Monday, April 25, 2011

That you may know

At the beginning of Moses and Aaron's encounter with Pharaoh, he asks a question, "Who is the Lord?" Then, in chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9, we read some variation of the phrase "that you may know"--to have irrefutable evidence to the existence and/or truth of something by intellect and by experience.

What would they, the Israelites and the Egyptians, know?

"that the LORD...has brought you out from under your burdens of the Egyptians"
"that I AM the LORD"
"that there is no one like the LORD our God"

God is consistently working in our lives "that we may know". The Apostle Paul was consistently pursuing by God's grace "that I may know Him and power of his resurrection" (Philippians 3:7-16).

How do you see God working around you today "that you may know"?

Blog News

Die to Sin (good prep for next week's sermon)

Thor (remember Darth Vader Super Bowl commercial?)

Know Your Idols (good thoughts from a great book)

Why conservative churches are growing (interesting regardless of where you stand)

Can Hope be Wrong?

Thursday, April 21, 2011

"Love Wins" - Opening comments about this review...

I was first introduced to Rob Bell and his ministry a few years ago. I watched him speak at Willow Creek a sermon entitled "The Goat Has Left the Building" from Leviticus. It was a dynamic and captivating message from which I was encouraged and challenged. He spoke with clarity and passion and pointed people to Jesus throughout the message. There is no doubt that Rob Bell is a gifted communicator with a passionate desire to follow Jesus. And, yes, I believe he "desires" to follow Jesus (more on that as we go through the book).

The book "Love Wins" is another example of his giftedness. It is clear, well-written from a literary standpoint, captivating; quite frankly, it was difficult to put down. I'm sure the broo ha-ha over the book fueled my curiosity to some degree. What also fueled my curiosity is the fact of Rob Bell's influence over my generation and those younger than me. Many of these are the children and grand-children of the great people I get to serve with who make up First Baptist Church, Thomasville, NC (www.fbctville.com).

It is my prayer that this review will be done in grace and love by speaking to the issues raised in the book, how they are raised, and a biblical response to those issues. I pray that I will be simple, clear, and effective in helping the readers of this review be informed and able to respond to the issues with biblical clarity and grace.

So, here we go...stay tuned...