The love challenge

David Murray, an American pastor set this monthly love challenge to his church and I think it is a good challenge for all of us too.

 

Love Challenge 1: Pray for one family

What better way to love someone than to pray for them? As well as praying generally for your church, pray for specific and special needs in your church family, and for one other family in particular. Use the church directory or membership list to select one family to pray for regularly in the next 30 days.

Love Challenge 2: Speak to one person

We all have our favorite people and our favorite places to sit and stand in church. Why not sit somewhere different, exit through a different door, or stand in a different place and risk meeting a different person! Just once a month, do something different that will make you speak to someone you don’t usually speak to.

Love Challenge 3: Encourage one person

You appreciate many people in your church family, but have you ever told them that? Have you ever highlighted one of their gifts or graces and told them how thankful to God you are for them? Again, not asking for a lot here, but just once a month, go out of your way to find one person and encourage them.

Love Challenge 4: Carry one burden

Speak to someone who is suffering in your church and ask them how they are. It may be someone who is ill, someone struggling with a wayward child, someone who’s struggling financially. As you listen to their story, express concern, and feel sympathy, a strange thing happens – the sufferer’s pain reduces slightly as you take some of it into your own mind, heart, and soul. Although you walk away heavier, they walk away lighter.

Love Challenge 5: Visit one person

Perhaps start with the seniors, the sick, and those with special needs, but select one person in your church to visit once in the next 30 days. If you can’t do it in person, you can “visit” by phone.

Love Challenge 6: Give one gift

Share your abundance with those who lack. There are people and families in your church who cannot afford to buy a book, go out for a meal, go on vacation, or even buy all the groceries. $10 gets them a book, $20 gets a couple a meal at Applebees, $50 gets them a day camping, $100 would make a huge difference to their family grocery budget. Give as the Lord as prospered you.

Love Challenge 7: Forgive one person

Is there someone you’ve fallen out with? A strained relationship? Whether you are the offender, they are, or you both are, make one attempt to reconcile with them. If you can’t make progress in reconciliation, at least speak to them, express interest in them, and show affection towards them.

Love Challenge 8: Welcome one person

Different people visit your church every month – vacationers, friends and family of church members, strangers, seekers, church-hoppers, etc. Don’t leave it to others to welcome them. Take the initiative, go out of your way to show that you’re glad they came, exchange contact details, etc.

Love Challenge 9: Share one meal

Once a month invite someone, a single, a couple, or a family to share a meal with you in your home. Don’t make it fancy or complicated (or you won’t do it again) but simple, informal, and do-able. The focus should be the fellowship not the food.

Love Challenge 10: Relegate one preference

There are some things in church life and the Christian life that are a matter of biblical principle. These things we cannot let go of, we cannot demote, we cannot dismiss. Other things are a matter of personal preference – clothing, hobbies, sports, education choices, etc. When we make our preference equivalent to principles we inevitably erect barriers between us and others, we put others down and puff ourselves up. Search your life for one preference that you’ve turned into a principle, relegate it, let it go, and watch your relationships improve.

Alan's Induction

Well, what a great was had by all yesterday, even if tinged with some sadness for some of us.

The day started at 3pm with the formal induction service which seen Alan & Pam involved in being officially set on the journey of their new ministry in Glasgow with Harper Memorial Baptist Church.

This service was followed by a lovely lunch served to us by the great folks of the church at Harper.

We rounded the day off with a great night of praise and worship, giving thanks to our great God for all Alan had done at Plains and celebrating the start of this the next chapter of Alan's ministry. Again we heard some great preaching and some funny stories of all high jinks Alan has got up to over the years.

Alan is not the only one starting a new chapter though, we here at Plains are now looking forward to see who God has to lead us into the future, and what we can be sure of is this, that God, who began a good work in us, will carry it on till completion.

God bless, Jim.

 

Holy Contentment

In some ways and for a particular group of people (of which I am one) the title of this post doesn’t quite seem right.  There is a phrase that in recent years has really taken hold within some evangelical circles, namely, “Holy Discontent”".  By using this phrase, people are driving at keeping moving forward for God, to strive for better, to not settle for what we have but rather believe God has more to do among us, and I truly subscribe to having a healthy doze of “Holy Discontentment” , therefore, it is perhaps all the stranger that the title of this post is “Holy Contentment”.

So what am I saying then? 

Well, let me explain, as usual it is borne out of the book I am reading, Gospel by J.D. Greear.  What has driven this post is the part of the Gospel prayer from the book that says:

“You are all I need today for everlasting joy”

As I have mulled that over, it has really struck me how impacted I have been with this materialistic world view that is all around us.  When you boil it all down, all the marketing and advertisements around us are geared towards stoking up our discontentment.  Whether it be discontentment with your mobile phone or your toilet roll, the message is the same -  you are missing out!  Having this world view drive our materialistic society is all well and good, however, if it seeps in to our spiritual life, as it often does, then we are in trouble.

So I urge you to join me this week in focusing on the Gospel, let the truth that in Christ, the Father’s love, acceptance and presence is all we need today for everlasting joy.  Please, like me, resist the message of the world that tell us we never have enough, there is always something better to be desired.  Proclaim with me this week:

Christ IS enough and there is NOTHING better!

Gospel Finances

As you know if you have been keeping up to date with the blog recently I am enjoying working my way through the book GOSPEL by JD Greear and the latest chapter on handling our finances through a Gospel framework was particularly challenging and pertinent.  So I thoughts I would put the headlines here so you can feel the challenge too .

 

 

The Gospel Generosity Matrix:

1. God gives excess to some so that they can share with those who have less
2. Jesus’ radical generosity toward us serves as a model and a motivation for our radical generosity.
3. The Holy Spirit must guide us as to which sacrifices we, personally, are to make.
4. God DOES enjoy in our enjoyment of His material gifts
5. God, not money, should be our primary source of beauty and security
6. wealth-building can be wise

 

Greear, then makes the great point that we all we want to know is how much a Christian should give, a tithe, more?  Well I think he is right that this stems from our hearts that  love laws to follow so we can earn God’s acceptance, the reality really is a challenge of the heart and it is that he tackles with the following questions:

 

• What does your spending show that you delight in?
• What does your savings show you find security in?
• Whose kingdom are you building?

Please if you find the above helpful or challenging, then please get the book, it is very practical and challenging.

God Bless

Jim

After Church Conversations

I read this article on the Gospel Coalition website and it got me thinking.  After the service we, like many churches, have a cup of coffee and a biscuit to try and aid fellowship.  However, how often are the conversations we have at that point spiritual in nature?  How often is it that we exchange views on what the Lord was saying through His word etc.?

I would encourage you to have a read through this short article by clicking here and see if we can’t add a little spiritual flavour to our conversations this Sunday

God Bless
Jim

Good Book : JD Greear – Gospel

    I know we all like a good book and here today I have one for you that I can so far heartily recommend ( I am up to chapter 7).
    So far this book has really gripped me, as you can tell from the number of people I have pointed in it’s direction.  The main thing thus far that has made a difference in my daily walk with God has been the truth that the Gospel isn’t just our entrance ticket to the Kingdom but the very Power of God to transform our daily lives in day to day sanctification. 

Greear, makes the point well that we are apt to forget the truths of the Gospel and their live changing power so developed a prayer that he encourages to pray daily so as to remind ourselves daily of the amazing Gospel we have to share.  Obviously, he makes the point clear that there is no great mystical power in the prayer itself but is purely a tool to aid our Gospel focus.

The Prayer is as follows:

A big chunk of the book is about unpacking these truths and appliying them to daily life.  As I say, please if you get the chance have a read and let me know what you think, and if you have read it already then drop a comment below of what you think.

 

God Bless
Jim

 

Here is some info on the man himself:

J.D. Greear is the lead pastor of The Summit Church, in Raleigh-Durham, NC and author of Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (2011) and Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart: How to Know for Sure You Are Saved (2013). Two main things characterize The Summit Church: its gospel focus and sending culture. The gospel is not merely the diving board off of which we jump into the pool of Christianity, it’s also the pool itself. Joy, reckless generosity, and audacious faith all come by learning more about God’s extravagant love found in Christ.

God has blessed The Summit Church with tremendous growth. Under J.D.’s leadership, the Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to one of nearly 8,000, making it one of Outreach magazine’s “top 25 fastest-growing churches in America” for several years running.

J.D. has also led the Summit to further the kingdom of God by pursuing a bold vision to plant one thousand new churches by the year 2050. In the last ten years, the church has sent out more than 300 people to serve on church planting teams, both domestically and internationally. J.D. completed his Ph.D. in Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is also a faculty member, writing on the correlations between early church presentations of the gospel and Islamic theology. Having lived serving among Muslims, he has a burden to see them, as well as every nation on earth, come to know and love the salvation of God in Christ.

He and his beautiful wife Veronica live in Raleigh, NC and are raising four ridiculously cute kids: Kharis, Alethia, Ryah, and Adon.

We are back!

We are back in business. I thought it about time to get blogging again as a good way of keeping you all informed of all the things going on at PEC of which there are many.

So watch this space!

Jim.

 

Prayer for the Lukewarm Heart - Jon Bloom

Hi folks,

Here is an interesting post from Jon Bloom over at Desiring God, Very challenging:

O Infinitely Passionate Father, 

You have created me with the capacity for deep affections — to love, to loathe, to desire, to delight, to excite, to grieve, to laugh, to enjoy, to fear, to be depressed, to be thankful. And you made me this way that I may glorify you by finding you my Supreme Satisfaction and the Fountain of everything delightful. 

But I confess that my affections for you are often grievously tepid while my selfish interests steam.

• I am bold to defend my own honor and reputation and often timid to defend yours.

• I am quick to satisfy my bodily appetites and often slow to feed my soul with the Bread of Life.

• I squander moments devoted to communing with you while carefully protecting moments devoted to banal entertainment.

• I am distracted from speaking with you by books that need straightening, email that needs answering, and a bald spot in the yard that needs seeding.

I am easily and foolishly concerned with worldly success and prosperity while languid and unmoved about the greater things of another world! 

And I know that my errant affections are most offensive to you when I hear of the infinite height, depth, and length, and breadth of your love for me in Christ Jesus,

• Of your giving your infinitely dear Son to be offered up a sacrifice for my sins,

• Of the unparalleled love of the innocent, holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in his dying agonies, bloody sweat, loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart,

• And all this to redeem an enemy like me from deserved, eternal burnings, and give to me unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory,

• And my response is cool, lethargic, and indifferent.

O gracious Father, thank you that your Son’s great sacrifice is so great and so sufficient that it pays even for such sins of erroneous affections! 

But, my affectionate Father, I am humbled to the dust that I am not more affected at what affects you! I repent of being “slothful in zeal”! No more, Father! Make me boil in spirit as I serve you (Romans 12:11)! To be moved by your glorious gospel and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4) is why you gave me affections! Nothing in earth or heaven is greater or more important. 

Today, I take to heart your Son’s warning: “Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16). Merciful Father, make me hot! Whatever it takes, whatever it costs me, give me the Spirit-salve for my heart-eyes (Revelation 3:18) so that I may see what is Real, believe what is True, treasure what is Valuable, and forsake what is worthless. 

In the name of Jesus, your glorious Son, the Pearl of Great Price, amen. 

This prayer was inspired by and adapted from a portion of Jonathan Edwards’s book,Religious Affections (the last three paragraphs of Part 1).

You can Find the original post here. 

Loving others - Paul Tripp

PaulTripp: We're called to serve one another in love, but only grace can dethrone the love of self that is in the way of our love of others.

Discipleship

Discipleship is truth transferred through relationship.

 Justin Buzzard

RC Sproul - the Holiness of God and a boring church

How awesome is this place!" This was Jacob's response to being in the house of God. People do not normally feel that way in church. There is no sense of awe, no sense of being in the presence of One who makes us tremble. People in awe never complain that church is boring

Transforming Prayer - Quote 15 (Last one)

Well folks this is the last of the quotes from Transforming Prayer, I hope you have found them useful and challenging,  

Jim

Prayer was not supposed to be the only thing the church did, just the first thing they did. That’s the way Jesus wanted it to be.

Transforming Prayer - Quote 14 of 15

Young Christians must learn to pray in community with mature believers. Prayer is vital for transformation, and corporate prayer is indispensable as a part of the process.

Where is your confidence?

If you place your confidence in your own righteousness you have to convince yourself you're a law keeper even when it's clear you're not. -- PaulTripp (@PaulTripp)

Transforming Prayer - Quote 13 of 15

Scottish writer Robert Law said, “Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done on earth.”

Transforming Prayer - Quote 12 of 15

Spending quality time with an opened Bible, delighting in the names and character of God, is the most important engagement in our lives and the vital starting point of prayer.

Transforming Prayer - Quote 11 of 15

Graciously, the Lord has taught me that the only enduring motive for prayer is that God is worthy to be sought.

Transforming Prayer - Quote 10 of 15

“There is a difference between seeking revival from God and seeking God for revival.”

Transforming Prayer - Quote 9 of 15

John Piper describes it well: “The number one reason why prayer malfunctions in the hands of believers is that they try to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic intercom. Until you believe that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. Prayer is for the accomplishment of a wartime mission.”

Transforming Prayer - Quote 8 of 15

Samuel Chadwick wrote, “To pray in the Name of Christ is to pray as one who is at one with Christ, whose mind is the mind of Christ, whose desires are the desires of Christ, and whose purpose is one with that of Christ.”