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Treasures in Darkness: A Grieving Mother Shares Her Heart, Sharon Betters |
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Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability, Stephanie O. Hubach “…a transformational work-designed to renew our minds to think biblically about disability in order that our lives, our relationships, and our congregations might wholly reflect Christ.” This book is about listening, caring, and coming alongside those in need. |
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Peacemaking Women, Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict, Tara Klena Barthel and Judy Dabler This book does as it says, “it leads you out of conflict and into a state of peace where youcan live as a representative of Christ to other women as well as to unbelievers.” |
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Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs: Wisdom’s Searching and Finding, Kathleen Buswell Nielson This book, one of several in a series of Bible studies, focuses on both Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs. The book contains nine studies, seven on Ecclesiastes and two on Song of Songs. |
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Deuteronomy More Grace, More Love: Living in Covenant with God, George Robertson and Mary Beth McGreevy Published by CE&P, this study of Deuteronomy is an excellent study for women’s groups, leading them carefully through “a life in covenant with God.” The book contains 24studies with questions for discussion after each study. |
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The Gospel of Matthew, Parts One and Two, Susan Hunt Hunt builds on Jack Scott’s Adult Biblical Education Series and lays out a study for women that challenges them to live for God’s glory in all of life. It is written from the biblical and theological perspective of the PCA. |
Archives
Time: The Gift that Can’t be Re-gifted!
MEMORIZE THIS STATEMENT: God has not given us more things to do in a day than He has given us the time to get it done.
I served as Academic Dean at a Bible college in South Africa. I told the students at the beginning of each year if they felt a teacher was giving them more to do than was expected they could come to me to complain. The only provision was that I would ask them to show me proof for how they spent their time during the week. In nine years I heard much grumbling, but not one student ever came to me with their accusation. This either meant that no teacher was giving too much work (which I don’t believe), or the struggling students were not using their time well. Which do you think was the case?
Time is the most precious commodity God has given to us, and it is not renewable! Once it is gone you can never make up for lost time. No one has more, or less, time than you do. You have 1440 minutes per day and 168 hours each week in which to offer faithful service. Even Jesus had the same amount of hours in His day, but think about the ways He invested that time. Peter said to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). Growth takes place over time. Your personal growth, or lack of it, is dependent upon the best use of your time. Time will not wait for you; it will simply pass you by.
We will be held accountable for the way we use our time. Paul says, Make the best possible use of your time (Col. 4:5, Phillips’ paraphrase), and, Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil (Eph.5:15). Jesus tells us, We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over (John 9:4, The Message). God promised to supply our every need: Is time not one?
Sermons are often preached on the stewardship of wealth and possessions. Far fewer sermons are heard that hold us accountable for the use of our talents. Fewer still, if any, are ever heard concerning the stewardship of our time.
Where do you begin?
Set Goals -Decide what you want to accomplish. Or better, what God wants you to accomplish.
Prioritize – Take your list of goals and order them according to importance.
Plan – Develop strategies for how you will reach each goal.
Schedule -Set a date by which you will check your progress. Also set a date by which you hope to fulfill each goal.
Set a goal to set your goals – The most effective leaders set aside time at least weekly to lay out what they want to accomplish that week. One thing they have in common is the confirmed belief that the more time they spend planning, the less time they have to spend implementing. They argue that it is 90% inspiration and 10% perspiration. It may sound strange, but once you try it you too will become a believer.
Tithe – We often hear about tithing our money, but have you ever realized that we should also tithe our time? There are 168 hours each week. Do you give God at least 10% of your time?
If we agree that all good things are from God, and that He never asks us to do more than He has given the time to get it done, then time management is really managing His time!
God’s sixth commandment could read, “Thou shalt not kill time.”
PCA Takes a Stand: Federal Vision and New Perspectives on Paul
Editor’s note: Instead of our usual “In Case You’re Asked” page where we respond to some of your questions, we have decided to use this page to pass on to you an action taken by the 2007 General Assembly regarding a theological issue that the church was asked to study and respond to. The entire report will be in the Minutes of this year’s Assembly, but because of the importance of the issue, we wanted our readers to have a copy of the declaration portion of the report. The following is a list of recommendations passed by the Assembly and the declaration portion of that report.
Recommendations
That the General Assembly commend to Ruling and Teaching Elders and their congregations this report of the Ad Interim Committee on New Perspectives on Paul and Federal Vision for careful consideration and study.
That the General Assembly remind the Church, its officers and congregations of the provisions of BCO 29-1 and 39-3 which assert that the Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly, while “subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word of God, “have been adopted by the PCA “as standard expositions of the teachings of Scripture in relation to both faith and practice.”
That the General Assembly recommend the declarations in this report as a faithful exposition of the Westminster Standards, and further reminds those ruling and teaching elders whose views are out of accord with our Standards of their obligation to make known to their courts any differences in their views.
That the General Assembly remind the Sessions and Presbyteries of the PCA that it is their duty “to exercise care over those subject to their authority” and “to condemn erroneous opinions which injure the purity or peace of the Church” (BCO 31-2; 13-9f).
Click here to read entire publication in PDF (Acrobat Reader required)
Declarations
In light of the controversy surrounding the NPP and FV, and after many months of careful study, the committee unanimously makes the following declarations:
Above and Beyond: Two Examples of Biblical Stewardship from PCA Congregations
The Presbyterian Church in America, by its very name, is committed to Reformed doctrine and its Presbyterian polity. It is a connectional church in contrast to independent or congregational structures. To be a church in the PCA, each body has to be organized by and/or received by a particular presbytery comprised of a few churches of the 1400 in the PCA, usually in the same geographic region. Presently the PCA has 75 presbyteries across North America including Canada.
Each church and presbytery is required to subscribe to the system of doctrine contained in the Westminster Confession of Faith and its Larger and Shorter Catechisms. It is further required to subscribe to the PCA Book of Church Order (BOCO). The word most used to describe the PCA is “connectional,” which means as a member of the PCA we are accountable to the appropriate body, called the General Assembly. The General Assembly is made up of all the presbyteries and member churches.
One of the issues addressed by the PCA Strategic Planning Committee and its report to the 34th General Assembly was stewardship. When the PCA formed its committees and agencies it stated in its organizing principles found in chapter 14-1 of the BOCO,(4) “It is the responsibility of every member and every member congregation to support the whole work of the denomination as they be led in their conscience held captive by the Word of God.” This means that the work of the denomination is dependent on each congregation and its members to support the work of the committees and agencies.
Click here to read entire publication in PDF (Acrobat Reader required)
Various formulas have been used to determine how to effectively request and distribute funds to the various committees and agencies. In 1979 the concept of “askings” was developed. “Askings” evolved from the “head tax,” a formula used by the Southern Presbyterian Church, and was essentially an amount needed per member to function and expected to be given. “Askings” are still based on what each member would need to contribute to the committees and agencies to support the work of the PCA in accordance with the BOCO statements above, but with less demand and more faith that the churches will voluntarily give what is needed.
The PCA Strategic Planning Committee has raised concern that only half of the member congregations are supporting the work of the committees and agencies. The committees and agencies are dependent on that support to carry out their assigned ministries.
In CEP’s educational role in the PCA, particularly as it relates to stewardship education, we are attempting to keep this topic before the PCA. In keeping with the two previous Equip to Disciple issues of 2007,we are featuring two churches, one large and one small that represent churches committed to supporting the whole work of the church. Obviously, there are other churches following their example. We highlight these two for their commitment, practice, and example in this kind of stewardship giving.
The large church category is Trinity Presbyterian Church in Montgomery, AL, with senior pastor Claude E. McRoberts, III. McRoberts assumed that role in 1999, following John Oliver, who followed Cortez Cooper, who followed Robert Ostenson. Trinity was part of the PCA’s original congregations and has shown a consistent and commendable commitment to supporting the PCA since the very beginning. Pastor Claude McRoberts states: “It has been humbling for me since my arrival at Trinity Church in 1999 to see the level of commitment this church has placed on denominational support. I am privileged to labor among a congregation with a vision that far exceeds the city limits of Montgomery, AL. And the fact that this vision has simply been ‘a given’ for decades is a joy I know I don’t deserve as a Senior Minister.” Steve Fox, former moderator of the General Assembly, a ruling elder at Trinity, and presently serving on the assembly’s Christian Education and Publications Committee says in response to Trinity’s generous support of the committees and agencies, “Since we were there in the beginning, in the formation of the PCA, it is our duty and responsibility to support the PCA. Our support is not only in service and our people involved with the assembly, but also monetary support to enable the committees and agencies to carry out their ministries with the needed funding. That is one way that Trinity participates in the spreading of the gospel of the Kingdom.”
According to the 2006 statistics, Trinity has 1,200 members, including 41 new members received in 2006.There are 18 ruling elders and 27 deacons. The church shows more than 500 are enrolled in their Sunday school program. With annual contributions of four million dollars, Trinity has a total benevolent giving disbursement of two million dollars. The 2007 Yearbook released from the Stated Clerk’s office reports a $6,325 per capita giving.
Trinity is a church that has and does give over and above the “askings” of the committees and agencies. Trinity, along with some other churches, has shown a consistent commitment to the PCA by doing more than their fair share in order to compensate for those churches that do not or cannot give accordingly.
One of Trinity’s former pastors, Cortez Cooper, two of its ruling elders, William Joseph and Steve Fox, and one assistant pastor, Paul Settle, have been moderators of the PCA General Assembly. Over the years Trinity’s faithfulness in giving has not only enabled the PCA committees and agencies to be supported by them, but also a host of individual missionaries, church planters, and other individual ministries.
Trinity Presbyterian Church was actually organized in 1891 and has been known over the years for its strong preaching and teaching of the Word and its commitment to its denomination. Along with its other accomplishments, Trinity started the Trinity Presbyterian School in 1970. The school offers preschool through twelfth grade with more than 950 students. The name Trinity was chosen to represent its commitment to the Triune God.
In the small church category of giving to the whole work of the PCA, we have selected Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Brevard, NC, pastored by H. Andrew Silman. Cornerstone was organized in 1996. Since their beginning in Brevard, Cornerstone has grown to 125 members, built a new church facility, and continues to grow. There were 13 new members added in 2006. Cornerstone’s present budget is nearly $300,000 and $56,000 of that amount was given to the PCA committees and agencies in 2006. That amount translates to $2,301 per capita.
Cornerstone, in attempting to offer a full-service ministry, believes that supporting the PCA’s ministry is not only an obligation as a member congregation, but in doing so has the privilege to expand its witness across North America and beyond. Grady Love became Cornerstone’s first pastor in 1997.He encouraged and led the congregation to practice that pattern of giving as well as to build its present facility. Since Love’s retirement, Andrew Silman, his successor, follows in that same leadership commitment. The officers of Cornerstone, numbering five ruling elders and four deacons, started the church with a strong commitment to the PCA and its ministries. The church has also been a part of assisting near by Ridge Haven PCA Conference Center as it has grown and expanded its ministries to the PCA. The church belongs to the Western Carolina Presbytery.
Staying Focused On [Men’s] Discipleship
Staying Focused On Discipleship
Excerpts from No Man Left Behind (Chapter 5)
To build a sustainable ministry to men, you’ll need a solid foundation. That foundation starts with your focus. Yes, men need to be godly fathers, caring husbands, good stewards, and servant leaders. But what is the core issue? And how can we communicate it to men so they feel valued and inspired? Laying the right foundation can help disengaged men to connect with the ministry of your church.
The Bible tells us, “Go and make disciples–baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Sometimes we get this confused with, “Go and make workers–browbeating them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus said, “Go and make disciples.” That’s interesting, because he could have said anything. He didn’t say, “Go and make worshippers.” He didn’t say, “Go and make workers.” Nor did he say, “Go and make tithers.” Is Jesus interested in worshippers, workers, and tithers? Of course. But he knew we get worshippers, workers, and tithers, by making disciples.
Discipleship is the portal priority through which all the other priorities of the church can be achieved. Only by moving through the discipleship gateway can people truly affect their church and their church affect them.
For instance, how can a man worship a God he doesn’t know? Why would a man want to share his faith if he didn’t understand the Great Commission? How could a man be a good steward if he didn’t understand and believe that everything he has is a gift from God-his time, talent, and treasure? As we disciple men’s hearts, they start to live out of the overflow of their relationship with Christ. Therefore, we can organize these efforts by putting discipleship in the center and drawing arrows out to each of our priorities. (see the diagram below.) These are the outcomes of staying focused on discipleship.
How can a church implement discipleship as the portal priority? The items around the outside of the box represent activities or methods, which a church engages in to help build disciples. (The next diagram illustrates this principle.) Remember these activities are not ends, in themselves, but rather focus on helping people learn or live out what it means to be a disciple.
For more information on how to keep discipleship the portal priority in your men’s ministry, see our next Issue of “Get In the Game” or order No Man Left Behind, from the PCA bookstore by clicking here.
Called to Sexual Integrity: How God Redeems Our Sexuality – 3
Called to Sexual Integrity
“Understanding How God Redeems Our Sexuality
Through Our Union With Christ: Part 3″
Article originally appeared in “Get in the Game”
a periodic email communication from CEP
May/June 2007 Vol. 3 No.3
Surveys among Christian men routinely indicate that the temptation they struggle with the most is sexual lust. Long-term success in battling this temptation does not come in an easy three step formula. If overcoming sexual impurity were that easy, men would take those three steps and this would not be the huge problem among Christian men that it is.
Genuine success in overcoming sexual impurity only comes through our abiding relationship with Christ. Sexual integrity is a matter of the heart and it is only through our connection with Christ that the spiritual fruit of a pure heart is produced. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). He is the source not only of our justification, but of our sanctification, i.e. our growth in holiness.
The classical understanding of how this union with Christ leads to our growth in holiness is that it takes place through repentance, faith, and obedience. These three Biblical concepts may seem familiar to us. But a careful examination of each of these aspects of sanctification yields the rich, practical, Biblical insight our men need to overcome the sexual lust that overpowers them.
True repentance engages our heads (affirmations), our hearts (affections), and our hands (actions). It begins by bringing our sin into the light, confessing it, mentally agreeing with God’s verdict. But, true repentance goes well beyond mental submission to God’ standard; it engages our heart. We become grieved over our sin because it is a personal offense against our God. It is his law that we have broken, his authority we have defied, his name we have dragged through the mud.
Not only that, but in a deeper sense, our surrender to sexual temptation reveals that we really don’t believe I Corinthians 6:13, “But you cannot say that our physical body was made for sexual promiscuity; it was made for God and God is the answer to our deepest longings.” Ed Welch points out, “The true nature of all addictions is that we have chosen to go outside the boundaries of the kingdom of God and look for blessing in the land of idols. In turning to idols, we are saying that we desire something in creation more than we desire the Creator.” (Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave.)Increased consistency in defeating sexual temptation will never come until we address the sin beneath the sin-the way we look to another God to satisfy out heart longings.
Heart Repentance means to:
I. Recognize how inadequate your idol is to truly satisfy your heart.
“Lord, I have foolishly made this good thing absolute. What is this compared to you? It can not bless me, and love me, and help me like you.”
II. Recognize how dangerous your idol is to you. It enslaves and will never be satisfied.
“Lord, why am I giving this such power over me. If I keep doing it, it will lock me in chains. With your help, I will not let this idol jerk me around, as if I were a dog on a leash. This will not be my master. You are my only king.”
III. Recognize how grievous this idol is to Christ.
“Lord, I can’t imagine how repulsive this idol is to you. In yearning for this more than yearning to please you, I have trampled your love for me into the mud. I have gone after another lover and said that you are inadequate to meet my needs.”
Besides tracing sexual sin back to its idolatrous roots, repentance of heart means training our hearts to hate evil. In Romans 12:9, Paul writes, “HATE WHAT IS EVIL; cling to what is good.” Most men neglect this command and vital aspect of genuine repentance; so we will look at it in detail in the next issue of “Get In the Game.”