A Good [Wo]man Is Easy To Find: So often when we seek a mentor what we have in mind is a unicorn. We want them to be tender and firm, gentle and wise, learned and simple—we want a man or woman who fully embodies the Christian ideal. The problem is: that man or woman doesn’t exist. That person is Jesus, our only Savior.

Parenting Well In A Digital World: Even at the best of times there is nothing simple about raising children. But throw in a million new technologies—new devices and social networks and apps—and things get far more complicated still. This is every parent’s challenge today.

Looking Forward To A Heaven We Can Imagine: I have every reason to believe that in heaven, I will be closer to my wife and kids and grandkids than ever. It won’t be the end of our relationships, but they’ll be taken to a new level. Our source of comfort isn’t only that we’ll be with the Lord in heaven but also that we’ll be with each other.

The Gospel According To Pinterest: Pinterest has given me some wonderful recipes and household tips that have blessed my family. Yet I must remember that my salvation is in Christ, and in Him alone. My salvation is not the result of my own efforts; it is because I was chosen in Him (v. 4) and accepted in Him (v. 6), because I have been redeemed in Him (v. 7) and have obtained an inheritance in Him (v. 11), because I have trusted in Him, and have been sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of that inheritance (vv.13-14).

One Bible, Many Interpretations: When I teach theology courses, I always make a point of telling my students that a number of the things I’ll teach them will be untrue. I never intend to teach wrongly, of course, and I work hard to ensure my teaching is as accurate and helpful as possible, but the reality is that I will teach some things that are incorrect. When that happens, though, I don’t want anyone to think it’s because the Bible isn’t clear where it intends to be. It may be that the Bible wasn’t intended to address the particular question I’m asking, or it may be that I’ve been waylaid by some combination of ignorance, carelessness, and sin. It certainly won’t be because the Scriptures are an incoherent mess.

Living Well In A Digital World: I am thrilled to live in this time, and eager to use all of these new technologies for good. But I know, and you know, that we need to use them well, and to use them for God’s glory.

SAE And The Lynching Tree: The solution to racial tension is still, and always will be, the gospel of a bloody, crucified, resurrected, and glorified Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, a Jewish Messiah, died and resurrected from the dead to unify all things and all people to God and to one another.

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You Do Who You Are: Our people seemed to be doing well at loving one another, but were having a hard time regularly engaging in the lives of the people in our city. It started to feel as if we had to keep reminding them of what to do on a weekly basis. And unfortunately it seemed as if we had just adopted a new kind of legalism—a “missional to-do list”—that had started to feel like a new form of spiritual slavery that left the leaders feeling like taskmasters. This was clearly not the free and abundant life the gospel promised to deliver. 

Unintended Pharisees: Revealing and Redeeming the Hypocrite Within: No pastor or church leader likes to see the spirit of judgmentalism in others. In fact, Pharisees seem to be the only ones who like themselves. But this is a blind spot in our own lives, too. Pharisaical attitudes are often revealed through difficult situations.

Self-Control And The Power of Christ: It’s not a flashy concept or an especially attractive idea. It doesn’t turn heads or grab headlines. It can be as seemingly small as saying no to another Oreo, French fry, or milkshake — or another half hour on Netflix or Facebook — or it can feel as significant as living out a resounding yes to sobriety and sexual purity. It is at the height of Christian virtue in a fallen world, and its exercise is quite simply one of the most difficult things you can ever learn to do.

Do You Have Confidence In Christ That Can Handle Ebola?: So I’m thinking about a man in Dallas who took his last breath today. But I am also thinking about a man in Louisville today whose final breath may come sooner than he expects. And I am praying for the Lord to have mercy on him and his family and to make him ready to exalt Him either by life or by death.

Pastor Saeed's Letter To His Daughter Rebekka: Saeed Abedini, the American pastor imprisoned in Iran, writes an encouraging and beautiful letter to his daughter on her eighth birthday. Pastor Saeed Abedini wrote this letter to his daughter for her 8th birthday, which was on September 12. This is the third birthday of Rebekka’s that Pastor Saeed has missed while he languishes in an Iranian prison for his faith.

Is It Wrong To Earn A Profit?: The ability to earn a profit thus results in multiplying our resources while helping other people. It is a wonderful ability that God gave us, and it is not evil or morally neutral, but is fundamentally good. Through it we can reflect many of God’s attributes, such as love for others, wisdom, sovereignty, and planning for the future.

6 Great Reasons To Study Doctrine: I love doctrine. Doctrine is simply the teaching of God or the teaching about God—the body of knowledge that he reveals to us through the Bible. I guess I’m one of those geekly people who loves to learn a new word and the big idea behind it. But I hope I do not love doctrine for doctrine’s sake. Rather, I strive to be a person who loves doctrine for God’s sake. Today I want to give you 6 great reasons to study doctrine.

5 Tips For Business Leaders On Mission: I’ve owned three businesses in the last few years. I’ve also held a high level executive positions that have had me on the road on a very regular basis. I know from experience that it can be harder to live on mission in everyday life when you are in a different city or country every week on business. Or when you have to run to Costco in the middle of your missional community gathering to grab milk for your coffee shop because they ran out. I’d like to share a few things with you that were helpful to me when I was on the road and/or very busy at work. Remember, these only apply if you are not working too much or neglecting your relationship with Jesus and your family.

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During the busy summer season, we’re taking some time to look at some ways we can strive to use our summers intentionally, for the glory of God and the good of others.

Here’s what we’ve covered thus far:

• Don’t Waste Your Summer
• Plan Your Seasons
• 4 Ways To Vacation Well
• Snapshot
• Rest Rightly, Rest Well
• Reliving And Living

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Throughout the book of Deuteronomy God is telling His people to look back, remember and reflect on what God has first and foremost done for His Glory but on His people's behalf. For example [Deuteronomy 5:15; 7:18; 8:2; 8:18; 9:7; 15:15; 16:3; 16:12; 24:9; 24:18; 24:22] to name a few. In these verses we see examples of God calling his people to remember that they were once slaves before God intervened and brought them out of slavery. We also see examples where God calls the Israelites to remember where they once were and who is their true God to trust in who brought them out of slavery.

As Christians we are called to the same reality. To remember where we once were, slaves to our own sinful passions but we are now free because our God brought us out of slavery by the cross of Jesus Christ. This constant remembering that God calls his people to is a wonderful way for us to be humbled under the reality that we did not accomplish where we are now on our own and that our lives are ultimately products of God's beautiful grace in Jesus Christ. 

This summer we spent a significant amount of time writing about ways to not Waste Your Summer. But this blog series we rolled out this summer wasn't only for the season of Summer. These blog posts were written to help anyone, no matter what season of the year it is.

This final blog post we will help you remember where you once were, look at how and where you have grown, and how to plan for the next season of growth.

Where You Once Were

Do you realize that if you are in Christ you are counted as a son or daughter of God? But with that identity, you must remember that you were purchased with a price. A price not paid by you but a price that has been paid in full by Jesus Christ alone. 

We are enslaved sinners by nature and it took a perfect rescue plan by God himself to see to it that humanity would be brought back into a right relationship with him.

"In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son...to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons." - Galatians 4:3-5

As a Christian you must realize before Jesus saved you from your own sin, you were men and women of wrath. You were enemies of God, destined for hell, corrupted by your own sinful passions. 

To be thankful for what you have in Jesus, you must remember where you were before Jesus. How to do this, take some time to reflect on the past. Reflect on where you were before Jesus captured you. Reflect what it would be like not to have Jesus as your King, Ruler & Sustainer. By doing this, you will have a sense of humility and thankfulness towards God because of Jesus Christ.

Where Has God Grown You?

A few years ago, I was dealing with some pretty bad anxiety. I remember getting really worked up when I looked at my life, and would see how I would fail at being a disciple of Jesus. Or get mad when I felt like my payer life was terrible. What I didn't realize is that within these struggles God had been slowly changing who I was. This was evidence of His grace, working to make me look more like Jesus.

Our struggles are usually the first things we look at because they are very present and they affect us deeply. But what often times happens is we forget to look and reflect on how God has been changing us over time. We tend to forget to see the small glimpses of growth happening in our lives. We tend to glaze over the reality that God is forever changing those who are in Christ. Teaching them about their sin, idols, struggles and helping them see their greater need is Jesus.

When you are sitting down and planning out the next season, it is key to first reflect on where you once were before Jesus snatched you up and also reflect on what God has been doing over the years to change you. If you don't reflect, you will always feel discouraged because you will never remember all the times God was working on changing things about you.

Remember to always reflect on the evidences of God's grace.

Plan For The Next Season Of Growth

Now that you have remembered and reflected on where you were before Jesus and what evidences of God's grace show up in your life. It is now time to plan for the next season of growth. I firmly believe that you cannot grow deeply unless you have a plan. When people go on trips, they know their destination. When people have vacations, they know what they want to do for rest and relaxation. Why then, when we look at the next season, do we feel like we don't need to plan? 

The best way I have found to be helpful is find the different areas that I want to grow in. Maybe it's leading my family, maybe it's growing in a specific doctrine, or maybe it's just growing as a friend and write out what you plan on doing to help cultivate these specific areas. Have goals that are quantifiable and reachable. You don't want to say something like, "I want to grow in Scripture memorization!" and your subgoal within that is to memorize the entire Bible word for word in a year. That goal just isn't reachable. But what you can say is "I want to grow in Scripture memorization!" and your subgoal could be something like, memorize one verse every other week for 6 months. You see the difference?

Planning is not devoid of the Spirit. God works through many avenues and for my brain when I have goals specifically written down I feel like I won't forget them and I can reach them by God's grace. You see, planning isn't the thing that will grow you, but it is one of many different tools that will help as God continues to grow you. The goal in planning isn't to make yourself better, the goal is to grow more in love with Jesus. 

The fall season is right around the corner, so take some time to look back on where you once were before Jesus. Take some time to remember the many evidences of God's grace that you have seen. And then move forward by planning out your next season. 

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Grace Is Not A Thing: The great American theologian Al Pacino once said, “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness.” Pacino’s statement taps into a tension that we all sense intuitively but maybe have not expressed explicitly. If God is forgiving, then why strive for a holy life? If the penalty has been paid, then why must progress be made? I believe the tension felt here ultimately comes from a confused view of grace.

Self-Awareness And The Sufficiency Of Christ: Are you fully aware of or in touch with the extent to which your joy and happiness in life are tied to your physical and financial circumstances?

Why Don't We See Miracles Like The Apostles Did?: Even if we don't frequently see extraordinary miraculous events, God is active. He is active in the regular (natural) processes we see every day. He is miraculously calling people to himself as his church grows and expands. He is active in miraculous ways among people we don't know around the world.

If Not Me, Then Who?: Memorial Day is a time for honoring those who have given their lives for their nation, and one of the best ways to honor heroes is to learn from them.

How Human Was Jesus?: Faults, flaws, and mistakes are an unavoidable part of human life. But the Bible tells us that Jesus is fully man, yet without sin. What does it mean for Jesus to be both fully God and fully human?

What I've Learned In Twenty Years of Marriage: "Apart from the gospel, those were, and remain, the most liberating words I ever heard. I bought a ring that wouldn’t impress anyone, then or now, but we were headed for the altar. My only regret is that we aren’t today celebrating our twenty-first anniversary instead of our twentieth..."

Ten Years Later, Why Gay Marriage Is Winning: After four same-sex couples filed suit Wednesday (May 21) challenging Montana’s ban on same-sex marriage, neighboring North Dakota is the only state that isn’t facing a challenge to its gay marriage ban — at least not yet. So what changed? The issue is far from settled — and some conservatives insist that it never will be — but pro-gay groups clearly have the momentum. Here’s why:

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The Following Blog Post is by Stephanie Sund

Four years ago I sat next to the bed of my 4 year old on the oncology ward of Children’s hospital.  In that horrible haze of the day, when we were waiting to hear how far her cancer had spread, the words I remember uttering over and over, half to my husband, more to myself were  “What do we know about God?” And then I’d answer myself, out loud “God loves us, God is merciful and just. ” Wait 10 minutes, repeat.

Fast forward to last month, when we were again at Children’s, waiting for tests to tell us if the spot they saw on our daughter’s  x-ray was the return of  cancer.  And the weapon my mind reached for to fight the rise of anxiety was the answer to the same question “What do we know about God?” When my world is slipping, I want to know who it is that’s holding me!  This time I was better equipped to preach to myself the attributes of God, the truths of his character.  And to hold on to the comfort in scriptures like Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Scripture made so much more powerful when you know who is behind those promises.   And, praise that is much deeper when we are not just worshiping God for what he does, but for the depth of his unchanging character.  My daughter’s cancer is not back, God is good.  If her cancer were back, God would still be good.  God is always good.

Last fall I began memorizing the attributes of God as listed in Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and teaching them to my kids.  We made up a cheesy little song to help us get snippets of gospel truths into memorizable form.

The song is to the tune of “My God is an awesome God”.

My God is independent

He doesn’t need you or me

Yet he allows us to be

A joy to his heart, and bring him glory

My God is unchanging

He’s the same day to day

In his purposes, promises and ways

He’s the solid rock on which we stand

My God is eternal

Always was and always will be

He sees all time equally

And he knows what is to come

My God is omnipresent

He’s everywhere all the time

There’s no keeping secrets from Him

And he’s always with me

My God has unity

His attributes mesh together perfectly

No wrath without mercy

And each act is of the whole person of God

My God is a spirit

He has no physical form

We cannot measure him

Like nothing we’ve seen or felt

My God is invisible

No one has ever seen God

But he does make himself known

Through creation and his Son

My God is omniscient

He know all things all the time

He knows all things possible

There’s nothing that God can learn

My God is wise

He makes the best decisions

To bring about the best results

By the best possible ways

My God is a God of truth

He does what he says he’ll do

His promises will come true

And we can trust in his word- the Bible

My God is a good God

All good comes from God

And, in his goodness

He was patience, mercy and grace

My God is a God of love

Steadfast and eternally

Giving of himself to bless me

As shown through Christ’s death on the cross

My God is a Holy God

He’s completely separate from sin

And he is devoted to

Seeking his own honor

My God is a God of peace,

Not confusion or disorder

He acts continually

In well ordered and controlled ways

My God is righteous and just

He always does what’s right

Sin deserves punishment

Christ died on the cross for my sins

My God is a jealous God

He seeks to protect his own honor

For he alone is worthy

He doesn’t want idols in our hearts

My God is a God of wrath

He intensely hates all sin

As Christians we don’t fear God’s wrath

Christ bore God’s wrath for our sins

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Goal for Weekly Once-Over Weekly Once-Over is our weekly recap of some great blog posts that we have seen this past week that have been helpful and our hope is that they would benefit you in someway. So every Thursday of each week you will see a post that has links to different blog posts. Enjoy!

Weekly Once-Over (5.22.13)

Jacob Chen - An Adoption Story: Drawing on Gospel parallels and the extent of God's pursuit, this film follows one couple as they meet their newly adopted son for the first time.

Christian Adoption: Disavowals and Affirmations: "Here is my effort to express the kind of commitments that would, I think, guard us from the kinds of abuses that have marred this otherwise beautiful movement of compassion and conviction in our day. I believe that the vast majority of Christian adoption advocates would agree with these disavowals and affirmations. These should be understood within the biblical and theological framework for adoption I have developed elsewhere on this site."

The Litmus Test of Genuine Christianity: "In our pluralistic culture, churches have become so varied that they spread confusion about what it really means to be a follower of Christ. When it comes to hot-button issues like gun rights, abortion, and homosexuality, professing Christians line up on opposite ends. Can Christianity legitimately be so divided? Or, to put it another way, can anyone discern the "real deal"? Is it possible to know what functional, practical Christianity truly looks like?"

Free E-Book Alert: Ligonier Ministries has announced that R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series will now be free for Kindle and other e-readers. So have at it! Can I Be Sure I'm Saved?; Can I Have Joy in My Life?; Can I Know God's Will?; Can I Trust the Bible?; Does God Control Everything?; Does Prayer Change Things?; How Should I Live in this World?; What Can I Do with My Guilt?; What Does It Mean to be Born Again?; What Is Baptism?; What Is Faith?; What Is the Trinity?; Who Is Jesus?; Who Is the Holy Spirit?

By Christ's purchasing redemption, two things are intended: his satisfaction and his merit; the one pays our debt, and so satisfies; the other procures our title, and so merits. The satisfaction of Christ is to free us from misery; the merit of Christ is to purchase happiness for us. - Jonathan Edwards