Young people who memorized Psalm 119

Great story here about four young people who all memorized Psalm 119 and the impact this made on their lives.  What’s really exciting is that they are all from the same family!

Parents, why not challenge your teens to memorize Psalm 119 this year?  Parents, why not establish some memory program for yourself as well?  

Young people, why not undertake this goal this year? 

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The relationship of faith and love

We are not to suppose that Christian love can exist independently of faith. Paul did not intend to set up one grace in rivalry to the other. He did not mean that one man might have faith, another hope, and another love–and that the best of these, was the person who had love. The three graces are inseparably joined together. Where there is faith, there will always be love; and where there is love, there will be faith. Sun and light, fire and heat, ice and cold, are not more intimately united than faith and love!

~ J.C. Ryle via J.C.Ryle quotes

Tract: Christian Love

How does this relationship between faith and love help you to better pursue genuine love for others?

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Mohler: 2012 to be a determinative year for same-sex marriage issue

Dr. Albert Mohler’s first blog essay of the year begins:

“Some predictions are rather safe to make. 2012 is almost certain to be a determinative year on the issue of same-sex marriage. Multiple courts appear poised to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] and, even more urgently, the appeal on California’s Proposition 8 at the Ninth Circuit U. S. Court of Appeals will set up a certain appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court. Given the facts of this case and the significance of the nation’s most populous state, the Supreme Court is almost certain to take the case. This sets the stage for the courts to make some determinative statement on same-sex marriage within the next several months — a decision that will go a long way toward setting the direction of the larger culture.

At the same time, the same-sex marriage issue will play a part in the 2012 presidential campaign. The reason for this is quite simple. The issue of same-sex marriage is about far more than marriage as a legal institution and about more than sexuality and personal autonomy. It is the great inescapable issue, and we will know in fairly short order what all the candidates believe about the issue.”

This is going to have a huge impact on gospel-loving and Bible-practicing churches!  We need to be prepared!

Keep reading here!

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A great book offer: Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Cruciform Press has the details:

Innocent Blood: Challenging the Powers of Death with the Gospel of Life, was written by John Ensor, a pastor and the author of two books published by Crossway. John is a leader in the rapidly expanding pregnancy help movement, and is well known for his multiple efforts to help Christian communities establish ultrasound-equipped clinics in the neediest neighborhoods of our major cities. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Global Initiatives for Heartbeat International—initiating pregnancy help ministries in Asia and other un-reached areas.

Readers have said of Innocent Blood…

• Certainly Cruciform Press’ most hard-hitting book to date.
• Ensor does an impeccable job of presenting a systematic theology of sorts on blood, weaving Scripture from the very beginning of his book to the end.
• John Ensor provides a bridge between the defense of innocent human life and the proclamation of the gospel. His concisely worded thesis is theologically grounded, philosophically sound, and gives pastors the tools to engage the culture on the burning moral question of our day.
• Read Innocent Blood, and love human life like you’ve never imagined.

This book has been endorsed by Burk Parsons of TableTalk  Magazine.

For a limited time, you can read the first half of the book for free or download the whole book in  PDF for $2.99. Check it out here.

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When you hear the sermon!

Simple advice from Jonathan Edwards for hearing a sermon in his booklet Advice to Young Converts:

When you hear sermons, hear them for yourself… Let the chief end of your mind be to consider what ways you can apply the things that you are hearing in the sermon. You should ask, What improvement should I make, based on these things, for my own soul’s good.

Think of how this would impact our conversations on Sunday after the service if we simply enacted this counsel every week.

There is much more to be taken from Edwards’ Advice to Young Converts. This is good read, not just for younger Christians, but for all of us. Here is the complete text of the booklet courtesy of Rick Holland.

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