Posts tagged Devotional
Weekly Once-Over (3.6.2014)
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10 Surefire Ways To Make Your Kids Hate Family Devotionals: Want to make absolutely sure that your kids loathe family devotions? Here are ten easy ways to make sure they associate family worship with legalism, boredom, and drudgery.

8 Encouragements To Single Men: Over the years I have seen some men handle singleness well, but I have seen more men handle it poorly. My goal here is not to heap shame on you but to encourage you. In Christ, your sins are forgiven and you are radically loved by the Father. He wants life for you, not death; hope, not despair; sanctified optimism, not disgruntled cynicism. If you are a genuine follower of Jesus every season is an instrument of transformation in the hands of our good and gracious God, as he forms you into the image of his Son (Rom 8:29). He will help you, strengthen you and uphold you (Isa 40:10). He has given you all that you need for life and godliness (2Peter 1:3). So, I encourage you to consider the eight following areas and, moved and motivated by the love and grace of God, make adjustments as needed. These tend to be the greatest areas of weakness for single men. 

Defining Legalism: Since the charge of "legalism" is tossed around carelessly, we should define the terms and see who does and who does not deserve the label. Let me name four classes of legalists. 

5 Godly Lessons From Sports: The odds of getting a full-ride scholarship or a big pro contract are long, but in sports there is a 100% chance that your child will learn lifelong lessons about faith, effort, attitude, playing on a team, and giving God the victory regardless of the outcome. As the parent of a young athlete, here are five ways to make those lessons positive ones.

Pregnancy After Miscarriage: I need grace that results in patience. Yes, the anger and bitterness grown within a person is sin. Thankfully Jesus died to overcome and forgive sin. That's why I can read Romans 5and have hope. I am a broken sinner whom Christ died for, not some beautified warrior riding a stallion.

5 Evidences Of Complementarian Gender Roles In Genesis 1-2: But is it really true? Is that what Genesis teaches? A closer look reveals the egalitarian reading of the text is quite misleading. [ii] Before sin enters the world, Genesis 1-2 presents man and woman as equal in their essence as divine image-bearers but unequal in their social roles. The first man Adam acts as the leader in this first marriage, and Eve is called to follow his leadership. God's appointment of Adam as leader comes out in at least five ways in Genesis 2.

The Savior Who Suffers With Us: The beauty of Christ’s atonement is seen in how God is with us (in our suffering), instead of us (as our substitute), and for us (in victory over the powers of Satan, sin, and death). In today’s blog post, I want to focus on how the truth of the incarnation (in the person of Jesus Christ God is with us) is magnified by the reality of the atonement (God is with us in suffering).

When Compassion Meets Brokenness: Are you facing brokenness, condemnation, seclusion, loneliness or pain?  Are you fighting your way to get to the feet of the one who knows you and longs to heal you?  On the cross, our savior stretched out his hands in compassion and love for us.  He took on our brokenness and in return, poured out true love that redeems the brokenness.  Fight through the crowds, worship at his feet and trust him to extend the love you need to have everything wrong become right again.

 

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Advent, A Season of Joyful Longing
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Advent, A Season of Joyful Longing

I know what your thinking. Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet and there is already a blog post about Advent. Well Advent starts this year on December 1st and we wanted to give you some extra time to prepare something during Advent with your family or even if your single. These resources are truly helpful to get ready for the upcoming Christmas Season. Dads, these resources are especially for you, this time of year is about making memories with your family, taking the lead and planning out something like this and what a great opportunity to start during Advent.

If you don't know what Advent, it is a season of adoring Jesus. It is a season of preparation for that special day when we mark Immanuel’s arrival — the coming of our eternal God in frail, human flesh. Advent is a way of lengthening the joy of Christmas. This wonderful season expresses our joy of Jesus' arrival and our desire for him to one day come again. Advent starts this year on December 1st and ends on December 25th so we are giving you a few days to prepare.

Below are a few helpful resources and devotional's for anyone who wants help getting ready for Advent.

Blogs and Devotionals 

An Advent Story: So, here’s the thing, forget everything you thought you knew about Advent candles and the local live nativity play and reading Luke 2 at your kids… Wait. Rewind. Don’t forget that stuff, it’s actually important, too. But it’s equally important that we engage with what scripture is saying about the meaning of Christ’s expectation and appearance to us. If we simply focus on the history of Christmas, we are inviting the same host of problems that attended the Pharisees—myopically pouring over dusty scrolls, refusing to see the living God right there in front of them.

Free Gospel-Centered Advent eBook: Advent is the season where we prepare our hearts for worshiping on Christmas Day as we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. We have developed a printable ebook to help you lead your family in preparing for this special day.

How Will You Make This Advent Special?We’re now only five days from Advent, which begins this Sunday, December 1. Just a few minutes of forethought today could go a long way in making this year special for your family, or spiritually significant for you personally.

Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative Book: Via Justin Taylor from The Gospel Coalition. "If you are looking for an Advent devotional this year, I would recommend Russ Ramsey’s new Behold the Lamb of God: An Advent Narrative (foreword by Andrew Peterson). Russ is a gifted writer and thinker, and he currently serves as a minister of preaching and pastoral care at Midtown Fellowship, a PCA church in downtown Nashville."

 

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