Reformation Day

Today in 1517 is the day that Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door in Wittenberg, thus starting the Protestant Reformation.

Here are a few:

#1--"When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent' [Matt. 4:17], he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

#32--"Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers."

#49--"Christians are to be taught that papal indulgences are useful only if they do not put their trust in them, but very harmful if they lose their fear of God because of them."

The rest can be found here:  Luther's Ninety-Five Theses

"Jesus Is" Reading (2)

Here are two more books will help you better understand the Atonement and Christ's penal substitutionary death on the cross.

1. The Atonement, Leon Morris

2. Pierced For Our Transgressions, Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, Andrew Sach

                             

Jesus Is (Week 1)

Here is the image that was on the shirt I wore yesterday for week one of "Jesus Is."  You can pick this up at C28.com 

Your Jesus Is Too Safe

If you like your theology served with a side of sarcasm and a side of 80's pop culture references, then this is the book for you!  This is a well-written and readable book about the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Wilson mixes in timely humor with solid theology to keep the reader engaged.  I highly recommend this book.

From the back cover:

"There are too many Jesuses running rampant in the world today.  Culture has introduced us to Hippie Jesus, Postcard Jesus, and Get-out-of-hell-free Jesus.  There's also Grammy Award Jesus, Role Model Jesus, and Buddy Jesus.  The question is:  which one do you worship?"

"He may be the most popular, the most cited, the most admired, and the most controversial figure in all of history, but Jesus is more than a generic brand, a logo, or a pick-me-up.  He has been fictionalized, humanized, satirized, and romanticized.  And yet he still isn't recognized."

"Author Jared C. Wilson cuts through the glossy, modern perceptions of Jesus to rediscover the original and raw person who confronted the religious status quo and changed the world.  Sometimes controversial, sometimes humorous, but always truthful. Your Jesus Is Too Safe challenges readers to leave behind their feel-good Savior and embrace the true and living Christ."

"Open this book and take a closer look at who Jesus really is."

"Jesus Is" Reading

We start a new sermon series Sunday at Explore Church called "Jesus Is."  During this series we will consider the person and work of Jesus Christ.  If you would like to read ahead or deepen your knowledge on the subject, here are five books that would be a good place to start.

1.  The Cross of Christ, John Stott

2. Death By Love, Mark Driscoll

3. The Gospel For Real Life, Jerry Bridges

4. The Truth of the Cross, R. C. Sproul

5. The Cross Centered Life, C. J. Mahaney

Frantic: Recommended Reading

The following are a few of the books that I found helpful while preparing the Frantic series:

• Simplify Your Spiritual Life, Donald S. Whitney
• Intimacy With The Almighty, Charles Swindoll
• The Overload Syndrome, Richard A. Swenson
• The Power of Less, Leo Babauta
• Simplify, Paul Borthwick
• The Generosity Factor, Ken Blanchard & Truett Cathy
• Sabbath, Dan Allender
• Celebrating The Sabbath, Bruce A. Ray
• The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn
• Fields Of Gold, Andy Stanley
• You Are The Treasure That I Seek, Greg Dutcher
• I Am Not, But I Know I Am, Louie Giglio

Build your library with useful books and schedule some time to READ!

How Materialism Brings Us To Ruin

The follow are from Randy Alcorn's book:  Money, Possessions, and Eternity.

1. Materialism prevents or destroys our spiritual life.
2. Materialism blinds us to the curses of wealth.
3. Materialism brings us unhappiness and anxiety.
4. Materialism ends in ultimate futility.
5. Materialism obscures many of the best things in life, which are free--including the gift of salvation.
6. Materialism spawns independence and self-sufficiency, which are deadly to faith.
7. Materialism leads to pride and elitism.
8. Materialism promotes injustice and exploitation.
9. Materialism fosters immorality and the deterioration of the family.
10. Materialism distracts us from our central purpose.

New Testament Guidelines For Giving

The following guidelines are from Randy Alcorn's book:  Money, Possessions, and Eternity.

1. Give
2. Give Generously
3. Give Regularly
4. Give Deliberately
5. Give Voluntarily
6. Give Sacrificially
7. Give Excellently
8. Give Cheerfully
9. Give Worshipfully
10. Give Proportionately
11. Give Quietly

A Little More

What is your greatest want? Does it line up with your greatest need? What has your heart? What is the center of your affections? Because that reveals your treasure! Money leads and heart follows.

Contentment opens the door to generosity, while discontentment opens the door to greed. Just because you are content does not mean that you are generous, it just opens the door for the opportunity to be generous. Likewise, just because you are discontent does not mean you are greedy, it just opens the door for temptation to derail you into thinking you need more and more and that you are justified to obtain it by whatever means necessary.

True contentment can only be found in Christ. He alone is our source of sufficiency. Out of contentment we can learn to give selflessly and sacrificially like Christ. The results are interesting: Generosity results in impact, while greed results in regret.

Do you want your life to have an impact? Then GIVE, GIVE, GIVE! The more you give the greater the impact!

Ask God to open your eyes to opportunities to give of your time, talent, and resources today. Then over time you will be able to look back with satisfaction at the impact God was able to make in the world through you as a result of your willingness give.

Frantic #4

Here are the verses that I cited at the beginning of service Sunday, along with the Greg Dutcher quote.

Verses:

1. Proverbs 3:5-7
2. Psalm 16:11
3. 2 Corinthians 5:21
4. Ephesians 2:8-10
5. Micah 6:8

From page 96 of Greg Dutcher's book--You Are The Treasure I Seek: But There's A Lot Of Cool Stuff Out There, Lord.

"Until we are convinced that Jesus is a treasure in himself, for no other reason than for being who He is, we will continue to turn our hearts to the copies and counterfeits that offer us 'fresher' benefits."

Recommended Music

Steve Fee has recently released a new album and it is awesome. My favorites so far are Glory to God Forever and Rise and Sing. You will not regret the investment in these tunes!

Rest Must Be Rooted In Faith

Practicing what I preach...