Today is Mother's Day. It was wonderful to be able to hear my dad preach today. I happen to be partial to his preaching and always look forward to hearing him. He truly is a man of God. I caught a picture of him preaching today. And then one of both my parents.
The title of my dad's sermon was The Challenge for the Church. Romans 11:33-36. While listening to him this morning and jotting down in my notes I realized that this is just how my folks raised me. Here are some excerpts.
Romans 11:33-36
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
Or who has become His counselor?”
35 “Or who has first given to Him
And it shall be repaid to him?”
36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
The Decree
The Decree
God is the Sovereign Creator
The plan of all the ages is from God. We don't give to God! HE gives to us! All that we have is from Him. Give Him the glory for it.
The Deliverance
God is the Sovereign Power
Nothing comes through any power or wisdom that is not subject to His control.
A couple of quotes my dad gave this morning were these.
'People do not drift toward holiness.
Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.
We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.' D. A. Carson
'You stay in the darkness long enough, you become accustomed to it'.
(Ouch! That spoke to me hard!)
The Destination
God is the Recipient of Glory
God is the Goal. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Everything we do, do it for the glory of God.
1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The plan of all the ages is from God. We don't give to God! HE gives to us! All that we have is from Him. Give Him the glory for it.
The Deliverance
God is the Sovereign Power
Nothing comes through any power or wisdom that is not subject to His control.
A couple of quotes my dad gave this morning were these.
'People do not drift toward holiness.
Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord.
We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated.' D. A. Carson
'You stay in the darkness long enough, you become accustomed to it'.
(Ouch! That spoke to me hard!)
The Destination
God is the Recipient of Glory
God is the Goal. For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Everything we do, do it for the glory of God.
1 Peter 4:11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
My siblings and I were raised in a loving, godly home. Unconditional love. We also knew that God was in control of the universe and only Jesus can save us through faith. And don't read that as a stifling, stiff, not fun home. Our home was and is filled with love, laughter (lot's of laughter), and much more. All surrounded by the teaching of His Word. What a legacy and heritage we have! I am extremely grateful to my folks, and above all, to God.
Have you accepted Jesus? Is He your Savior? John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The challenge. Glorify God!
Humbly,
Debra
Have you accepted Jesus? Is He your Savior? John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The challenge. Glorify God!
Humbly,
Debra
