By Ramona Doyle

“This is war!”  The battle-cry pierced the early morning stillness.  If anyone was still sleeping, they certainly weren’t any more.  The conflict?  …Not what you might think!  This was another battle in our family war against the onslaught of stink bugs that have steadily invaded our home since we unknowingly imported them into our house several months ago in an innocuous box of Christmas decorations.  Thanks to one of my eagle-eyed sons, the 1,000th stink bug had just succumbed to the fight.  Well…maybe not the 1,000th…but it sure seemed that way!

It’s hard to miss these crafty little infiltrators…every time we turn around one seems to be staring us in the face!  But there are other infiltrators in our home that can be much less obvious, and before we know it we can find ourselves loosing a battle we never knew we were fighting.  Our family’s biggest battle, perhaps, is the battle for time—the time we have together can so easily fall victim to the legions of activities that all vie for attention.  Without careful attention and planning, they can infiltrate and devour most of our waking minutes.

We want our children to grow to love the Lord and his ways.  We want our family culture to impact our children more strongly than the culture of the world.  And we want our children to be prepared to stand in a world that is increasingly hostile to much of what we hold dear as believers.  Fortifying our children’s hearts with truth and wisdom, pointing them to our glorious Savior, and building a strong and vibrant family culture all require intentionality and time.

I’ve found that as a wife and mother I can play a unique roll in helping my husband in this area.  I can not only help my husband make time; I can help him make it count.  I can help create an atmosphere and tone to our family life that makes our home an oasis where our kids delight to spend time.  Here are some strategies I’ve found helpful:
 
1.      Regularly evaluate family priorities with your husband.

2.      Be an encourager…regularly highlight God’s activity in the lives of each family member.

3.      Pray for your children and be alert for opportunities to bring the Gospel into the situations of their lives.

4.      Prioritize relationships over the need to “get things done” as you care for your family.

5.      Seek creative ways to make the mundane special.  One night when I forgot to defrost meat for dinner and made eggs & pancakes instead, I called it “second breakfast” (hobbit style!) and it was such a hit that it has become a regular anticipated tradition in our home!

6.      Involve your children in helping plan & prepare for some of your family nights.  They will be instantly invested in the time.

And don’t forget to enjoy your children—they are a gift from the Lord!  “…Children are a heritage from the Lord…blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!”  (Psalm 127:3-5)

By Jared Mellinger

Every Christian should love preaching.  Not that we all love doing the preaching, because “Not many of you should become teachers” (James 3:1).  But we should all love preaching in the sense that we believe that nothing is more important to the health of our souls, and nothing is more central to Christian worship, than the preaching of God’s word.   

Healthy churches are full of people who have a high view of preaching.  One of the most reliable measures of the maturity of a church is the peoples’ understanding and appreciation of the preaching task.  This means preachers aren’t the only ones who need to have a theology of preaching, or a biblical understanding of the primacy of preaching.  It is a theme that matters for us all. 

If you haven’t given much thought to preaching, or if hearing the phrase “expositional pulpit monologue” doesn’t immediately begin to pump adrenaline through your veins, don’t worry.  A great starting point, if you missed it, is Mark’s sermon from Sunday, on the priority and purpose of preaching.  Then, consider reading Donald Whitney’s chapter on preaching in his book Spiritual Disciplines in the Church.  It’s called “Why Listen to Preaching in the Church?” 

In fact, in light of the value of Christians thinking clearly about the role of preaching, I’d encourage every believer to read a book on preaching at some point.  Here are a few suggestions of books on preaching that I’d recommend for those who don’t preach but want to reflect more on the subject. 

1.  What is Biblical Preaching?, by Eric Alexander

A short introduction to preaching that explains why preaching is important, written by an outstanding preacher.  I recommend this not only because the content is very helpful, but because it is a very readable length.

2.  The Supremacy of God in Preaching, by John Piper

Piper is aiming at preachers, but gives a wonderful vision of “the gravity and gladness of preaching” (to use Piper’s phrase), that will benefit all Christians.  The second part of the book describes the preaching of Jonathan Edwards.  If you have enjoyed other books by Piper, I’d encourage you to read his book on preaching. 

3.  Preachers Who Made a Difference, by Peter Jeffery

This book introduces readers to nine men from church history who have been powerfully used by God in their preaching.  The chapters are short and Jeffery’s writing is highly accessible.  There are chapters on John Knox, J.C. Ryle, Charles Spurgeon, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and more. 

4.  He is Not Silent, by Dr. Al Mohler    

Mohler believes that one of the hallmarks of our time is a crisis in preaching, and that the urgent need in our day is to recover a sense of the glory of preaching.  Here he explains why preaching is the heart of worship, gives a theology of preaching, and explains the importance of expository preaching.

I can speak for the other men who preach to you.  There is nothing that would give us greater joy than to know that the people to whom we preach not only hear the word with open hearts, but understand the high call of preaching and hold us accountable to that call. 

By Rob Flood

We often use Mission Fridays as a way to equip and encourage you in the mission of the church.  Often times, we use this slot to help you see beyond Covenant Fellowship Church to other parts of the country and other parts of the world.  Today, join with us as we celebrate the planting of new churches.

As we’ve been well taught here, church planting is at the core of completing the Great Commission.  The true fulfillment of the great commission is not simply the sharing of the gospel, but the creation of a people…a local church.  Through that church, the gospel goes forth and those converted through the gospel are baptized and discipled. 

The churches below represent far more than simply new Sovereign Grace churches.  They represent new bodies of believers that desire to see the name of Jesus glorified, the good news of the gospel shared, and many to put their lives and souls in the hands of our wonderful Savior. 

This is a task that is worthy of our efforts…and our prayers.  So, as you read below and perhaps even visit their websites, consider praying for one or two of these plants.  Whether here at Covenant Fellowship Church or elsewhere, it is our prayer than many would come to know Christ.

~   San Francisco, CA: Christ Church has been meeting since August 2, led by Toby Kurth. The church meets on Sunday afternoons in the Richmond District. www.christchurchsf.org.  

~   Fredericksburg, VA: Sovereign Grace Church has been meeting since August 23, led by Ken Delage. The church meets on Sunday mornings at Freedom Middle School in Spotsylvania. www.sovgrace.cc.  

~   Peoria, AZ: Grace Church has been meeting since August 30 in a northwestern suburb of Phoenix. Led by Chris Daukas, the church meets on Sunday afternoons at the Rio Vista Recreation Center. www.gracechurchaz.org. 

~   Downingtown, PA: Brandywine Grace Church launched just over a week ago, on September 13, in this western suburb of Philadelphia. The church is led by Kenny Lynch and meets at the Downingtown Educational Center. www.brandywinegrace.org.

~   Orange County, CA: Sovereign Grace Church of Orange County is led by Eric Turbedsky. The church-planting team meets on Saturday evenings at Pacific Church in Irvine. Keep an eye on www.sovgraceoc.org. for more updates.

~   Sydney, Australia: Sovereign Grace Church Sydney will be led by Dave Taylor and will launch, Lord willing, in 2010. Dave and his family will be moving from Newport, Wales, to Australia soon. But if you’re in Sydney, you can connect with him on Facebook or at an Intro Night he is hosting on October 30 at the Waldorf Apartment Hotel in Pennant Hills, Sydney. Check www.sovgraceoz.org. for info.

By Rob Flood

When our children are small, protecting them from influences, from both the inside and the outside, is a bit easier.  We choose their friends, they activities, and when they can to both.  As they grow older, though, not only does protecting them become more difficult, but those who would attack them seem to grow in number and in strength.

The posture to protect reflects a wonderful heart for the health and happiness of our children.  Yet, it does not always serve what is best.  And, often, we make a fatal mistake as parents when dealing with the idols in our children’s lives: we take them personally.

We make the mistake of thinking that the idols that create problems in our children’s lives are about us. When their love for sloth surpasses their love for work, they underachieve. And we think that their failure to carry their weight in our home is about us. When their love for self surpasses their love for siblings, they attack. And we think that their failure to seek peace is about us. Their love for lust surpasses their love for purity, they compromise. And we think that their failure is an indictment on our leadership.

When we do, it is as though we are sitting at a table across from them with the idol in the middle.  When we look at each other, our vision is distorted because we only see the other through the idol.  We can’t see them clearly…and they can’t see us clearly.  Our posture, our vision, and our purpose are all distorted because we are positioned against them on the battlefield of the idol.

But if we are wise enough to pick up our chair and carry it to the other side of the table, alongside our teen, the game changes completely.  Now, we can see each other clearly.  Now, our relationship is not defined by this idol we’ve both taken so personally.  No…now we are able to see what they’re seeing and help them to see it rightly.  Rather than taking their struggle personally, we join them as a compassionate fellow sinner in the battle against the idol.

This removes the controlling power the idol wants.  And, in time, taking the right seat at the table makes room for the gospel to be the centerpiece of the table.  In the end, the Word of God has its rightful place, the idol has been put in its rightful place, and your relationship with your teen is defined far more by compassion than by opposition.

So, here are a few questions for you as you assess this:

1. What is the current centerpiece of your conversations with your teen?
2. What pattern of sin in their lives colors how your view them / assess them?
3. How would this change if you came around the other side of the table and came alongside them as a fellow sinner struggling against your own idolatries?
4. What 1 or 2 passages of Scripture could you begin to place at the center of these conversations?

The right seat at the table will not fix every problem…nor will it guarantee an easy conversation.  It will just remove the largest obstacle to fruitful communication.

By Ramona Doyle

What!  Forget one of our children?  Never!  

Well, maybe not…  All my children are different.  Some have required more input, discipline, correction, and time than others.  I’m thinking of the one of whom my husband and I would often joke, “If we can just keep him alive until he’s five…!”  But we’ve learned from experience that there can be some inherent problems when you have a challenging child in your home.  This child gets a lot of attention.  He hears the Gospel in the course of parenting many times a day.  He has lots of “heart talks” with Mom and Dad.  And Mom and Dad wear out the knees of their pants in prayer lifting him before the throne of grace for mercy and grace in time of need.  And the need is frequent!

Then there is the obedient child…the one who is usually in the right place at the right time.  This one is typically respectful, he doesn’t often make waves with his siblings, and you can tell he usually tries to do the right thing.  When we look back, we’ve realized how easy it is to “forget” the obedient child.  It’s easy to make assumptions about what is going on in his heart and not invest the same time and prayer into parenting him.  So he doesn’t get as much attention or have the frequent heart talks with Mom and Dad, and he doesn’t hear the Gospel in the course of parenting many times a day.  But though he doesn’t require the frequent correction of his sibling, he is every much in need of the Gospel as his counterpart.  Down the road the obedient child could easily drift for lack of Gospel restraint in his heart.

As we have labored to better parent our growing family and trusted the Lord to “work all things for our good” (Romans 8:28) in the midst of our parenting mistakes and weaknesses, we’ve sought to do implement parenting strategies that direct our focus to all of our children’s hearts.  We’ve learned to not make assumptions based on the outward behavior of our children and to regularly evaluate our parenting goals for each one.  We try to pray daily for each child, asking the Lord to protect them, guard their hearts, and continue his perfect work in each one.  My husband uses our family devotions each day not only as an opportunity to meet the Lord together, but also to draw out our children and listen to their responses to his questions.  And we seek opportunities for one-on-one time with each child, allowing opportunity to build strong relationships and specifically invest in each one.

And if you have a forgotten child, take heart.  The Lord is actively working in his life and never forgets: “Can a woman forget her nursing child … Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.  Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.  Isaiah 49:15-16 

By Jared Mellinger

Donald Whitney is the author of several outstanding books.  One of my favorites, and a book that has influenced our current sermon series (When We Gather), is Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church: Participating Fully in the Body of Christ.  If I could pick 10 books that every person in the church should read, this one would make the list.  I think it’s that important.   

I used to think of the spiritual disciplines as exclusively individual and private pursuits.  Donald Whitney taught me there is much more to the spiritual disciplines than personal spiritual disciplines – there are spiritual disciplines in the church as well.

In fact, I’ve come to believe that, from a biblical standpoint, the most important spiritual disciplines are not personal, but congregational.  There is an edification and strengthening that comes only when we gather together as the church.  There are blessings we receive from God only in the context of gathering for public worship, and cannot receive in private worship as isolated individuals.

The puritan David Clarkson once preached a sermon called “Public Worship to be Preferred Before Private.”  His point was that personal spiritual disciplines can never replace preaching, congregational worship, and practicing the sacraments together.  It is certainly important to read the Word privately and meditate on Scripture privately.  However, we must remember that the Word of God is most potent and powerful when it is preached.  

Here’s what Donald Whitney says: “Congregational worship is more edifying for the Christian than private worship, whether that worship takes place under the stars or on a couch with an open Bible, because we receive from spiritual resources that are unavailable when alone.  In the public worship of God we can experience the preaching of His Word, the spiritual gifts of Christians, the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ, congregational praise, fellowship, and many other things that we cannot receive in private worship.”  (p. 78)

This is not to minimize the importance and necessity of personal spiritual disciplines, but to help us see them in their proper place in the Christian life.  Ultimately, this will produce the most healthy approach to the disciplines. 

So when you think of your intake of the Word of God, or your prayer life, I’d encourage you to always think first of sitting under the preaching of the Word together, and praying together as a congregation and with other believers.  And, I encourage you to consider taking some time over the next couple months, while we are in this sermon series, to read (or re-read) Whitney’s book on the church.  There is a chapter that corresponds to each of the remaining sermons: preaching (ch 4), music (ch 5), baptism (ch 2), communion (ch 9), prayer (ch 11), giving (ch 8), and witness (ch 6).        

Most of all, let’s be praying that God uses this series to inform us and transform us as a church.  And let’s pray that we would encounter his empowering presence when we gather.      

By Rob Flood

A recent article on breitbart.com caught my attention with the headline, “Americans spend eight hours a day on screens.”  I set it aside, not knowing exactly how to use it, but finding it quite fascinating.  While there were many findings worth noting, the following segment of the article captures the heart of it:

Adult Americans spend an average of more than eight hours a day in front of screens -- televisions, computer monitors, cell phones or other devices, according to a new study.

The study also found that live television in the home continues to attract the greatest amount of viewing time with the average American spending slightly more than five hours a day in front of the tube.

The figure drops to 210 minutes a day of average TV viewing time among 18-24 year olds but rises to 420 minutes a day among those aged 65 and older.

Here are a couple observations that I won’t make:

~   Where does the average American find 5 hours a day to watch TV?

~   Are there better ways than 7 hours of TV watching a day for those over 65 to spend their retirement?

~   While iPhones, Blackberries, and computer screens dominate the electronic stores, is anyone else surprised that TV, dating back to 1939, still ranks first?

Those might be worthy blog topics, but there is something more fundamental to capture here.  There’s something that can serve us as men regardless of how many hours of TV you watch.  And here it is:  pay attention to what you’re looking at.

What you look at consumes time…precious time.  What you look at leaves seeds behind…visual seeds that continue to sprout fruit, even once you’ve turned your eyes away.  This is commonly accepted when it comes to sensual images, but it is much more than that. 

If I mention Close Encounters of the Third Kind…do any images rush to your mind?  How about Indiana Jones?  A hat?  A whip?  How about the Golden Girls?  You forgot that seed was planted there, didn’t you.  Are any of these seeds evil in and of themselves?  No…but they sure do prove that visual seeds take root quickly and bear lasting fruit.

What are you planting in that fertile soil of your heart, men?  When it bears fruit, will it be sweet or bitter?  And, when you’re done with the visual images, will there be any room left for the cross?  …for a spouse?  …for your kids? 

The eyes are so often a gateway into the heart.  And, when the heart is yearning for something to distract it, it most often goes to the eyes for an outlet.  So, as we’re warned about our hearts…

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Proverbs 4:23)

…we ought to pay special attention to our eyes.  Job lays out a wonderful example for us all:

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. (Job 31:1 – NIV)

With all the screens throwing visual images of every kind…including those of the third kind…a covenant is what it will take.  So, ask yourself…ask each other…what are you looking at?

Click here for the article from breitbart.com.

By Rob Flood

In most well-intentioned marriages, the difficulties that arise are caused by the same thing.  And if that one thing can be addressed, thoroughly and realistically, lives and marriages become radically changed.  What the problem?  Most of us are in love with the wrong person.

Sure…we all struggle with loving ourselves more than anything or anyone else.  Selfishness is a permanent fixture in our hearts…whether it takes center stage or not is the battle.  But, by the grace of God, we are able to recognize selfishness and put it to death…or at least put it down for an 8-count every once in a while.

But I’m not talking about loving yourself.  No…the wrong person we love in most of our marriages is our spouse.

So many changes we seek to make in our marriage are crafted around our real and well-intentioned love for our spouse.  We want them happy…we want to love them in a way that they thoroughly enjoy.  Our motivation for our attempts to change is our love for our spouse. 

However, if you’re anything like me, the power that such love produces fluctuates… sometimes drastically.  It’s not that my love for my wife fluctuates…I genuinely and consistently love her.  The thing that fluctuates is the power that I can derive from that love to fuel change.  She’s a sinner and so am I.  My love for her cannot be trusted as a source or motivation for change or as a foundation of our marriage.  When it does, as wonderful as she may be, I’m in love with the wrong person.  The same is true of you.

The only love that can be trusted…that can be counted on as a foundation for my marriage…is the love between God and us. 

The love God has for us came sealed with a sacrifice that purchased us.  It came with the guarantee of his love for us in the person of his Holy Spirit.  He indwells us, powering and enabling all change. 

Our short-comings, failures, and sin in our marriages can all be traced back to our failure to love God as we ought.  And, if that is the origin of the problem, that must be the location of the solution.  When our efforts to love are dried up, again rejected, and nothing but mechanical, the answer is not loving your spouse more.  There is no power for change there.  There is no hope in that.  The answer is in loving your God more.

This is the whole point behind our marriages being gospel-centered.  It the is point behind loving your husband as unto the Lord…loving your wife as unto the Lord.  When we do so, we do it in the power God provides.  We do so in dependence.  We do so in faith.

This frees us as spouses to say “no” to loving ourselves.  It frees us to say “no” to using our love for our spouse as an inadequate foundation for our marriage.  And it frees us by providing a constant source of power and hope, realizing that no matter how we’ve failed, God is faithful to welcome sin-fallen husbands and wives, dust us off, fill us with his Spirit, and send us back into the game.

What is the one thing that, if addressed, would radically change our lives and our marriages?  It is turning from being in love with the wrong…and passionately pursuing being in love with the Right Person.

By Gina Flood

I was in a doctor’s examining room recently and was skimming the magazine covers on the display rack while I waited for the doc. My gaze stopped on one title in particular – ”Reinvent Yourself at 40.” I noticed there was a lovely looking model sporting her reinvented self (I am assuming she was over 40; she was on the cover, it must be true). Now, I am approaching 40 and that’s okay, but it hadn’t really crossed my mind that I should be working on my self-reinvention. So I began to roll that one around in my head.

I recalled the days before I received Christ, The Inventor of my self. Each day was a new day to reinvent myself. I wrote endless lists and journal entries reflecting on what I thought was lacking in my character and my life and how I could achieve my goal of being the woman I thought I ought to be. Reinventing myself was a mission.

In the years following my conversion, Christ, The Inventor of my self, had drawn me out of the pit of destruction and the mire and placed my feet on a rock. He had put a new song in my mouth and I was so thankful. (Psalm 40:2-3) However, I was looking, ever looking, at the godly women around me, writing endless lists and journal entries about the wonderful, godly qualities these women possessed and what I should do to become like them. I was still reinventing myself, but now it was my ministry.

Then I thought about my life now. My life has gotten busier over the years. I don’t have as much time for lists and journal entries as I used to. But my life has gotten simpler, too. I love my God ordained calling as a Christian, wife, and mother. I love our church. I love my life. That has brought much focus to the lists and entries I take the time to write.

I realized, that by God’s amazing, wonderful, scandalous, unmerited grace, I am invented – by The Inventor! Through the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit, I am being reinvented into His image; I am a new creation. He has already prepared good works for me to do (Eph 2:10) and it is my Father in Heaven who works in me, to accomplish those works for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:13)

Have I arrived? By no means! Am I completed? Not until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6) I lack terribly in so many areas and I am thankful God has provided so many rich and wonderful examples in the saints.

But, I rejoice. I rejoice, because the Creator of the Universe, The Inventor of all things, invented me. There is nothing for me to reinvent, thank you Jesus. He has already invented and created and fashioned who I am. I press on because Christ has made me His own. (Phil 3:12) As I approach 40, I am thankful, I am refreshed, and I am overjoyed. Because now…now…instead of reinventing myself (in my own feeble strength and finite wisdom) into something I think I ought to be, my God, the Lover of my soul, is revealing who He has already made me to be.

May we all, as we humble ourselves before the throne of grace, walk in the good works he as prepared for us to do. May we rejoice in who He has made us to be already. May we press on toward holiness in faith and confidence that God knew what He was doing when He made us the way He made us. And may we stand amazed.

By Jared Mellinger

Covenant Fellowship recently hosted a small conference for Sovereign Grace Senior Pastors who are serving in the Northeast region.  Over 20 men attended the retreat.  Aron Osborne, the Senior Pastor of the church in Souderton PA, provides leadership for the region and did a great job leading us in our time together.

It is because of your generous giving and support that we were able to host this retreat, and that I was able to attend, along with Mark Prater (who is not a Senior Pastor but helps out with the leadership and care of churches in the region).  Thank you for enabling us to partner with other pastors throughout the region for this time of encouragement and training.

In no particular order, here are some of the personal highlights from the week:

1. The teaching.  Both Dave Harvey and Mark Prater were among the men who taught us during the week.  Dave gave a teaching on parenting, and Mark taught us “10 ½ Things to Consider in Being a Spirit-Filled Senior Pastor”.  I continue to learn a lot from these men!

    

2. Baseball.  We played several games of wiffle ball on the front lawn.  As you might expect, we all talked a big game and then no one was especially good.  Afterwards, we went into the city to see a Phillies game together, to observe how it’s really done.  

    

3. Honoring my dad. Aron asked me to honor my Dad, Ken Mellinger, who is the Senior Pastor of the Sovereign Grace church in Harrisburg PA.  I was able to share with all the guys the things I appreciate about my dad as a father, a mentor, and a friend, and talk about the influence he has had on me personally over the years.   

    

4. Seeing Kenny there.  What a great joy to see, along with many of the other church planters we have sent out over the years, my friend Kenny Lynch.  He is now a fellow Senior Pastor!  Wow.  Seeing him at the retreat and enjoying fellowship with him was certainly a highlight. 

Thanks again, Covenant Fellowship, for making this time possible.  It is one of the many things that makes it a pure joy for me to lead the church. 

By Rob Flood

Sometimes, we need to take a good look at the mirror to see what’s going on in our minds…in our hearts.  And sometimes, we need to take a good look out the living room window to see what’s going on in our neighborhoods and community.  Today…we look out the window.

A recent article in USAToday was titled, “Atheists choose ‘de-baptism’ to renounce childhood faith.”  You ask, “What is de-baptism?”  Here is the description from the article:

In a type of mock ceremony that's now been performed in at least four states, a robed "priest" used a hairdryer marked "reason" in an apparent bid to blow away the waters of baptism once and for all. Several dozen participants then fed on a "de-sacrament" (crackers with peanut butter) and received certificates assuring they had "freely renounced a previous mistake, and accepted Reason over Superstition."

You could respond like I did at first: indignation.  “How enormously disrespectful?  Who do they think they are?”  Or, you could respond like I did at second: pity.  “What happened to these people in the church that caused such disdain?”  Or, you could respond like I did, finally: curious.  “I wonder what this really shows us.”

While most people are not actively mocking Christianity and performing “de-baptizing ceremonies,” most people are living as though faith is superstition and “reason” has won the day.  Yes…we could argue here that true, biblical faith is utterly reasonable and that it is atheism that is unreasonable.  But that’s not where we’re going.

At one point, those who are going through “de-baptizing” were once baptized.  They were once in the church.  They once considered themselves Christians.  What turned them away?  The answers are endless: tragedy, suffering, hypocrisy, sin, busyness, etc.  Maybe all of the above.  But what is the Achilles’ Heel for all of these.  How can we guard our souls against such mockery?  Against such blasphemy?

I believe the answer is TREASURE.  Our mission is not just to go out and save the lost.  It is not just to bring them to church so that they can get trained to go and save the lost.  No.  Our mission is to treasure, proclaim and grow in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When we are treasuring Christ, we have an anchor that never fails.  We have a rock as our foundation.  We have a strong tower to run into.  When tragedy or trial comes, we know whom we have believed, and we are convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to us. (2 Timothy 1:12)

We have a treasure that keeps us humble…guarding us from hypocrisy…and freeing us to admit our hypocrisy when it’s pointed out to us.  We have a treasure that shines more brightly than all competing treasures and holds priority in our hearts and lives.

When you look out your living room window and see the people passing by…and you observe their godlessness…pray for them.  Have compassion for them.  And pray for your own walk with Christ…that he would remain your treasure.  And that, each time you take a glimpse at your reality…you will find Christ at the center.

By Jacob Young

In reflecting on the state of my soul lately, I can't remember one single day in the last year where I wasn't tempted to, battle with, or succumbed to spiritual depression. By spiritual depression I simply mean that black, hopeless cloud of a downward spiral into a meaningless, ambivalent, despair, fueled mostly by doubt and (for me) anger. It's not precisely happy land, but a land nonetheless. Of course circumstances don't particularly matter, this is one of those things that comes about for various randomly prompted reasons. However, in a recent trial Michelle and I have been facing, I've seen the temptation arrive at my door step.

With this, I have once again picked up the letters of a good (dead) friend of mine, Samuel Rutherford. His spiritual experience of God is nothing short of staggering. I'm particularly fond of reading his letters, not so much because he's a dead Puritan, but because his experience and expressions of Christ help clear the fog for me and set a vision of what I want for my own life with Christ. In a letter I read last night, he spoke to the subject of spiritual depression with the following remark to a friend:

Now, my dear brother, I cannot show you how matters go betwixt Christ and me. I find my Lord going and coming seven times a day. His visits are short; but they are both frequent and sweet. I dare not for my life think of a challenge of my Lord. I hear ill tales, and hard reports of Christ, from The Tempter and my flesh; but love believeth no evil. I may swear that they are liars, and that [such] apprehensions make lies of Christ's honest and unalterable love to me. ~ Samuel Rutherford, Letters #92, 195.

What he says is astonishing: The war of liars of "false lies" from Satan and his own flesh is fought by the declaring the true and unalterable love of Christ for him, which he experiences regularly. The Gospel says "Yes!" to our sin and it's just punishment in Hell, but quickly follows up with the open arms and extension of Jesus Christ's love for us in the mercy of his work on the cross. In my spiritual depression, there is a fog light of love to be seen in Christ. As Rutherford states, Christ's love for me is "honest and unalterable." More over, I long to experience Christ's presence and love regularly through the day. How does one aim at this? By warding off Satan and the flesh's regular attacks of condemnation with the Gospel. Jesus Christ died to save lost and hopeless people, one of the great truths to be seen here is that God initiates salvation to bring me near. He runs to save, he runs to love, not because of me, not because of what I add to him, but because he chooses to. God comes near in the Gospel not once, but now regularly. Regular visits of Christ in love for the enjoyment of my soul.

As the Psalmist says:

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God. ~ Psalm 43:5

By Ramona Doyle

We ladies aren’t usually the ones who watch combat movies. We’re not typically up on the history of the major battles in world history or the newest line of paint ball gear. But I’ve realized over the years how quickly I can enter into the battle when it comes to parenting my children. I want peace and order in my home. I want the best for my children. I want them to succeed in their fight for faith and be fruitful as they grow up and increasingly take on roles of responsibility in the church.

Enter Sergeant Mom. I once heard a friend use that analogy and it fits. Sometimes I want good things for my children and family so much that I am willing to sin to get it. My children are disobedient for the 10^th time in a day…no one has remembered their chores…I’ve settled one too many conflicts between the two that never quite seem to get along. And so I lay down the law. Well, more like a dictatorship. And you know something…it gets results. But these results aren’t the stuff of eternal value and long term fruit. These demands may whip my army into shape and get them to do exactly what I want on the spot, but miss the Gospel and the deep satisfying work of our Savior in the hearts of my children.

When we allow our view of God to become small, we can self-sufficiently seek to accomplish what only he can do. Rather than coming alongside our children with life giving hope of the Gospel and pointing them to a loving Savior who died for them to give them an eternal future and hope, we bark commands to gain order in the ranks. This tendency toward the boot camp approach to parenting (I’m guessing we’ve all been there!) reminds us that we must daily fix our eyes on our Savior who is at work in the lives and hearts of our children and family, sufficient in every need and situation with strength and power available in our weakness, and mercy and grace that are as free and available to us as the air we breath..  

When we daily pursue the presence of our magnificent God in his Word and in prayer, he is magnified in our eyes—our gaze is filled with the wonder of all he is and all he has made available to us. Paul Tripp captured this so well in this quote from his book, A Quest for More: “When Christ is my hope, he becomes the one thing in which I have confidence. I act on his wisdom and bank on his grace. I trust his promises and I rely on his presence. And I pursue all the good things that he has promised me simply because I trust him. So, I am not manipulating, controlling, or threatening my way through life to get what I want, because I have found what I want in Christ. He is my hope.”

Christ is our hope in parenting. Let’s lay down our arms and trust in Him!

By Trish Donohue

We were at the shore for our last hurrah of the summer and decided to be adventurous and take a bike ride to the beach.  This may sound rather humdrum for the experienced cyclists among us, but for the Donohue Clan, this was a serious feat.  And if the cameras had been rolling this is what they would have seen.

Jim (borrowing a relative’s bike) had a stack of beach chairs bungeed to his handlebars which made him ride like a chimpanzee.  Next came Adam, who was balancing a boogie board twice his size and wobbling down the road taking out pedestrians on both sides while I yelled (in vain) from the back that that they had the right of way.  Asher and Bryn followed, trying to dodge flying shrapnel from the bikes in front while Shannon, our youngest, in her massive butterfly helmet, got stuck at every curb. 

Then there was me, who hadn’t been on a bike in an unmentionable number of years.  I initially had the sand shovels in my lovely bike basket, but three seconds into the ride, one fell out and flew between my bike spokes, which would have catapulted me into the air like a sunburned Evel Knieval except for the fact that I was going less than one mile an hour.  But I was jarred, and that qualifies as a serious athletic injury in my book.

Our actual ride was a crazy combination of dropping things, falling, walking across streets, talking to drivers who waited for us to walk across streets, screaming, and laughing very hard in a near-death sort of way.  

What does that have to do with anything blog-worthy?  Well, first, it’s a good story, and second, it’s a picture of how we moms can feel in our parenting.

1. We’re off on a new adventure (a new challenge, a new season of parenting, a new school year.)
2. We realize as we’re planning that our children are at so many different levels and have so many different needs.  Some are ahead and almost out of sight, some are falling behind, and none of them seem to hear the advice we’re calling to them.
3. We’re ill-equipped.  We’re supposed to be helping lead this troop, and we’re just learning ourselves!  We’re wobbling around in the back while they’re whizzing on ahead.  How do we catch up?
4. We’ve got baggage.  There are so many things and events to juggle and carry that we’re afraid we’ll get off course, or wreck, maybe even taking someone else out while we’re at it.
5. We’re temped to think, ‘maybe we should bag this’.  We thought the Lord had called us to it, but maybe there’s an easy way out, preferably without the risks. 

Here’s the truth:  God knows our limitations, and knows the job He’s called us to.  He knows each one of our children and the speed that they ride.  He knows their desires, their abilities, and their downfalls.  And He’s picked us, in our wobbly weakness, to guide them through the traffic of life.  But God is the one who keeps them.  And we can launch into God’s will for us in full assurance that He will get us where we need to go, safely, and in his time.

We almost took the van.  Nobody really wanted to, and we knew we’d sacrifice a memory, but we almost wimped out.  I’m so glad we didn’t.

By Jared Mellinger

One of the best books I am aware of on the subject of Heaven is a book by Randy Alcorn, simply called Heaven.  We recommended the book a few weeks ago, and I’ve heard back from several people who have said they have really been enjoying it (one of them was my wife Meghan, who is currently working her way through it).

One of the helpful features of the book is the clear distinction between the temporary lodging that currently exists for those who die in Christ (“the intermediate Heaven”), and our true eternal home that we will enter when Christ returns (“the New Earth”).  This distinction is essential to understanding our ultimate hope as believers and keeps our hope centered on Christ and his return.  The full application of the salvation Christ has won for us is not completed when we die, but when Jesus Christ comes again.

Here are a two choice quotes from Alcorn on our Intermediate Home.  I highly recommend his book, and encourage you to think often about our final destination.        

“The intermediate Heaven is not our final destination.  Though it will be a wonderful place, the intermediate Heaven is not the place we were made for – the place God promises to refashion for us to live in forever.  God’s children are destined for life as resurrected beings on a resurrected Earth.  …It bears repeating because it is so commonly misunderstood: When we die, believers in Christ will not go to the Heaven where we’ll live forever.  Instead, we’ll go to an intermediate Heaven.  In the intermediate Heaven, we’ll await the time of Christ’s return to the earth, our bodily resurrection, the final judgment, and the creation of the new heavens and the New Earth.  If we fail to grasp this truth, we will fail to understand the biblical doctrine of Heaven.”  (p 42)

“Books on Heaven often fail to distinguish between the intermediate and eternal states, using the one word – Heaven – as all-inclusive.  But this has dulled our thinking and keeps us from understanding important biblical distinctions.  In this book, when referring to the place believers go after death, I use terms such as the present Heaven or the intermediate Heaven.  I’ll refer to the eternal state as the eternal Heaven or the New Earth.  I hope you can see why this is such an important distinction.  The present heaven is a temporary lodging, a waiting place until the return of Christ and our bodily resurrection.  The eternal Heaven, the New Earth, is our true home, the place where we will live forever with our Lord and with each other.  The great redemptive promises of God will find their ultimate fulfillment on the New Earth, not the intermediate Heaven.”  (p 44)

By Rob Flood

Note of Hope is currently in Africa.  Doug Hayes and Rosella Washington, along with the rest of the band and the film crew, arrived in Tororo, Uganda on Wednesday.  All are safe.  In addition to the concerts they are performing, they are filming a documentary focusing on Covenant Mercies’ role in providing care for orphans in various places of Africa.

As a church, we prayed for this trip.  As you consider praying for the team and their trip, the prayer we shared on Sunday may serve to guide you and remind you.  What a privilege we have to support Covenant Mercies with our prayers.  What a privilege to have them within our walls.  What a privilege that they are a genuine part of who we are.

A summary of the pastoral prayer:

You have shown us such grace in allowing us to provide care for orphans in Africa.  We thank you, God, we thank you for the privilege as we join your work in other parts of the world.

As A Note of Hope travels to Africa for their concerts and for the filming of their documentary, we cast our care for them on you.  Would you provide them with your mercy to endure the travel, to flourish even when fatigued, and to have your favor with the electricity.

But beyond that, God, we pray for the ministry on this trip. We pray that, even now, you would be preparing hearts to respond to the gospel. As we pray here, you are present there. We pray that lives would be changed for eternity because this band and this crew have followed your will and have been faithful to your gospel.

But even beyond that, Lord, we ask your mighty hand to be on this documentary. That the plight of the orphan in Africa would be made known…well known.  That you would use the reach of this documentary to fund Covenant Mercies and their future efforts…to expand the numbers of orphans our current programs can care for and to expand the program to other nations.

Father, we cast our cares for A Note of Hope on you.

We serve a mighty, wonderful, powerful God.  And though you could stand at a distance and watch us in our weakness, you are a near God, who invites us to cast our cares on you.  Father, hear our prayer.  We wait in faith…in hope…knowing that we need not worry…that we can cast these cares on you…and that you are more than trustworthy to make these things work for your glory and our good.

In Christ’s name…Amen.

By Andy Farmer

I came across a post from Kevin DeYoung (DeYoung, Restless and Reformed) where he talks about significant speeches that have affected world history.  He includes excerpts from three he considers truly great – Churchill’s ‘Finest Hour’ speech, Reagan’s “Brandenburg Gate” speech, and Lincolns “Gettysburg Address”.  Hard to argue with the greatness of any of them.  Just take a listen.  I would add to the short list Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream”. 

What makes a great speech?  In my mind a great speech happens when leaders in the crucible of testing are called to speak out of that testing to define and inspire those around them.  A great speech also must wield the power of language as a tool of vision and hope.  Words must capture our attention simply because they are the right words for a significant moment.  These days we prop up mediocre speech with images, but in a great speech words themselves carry the weight.  And finally, a great speech must stand the test of time.  It must not only speak to its immediate audience, but those who hear or read it later, even generations later, must be able to see transcendent reality in what is said. 

Listen to great speeches on the link below.  Do you have any to add to the short list?  

http://www.revkevindeyoung.com/2009/08/great-political-speeches.html

By Rob Flood

This past Sunday, there was a time of pastoral prayer during the service.  It was imbedded in the song, “I Will Cast My Cares.”  Moms and Dads, as you prepare for the start of this new school year, we thought you might like to have the lyrics of that song along with the pastoral prayer that was prayed on your behalf.

I Will Cast My Cares

Jesus, I'm frail, I'm so very weak

My faithfulness fails, my courage will flee

But You are my rock, my shelter and shade

When I'm burdened down, You'll carry the weight

So I will cast my cares on You 

Yes, I will cast my cares on You

I will rest within Your arms

Knowing I am safe from harm

I will cast my cares on You

When I'm overwhelmed and I cannot stand

You hear every cry and You lift my head

I'm desperate for grace and mercy anew

I must have Your strength, Oh I must have You

A summary of the pastoral prayer:

Father God, would you please bless the mothers of our church with a deep sense of peace as the busy schedules that always come with fall startup?  God, make them more aware of the goodness of your sovereignty than they are of the rigor of the schedule.  Make them aware that they are your servants…not the schedule’s slave.  Give them peace, wisdom, and a deep, abiding awareness of your presence.

For moms whose children leave the home for school, would you provide keen insight into each of their children…helping their children form healthy friendships in their new class.  Help them help their children cultivate a healthy relationship with their new teacher.  And guide them as they graciously walk their children to new patterns of self-discipline as they themselves welcome the new school year.

And God, for moms who homeschool, provide for them comfort as they are aware of their own deficiencies in the task of teaching.  Fill them with faith, Lord, that you will meet them.  That you will be with them not only in their devotional time each day, but also in science and math.  That they step into this new school year with you by their side and with your Spirit filling them with power and wisdom and patience for a new school year.

We serve a mighty, wonderful, powerful God.  And though you could stand at a distance and watch us in our weakness, you are a near God, who invites us to cast our cares on you.  Father, hear our prayer.  We wait in faith…in hope…knowing that we need not worry…that we can cast these cares on you…and that you are more than trustworthy to make these things work for your glory and our good.

In Christ’s name…Amen.

By Ramona Doyle

I walk regularly for exercise.  On a recent vacation when I realized that I had forgotten my walking shoes, I used a pair of ‘trekking sandals’ in their place.  The open sides even seemed to add an advantage: when a tiny pebble became lodged in one of the heels during a walk, I assumed it would work itself free and ignored it.  I learned a huge lesson that day…one small pebble can cause one huge blister!

Sadly, this lesson had an all too familiar feel to it…you see, small pebbles are not the only things that can cause big problems.  I had a season of not being able to sleep.  It started when my husband got a sinus infection that left him with a tendency to snore, waking me up several times throughout the night.  Occasionally, I had difficulty getting back to sleep.  Then I started laying awake worrying about whether I would get enough sleep on a given night.  With less sleep, my daytime activities seemed harder.  Then, as I contemplated my age and remembered the difficulty my mother experienced with sleep in the latter season of her life, I started wondering if this was to be course of my remaining years.  Translation: fretting led to fear, which led to anxiety, which yielded the fruit of discouragement and robbed me of my joy.  And my discouragement subtly seeped into other areas of my life.

I had allowed a small situation to grow out of proportion by not taking immediate steps to appropriate grace and ask the Lord for help.  We can do this in so many ways: a small worry becomes a big fear; a little sin becomes a huge stumbling block; a tiny concern becomes an overwhelming anxiety.  A few small steps away from grace and before we know it we can functionally live as if we have no hope.  We can forget to stand on the priceless truths of Scripture that remind us that the Lord hears the prayer of the righteous (Proverbs 15:29) and is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), then in self-sufficiency seek to overcome our own problems or sin.  The Lord is willing and available, but our own strength is woefully inadequate!  It’s like crawling through a desert on our hands and knees gasping for water while failing to notice we are crawling around the edge of an oasis!  I praise God for his abundant grace that woke me up (pun intended!) to see his provision in the midst of my need.  I found peace as I prayed, meditated on His word, and asked others for prayer and counsel.  And the Lord later healed my husband’s snoring problem!  Psalm 25:10 says, “All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness...”  May this motivate us to take quick steps to appropriate His abundant grace for every need.