Current thought on the “Many Paths to Heaven” Question
I ran across this startling information, which Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, discussed on his website. He is right in declaring (as he was cited in USA Today) that this is an indictment on the state of American evangelicalism. Here it is. MANY PATHS TO HEAVEN? Are American evangelicals abandoning the exclusivity of the…
Marriage truth, short but sweet
Here is a very simple quote, about a very profound reality. If we could seriously get a grasp on this very elementary principle, and live it out for the glory of God, it would go a long way to fulfilling God’s purpose for our marriages. “Most of marriage is made up of small acts of…
John Calvin – Speaking Freely to our Neighbor
As I warned (or whetted your appetitie, I hope), here is another very encouraging quote from John Calvin about avoiding the extremes of excessive criticism, or needless and dishonest flattery. His thoughts are based on Paul’s example when he admonished Peter about his temporary fall into hypocrisy, an account recorded in Galatians, chapter 2, and…
Making Sense of Suffering – D. A. Carson
A few months ago D. A. Carson was the speaker at a Bible Conference at Omaha Bible Church, in Omaha, Nebraska. The Senior Pastor there is Pat Abendroth, one of the men I ministered with in Pune, India at the 2006 National Expositor’s Conference. His brother Mike pastors a church in Massachusetts, and the ladies…
Hot Topics and the Faithful Soldier – Martin Luther
At times it is simply unavoidable to engage in discussions about issues that are difficult to understand and controversial in nature. Because we are part of Christ’s one true church we should expect Satan and his blinded servants to attack and seek to confuse and distract God’s children. We’ve discussed in past posts why it…
John Calvin – Treasuring Grace and Peace
Here is an encouraging quote from John Calvin, which I read in a free book that someone sent me in the mail, entitled “365 Days with Calvin,” edited by Joel Beeke. I suspect there will be more encouraging devotions from Calvin in the future. He is currently giving thoughts and quotes from Calvin’s writings on…
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on taking Bible reading seriously
If you want to understand Christianity, do not shut your Bible—open it, read it! Read the books of Moses, the prophets, the Psalms; they all point to Him. Study your Bible. It is ignorance that blinds men and women of this generation and keeps them outside of Christ. So do not have a hurried service…
Growth and the Knowledge of Christ
In Craig’s message Sunday from 2 Peter his main point was to remember that God has provided everything you need to grow. This provision (1) comes through the knowledge of Christ, (2) is found in the promises of God, (3) is dependent on Christ’s glorious character, not yours, and (4) results in conformity to Christ’s…
I posted my sermons on Tithing
Just so everyone who is interested knows…In our effort to “stir up your sincere mind by way of reminder” on the subject of giving, the elders decided to briefly review our spring teaching on the topic in our bi-monthly newsletter. The material on tithing wasn’t very easily summarized for that format, however. But because it is a question…
Al Mohler’s “Prayer for America” on election day
I was very encouraged by Al Mohler’s gracious reminders and humble expressions of how we should pray, and what our attitudes as Christians ought to be during and after a monumental election day like today. His blog post is located here, but I have cut and pasted the text below for your encouragement. Americans head…
A Seeker Friendly Hockey Game
One of my familiar stops on the web is www.Challies.com. I like it because of it’s fair and balanced book reviews, his helpful information about what is being said at conferences (he blogs live from great conferences), and the info and links about what is being said in the internet realm about issues related to…
When people reject the gospel, remember this
I want to encourage you to read a post at a blog I catch somewhat regularly. You can find the link here. In this article, author Dan Phillips relates the account of the prophet Jeremiah and King Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36). The king is priveleged to receive a message directly from God throught the prophet. The…
Review of The Shack, by William P. Young
I mentioned this book in Adult Bible Fellowship on Sunday, and promised that I would be posting a somewhat thorough review of it this week. That post is now available at www.CafeBiblia.com. Below is my opening summary if you want the “sound-bite” version, but when you start hearing folks talking about this book, I guarantee…
How and why to have a godly controversy with a fellow believer
A while back I read a book by John Piper called The Future of Justification (available online), in which he thoroughly, lovingly and systematically showed why a fellow brother’s (N. T. Wright) understanding of the doctrine of justification is biblically incorrect. In this book he begins with a chapter discussing the biblical necessity of engaging…
An Encouragement for Child Training & Discipline
I was recently looking for some good audio resources for a friend and ran across some good comments and suggestions from Pastor John Piper on another topic. The entire text of this sermon can be found here at the Desiring God website. We were just discussing this morning at our elder’s meeting the importance of…
Pray for Samuel and perhaps do even more
If you’re a regular in Bible Fellowship on Sunday mornings, you probably remember that we have prayed for Samuel Smith. Samuel Smith is a 14 year old boy from Charlotte, Vermont who needs your fervent prayers.. and when he is a little stronger… he needs a kidney donor. Three of the six Smith children have…
How to Give Godly Criticism
In a post on his website, Mark Dever gives five very helpful tips on how to give criticism in a way that both honors God and is easy to receive. As someone who often needs to encourage others through constructive criticism, and who has been on the receiving end of both helpful and painful attempts…
R. C. Sproul’s Message at the “Together for the Gospel” Conference
I mentioned Sunday about the powerful message by R. C. Sproul on the curse motif of the cross of Christ, which myself and others were blessed by God to hear at last week’s Together for the Gospel conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Here is the link. http://www.t4g.org/resources/ That message is available for streaming audio or MP3…
Turning the Words of Scripture into the Wings of your Prayers
There’s another great conference to be aware of. Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston, MA hosts two conferences every year. (Some of you women may remember when Kim Abendroth spoke at one of CCC’s women’s retreats; Kim’s husband pastors at BBC.) BBC is 2.5 hrs from us. Donald Whitney BBC’s Spring conference features Donald Whitney…
A conference on “Pursuing God” that you should go to
I mentioned a while back – before one of my sermons – that there is a great conference coming up in Rochester, NY…only 6 hours away. Mark the dates: Friday & Saturday, April 18-19. The theme of the conference is “Pursuing God.” It’s inexpensive! Registration for an individual is only $15. It’s $20 for a…
Al Mohler on the importance of the bodily resurrection of Christ
Al Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. The editors of The Washington Post and Newsweek asked him, “Do you have to believe the resurrection is literally true — that Jesus came back to life in his body — to be a Christian?” Mohler shares his answer on his blog.…
What to do when you think a shepherd is messing up?
God tells His sheep to submit to the undershepherds of His flock. He wants His people to submit to “creatures,” or “human institutions” as the NASB render is in 1 Peter 2:13. He wants us to obey and submit to our leaders (Hebrews 13:17). What do you do when your shepherd is “messing up” in…
“Why I would die for South Africa”
We’ve been learning about suffering through our study of First Peter on Sunday mornings. In the home fellowships we’ve been admiring the Apostle Paul’s perspective on living, suffering, and dying for others – for the glory of Christ. Tim and Michelle Cantrell serve Christ in South Africa. I was greatly encouraged when I read about…
C.J. Mahaney on the relationship between Elders and the Flock
On Sunday I preached a sermon on the relationship between Elders and the Flock. On Monday, I came across a sermon by C.J. Mahaney on Hebrews 13:17, a passage I referenced for three of my sub points. Here is Hebrews 13:17… Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over…
Weekly Bible Readings – Mar 4 thru Mar 10
How are we doing? Is it time to renew your commitments, or perhaps make them more reasonable? God is honored by the discipline of regularity in your reading, even if it is not as much as you would like (don’t we always want more of a good thing?). Keep reading! Category 1 – NT –…
Intoxicated by gluttony, Vegas, Facebook, or…? Here’s more help for hoping in Christ.
This post has been a long time coming. I have written three blog posts offering help for hoping in Christ. You can read the first, the second, and the third here (they will each open in a new window). Christ died to bring us to God according to 1 Peter 3:8. The goal is not…
Weekly Bible Readings – Feb 26 thru Mar 3
Sorry this post is late. Thankfully I did have one person ask me where they were. That means there are folks out there keeping up. If you have fallen behind, make it your goal to catch up on a weekend. Get out your Bible, a warm cup of tea/coffee/hot cocoa, and spend an afternoon reading…
Weekly Bible Readings – Feb 18 thru Feb 25
Week 7. Thank you Beth Costine for your insightful comments. Category 1 – NT – Gospels Day 1 – Matthew 15:1-20 Day 2 – Matthew 15:21-39 Day 3 – Matthew 16:1-12 Day 4 – Matthew 16:13-28 Day 5 – Matthew 17:1-13 Day 6 – Matthew 17:14-27 For category 1 readers , your question for possible…
Weekly Bible Readings – Feb 11 thru Feb 17
O how the mighty have fallen! Like the Israelites, our region has discovered what can happen when there are (“New York”) Giants in the land. And Bill (“Joshua”) Belichick wasn’t able to inspire them to be “strong and courageous” enough. I won’t comment publicly anywhere else, so I thought I’d sneak it in here. 18-1…
Weekly Bible Readings – Feb 4 thru Feb 10
Week number five, and I trust you are finding your regular reading a genuine blessing. I would love to see more comments. Do you have a “Bible Reading Buddy.” This addition of regular encouragement is an excellent way to remain consistent. All of you are my Bible reading buddies by default–because if I don’t read,…
The goal is to hallow Christ with a fastidious hope. Here’s more help to get you there.
This is my third post on this topic. We are trying to grow in the discipline of hoping in and hallowing Christ. Before I review my previous suggestions and add to them, I want to give a few reminders. When it comes to this task of hoping in Christ, remember… It is a discipline. We…
Weekly Bible Readings – Jan 28 thru Feb 3
Here we go with week #4. Hope you are all keeping up with your commmitments. Do you have a “Bible Reading Buddy?” I encourage you to find one, maybe family or friend, to hold you accountable and to interact with. I count all of you my reading buddies, because if I forget to post your…
A question that comes up when we talk about membership
A few weeks ago I mentioned a couple questions people sometimes ask us (elders) when we talk about the importance of church membership. I would like to mention another frequently asked question that sometimes comes up in a discussion about church membership. Q. Shouldn’t we show love to unbelievers even though they aren’t part of…
Joel Osteen, and discerning true faith in Christ
Some weeks ago, Pastor Craig preached a couple of sermons on God’s ingredients for a grace filled life, and drew a comparison to the views of author and preacher Joel Osteen, along with some comments in his best-selling book, Your Best Life Now. As this video reveals very clearly, Osteen is notoriously “safe” (and sadly…
Weekly Bible Readings – Jan 21 thru Jan 27
Here are this week’s readings. We finish the sermon on the mount, get to read about the conversion of the Apostle Paul, are encouraged in the Psalms, and read about the history of God’s dealings with Jacob, who is renamed Israel. Enjoy your reading, and make sure you are keeping it practical by considering applications…
Weekly Bible Readings – Jan 14 thru Jan 20
I’ve decided to add at least one question for reflection in each category, in order to facilitate understanding and application for everyone each week, no matter how many sections you have committed to reading. You shouldn’t feel obligated to comment on every section though. Don’t forget to encourage others through posting your comments, reflections, applications…
More help for hallowing and hoping in Christ
Yesterday I offered some help for learning to hope in Christ. I’ll repeat the first two suggestions and then continue right on into the third. First, pray for it. We are told to pray “hallowed by your Name.” Second, look long and hard and frequently at the beauty of the crucified and risen Christ. Read…
How do we get and maintain a Christ-centered and Christ-hallowing hope?
This past Sunday we studied 1 Peter 3:13-17. In this passage Peter is equipping believers for life in a hostile world. Our supreme responsibility (in preparation for life a hostile world) is to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts. To prepare ourselves for a hostile world, we could study theology and apologetics (the…
Weekly Bible Readings
At the end of every week, we will be posting Bible readings for the next week–there will be 50 weeks of readings in all. Each entry will have six days worth of readings in four different categories. One category will be the gospels. The second category will be the New Testament history and epistles. A…
The King who would be Man – the Incarnation of Christ
Last year at Christmas we sang the hymn, “The Coventry Carol.” Here is the third verse of that hymn. Herod the King, in his raging, Charged he hath this day; His men of might, in his own sight, All children young, to slay. That hymn is named after the city of Coventry, England, where the…
Frequently Asked Questions about Church Membership
Perhaps you or someone you know has asked one of the following questions about church membership. Q. Did the early church really have formal membership? Many Bible teachers say there was membership in the New Testament church. Other Bible teachers go further when they teach that the early church practiced a formal membership in local…
Encouragement for those who change slowly
I’ve been re-reading John Piper’s book, Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. I would like to share with you some Scripture and some of Piper’s insights from chapter 15 of the book which greatly encouraged me. I hope God will encourage you too. Piper says, “One of the greatest heartaches in the Christian life…
How does a sermon for husbands apply to those who are not husbands?
On Sunday, I preached a message to husbands about how to be good husbands. 1 Peter 3:7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that…
Jesus Christ died in your place – The encouragement of Substitionary Atonement
Here is a great extended quote from John Stott’s book, Basic Christianity (p. 92-93), outlining and describing the nature of and importance of truly believing in Christ’s sacrificial death on behalf of men. It begins with a quote of one of the many very clear verses of Scripture that state this doctrine in no uncertain…
An Introduction to the Elders’ Blog
Welcome to the official elder’s blog of CCC! Let me try to answer some questions you may have about this blog. What is a “blog”? Blog is short for “weblog.” It is an online journal where an individual or a group share a running log of events, personal insights and reflections, or whatever else they…