http://www.wieldingthesword.com A blog about Biblical Counseling, Spiritual Disciplines and living a Scripture-shaped life Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:02:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en By now, the St. Louis Cardinals have completed the most thrilling late season and post-season run in recent memory. Game 6 of the World Series ... I told Laura that I wanted to turn it off in the seventh inning. Fortunately, we did not and were treated to one of ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2011/11/01/personal/world-series-part-2-the-game-and-the-series/ From time to time, I like to blog on a human interest level, such as this one on participating in a Chick-Fil-A grand opening in freezing weather or this one about our annual March Madness challenge. This blog is one of those. Yes, I have World Series tickets. Yes, they have my ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2011/10/20/personal/world-series-tickets/ God has blown my mind with a truth from Titus 2:11-14: "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2011/10/17/grace/gods-grace-the-power-for-godliness/ I recently wrote this congregational prayer for a worship service at Summit Community Church in O'Fallon, Mo. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." (Mat 5:6 ESV) Worship leader: The text for our sermon this morning is Matthew 5:6, which says "Blessed are those who hunger and ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/10/30/prayer/a-congregational-prayer-based-on-matt-56/ "Pete Maravich: The Authorized Biography of Pistol Pete" by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill in collaboration with Jackie Maravich (Tyndale 2008, $14.99) God has given His creation many good gifts, but none can substitute for a personal relationship with the Giver. That, in a nutshell, is the story of Pete Maravich, a ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/09/21/book-reviews/book-review-pete-maravich-the-authorized-biography-of-pistol-pete/ In my last post, I talked about the necessity of giving yourself to Scripture in order to daily live in right relationship with God. I talked about how this includes regularly reading and thinking about (meditation) Scripture and talking about it with others. And I said applying Scripture is where ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/09/09/relationships/life-is-as-good-as-its-relationships-part-4-living-daily-life-in-right-relationship-with-god/ Skiing is exhilarating. I am not talking about slops that manufacture their own snow. Those places are fun, but not exhilarating. I am talking about a place like Breckenridge, Colorado. In college, I took a ski trip to Breckenridge with friends and college administrators. Halfway through the first day, once my skiing-to-crashing ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/08/25/relationships/life-is-as-good-as-its-relationships-part-3-living-in-right-relationship-with-god/ In a discussion on human relationships, you have to begin with one's relationship with God. When I speak of God, I am referring to the God of the Judeo-Christian Bible. I understand that some people hold a different view of God than what this Bible presents or reject the idea of ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/08/18/relationships/life-is-as-good-as-its-relationships-part-2-entering-right-relationship-with-god/ Jonathan Pennington, a New Testament professor at Southern Seminary, once said to me "Life is as good as its relationships." Some people try to fill the role that only relationships can fill with other things or pursuits: money, career advancement, DVD collections, electronics, personal achievements, thrilling experiences or the latest new ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/08/10/relationships/life-is-as-good-as-its-relationships-part-1/ As I prepare to lead a church planting effort in Denver, Colorado, I am meeting with different pastors, planters and friends explaining our plans. If the person I am speaking to has ministry leadership experience, I usually ask if they have any advice for me. I recently received five minutes of ... http://www.wieldingthesword.com/2010/06/27/local-church/reminders-for-the-weary-or-not-so-weary-church-planterpastor/