Category Archives: Outreach

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 16

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Today’s proverb is another example of how we can see the gospel clearly pictured in the proverbs. This shows the beauty of God’s wisdom showing us how to come to Him and the danger of the anti-wisdom of the world that leads us away from Him.

We have looked at the “fear of the LORD” in most every chapter of Proverbs so far. To understand the “fear of the LORD” in the context of the gospel is especially important in present-day America when many preachers use fear as a means for convincing people to walk an aisle and make a decision for Jesus. This sort of fear-driven invitation time leads can lead to confusion and false conversion — and people wanting to be “re-saved” every time they sin and find themselves afraid of God’s wrath. When it comes to Biblical “fear of the LORD”, this definitely ain’t that!

The “fear of the LORD” described in the Bible (Proverbs 1:29, 2:4-6, 3:7, 8:13, 9:10, 14:26-27, 15:33, 16:6; Job 28:28; Psalm 34:11; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Acts 9:31) is best described as having deep respect, admiration, and awe for God. It is the basis for truly understanding and knowing Him and comes from having a relationship with Him because He saved and redeemed you. It changes your life and is fueled by having His Spirit within you and seeing Him influence your desires, attitudes, choices, feelings, actions, and goals. Knowing Him this way understands that He has a frightening level of power and wrath, but you do not have to live in fear of Him because He cares for you and His Son bore His wrath on your behalf.

This “fear of the LORD” gives us a desire to turn “away from evil” because you see Him and “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus [as] Lord” (Philippians 3:8). This “fear of the LORD” is fueled by His “steadfast love and faithfulness” despite our “iniquity”, knowing that He atones for sin for those He saves.

For those who do not turn to Him, those who reject Him and put their trust in themselves, there is much to fear, in the traditional, literal sense of fear, but this fear does not see people turn from their sin. People may curb their behaviors or hide their desires because of fear, but no real change happens. The change God brings in people through His steadfast love and faithful salvation brings real change, from the inside out.

What about you?

Do you fear the Lord in the Biblical sense, or are you merely scared of His wrath?

Is He the God of the universe or some vengeful and distant deity?

One is the God who saves as presented in the Bible. His name is Jesus.

It is my prayer that you see Him for who He is, confess Him as Lord, and believe in Him.

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 10

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Today’s passage, like yesterday’s, gives us two contrasting groups. In Proverbs 9:8, we looked at the scoffers and the wise. Today, we have a comparison of the righteous and the wicked.

We need to make an important distinction here so that I can make sure we are on the same page: “none is righteous, no not one” (Psalm 14:3, 53:3; Romans 3:10). Any discussion of the righteous and the wicked needs the understanding — almost like a disclaimer — that none of us are righteous outside of “faith in Christ”, “the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9).

Sometimes we get sideways on this and talk about righteous as if we are inherently good. The Bible makes it clear that all of us are sinners (Romans 3:23). The sin that plagues our lives cannot be blamed solely on outside forces, either; our temptations often come from within when we are “lured and enticed by [our] own desire” (James 1:14). So, any appeal of an us v. them argument on this puts our “us” on the side of the wicked — and makes it an us v. HIM (Jesus Christ the Righteous — 1 John 2:1)!

The only way we can be made righteous is to trust in Jesus. I love the clarity of 2 Corinthians 5:21 on this subject. We’ll break it down phrase by phrase to help us get it (or as I tell my school kiddos, to pick up what I’m laying down).

For our sake. Jesus offers salvation because we need it. We are sinners, as we have seen above, and He is the only Savior. Sometimes we are offended when confronted with this truth, but it is good news — the God who stands holy and righteous offers an opportunity to be saved by grace through faith in His Son Jesus rather than having to receive His wrath reserved for sin.

He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus) to be sin who knew no sin. We deserve the wrath of God because He is the righteous and perfect Creator, and we have gone against His standard. This is not a popular view point. But, here’s the good news: Jesus becoming sin for us means that He willingly took the wrath of God for those He saves! Jesus, the only sinless One — God’s righteous standard in human flesh, pays the sin debt of those who trust in Him by grace through faith by the price of His own blood (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19, 2:24).

So that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God. The only way for us — sinners or “wicked” “evildoers” as Proverbs 10:27-29 puts it — to be righteous before God is to have Jesus’s righteous covering our sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 shows us a glimpse of this great exchange between Jesus and those He saves where He takes their sin and exchanges it for His righteousness. 1 John 2:1-2 gives the picture a little clearer: Jesus Christ the righteous is our advocate and stands before God as our atoning sacrifice, His blood paying for our sin and covering us with His righteousness.

That’s good news! It’s tough and raw and infinitely unfair, but it is a picture of God’s love for His people in Jesus. It’s a picture of grace. It’s a picture of mercy. It’s a picture of Proverbs 10:27-29.

Biblical wisdom is knowing that we can do nothing to prolong our life and being well-aquainted with the reality of the wages of our sin being death (Romans 6:23). The hope of those who fear the LORD is Jesus, and from Him and the life He gives there is joy (Proverbs 10:28); any expectation other than what we can have in Jesus perishes when we do.

And, don’t miss this, Jesus came to seek and save the lost — to give His life as a ransom for the wicked, for people like me who confess Him as LORD and believe in Him. That’s good news for me and all who put their faith in Him. That news represents the “stronghold” I have in Him — not that I am “blameless” but that He is, but that news represents “destruction to evildoers” who do not put their faith in Him (Proverbs 10:29).

What about you? Where do you stand in the great exchange? Has Jesus taken your sin and counted you blameless, or are you banking on your own righteousness?

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 9

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Our verse today presents us with two scenarios that involve reproving – or correcting – someone. One goes well, and the other, well, doesn’t.

The first category we see in Proverbs 9:8 is the “scoffer”. This word is most often translated as “scoffer” (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 1:22, 9:7, 13:1, 14:6, 15:12, 19:25, 19:29, 21:11, 21:24, 22:10, 24:9; Isaiah 29:20), but it is also translated as “mocker” (Proverbs 20:1) and “scorners” (Proverbs 3:34). Even though “scoffer” is an English word, it is not one that is used often, so we need a little help (along with what “mocker” and “scorners” gives us) understanding what exactly a scoffer is and does. This is someone who makes rude or mocking comments loudly, someone who treats people with contempt or calls people out rudely because of dislike or hatred.[1]

The second category is the “wise man”. And since we are studying taking the #DailyWisdomChallenge by seeking God’s wisdom through the Proverbs, this is the one we should imitate in our lives – the way God intends for us to live according to His wisdom.

The whole section of Proverbs 9:7-12 deals with these two people. When a “scoffer” is corrected, he or she abuses the one trying to help them (Proverbs 9:7) and bear the consequences of the sin alone – those same sins that someone who loved them tried to help them correct (Proverbs 8:12). The “wise ” gets wiser when corrected and increases in his or her knowledge of the Lord (Proverbs 9:9, also Colossians 1:9). This wise person’s wisdom and knowledge is rooted in the “fear of the LORD” and learns and gains “insight” from “the knowledge of the Holy One” (Proverbs 9:10). The willful ignorance of the scoffer is rooted in his or her desire to do and say what they want as a means of satisfying their own wicked desires. One comes from God and serves Him; the other comes from wicked hearts and serves themselves.

The reason I picked Proverbs 9:8 specifically is the difference in the responses to the correction given. The important thing to remember is that correction is a good thing – when done correct, when done biblically. We are supposed to “speak the truth in love” to brothers and sisters in Christ (Ephesians 4:15) and put away “falsehood” by letting each of us “speak the truth with [our] neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25). It is part of Jesus’s intentions for His body gathering together; we should “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). And, as Proverbs 9:8 tells us, the wise person who fears the LORD will love you for it. This doesn’t mean the correction is enjoyable, but it means that the person filled with the wisdom of the LORD and His Spirit will appreciate that someone cared enough about them to protect them from their sin.

The scoffer in Proverbs 9:8 is a whole different scenario. They won’t love you for correcting them. They will hate you. In the context of Proverbs 9:7-12, the scoffer does not appear to be a brother or sister (or neighbor in that sense). This reminds me of something we say often at Christ Community. We do not try to teach people how to act but rather preach the gospel and point people to Jesus (who by His Spirit changes people’s lives after He saves them). If we teach people how to act, they may act saved, fooling themselves and others into thinking they are safe from the wrath of God due their sin. So, rather than heaping condemnation on a “scoffer” who will stand before Jesus and making him or her hate you, point them to Jesus – the God who saves and loves them, and let Him change their lives!

[1] The Lexham Analytical Lexicon of the Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 5

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Proverbs 5 is tough — as it should be, because there is real danger and wickedness in the world that actively seeks to lead us astray.

Right there in Proverbs 5:1, we see the same call to attentiveness to “wisdom” in order to gain “insight” (Proverbs 4:1) and “understanding” as in our last post. The specific nature of the wisdom offered in Proverbs 5 is about the temptation of adultery, and it uses the illustration of the words (anti-wisdom, if you will) that come from the “lips of a forbidden woman” (Proverbs 5:3).

I chose Proverbs 5:18 as the focus verse because it very clearly illustrates a few things about the way that God’s plan and wisdom unfold.

First, God is not some cosmic killjoy trying to keep us from having fun and enjoyment. We need to be attentive to God’s wisdom because He knows best, and especially because He knows and sees beyond what we can. We might get caught up in listening to the anti-wisdom and think it’s “honey” because its rhetoric is “smoother than oil” (Proverbs 5:3), but in reality, that honey is laced with “wormwood” (poison) and seeks to cut us down as with a “two-edged sword” (Proverbs 5:4).

Second, God’s ways are not empty of enjoyment. Proverbs 5:18 gives contrast to the poison anti-wisdom and allure of adultery by reminding that there is rejoicing in one’s own wife, one’s own spouse. Furthermore (and not something I am going into here), the following verses show that all of the enjoyment promised by the forbidden woman (without the danger and death) can be more truly and completely found in one’s own marriage! In fact, that’s God’s design. Read on in Proverbs 5 and be attentive to see what I’m talking about.

Lastly, following God’s design and heeding His wise counsel leads to life. The forbidden woman “does not ponder the path of life” (Proverbs 5:6) and “her steps follow the path to Sheol” (Proverbs 5:5). Let me translate that for you: she doesn’t care that the wages of sin is death because she’s on the broad road that leads to destruction, to Hell (Romans 6:23, Matthew 7:13). You may not know it, but there is more going on than someone tempting spouses to cheat; as Paul said in Ephesians 6:12, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”. Be attentive to the wisdom of God and not tempted by the smooth honey poison of the devil and this world.

To sum all this up, and especially if you are married, God’s ways are best and the husband or wife He has given you is where you are to find your delight.

Lord, help us enjoy our marriage and be attentive to your wisdom and ways. Protect our marriages and strengthen them in you. Shield us from the evil attacks around us and keep our attention and ears tuned into what You have for us.

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 4

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

This section of proverbs is written father-to-son and gives a good picture of why the wisdom of God is good for us — and better than the wisdom of the world.

There is a phrase in English that is meant to convey this: father knows best. There was even a TV show with that name in the 1950s. Well, it ain’t the 1950s anymore. Fathers don’t always know best or give the best advice; they don’t always give the best example to follow and aren’t too consistent (even absent in too many cases).

The phrase “father knows best” doesn’t mean what it once did. And, truth be told, it didn’t mean it as often as folks would like to believe then. Here’s some good news, though: God the Father knows best. Always. His wise counsel is worth following. His example is worth following. He is the very definition of consistent. And because He is God, He is never absent!

The picture we get in Proverbs 4 is instruction for the son to “be attentive” in order to “gain insight”. So, for us in this #DailyWisdomChallenge (and for all the days that follow until we stand before the Father), we should be attentive to what God the Father has to tell us in His Word. That will give us insight into how He intended us to live, and since He is God — the inventor of humanity and the giver of life, He knows how He designed life to work best. God the Father knows best.

Here’s some more good news: we never have to wonder if God is leading or guiding us the right way. Earthly fathers are fickle and often fail (I am unfortunately an example of this), but God the Father always gives us “good precepts”. He never leads us wrongly. So, don’t forsake His teaching but follow it wholeheartedly.

Lord, help us to hear you and be attentive to Your Word. Instill in us a trust for You as Father that may not come easy to us, and give us the strength and opportunity to live out your “good precepts”. Amen.

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 3

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Trust is difficult, especially in times when you feel like there is no one you can trust. In the case of today’s Scripture, it is you — your own heart — that you cannot trust.

We can, however, trust in the LORD!

What we have here is an either/or situation. We are either trusting in the Lord or we are trusting in ourselves. Everything in the world tells us to listen to our hearts and follow our hearts and be true to ourselves and so on and so forth. All of that has us doing what we want when we want it. It sounds pretty good, at least on the surface. The issue is that we often want the wrong things.

Take for instance what I want right now. As I sit here writing this, I want a double cheeseburger and some crunchy tater tots. I want to wash it down with an full-sugar green Mt. Dew. For good measure, a couple of Little Debbie snacks could top me off and leave me sitting fat and happy. That flies in the face of the hard work I have done the last several months of trying to eat healthier and live healthier so as to honor the Lord with my body and be healthy enough to be the husband, father, pastor, and teacher I have been called to be. My wanter is broken.

The things I want are wrong for me. Yes, they satisfy whatever whims I come up with, but left to myself, I will never want to make healthy choices — or in the context of Proverbs, wise choices. Yes, sometimes we want to be dumb; it’s called willful ignorance. So, how can we trust ourselves if our desires long for sin and stupidity? We can’t. We need someone trustworthy to keep us on track.

If you are saved and follow the Lord, you know that you can trust in Him and not lean on your own understanding. You can put yourself fully in His hands and trust that He will take care of you. You can trust that God the Father knows best and has your best interests at heart. When your understanding calls for the contrary, you can trust Him when He leads you in His ways.

When it says “in all your ways acknowledge Him”, it means give Him control in all of your ways. That is, after all, what it means for Him to be Lord. He calls the shots. You follow in the way He directs. He will “make straight your paths” and keep you going where He leads!

So, what will you do: trust in the Lord or go your own way?

Lord, help us to follow you. You know we want things that are bad for us. You know the sin we struggle with is the sin we desire. Please fix our hearts and help us to want what You have for us and to understand that Your ways are better. Help us to trust You with our lives and live it according to Your wisdom rather than the wisdom of the world. Amen.

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 2

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

Studying God’s Word is good and good for us.

Reading God’s Word is good and good for us.

Learning more and more about about Him is good and good for us.

Knowing Him and making Him known is good and good for us.

We need to be careful that we understand our part in this, though, if we are going to become wise in Him. As Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, there is knowledge that “puffs up”, however “love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). In the case of Proverbs 2:6-8, we need to be humble and know that the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we gain comes from God and flows from the love He has for us and that we have for Him!

We get — that’s right GET — to study God’s Word. We get to receive knowledge and wisdom from Him. All these are blessings that come from Him. If we get puffed up with knowledge, it means that we have this whole thing out of whack.

I love the way that Proverbs 2:1-5 uses language that shows just how much of a privilege it is to get to seek Him and know Him. We should “treasure” His commandments (Proverbs 2:1). We should incline our hearts to understand and make our ears “attentive to wisdom” (Proverbs 2:2). We need to call out to Him “for insight” and raise our voices to call out to Him “for understanding” (Proverbs 2:3). We need to seek Him and His wisdom “like silver” and “as for hidden treasures” (Proverbs 2:4). Then, and only then, the Bible tells us that we will “understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of GOD” (Proverbs 2:5).

It all comes from HIM!

I think about it almost as the difference between me in high school and me in my latest studies at William Carey University. In high school, I was legally and parentally obligated to be there. I worked as hard as I had to and not too much more. I got enough knowledge that I could let folks know how smart I was. Some of it was easy, and the rest was obviously unfair because surely I was too smart to struggle. I was in my teens and puffed up with arrogance, thinking I knew everything. Fast forward to my time at Carey when I was in my late-30s and the same age as professors and over a decade older than my fellow students. I was paying money out of my own pocket, and I had to bring my grades to my wife instead of my mama! I was motivated to learn because I understood the purpose of the knowledge. If I didn’t know or understand, I had to ask because I was not as quick as the other “kids” anymore. I know the value of what I am working for now.

That’s how it is with seeking the Lord and His Wisdom now. I’m too old to worry about impressing folks with knowledge and things that once drove me and motivated me pale in comparison with “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). I want to know Him more than I want to know about Him. I want to follow Him more than I want folks to think well of me. I want more of Him and less of me.

I know my inadequacies, and so does He. And I can trust that He is “guarding the paths of justice, and watching over the way of His saints” (Proverbs 2:8). I can trust that He is guarding and watching my paths because He loves me and I am His.

How about you?

Lord, help us to seek You and Your Wisdom like we chase worldly riches — more than that, Lord, like we would a priceless treasure. Thank You that we know we can find you and receive Your Wisdom — that we can ask that of You and You have already promised it! Help us to know what it is to GET to fear You and help us to know You more. Amen.

Daily Wisdom Challenge — Proverbs 1

For the month of October, we are answering the challenge John Goldwater, pastor of Christ Community Church in Grenada, MS, laid out — the #DailyWisdomChallenge. Each day, we are going to read through a chapter of Proverbs corresponding to the day of the month.

This fits with what we have studied in Colossians, specifically Colossians 3:1-2, namely that we should seek “the things that are above, where Christ is” and set our minds like a thermostat “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth”. Imagine what a month meditating on God’s Word daily can do for us.

Won’t you join us on this #DailyWisdomChallenge and set your minds on Christ?

As we endeavor to seek the Lord in His Word, Proverb 1:23 is good guidance, especially for the wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. We all sin, and we all need “reproof” — we all need correction. The problem is that we do not always receive correction well.

I guess this really begs the question: why do I read God’s Word?

The answer to that question really drives how we respond to correction, because if we are reading it to check off some religious checklist, there are passages that may let us feel good about ourselves or feel righteous. That definitely won’t let us read the whole Bible, though. What if you decided to read it to grow closer to the Lord and to see Jesus impact your every day life by His Spirit. In that case, you would need to open yourself up to reproof.

That’s what this verse is talking about. In Proverbs 1:20-22, Wisdom personified is preaching in the streets and crying out over the noise of earthly wisdom and teaching asking whether we will choose to be willfully ignorant of the things of God and whether or not we will scoff at God’s Wisdom like the rest or the world, being fools who hate knowledge.

Proverbs 1:23 gives a picture of what responding to the Lord and receiving His Wisdom looks like: turning (repenting) at His reproof. He corrects; we repent. He leads; we follow. Turning from foolishness toward wisdom sees one filled with the Spirit of God and receiving His Word. It makes a difference in everyday life.

In Proverbs 1:24-33, however, we see the contrast of the person who receives correction well by getting a picture of the one who refuses to listen to correction. These elevate themselves to a position that they think is over God and decides to have none of His reproof or correction. They think they know better and that they can set their own path. The Bible tells us that rather than receiving God’s Word and His Spirit, these who refuse to turn and repent will reap calamity and terror. They want their own way bad enough, and they will keep it when they get their just comeuppance.

What about you?

Will you hear the Word of the Lord and turn? Or do you want to forge your own path based on your own understanding?

I can tell you from experience that I never knew as much as I thought I did in those situations. God’s ways are higher. He knows what I need.

Lord, grant us repentance and give us a yearning and desire to follow You in the paths you have laid out rather than get carried away by the sinful currents of this world. Amen.

Songs for Sunday, September 15, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday is coming!

Jesus is coming!

Those God has saved have a wonderful privilege and opportunity. We GET to gather and worship Him. We GET to serve Him. We GET to tell others about Him and all He has done. And with all we GET to do, there is great opportunity to point people to Him!

I am reminded of Paul in Philippians 3. He lists all of the reasons he has “for confidence in the flesh” in vv. 3-6. He was one of God’s chosen people. He bore the sign of the old covenant in circumcision. He could trace his heritage all the way back — “tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews”. And on top of all of that, he had been a zealous Pharisee to the point of persecuting the Church and fully righteous based on man’s understanding of the law.

On paper, he had everything.

In the eyes of religious men, he was perfect.

But what matters is his (and our) standing before God.

Look at how Paul shows us that he thinks on his former lofty status:

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness of God that depends on faith….” (vv. 7-9)

He willingly lost — set aside, trashed, cast away — all of that worldly standing because of “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ [as] Lord”! All of those things that took all of his life to attain were cast aside in a moment when he found something — someONE — better!

What about you?

Once Paul met Jesus, all of the good he thought he had was like filthy garbage or fecal matter (look up that word for “rubbish” in the Greek if you don’t believe me). If you claim Christ, are you carrying His gospel and proclaiming Him or are you walking around carrying garbage or worse?

Here’s a challenge, Christ Community fam: think of one person you know that you are not sure (or maybe you are sure) whether they know Christ as Lord; pray for them, asking God to give you courage and opportunity to share Him and invite them to come with you Sunday; and do it — invite them!

Bringing folks to church is not sharing the gospel, but it is a sweet thing to point people to the One who saved you. It is a good way to tell folks that you don’t have it all together and that, because of the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ”, you put your faith in Him, believed in Him and confessed Him as Lord (Romans 10:9-10)!

John will be preaching from the Word. We will be reading from the Word together and singing about and to Jesus according to the Word.

Who is God putting on your heart?

What lost person are you praying for?

Who will you invite?

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people love the darkness rather than the light because their works are evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

5And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. 8And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain, and by Your blood, You ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10and You have made them a Kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

Songs for Sunday, August 11, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I’m excited!

This week has been long and tough, and I am in need of time spent with my brothers and sisters in Christ in worship of Him — “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13).

While this week has been long and tough, that does not necessarily mean that it has been bad. This ain’t that kind of post. No, it’s been long and tough, ultimately, in a good way. I am as filled with joy as I am tired.

I have gotten to be back with my school kiddos from last semester, and it has been a joy to me. They have grown and matured over the summer and teaching them again fills my heart with joy (and makes my knees hurt, too). A part of me has switched back on that has been idle for a few months. A part of my heart has been opened, almost as if it were a room that has been vacant has been opened and its curtains pulled back to let in the light and the dust covers pulled free. My classroom is open for business.

I am relearning the balance of vocation and ministry as well as getting back into the swing of being husband and father through all of it. This is not complaining. Balance is tough, but it is good. To paraphrase Popeye, I am who I am, and who I am is just me — rough edges as well as smooth. It is a joy to balance because all of these areas are part of who God called me to be in Him, and as I am His, so I am in all of it.

In the midst of the joy, there has also been sorrowful joy. My friend and mentor — one who helped me learn how to rightly divide the Word of God and who instilled in me what it is to faithful break down the Word of God in preaching — passed away. Bro. David Miller was unique and special to many. He was a mentor and friend to hundreds of preachers over the years and wanted no fame or glory for it as he was a self-proclaimed Country Preacher At-Large. He fought battles for orthodox Christian belief and biblical teaching in Southern Baptist life that were of vital importance but found time to invest in young preachers (in experience not necessarily age) with study resources and education, of which I am the least. He gave example in his preaching of teaching the deep things of the Word with clarity and making sure that we take the time to break them down that they can be understood. His life was a testimony to the grace of Jesus.

I came across an interview he did with Todd Friel and Wretched Radio, and I would like to share with you the way he explained salvation (I am providing the biblical cross-references because I don’t want you to take Bro. David’s word for it but to see what God’s Word says):

“We must be exposed to the preaching of the the gospel of Christ (Romans 10:14-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18).

“We have no ability of our own to repent and believe (John 6:44, Ephesians 2:8-9). However, we can avail ourselves — if you are not a Christian in this room today you can avail yourself of the means of grace (Isaiah 55:6-7, Acts 17:30). You can bend your knee, and you can bow your heart (Philippians 2:10-11). And you can call upon the Lord (Romans 10:13). And you can beseech the the Lord for mercy, confess your sins, and trust Him to do a work of regeneration in your heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27, Titus 3:5, 1 John 1:9) — to give you, to infuse into you an inclination to turn from sin with godly sorrow and to believe the the gospel (2 Corinthians 7:10, Mark 1:15).

“That’s salvation.

“That gets you started.

“That’s salvation in the past tense (2 Timothy 1:9). This repenting and believing results in justification (Galatians 2:16). The Lord will clear you of guilt, declare you to be innocent, and give to you the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:21). He’ll take the practical — not the intrinsic — the practical righteousness of Christ, His having fulfilled the Law as a substitute for sinners (Matthew 5:17, Romans 8:3-4), God will write that down on your account (Philippians 3:9). This will provide positional sanctification for you (1 Corinthians 1:30, Hebrews 10:10). When God looks upon you thereafter, He’ll see you as being in Christ, in possession in the righteousness of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:9). You’ll never have any righteousness of your own; your righteousness will come from Christ (Isaiah 61:10).”

What a beautiful picture of the gospel of Jesus Christ — that Jesus paid the price for our sins and made a way for us to be saved by grace through faith in Him! Jesus saves, not based on any ability to earn it, and that is good news as all we are able to earn is death and condemnation because of our sin.

This hits different knowing that the “pasts tense salvation” Bro. David talked about is present tense for him now. His faith has been made sight. He spent decades confined to a wheel chair in a body that failed him gradually since he was sixteen, but now he has a new body. More than that, the surpassing worth of knowing Christ is paid in full as he knelt before his Savior face-to-face.

Tomorrow at Christ Community, Lord willing, we are going to gather in worship of our resurrected King, Jesus Christ. We are going to rejoice in the truth of His gospel — that He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again just as the Bible shows us (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We are going to read His Word and hear His Word preached. We are going to lift our voices and sing to and about Him.

Jesus is the source of my joy, and I hope He is the source of yours as well. There is no pain He can not salve and no sinner He cannot save.

If you are not a Christian and reading this, seek Him while He may be found. Call upon Him to save you. Confess Him as Lord, believe He has risen, and He will save you. He promised He would for all who do so, and He who promised is faithful.

If you are a Christian and reading this, seek Him still. There is coming a day when all of the sad things of this earth will come untrue. The last tears will be dried by His nail-scarred hand, and there will be no more sorrow or mourning or pain because everything will be made new and we will dwell with our God forevermore.

Either way, YOU are INVITED to gather with us tomorrow and sing, read, and hear the gospel. YOU are INVITED to gather in worship of the King of kings. YOU are INVITED to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.

YOU are INVITED!

Won’t you gather with us?

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved — 6and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepares beforehand, that we should walk in them.