If you are a man at EBC, we’re not going to make a museum. I do not want some church consultant having a bigger dream fro EBC than myself. Men, shall we?
Man Crisis
September 2nd, 2010The Overflow of The Heart…
September 2nd, 2010…the mouth will speak (Matthew 12:34). Inside this evolutionist is a true understanding of creation.
The Best Commentary on The Bible…
August 31st, 2010…is the Bible itself.
My wife pointed these verses from Jeremiah 17 to me this morning and it caused me to rethink Psam 1.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8 He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
So how does this help me rethink Psalm 1?
Psalm 1 says the blessed (happy) person avoids sin (1) and delights in the Word (2). It then says this person will be like a tree, bearing fruit in its season and always prospering (3).
So Jeremiah 17:7-8 shows me that reading and delighting in the Word is trusting in God. When I do not read the Word, to some degree, I do not trust in God. And it also shows me that even when there is drought, I need not be anxious for there is still fruit. Thus prosperity may be the peace that comes in adversity. Prosperity is not solely material blessing. The soul prospers when in the midst of adversity there is no anxiety. This comes as we trust in the Lord which is connected to reading His Word.
Delight in the Scripture (trust in God) TODAY!
The Legacy of Sovereign Joy
August 26th, 2010
The Legacy of Sovereign Joy by John Piper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There is no substitute for reading original authors. But if you have to choose a guide during hurried months, there is none better than John Piper. I learned through a brief overview of the lives of Augustine, Luther and Calvin that sovereign joy, sacred study and expository exultation are good goals and should be sought after. Were these men perfect, no, but this quote captures it all, “peer through their imperfections to behold the beauty of God.”
View all my reviews
My Little Faith and My Big Savior
August 10th, 2010Today I read Matthew 13-17 to catch up as I had been reading Ezra over the past week. It’s been a while but I thought I would post on what the Lord has been teaching me about my faith. It is small. I am not talking the small faith that can move mountains (Matthew 17:20-21). Mine must be smaller than a mustard seed. Three times Jesus calls out his own disciples (14:31, 16:8, 17:20). The nerve of that guy or should I say God-man, dude-Deity. I mean Jesus tells those He loves that they have small faith. Why? Because they needed to hear the truth. He was not worried about wether they would be offended. He loved them too much to leave them with microscopic faith. Peter doubted and took his eyes off Jesus. They all were too prideful to tell Jesus they did not understand His teaching. Instead they huddled around one another and did not consult God. Finally they all tried to do God’s work their way. Mark 9:29 helps us understand Matthew 17:20-21. The atom like faith of the disciples was not strengthened through prayer. So what have I learned? When I take my eyes off Christ and look to myself or the world, when I am too prideful to spend time talking to God, I sink low and live faithlessly. I thank my big Savior who by the way saved Peter from drowning, fed 5,000 plus, and healed a boy with a demon. That big Savior saved me in spite of my sin and loves me enough to speak to me TODAY through the living Word to show me where I can grow in grace. Thank you Lord!
Just Do Something
July 20th, 2010 
Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will or How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Impressions, Open Doors, Random … Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc. by Kevin DeYoung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
So far this is one of the best, if not the best, book on discerning God’s will biblically.
I just finished the book and the aforementioned statement remains correct in my humble opinion. If you are single and or finishing college you at least need to read chapter 9.
At the end of the day, love God with all your heart soul mind and strength, love your neighbor as yourself and do what you want!
The Church and Ministry III (1 Timothy 6)
July 9th, 2010Paul bookends this letter with similar topics.
The Outline
Trustworthy Slaves Who Honor Thier Master (1-2)
Unworthy Teachers Who Love Money (2-10)
The Man of God and The Fight of Faith (11-21)
The Verses
“Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” (6-8)
1. Be goldy. Read God’s Word, talk to God and live accordingly.
2. Be content with what you have. Realize you are rich compared to most of the world. Live on less. Give away more.
3. Eat good food and wear appropriate clothing.
Have a great weekend!
The Church and Ministry II (1 Timothy 5)
July 8th, 2010The Outline
Treating Others Like Family (1)
Taking Care of Those Without Family (2-16)
Special Instructions to The Leaders of The Family (17-25)
The Verse
I have no particular verse today. I did want to share with you how certain sermons we hear change us forever. Back in 1997 I heard a sermon called “Taking Care of Momma” by Tom Nelson at The Metro Bible Study in Dallas, TX. The least I can say is that sermon changed my life. I would go on to study under Tom, go to DTS, meet my wife, work for Tom and end up becoming a lead pastor, all because of this sermon. I said to myself, “I want to know how the Bible like Him and be able to show others the truth like that.” So many thanks go to my spiritual father Tom Nelson. Tommy I would not be who I am and where I am without you.
Two nights ago, my wife and I heard another sermon that I will always cherish. Mark Driscoll preached on what true ministry is. He said many pastors were beginning to blow up, burn up or give up. He showed that the mistake common to all three was a misunderstanding of ministry. Ministry is not what we do for God. Ministry is what God does for us, in us and through us. He gave 11 points that I copied on a sheet of paper that had a picture my daughter had made for me. It was directed at pastors but I think it is crucial to any Christian who is leading in anyway. You can click here to see his points.
So 1 Timothy 5 will always have a special place in my life as God ministered through His Word and His servant Tom to help me love my widowed mother.
Application – Come eager to listen to the preacher, His Word is meant to work in you (1 Thess 2 :13) always and sometimes immediately.
Blogging and The Soul
July 7th, 2010Hello readers,
Having sought some counsel from people I trust, I have decided NOT to continue post blogs daily. This does not mean I will not be blogging. It only means that I will blog less often (once a week) and not always on the NT chapter we are reading together.
Why would I decide this? For one simple reason, I am not blogging out of the overflow of my relationship with Jesus. It has become more of an academic exercise than a posting of what I am learning from God. So I will still post about what I am learning as the Lord leads, but it will not be daily. I cannot be of service to you if I am not nurturing my own soul.
I will finish the book of 1 Timothy but will not be continuing on through the NT daily. I will continue to read through the NT plan and post occasionally. I appreciate your understanding.
Update – if you should have questions about the NT chapter of the day or anything else, feel free to email me at judd@eaglebiblechurch.org.
The Church and Ministry I (1 Timothy 4)
July 7th, 2010The Outline
The Legalistic Spirit (1-5)
The Lord’s Servant (6-16)
The Verses
“Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”
Let’s GET FIT spiritually! Bodily training will help you stay healthy in this life. Getting godly (which takes as much discipline as running a ultra marathon) will aid us not only in this life but our life to come.
To be disciplined means you and I will have to:
1. Make sacrifices – what’s best not just what’s good
2. Stick to our plan – Distractions (from the evil one) are sure to come
3. Adjust when necessary – Some times we need to make a change
4. Rejoice in the freedom that comes with discipline – Professional athletes are free to make spectacular plays because they have submitted themselves to the ongoing routines of the ordinary.
So let’s plan, perspire and build strong muscles physically and spiritually.