Desiring God Part 1

I know this may seem a little long, but please take some time and read...You'll be glad you did...

Desiring God Conference
· You cannot escape the necessity of thinking. God just calls us to do it well. --Dr. John Piper
Minneapolis, MN September 26, 2008

Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, Pastor First Presbyterian Church Columbia, South Carolina
An Exposition of James 3:1-12
· The purpose of scripture is to make you spiritually mature. – Ferguson
I. 4 Truths James Teaches in these 12 Verses
1. The Difficulty of Taming the Tongue vs. 1-2
- We all stumble.
- Master your tongue so you can have a greater impact one’s life.
- One who can control their tongue can control their whole body.
- Be able to control the amount of your words and be able to be silent.
- It is a moment by moment battle of the heart to bridle your tongue.
2. The Disproportionate Power of the Tongue vs. 3-5
- Our words carry the breath of our souls to the world.
- You cannot help to breathe what is within.
- Dr. Ferguson then tells the story of standing on the elevator with a woman who had obviously been smoking. She didn’t realize it, but the whole elevator was covered in the smell of smoke she had previously inhaled. This is what we should be like spiritually. We should so breathe in so deep the word, that when we exhale we have no choice but to reveal what is in us…THE WORD!! We should allow the Word and the Holy Spirit to so flavor our souls that when we speak, people are asking about the aroma (spiritually speaking) we are giving off. The tongue is that powerful.
3. The Destruction caused by the Tongue vs. 6-8
- The tongue is set on fire by hell. It is one of the most useful instruments of Satan to cause destruction.
- Wickedness can live in the tongue.
- One single wrong word spoken can crumble all other words ever spoken.
- Satan causes restlessness in the heart that causes restlessness in the tongue. If you aren’t staying close to Jesus…You WILL have a reckless tongue.
4. The Deadly Inconsistencies of the Tongue vs. 9-12
- We bless God then curse man that was created in His image.
- Our tongue reveals our hearts.
- If it is spoken on the tongue it is in our heart.



II. The Context of James 3:12 in the Gospel
1. We are polluted and James reminds us by talking of the tongue that we are all hopeless.
2. We are not the mature person we ought to be, but we are also not the old man we used to be because of the work of Christ. Isaiah 50, 53
3. Jesus was falsely accused but stayed silent, not sinning, as he took our very words from our mouths and placed them in his to be the atonement for that very sin. As a Lamb to the slaughter…He was quiet. Why?? He was paying for the sins of our tongue.

Resolutions from James on the Tongue
1. I resolve to ask God for wisdom to speak out of a single-minded devotion to him. (1:5)
2. I resolve to boast only in the exultation I receive in Jesus Christ and also in the humiliation I receive for Jesus Christ. (1:9-10)
3. I resolve to set a watch over my mouth. (1:13)
4. I resolve to be constantly quick to hear and slow to speak. (1:19)
5. I resolve to learn the gospel way of speaking to both rich and poor. (2:1-4)
6. I resolve to speak in the present consciousness of my final judgment. (2:12)
7. I resolve never to stand on anyone’s face with the words I employ. (2:16)
8. I resolve never to claim as reality in my life what I do not truly experience. (3:14)
9. I resolve to resist quarrelsome words as evidence of a bad heart that needs to be mortified. (4:1)
10. I resolve never to speak decided evil against another out of a heart of antagonism. (4:11)
11. I resolve never to boast in anything but what I will accomplish. (4:13)
12. I resolve to speak as one subject to the providences of God. (4:15)
13. I resolve never to grumble. The judge is at the door. (5:9)
14. I resolve never to allow anything but total integrity in everything I say. (5:12)
15. I resolve to speak to God in prayer whenever I suffer. (5:13)
16. I resolve to sing praises to God whenever I’m cheerful. (5:14)
17. I resolve to ask for the prayers of others when I’m in need. (5:14)
18. I resolve to confess it whenever I have failed. (5:15)
19. I resolve to pray with others for one another whenever I am together with them. (5:15)
20. I resolve to speak words of restoration when I see another wander. (5:19)

Give Me a Break

I decided the other day to put a hault on the blogging. Honestly, even though it really helps me process my thoughts, I really am running short on time these days. My wife then preceded to be the level headed like she always is, and she reminded me people actually read it...maybe not many, but some. So I decided I just need to better manage my time because this blogging things does help me personally and really do hope it blesses you in some way...even if it is just a short comical relieve. I know it has been awhile since I have posted, but I am making a decision today to start blogging more frequently. My goal is once a day like I did when I first started, but if not once a day definitely once every 2 or 3 days. But this news flash is not the reason for my post. As most of you know I have spent the weekend in Minneapolis with my wife at John Piper's Desiring God conference. The next succession of posts will be my personal notes from the conference. Dude all I can say is read them closely and be blessed. It is definitely not my wisdom, but God seriously blessing some men who have been seeking his face for YEARS!! Hope you enjoy....

The Calling

I got a friend, Brad, who is the Student Pastor over at FBC Lowell Arkansas and on his blog this morning he posted an incredible Spurgeon quote. He reminded me of two things: 1. The purpose of reading all the blogs I read and 2. How incredible it is to be called of God into the ministry. There is nothing else I can do. God has placed such a inner calling on my life that misery is the only option if I don't preach. I'm glad I can do something so simple as read blogs and God can remind me of how incredibly strong His presence is in my life. Even when I doubt, He sees me and He moves Heaven and earth so I may be reminded of His grace.

Roll Tide

I just got the news that Georgia is busting out the rare black jerseys for Saturday's game against Bama. Some may laugh and say, "What does the color of your jersey have to do with anything?" My friends, it means a lot. Number one it means that Bama is respected enough for Georgia to bring out one of the rarest jerseys in college sports only being worn in two other games. Secondly, when you have such a rare thing being done, the electricity in the stadium will be unreal. For anybody who plays sports you can understand this. My thought is this: Alabama is so full of freakish, young athletes that they'll feed off of the energy just as much as Georgia. Never at the beginning of the year would I have thought Alabama had a chance, but after seeing them play 4 times...I believe they are for real. I know Clemson was overrated and Arkansas was...well, really bad...Alabama is just for real. I think we'll all see it Saturday...One heck of a hard fought game. Here are some pics from the Alabama/Arkansas game:the juke

375lbs. of straight man

look at the calves

Julio...the man

Arkansas really does have a nice stadium

The best part...a day with my wife.

Renewed

Lately things have been kinda tough spiritually for me. John 15 keeps ringing through my head and I hear Jesus screaming, "Get back on the VINE!!" Now more than ever I understand the Apostle Paul when he says he struggles doing what he should do, and what he shouldn't do he freely does. Do you guys ever feel that way?? Do your times with Jesus get interrupted one morning and before you know it you haven't spoken to Him all day? For me, it's not about having time. It seems as though God turns 24 hour days into 48 hour days just for me so I can fulfill all my duties at the church, do school work, study, and and still have time with my family. It's not about desire. For my desire is there as my heart breaks every time I realize I have built up another idol in my life. For me, it seems as though I have gotten too caught up in stuff and turned my loved relationship with my Savior into a religion as I try to find ways to tie myself to God. I keep forgetting about this amazing grace offered through Jesus for He is my righteousness. One of the greatest personal spiritual renewals I have had in my life was when I could not quit focusing on 2 Corinthians 5:21. When I again am reminded by my Father that Jesus is my good standing with Him...my Righteousness. I must never leave this truth again. He looks down on me and sees me just as I am, and yet He still loves me. I have struggled so much here lately with making sure I have good theology and correct doctrine, but what I have failed to realize is that this is good theology and correct doctrine. Yes, I know that there are times we must go deeper than this, but there are also times where we need to get back to this. Psalms 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted among the earth." It is so easy to get caught up in the latest book or fad. I believe we just need to get caught up in Jesus again. I need renewal and I know just where to find it...Do you need it?? Do you wanna come with me??

Sunday's 7 of Saturday:)

Yeah I know this can get confusing, but let me tell you about Saturday:

• Me, Megan, and Dan Sellers went to the Arkansas vs. Alabama game. It was a lot fun and well worth the trip.
• Dan is still the funniest guy ever with endless amount of knowledge about the most off-the-wall stuff.
• Megan got really burnt on her legs and neck at the game...she is still the hottest woman ever...especially now
• Alabama is going to be really good and give the other top teams a tough time. I'm not saying we are going to crush everyone like we did Arkansas, but we'll fight hard. Julio Jones, Ingram, and Coffee are ridiculous.
• I love seeing Auburn get beat. I'm not sure why it thrills me so much, but it does.
• I got to see Lucy yesterday at Chick-fil-A. Seeing a good friend is always awesome, but eating chick-fil-A makes it even better.
• Fayetteville is pretty easy getting around on game day. We'll definitely be there again...most likely the Florida game.

DM Demolition

For the past two weeks we have had some really good student services. Maxing out our room, we have come to the realization that we may need to do something soon about a meeting place. Any ideas?? But to give you a quick rundown of our past two services, I'll go to the ever trusty bullets:)

• I love have tons of students there...It overjoys my heart because our students are the ones bringing them. I think they are catching the vision.
• Every Wed. I explain that we are not the typical student ministry. I always expect some kind of drop in numbers or rude comments, but these students appreciate that we are serious about Jesus and will do everything to make sure others aren't distracted.
• One student came to know Jesus last week and we are expecting God to do some BIG things through him.
• We are still going through the book of Acts. I don't think I ever want to leave it. God has some amazing truth for us in there.
• After our services we are doing a discipleship thing at the house. When planning I was expecting maybe 6 or 7 students...I was wrong. We stress strongly, "Do not come if you are not serious about growing in Jesus. It involves you working at home and spending some serious time trying to find biblical answers to hard questions. Do not come and be a distraction." We have had 15 students the first meeting and 17 last night...Kids are hungry for truth.