PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #262                                     May 3, 2013

Calvin writes:

“And it ought to be more carefully considered that all men promiscuously do homage to God, but very few truly reverence Him.  On all hands there is abundance of ostentatious ceremonies, but sincerity of heart is rare."

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #260                                       April 28, 2013

What a blessing it was to hear Scott Autry's message this morning!  I praise God for the beautiful truth of Christ's willing sacrifice for our sin!

For our continued pondering, here are Scott's five implications of the willing sacrifice of Christ for our lives-

PASTOR'S PONDERING #258                                                    April 11, 2013

I’ve started a new book by J. I. Packer entitled Taking God Seriously.  On page 24-25 he writes this:

PASTOR'S PONDERING #254                                                                 March 28, 2013

I emailed Bill O'Reilly this week after a remark he made on his show (I think it was Tuesday night) that basically said that supporters of Biblical marraige did not have a "compelling argument" when it comes to the gay marriage issue.  Here is a copy of that email:

Dear Mr. O'Reilly,

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #253                                     March 22, 2013

Every week I look forward with great anticipation to Sunday.  Every week I can’t wait to worship God with my church family.  Every week I eagerly count the days until I am singing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” with you once again.

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #251                    February 27, 2013

In his book Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, J. D. Greear comments on the account of the rich young ruler’s encounter with Jesus (found in Matthew 19:16-30 and Mark 10:17-31):

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #249                                     February 21, 2013

I don’t know about you, but I often get very frustrated with our government leadership in America.  This Scotty Smith prayer convicted me today:

A Prayer for Repenting of Political Cynicism and Unbelief

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #247                                                               February 18, 2013

Here's a good article by my friend and former legal advisor for Solid Rock Ministries, Chuck Graham.  I send it for your pondering because it is very much related to my message yesterday about "zealousness" and "fervency of spirit."

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS #245                                       February 8, 2013

I love my church family.  I thank God so much for my church family.   The gifts I have received this month have touched my heart and made me glad.  And when I read and ponder comments like this from Joe Thorn, I am even more grateful that I am a covenant member of Rockdale Community Church:

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS #243                                       February 4, 2013

I’m sending out a “Lord’s Day replay” and asking that you continue to ponder the following words from the conclusion of last Sunday’s sermon:

What I want us to see as we work through Romans 12:9-21 is that these qualities describe the normal Christian life.  These are not optional qualities for the elite, mature, “more sanctified than everyone else” believer.

PASTOR’S PONDERINGS #241                                       January 26, 2013

 As we ask God to prepare our hearts for corporate worship tomorrow, here’s a great quote to be thinking about: 

“Gospel-centered discipleship is not how we perform but who we are – imperfect people, clinging to a perfect Christ, being perfected by the Spirit.”                                    - Jonathan K. Dodson in Gospel Centered Discipleship

Pastor’s Ponderings #239                                                         12/21/12

I thought this was an excellent article by Eric Erickson.  I pray it will enhance not only your ponderings regarding the miracle of Christmas, but also your thoughts about the world in general and mankind’s great and desperate need for a Savior.

Pastor’s Ponderings #237                                                         11/2412

We are pondering the question “What does it mean to join a church?” and we are using Jonathan Leeman’s book The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love.  Here is his eighth answer to the question:

Pastor’s Ponderings #229                                                         11/9/12

Here’s a good quote by Mark Dever on congregational singing:

“A living community of people loudly singing and hearing each other is one of the greatest means of edification on this side of eternity.  Come to think of it, it’s so good that, unlike a video clip, it keeps being used on the other side as well.”

Pastor’s Ponderings #228                                                         11/8/12

As I continue to read through the Bible this year, D. A. Carson continues to provide me with “pondering nuggets” as I use his book For the Love of God as a companion.  Here’s a good one to think about:

Pastor’s Ponderings #225                                                         11/5/12

Well, here's another first for you: two "Ponderings" in the same day!  I guess I'm partial to the word "election" .

As I’ve pondered the issue of “to vote or not to vote,” and as I readily recognize my human sinfulness and fallibility, here are some of my simple, bottom-line thoughts, which I pray are supported by God’s Word:

1. God is sovereign over all the affairs of men, including elections.

Pastor’s Ponderings #223                                                        11/1/12

In Daniel 9:1-19 we read Daniel’s great intercessory prayer for the people of God, which includes a great deal of confession of the people’s sin.  The preponderance of that confession is neglect of God’s Word, or rank disobedience of God’s instruction.  D. A. Carson comments on this passage in For the Love of God:

Pastor’s Ponderings #221                                                        10/10/12

Do I live in a Christ-centered family?  This is the question that Richard Phillips gets us thinking about in his article in the March 2012 edition of Tabletalk, entitled “Self-centeredness in the Family.”  Ponder this excerpt with me:

PASTOR'S PONDERINGS #219                                                                                     10/1/12

In response to last Sunday’s message, I continue to pray that God would give us, as a church family, a passionate single-mindedness for the glory of God.  Here is the Scotty Smith prayer I quoted from the pulpit last Sunday:

Pastor’s Ponderings #217                                                        9/27/12

The recent daily readings in Tabletalk magazine have been discussing beauty as it is revealed in music.  I thought this excerpt reflected a very simple, godly, balanced view, and also reflected the goals of our own music leadership team:

Pastor’s Ponderings #215                                                        9/24/12

I continue to thank God for our last Lord’s Day together, and rejoice in my covenant relationship with the RCC family!  I praise God for bringing our lives together and making us partners in His gospel!

Pastor’s Ponderings #213                                                        9/22/12

As we prepare for worship tomorrow and our celebration of Covenant Sunday, here’s a one more quote from Bonhoeffer, in Life Together:

Pastor’s Ponderings #211                                                                    9/20/12

As we prepare our hearts for “Covenant Sunday” this coming Lord’s Day, let’s continue to ponder what it means to be in covenant relationship.  In Life Together, his classic little work on Christian fellowship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote these penetrating and profound words:

Pastor’s Ponderings #208                                                                    9/12/12

Pastor’s Ponderings #207                                                                    9/1/12

Let’s wrap up our pondering of the first section of last Sunday’s message.  On our last Lord’s Day I set before you a Biblical profile of a disciple of Christ, or what a saved person should look like.  In striving to obey our Lord’s commission to make disciples, this is what we desire for our children, our teenagers, our young adults, our old adults, our elders, our deacons, ourselves, EVERYBODY!

Pastor’s Ponderings #205                                                                    8/30/12

Let’s continue to ponder last Sunday’s message.  On our last Lord’s Day I set before you a Biblical profile of a disciple of Christ, or what a saved person should look like.  In striving to obey our Lord’s commission to make disciples, this is what we desire for our children, our teenagers, our young adults, our old adults, our elders, our deacons, ourselves, EVERYBODY!

Pastor’s Ponderings #202                                                                    8/27/12

Let’s take the next several days to continue to ponder last Sunday’s message.  On our last Lord’s Day I set before you a Biblical profile of a disciple of Christ, or what a saved person should look like.  In striving to obey our Lord’s commission to make disciples, this is what we desire for our children, our teenagers, our young adults, our old adults, our elders, our deacons, ourselves, EVERYBODY!

Pastor’s Ponderings #200                                                                    8/21/12

Ponder these inspired words of King David from Psalm 27:7-11:

            Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;

                        be gracious to me and answer me!

            You have said, “Seek my face.”

            My heart says to you,

                        “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”

Pastor’s Ponderings #198                                                                    8/16/12

As we prepare to commission our first church planting group this Sunday, my heart is welling up with prayers that God will be pleased by all that happens this Sunday.

And I am constantly praying that we will have a proper view of the church, the bride of Christ.  May these words of Scotty Smith find a home in our own hearts:

Pastor’s Ponderings #196                                                                    7/28/12

Let’s continue with our pondering of insights from Jonathan K. Dodson in Gospel-Centered Discipleship.  Here is his general assessment of American spirituality:

Pastor’s Ponderings #194                                                                    7/24/12

I just finished a real good and very challenging book entitled Gospel-Centered Discipleship by Jonathan K. Dodson.  I plan on presenting some of its concepts at our Men’s Retreat in September.

Here is a penetrating quote from the book:

The perfection of God and the beauty of Christ are meant to thrill our souls.  A true disciple possesses foundational delight in Jesus that compels obedience.

Pastor’s Ponderings #192                                                                    7/5/12

But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.     Isaiah 66:2

In For the Love of God, D. A. Carson comments on this verse:

Pastor's Ponderings #99                                                                             Christmas Eve, 2011

The shopping is done.  The gifts are wrapped and resting peacefully under the tree.  The furniture has been rearranged to accommodate six adults and six grandchildren at our annual family Christmas gift exchange tomorrow.  Amy is sewing bells on the toes of six little stockings (a new addition to our celebration).  And I’m half-watching “A Christmas Story” for the millionth time while I am writing these words. 

Here's a great prayer from Scotty Smith to start our Thanksgiving week.  I pray your Thanksgiving will be abundantly blessed!
 

Pastor's Ponderings #88                                                                                              11/2/11

Pastor's Ponderings #90                                                                                              11/8/11

After a two-week break from our study of Romans, we will dive back into the nitty-gritty theology of chapter nine this week.  Here is where we will pick up:

A Prayer in Praise of God, Who Makes Us Like Jesus

Posted: 22 Oct 2011 04:43 AM PDT

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. 1 Thess. 5:23-24

  Pastor's Ponderings #85                                                                                              10/18/11   Today’s reading in Tabletalk magazine contains these comments regarding Philippians 1:25-26:   “In saving us from sin and death, and His holy wrath, our God has placed us in a community that, according to His sovereign determination, needs our gifts and talents.  To refuse to serve the body of Christ is tantamount to refusing to serve Christ Himself, and we always want to be good and faithful servant

  Pastor's Ponderings #83                                                                                              10/12/11   In this month’s issue of Tabletalk (we still have issues available on the table in the foyer of the church) there is an excellent little article by Robert Rayburn entitled “Nothing Like the Church.”  I encourage you to grab a copy of the magazine and read that article.  Here is an excerpt:   “We must remember that there is but one institution in this world that will also exist in the world to come.  It is not one’s c

Pastor's Ponderings #81                                                                                              9/29/11   Our friend Chad Matthews shared this with me recently, and I thought I would pass it on for you to chew on.   Dr. James White has some pretty honest reasons why, if you are shopping for a local Christian fellowship, you may want to dismiss a Reformed Baptist Church.

Pastor's Ponderings #79                                                                                              9/26/11   What a wonderful Lord’s Day we had together on “Covenant Sunday.”  From our corporate worship in the morning, to the baptism of Janice, to watching all of our precious children have fun, to our meal together, to our singing to the Lord, and then ending the day with some encouraging testimonies, it was a day for which I am still thanking God.  I believe we experienced true fellowship!  I love my church family!

Pastor's Ponderings #77                                                                                              9/19/11

As a follow-up to the my recent message on Romans 8:31-39, here’s an excerpt from an article in this month’s Tabletalk magazine.  It is entitled “What If, or If God?” and it is by J. R. Vassar:

Pastor's Ponderings #75                                                                                              9/3/11

In preparation for worship tomorrow morning, please ponder these verses:

Dear church family,

This isn't an official "Pastor's Ponderings," but I had to forward it on because it was so fitting following yesterday's message.  Note that Pastor Smith references two texts that I used in teaching about hope - Romans 15:13 and Hebrews 6:17-20.  This blessed me - may it bless you as well!

I love y'all!

Butch

Pastor's Ponderings #72                                                                                              8/23/11

Following our study last Sunday in chapter 8 of Romans, here is a timely prayer by Scotty Smith:

Pastor's Ponderings #70                                                                                              8/16/11

Suggestion number five from “Preparing to Be an Amazing Old Man or Woman” by Jim Eliff is the subject of our pondering today:

Pastor's Ponderings #68                                                                                              8/13/11

Let’s continue our pondering of our later years.  Here is suggestion number three from “Preparing to Be an Amazing Old Man or Woman” by Jim Eliff:

Pastor's Ponderings #67                                                                                               8/12/11

We have begun to consider how we will finish our lives, not in a specific way, but with what mind-set.  Yesterday we began a list of suggestions from Jim Eliff in his article, “Preparing to Be an Amazing Old Man or Woman.”  Here is his second suggestion for preparing for our final years:

Pastor's Ponderings #64                                                                                               8/9/11

I thought this "Scotty Smith prayer" was fitting for the week after "Education Sunday":

Pastor's Ponderings #62                                                                                               8/1/11

What are you resting in today – your performance for God or the gospel of God?  To help us ponder that, here is some insight from Michael Horton in the March/April edition of Modern Reformation magazine:

  Pastor's Ponderings #60                                                                                               7/18/11   In the closing pages of his book Think, John Piper makes this plea to the reader:   “I am pleading that in all your thinking you seek to see and savor the Treasure.  If thinking has the reputation of being only emotionaless logic, all will be in vain.  God did not give us minds as ends in themselves.  The mind provides the kindling for the fires of the heart.  Theology serves doxology.  Reflection serves affection.  Contempla

A Prayer for Whining Times

Posted: 13 Jul 2011 03:59 AM PDT

Pastor's Ponderings #56                                                                                               7/8/11

Here is a provocative insight from Michael Horton in The Gospel Commission:

“I am more at home in the racially, generationally, socially, and politically mixed church in which I am a minister that I am at a family reunion.  Yet that can only happen because the blood of Christ is thicker than that of kith and kin.  We share one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Pastor's Ponderings #54                                                                                              7/4/11

Here's a great Fourth of July prayer by Scotty Smith, pastor of Christ Church in Brentwood, Tennessee.

A Prayer for Standing Firm in Gospel Freedom

Pastor's Ponderings #52                                                                                              7/2/11   As we prepare for worship tomorrow, here is another thought from Gene Edward Veith in Loving God With All Your Mind: Thinking as a Christian in the Postmodern World:   “Bible studies, prayer groups, and Christian friendships can be spiritual anchors … To meet together with other Christians for Bible study and prayer is to tap enormous spiritual power … Praying with and for other Christians is also a vast spiritual resource.

Pastor's Ponderings #50                                                                                              6/22/11

Need some Scriptural exhortations from the Lord to engage in the practice of pondering?  Here’s a couple for us to consider:

Pastor's Ponderings #48                                                                                              6/20/11

As we begin a new week, ponder with me the God-centeredness of this great text in Deuteronomy 10:12-21:

Pastor's Ponderings #46                                                                                              6/17/11

Here’s another thought from John Piper:

“What does it mean to love God ‘with all your mind’?  I take it to mean that we direct our thinking in a certain way; namely our thinking should be wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things”  [emphasis in original].

Pastor's Ponderings #44                             6/13/11

Here is a convicting prayer by Pastor Scotty Smith of Christ Church in Nashville, Tennessee.  I've already read it several times and have been pierced to the heart each time.

A Prayer for Those of Us Easily Annoyed

Posted: 11 Jun 2011 03:43 AM PDT

Pastors' Ponderings #42                                                                      6/7/11

As I’m reading through the Bible this year, I have a great companion book to assist me in my understanding.  It is For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word by D. A. Carson.  Each daily reading is very brief and to the point and extremely helpful in providing understanding of the Scriptural passage being read.  Commenting on Psalm 75, Carson writes this: