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.