What I am Reading-The Pastor in Prayer

This is a book that I have used for years.  The work is a collection of pastoral prayers that Spurgeon crafted when he was a pastor at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.  Some made note that when the church had a guest speaker and Spurgeon was present, he would still give the pastoral prayer.  This book will serve pastor’s well.  I have used these prayers to shape my own prayers for the people when I pray in worship.  One consistent feature throughout is how Spurgeon always prays for the advancement in the gospel, not only in his church, but in others in London as well as missionary zeal.

Schindler’s List and Eternity

Here is a clip of one of the last scenes in the movie Schindler’s List, the movie I referred to in my introduction in Sunday’s sermon.  The scene has amazing parallels to what Jesus was driving at in Matthew 6:19-20 and how we can and should use money in light of eternity.

G.K. Chesterton

“Christianity has not so much been tried and found wanting, as it has been found difficult and left untried.”

Nuts and Bolts

Graveyard and Junkyard

When we die, we go to the graveyard, and our stuff goes to the junkyard.  Randy Alcorn describes this truth well, “Take a ride with me.  After a few miles we turn off the road, pass through the gate, and fall in line behind some pickup trucks.  The vehicles ahead are filled with computers, stereo systems, furniture, appliances, fishing gears, and toys.
Higher and higher we climb, until we reach a parking lot.  There the drivers unload their cargo.  Curious, you watch a man hoist a computer.  He staggers to the corner of the lot, and then hurls his computer over the edge.
Now you have got to find out what is going on.  You scramble out of the car and peer over the precipice.  At the bottom of the cliff is a giant pit filled with…stuff.  Finally you understand.  This is a landfill, a junkyard-the final resting place for the things in our lives.
Sooner or later, everything we own ends up here.  Christmas and birthday presents.  Cars, boats, and hot tubs.  Clothes, stereos, and barbecues.  The treasures that children quarreled about, friendships were lost over, honesty was sacrificed for, and marriages broke up over-all end up here.  I recommend a family trip to a junkyard or landfill.  It is a powerful lesson.  Ever see the bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”  Millions of people act as if that were true.  The more accurate saying is “He who dies with the most toys still dies-and never takes his toys with him.”  When we die after devoting our lives to acquiring things, we don’t win-we lose.  We move into eternity (the graveyard), our toys stay behind, filling junkyards.  The bumper sticker could not be more wrong.”

Update On Southern

I am beginning to work through my colloquium subject on spiritual disciplines.  One of the recent controversies is can and should evangelicals practice spiritual disciplines, and isn’t that a religious form of mysticism?  I will be critiquing and comparing Don Whitney, Dallas Willard, and Richard Foster’s works.  This should be a fruitful time.  I certainly can see how this is beneficial for where the local church finds itself these days.

All Saints Day-Tony Felich

We were privileged to have Tony Felich preaching in our church on Sunday.  This is a dear brother who delivers the gospel both in pulpit and in pen.  He pastors at Redeemer Presbyterian Church
They do many things well at this church.  Tony has sent more people to Calvary than any other pastor that I know.  If you are in the Overland Park area, and want a gospel centered, Presbyterian church, look no further.  Tony is a constant reminder that we can disagree on secondary, significant matters, yet have a tight bond with the gospel.