Tuesday, September 23, 2003

12:27 PM Ben Witherington III writes on the Top Ten New Testament Archaeological Finds of the Past 150 Years. Very encouraging report. 12:11 PM Nice surprise today—a double birthday party at church. Tomorrow is Bob Boerman’s birthday and Friday is mine. Since Bob will be gone tomorrow and I’ll be in Tampa Thursday-Saturday, the staff decided to hold an impromptu party for both of us today. Bob and I agreed with one condition—that they serve us chocolate cake. Mia was happy to oblige. (I told her I didn’t believe in things like “carrot cake”—two words that don’t even belong together. Vegetables and cake are two different food groups—one goes with meat, the other is a dessert.) Anyway, the staff came together and Andrew led them in an off-key rendering of “Happy Birthday” and then we had chocolate cake and ice cream. One of us blew out all his candles on the first try. I won’t say who it was but it wasn’t Bob. 9:19 AM Professor Darrell Bock of Dallas Theological Seminary defends Mel Gibson’s yet-to-be-released film, “The Passion.” 9:10 AM Construction update: Work continues on the portico, new electrical service, new nursery, and complete renovation of the gym and conversion of the gym stage into two stories of classrooms and offices plus air conditioning in the west wing. We found out yesterday that the whole project will not be completed until approximately December 15. This is a month later than expected due to changes in certain drawings and delays in getting inspections done by the village. 7:18 AM Here is the sermon schedule starting October 5: Series: The Cross, the Church and the World Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16 Recently I’ve been thinking a great deal about what the church has to say to the world. We know what the world says to the church because we hear it over and over again. But what do we say in return? What is our answer to the multitude of philosophies and isms that captivate the minds of modern men and women? Paul dealt with these very questions in his first letter to the church at Corinth. The problems we face today are not in any sense new; they are simply the old problems recycled for a new generation. The great need of the church today is a fresh confidence in the message of the gospel. You might call this passage, “How to think like a Gospel-Christian.” It is a powerful antidote to the theological weakness of entertainment-oriented Christianity. If we want to see the power of the gospel demonstrated in our day, we can hardly do better than to study Paul’s stirring call to a “cross-centered Christianity.” These are serious messages and I pray that God will help us hear his Word with open hearts. October 5 The Foolishness of God (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) October 12 How God Destroys Human Pride (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) October 19 Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) October 26 What the World Doesn’t Know (1 Corinthians 2:6-9) November 2 Bob Boerman preaching November 9 Missions Sunday, Dr. Scott Hafemann preaching November 16 How We Know What We Know (1 Corinthians 2:10-13) November 23 The Great Divide (1 Corinthians 2:14-16) 7:17 AM I am still reading and greatly enjoying the two-volume biography of Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain Murray. Every time I pick it up, I find my soul deeply stirred. 7:16 AM Only five more days until Commitment Sunday when we turn in our Legacy Campaign commitment cards. 9:18 AM Darlene Miskovic wrote the Living Sacrifices devotional for today based on Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Here’s an excerpt:

Whatever we do, we should do it in Jesus’ name. This verse challenges us to take Jesus beyond Sunday, beyond the safe setting of the church and our Christian friends, and into our daily lives… . This isn’t about isolated events. This is about fully integrating Jesus into our lives in a secular world.