Your life is a miracle, and the creator of the universe knows you by name.

He’s big enough to breathe out stars, yet intricate enough to fashion together the trillions of cells that make up every facet of who you are. The God who spoke the universe into existence made you, too, and knows everything about you. From the smallest molecule to the situation you find yourself in right now, He’s aware of your circumstances and intimately acquainted with everything you do. And He cares about you and promises to carry you through.

That’s where we find hope in the midst of the darkest places in life. The journey often complicated and painful, filled with confusion and chaos. Yet, the cross of Christ reveals God’s promise to preserve and restore you no matter what the circumstance. He will hold onto you and hold you together, giving strength to those who hope in His unfailing love.

He is the everlasting God!

Technorati Tags: Louie Giglio, How Great Is Our God

Lazy? Not me. I’m busy. Up early, up late. My schedule is filled from beginning to end. I love what I do and I love getting stuff done. I attack a daily to-do list with the same intensity I play basketball. Me lazy? I don’t think so!

Or at least I didn’t think so. That is, until I read about the difference between busyness and fruitfulness, and realized just how often my busyness was an expression of laziness, not diligence.

I forget now who first brought these points to my attention. But the realization that I could be simultaneously busy and lazy, that I could be a hectic sluggard, that my busyness was no immunity from laziness, became a life-altering and work-altering insight. What I learned is that:

* Busyness does not mean I am diligent
* Busyness does not mean I am faithful
* Busyness does not mean I am fruitful

Recognizing the sin of procrastination, and broadening the definition to include busyness, has made a significant alteration in my life. The sluggard can be busy–busy neglecting the most important work, and busy knocking out a to-do list filled with tasks of secondary importance.

Read the complete article here: Are You Busy?

Technorati Tags: C J Mahaney, busyness, fruitfulness

The greatest need in the church today is the gospel. The gospel is not only news for a perishing world, it is the message that forms, sustains, and animates the church. Apart from the gospel, the church has nothing to say–that is, nothing to say that cannot be said by some other human agency. The gospel distinguishes the church from the world, defines her message and mission in the world, and steels her people against the fiery darts of the evil one and the false allurements of sin. The gospel is absolutely vital to a vibrant, joyous, persevering, hopeful, and healthy Christian and Christian church. So essential is the gospel to the Christian life that we need to be saturated in it in order to be healthy church members.

What is a Healthy Church Member (page 39)
by Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile
First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman

Question: Do you hear the gospel preached from the pulpit of your church on a regular basis? If not, why not? If someone ask you to explain the gospel to them, could you? If not, why not?

Technorati Tags: Gospel, Thabiti Anyabwile, Christian, Church

The apostle Paul has a vision for our minds: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

May the Lord of all beauty purify your minds so that these are our greatest delights. In the end, the sum of all beauty is Christ, and the sin of all worldliness is to diminish our capacity to see him and be satisfied in him and show him compellingly to a perishing world.

  John Piper
  Pastor for Preaching and Vision,
  Bethlehem Baptist Church
  Minneapolis, Minnesota

from the forward to Worldliness — Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, C. J. Mahaney, Editor

Technorati Tags: john piper, worldliness, Christ, C J Mahaney

In deciding what to preach make these two judgments: Is it true and is it precious? Preach what is both. If it is true, preach it with authority. If it is precious, preach it with passion.

One great reason why some preaching leaves people unmoved is that preachers seem unmoved. Is this precious or isn’t it? That is the question in the hearts of the people. If it is, why don’t you sound like it?

The great battle of preaching is to see what’s true and to savor what’s precious. Weak seeing and weak savoring are a curse to God’s people.

    by John Piper

Read the full article here: Preach What’s True and Precious

Technorati Tags: preaching, john piper, Gospel

What’s the Gospel?

What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

That’s the gospel.

You Can’t Outgrow the Gospel

You never, never, never outgrow your need for it. Don’t ever think of the gospel as, “That’s the way you get saved, and then you get strong by leaving it and doing something else.”

No! We are strengthened by God through the gospel every day, till the day we drop.

You never outgrow the need to preach to yourself the gospel.

  by John Piper

Read the entire article here: The Gospel in 6 Minutes (video)

Technorati Tags: John Piper, Gospel, desiringGod

The goal and vision of the ESV Study Bible is, first and foremost, to honor the Lord—in terms of the excellence, beauty, and accuracy of its content and design; and in terms of helping people come to a deeper understanding of the Bible, of the Gospel, and of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Crossway is a not-for-profit publishing ministry and all receipts from the ESV Study Bible go directly toward the support of this ministry goal around the world.

A review by Tim Challies: The ESV Study Bible – A Review

Technorati Tags: ESV Study Bible, Crossway, ESV, English Standard Version

What is humble orthodoxy?

Humble orthodoxy is a commitment to believe, live, and represent biblical truth with humility.

Believe
We believe that God has revealed Himself in Scripture and that His revelation reaches its culmination in the Person and work of Christ on the cross. God’s truth in Scripture should not be redefined or reinvented. Our role is not to redefine truth but to receive God’s truth.

Live
We believe that the truth of the gospel transforms not only what we believe but how we live. Biblical truth doesn’t merely inform us, it introduces us to a person who changes us.

Represent
We believe that the gospel demands humility from those who represent it. We want to represent the truth not merely as those who are right, but as those who have been rescued.

Forget reinvention. Embrace a humble orthodoxy.

Technorati Tags: humble orthodoxy, new attitude, christian