#davesmorethanselfies

As I was writing The Lord Reigns post today, I was thinking about how I have been so blessed with so many different from so many different places.  So I decided to do a post today about my #davesmorethanselfies pictures.

What started as an attempt to take a group picture of Krista's family on vacation has become something I have grown to love.  Here is why.

At the top of this blog is the following statement:

Throughout our lives we have been so blessed with friendships and ministry opportunities

These #davesmorethanselfies pictures are more attempts to capture these God-given friendships.

This collection is only a few of the pictures I have over these last nine months.
And the people in these pictures are only a very small number of the people God has used in our lives through good times and difficult times. 

I do need to make sure I get one of the Rodgers/Ramsey family the next time we are together.

Connected through Camp Patmos

Connected through the Dominican Republic and
Emmanuel Baptist Church

Connected through the Dominican Republic

Connected through Together for the Gospel

Connected through Emmanuel Baptist Church 

Connected through working at Emmanuel Baptist Church

Connected through the Ryan family : )

Connected through Monaca High School

Connected through West Cannon Baptist Church and
at the time of the picture, it was only a couple of weeks.

Connected through working at West Cannon Baptist Church

Connected through the Dominican Republic, Baptist Bible College and Seminary
and Emmanuel Baptist Church
The Millers have been a great friend for many years.

The LORD reigns

The Fighter Verses have been great reminders of who God is and how I am supposed to live in response to who God is.  

This week's Fighter Verses, Psalm 96:9 - 10, contain a statement that was very challenging to me.
"Say among the nations 'The LORD reigns...'"
As a worshipper of God, a child of God because of Jesus Christ I need to say to the world "The LORD reign."
I need to proclaim that with my words, actions and attitudes.

It is my prayer that in the midst of the circumstances of life, I would remember that the LORD reigns and I would remind others that the LORD reigns.

Weekend Services

I apologize for not updating this post.  I was planning to post while at 
Together for the Gospel Conference and did not.

Pray that every Sunday service would proclaim The Truth of Scripture.

Pray for those who are preaching in the services.

Pray for those who are teaching the classes.

Pray for those who are selecting and leading the songs.

Pray for those who are serving in so many different areas.

Pray that each and every member of West Cannon Baptist Church 

will speak and live out the truth of God's Word!

Here is a resource to help you prepare for Sunday.

For a pdf version of "How to Love Your Church on Sunday," click HERE

What is Church Membership?

On Sunday (04.22.18), West Cannon Baptist Church will have a membership class from 5:00 to 7:15.  This provides us with a great opportunity for members and non-members to think about what church membership is.  

Here are some misconceptions about the church and church membership:
I have to have my name on a church roll somewhere.
I can be an inactive church member.
The word “membership” is not in the Bible.  Therefore church membership is not biblical.

The reality is church membership is not specifically commanded.
Church membership is implicitly commanded in the New Testament through passages that talk about church gatherings, church discipline, church leadership and church accountability. 

Here are a couple of quotes regarding church membership. 

From I Am a Church Member

”Church membership is a gift.  When I received the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, I became a part of the body of Christ.  I soon thereafter identified with a local body and was baptized.  Now I am humbled and honored to serve and to love others in our church.  I pray that I will never take my membership for granted, but see it as a gift and an opportunity to serve others and to be a part of something so much greater than any one person or member.”

From The Gospel Primer - 12. My Inheritance in the Saints

The gospel is not just a message of reconciliation with God, but it also heralds the reconciliation of all believers to one another in Christ. Through the death of Christ, God has brought peace where there was once hostility, and He has broken down the racial, economic, and social barriers that once divided us outside of Christ. 37 

Also, when God saved us, He made us members of His household, 38 and He gave us as gifts to one another.  Each brother and sister is a portion of my gospel inheritance from God, and I am a portion of their inheritance as well. We are significant players in each other’s gospel narrative, and it is in relationship with one another that we experience the fullness of God in Christ.

Hence, the more I comprehend the full scope of the gospel, the more I value the church for which Christ died, the more I value the role that I play in the lives of my fellow-Christians, and the more I appreciate the role that they must be allowed to play in mine.

Equipping Ministries

I apologize for not updating this post.  I was planning to while at Together for the Gospel Conference and did not.

Pray that each and every ministry at West Cannon Baptist Church would be equipping people to make disciples.
There are two specific ministries you can be praying for now...

• Shepherding Leadership Training begins this Sunday night
• the Biblical Counseling Conference coming in the spring of 2019.  For more info about this go to www.westcannon.org/counseling

Thursday morning at the Together for the Gospel conference Zach and I went to a breakfast/presentation about The Vine Project.   It was a great time of sharing disciple-making helps.  Here are a couple of quotes from the book about disciple-making.

In the New Testament, the proclamation of the word is the basic means for creating and growing ‘Christ-learners’. You could even say that there is only one central activity in making disciples—the speaking of the word of God —and that all the other elements describe in what Spirit, by which people, and in what manner that speaking is done. (84) 

Making disciples is not primarily a human activity with goals that we set (although it is those things in a subsidiary sense). Whatever happens in Christian ministry and in church, and whatever happens in our neighborhoods and families and work places, is part of what God is doing to move all things inexorably towards their goal and end—which is Jesus Christ. (59)

Pray that WCBC would make disciples who make disciples.
Pray that WCBC's ministries would be seen as disciple-making resources.

Pray for Our Children and Teens

Today's prayer request is for our children's ministry (K4C) and youth ministry (REACH) student ministries.

While it is important to pray for Tim Anderson and Tim Sullivan and others who lead and serve in these specific ministries at West Cannon Baptist Church, we must remember to pray for the parents of the kids and teens of WCBC.  Parents are the primary disciple-makers in their child's life.  

Pray that ministry leaders and parents would help our young people know and live out the truth of God's Word.

Tim Challies wrote an article entitled "What's the Purpose of Children?"  This is article concludes with the following statement.

At a time when children are regarded as an optional accessory to the good life or written off as an obstacle to it, we do well to return to the infallible Word of God to once again establish God’s purpose for having children. We have children to obey God, to experience his blessing, to have the joy of making disciples, and to grow in our conformity to him. Children are a great gift of God.

The purpose of children is found not in culture, school, or entertainment.
The purpose of children is found in the infallible, inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God. 

Pray for Church Leadership

Today, remember to pray for the leadership of West Cannon.

Here are two specific things to help you pray for the leaders.

First, pray as several of the church leaders head to Louisville, KY for the 3 day T4G (Together for the Gospel) conference.  Pray this would be a time of refreshment and encouragement as the men hear great preaching, spend time together and meet with over 9,000 other Gospel-focused church leaders.

Each of the main sessions will be streamed live on the conference website t4g.org
Here is a video explaining the theme of this year's theme.





Second, watch the following video on the four pressing reasons your pastor needs your prayers.

WCBC and the Sufficiency of Scripture

Psalm 19:7-14 is a statement about what Scripture is and the impact it has on a life submitted to God.

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

HERE is a link to a journal article by John MacArthur about the Sufficiency of Scripture and this Psalm.  The article concludes with the following statement.

There is no substitute for submission to Scripture. Your spiritual health depends on placing the utmost value on the Word of God and obeying it with an eager heart. If you think you can find answers to your spiritual problems through human counsel or worldly wisdom, you are forfeiting the most valuable and only reliable source of answers to the human dilemma. Do not relinquish the sweet, satisfying riches of God’s Word for the bitter gall of this world’s folly.

In WCBC's Adult Bible Classes on April 8th, the classes looked at three characteristics of Scriptures:  inspiration, inerrancy and authoritative.

Because the Word of God is inspired and inerrant, it is the ultimate authority for life.
Because the Word of God comes from God through the writers of Scripture by the Holy Spirit and it is without error and truthful, it is the first and last place we should look to as our authority.
It is not only the first and last place we should look, its where we should go all the time.  First, last and every time in between.

Scripture is where we look for our purpose in life as individuals and a church.

Our mission statement states that West Cannon Baptist Church desires to
worship God acceptably - we know what acceptable worship is because of God's Word
edify and encourage one another to personal holiness - we know what encouraging relationships and personal holiness are because of God's Word
proclaim through word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ - we know what the good news of Jesus Christ is because of God's Word

==============================

Additional resources on Inspiration:

• Basic Theology, Charles Ryrie, ch. 10, The Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration
• Taking God at His Word, Kevin DeYoung, ch. 2, Something More Sure
• The Gospel Coalition, Erik Raymond, The Origin of the Scriptures, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/erik-raymond/the-origin-of-the-scriptures/
• Grace to You, John MacArthur, How Did God Guide the Biblical Writers? https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B160715/how-did-god-guide-the-biblical-writers
• Desiring God, John Piper, All Scripture is Breathed Out by God—Continue in It, https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/all-scripture-is-breathed-out-by-god-continue-in-it

Additional resources on Inerrancy:

• Basic Theology, Charles Ryrie, ch. 12,  The Inerrancy of the Bible
• Taking God at His Word, Kevin DeYoung, ch. 2, Something More Sure
• Grace to You, Kevin DeYoung & Al Mohler, Why We Defend Inerrancy https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B140516/why-we-defend-inerrancy

Additional resources on Authority:

• Concise Theology, J.I. Packer, ch. Authority
• Grace to You, The Final Authority, Period. https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A279/the-final-authority-period

Biblically-based and Biblically-focused Missions & Local Outreaches

Today's prayer focus is that our local outreaches and missions will be true to Scripture

Our mission at www.westcannon.org/mission-statement, states that we strive 

To Proclaim through word and deed the good news of Jesus Christ 

• We believe it is the responsibility of all believers to share the gospel with the lost people around them. Therefore personal evangelism will be an emphasis of West Cannon Baptist Church. We will corporately assist individuals in this task by providing evangelistic training as well as periodic evangelistic events. 

• We believe it is also the church's responsibility and privilege to participate in reaching the lost around the world. Therefore, we will endeavor to facilitate missions education, participate in missions conferences, promote missions trips and financially support missionaries of like faith and practice.

This Gospel Proclamation is Biblically based and Biblically focused.

By Biblically-based, we mean the call to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ is founded in the Gospel.  There are many passages that command believers to do this.  The most obvious one is the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).

Pray that WCBC would always remember what Jesus commanded disciples to do and say.  

By Biblically-focused, we mean the truth of the Bible is the main thing.  We want to live life for God and His glory.  We know the only way this can be done is by deepening our understanding of and our relationship with God according to His Word.  Read Psalm 119 for a reminder of the importance of God's Word.

Pray that WCBC would always do the God's work God's way, according to His Word.

This and other verse graphics are available for free and purchase
at scripturetype.com

God, 
Today, we pray that we will proclaim the Gospel through word AND deed
in our community with local outreaches and partnerships like Hand2Hand Ministry, Mel Trotter Ministries, Alpha Center in Lowell and other groups
and
in the United States and the world through our missionary family.

Help all of us to be faithful to your word in our personal devotions and our public ministry.

Amen.

God is great

While we did not meet last night for our Fight Night Study, 

the Fighter Verses are always good to look at and review.

This week's Fighter Verses are Psalm 96:4-5

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the Lord made the heavens.

God is great.
God is to be praised.
All other gods are worthless idols.
God made the heavens.

Click HERE for this week's FIghter Verses devotional.

Below is the Verses Project devotional for these verses.

This world is full of greatness. Just open your eyes and look around! Think about all the great and amazing things we each experience on a day to day basis: a breathtaking sunrise, the aroma of a perfectly roasted cup of coffee, a visual artist in his/her element creating a masterpiece, an athlete at their prime, a chef combining ingredients and flavors that dance in our mouths, a musician finally putting words to thoughts and emotions we had felt but hadn’t been able to express, etc. In this verse, the psalmist teaches us that God is great and his greatness calls for two things. 

First, God’s greatness demands from us great praise! We praise greatness wherever we see it! CS Lewis said, “But the most obvious fact about praise -- whether of God or anything -- strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise. ... The world rings with praise -- lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game. ... I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.” Not only should we praise God, but our praise should be equivalent to the greatness of the object we are praising. Of course a cup of coffee is praiseworthy, as is pulling off a last second buzzer beater shot in a game of basketball, but if we are more excited about praising those things than God, then we have not truly seen the greatness of God! Oh, that God would give us eyes that first see His greatness and in turn, hearts and lives that praise Him greatly... 

Secondly, not only are we called to praise God greatly, but also fear Him. This is not a “I’m scared of you” fear, but rather an issue of respect, reverence, and allegiance. Have you been fearing other things as over God? Do you care more about what a boss or someone else thinks about you than what God does? Fear God, not man. Man’s greatness is fading & failing, while God’s greatness is infinite & supreme. May your allegiance to God always conquer any lower and lesser allegiance for He is greater and more worthy! 

In verse 5, David explains verse 4 in more depth by making two statements: first that all the gods of peoples are worthless idols and secondly that God made the heavens. David boldly stands against the common belief of other nations in his day that there are many gods, but rather declares there is but One and He made the heavens. Before you write off verse 5 claiming that in our day and age, we no longer have “gods” or “idols” and therefore it doesn’t apply, think again! Every generation and culture has their own set of gods and idols that generally control the market. Idols and gods are not merely physical statues or pagan idols, but rather anything (physical or immaterial) that takes the place of God in our affections. They can even be good things (like a spouse, sports, family, money, influence, or a job) that become “God things”. How do they become “God things”? By becoming the ultimate things that we believe give us our worth as over our relationship to God. They tell us that if we didn’t have (fill-in-the-blank) like would cease to have meaning. What do you spend your free time thinking about? What, if taken away from you, would cause you to crumble beyond repair? May God strip us away from any competing lovers or allegiances we may be giving praise and fear to more than Him. These lovers will always over-promise and under-deliver, but God will always satisfy and follow through with His promises. Because He is Creator and sovereign, He is faithful and able to do what creation cannot and was never intended to do. Praise Him greatly, and honor Him with your life.

Emotions of Easter Love

Originally this was going to be a 5 part series on the Emotions of Easter.

In putting together the post, I began to think "How could I not post anything on Resurrection Sunday?"

Part 5 on Saturday was the Sadness of Saturday

Part 4 on Friday was the Anger of Good Friday
Part 3 on Thursday was Disgusting Feet

Part 2 on Tuesday was the Fear of the Pharisees
Part 1 on Sunday was the Joy of Palm Sunday and an introduction to the Emotions of Easter posts.

So today is Easter, Resurrection Sunday!

Bonus Post:  Emotions of Easter:  The Love of God

Let me begin with a clarifying statement.  Love is not an emotion.  

It is not a feeling that fades.

Love is sacrifical.

Love is a determined act of the will.

For more about this idea go to Is Biblical Love a Feeling or an Action?

Why I love Easter

From www.paultripp.com
Originally posted on March 28, 2018 at
www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word/posts/why-i-love-easter

Why I Love Easter

I love Easter. I love the celebratory music we sing at church. I love the passages of Scripture we read during worship.

Most of all, I love the visual image of the Empty Tomb.

In one culminating and specific moment in history, Jesus Christ summarizes and finalizes the salvation narrative.

There are 6 things in particular that I love about the Empty Tomb.

1. The Empty Tomb reveals that God is faithful.

Centuries earlier, after Adam and Eve rebelled, God promised that he would crush wrong once and for all (Genesis 3:15). He vowed to send his Son to defeat sin and death by his crucifixion and resurrection. For thousands of years, God neither forgot nor turned from his promise. He didn't grow weary, nor would he be distracted. He made a promise, and he controlled the events of history so that at just the right moment, Jesus Christ would come and fulfill what had been promised.

2. The Empty Tomb reveals that God is powerful.

Think of the authority you would need to have to control all the situations, locations and relationships in order to guarantee that Jesus would come at the precise moment and do what he was appointed to do. Also, could there be a more pointed demonstration of power than to have power over death (1 Corinthians 15:55)? By God's awesome power, Jesus took off his grave clothes and walked out of that tomb. Human beings are capable of some pretty amazing things, but we'll all die, and there's nothing we can do about it.

3. The Empty Tomb reveals that God is loving.

Why would God go to such an extent to help us? Why would he care to notice us, let alone rescue us? Why would he ever sacrifice His own Son? Because not only is God loving, but he himself is the definition of love (John 3:16, 1 John 4:8). You and I need to remember that his love was not motivated by what he saw in us, but by what is inside of him. Even when we're unloving and rebellious, full of ourselves and wanting our own way, God is still loving. He delights in transforming us by his grace and rescuing us by his love.

4. The Empty Tomb guarantees eternity.

No matter how mundane, routine, and slowly progressing your story seems to be, it's marching towards a glorious conclusion. There will be a moment when God will raise you out of this broken world into a paradise where sin and suffering will be no more (1 Corinthians 15:52, Revelation 21:4).

5. The Empty Tomb guarantees security.

No matter how unpredictable and out-of-control your life feels, Jesus is reigning, and he will continue to reign until the final enemy is under his feet (1 Corinthians 15:25). That doesn't mean you will avoid the groaning of life in a broken world (Romans 8:22), but it does mean there's nothing that can separate you from the loving and protecting hand of God.

6. The Empty Tomb guarantees delivery.

No matter how hopeless and weak you think you are, you've been provided with all the grace you need to make it to the end. Future grace always carries with it the promise of present grace. God will provide everything you need until you see him face to face (2 Peter 1:3).

So this Easter Sunday, celebrate the Empty Tomb and the right here, right now benefits of the Resurrection that it provides!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. How has God shown himself to be faithful, powerful and loving in your life recently? Find specific examples for each of those 3.
2. How can the guarantees of eternity, security, and delivery change the way you approach life this week? Be specific in your application of each of those 3.
3. How can you celebrate the Resurrection all year long, instead of one Sunday a year? Think of real ways to remember this event in the mundane moments of everyday life.

Emotions of Easter: Sadness of Saturday

Part 5 of 5 Emotions of Easter posts is the Sadness of Saturday

There will be an additional "Emotions" of Easter post tomorrow
Part 4 on Friday was the Anger of Good Friday
Part 3 on Thursday was Disgusting Feet

Part 2 on Tuesday was the Fear of the Pharisees
Part 1 on Sunday was the Joy of Palm Sunday.  This post also included an introduction to the Emotions of Easter posts.

----------------

Today's emotions is Sadness.

For the disciples, Jesus died yesterday and the reality of the resurrection has not happened yet.

The women went to the tomb Sunday morning prepared to take care of a dead body.

Luke 24:17 reveals what the disciples of Jesus were feeling on that Saturday "And they stood still, looking sad."  While this account obviously occurs after Jesus' resurrection, news of this truth had not yet reached the ears of these disciples.

The rabbi and teacher had just been crucified.  Executed by the government and religious leaders of the time.

Their hope that he would deliver the Jews from the Romans had been destroyed.  

It's Sunday, but Sunday is coming.

The Bible reading for today is not from an account of the events of Saturday.

It is Psalm 62, which talks about waiting on the Lord. 


Here are a couple of resources to help you think about this Saturday

An article by Bob Kellemen that talks about how this Saturday is a lot like life this side of heaven.

"We wait.  Our final resurrection is sure.  Our victory is certain."

A quote by Tim Challies:

"We are not Friday Christians who serve a dead Savior, not Saturday Christians still waiting and wondering, but Sunday Christians who serve a living, breathing Savior–one who is alive and one who reigns."  Tim Challies

A one minute video:

Here are some questions to think through and talk about.

• Have you ever felt disappointment?
• Why did you feel disappointed?
• What are some general reasons why we feel disappointed?  Here are two Bible passages to get you thinking about this question:
• Jeremiah 2:36-37
• James 4:1

Emotions of Easter: Anger on Good Friday

Part 4 of 5 Emotions of Easter posts is the Anger of Good Friday
Part 3 on Thursday was Disgusting Feet

Part 2 on Tuesday was the Fear of the Pharisees
Part 1 on Sunday was the Joy of Palm Sunday.  This post also included an introduction to the Emotions of Easter posts.

-----------------------------------------------

Today's emotion is anger.

Here is some context to help you understand why it is ANGER.

We have a clear advantage over those original disciples of Jesus Christ.

And Good Friday is the day that advantage became very obvious.

The First Good Friday was very different from every Good Friday since. 

We look back and remember and even celebrate Good Friday in the light of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

But those original disciples did not know what was to come.  

Friday was very different for them.

The guards and the crowd had an anger that, to disciples of Jesus, seems so out of place considering who Jesus is.  
The mocking, spitting, cursing, and beating was so hate-filled. 
Followers of Jesus must have wondered why this was happening.

When I read the crucifixion accounts, the way so many different people so angrily treated my savior makes me angry.
And then I begin to remember that my rebellion against God, my sin and Jesus humble submission and obedience are why He died on that cross that first Good Friday.    john Stott wrote “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”

HERE is a post by Tim Challies to help you reflect on this truth.

The Bible reading for today is one of the Crucifixion accounts.

Read the passage and think about what the followers of Jesus Christ might have been feeling and thinking on that first Good Friday.

Matthew 27:27-61
Mark 15:16-47

Luke 23:26-56

John 19:16-42

Here are some quotes about Good Friday and the cross that are meant to help us prayerfully consider this amazing life changing day. 

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”  The Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:14 

"The only man who ever lived a life that was perfect in every way possible, who gave his life for the sacrifice of many, and who willingly suffered from birth to death in loyalty to his calling, was cruelly and publicly murdered in the most vicious of ways."   Paul Tripp 

“The cross is proof of both the immense love of God and the profound wickedness of sin.”  John MacArthur  

“At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burden of my heart rolled away.  It was there by faith I received my sight, And now I am happy all the day!”  Isaac Watts, in hymn “At the Cross”  

“It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was his unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was his love for sinners like me.”  D.A. Carson