Volume 1 | Issue 23 – October 1, 2015
Pastor Steve shares these links to stimulate some Thursday Thoughts…
Next week is Fall Break for the local school systems and here at Grace we take a Family Week. The normal ministry activities are dismissed to allow you to spend time with your family. Here are some Thursday Thoughts that might serve your time together.
The Difficulty of Prayer … Spend some time this week in prayer. Perhaps take the opportunity to gather friends and family around and pray together. Sounds simple enough — but most Christians realize such isn’t the case. Mark Jones at Reformation 21 writes: “Prayer is not easy. I find that true myself, but others whom I respect have also given testimony to the difficulty of prayer. Some chaps make it sound easy; if they spend hours a day in the tent of meeting, they probably have their computer in the tent with them.” You can read the rest HERE.
Don’t Leave Jesus Behind … This week some of you will travel. Don’t leave Jesus behind. Take Him with you – through His abiding Spirit. But also, take Him with you in your Bible. Spend some family time together in the Word of God … and even there – – remember; don’t leave Jesus behind. Dennis Johnson writes: “Focusing on the Bible’s legal demands apart from Jesus’ forgiveness and his obedience in our place will leave us guilt-laden and impotent. Focusing on the Gospel’s assurance of God’s welcome apart from Jesus’ call to follow him in grateful obedience by the Spirit’s power will leave us complacent in our sin. Seeing Jesus throughout his Word ignites our grateful love for him, the Lord who loved us and gave himself for us. Such glimpses of his glory transform us into his image.” You can read the rest HERE.
Why Satan Hates Your Family … Families matter to God – and that means they matter to Satan. Tim Challies writes: “If you look, you will see that the very notion of family—family as the Bible describes it—is under sustained and heavy attack. This means that your family is under attack. We know that a distinctly Christian notion of family is crucial to raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. But there is more at stake than raising the next generation of Christians. Family is crucial in at least two other ways: It teaches us fundamental truths of the Christian faith and it serves as an important kind of ministry. Allow me to explain.” You can read the rest HERE.
