By PastorJohn on 5/28/2009 7:11 PM

As a child, my parents were gracious enough to give me a choice when it came to attending church. I could go willingly or unwillingly! And I must regrettably report that more often than not I chose the latter.  Even so, I am thankful for the opportunity to learn patient endurance at such a young age…especially when it came to the sermon. This was in the days before “junior church” so there was no escape from the prolonged musings of our preacher.

Of course, now I am on the other side of the pulpit, and while it may be tempting to project similar suffering on my listeners as retribution for my lost Sunday mornings, I’d rather not go there. Certainly, most pastors have no desire to torment their congregations either, and this may explain why so many of today’s sermons have incorporated all sorts of technology, are smattered with humorous anecdotes (many of which have nothing to do with the topic) and – if all else fails – are abbreviated to fit our ever decreasing attention Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/26/2009 12:21 PM

If you are a young single man...or know a young single man...check out this free booklet from Focus on the Family entitled "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well." Below is from the Introduction:

Marrying Well Is Becoming a Lost Art

Most men hope to marry some day, but there’s no guarantee they will. Increasingly, young men are—as one writer put it—“stumbling on to the altar as if by accident.”

Too many guys make their way into their twenties and thirties without the marriage modeling and insights that were once easy to find from dads, coaches, teachers, mentors and Christian leaders. When they do find advice about relationships, it’s often spec Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/24/2009 8:53 PM

I mentioned in a previous post, my whole-hearted recommendation of Bruce Ware's book Big Truths for Young Hearts. And I do this for kids of all ages and even for adults who would like an easy to read summary of the Christian faith. Check out Albert Mohler's interview with Bruce Ware if you'd like to learn more about this great resource.

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By PastorJohn on 5/21/2009 10:37 PM

Have you heard this line attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words."? Well, according to this article in Christianity Today, he never said it and he certainly didn't live it. It turns out, Francis was quite a preacher in his day, and he knew (along with Saint Paul), that "faith comes from hearing the Gospel."

Mark Galli ends his article with a better suggestion: "Preach the gospel - use actions when necessary, use words always."

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By PastorJohn on 5/18/2009 7:44 PM

HT: Challies

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By PastorJohn on 5/16/2009 7:39 PM

John Piper has a particularly poignant message for our new president.  This video arrangement came from a sermon he delivered on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. It's only 3 minutes and well worth your time.

 

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By PastorJohn on 5/6/2009 8:08 PM

To all you Moms and (especially) Dads out there who are having a hard time passing on your faith to your kids. You want to...and you know you need to, but still the time just flits away and bible reading and any kind of discussion about God never materialize. This is truly a battle, especially if we don't know where to begin. So for those of you out there looking for a good resource to help train your children in the faith, may I highly recommend to you a new book that I've just begun using with my son. It's called Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware. (I mentioned this briefly in my last post).

Here is a link to an interview the author and you can buy the book here. The book is perfect for just before bedt Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/4/2009 9:20 PM

Last night at our "Essentials of the Faith" class, we discussed the Trinity and the three summary statements the Scriptures call us to hold when thinking about God:

1. God is Three Distinct Persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)
2. Each Person is Fully God
3. There is Only One God

Each statement is easy to understand in itself, but how do we put them together. No analogy seems to work. So, the question came up on how best to explain the Trinity to our children in a way that is helpful and will not lead them into some form of heresy.

I didn't have much of an answer last night, but here is how Bruce Ware explains it in his book Big Truths for Young Hearts (which I highly recommend).

The closest thing I've imagined to the Trinity is drawing one circle using three colored markers (perha Read More »

By PastorJohn on 5/2/2009 11:14 AM

Just came across a poem by E.H. Hamilton entitled "Afraid? of what?". It was written after he heard about the death of his friend Jack Vinson. Jack was a missionary in China. In 1931, he was told by a bandit, "I'm going to kill you. Aren't you afraid?" Jack Vinson replied, "No, if you shoot, I go straightto heaven." His decapitated body was found later.

"Afraid? Of what?"
To feel the spirit's glad release?
To pass from pain to perfect peace,
The strife and strain of life to cease?
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
Afraid to see the Saviour's face,
To hear His welcome, and to trace,
The glory gleam from wounds of grace,
Afraid? Of that?

Afraid? Of what?
A flash - a crash - a pierced he& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/22/2009 10:19 PM

I just finished reading The Cross of Christ by John Stott.  (The March assignment in the Book of the Month Challenge). OK, OK, I’m a little behind, but not to worry… I’m on vacation and hoping to use the leisure time to make up the difference.

It turns out that this book was a much slower read than expected – not because it was academically nuanced or boring, but rather because it was so rich and thoughtful. There is a reason it takes hours to dine at a fine Steak House and only minutes to scarf down a burger at McDonalds. John Stott is a master chef for those interested in real food for the soul and The Cross of Christ  is a five-star Restaurant. But if I were to read it again, I would prefer to do it in a small group taking a chapter a week.

To give you a taste, here are portions of a section entitled “The Pain of God” from Chapter 13: Suffering and Glory. In this chapter, Stott explains how the Cross he Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/19/2009 10:28 PM

R.C. Sproul recently aired a series on abortion. Topics included:

1. What Are the Key Issues? Is abortion murder? Is a fetus a person? What about women's rights? Learn the fundamental issues of abortion.
2. How Sacred Is Human Life? Does human life have sacred value worthy of protection by the law? Is the sanctity of human life a truth that you hold as self-evident?
3. When Does Life Begin? What qualifies you to be human? Who gives you the right to call yourself a living human person? God? The Church? Or should it be the State?
4. What is the Relationship of Church and State? Should today's abortions decisions be made exclusively by politicians and judges? Should the church have any say Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 4/16/2009 1:50 PM

For those of you interested in learning more about the Essential Teachings of our Faith, but are  not able to attend our Sunday evening or Wednesday morning classes, you may want to check out this link. Wayne Grudem (who wrote the book that we are following) has been teaching this as a Sunday School for the past 5 years and his outlines and audio are made available for free at his website: www.christianessentialssbc.com. christianessentialssbc.com.

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By PastorJohn on 4/11/2009 8:33 PM

As many of you know, John Piper is one of my favorite authors and his devotional books have been a great help to me especially his thoroughly biblical meditations upon the glory of Jesus Christ. May I recommend another resource from DesiringGod ministries entitled "50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die". You can download the entire book for free here. Below are the 50 reasons listed in the Table of Contents:

1. To Absorb the Wrath of God
2. To Please His Heavenly Father
3. To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected
4. To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead
5. To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners
6. To Show His Own Love for Us
7. To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us
8. To Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 4/10/2009 10:28 AM

Sometimes, I'm at a loss for words and even thoughts, especially about such profound mysteries as the Death and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It's at these moments that I have found great friends and mentors in the Puritan writers of old. So many times I have turned to my copy of the The Valley of Vision (a collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions) and found refreshment for my soul. Here is just such a prayer for today (Good Friday) entitled, "Calvary's Anthem."

Heavenly Father,
You have led me singing to the cross
where I fling down all my burdens and see them vanish,
where my mountains of guilt are levelled to a plain,
where my sins disappear, though they are the greatest that exist,
and are more in number than the grains of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/7/2009 8:25 PM

 This article appeared in our March 2005 newsletter.

I have a confession to make. Even with all this talk of the goodness of humility and the sin of pride, I don’t like being humbled. Actually, I hate it! There is something in me (maybe even all of me) that recoils at the idea of being humiliated. I want to be respected and honored. I want to be appreciated and valued for all that I am. I want others to speak of me with glad admiration. How about you? Well if you’re anything like me, the Bible has good news for us. Though pride is a sin and is outright condemned, our desire to be valued, even exalted, is not sinful in itself. In fact, God appeals to these desires as the primary reason we should strive for humility.  Huh? Well, take a look for yourself:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

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By PastorJohn on 4/3/2009 12:16 PM

I have a good friend whose elderly mother is just moments away from leaving this world to be with her heavenly Father. These are sad times, but as believers, we need never grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and my friend shared the comfort he received from an old hymn written by Henri Malan (1787-1864) entitled "It Is Not Death to Die"

It is not death to die
To leave this weary road
And join the saints who dwell on high
Who’ve found their home with God
It is not death to close
The eyes long dimmed by tears
And wake in joy before Your throne
Delivered from our fears

O Jesus, conquering the grave
Your precious blood has power to save
Those who trust in You
Will in Your mercy find
That it is not death to die

It is not Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/2/2009 8:22 PM

Just received this e-mail from one of our members recommending a website/ministry called "Setting Captives Free":

John Piper has endorsed this site and I wanted to share it with you as a resource. It deals with addictions but focuses on Biblical encouragement, reflection with an emphasis on transformation to glorifying God more. I have signed up to work on my weight issues and the first day's work which takes about 1/2 hour to an hour really hit home. Prayer and mentors are included in this free resource and I was contacted soon after I signed up with specific references to my message I sent. So there is a live person reading this.

I have briefly perused the site, and it looks like it could be very helpful for folks struggling with all sorts of addictions and habitual sins. Read More »

By PastorJohn on 4/1/2009 8:33 PM

I'm not a big fan of most  of what passes for counseling and therapy  these days. But I have found the work and books from the Christian Counseling and Education Foundation (CCEF) to be excellent. These include the likes of Ed Welch (Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave) and David Powlison who are thoroughly Christ-centered and grounded in the Scriptures.

For those of you who may not have the time or desire to read lengthy counseling books, check out the selection of mini books from CCEF here. Each book costs about $4 and the topics include:

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By PastorJohn on 4/1/2009 4:13 PM

Revelation 4:10 says the elders laid their crowns before the throne, what are these crowns and did they bring them into eternity?  Is this something only reserved for elders? 

Before getting to the specifics of this question, I think it is helpful to remember the rules of interpretation, particularly for the book of Revelation. This book is an “apocalypse” which is a peculiar kind of literature that we don’t use much today. One of its distinguishing marks is that it is full of fantastic imagery. (Take for example, the four living creatures that circle the throne in Rev. 4:6-8). Now these images are not to be taken in a literal sense, they are highly symbolic. Likewise, the 24 elders with crowns, though not as psychedelic as the creatures, are also symbolic.

First, note that they are elders sitting on thrones, which means they are intended to represent those in authority in God’s Church. And tha Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/30/2009 3:55 PM

John Piper has a free (and not-too-lengthy at 29 pages) e-book for you to download entitled "Rethinking Retirement: Finishing Life for the Glory of Christ."  Here are the first few paragraphs to get you started:

"Finishing life to the glory of Christ means finishing life in a way that makes Christ look glorious. It means living and dying in a way that shows Christ to be the all-satisfying Treasure that he is. So it would include, for example, not living in ways that make this world look like your treasure. Which means that most of the suggestions that this world offers us for our retirement years are bad ideas. They call us to live in a way that would make this world look like our treasure. And when that happens, Jesus is belittled.

Resolutely Resisting Retirement
Finishing life to the glory of Christ means resolutely resis Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/28/2009 9:05 PM

A couple of weeks ago, Illinois pastor Fred Winters was shot and killed while preaching during a Sunday morning worship service. In this interview, his widow Cindy Winters gives a powerful testimony of forgiveness and the hope we find in Christ.

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By PastorJohn on 3/26/2009 10:10 PM

Kudos to ABC's Nightline for holding this fascinating debate on the Existence of Satan. I've only had the chance to watch a couple of the clips but it looks great. Here is a quick summary from the website on the speakers:

In this third installment, philosopher Deepak Chopra and Bishop Carlton Pearson will face-off against Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the Christian ministry "Hookers for Jesus" about the existence of the Devil.

Click here to watch. (NOTE: you may get a bit frustrated with all the ads, but one viewer suggested that you switch to Mozilla Firefox and download ad-block plus for a more enjoyable experience.) 

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By PastorJohn on 3/26/2009 7:10 PM

How should a Christian think about work? Believe it or not, the Bible has quite a bit to say about our activity in the secular world, and Gene Edward Veith has a terrific article in TableTalk magazine outlining a thoroughly biblical and potentially life-transforming understanding of the Christian in the workplace. Here is one portion that I found particularly helpful.

The doctrine of vocation, a term that is just the Latin word for "calling," deals with how God works through human beings to bestow His gifts. God gives us this day our daily bread by means of the farmer, the baker, the cooks, and the lady at the check-out counter. He creates new life -- the most amazing miracle of all -- by means of mothers and fathers. He protects us by means of police officers, firemen, and our military. He creates beauty through artists. He heals by w Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/24/2009 9:36 PM

If you love a good debate, keep your eye out for a new movie called "Collision". This is a documentary featuring the debates between renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens (author of God Is Not Great)  and pastor and theologian Doug Wilson. Both of these men have a keen intellect and sharp wit. Check out this brief review and trailer.

Another documentary that Christine and I recently enjoyed was "Expelled" by Ben Stein. This was a very informative and enjoyable take on the Creation-Evolution controversy.

 

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By PastorJohn on 3/23/2009 9:30 PM

Below is a helpful summary of Seven Conterfeit Gospels that continually find their way into our churches and our thinking. These are cited in How People Change by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. (HT: Justin Taylor). I've found them to be very helpful and convicting as I am prone to wander from the Cross of Christ.

1.   Formalism:  “I participate in the regular meetings and ministries of the church, so I feel like my life is under control. I’m always in church, but it really has little impact on my heart or on how I live. I may become judgmental and impatient with those who do n

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By PastorJohn on 3/18/2009 10:09 PM

This article appeared in our April 2007 Newsletter.

THE REASON FOR FAITH

One of the sure signs of Spring is the onslaught of TV specials challenging the historic Christian understanding of Jesus and the Resurrection. And of course, these always seem to appear just in time for Easter…as if to throw a wet blanket on our Lenten festivities.  This year is no exception. Many of you have seen or at least heard of the recent ‘documentary’ on the Discovery Channel entitled: The Lost Tomb of Jesus. The basic premise of this film is that Jesus’ bones have been discovered in a tomb in Jerusalem and therefore, we can conclude that he did not rise from the dead. Furthermore, there is evidence that he married Mary Magdalene and sired a son with her. Sound familiar? It also happens to be the claim of last year’s Da Vinc&l Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/17/2009 2:25 PM

For those interested, here are a couple of short articles that will help you appreciate Saint Patrick a little more today...and who knows, he may even inspire you. Enjoy

What Evangelicals Can Learn from Saint Patrick by Russell Moore

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! by Amy Hall

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By PastorJohn on 3/16/2009 3:50 PM

 Last night at our Sunday Night Study (Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith), we discussed the concept of God’s Immutability (i.e. that God does not change). Not only does God’s character and nature never change (Psalm 102:25-27), the Scriptures are clear that His plans and purposes are also unchanging: "The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations." ( Psalm 33:11)

With this in mind, we pondered the paradox of prayer: If God is in control of all things and His purposes will be accomplished then why should we pray?

The first answer to this question is rather simple: Because God commands us to pray! (Matthew 6:5-13; Ephesians 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17, James 5:13-16, Jude 1:20) And not just some of the time, at all times and in all places. That alone should be sufficient motivation for a believer.

But now, let’s go a little deepe

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By PastorJohn on 3/13/2009 10:49 AM

These are anxious times for many in our nation and in our church. And in such a time as these, there are many "prophets" coming on the scene giving warnings of disaster. Sometimes, even good and faithful servants of God can get caught up in the fury of it all.  We saw this 10 years ago during the Y2K "crisis".  

Recently, David Wilkerson came out with a prediction of enormous calamity that is troubling to say the least. Whether you're aware of this or not, I recommend you check out John Piper's very even-handed and gracious response to him. It is a good lesson in how we should test the prophets of our day.

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By PastorJohn on 3/13/2009 9:16 AM

I've been receiving a few e-mails and phone calls recently with specific questions of doctrine that people are wrestling with. Questions that relate to topics like God's choosing whom He wants to save, what it means to be born again, what is the difference between justification and sanctification, how will God judge those who have never heard of Christ...as well as how we should understand some of the more difficult passages of the Bible. These are great questions and I love discussing them and trying to find a solid biblical answer for them.

So, if you're interested, I'd like to use this blog as a forum for this. Here's the proposal, as you are reading your bibles and having discussions and wrestling with issues, please feel free to e-mail me any question or topic that you'd like me to address and then I'll post my best answer...call it "Stump the Pastor" if you'd like. Just send any question to

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By PastorJohn on 3/9/2009 10:48 AM

 The following article appeared in our March 2006 Newsletter. As we continue to intercede for one another and for this world, we would do well to remember how our enemy works. 

Recently, Christine and I watched The Exorcism of Emily Rose. I don’t normally care for horror movies, but this one is fascinating and thought-provoking. It is loosely based on a true story and directed by a Christian man. In fact, the main point of the movie is to get the audience to wrestle with the reality of the spiritual world (both good and evil). And to that end, it does the trick. After watching this film, we stayed up an extra hour processing what we had just seen.

Even so, I have mixed feelings about this kind of portrayal of the devil. On the one hand, the Bible is very clear that demon possession is a reality in this world and Jesus and His disciples encountered many demons in their time. Likewise, we cannot deny th Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/7/2009 10:02 PM

As you may know, we are in the midst of our Seven Weeks of Prayer at MSBC. And perhaps the most eternally significant request we can bring before God is the salvation of those who are lost in their sins and have no knowledge of the Good News of forgiveness and eternal life that God has provided for us in Jesus Christ. If prayers for one lost person have eternal significance, how much more prayers for lost tribes and entire nations? 

According to the Joshua Project, there are presently over 6,000 unreached people groups that include over 2.7 billion people. (Unreached means that fewer than 5% of the population is Christian).  This may seem overwhelming at first, but when we consider Matthew 28:18-20 where Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations, we should be greatly Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/6/2009 12:16 PM

To all concerned parents out there:

If you have a child with any kind of access to a computer, I'd encourage you to check out the latest internet filtering software. Here is the link to reviews for the Top 10 filters. I was especially pleased to find out that the one that got the highest rating was also the least expensive (only $28.99). Watch this video for an explanation of all the latest features of Net Nanny.

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By PastorJohn on 3/6/2009 10:47 AM

Here is another great website to add to your resource list: Eternal Perspectives by Randy Alcorn. This website includes a wealth of articles and audio/video teachings on a wide variety of topics that I think will be a great encouragement to you. I first heard Randy speak at a pastor's conference several years ago and was very impressed with his insights on money and ministry. His book the Treasure Principle is a one-sitting, easy-to-read classic that has radically changed the outlook of many Christians (myself included). Here are some of my favorite quotes from this book:

Our giving is a reflexive response to the grace of God in our lives. It doesn't come out of our altruism or philanthropy—it comes out Read More »

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By PastorJohn on 3/5/2009 8:48 PM

Last night I was putting my son Daniel to bed and had just finished reading "The Prince's Poison Cup"  (a children's book by R.C. Sproul) with him  when he asked me two profound questions: "Why did God make people who sin? And why did God make Satan?" Through our discussion, it was clear that he knew that God is in complete control of everything and can do whatever he wants; he knew that God could have made a world where Satan did not exist and people did not sin. Given that, then why did he create a world that could go bad?

My initial answer (which bought me a little time) was to say, "That's a good question...I'm not really sure, but God has His purposes for everything." But upon further reflection, a passage came to mind that shed some light on the issue. In the book of Exodus, God is explaining why He didn't just w Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/4/2009 8:30 PM

Here are two stories that I've recently read. The first is from the Epilogue of A Faith Worth Sharing by C. John Miller and the second from The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever. Both books I highly recommend. The one by John Miller was one of the most thoroughly enjoyable and readable books I have read in a long time.

THE SALVATION OF MR. YORK

One day when Jack (John Miller) was a young pastor in California, he received an unexpected call from the hospital. Jack had known the man's health wasn't good, but he wasn't prepared for this message: "Come to the hospital quickly. Mr. York is dying!"

At the hospital Jack received his second shock. the sound of Mr. York's breathing was horrible. This non-Christian man was dying from l& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/4/2009 11:17 AM

 This is an old blog from Together for the Gospel, but it contains some great and memorable quotes on the Gospel. Here are some of my favorites:

"There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin." (Oswald Chambers)

"The gospel is not 'God loves us,' but 'God loves us at the cost of his Son.'" (Derek Thomas)

“One is taken aback by the emphasis upon the Cross in Revelation. Heaven does not ‘get over’ the cross, as if there are better things to think about; heaven is not only Christ-centered, but cross-centered, and quite blaring about it.” (Jim Elliff)

And J.C. Ryle's warnings on ho Read More »

By PastorJohn on 3/3/2009 8:12 PM

Just found out from Justin Taylor's blog that Crossway will be giving everyone everywhere free access to their on-line version of the ESV Study Bible for the month of March. This includes thousands of study notes, dozens of articles and maps, audio recordings of the Scriptures and more. Here is the link. Check it out when you get a chance. I've already mentioned that this has quickly become my favorite study bible of all time.

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By PastorJohn on 3/2/2009 5:44 PM

This may be the most common question/objection to Christianity: How can Jesus be the ONLY way to God? I've attempted to answer this question in a number of ways, but I have not found a better or more powerful response than the one RC Sproul gives in this video.

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By PastorJohn on 3/2/2009 1:24 PM

As of this writing, the Stock Market has just slipped under 7000 and unemployment is on the rise. I have several friends who have specifically requested prayer to find work and others who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat. There is a growing sense of fear and anxiety in our culture and whenever I turn on the radio or browse the internet, I get a case of the willies as well.

But then, I open the Scriptures and I'm reminded again that panic and anxiety are never befitting a Christian. We often have too great a tolerance of these sins, and are far too quick to excuse them. But while they may be universal in their affliction, they are no less evil and devastating to our faith. Along with arrogance and pride, these are some of the surest signs of the unbeliefand wickedness that still remains and must be destroyed in our hearts. Consider Proverbs 28:1:

"The wicked flee Read More »

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By PastorJohn on 2/28/2009 3:55 PM

The Shack (a novel by William Young) is still making quite a stir out there. And to say that reviews have been mixed is truly an understatement. Eugene Peterson (writer of The Message) claims that this book “has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim Progress did for his. It's that good." Meanwhile, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says, “This book includes undiluted heresy.” I have some good friends who love this book and others who think it is poorly written at best and might even be hazardous to our faith.

So what to do with this? It's been my policy to stay out this debate which is why I haven't read The Shack, and I have no intention to do so in the near future. If people are still talking about this book a year from now, I'll pick up a copy and give it a run.

Even so, for those that are wrestling wit Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/27/2009 9:32 PM

Here is a good link from dailychristianquote.com filled with 15 pages of quotes on prayer. Some of my favorites:

"Prayer does not mean asking God for all kinds of things we want, it is rather the desire for God Himself, the only Giver of Life."    (Sadhu Sundar Singh)

"The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray."  (Samuel Chadwick)

"Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body. How a person can live and not breathe is past my comprehension, and how a person can believe and not pray is past my comprehension too."& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/27/2009 9:51 AM

The following article appeared in our September 2000 Newsletter. It is part 3 of a 3-part series on the impossible work of evangelism. Click here to read part 1 and here to read part 2. Also,let it be known that my nephews Erik and Keith Andersen (ages 10 and 11 at the time) contributed quite a bit  to this final installment. 

STRANGER IN THE NIGHT

It was a dark and

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By PastorJohn on 2/26/2009 11:08 AM

The following article appeared in our August 2000 Newsletter. It is part 2 of a 3-part series on the impossible work of evangelism. Click here to read part 1.

THE MYSTERIOUS MR. X

I had been given my orders from Headquarters (HQ), and now it was time to go Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 8:13 PM

For those of you interested in learning a lot more about church history, theology, biblical studies, missions, worship, leadership or other similar courses, check out Biblical Training on-line. This is an amazing website with free lectures from some of the top professors around the country. In their own words:

Biblical Training offers the finest in Christian evangelical teaching
to the world, for free, forever.
Training for transformation you can trust.

But don't take my word for it, go see for yourself.

Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 12:41 PM

This is the most important question we must answer in this life and in the life to come. Below are a few great resources to help us understand the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ and then explain this message to others.

Two Ways to Live

What is the Gospel? - by Mark Dever (Video)

The Gospel in 6 Minutes - by John Piper (Video)

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By PastorJohn on 2/25/2009 12:25 PM

NOTE: The following article appeared in our July 2000 Newsletter. A little Action-Packed fiction to help us reflect upon the great work of evangelism...Enjoy!

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE

The sun beat heavily on my trim, yet muscular body glistening with odorless perspiration. "Now this is the life!" I thought to myself as I looked out from my rocky perch. "There's nothing quite as relaxing as free climbing the Grand Canyon!"

A bell rang out in the distance. . . or was it my cell phone? I reached down to take the incoming call when suddenly, in that brief moment of distraction, the ledge beneath me gave way. Before I realized what was happening, i was falling in midair with nothing but the Colorado Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/24/2009 4:25 PM

I just finished a great book on evangelism called Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman which basically calls us to use good questions to engage people in spiritual conversations. The beauty of questions is that they take the pressure off of you and help the person actually think through spiritual reality instead of politely ignoring your gospel presentation.

Another book that takes a similar approach is called Tactics by Gregory Koukl. I'm about half-way through this one and it's a pretty easy read and well-worth your time. The main tactic is called the "Columbo Tactic" which is modeled after Peter Falk's famous detective who would use strategic questions to confound and convict criminals. Two great questions to use when engaging someone who is opposed to your convictions are:

1. What do you mean ...

 

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 5:52 PM

Breaking News...Sean and Sara Graham have just become the proud parents of a baby boy, Ryan Nickerson Graham, weighing in at 9 pounds 11 ounces. Mom and baby are both doing well and heading home.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 4:14 PM

February is just about over, which means that those of us taking the "Book of the Month" challenge should just be finishing up The Pleasures of God by John Piper. So let the conversation begin!

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Piper and I've read most of his books. While this was by no means his easiest to read, it has become my favorite. He has a gift for taking me out of myself and forcing me to give God my full attention. Given all the things to be anxious about today (failing economy, threats of terrorism, corruption in politics...), it was a transcendent encouragement to meditate upon the absolute greatness and perfect sovereignty of God...just to peek at his eternal happiness in Himself was all it took to lift my spirits.

Here is one quote from C.S. Lewis mentioned in chapter 2 that helped me put things in perspective:

"To be sovereign of the universe is no gr& Read More »

By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 1:09 PM

Just received this recommendation from Les Anderson on a place to read the bible on-line. It's called biblegateway.  I'd also recommend the esv study bible website. If you have a copy of the ESV Study Bible (or know someone who does) you can use the study notes by entering a special code. Personally, I think this is the best study bible out there. If anyone else has any favorite bible sites, please mention them in the comments section.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 12:49 PM

In case you missed it, there was a recent article on our very own Ron Fuller in the Newburyport Daily News. You can also read about  Dianne Cole's research on anti-slavery or  Ruth Kerr and her "heart-felt" mission in the Amesbury News. (Click on their names to link to their stories.)

If you know of any others out there, please add them in the comment section.

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By PastorJohn on 2/23/2009 12:03 PM

Easter Sunday is seven weeks away and to help prepare ourselves for this great celebration, we will be having a special focus on corporate and personal prayer. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the early church devoted themselves to constant corporate prayer (Acts 1:14), and God answered and expanded His Kingdom on earth in response. This is our great privilege today that we can pray with the same kind of boldness and fervency. Toward that end, we have a 3-fold approach to this:

Private Prayer: in the bulletins on February 22 and March 1 and availble in the church office or by request are cards that contain the names of 10 families from our church. Please take this home and put it in your bible and pray for these families. Pray for…

• Increasing measures of faith to trust Christ and believe the Gospel in spite of circumstances and love for others (Ephesians 3:17-19; Philippians 1:9-11)&l
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By PastorJohn on 2/20/2009 4:23 AM

If you've spent anytime at all on the internet, you know what kind of filth is out there - stuff that wages war against your own soul. (1 Peter 2:11) But even amongst all the swine, there are quite a few pearls. Below are some of my all-time favorite websites and blogs that have blessed and encouraged me over the years. Check them out when you get a chance, and feel free to add your own favorites in the Comment section.

• www.theologica.blogspot.com - This is typically the first site I visit whenever I go on-line. Great running commentary and helpful links to the latest articles on the culture, church and faith.
• www.challies.com - My favorite place for book reviews. This was voted the best Christian blog.
• www.internetmonk.com - Very th Read More »
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By PastorJohn on 2/15/2009 12:17 PM

 Welcome!

This is the first entry for our MSBC blog! Hope this site will be a blessing and our conversations encouraging. Check back regularly for updates on things happening, thoughts for the day and especially reflections on what I've been reading lately. To get us started, here is a list of the books I'll be working through during the year. Please feel free to comment! God bless you all!

BOOK OF THE MONTH (February 2009 – January 2010)

Below are listed the 12 books to be read over the next 12 months. These include brief descriptions taken from...

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