SermonFire Ministries

sermonfire blog reboot --- all future blog posts will be ONLY at www.sermonfire.blogspot.com

I find myself increasingly frustrated at my blogs plural. My desire is that my blog would become an extension of who I am as an individual and my journey with Jesus Christ as a Christian.

I would very much like to have the convenience of posterous, the "new post" abilities of blogspot, and the template variety of wordpress.

Unfortunately, in pursuing each of these I've created a freak of nature, I've just gone through and have (hopefully) cleared up the various inter-tangled blogs with twitter, facebook, and friendfeed.

I've decided less is more and I am strongly considering deleting all of my previous posts to start anew. All the archive posts would remain on posterous and wordpress, but there would be literally no archive left in this blogspot blog. I would then make blogspot my home and retire the wordpress and posterous sites.

That was my plan until I looked at the feedreader statistics, which I had all but ignored for over a year.

There are still many, many people enjoying some of my earlier posts and are checking them out. So, I think to delete the posts would not be good.

So, there is only going to be one post at a time on the main blog.

Just one. Less is more.

If you want to go back and look through the archives via an RSS Reader, the archives on the right side of the blog, or if you want to use the search bar go for it. By all means.

I want my blog to be full of life. I want to post on things that I've learned and pass it on to you. I don't know how it all looks yet. But soon enough I hope to get into a rhythm.

This will be the last time I will post from posterous to this blog.

From now on I'm going to post at blogspot alone.

So, those of you reading this on wordpress and posterous, please go here for ally my future blog updates: http://sermonfire.blogspot.com/

Don't be surprised then if you see no new posts at wordpress or posterous. Okay? Just wanted to let you know.

Logan

Mourning in the Desert and Triumph on the Cross

Humanity is broken.

Have you ever thought about Genesis?

The reason I'm thinking about Genesis is that I just read all of it in two days.

What is interesting to me is that the vast majority of Genesis is about people. God's chosen people.

Consider how Genesis breaks down numerically and who its focus is on.

Creation of everything: 2 chapters
Fall of mankind: 1 chapter
First Murder: 1 chapter
First City: 1 verse
Noah and the Great Flood: 6 chapters
Creation of All Languages and Racial Diversity: 1/2 chapter

---

Abraham's story: 14 chapters
Isaac: 3-4 chapters
Jacob/Israel: 10 chapters
Joseph: 14 chapters

82-86% of Genesis is specifically about God's people and their response to His covenants He creates with them.

Genesis is a book of, "God spoke and this is what went down."

We must stop looking at Genesis as nothing more than a calamity, genealogy, or irrelevant book.

It is simply not the case.

We are believers of God. We are grafted onto the same tree of faith that our spiritual ancestors experienced. We find much more than character models to imitate. After their compromise, doubts, and questions are raised, we see the glory of God in that He gifts them faith, He makes them righteous, and He saves them from themselves.

God is the author of it all.

We all struggle with certain sins (Abraham was a wimp when it came to facing rulers while Nathan had no problems).
We all doubt God (Sarah was especially good at laughing at God's proclamations).
We all sin (read about Noah the drunken, naked father of everyone who lives on the planet including you).

But.

You are united with Christ. It is time to grow up and fight the good fight of faith. You can stop sin and you will stop sin not because of your power, but because your flesh has died with Christ and you now are free from the bondage of the flesh. Let the spiritual reality of what Christ has accomplished on the cross sink in deep. Meditate on the last chapters of the gospels. Consider carefully that it is a reality that you can hate sin and love God. And more than that, God's promise is that if you are truly born again you will continue to grow spiritually and be sanctified by the will of God and that desire to be like Christ that has been planted in your heart by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, what are the implications of this spiritual reality for everyone else?

It is the same in the days of Abraham as it is now. We will be blessed to be a blessing. We will act radically different in that our God is concerned with us obeying Him by loving Him and loving people. We will ultimately triumph over all sin because of the victory won in Christ. We will be salt and light, our lives will engender the same reactions that Christ received. Hatred, confusion, amazement, mockery, betrayal, and persecution.

But.

Louder Audio from Sermon

Victorious Faith by Logan Paschke

(download)

Click here to download:

2009-12-27_CommonGround_LoganPaschke.mp3 (20.83 MB)

I amped up the volume on this one, hopefully you can hear it better.

That is all for now, blessings.

1st Sermon - Victorious Faith

Audio and Notes attached, feedback and critique welcome!

Logan

2009-12-27_CommonGround_LoganPaschke.mp3

(download)

Click here to download:

2009-12-27_CommonGround_LoganPaschke.mp3 (22.38 MB)

Click here to download:

sermonfinal.doc (38 KB)

(download)

Click here to download:

sermonfinal.doc (38 KB)

Have a Merry Christmas

I'm taking off the rest of December and January to finish up the semester, volunteer at church, and spend time with the family.

That and I didn't want the last post to be up over the next two months, doesn't seem right.

I have a few book reviews planned, but if you actually want to stay up to date with me, check my twitter.

Planned Book Reviews

• Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership
• Faithful Preaching
• Deep Church
• Why Johnny Can't Preach
• Feed My Sheep: A Passionate Plea for Preaching
• The Trellis and the Vine

I'm sick of Perry Noble

Don't believe any of that? Go listen some hard-core truth that verifies what I've just said.

But this is fricking unbelievable.

I can't add anything except that this is what happens when you have a personality-driven leader at the helm instead of a character-driven leader (specifically a servant-leader).

This new movement of Pragmatic Buffoons have forgotten what a church ACTUALLY is and replaced it with some kind of sick and twisted business model likened unto Nintendo, Ford, or GE.

I was wondering what had happened to the Pajama Pages guy, being gone for a good two months, but now I see he was the target of a twisted guerilla style attack to silence him.

Is this Christianity or is this the Vietcong?

I don't know.

I just don't know.

Pray that the gospel would invade the nebulous blob of irreverence and pop-culture that is NewSpring Church.

Baby Zoowon - buy 1 blanket give 1 blanket to a child in need

I stumbled onto this great idea called Baby Zoowon. I hope you will check them out and help out.

Our Mission: Baby Zoowon is committed to orphan care. For each blanket purchased Baby Zoowon will donate a blanket to a child in need. Baby Zoowon also donates a portion of every sale to help families with the overwhelming cost of adoption.

Our Story: Baby Zoowon was created by a stay at home mom. While raising three children and in the process of adopting from Ethopia it became increasingly obvious that there is an incredible need. With 4.6 million orphans in Ethiopia alone making a difference seemed impossible. Owner Sherry Lopez realized that this is not a “one person job,” but with your help Baby Zoowon will make a difference in the life of a child – one purchase at a time.

Baby Zoo-what? The Lopez family is currently in the processes of adoption from Ethiopia. Zoowon is the Amharic word for Elephant. We all know that an elephant never forgets so we thought it’s the perfect animal to represent us remembering those that have been forgotten.

Why baby blankets? “Research and experience have shown that a favorite blanket can be a soothing and comforting transitional object as children face changes early in life and can actually help them develop emotionally,” said Judith Jerald, MSW and Early Childhood Advisor to Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “Children born into poverty often face a higher level of stress and more anxiety-producing situations than those from more affluent families, making their trusted blanket all the more important.

$10 ChristianAudio giveaway

this ends at midnight.
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Comment Special: Christians trying to convert non-Christians

Tom Llewellyn said...

I tend to agree with the non-Christian point of view. I think we're rarely successful in selling or arguing anyone into a Christian decision. Following Christ SHOULD be the most important decision anyone makes. It SHOULD follow years of soul searching. And that soul searching should continue to the grave. Maybe beyond.

The meaningful discussions that allow that kind of searching to happen only come through honest relationship.

Reply 10/10/2009 at 07:57 PM

Ben Simpson said...

I think there is a great deal of insight in his final comment, meaning that if your agenda in having a relationship with another person is solely defined by conversion, then there is a danger that one could press the issue, or give up on the relationship entirely as patience runs thin and conversion seems unlikely. If our agenda is relationship for the sake of relationship, and is grounded in truly loving our neighbor, then other fruit, including conversion, may be an outcome. At that point it is just a bonus to be part of what God has done in another person's life.

We should keep in mind that our calling is to witness and to witness faithfully, while praying that God would speak through us and bring people to repentance and conversion by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reply 10/10/2009 at 08:18 PM

Brian said in reply to Ben Simpson...

I agree with Jonathan that this is a great discussion and thank Steve for bringing it up.

What would you say to someone who would suggest that because we desire to see as many people as possible come into the Kingdom and glorify God, that we don't have the time to maintain friendships with people who are pursuing different goals?

I think that this type of person would argue that to invest heavily over many years with someone who has no interest in Christ would be not strategic.

Reply 10/11/2009 at 12:23 PM

Introducing the Coward

The above is a good sermon clip from Mark Driscoll who I have mixed feelings on, some days I think he's wise and other days I think he's foolish. Today is of the former.

I believe he mentioned cowards and complainers as the top two kinds of "men" in the church today. Cowards first, I'll be willing to step to the head of the line if you're not feeling comfortable.

---

Cowards.

Instead of presenting an idea to the board or pastor do you chicken out, afraid that he'll actually ask you to take responsibility for it?
Or would you rather not rock the boat at all?
How do you rationalize yourself?
If you are living a holy life, if you are serving your church and family, if you are surrendered to God, don't you think that it's time to be someone who builds something rather than leans on a wall?

Maybe you just don't want to a.) be holy b.) be surrendered fully to God c.) be serving family and church?

Tough stuff isn't it?

I can sympathize with you, but that doesn't mean I won't say that you need to change and do what is right.

The hardest thing to do is to right now, be real with God, talk to Him and ask Him for help.

The only thing harder than that is putting your convictions into action. This is something I've had a hard time with and maybe you struggle with it too.

Consider this thought, if Christ only spoke of salvation and never actually gave Himself up, but really was talking about it and seemed REALLY serious about it.

That leaves us spiritually dead doesn't it? Actions are very important yet they follow the well-thought out idea based on whatever is authoritative in your life.

For some it is tradition, for others it is intuition, for us it is the Bible. More than that, we have the Spirit so we are able to apply what we learn in the Bible to our lives.

What I'm asking you to do is to live out your beliefs. I know it's not easy, I know that the standard is high, but the same God who saved you and revealed to you His glorious love will not fail you.

He with you and is interceding for you.

I would hope that some who've read thus far have already shut down their laptops and begun to do what must be done.

But let's say you're not really sure what must change in your life, some people know what it is and others just feel that something is wrong but they can't place their finger on it.

1. Pray
2. Meditate on what God's Word
3. Do good

You must start somewhere, take small steps until you trust that God will be with you in the bigger steps.

Remember that Christ wants us to be like Him, consider the aspects of Christ, pick one to practice that God would glorify Christ through you.

The Christian life is a marathon. It is best run with other fellow Christians who want to be holy and be accountable to each other. Make those friends that want holiness and accountability and begin to build a deep relationship in which you can be real with each other.

Don't be a coward, stand up, if you can't stand, kneel, if you can't kneel, reach your hand up to Christ. You know how hard the flesh will fight, you simply must fight harder.

You must want God glorified through, having joy in Him, knowing Him, resting in Him more than you and your flesh resting in complacency, compromise, and cowardice.

The question that we must now think through is this, "Is it worth it? Is it really worth living this hard life of not giving into temptation, giving of self, and loving others by being real with them?

It was to Christ.Isn't that what He did for you?
Let's end with that.