Wait For GOD

For from of old they have not
heard nor perceived by ear,
Neither has the eye seen a God
besides Thee,
Who acts in behalf of the one
who waits for Him.

Isaiah 64:4

TCT Network

I'm in Minneapolis now for tomorrow's (Monday) Treasuring Christ Together church planter's network meeting.

We will appreciate your prayers as we worship, fellowship, and discuss. These meetings are designed to continue to kindle the doctrinal kinship between the TCT churches, aid practical ministry, and contribute towards our mutual involvement in church planting. Thank you for praying for us!
JT

Embracing The Sovereignty of God

(HT: Tim Challies; Timmy Brister)

Sunday Lunch

Remember also, that we will have our monthly GC lunch fellowship this Sunday after the morning service at Bridges. Bring those goodies!

Grace Kids - Saturday, 9a-12:30p

• What: A worshipful equipping session for a new facet of ministry to children that will begin in the life of Grace Church on September 16

• When: Saturday, August 25; 9:00a-12:30p
  

• Where: Bridges
  

• Who: Everyone! If you have ever been on our children's ministry rotation, then congratulations! You're on it again!

Carry Another's Load Because Everyone Must Carry His Own Load

This week's sermon text carries an apparent contradiction (But is no contradiction at all).

• “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal 6:2 ESV)
• “For each will have to bear his own load.” (Gal 6:5 ESV).

May the Lord be glorified as we worship Him in full obedience to His Word.

Note: Here's where I'm at so far (with help from others): Verse two is a command. Verse six is reproof.

Bully

Thanks mom for sending this comic relief.

What Do You See?

I'd like to know how many of you are having the same problem as Kurt (who commented here) with the header image on this blog.

So, when you read this post, would you please comment and let me know if you can read the following words at the left side of the header picture in their entirety, or if they are cut off (if cut, how much do you see)?

The words in the picture should read:

"grace church | memphis
glorify....treasure...spread"

PTI 3

Coming soon.

Wednesday's @ Court Square

A Theology For the City

Dr. Bill Pannell will be the speaker this week for the John Perkins lectures (Tuesday, 7p: Creighton).

Dr. Pannell is Special Assistant to the President and Senior Professor of Preaching at Fuller Seminary, and is author of numerous articles and books, including The Coming Race Wars? A Cry for Reconciliation; Evangelism from the Bottom Up; and My Friend, the Enemy. Dr. Pannell’s areas of expertise include race relations, the black church, and evangelism.

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Baptism & Membership In the Local Church

The conversation continues:

1. Dever joins in.
2. Abraham (Piper's son) responds to Dever.
   

I might as well go all in too?

First, a bit of personal background. In August of 2005, just two days after arriving at Bethlehem for a one-year residency, I found myself in a five-hour long elders' meeting at which the now widely-known, and hotly-controversial, position paper on baptism and church membership was voted upon (with only one dissenting vote) to go to the congregation for approval (Talk about arrival trial by fire!).

For the remaining year, I sat through scholarly (well moderated) debates on the subject, and only the Lord knows how many hallway and dinner conversations regarding the proposal. From beginning to end, even though I have many paedobaptist friends (who I consider to be the Lord's children), I have not been in favor of the proposal.

Most of all, the fuel for my conviction is the unanimous testimony of the NT which clearly describes the (immersion) baptism of only believers.

Secondarily, two unanswered questions (which if answered, would really help me out, but admittedly, probably not change my mind) also contribute to my lack of support for the idea of admitting "unbaptized" persons into church membership.

So, my to all of my paedobaptist (and baptistic, in favor of accepting "unbaptized" persons into church membership) brothers and sisters, please consider these questions, and consider helping me understand the issue better.

• Question 1: If you could not find a faithful Bible-preaching and infant-baptizing congregation in your city, would you join a baptistic church that (1) faithfully preaches the bible, (2) will lovingly, but unabashedly, seek to convince you to change your view on, and practice of, baptism, and (3) would experience a rift in the fellowship of that church because (though the church adopted the position by majority) there remains a certain percentage of the congregation that doesn't comply with the church's position to graft "biblically informed paedobaptists" into its membership?

The foundation of this question is whether or not a desire to love the congregation you are joining plays a part in your desire to be loved by that congregation as one of its members? Admission: I agree that because of a greater good, love does not always equal not hurting someone that you love.

• Question 2: If my biblically-informed conscience tells me that paedobaptism is the Lord's pleasure, then how can I (without violating my conscience) join a church where my own child (yet to be born) will not be baptized as an infant? Am I wrong for concluding that someone who comes to church membership under these auspices has a conscience that is not quite as bound in the first place if he or she is willing to join a believer's-baptism-only congregation?

The foundation of this question is whether or not someone's conscience can honestly be bound to a certain conviction from Scripture, but at the same time, not feel incumbent to practice that very conviction? Seems illogical to me, but would love to have a view from one of my paedo friends!

What's Even Scarier Than Being On This Elephant?

Seeing this during morning family devotion!

GOD: The Greatest Of All

Our Fall sermon series will be titled, GOD: The Greatest of All.

Beginning on September 9th and continuing through remainder of 2007, Grace Church will begin a series of worshiping together through the portraits of the Great God of the Bible.

Join us this Fall as we seek His face!