Here’s the trailer for an upcoming movie called “No Greater Love.” It was produced by several Hollywood veterans who are also devout Christians. The director (Brad Silverman) is a personal friend of mine, and one of the supporting actors (Jay Underwood) went to seminary with me. I am very excited about its coming release. It tells a riveting love story that is gospel-driven, while the acting and production look top-notch.

No Greater Love will be available in stores in January and is being distributed by Thomas Nelson. Please pray for this movie to be used greatly by the Lord, and pick up a copy when you see it hit the shelves. I pray Coram Deo Studios will join Sherwood Pictures (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) as another quality Christian alternative to Hollywood.

On Saturday, October 3, our community will have a one-day men’s conference called “Exposing the Heart.” The speakers will include Chris Mueller, Tye Bridges, Gerry Brown, and myself. Here’s a sneak preview:

Are we living as God intended, do we feel we have it together and others don’t, and are we more than confident in our devotion and outwardly pious appearances when the truth of the matter is that it comes down to a condition of the heart? The very thing that sustains our life. Our lives and the way we live are directly related to our Heart. Its not always easy to diagnose, but God’s Word reveals and exposes the Heart like nothing else. Until we see the condition we won’t go for the cure which is in Christ Jesus and the grace He has poured out for us as Christians.

The focus and theme of this year’s Morongo Basin Christian Men’s Conference will be on “Exposing the Heart”. It is based on the teachings from the “Sermon on the Mount”. The “Sermon on the Mount” is one of the most well known of all of Jesus’ teachings. It has been written about, taught on and preached extensively, and all for good reason, it truly reveals so much about us and our motives as fallen creatures apart from God.

Schedule:

8:00 – 8:30 Conference begins with worship band
8:30-8:40 Opening and prayer
8:40-9:30 Gerry Brown
9:30-9:40 Break
9:40-10:30 Stephen Jones – “Deadly Desire” (Mt. 5:27-30)
10:30-11:00 Break/worship
11:00-11:50 Tye Bridges – “Either Or” (Mt. 7:13-27)
11:50-12:00 Break
12:00-12:50 Chris Mueller – “Sermon on the Heart” (Mt. 5-7)
12:50-1:00 Closing & prayer
1:00-2:00 Free BBQ provided by the Saints motorcycle club

Men, mark your calendars for October 3. It should be a great time of worship and discipleship. For more information, you can visit the website here.

Last Sunday’s sermon came from 2 Corinthians 9. As we listened to Paul’s appeal for the Corinthians to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem, we found three life-changing principles of “giving for the harvest”:

1. We are to give humbly (2 Cor. 9:10). All our money – indeed, everything in life – belongs to God. He is the One who gives us life, breath, time, strength, family, jobs, possessions, etc. Thus, when we give, we should have a heart of humility, thanking Him for the honor of giving back a portion of what is already His.
2. We are to give generously (2 Cor. 9:5-6, 8, 10-11). God expects us to give bountifully and sacrificially. He makes us rich so we can in turn be generous toward others. But since few of us feel rich and able to give generously, we must learn to see giving as an act of faith, taking a step of obedience, even though we may not know how God will provide. If we wait to give until we have the money, we will never give.
3. We are to give joyfully (2 Cor. 9:7). God does not want our giving to be with a heart of sorrow, or under pressure, but out of a cheerful (hilarious!) heart. Giving should not be a duty, but a delight, for several reasons: (A) It is an act of worship; a love offering. (B) It is an act of obedience, which brings joy. (C) It is a reminder of Christ’s gift to us (2 Cor. 8:9). (D) It is seed planted for a spiritual harvest, caring for the poor, supporting gospel ministers, and reaching the lost with the gospel. (E) It is a guaranteed investment for eternal reward (Matt. 6:20-21).

Questions for thought and discussion (the first four questions come from an article entitled “Money Power,” published in Discipleship Journal, Issue 12, 1982):

• On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 is lowest and 5 is highest), rate yourself in the following areas: How much of a giving person am I? How wisely do I use my wealth? How willing am I to provide financial support to ministers of God? How willing am I to provide financial support to help the poor? How well do I plan my expenditures? How sacrificial am I willing to be in order to give to others? On a typical day, how grateful am I for what God has given me?
• What are some ways I am using my money and possessions to help bring people to Christ and extend the kingdom of God?
• Are there any ways in which I may not be using my money wisely in God’s sight? What are they?
• What changes could I make in order to be wiser and more generous in the way I handle my wealth?
• Am I being a good steward of all the possible sources of income and “seed for the harvest” God has entrusted to me? (e.g. salary, investment returns, tax refunds, Social Security, alimony, gifts and inheritances, income from sale of assets, etc.).
• Have I considered setting up a charitable trust and reserving a portion of my estate for God’s work?

(Sunday’s sermon will be uploaded soon to our podcast site and will be available for free download or to listen online.)

May God help us apply His Word this week in our hearts, in our words, and in our actions.

Today is the National Day of Prayer, a special day set aside each year to gather publicly and intercede for our nation and leaders. Our local ministerial sponsored a community prayer service this morning at the local park to honor the occasion and lift up our praises and requests to God.

Not sure how to pray for the nation? Why not begin with 1 Timothy 2:2, which says to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”

If God guides and blesses our leaders, it will result in peaceful life where the gospel can spread more freely. John MacArthur writes on this passage, “When it manifests love and goodness to all and prays passionately for the lost, including rulers, the church may experience a certain amount of religious freedom. Persecution should only be the result of righteous living, not civil disobedience” (MacArthur Study Bible, note on 1 Timothy 2:2)

Gary Bergel shares 30 ways to pray for people in authority:

1. That they be God fearing and recognize that they
are accountable to Him for each decision and act
(Prov. 9:10).
2. That they be granted wisdom, knowledge, and
understanding (Jas. 1:5).
3. That they be presented with the gospel and a loving
Christian witness (Ro. 10:14).
4. That, if unsaved, they be drawn to a saving encounter
with Christ; if born-again, they be strengthened and
encouraged in their faith (1 Tim. 2:4, Eph. 1:17-23).
5. That they recognize their own inadequacy and pray
and seek the will of God (Prov. 3:5-8, Lk. 11:9-13).
6. That they be convicted of sin, transgression, and
iniquity (Ps. 51:17, Jn. 8:9).
7. That they heed their conscience, confess their sins,
and repent (Prov. 28:13, Jas. 4:8).
8. That they read the Bible and attend prayer meetings
and Bible studies (Ps. 119:11, Col. 3:2).
9. That they value and regard the Ten Commandments
and the teachings of Christ (Ps. 19:7-11, Jn. 8:31-32).
10. That they respect and honor their own parents if
living (Eph. 6:2-3).
11. That they respect authority and practice
accountability (Ro. 13:1-7).
12. That they be given godly counsel and God-fearing
advisors (Prov. 24:6).
13. That they be honest and faithful to spouses and
children (Mal. 2:15-16).
14. That they be practicing members of local
congregations (Heb. 10:25).
15. That they desire purity and avoid debauchery,
pornography, perversion, and drunkenness
(1 Cor. 6:9-20, Titus 2:12).
16. That they be timely, reliable, and dependable
(Mt. 21:28-31).
17. That they be honest in financial, tax, and ethical
matters (1 Cor. 6:10, 1 Tim. 6:6-10).
18. That they seek pastoral care and counsel when
needed (Heb. 13:7).
19. That they seek out and nurture godly friendships
(Ps. 1:1-3).
20. That they have thankful and teachable spirits
(Ro. 1:21).
21. That they be generous and have compassionate hearts
for the poor and needy (Ps. 112:9, Lk. 10:33-37).
22. That they redeem their time and know priorities
(Eph. 5:15-17).
23. That they desire honesty, integrity, and loyalty
(Psalm 26, Prov. 11:3).
24. That they have courage to resist manipulation,
pressure, and the fear of man (Prov. 29:25, 2. Tim. 1:7).
25. That they be shielded from occultism, New Age cults,
false religions, and secret societies (Is. 1:29, 2:6).
26. That they be presented with biblical worldviews and
principles (Eph. 3:10).
27. That they endeavor to restore the sanctity of life,
families, divine order, and morality in our nation
(Eph. 5:22-6:4).
28. That they would work to reverse the trends of
humanism in our nation (1 Chron. 12:32, Is. 59:19).
29. That they desire humility and meekness and be
willing to serve and cooperate (Jn. 13:14, Titus 3:1-2).
30. That they be prepared to give account to Almighty
God (Heb. 9:27).

(You can order copies of this, and many other helpful prayer cards, through the Navpress website.)

Let’s follow God’s call to pray for our nation and leaders not only this day, but every day. He alone can bring repentance and true reform in the hearts of all who need Him.

Here’s something radically counter-cultural. A new movement is on the rise to encourage Christians to abstain from kissing until marriage.

It’s obvious our culture has become hyper-sexualized in a very short time. Al Mohler writes,

In the space of little more than a single generation, we have seen the breaking down of virtually every social and cultural support for sexual abstinence. Arousal and intimacy come with the romantic longing that marks the deepening relationship between a man and a woman. Young couples no longer court on the porch swing with the girl’s parents sitting inside and very close at hand. Now, most young couples face the temptation of romantic contexts in which intimacy–and this means sexual intimacy–is a likely outcome.

The Virgin Lips Movement represents a serious effort to push back against this expectation and to create boundaries that will protect virtue and honor marriage.

What do you think? Is the Virgin Lips Movement putting Matthew 5:29-30 into practice, i.e. taking radical steps to avoid sin? Or is it legalism? Should parents expect this of their children?

I don’t think it would be legalistic at all to have such a standard for one’s own relationship. After all, we all must set clear boundaries of purity and never violate our consciences. “He who doubts is condemned if he eats [or kisses], because his eating [or kissing] is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). There could be great wisdom in establishing and avoiding this threshold of physical intimacy. However, I could see the VLM quickly becoming legalistic if couples begin to impose this vow on others, adding an extra-biblical standard by which all relationships are judged to be sinful or righteous.

The real issue is a matter of the heart – not merely outward behavior. Certain boundaries must exist to avoid fueling lust and temptation, but these boundaries will vary from person to person and from couple to couple.

Randy Alcorn, in his excellent book The Purity Principle, says,

For years I didn’t go in a particular doorway to our local supermarket because of a magazine rack. Later, my mental discipline became strong enough that I could keep my eyes away. But until then I honored my boundary. It was inconvenient, but a small price to pay to guard my purity.

We have a television, but we don’t have cable. Not because we believe it’s wrong, but because we don’t want more temptation in our home.

I’m not telling you what you have to do. Boundaries will vary from person to person. A boundary may be not standing in a checkout line where certain magazines are displayed. Or not driving in a certain part of town. Or never going on a business trip alone.

Boundaries keep temptation from getting a foothold. They are based on the premise that our sexual purity cannot be strengthened if we keep doing what we’ve always done! We must change our habits. We are sentries charged with protecting something immensely strategic… (p. 44)

The Virgin Lips Movement is a great reminder that all of us must stand guard, glorifying God in our bodies and remaining pure in every relationship.