Northwest Pastor

Lloyd-Jones: Focusing on What Really Matters: "D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, commenting on Phil. 1:10 ('that you may approve what is excellent,' or 'that you may have a sense of what is vital'):

The difficulty in life is to know on what we ought to concentrate. The whole art of life, I sometimes think, is the art of knowing what to leave out, what to ignore, what to put on one side. How prone we are to dissipate our energies and to waste our time by forgetting what is vital and giving ourselves to second and third rate issues. Now, says Paul, here you are in the Christian life, you are concerned about difficulties, about oppositions and about the contradictions of life. What you need is just this: the power to concentrate on that which is vital, to leave out everything else, and to keep steadily to the one thing that matters.

The Life of Joy: Philippians, vol. 1, pp. 54-55.

HT: David Sunday"

Forgetting the Golden Rule: "

I'm reviewing some of the principes of confession from chapter 6 of The Peacemaker, and I thought this was a great excerpt:

Perhaps the most common cause of conflict is our failure to follow the Golden Rule, which Jesus taught in Matthew 7:12: 'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.' To see whether you have violated this teaching, ask yourself questions like these:

Would I want someone else to treat me the way I have been treating him?

How would I feel if I found out people were saying about me what I've said about her?

If our positions were reversed, how would I feel if he did what I have done?

If someone broke a contract for the same reasons I am using, would I feel that was right?

If I was an employee, how would I feel if I was treated the way I have treated her?

If I owned this business, woudl I want my employees to behave the way I am behaving?

Anytime you see that you would not want someone else to treat you the way you are presently treating others, you have fallen short of the standard Jesus established to govern all human relations. If you admit your failure to God and the person you have wronged, you can start moving down the road to forgiveness, agreement, and reconciliation.

Ken Sande, The Peacemaker, pages 124-125

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Book Review: Everyday Greatness by Stephen R. Covey, compiled by David K. Hatch

Have you ever read a great story and thought, “wow”? Where you were transported into that story and everything around you faded away as if you lived the story? Well imagine a book that has hundreds of great stories in it, a book that not only has hundreds of stories but are all categorized and after each story several pages of quotes follow enforcing the story’s and chapter’s theme.

I was a little apprehensive about the book because of the reader’s digest logo on the front. I thought I did not want to have some book I have to plow through about grandma’s curlers or great grandpa’s trips to the woodshed or some rural dad walking a million miles to school in the snow and then 10 pages on the moral of the story. To be honest with you the only reason I gave this book a second look on the blogging review program was the author Stephen Covey. I have always enjoyed anything and everything by him so I put my trust in his reputation and felt he would not let me down and boy was I impressed! If you need inspiration and want to find meaning in life then read this book. If you do not get inspired after reading this book then check your pulse!

Jason Rigby

http://northwestpastorjason.blogspot.com/

God is about a big purpose in and for the whole of creation. The church has been called into life to be both the means of this mission and a foretaste of where God is inviting all creation to go. Just as its Lord is a mission-shaped God, so the community of God’s people exists, not for themselves but for the sake of the work. Mission is therefore not a program or project some people in the church do from time to time (as in a ‘mission trip’, ‘mission budget’, and so on); the church’s very nature is to be God’s missionary people.

The Missional Leader -Alan Roxborough, Fred Romanuk

Total Eclipse of the Heart (Flowchart): "

Jeannie Harrell takes Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler, and puts it in flowchart form. Yes, you guessed it. It's Friday. And what better way to start the weekend with the music video in all its 1980s glory:

[Thanks, Sushmita & Fernando]

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5 Dimensions of Sin: ""

Will Sony Beat Amazon Where It Counts?: "

If you haven’t heard the news… Sony is releasing a new e-book reader, its answer to Amazon’s Kindle. Retailing at $399, the Sony reader will feature a touch screen (something the Kindle doesn’t have) and the ability to download books wirelessly (something the Kindle does have). It will also provide access to thousands of free (public domain) books & documents provided by Google Book Search. A nice touch.

But I’m wondering whether the Sony reader will beat the Kindle in the one category that really counts? Will it have a truly readable screen? The Sony and Amazon screens each use “e-ink” technology, which doesn’t cut the mustard. As Nicholson Baker recently wrote in The New Yorker, “The problem was not that the screen was in black-and-white; if it had really been black-and-white, that would have been fine. The problem was that the screen was gray. And it wasn’t just gray; it was a greenish, sickly gray. A postmortem gray. The resizable typeface, Monotype Caecilia, appeared as a darker gray. Dark gray on paler greenish gray was the palette of the Amazon Kindle.”

Hopefully Sony figures this piece out. If not, Apple may. According to The Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs is back at Apple, just months after his liver transplant, working hard and raising the blood pressure of Apple employees, as they prepare to roll out a multimedia tablet that’s rumored to include, yes, an e-book reader.

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Chosen, holy, loved: ""

Wireless Ebook Readers: Which One'll Burn Down the Bookstore? [Battlemodo]: "

With the Sony Reader Daily Edition, the 3G-enabled ebook reader battle is pitched. At the end of this year, it'll fight Amazon's Kindle 2 and DX and Plastic Logic's eReader to the death. Here's how they all stack up now:

Aaaand we can't not do a proper sizemodo, naturally:

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"Moral Fervor is Our Deepest Evil": "

Moral fervor is our deepest evil. When we intend to serve God, but forget to crucify Self moment by moment, we are capable of acting cruelly while feeling virtuous about it.

Let's always beware that delicious feeling that we are the defenders of the holy. Christ is the only Defender of the holy. He defends us from persecutors. He defends us from becoming persecutors. We can take refuge in him. But that esteem of him also means we regard ourselves with suspicion, especially when judging another.

-- Ray Ortlund

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
-- 1 John 2:1

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
-- Hebrews 7:25

This is why the message of the gospel is not 'Behave!' but 'Believe!'

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Why Discipleship Is our only hope: "

The reason the Christian faith has not transformed American culture is that it has not significantly transformed the majority of Christians. The American church has taught a gospel that most often has been unaccompanied by discipleship.When the gospel loses discipleship, it loses the permission and the ability to teach people deeply. This eliminates the process Jesus commanded, “ teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” The teaching Jesus commanded is applied in three ways in local ministry, philosophy, program and curriculum. Philosophy is the biblical understanding, program is the infrastructure , and curriculum is the content of what is taught.

read more

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Save Dollars and Calories with DIY Microwave Popcorn [DIY]: "

We've shown you how to get movie theater popcorn for pennies on the dollar, but this DIY microwave popcorn trick is perfect for lazy nights at home. Prepare a batch now and then to enjoy a healthy, cheap snack.

Instructables user Hoopajoo had a major issue with store-bought microwave popcorn:

Go to the supermarket and look at the boxes of microwave popping corn. $1.99 to $3.00 a box and the odds are you won't find one seasoned to your individual taste. You just have to settle for what they offer.

So he did what any true DIYer would: found a way to make it at home. Now he's shared his recipe with us.

What you'll need:

• 1/4 cup of popping corn (Generally $0.99 for a pound bag. This is enough to make at least 50 bags of microwave corn.)
• 1 Teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• To taste - popcorn salt (It has finer granules than table salt with the same taste.)

And these tools:

• A stapler
• A teaspoon
• A measuring cup
• A brown paper bag
• A microwave

We would suggest skipping the stapler and using this trick, though, because somehow we're wary about sticking staples into our microwaves, even if there are no sparks in the video:

Check out the full instructions for this DIY recipe at Instructables, but before you go, tell us: Have you ever made a DIY version of microwave popcorn before? How'd it taste? (And did the staples spark up?) What other snacks do you prefer to make at home?

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Applying the Gospel: "

Yesterday I preached on “Gospel-Growth” from Colossians 1:6-8. At the end of the sermon I worked through four questions that help us apply the gospel in various life situations (see list below). This is not the only way to think about gospel application, but it is a good start. Your ability to answer these questions depends on your understanding of the gospel and your expectations about what the gospel can accomplish. You will gain more insight if you ask and answer these questions in community.

1. How does the gospel confront the way you think and feel about a particular situation in your actual life?

The gospel is a body of truth, a revelation from God that sets forth the good news about what God has done in His Son Jesus. In a nutshell, this is “the grace of God in truth” declared in the gospel: A holy God created the world and everything in it. The first people had perfect fellowship with God, but they rebelled against God and fell into sin. And everyone after them has done the same. We are all under sin. We are separated from God and we deserve His eternal wrath. But God, because of His great love, offered up His own Son as a sacrifice for sin. God poured out His wrath against our sin on Jesus, who bore it on our behalf so that God could accept us. Jesus got what we deserve (shame, loneliness, beating, wrath, death), and we get what He deserves (favor and life eternal). God forgives sin and reconciles sinners to Himself so that we can worship and enjoy Him forever, as we were made to do. We did nothing to earn this immeasurable act of love. It is from beginning to end a work of God’s grace. So what truths about our salvation in Jesus confront the way we think and feel about our identity, worth, rights, expectations, performance, fears, needs, etc.?

2. How does the gospel convict me of sin with regard to that situation?

In every circumstance, even when we are wronged, we still bring something to the table. The gospel forces us to humbly consider our own thoughts and actions and attitudes. So how do you need to repent of the ways in which your sin has come to light in this situation?

3. How does the gospel comfort me in this situation?

The grace of God is not to overlook sin, but rather to forgive sin and empower us to turn from sin and trust in the hope of the gospel. So what realities set forth in the gospel enable us to rest in God’s provision, hope in Jesus’ coming, trust God’s character, experience His love and mercy, etc.?

4. How does the gospel challenge me in this situation?

The gospel is not only a body of truth, but also a power let loose in the world that transforms people and communities. It prevails upon your very identity to change you from the inside out. The gospel doesn’t merely instruct you about how to obey God. Rather, it changes you and makes you the kind of person who obeys God. It challenges you to expect supernatural change in your life and in those around you, the kind of fruit that cannot be accounted for apart from God’s divine activity. And this vision compels you to action. So what does the gospel challenge you to expect and do in this situation?

Situations addressed in the sermon: Job loss, Unforgiveness, “Mom Identity”, Frustration that things aren’t going your way, You don’t want to confess sin, You’re in great need, You’re a perfectionist.

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Discipleship Starts at Home, Part 2: "

Discipleship Starts at Home Series [Part 2 of 2]: Click | View Series

Start Early

You can and should teach your children basic Christian beliefs and how to memorize Scripture. This can be both fun and educational. You can choose short Scriptures to begin teaching your children. As you continue to learn the Scriptures, you can use longer passages such as the Ten Commandants and 23rd Psalm for when you and your children feel ready to go deeper. You can also use a short family catechism with questions and answers for you to discuss together that will help your children learn basic Christian doctrine.

Some Practical Ideas

Here are a few practical ideas that may help you disciple your children.

• Find a good children’s Bible.


• Remember to have fun with your children while learning the Bible.


• Keep the time brief to hold the child's attention.


• Recite the verse several times a day in your child's presence so it becomes familiar to them.


• Make flash cards with Scripture on one side and the book, chapter, and verse on the other.


• Put the verse to music or rhythm. Your child will enjoy singing and clapping their hands.


• Think of fun activities to make the verse fun and easy to remember.


• Tell them you are proud of them and have them recite it to someone else, like a grandparent or teacher.


• Pray with your children every day at meals and before they go to bed at night.

The Revolution Begins at Home

If we want a revolution of discipleship in our nation, it will have to begin in our homes. Discipleship begins in our marriages, by loving our spouses with the love of Christ. It happens by teaching, loving, and disciplining our children. When we bring the gospel back in the home, it will spread through our neighborhoods and into the communities where we live. If every family in every church got serious about making disciples in the home, it would change our world.

The great Puritan pastor Richard Baxter knew the importance of family ministry. He said, “We must have a special eye upon families, to see that they are well ordered, and the duties of each relation performed. The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Church and the State, depend much on family government and duty. If we suffer the neglect of this, we shall undo all…. I beseech you, therefore, if you desire the reformation and welfare of your people, do all you can to promote family religion.” Let us not neglect our duty to disciple those who are within our very homes.

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The Wrath and Love of God: ""