vassal of the King

One of the wonderful aspects of being an associate pastor is that I can preach to the church on Scriptures which relate to the congregation’s submission to and respect for the pastor/elders. And this is precisely what I did this week. I exhorted and encouraged our folks with the extremely high and weighty responsibilities that God has sovereignly placed upon the overseer of the flock. I exhorted them from Psalm 23 and went to many different Scriptures and reminded them of the pastor’s responsibility to study, to preach, to meditate, to counsel, to reprove, to rebuke, to defend, and to model—no lightweight responsibility. Yet, with the strength that God provides, He will enable every leader in the church to be an example of Christ for the flock that God has entrusted to his care. Many folks neglect to encourage their pastor on a regular basis. All pastors need this. How amazing it would be if individuals were to write a note simply telling the pastor that he’s being pray

Here am I in my study with Kiah as I study German. He looks a little bored, but I think he's deeply pondering some of the verb paradigms . . . :=)

Our little Kiah arrived last night at 6:06pm weighing in at 9lbs 3oz! Mommy Kirkland says that Baby Kiah looks like her dad (I think that means I'm very plump with a round face!) :=) Anyway, both mom and baby are doing fine and we praise the LORD for His steadfast love and His wonderful miracle that He has worked in our lives. Psalm 127:3 3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. ---------------------------- UPDATE (5-16-09 @ 5:15pm) : We arrived home from the hospital a few hours ago and both mommy and Kiah are taking a nap while I work on my sermon for tomorrow morning! :=)

The past week has thrust me into a wonderful study on shepherding in ancient Israel. I'm preaching Psalm 23 tonight at our Mid-Week service and I'm excited (as always) to declare that which I've learned in my studies this week. I'm convinced that Psalm 23 contains two metaphors, namely, God as a Shepherd and God as a Host. I'm attempting to delve deep into the historical context of a shepherd tending his flock in the rural and dry lands of Israel and drawing in applications throughout as to how God is The Great Shepherd of His sheep. Finally, I'll conclude with a study on how Jesus is the perfect and complete fulfillment of Psalm 23 (cf. John 10:11). I'll post the link to the sermon tomorrow! I covet your prayers.

I'm undertaking the task of learning Theological German. I've heard that April Wilson's work, German Quickly is the best book in this regard. The key to this book is that it is a grammar for reading German. Unfortunately, I'm not delving into the task of learning to speak or hear German. That's not very important to me. I'm learning Theological German because there is a wealth of material available today in the theological arena that's only in German. Though many of the theological works in German have been translated into English (thankfully!), much has not. Many articles and books are in German and so, for my doctoral program, I'm learning German to supplement my studies at BBS. Pray for me as I attend class and work through this book over the next month and a half. So far, I've got the alphabet down. I'd say I've got a ways to go! :=)

“Sin is the Violation of an Infinite Obligation” —Puritan Prayer I think that this is one of the most startling theological realities that our finite minds can meditate upon. The notion that every human being is a sinner destined for eternal judgment in hell for violating God’s holy and perfect Law proves to be a fundamental concept in the Scriptures—both OT and NT. Taking this logic one step further, sin is not just a little “mistake” in the eyes of God. Sometimes this is how we as Christians treat our sin—with a trivial and cavalier attitude. The words: “Oh, it’s not that bad” or, “At least I didn’t do … sin” ought never to depart from the lips of a genuine Christian. The reason is this: sin is the violation of an infinite obligation . Sin—from the most heinous of murder cases to the “little white lie” or “pleasurable lust” is all sin of an infinite proportion which has violated the infinite obligation. Because we all must keep the Law perfectly to enter the Kingdom

9 reasons why every young person should be actively involved in a local church: You Build Solid and Lasting Relationships Acts 2:42 You should get more involved in a local church because this is the venue where you will build lasting, deep, and intimate relationships with other likeminded believers who love God, love His Word, and seek to obey Him. You will have friends that you can come to when times are rough and you need prayer; you will have friends with whom you can share encouraging stories. You Are Held Accountable by Church Leadership Heb 13 1 Thess 5 You should get more involved in a local church because this is where you will primarily be held accountable by your church leadership—your pastor and the elders. For a Christian, it is absolutely imperative to be under men of God who are sovereignly placed in the area of leadership to shepherd, guard, protect, and warn Christians. This is a non-negotiable in the Christian life. This is where accountability