Pride and Weak Character

Pride is nothing more than the manifestation of a

weakness in our character.  It shows that we are

so insecure in ourselves that we must seek out

opportunities to boast, or look for reasons to

be arrogant.  

The Greatest Injustice

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin

on our behalf, so that we might become

the righteousness of God in Him.

II Corinthians 5:21

The greatest injustice ever wrought would be Christ   

being punished for the sins of all those who would 

never come to Him.  Indeed, this would be the 

 most cruel and unusual punishment imaginable; 

 as it would be punishment in vain.  

Our Great Salvation

The author of Hebrews calls our salvation

a great salvation; and it is great, indeed, because

of the greatness of our sins.  For all of our sins 

past, present, and future, yes, the totality of

our sins was laid upon Christ; and He paid

the penalty due for each and every one.

The Freedom of God

Only God is completely free.  He is the only one 

who can be completely free, as He is the only

one who is completely holy.

A Prayer for Spiritual Growth

Father, make us sensitive to the sins in our life.

Do not let us gloss over them, ignore them,

or put them out of sight or mind.  Do not let 

the habit patterns of our daily life keep us blind 

and insensitive to the sin that is entrenched in us.

Our Standing with God

Based on our own merits we have no standing with God.

Therefore, we must always base our standing with God

on what He has done for us in Christ.  Indeed,

what God has accomplished in Christ, on our

behalf, is the foundation of our relationship with Him.

Therefore, our relationship with Him is always secure, 

not because of us, but because of Him.

The Word of God can Heal the Soul

The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul.

Psalm 19:7a

The Word of God is able to do soul surgery

(Hebrews 4:12), and like surgery performed

correctly, its wound brings healing.  There is 

nothing else that can both touch the soul

and heal its deepest and most profound wound.
See also Jeremiah 17:14.

The Word of God is Sure

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

Psalm 19:7b

The Word of God is faithful and trustworthy, and knowing

it gives even the simplest person the knowledge of  God's will.

Knowing the will of God enables even the simplest person 

to become skilled in the art of godly living.

The Word of God is Right

The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.

Psalm 19:8

The Word of God is right, therefore it gives us

the right knowledge of God, which enables us

to make right choices about right things at the 

right time.  When we know the Word of God,

it gives us discernment as to what is right, and

obeying it keeps us right with God.  It is being

right with God that causes the heart to rejoice.

Relating to God

For by grace you have been saved

through faith; and that not of yourselves,

it is the gift of God; not as a result

 of works, that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 

I have been crucified with Christ; 

and it is no longer I who live, 

but Christ lives in me; and the 

live which I now live in the flesh

I live by faith in the Son of God,

who loved me and gave Himself 

up for me.

Galatians 2:20

We relate to God on the basis of faith, not on the basis of works--

not only in our salvation, but also in our sanctification.

The Mystery of God's Sovereignty and Our Vision

...It is not so much that we as ministers need to understand and accomplish God's purpose, will, or vision for the church; what we need to understand is that God will accomplish his purpose for the church and in the mysteries of his grace he may use us in the process.

It may be valuable at time to determine the direction of the church, but the danger of "vision casting" is that we as church leaders can become anthropocentric in our approaches, focusing on what we do rather than on what God is doing. Our participation is not necessary for God to accomplish his plan any more than our resistance can thwart his purposes (Job 42:2, Isa. 46:11, Acts 17:25). Thus, the most important requirement for participating in God's purpose for the church is not a clear vision, but a submissive will. When we become willing vessels for God to use in whatever capacity he chooses, when we obey his Word and submit to him, God accomplishes his work through us whether we understand or comprehend his purpose or not. Likewise, Christ is not a cosmic cheerleader, rooting us on and hoping we will "win" in building the church. No, he is sovereignly active, taking personal responsibility for the health of the church. In the  process, he may use us, remove us, or work around us, but he will build his church (Matt. 16:18, Eph 5:11-16).

We give ourselves far too much credit for the success and growth of the church. The church is ultimately the work of God's sovereignty, not our best efforts and strategies. Sometimes, God accomplishes his purposes by revealing his will in very dramatic and comprehensible ways. At other times. he accomplishes his purpose when we are confused and unclear about what he is doing...

...For all the research, studies, and statistics, the bottom line is no one knows why some churches grow and some do not. We cannot even adequately define success in ministry. This is the mystery of God. In our ministries, we forget that God cannot be reduced to programs, strategies, and methodologies. He often uses them, but he is not controlled by them. As pastors of small churches, we often get discouraged because our visions do not materialize and our people do not embrace them. We become discouraged when one outreach program after another fails to attract new people. We forget the mystery of God. Perhaps God's purpose is not found in the fulfillment or our visions but in the failure of them. Perhaps God's purposes are accomplished when we think we have been the least successful (Isa. 6:9-13, Ezek. 2:5-8). Perhaps God's purposes are not being accomplished through us but in us. This is the mystery of God that we often forget. God is good, but he is not to be trifled with or manipulated. He is not a God of our creation; nor is he a God that we can manage. As Creator of all things and sovereign God of the universe, he doesn't have to conform to our expectations of what he should or should not do.

Glenn Daman
Leading the Small Church
Pages 44-46

A Mark of Christian Maturity

One of the marks of maturity as a Christian

is when you start praying to be a 

blessing to others.