Family Pictures and Life are More than they appear!!

Today I posted what I believe is a beautiful family photo.

We have also been receiving beautiful family photos from friends,

which we really appreciate.

We also know that the one beautiful Christmas picture was probably

one of many pictures taken. 

And some of those "other" pictures would not make a nice Christmas card. 

These pictures are not even tha bad.

During 2017, we have been reminded that while life is filled with beautiful snapshots,

it also filled with the not so great moments.  

We deleted the worst ones right away.

This year has been filled with so many blessings

making new friends in Grand Rapids, MI

temporary housing with long-time friends, the Billings, and new friends, the Wilterinks,

a temporary rental house

beginning a new ministry with many exciting opportunities.

This year has also been filled with many challenges also

leaving long-time friends in Toledo, OH

temporary housing that has been great but also a challenge

(probably more of a challenge for those we were staying with),

not having a home yet

leaving a ministry we had been part of for a long time.

God has been teaching me so many different things 

about life, leadership, and ministry this year.

God has used specific songs, great individuals, and his Word to help us 

know what this year and every year is about - His Glory!

Thank you to those who have been such an encouragement to us.

Please continue to pray for us with a lot of different transitions going on.

The Empty Manger / God’s Indescribable Gift - December 23

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


The (Empty) Manger: Jesus the Servant King

When you go to sleep tonight, where will you sleep? You sleep in a bed. The Bible tells us that, after Jesus was born, Mary wrapped him in cloths and lay him down to sleep. But remember how there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn? There wasn’t a bed or a crib to lay him in! The baby Jesus was tucked in to a manger. A manger is a wooden box used to hold food for animals to eat. It probably wasn’t very soft or even very clean. Maybe Mary filled it with hay to make it softer for the tiny, new baby. This is a very surprising way for a great king to be born. And it is very strange that when God chose to send his own Son into the world he had him enter a stable and sleep in an animal’s food box. The humble way that Jesus was born was the same way that he would live his whole life. Jesus came as a king, but as a king who serves his people. The world had never seen a king like this.

Dear Jesus, it is amazing to us that when you came from God into our world, you were born into a stable and slept in a manger instead of a king’s bed. We thank you for coming as our servant king. Amen.

Bible Readings: Mark 10:42-45; John 13:3-17

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/god-s-indescribable-gift

Gift #2 / That You May Believe - December 22

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


Gifts #2: Why Do We Give Gifts at Christmas?

by

Do you remember what the wise men brought when they came to see Jesus? They brought him gifts! They did this because Jesus was God’s great king. Did you know that we give gifts on Christmas? Part of our celebration of Jesus’ birth is that we give Christmas presents to each other. We give presents because it is the time when we remember the greatest gift ever given. Do you know what it was? It was Jesus. God gave us Jesus, his only Son! Jesus was born into our world back in Bethlehem and he lived a life on earth and died to save us from our sins. Because of Jesus we can have peace with God! That is the biggest and best gift we could ever have. That is good news of great joy for all people. When we give gifts this Christmas, let’s remember that Jesus is the greatest gift, given to us.

Dear God, thank you for giving us your own Son, Jesus. He is the best gift ever given. Help us to remember him when we give presents on Christmas. Amen.

Bible Readings: Isaiah 55:1-9; Romans 5:12-1

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/that-you-may-believe

Learning Nothing Except

This Week's Fighter Verses are 1 Corinthians 2:1, 2 and during this week's Wednesday night study we took some time looking at the context and content of this passage.

First Corinthians 1 lists different factions within the church (v. 12) and different groups the world views as wise (v. 20).  Chapter one ends with this very important quote "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."  
This introductory chapter reminds us to preach the foolish gospel to weak people and not get caught up in names, personalities or the wisdom of this world.  

Then comes the Fighter Verses, 1 Corinthians 2:1-2:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  

Paul wanted the Corinthians to first and foremost know that Jesus Christ is mighty to save.  
He was not concerned with his own popularity.
The following James Denney quote contains the same main point.  "No man can give at once the impressions that he himself is clever, and that Jesus Christ is mighty to save."

Each week www.fighterverses.com has at least one, usually more than one, devotional related to that week's Fighter Verse.

The None But Christ and Him Crucified devotional contains the following quote:

We are saved from sin, through grace alone, by faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, according to the word of God alone

In this sentence, which is taken from the 5 Solas of the Reformation, we see that our salvation and our life is about God alone.

The other devotional from this week, How to Know Nothing, Except the Good News, says

"The good news of who Jesus is and what he does to save sinners like us, carries much more meaning than merely how to get saved, or how we got saved.  It also shows how we should live everyday and how we look at everything in the world."

The truth of these Fighter Verses should impact our lives in so many different ways.
In our evangelism, we should be more concerned with a truthful presentation of the Gospel and not with the end results or an eloquent presentation.
In our daily walk, we should be more concerned with pleasing and depending upon God rather than ourselves and other people.
In our prayers, we should focus more on God's glory and God's will and not our desires and personal comfort.

For more about the Fighter Verses go to www.drodgersjr.com/p/fighter-verses.html

Gift 1# / The Birth of the Ancient of Days - December 21

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 



Gifts #1: The Wise Men Bring Gifts to Jesus the King

When the wise men followed the star to find God’s great king, they didn’t come with empty hands. They brought some very costly gifts with them to give to the baby. When the wise men came in the house where Jesus was and worshipped him, they laid these precious gifts at his feet. They gave him gifts because they knew that Jesus was God’s great king and they wanted to show him honor. What do you think the gifts were? The Bible says that the wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold was the most valuable and beautiful metal they had. Frankincense and myrrh came from special trees and were burned to make sweet-smelling incense. They were both used in the temple in Jerusalem. What would you want to give to Jesus?

Dear Jesus, you are worthy of all honor and glory! Help us to honor you–not only with what we give, but in how we live. Amen. 

Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 29:10-18; Matthew 26:6-13

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-birth-of-the-ancient-of-days

chapter 7 Holiness Assurance

Welcome to the 7th week of reading the book Holiness.

This week's chapter is Assurance.

This book has provided some great challenges for my personal life and my ministry.

If you are or have already read the book 

I would love to hear about some of your insights.

For general info about the reading schedule go to 

http://drodgersjr.blogspot.com/p/t4g2018.html

Here are the questions for this sixth chapter.

GENERAL (Questions for each chapter)

1.  What is a quote or two from Chapter 7 that stood out to you?

2.  What was something this chapter said about God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit?

3. What was something this chapter said about man?

4.  What was something this chapter said about how a Christian is to live?  

Think general and specific applications.

SPECIFIC (Questions specific to this chapter)

5.  What are Ryle’s three answers “to all who dislike the doctrine of assurance, as bordering on presumption?”

FINAL QUESTION

6.  What is the most significant thing that you learned from this chapter?

For more specific questions on this chapter through chapter 10 

go to www.chapellibrary.org/files/2914/3941/1948/HO1-SG.pdf

Additional Resources:

Tim Challies wrote about this chapter at

www.challies.com/reading-classics-together/reading-classics-together-holiness-the-cost/

The Camel / The Birth of the Ancient of Days - December 20

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


The Camel: The Wise Men Come to Jesus

When they saw the special star that God put in the sky to announce the birth of his Son, the wise men began a long journey to find him. They traveled for a very long time until they came to Herod, the king of Israel. They asked Herod where to find Jesus. Do you remember that God had promised long ago that Jesus would be born in the city of Bethlehem? Herod learned this and he told the wise men. But Herod was a bad man. He didn’t want the baby Jesus to grow up and be God’s great king. So he asked the wise men to come back and tell him where Jesus was. He said he wanted to worship Jesus, but he didn’t. He wanted to get rid of Jesus. On the way to Bethlehem, the star rose for the wise men and led them to the house where Jesus and his parents were. When they saw the star again, they were so happy! They came into the house and saw the young Jesus, and they knew who he was. They worshipped him. But they didn’t go back and tell King Herod, because God was protecting his Son Jesus.

Dear God, we praise you because you are in control of the stars in the sky and all of the people on the earth. We are so thankful that you had a great plan for Jesus to come. We pray that many people from many places would come to find Jesus. Amen. 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 60:1-14; Matthew 2:13-23

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/christmas-solidarity--2

The Third Wise Man / Christmas Is for Freedom - December 19

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


The Third Wise Man: The Whole World Needs to Hear About Jesus

Do you remember when we looked at the magi, or wise men? The wise men served foreign kings in faraway lands. Some of them studied the stars and they saw the great star that God put in the sky when Jesus was born. They knew that this star meant that a great king was born. They set off on a long journey to find him. The wise men remind us that the baby Jesus would become a great king who would rule over the whole world. Jesus came not only for the people of Israel but for everyone. God wants everyone in the world to know that Jesus is his Son and that he was born to bring salvation. Jesus’ birth is the good news that everyone needs to hear.

Dear God, we thank you that Jesus came for everyone. Please help us to share this good news all around us. Amen. 

Bible Readings: Psalm 67; Revelation 7:9-12

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/christmas-is-for-freedom

The Star / The Christmas Model for Missions - December 18

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 


The Star: Jesus’ Birth Is a Cosmic Event 

Mary and Joseph had found a place to sleep–maybe a stable–in Bethlehem. And Jesus was born. In that time, at that place, Jesus, who was God, became a baby. Nothing like this had ever happened in the world before and nothing like this would ever happen again. It was the most amazing thing that has ever happened. Have you ever seen a tiny newborn baby? Babies are born every day. But the baby Jesus was very special. He was God. To show how important Jesus’ birth was, God put a new and unusual star in the sky over the place where he was born. The star was shining out to announce to the whole earth that Jesus had come. Have you noticed that we decorate with stars at Christmastime? Many families put a star on the top of their Christmas tree. When we see the stars, it reminds us of the special night when Jesus was born.

Dear God, we thank you for the many ways, like the star,  that you have shown how special the birth of Jesus was. Help us to have hearts and minds that are ready to think about Jesus when we see all of the decorations of Christmas. Amen. 

Bible Readings: Matthew 2:1-12; John 3:16-21

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-christmas-model-for-missions

The Second Angel / The Greatest Salvation Imaginable - December 17

The first reading is for family with children.
The second reading is from  Good News of Great Joy at Desiring God 

The Second Angel (Angel’s Wand): Good News of Great Joy for All People 

Do you remember what the shepherds saw when they were in the field watching their sheep? They saw some brilliant angels! What did the angels say to them? The angels told the shepherds that they were bringing them good news. We have another word for good news, it is the word gospel. Gospel means “good news” and it is the very good news that Jesus came into the world to save us. This news brings so much joy to us and to all people who believe in Jesus. The angels said that this joyful good news would be for all people–not just for the shepherds, not just for the wise men, or even just the people of Israel. The good news about Jesus is for everyone everywhere who believes in him. Do you remember when we learned that everyone in the world was in the dark until Jesus came? This is why we celebrate Jesus being born for so long. He is the Light of the World!

Dear God, we thank you for the good news! We are so glad to know about Jesus coming into our world to save all who believe in him. Help us to tell others about Jesus, too. Amen. 

Bible Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Another Advent Reading Plan is Good News of Great Joy 

by John Piper

You can watch an introduction video and/or download the whole book at www.desiringgod.org/books/good-news-of-great-joy

You can also get the daily reading at www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-greatest-salvation-imaginable