Thoughts for the Day....

"Rest will never come by trying to figure it all out. It only comes by trusting the One who has it all figured out for you." - Paul David Tripp 


"A true Christian is one who has not only peace of conscience, but war within." - J.C. Ryle


"Spiritual progress is not first measured by what we do and don't do, but how free we are to admit that we are weak and needy beggars." - Pastor Tullian

Source: Uploaded by user via Marcy on Pinterest

The Path of Peace

YOU WILL NOT FIND MY PEACE by engaging in excessive planning: attempting to control what will happen to you in the future. That is a commonly practiced form of unbelief. When your mind spins with multiple plans, Peace may sometimes seem to be within your grasp; yet it always eludes you. Just when you think you have prepared for all possibilities, something unexpected pops up and throws things into confusion.
I did not design the human mind to figure out the future. That is beyond your capability. I crafted your mind for continual communication with Me. Bring me all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything into My care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace. 


I Peter 5:6-7; Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 37:5


{from JESUS CALLING, September 17}

Wednesday Worship

Motherhood is a Calling

by Nicole Whitacre 

Filed under Motherhood

A wonderful article for mothers today from Rachel Jankovic: 

Live the gospel in the things that no one sees. Sacrifice for your children in places that only they will know about. Put their value ahead of yours. Grow them up in the clean air of gospel living. Your testimony to the gospel in the little details of your life is more valuable to them than you can imagine. If you tell them the gospel, but live to yourself, they will never believe it. Give your life for theirs every day, joyfully. Lay down pettiness. Lay down fussiness. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work.

Read the entire article here.

{Copied from girltalk.com}

Wednesday Worship

31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for Your Children

by Bob Hostetler

1. Salvation—"Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (Isa. 45:8; 2 Tim. 2:10)

2. Growth in Grace—"I pray that my children may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. 3:18)

3. Love—"Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to live a life of love, through the Spirit who dwells in them." (Gal. 5:25; Eph. 5:2)

4. Honesty and Integrity—"May integrity and honesty be their virtue
and their protection." (Ps. 25:21)

5. Self-Control—"Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be alert and self-controlled in all they do."
(1 Thess. 5:6)

6. Love for God's Word—"May my children grow to find Your Word more precious than much pure gold and sweeter than honey from the comb." (Ps. 19:10)

7. Justice—"God, help my children to love justice as You do and act justly in all they do." (Ps. 11:7; Mic. 6:8)

8. Mercy—"May my children always be merciful, just as their Father is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

9. Respect (for self, others, and authority)—"Father, grant that my children may show proper respect to everyone, as Your Word commands."
(1 Pet. 2:17)

10. Biblical Self-Esteem—"Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." (Eph. 2:10)

11. Faithfulness—"Let love and faithfulness never leave my children, but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts." (Prov. 3:3)

12. Courage—"May my children always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions." (Deut. 31:6)

13. Purity—"Create in them a pure heart, O God, and let that purity of heart be shown in their actions." (Ps. 51:10)

14. Kindness—"Lord, may my children always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1 Thess. 5:15)

15. Generosity—"Grant that my children may be generous and willing to share, and so lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age." (1 Tim. 6:18-19)

16. Peace-Loving—"Father, let my children make every effort to do what leads to peace." (Rom. 14:19)

17. Joy—"May my children be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit."
(1 Thess. 1:6)

18. Perseverance—"Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to run with perseverance the race marked out for them." (Heb. 12:1)

19. Humility—"God, please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all." (Titus 3:2)

20. Compassion—"Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion." (Col. 3:12)

21. Responsibility—"Grant that my children may learn responsibility, for each one should carry his own load." (Gal. 6:5)

22. Contentment—"Father, teach my children the secret of being content in any and every situation, through Him who gives them strength." (Phil. 4:12-13)

23. Faith—"I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them." (Luke 17:5-6; Heb. 11:1-40)

24. A Servant's Heart—"God, please help my children develop servant's hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, as if they were serving the Lord, not men." (Eph. 6:7)

25. Hope—"May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Rom. 15:13)

26. Willingness and Ability to Work—"Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work at it with all their heart, as working for the Lord and not for men." (Col. 3:23)

27. Passion for God—"Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee,' one that clings passionately to You." (Ps. 63:8)

28. Self-Discipline—"Father, I pray that my children may acquire a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair."
(Prov. 1:3)

29. Prayerfulness—"Grant, Lord, that my children's lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers." (1 Thess. 5:17)

30. Gratitude—"Help my children to live lives that are always overflowing with thankfulness and always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph. 5:20; Col. 2:7)

31. A Heart for Missions—"Lord, please help my children to develop a desire to see Your glory declared among the nations, Your marvelous deeds among the peoples." (Ps. 96:3)

© Bob Hostetler. Used with permission. www.ReviveOurHearts.comInfo@ReviveOurHearts.com

Wednesday Worship

Recommended reading! 

I am reading this daily devotional, and I highly recommend it. Elyse does an excellent job of pointing us to the gospel in our everyday life.

What books are you reading?

Wednesday Worship

"Waiting on God isn't about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It's part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life.  Waiting on God isn't to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan.  Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn't simply about what I'll receive at the end of my wait.  No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I'll become as I wait.  God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He's promised. Through the wait He's changing me.  By means of the wait He's altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires.  Through the wait He's causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom.  And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands" (emphasis mine).  Paul Tripp


Posted by Nicole Whitacre on the girltalk blog

Wednesday Worship

This is my prayer for our home.

"The most powerful way to keep your child from being attracted by the offers of camaraderie with the wicked is to make home an attractive place to be. Young people do not run from places where they are loved and know unconditional acceptance. They do not run away from homes where there are solid relationships. They do not run from homes in which the family is planning activities and doing exciting things."

Tedd Tripp, Shepherding a Child's Heart (Wapwallopen, Pa.: Shepherd Press, 1995), 195.

*I also believe that there are exceptions. Some children may still stray even when their home is inviting. But I know that God is sovereign in our lives and in the lives of our families.

Wednesday Worship

I read this article recently after Pastor Tullian tweeted the link. If you can, please take the time to read the entire article here. It truly is an encouragement and what I needed to hear. Below is the closing story of the article. Be blessed!

Too Good To Be True

I closed the sermon by recalling a story that Rod Rosenbladt told me when we were together at the recent Gospel Coalition conference in Chicago. It’s a story about a middle-aged woman who needed help from her pastor.

She went to her pastor and said, “Pastor, you know that I had an abortion a number of years ago?”  “Yes,” the Pastor replied.  “Well, I need to talk to you about the man I’ve since met.”  “Alright,” replied the Pastor.

“Well, we met a while back, and started dating and I thought, I need to tell him about the abortion. But I just couldn’t. Then things got more serious between us and I thought, I need to tell him about the abortion. But I just couldn’t. A while later we got engaged and I thought, I need to tell him about the abortion. But I just couldn’t. Then we got married and I thought, I really need to tell him about the abortion. But I just couldn’t. So I needed to talk to someone, Pastor, and you’re it.”

The Pastor replied, “You know, we have a service for this. Let’s go through that together.” So they did – a service of confession and absolution.

When they were finished, she said to him, “Now I think I have the courage to tell my new husband about my abortion.  Thanks, Pastor.”

And the Pastor replied to her, “What abortion?”

What the Pharisee, the prostitute, and everyone in between, need to remember every day is that Christ offers forgiveness full and free from both our self-righteous goodness and our unrighteous badness. This is the hardest thing for us to believe as Christians. We think it’s a mark of spiritual maturity to hang onto our guilt and shame. We’ve sickly concluded that the worse we feel, the better we actually are. The declaration of Psalm 103:12 is the most difficult for us to grasp and embrace: “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Or, as Corrie ten Boom once said, “God takes our sins—the past, present, and future—and dumps them in the sea and puts up a sign that says ‘No Fishing allowed.’” This seems too good to be true…it can’t be that simple, that easy, that real!

It is true! No strings attached. No but’s. No conditions. No need for balance. If you are a Christian, you are right now under the completely sufficient imputed righteousness of Christ. Your pardon is full and final. In Christ, you’re forgiven. You’re clean. It is finished.

What abortion?

Wednesday Worship

John Piper tweeted: 

"Almost everything I've ever published is free online. Including the books. 

We exist to spread, not sell." http://dsr.gd/kTXLfA 

Love that! Take advantage of valuable gospel resources!

Wednesday Worship

WHY YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY

Posted 5/20/2011 | By: R W Glenn (our pastor)

In Matt 6:25-34, Jesus commands us not to worry. A command! This is why I've said elsewhere that worry is a sin. If Jesus commands us not to worry, then to worry is to break his commandment.

But this doesn't mean that you should understand Jesus to be irritated with you over your worry, as if he's saying, "Why don't you worry warts get with the program?! Instead, the command not to worry is what I call a "comfort command," like, "Don't cry," or "Feel better," or "Be safe."

So Jesus is commanding us not to worry. Worry is a sin. It is the fruit of misplaced values and hidden pride. But Jesus is also saying, "You don't have to worry. You don't have to be afraid." Jesus is saying that once you see what God is like and all he is for you through the gospel, your worry will evaporate.

And I've chosen the word "evaporate" very carefully. I had originally written "vanish," but vanish carries the connotation of something that takes place instantaneously. Overcoming worry doesn't work like that. Worry is overcome (like most of the sin in our lives) through a process. As you see all that God is for you in the gospel, slowly but surely your anxiety will dry up. Get clear on this, and you'll begin to make a dent in your worry.

This, incidentally, is why so many other methods we use to comfort ourselves and others come up short: (1) thoughtless optimism, a kind of carelessness: "Don't worry. Be happy. Everything's gonna be alright."; (2) logic and the stasticial improbability of such-and-such a thing happening to you; (3) distraction: "You've got to do something to get your mind off it." (4) Planning and scheming to show that you have things more under control than you thought; (5) tell others you'll always be there for them no matter what happens (you don't know this for sure).

None of these approaches provide real encouragement because none of them directs us to the gospel. But Jesus, the master teacher and gospel preacher knows better. He gives us two reasons, rooted firmly in all God is for us in the gospel, for why we don't have to worry.

1. God is in control of all of life...which includes your life.

Verse 25 says he gave you your life. And if he gave you this big thing (life itself), won't he also give you the small things (food and clothing)?

Verse 26 says he takes care of the birds; therefore, he'll take care of you.

Verse 27 says that he ordains the number of your days. You are invincible until God takes you out.

And vv 28-30 says that he clothes the grass of the field; therefore, he'll clothe you.

And I would argue that deep down, we all have a sense of this - of God's care for us. Nature tells it to us. We see it every day, if we're looking, as Jesus is so quick to point out with birds and grass.

2. The God who is in control of your life is your heavenly Father.

This is even more significant than the first point because if we don't join the sovereignty of God with his other attributes - his compassion, mercy, grace, and love - then we will fear that the things he's bringing into our lives are happening to hurt or destroy us. But when we know that the God who is in control of our lives is also our loving, merciful, compassionate heavenly Father, everything changes.

Pagans (the Gentiles Jesus is talking about) don't have this assurance. They don't have a heavenly father. They are orphans, subject to the whims of capricious gods who make Pagans cut themselves and ultimately destroy themselves...for nothing. And because they are orphans, they are anxious about what they will eat and drink and wear, looking for security in providing for themselves because they know that nobody else will.

But Christians are not orphans! We are the children of the heavenly Father - a father who knows what we need before we ask him.

Now this doesn't mean that we will never face adversity, but what it does mean is that whatever difficulties we face come with the consent and knowledge of a father who deeply loves us.

The root of our fear is that we do not believe that we are beloved to the heavenly Father. You worry because you don't believe you are his child; because you do not see him as your daddy. Want proof? Look to the cross! And there you will see the Father's costly love ever and always demonstrating his commitment to you as his child. "You are more valuable than many sparrows," Jesus said. In fact, you are so valuable to the Father that he paid the ultimate price to rescue you. That's love you can count on!

I Love My Church!

Redeemer Bible Church

Minnetonka, MN

I have been a member of Redeemer Bible Church for 4 years. I came to Redeemer, because I had a friend who attended there with her family. She recommended I come visit. So I did, and I haven't left! :) The first thing that I loved about Redeemer was the gospel-centered preaching and world-view. I also was drawn in because of the transparency of the people. God has used Redeemer to grow me immensely in my knowledge and love for Him and the gospel. I have become so aware of my depravity, my self-righteousness, and my daily need for Christ, His work on the cross, and His rescue and forgiveness. I am learning to rest in His sovereignty. This life is all about Him, and not about me! I have met people that have truly become my family. I was introduced to my husband through friends from church! We have been able to be involved in Small Groups, the music ministry, children's ministry, and Prayer Meeting. 

Where do you go to church? What do you love about your church? Or what are you looking for in a church? And if you live in the Minnetonka, Minnesota area, please come visit my church!