Dying in infancy

A model of a baby at 12 Weeks

Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated, and saved by Christ, through the Spirit,[12] who works when, and where, and how he pleases: [13] so also are all other elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word. [14]’
Westminster Confession 10.3

12. Genesis 17:7; Luke 1:15; Luke 18:15-16; Acts 2:39; John 3:3, 5; I John 5:12

13. John 3:8

14. John 16:7-8; I John 5:12; Acts 4:12

blindingly obvious

Sorry, I've been ill since Sunday, so this is a bit late, but here are the notes of last Sunday's sermon. We continue our series in Romans. It is unpolished I am afraid - but will be mostly intelligible I think. 

 

Sermon 4 Notes

Goody

Our children love Goody O'Grumpity. Yesterday I came downstairs to find the kitchen floor, both children and my wife covered in flour. A lot of mixing, kneading and such like had gone on copying Goody using the recipe in the back of the book. 

The house smelt amazing as it cooked. 

And the end result was a cross between a loaf of bread and an enormous hot-cross bun. 

Very nice with butter. 

Grace in the Green Room

I've just discovered that we (Grace Community Church) have made it to the ASDA 'greenroom'! 

We sang there at Christmas - see here for the video and story.

what next?

After biblical faith wanes, a people can maintain habits of thought and of self-restraint. The ethic remains after the faith that bore it departs. But eventually a generation arises that no longer has the habit, and that is when the behaviour changes radically.  

p xvii IDOLS FOR DESTRUCTION

An evangelical redefinition of marriage

Last Sunday night I was called on to preach in the evening as well as the morning.  Without a lot of time to prepare and in light of Tuesday's Vote in the House of Commons I spoke about the Redefinition of Marriage amongst evangelical Christians. 

The elephant in the room. 

e is for ... education. 

The notes and handout are below. 

Sermon (a bit note like in parts) / Handout

We closed the service with a hymn I had never sung before, but which I am very glad to have stumbled on. 

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil ’round us,
Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways.
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,
To the evils we deplore.
Let the search for Thy salvation,
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving Thee Whom we adore,
Serving Thee Whom we adore.

[In case you are parachuting into this blog ... and think this is all very serious and REFORMED (aka dull) or something... the morning service was our monthly 'Parade' Service, carrying on a series in Romans. It included the smashing of an egg, explosions, Powerpuff girls and the playing of SNAP's 'I've got the power'.]

Homosexuality and shellfish

A very helpful 12 minutes addressing the issue that troubles many or is brought up in debate: Christians just pick and choose regarding the Levitical Laws. Why say that homosexuality is wrong when we happily eat shellfish, wear 'mixed cloth' and the rest?

{It is worth remembering that 'pants' mean 'trousers' in the States [first 30 seconds!]}

everybody can

Everybody wants to be an astronaut. 

If you are at Infant or Junior School and in or around Tipton ... here's your chance! 

Prison to Pulpit

Once an abused, addicted, homeless, Christian-despising criminal, Mez now serves as senior pastor of Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, Scotland, and founder of 20 Schemes, a ministry dedicated to building gospel-centered churches for Scotland's poorest communities ("schemes"). Here's their vision:

Our long-term desire is to see Scotland's housing schemes transformed by the good news of Jesus Christ through the planting of gospel-preaching churches, ultimately led by a future generation of indigenous church leaders. . . . We believe building healthy, gospel-preaching churches in Scotland's poorest communities will bring true, sustainable, and long-term renewal to Scotland's schemes.

The Gospel Coalition 

31 status

Stumbled on this doing some prep for eXcel (we are in Proverbs this term). 

31 status. 

Interesting. 

Shameless Parenting

Some very helpful thoughts about shame and discipline. 

Good Advice - Jamie Soles

This album is as good as it's CD Cover is bad. 

So it is EXCELLENT!

"Built on the premise that children prefer food to fluff, Good Advice treats children like grown-ups; it does not talk down to them, or play to their natural foolishness, but rather builds on the expectation that the child will one day be an adult. These are songs to grow by." [Jamie Soles]

This song list will give you a sense of what it covers (and if you click on the song name it will take you to a sample): 

1. In the Beginning   

2. Adam and Eve  

3. The Garden of Eden  

4. Cain and Abel  

5. Judgement Day  

6. The Patriarch Song  

7. Marah 

8. Set a Guard  

9. Good advice  

10. I Crossed my Eyes 

11. Nadab and Abihu  

12. Rahab  

13. Sin in the Camp   

14. Hope in the Lord  

15. A Gentle Answer  

16. Books of the Bible  

17. Low in the Grave He Lay  

18. Paul and Silas  

19. Praise Him Praise Him 

Our 4 and 2 year old love this. But not as much as we do! I think Jane and I have learnt much more than they have. 
And what other children's albums are there that tackle Cain and Abel, Nadab and Abihu, Achan and Rahab?! 
These songs are slowly becoming the sound track to our home. We pray that this would be more than merely in song but in deeper holiness and happiness in Christ. 

Here are the lyrics of one of our favourites: 

Marah (Exodus 15.22-27)  [click for a sample]

There at Marah where the water was bitter
The people got bitter too
They said “Give us better water
Than this bitter bitter water!”
They grumbled and complained all day

“We don’t like manna!
We want new shoes!”
How they pouted, sulked and whined
But if they would have trusted the Lord their God
Then things would have been just fine

What do you think that the Lord will think
When He hears your voice today?
Thankful trust or angry lust
As you grumble and complain all day

So learn a lesson from the Israelites
Let your words be sweet today
You will wander in the desert UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD!
If you grumble and complain all day!

LIVE by faith

Sermon 3 Notes / Handout 

Burns Night Feast

Below is the menu for our Burns Night Meal last night. 

I would very much recommend the Hairy Biker's take on Haggis, neeps and tatties (the whisky sauce makes it I think!). We were not so keen on the dessert. 

But it was the first (can that be true?) Burns Night Meal, of our marriage. I might do that again sometime ... I had forgotten how good Haggis is. 

Haggis, clapshot and whisky sauce

followed by

Cranachan