Bits & Pieces (9/28/12)

The Days I Need the Gospel the Most – ” I have heard many people say that there is value in preaching the gospel to myself every day, whether or not I find myself carrying the guilt and shame of sin. I’ve always thought of preaching the gospel to myself as a reactive thing, but Jerry Bridges has helped me to see it as proactive. Here’s why: The gospel does not merely correct bad thinking in the past and present, but also prevents bad thinking in the future. The gospel does not just speak to forgiveness of sins, but convicts me of the value of avoiding sin and reminds me that I now have the power to overcome it.”

 

Beware the Peril that Lurks in Success – Looking at the life of David, Jon Bloom provides this warning: “We tend to see our need for God more clearly in adversity. But seasons of success can be our most perilous because we are so easily deceived into thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. Self-exalting pride is what leads us to usurp God’s rightful rule. We must beware this danger that lurks in blessings.”

 

When a Mother Sins – Parents may say that they trust that God’s purposes in their children’s lives, but what about when that parent sins? Can even that be used for His glory? This post reminds us that it can.

 

Why Study Eschatology – Here are six practical reasons why Christians should study the end times.

 

Please LIke Me! – “[W]hen my peace and happiness is controlled by another person, they have become weightier in my life than God.  I have dethroned the Sovereign of the universe. I have worshipped the creature rather than the Creator. People-pleasing is idolatry.

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Bits & Pieces (9/27/12)

Learning Submission on I-95 – “Resting in Christ and allowing him to do his work in our husband’s lives, especially when we can’t see that heart work being done, is hard.” Yet, when we rest in Christ and not in our own “wisdom,” we can trust that His purposes will be accomplished.

 

10 Things to Know About College – Part 2 – New to college? Know someone who is? Share this list with them (and make sure they read the original post too!)

 

Conferences v. Church – “For the [conference] attendee, the reward is directly related to the expectation—they expect much from the conference and therefore they work hard to get much from it. It’s not that the messages or sermons there are so different or so much better than what they might hear in their local church; rather, there is an atmosphere that lends itself to listening and applying.

 

Forever 52 – “[I] I’m honest, the root desire for “admiration and worship and men’s good opinion”4 lurks in my heart. The world gladly offers thousands of ways to fulfill this longing, but it’s a false bill of goods. You may have tried some of them as have I, but our love for lesser things, ourselves included, will leave us high and dry. We were meant for something better, and this is where the gospel comes in.”

 

Better Than I Deserve – “Living by grace means affirming daily our unworthiness. We are never thankful for what we think we deserve. We are deeply thankful for what we know we don’t deserve.”

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