Although abortion is probably something that we only think about occasionally, it is always on the heart of God. Here is a reminder of how serious abortion is, how hard we should be praying, and how active we should be for the sake of the unborn.

The quote is from John Piper and was posted by Justin Taylor of Between Two Worlds,

Abortion is about God, the Creator of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of all life, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Redeemer and Forgiver of all who trust him. Abortion is about God.

To leave God out of the picture of abortion is to trivialize it. All things are trivial without God. God is the ultimate reality over the universe. All other reality is derivative and dependent and has no ultimate meaning at all without reference to God the ultimate reality. In him we live and move and have our being. If we leave him out of account, we know nothing of any lasting significance about ourselves or the world. (From the sermon, “Where Does Child Killing Come From?” available at Desiring God)

Here are a couple more video clips from Bob Kauflin. This is must see (hear) stuff as we learn as a congregation how to worship God in song together. It makes me thankful for the men God has given us to lead us in this way.

The Importance of Singing Truth-

Truth and Music-

I have referenced this idea before but I thought this quote from the blog “Take Your Vitamin Z” was a helpful reminder of the way the gospel should be joyfully overflowing from out lives.

“Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving.”

– Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Here are a couple more videos from the Desiring God website for their upcoming conference.

Paul Tripp- on, Does God Care About Every Word We Speak?-

Paul Tripp on, The Life and Death Power of Words-

A consistent theme in my conversations with people in our church is the incredible busyness of life. For many of us the start of school, soccer season and other activities that traditionally begin this time of year only increase this sense of overload.

A while back I came across the following excerpt from Philip Ryken on the Reformation21 site. It’s no magic pill but I think he has some helpful thoughts.

So how should we deal with the inescapable overload of life in the twenty-first century? I may not be the most qualified person to speak on this subject but allow me to make three simple suggestions.

First, whatever else you do, make time for communion with Christ. Remember what Jesus said to Martha, that only “one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:42)- that is, to be with Jesus, listening to what he says and talking with him about what we need. It is only when we allow God to minister to us through Bible study and prayer that the rest of life makes any sense at all.

Second, embrace the limitation of your finitude. Rather than feeling anxious and distressed about everything you’re not getting done, or always complaining that you need more time, take satisfaction in the many daily reminders that you are not God. You are not all-powerful, all-present, and all knowing. Only God is. So when the overload confronts you with your limitations, be reminded that you are only a creature who needs to rest in your Savior’s care (see Matthew 6:25-34, 11:28-30).

Third, choose wisely. The hardest choices in life are not the choices between the good things and the bad things. When it comes to discriminating the good from the bad, most Christians find it relatively easy to tell the difference. No, the hard choices are the ones between the good things and the best things. To make these decisions we need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who works through Scripture, through circumstances, through counsel, and through our conscience to help us “discern what is best” (Phil. 1:10; NIV).

In order to carry out God’s calling for your life, you will have to learn to say “no.” Many good things in life- many wholesome entertainments, many useful ministry opportunities, and many God-given pleasures- get in the way of God’s calling and therefore must be declined. Late last fall, I took a short trip to a beautiful golf resort in Florida. I taught, but to my disappoointment, did not golf. Not that there is anything wrong with a round of golf. In fact, from what I saw in the brochure, its such a beautiful course that it almost seemed wrong not to play it. It’s just that if I had stayed to do that, I would have gotten back too late on Saturday night to be a good husband to my wife, a good father to my children, or a good pastor to this congregation.

What choices will you make this week and in the weeks to come? Will you make the time to be with Christ? Will you embrace the limitations of your finitude, resting in the infinite grace of your God? And will you have the wisdom to make the right choices when you have to say “yes” to some good things and “No” to others?

This last Sunday we completed our study of the Attributes of God in Grace Groups.  What a great study!  It was great to enjoy fellowship around the perfections of our Father.

This next week we will start a three week study of our vision statement here at ASGF- Gospel Embracing, Gospel Saturated, Gospel Sent.  Each week will take you to a different passage of Scripture to examine the biblical basis for our vision.

You can download the ASGF Vision Study Guide here.  Enjoy!

Just as you thought the series on summer missions had ended I now bring you part 10 (this may or may not be the last post- I can’t make any promises).

A new blog called subtext deals with living gospel-centered lives in Suburbia. It has some good stuff on it and recently Joe Thorn posted on “Gospel Connections in Suburbia.”:

I do not have the gift of evangelism, though I do share the gospel. Once a person decides the evangescript is not the best way to approach evangelism in their community the question then becomes, “How can I take a natural conversation about common things and connect it to the gospel without it coming off like an abrupt topic change?”

Any time we take the initiative to share the gospel with someone there is always a leap that has to be made to the gospel. Sometimes the leap is short and easy. Suppose you’re discussing the difference between Catholics and Protestants — getting to the gospel is easy. Sometimes the leap is long - very long, like when you try to move from your favorite Starbucks drink (Grande Americano) to the cross of Christ. The longer the jump, the more unnatural the transition, and the more awkward the conversation. So the key is having natural conversations that transition more smoothly to the gospel (smaller leaps).

To state it simply, the better you understand the gospel the easier the transitions become. If you are trying to share the gospel you will still sometimes make huge leaps that do not work. Sometimes the conversation will only connect to the Christian faith in part, without getting directly to the gospel. Sometimes it will all come together the way you imagine. The more you know the gospel (its essence and effects) and the more you practice this discipline the easier making comfortable transitions to the gospel will become. I have been asked a few times what this would look like practically, so here are 8 examples of topics that make for shorter leaps to the gospel or Christian faith.

8 topics that can naturally connect to the Christian faith.

1. Corruption, evil and sin.
Conversations about corruption and evil are pretty common in my experience. Murderer’s go unpunished, children are exploited, racism continues on in more polite forms, mayors are busted smoking crack, etc. These conversations can naturally connect to the biblical issues of justice, judgment, forgiveness and redemption.

Transitions examples: “Even when the unrighteous escape justice in the courts, God says he will not let sin go unpunished…”

“My personal desire for vengeance is often quited by God’s assurance of justice…”

“In the end, I find that though I am guilty of different sins, I am just as guilty as…”

2. Community.
This is a great conversation to have in the suburbs. Everyone wants it, but many are at a loss how to build it. Zoning laws have essentially destroyed the development of real, workable, walkable, communities. Conversations about community naturally lend themselves to the reality that we are made for community, that God himself dwells in eternal community (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and that a central component of God’s saving work is the establishment of a community, a family, made up of every tribe, tongue and nation.

Transition example: “Part of why I am so passionate about the development of authentic community is because of how the Bible portrays the need for it. We are created by God to live in real community…”

3. Politics. (more…)

In case you missed Sunday you will want to download the sermon below. Josh did an incredible job showing how small groups fit into God’s desire for us to be gospel centered people.

He also dealt with the plan for Grace Groups for the coming year- here it is-

The Plan

¨ Formation

• Voluntary Sign Ups- beginning August 10th.
• Group Size- three to six family units.

¨ Diversification

• Diverse Times– groups will meet on various days and times throughout the week
• Diverse Study Material- there will be options both for studying books of the Bible and several biblically based books. A list of options will be available late August.

¨ Emphasis

• Emphasis on Leadership Development– with smaller groups will come more groups which will provide opportunity for leadership development. This will continue as groups prepare to multiply and leaders are trained.
• Emphasis on Outreach– Grace Groups will become one of the primary means of reaching out both in mercy ministry and evangelism. Groups will have flexibility to fit this into their group schedule and the desires of the group.
• Emphasis on Multiplication– the goal for each group will be to multiply as they recruit those not involved in a Grace Group and see new converts join the group through outreach efforts.

The Reasoning

• Increased fellowship and intimacy from smaller groups.
• Increased and broader unity from mixing groups.
• Increased relational connection from voluntary sign ups.
• Increased ownership of groups from choices and size.
• Increased involvement in groups from flexibility in timing.

 

 Why are Small Groups So Important [52:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Here are a couple more videos previewing the Desiring God National Conference. These two are from Bob Kauflin on words and singing. Good stuff!

September 26-28 Desiring God is holding their annual national conference in Minneapolis (I think Josh and the Manjarrez’s are already signed up to go). The theme of the conference is “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God.”

Desiring God has been putting out some great video clips with the speakers talking about the theme. Here is Paul Tripp with the first in a series I will be posting.