The Preaching Notes of Six Pastors

In a recent blog series, Josh Harris, Pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland reveals the preaching notes of six pastors. So far, Harris has featured the notes of the following Pastors:

Mark Dever, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, D.C.
Mike Bullmore, CrossWay Community Church, Bristol, Wisconsin
C.J. Mahaney, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Ray Ortlund, Jr., Immanuel Church, Nashville, Tennessee
Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City, New York
Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, Washington

You can find an introduction to each pastor here: Dever, Bullmore, Mahaney, Ortlund Jr., Keller, and Driscoll.

Click on full name to go directly their preaching notes.

The 37th Ryder Cup

There is nothing like match play golf on golf's biggest stage. The American Team defeated the European team 16.5 to 11.5. Check out this great article by ESPN's Pat Forde where he focuses on the play of three country boys for the American Team, Kenny Perry, J. B. Holmes, and Boo Weekley.

September 7th AM Sermon Wordled

Here is my latest sermon wordled. The title of the sermon was, "Do Not Call Me Naomi, Call Me Mara: The Kindness of God Called into Question." Wordle is a program that makes a "cloud" of the words from a text. The words used most frequently are larger in font. To enlarge, just click in the image.

Hymn of the Week

The hymn of the week came to me as I read and prayed for the residents of the people in the path of Hurricane Gustav. The lyrics come from the hymn, Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken, by Henry Lyte. In keeping with the theme of the title, Lyte writes, "Storms may howl and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me." No doubt this faith comes from the promise of God's word in Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose."

You can find a traditional arrangement to the hymn at cyberhymnal. To find an alternative arrangement, check our Indelible Grace.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition! God and Heaven are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.
And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Go, then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service, pain is pleasure; with Thy favor, loss is gain.
I have called Thee, “Abba, Father”; I have set my heart on Thee:
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, all must work for good to me.

Man may trouble and distress me, ’twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me; heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me while Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Take, my soul, thy full salvation; rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station something still to do or bear:
Think what Spirit dwells within thee; what a Father’s smile is thine;
What a Savior died to win thee, child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.