Here’s the link to download the manuscript if you are interested:
Tag Archives: purpose
Healthy Pastors Conference
Pastors, assistant pastors, elders, and even aspiring to be pastors are invited to our first Healthy Pastors Conference. There’s a story that we will share at the conference that gets at what we are trying to do with this gathering. I will share that story later but I hope our story will be that story too.
If we want healthy churches then one of the pieces needed to accomplish that or maintain that is having healthy pastors.We want to fan the flame within them through preaching and singing and fellowship with other pastors.
Consider buying a ticket for your pastor and providing for his travel and stay here in Nashville. Here’s the link to sign up.
https://hbatn.org/new-products/healthy-pastor-conference-ticket
The Lord’s Day Sermon Manuscript for January 26, 2025
Here’s the link to download the manuscript if you are interested:
The Lord’s Day Sermon Manuscript for October 27, 2024
Here’s the link to download the manuscript if you are interested:
The Lord’s Day Sermon Manuscript for September 1, 2024
Here’s the link to download the manuscript if you are interested:
Daily Encouragement
The difficulty in reaching people in the nation and community in which I live with the gospel is that most people seem very comfortable and really think they don’t need anything. We find ways to block out the bad news and brokenness within our own hearts.
For those who have been redeemed, we see our neediness and the evil of this world. We may wonder why the wicked prosper. We may see the foolish and arrogant rule us. We may become weary under their reign and cry out to God, “How long, O Lord?”
The reply is always this—“Not forever. Wait patiently, dear child. Trust me.”
Daily Encouragement
Daily Encouragement:
Faith is necessary to understand God and his creation. It makes sense of the sufferings and trials of life. Without faith, it’s impossible to understand the world and it’s impossible to please the Lord.
Faith changes how you live now because you trust in what is coming later. Abel can offer the better sacrifice because he believes God rewards those who trust him. He can offer up his best now when he trusts in better things to come.
Enoch walked with the Lord by faith. Not in Eden as it was meant to be but by faith in this cursed world. He had fellowship with God outside of Eden but that same faith delivers him to Eden when he is taken up.
In other words, you can have fellowship with the Lord too by faith in his name. You can understand the world in large part because you understand what’s coming later. Abraham can live as a foreigner in the land because his eyes are fixed on the heavenly city that is to come.
Why would we, let’s say, cheat on our taxes or on a test to live in a city that will pass away when we have the promise of living in the heavenly city? We must look to the prize that comes at the finish line.
Let’s live in the desert now as though Eden is our forever home with him. Let’s live in fellowship with the Lord by faith through the Holy Spirit now in this strange land knowing that better country awaits us. Now we see dimly. Now we fellowship in the Spirit which is a down payment of our inheritance to come. One day we will see his face!
Hebrews 11:1
[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
A Life Well Lived
A life well lived needs a trajectory. It needs a peculiar perspective. It needs to sit safely in the reality of the resurrection of Christ and our own resurrection at the end of the age. I think this poem helps remind us or point us to living a life well lived.
Only One Life
By C.T. Studd
Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
When this bright world would tempt me sore,
When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way,
Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Give me Father, a purpose deep,
In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife,
Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Oh let my love with fervor burn,
And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone,
Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call,
I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12
By Faith…
“Madam, when you are come to the other side of the water, and have set down your foot on the shore of glorious eternity, and look back again to the waters, and to your wearisome journey, and shall see in that clear glass of endless glory nearer to the bottom of God’s wisdom, you shall then be forced to say, ‘If God had done otherwise with me, then he hath done, I had never come to the enjoying this crown and glory’.”
Samuel Rutherford, “Letters of Samuel Rutherford”
Helpful Resource
Here is the link to watch the video:
The J-Curve will help you process the suffering of life and see it’s purposes. Click the link to watch.
The Word Is Not Imprisoned 