"The heart is the main thing in true religion...It is the hinge and turning-point in the condition of man's soul. If the heart is alive to God and quickened by the Spirit, the man is a living Christian. If the heart is dead and has not the Spirit, the man is dead before God." (J.C. Ryle)
We've been going through Amos (we were in chapter 8 today). Our pastor is so careful to make sure that we who profess to be believers understand the warning of scripture regarding the coming judgment and the amazing provision that has been made for us in Christ. It scares the beheebers out of me sometimes, but that is a good thing.
__________________ soli Deo gloria!
~Nicholas~ Ordained Pastor
Member, Fulton PCA; GPTS Student
Christians are like snow covered dung; it is the purity of the covering which the Father sees. -Luther-
There is nothing more ugly than a Christian orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion.
-Francis Schaeffer-
John 6. It was a wonderful sermon on the perseverance of the saint. That our salvation isn't dependent upon our belief....we add nothing to salvation therefore our perseverance isn't dependent upon us either. The best part of the sermon with which I always struggle was this: "I believe in the five points of Calvinism, BUT how do I know that I'm of the chosen? My pastor reminded us that we are not to try read God's mind to find the answer but to learn from Scripture which states that if we are looking to Christ for our salvation, sanctification, and glorification we have been given to Him from God. That's a gem for me to hang onto whenever I doubt that God ever chose me to be His child!!! Simple statement for a lot of ppl but wow it will carry me through those hard times!
The need for repetition in learning, with the example being of the liturgical benefits of Passover. How Passover wasn't often kept properly during the time of the Judges or the Monarchy, except on occasions during reforms or revivals. And how one of Communion's benefits is just that, an example of liturgical repetition that keeps our eye on the goal.
__________________
Tim Vaughan
Member, Redeemer Presbyterian, OPC,
Santa Maria
California
Ephesians 6:11 - The Christian Armor II - God's Armor
Focused on our spiritual ineptness and utter dependence upon God, regardless of any physical or worldly achievements, abilities or status.
Today I had something rather interesting happen. I was making a sort of point and counter point in the sermon with subpoints on each side when I accidentally skipped a section so my point were actually supposed to be counter points. I knew something was wrong even as the words came out of my mouth and I refuted, in about two statements, everything I had been teaching. Oops. So, I had to stop and sort of rewind to help folks understand what I had just done. I've lost my place before, but I don't know that I've ever done it where I actually said something so blatantly wrong. Apparently I needed a dose of humble pie this morning.
__________________
For the Glory of our King,
Joe Johnson
Slave of Christ, husband, father, Preacherboy at Cornerstone Community Church, Escanaba, MI. and TMS graduate. Personal website - SoundLife.org
I do not know, and I do not say, that a person cannot believe in Revelation and in evolution, too, for a man may believe that which is infinitely wise and also that which is only asinine. ~ CHS
Good Sunday! I missed worship the last two Sundays because of car trouble so it was very refreshing to make it. The main text was Genesis 1:26-31. I suppose the sermon was a good answer to the first question of the SC. It was about the purpose of man, the purpose of other creation and God's election and provision to make a people for that purpose. It was very good.
The elder who preached it is not the normal preacher though and (since I am new here) I had a good time getting to know him after the sermon and discussing the atonement. Plus, I found out that he has eight kids and he has a homeschool family. Ohhh I hope I'm blessed the same way.... I also invited him to check out the PB.
-----Added 8/2/2009 at 06:27:31 EST-----
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wannabee
Today I had something rather interesting happen. I was making a sort of point and counter point in the sermon with subpoints on each side when I accidentally skipped a section so my point were actually supposed to be counter points. I knew something was wrong even as the words came out of my mouth and I refuted, in about two statements, everything I had been teaching. Oops. So, I had to stop and sort of rewind to help folks understand what I had just done. I've lost my place before, but I don't know that I've ever done it where I actually said something so blatantly wrong. Apparently I needed a dose of humble pie this morning.
Ouch, that bites! Don't you hate when a bunch of people stare at you with or or on their face?
__________________ Andrew ThornquistMy Photo Album Calvinistic Baptist Ukiah, California To follow Christ was the best decision God made for me!
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A.M. - Malachi 2:17 and 3:6 - Where is the God of Justice?
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__________________ James Helbert, Wytheville, VA
Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCUS TheBibleAlone.com / The Edinburgh Inn "Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” - Zechariah 3:2
"To believe in the power of man in the work of regeneration is the great heresy of Rome, and from that error has come the ruin of the Church. Conversion proceeds from the grace of God alone, and the system which ascribes it partly to man and partly to God is worse than Pelagianism" (The Reformation in England (London, 1962), Vol. 1, p. 98)
__________________
T W Hopper
Member, Presbyterian Reformed Church
Currently between churches since PRC closed here - attending Crossroads Christian Church.
Canberra, Australia.
__________________ Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI
Made both Lord and Christ--Jesus, the Destroyer Acts 2:36 - 1 Cor. 10:9-10 & 15:22-26 - Hebrews 2:9-15 - 1 John 3:8 - James 4:12
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A powerful sermon, the second on this passage, on the *active* and *offensive* nature of the fight against the enemy in our flesh, the church and the world.
In the morning service, the text was Colossians 2:6ff, and the subject was the Puritan Doctrine of "Improving" One's Baptism, supplemented by addressing the WLC 167.
Mention was made as to what the Westminster Divines meant by improve.
__________________ Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCGA Facebook - The Calvinist Vent Board Rules - Signature Rules - Suggestion Box It is God that multiplies our sorrows.... God, as a righteous Judge, does it, which ought to silence us under all our sorrows; as many as they are, we have deserved them all, and more: nay, God, as a tender Father, does it for our necessary correction, that we may be humbled for sin, and weaned from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we get by them, with the comfort we have under them, will abundantly balance our sorrows, how greatly soever they are multiplied. - Matthew Henry
The 1st sermon of a series through 1 Corinthians. The intro today covered 1:1-3, was reminded that there is no perfect church and reminded of God's grace and how He works through His church.
I finished up a summer series on "Comfort" by preaching on 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ("Comfort Even in Death"). Here were the main points:
We have comfort in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (vv. 13-14).
We have comfort in the promises of Jesus Christ (v. 15).
We have comfort in the kingship of Jesus Christ (vv. 16-18).
As a central point, I pointed out that even though Paul mentions the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, that is not his primary focus -- it is the resurrection of the dead and how this pertains to those who are both living at dead at our Lord's return. But, I also pointed out that this passage cannot possibly point to a "secret rapture" of the church (i.e., the pre-trib kind) because of 4 things mentioned in the passage.
This meeting with the Lord involves both the living and the dead.
This meeting will not be "secret" but actually quite noisy (the shout, the voice, the trumpet).
The words used by Paul are technical terms that were used to refer to an important dignitary who travels to a city and is met by a delegation of representatives from that city, who promptly escort the dignitary to the city (i.e., no long-term removal, no delay).
The location of this meeting is "in the air," which Paul uses to refer to the realm of satanic forces (e.g., Eph. 2:2); this would seem to indicate that the enemy is decisively defeated.
I plan to begin preaching through the book of 1 Peter next Lord's Day.
I also invited him to check out the PB. 
Ouch, that bites! Don't you hate when a bunch of people stare at you with 
or 
or 
on their face?
To follow Christ was the best decision God made for me! 
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