Tag Archive - faith

[QOTW] A Message of Breathtaking Freedom

July 7, 2011 in QOTW with 0 Comments

“The gospel of grace is a message of breathtaking freedom. It must be embraced with faith and thanksgiving. You are thoroughly accepted just as you are.

Jesus Christ is your righteousness and he is never going to change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. When you wake tomorrow, he will still be your righteousness, before you have done anything to enjoy God’s favour. You have to earn nothing.

Your spirit needs to bask in the brilliant sunlight of this reality. You need to know it inwardly and celebrate it on a daily basis.”

— Terry Virgo, God’s Lavish Grace, (Oxford, UK: Monarch Books, 2003), 40

[QOTW] The first step upward on the long road back

June 16, 2011 in QOTW with 0 Comments

“If we can once again look to the cross and grasp the height and depth of the love of God for us in Jesus, then how can we doubt his desire to give us everything necessary for life and godliness? If we feel the smile of the Father’s favor toward us in Christ, in spite of our history of sin and failure, then we will be encouraged to step out again in faith. We will still not know what the future holds, yet if we know that the one who holds the future cares for us, that first step upward on the long road back to obedience becomes possible again.”

— Iain Duguid, Esther and Ruth, (Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2005), 157-158

[QOTW] Through the Spirit and by faith

May 26, 2011 in QOTW with 0 Comments

“How do those things belonging to Christ become our own? The answer is that it is accomplished through the Spirit and by faith. We are grafted into Christ by faith and we continue to receive the blessings of that union by faith. The Spirit brings to us everything that belongs to Christ through the instrument of faith.”

— Neil H. Williams, “The Theology of Sonship”, (Jenkintown, Pa.: World Harvest Mission, 2002), 6

Worth Reading…

May 14, 2011 in Ponderings, Random with 2 Comments

I’ve been taming my Google Reader feeds lately, and wanted to pass along a few things that are worth reading.

Enjoy. Let me know if any are impactful for you.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope these links are worthwhile and encouraging to you.

[QOTW] Responding to God or expressing ourselves?

May 12, 2011 in QOTW, Worship with 0 Comments

“Without knowing the dramatic plot and its doctrinal significance, our doxology becomes unfocused. Our praise lacks not only depth but even its rationale: For what exactly are we praising God? Are we responding to God’s character and works, or merely expressing ourselves?”

— Michael Horton, The Christian Faith, (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Zondervan, 2011), 23

[Song] “Joyful” Music and Painting

April 25, 2011 in Creative Stuff, Media, Songs with 0 Comments

One of worship leader/songwriter Brenton Brown’s latest songs is called “Joyful”. (Amazon link) It’s built on the base of the classic “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” It’s a great expression of the joy and worship we offer to Christ because He is the one who saves and forgives.

Recently, painter Scott Erickson painted a picture to go along with it and capture the joy of it.

On this Monday after Easter, be encouraged that Christ is risen, and because He is risen, we can place our faith, hope, trust, and joy in the truth of who He is and what He has done.

Enjoy the creativity and expression of worship.

[QOTW] The danger of misplaced faith

March 24, 2011 in QOTW with 0 Comments

“There is always a danger that when we begin to see fruit in our lives, we’ll subtly begin to rely on that fruit for our salvation, instead of on Christ. Guard against that temptation, Christian. Realize that the fruit you bear is merely that — the fruit of a tree already made good by God’s grace in Christ. To rely on your own Christian fruit to secure God’s favor is ultimately to shift your faith from Jesus to yourself. And that is no salvation at all.”

— Greg Gilbert, What is the Gospel?, (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2010), 82-83

Worshiping Together: 8/1/10

August 3, 2010 in Sunday Setlist with 1 Comment

This was the final week of our summer series “Blockbuster Messages”. Over the past many weeks, we’ve been looking at the various messages presented in our society primarily through movies and how those messages contrast with the truth of God. We’ve asked the question, “Is Truth impacting culture, or is culture impacting Truth?”

Our final Sunday dealt with the movie “Up” and the ideas of making the most of life while also not being afraid of beginning new adventures. This was a timely message for our church as we are entering into a season of transition with the departure of our senior pastor. It is a new season that God is leading us in, and we don’t want to be afraid or miss out on what He is going to do. Our Bible passages included Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and Matthew 4:18-20; 14:25-36; 28:16-20. Continue Reading…