Stones of Grace
August 12, 2009
I love preaching. I love to study. I love how the Holy Spirit puts it all together and uses an unworthy messenger like me. I love every Sunday of church. But every once in a while, I really love preaching, which is to say that the message has so totally overwhelmed me. This coming Sunday is one.
The message: Stones of Grace. The text is John 8:1-11. Its the story of the woman caught in adultery. Some don't believe this was part of the original canon, I do, because its so encapsulates John's theme of grace.
Here's a short sample of the message:
We don’t quite understand grace because we don’t want to. We want to think that it’s a grace just wide enough for our little indiscretions but no wider. We want to think that we’ve done something just marvelous enough to merit Heaven, but better than the poor saps who will spend eternity in Hell. And we’re dead wrong. Ephesians 2:9 says that there will be no boasters in Heaven. That is to say that nobody up there will be able to say, “Hah, I got here because of my hard work.” Nope. We’re all that humiliated, broken, shamed, embarrassed adulterous woman. We have all chosen sin over our Creator. We’re all at the mercy of a Jesus who stands ready to bridge the canyon between our sin and the holiness of God.
Monday Notes
August 3, 2009
I haven't had as much time to read lately, but when I do find time, I'm reading a fantastic book by my good friend, Dr. Bruce Baker, Senior Pastor of Jenison Bible Church in Hudsonville, MI. The book is on a subject that very few seem to have written on. It's entitled, The Road to Maturity. Its a well-written, easy-to-read, often humorous, sometimes fictionalized treatment of a serious issue. Christian maturity is often a vague concept. What is growth? How do we know we've grown? What discplines foster growth?
Besides being a solidly biblical and creative pastor, Dr. Bruce is a fantastic writer. This book is really challening me. I'd encourage you to check it out here.
Some other notes:
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