Gospel Living

General Session 11 If The World Hates You: Preaching Christ in the Face of Hostility by Al Mohler 2017 Shepherds' Conference Can we make peace with this culture?  Is this culture neutral in regards to Christ?  Can we gain enough influence to make the world love us and our Lord?  The answer to all these questions is no , and we need to come to terms with this.  MEDIA LINKS:   MP3  /  VIMEO  /  ARABIC MP3  /  KOREAN MP3  /  RUSSIAN MP3  /  SPANISH MP3 General Session 11 - Albert Mohler - Shepherds’ Conference 2017 from Grace Community Church on Vimeo . Al Mohler MORE SERMONS

53  When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54  And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55  and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56  And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Chapter 6 began with Jesus’s rejection at Nazareth.  We read in v. 3 that “they took offense at him.”  We also read that “he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them” (v. 5).  Here, however, the people rush to get to Jesus, to touch Him , and they were healed.  What do we see in the midst of this excitement? We see a picture of evangelism.  They’re rushing to bring their sick to Christ....

(I've been having a busy week and fallen behind in the regular devotions in Mark.  We'll continue that study together as soon as possible.  Until then, here's the next session from The Shepherds' Conference.) From Calvin to Carey by Michael Mahoney  Audio: ( MP3 ) (As this is a seminar session, there is no video.) A popular myth is that those with Calvinistic convictions don't engage in evangelism or missions work.  Learn the contributions of a Reformed faith to world missions. Michael Mahoney Grace en Español | Elder Grace Church Administration | Elder

24  And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25  For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” We sometimes confuse the theology of justification and sanctification .  When God declares us righteous based on Christ’s work, we sinners are justified, and it is completely the work of God alone.  God sets us apart for Himself at that point, or sanctifies us, but we must also strive to be sanctified in every area of our lives.  In other words, the work of justification is done by God without our help, but the work of sanctification is done by God with our faithful living.  That is what we see in passages like this one. First, be careful to live according to His Word alone.   He commands, “Pay attention to what you hear.”  As the children’s song says, “Be careful little ears...

“ 3  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5  And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,  ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ ” News of a cured leper spreads exponentially.  So, it’s unclear what this crowd expects when gathering around Jesus.  Since a paralytic is brought to our Lord, it is safe to say many expected their own healings.  What they received was Jesus’s own preaching, and more walked away with His knowledge than walked into the house. They learned that faith saves.   Jesus sees the collective faith of the five friends as they executed their plan.  Consider the trust of the paralytic, bound to his bed, as his friends lower him into a crowded room through a fresh hole in the roof; he brought nothing to Jesus...

4            Turn, O LORD, deliver my life;             save me for the sake of your steadfast love. 5            For in death there is no remembrance of you;             in Sheol who will give you praise? 6            I am weary with my moaning;             every night I flood my bed with tears;             I drench my couch with my weeping. 7            My eye wastes away because of grief;             it grows weak because of all my foes. David’s current state makes it appear God left Him.  In...

“ 16  Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17  And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'  18  And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19  And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20  And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.” In v. 14, Jesus returns north to Galilee preaching repentance and faith in the gospel.  While He had been south in Judea, he called for these men to follow Him (John 1:35-51), and so they followed Him and established themselves in Galilee.  Now that they’ve spent time with Him, He’s calling them to ministry (in Mark 3, He’ll commission them as His apostles).  He says, “I will make you become fishers of men...

Ray Comfort's videos are always worth a watch and encouraging for your own evangelistic endeavors.  Visit the link to order DVDs, or watch the movie below: http://www.atheistmovie.com/

One of the worst blights besmirching American pulpits is the online degree.  With that in mind, biblically sound institutions indeed post free resources featuring theological heavy-weights who love the Lord.  Thus, many Christian leaders lacking the ability to attend a quality seminary scour the web for the good, hoping to gain the knowledge they need for daily ministry. Maybe that describes you, and perhaps you missed something really good.  No, it's not an e-ordination, but it will build your ability in and love for the Bible.  Seminary professor Nathan Busenitz announced the launch of this goldmine of online training that is indeed free: Earlier this month, The Master’s Seminary launched its Theological Resource Center (TRC) — an online hub for ministry-training resources. Because many pastors around the world will never be able to attend seminary in the United States, the TRC extends the resources of TMS and its partner ministries t...

A temptation Christians face is to view pastors as those who serve God full-time, while the rest of us are somehow only "part-time" servants in the ministry.  While the pastorate indeed demands unique responsibilities, all Christians are full-time servants of God , regardless of their humanly employment.  How can pastors and church leaders impress this on their congregations?  Listen to Mark Tatlock explain how to equip people to be witnesses at work: Download MP3 .

This excellent clip features Matt Chandler, and is from the 2009 Desiring God conference for pastors.  He entitled his sermon, "A Shepherd and His Unregenerate Sheep," and this story illustrates how too heavy a focus on the consequences of sin robs our sermons of the simple gospel message.

...or, "An open letter to Real Life Church ." Christians react differently to the Halloween question.  As a matter of conscience, some feel it best to avoid participation, while others use it as a means of preaching Christ and Him crucified.  Assuming that God gives us opportunity to minister to both the lost and saint alike, what are some ways that a church can miss the mark? Image credit: Murals for Kids This weekend, our family visited Real Life Church's "Halloween Under the Big Top."  For the most part, we had a great time.  However, as a fellow brother-in-arms in ministry, I could not help but notice three rings in this circus that could have performed better.  How can churches neglect Christ this Halloween? Churches forget Christ when they forget their witnessing opportunity. As we entered the church, we received fliers for various functions and offerings at the church.  We had cause to question our marriage, the effectiveness of ou...

Real love isn’t exposed in agreement. On the contrary, loving those who agree with us is really loving ourselves. There is no merit in that (Luke 6:32-36). It is a type of love which requires no effort, no lack of selfishness, no understanding of God’s love. --- from an article at Counseling Solutions,  a read which I recommend .

After leading someone to Christ, you often wonder what materials are the best to get that person started on their spiritual journey.  One of the books we received at this year's Shepherds' Conference looks to be just such a resource... " BEGIN " Here's the promo vid, and the stats are below: Format:  Softcover Dimensions:  5.5 x 8.5 in. Pages:  240 Ages:  12 & up Publisher:  Master Books Published:  2011 Version:  ESV  Start learning deep truths about Christ and the Bible today! Begin  is an eye-opening journey through Scriptures that are especially key for new believers and those interested in learning about Christianity. Discover the promises of Jesus and the expectations that come in your relationship with Him. You'll enjoy a quick and concise presentation of core concepts that help cement your faith's foundation. With insights from Genesis 1-11 (the foundation), Exodus 20:1-17 (the Ten Commandments), John (the ...

Prayer journals out: Few sins are still reprehensible in this postmodern world, but child predation remains one of those.  If you have not, consider this as an opportunity to share the gospel with people who might think of sin as only deviations from the norm rather than offenses against a Holy God. While there is a small but growing number of people who are trying to give scientific backing to the notion that pedophilia is natural, thankfully, most reject it out of hand. And with prayer journals still out: Here is another excellent consideration from Peter LaBarbera of AFTAH , written in the Christian News Wire on Nov. 10: LaBarbera: How Many Boy Victims of Penn State Homosexual Predator Jerry Sandusky Will End Up Thinking They are 'Gay'? Contact: Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth , 630-546-4439, americansfortruth@gmail.com CHICAGO, Nov. 10, 2011 / Christian Newswire / -- The discovery that former Penn State University defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky has been...

The new school year has begun, but are your kids the only ones expanding their knowledge?  Here is an excellent series of lectures from Faith Bible Church  of Springfield, IL (HT: Monergism.com ), for those interested: "The History and Theology of Calvinism" by Dr. Curt Daniel (Downloadable MP3 Messages) Message Play Online Download MP3 What is Calvinism Click Here Click Here Augustine and Pre-Calvinism Click Here Click Here The Reformation Click Here Click Here John Calvin Click Here Click Here The Spread of Calvinism Click Here Click Here The Synod of Dort Click Here Click Here The Puritans Click Here Click Here The Westminster Assembly Click Here Click Here Covenant Theology Click Here Click Here High Calvinism Click Here Click Here Amyraldism Click Here Click Here Calvinistic Antinomianism Click Here Click Here Hyper-Calvinism Click Here Click Here 18th Century Calvinism Click Here Click...

The Christian duty to the poor is not always as clear as how some Bible teachers state.  On the one hand, stories like the Good Samaritan seem to advocate a radical dedication to the poor and abused. Let's face it, though.  Many, if not most, of the American poor choose poverty.  Other verses comport with our common sense on the matter: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thes 3:10). Those who appeal to Moses create more confusion.  Is Israel's call to social justice a 1:1 call to the church? Cripplegate is launching a new series on the biblical pillars for mercy ministry , and I recommend subscribing and following it to help you sort through these issues.

In 1997, the Harry Potter  series (HP) landed and sparked the hopes of wary educators that a generation of kids might start reading.  It also ignited a firestorm of Christian commentary on the perceived evils of a book dealing with things the Bible forbids, namely witchcraft. This ChristianAnswers.net article gives a good summary of why believers should  not let kids read the books (or, by extension, watch the movies).  I've got to admit it: it summed up my beliefs about HP (here we go) until recently. I agree with that article to the overarching question: HP is not "safe," but I disagree as to the meaning of that word and to some of the article's individual points.   HP is not safe in that nothing is safe without Christian, parental guidance (including your view as to what an appropriate level of violence might be); it will not unsafe, however, in that it is a beacon that will lead my kids into Satan worship.  I've read ...

This passage is for any preacher who looses his compassion: There have been times in my ministry when an icy chill has come over my heart, when my soul no longer weeps, when my sermons no longer connect, and when the act of preaching becomes a drudgery. I know that I have then lost compassion for people. That is when I retreat to a small taco stand in the barrio of East Los Angeles, to a place where real people live. I order a cup of coffee and sit with my back against the wall. Then I watch, I observe, I read, and I listen intently for the heart cry.  A group of gang-bangers come in for a snack—one in four will die before the age of eighteen; two of the others will end up in prison. All are doomed to a hard life. A young mother comes in with her brood of youngsters. It is obvious that they are poor. They share drinks. They live in poverty; some will never see a forest or snow. An old drunk staggers in, begging for a meal. He is quickly thrown out. That was somebody’s ...

It is not a bad idea to have ministry outreach to the community.  Food drives and the like have the potential to demonstrate the love of Christ. What is the most vital thing we share, though?  Christ said the body is more than clothing or food, so folks must walk away with more substance than this.  They might not know what they need or, worse yet, punt your offering back in your face.  People want free stuff with no strings attached, including obligations to hear some preaching.  But this is precisely what they need. I was thinking about this when I remembered a quote from Walter Kaiser in Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament . Without the light of revelation, the whole fabric of society was put at risk. That point was also made in the Book of Proverbs, which warned, “Where there is no revelation…, the people perish” (Prov. 29:18, my translation). The Hebrew term used for “perish” is the same one that appears in the golden calf episode in Exodus ...