sin is esteeming and valuing and honoring and enjoying man and his creations above God. So even our man-centered anger at the hurt of sin is part of sin. God is marginal in human life. That is our sin, our condition.