Volume 1 | Issue 3 – April 16, 2015
Pastor Steve shares these links to stimulate some Thursday Thoughts…
Tragically Beautiful Love – Chris Marley has some interesting thoughts on the fall … the great tragedy of humankind … and the love of God that was manifest from it. He writes: “When we examine the church, we see that she exists only through the sacrifice of Christ on her behalf. This is orchestrated in God’s perfect wisdom to show Christ’s perfect love. By Christ loving a fallen bride instead of a perfect one, a more beautiful love is shown. Likewise, as God is love and unchanging, the fall did not cause God to love His creation. Yet, because of the fall, we are able to really see it. The beauty, the depth, the magnificence of God’s love is shown because he loves his church after the fall.” You can read the rest HERE.
The Cost of Relativism – In recent years it is so common for me to hear parents tell their children: “Just do your best!” Well, our children should do their best — but the word “best” has implications; it suggests a standard by which good, better, and best can be measured. Be sure, mom and dad, that along with the necessary encouragement you give your child you are also holding up a standard of excellence and challenging them to reach it. Here is some wisdom from an op-ed in the New York Times. David Brooks writes: “We now have multiple generations of people caught in recurring feedback loops of economic stress and family breakdown, often leading to something approaching an anarchy of the intimate life. But it’s increasingly clear that sympathy is not enough. It’s not only money and better policy that are missing in these circles; it’s norms. The health of society is primarily determined by the habits and virtues of its citizens. In many parts of America there are no minimally agreed upon standards for what it means to be a father. There are no basic codes and rules woven into daily life, which people can absorb unconsciously and follow automatically.” You can read the rest of Brooks’ editorial HERE.
Proudly Humble – This past Sunday we were privileged to witness the baptism of some young women in our church. It is common, as it was Sunday, to hear congratulations shared with the parents of those who have matured to a personal faith in Christ. But is that an appropriate recognition? Tim Challies brings some clarity to the issue of humility (honoring God as the ultimate power in our lives) and pride (recognizing the efforts of those who serve Him). Challies writes: “The Apostle Paul was a genuinely humble man. He had a deep awareness of his own sin and a profound sense of his own unworthiness before God. When he wrote to the church at Philippi, he went to great lengths to explain that he knew himself to be the chief of sinners. He remembered with shame that by persecuting the Lord’s church, he had persecuted the Lord Himself (Phil. 3:6; Acts 9:4). He had much to humble him. Yet when he wrote to that church, Paul also told them, “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Phil. 3:17). You can read the rest HERE.
