People Do Not Drift Towards Holiness

Here is a quote from Dan Carson::

"People do not drift toward Holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward godliness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith, and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated."
— D.A. Carson


...There is not a lot to add to this

...Here are a few things to think about::
~Are we drifting towards compromise?
~Are we drifting towards disobedience?
~Are we drifting towards godlessness?

...Lord I pray for grace-driven efforts that lead us towards godliness, prayer, obedience, and delight in YOU!
...May we find our complete and utter satisfaction in YOU and in YOU alone!

Chapter 3 ~ Knowing An Being Known

Chapter 3 ~ Knowing An Being Known
J.I. Packer

"What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God. What is the "eternal life" that Jesus gave? Knowledge of God. "this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3)
What is the best thing in life, bringing more joy, delight and contentment than anything else? Knowledge of God. "This is what the Lord says: 'Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me' " (Jer 9:23-24)
What, of all the states God ever sees man in, gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself. "I desired..... The knowledge of God more than burnt offerings," says God (Hos 6:6)

... This is not new information for us but what an awesome reminder of how we are created to be in an intimate relationship with our Creator.
... We were made for Him and for His glory
... May we boast only in Him and find our complete and utter satisfaction in our loving Savior
... Remember~ God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied with Him

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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Great quote from John Stott

Great quote from John Stott

The church lies at the very center of the eternal purposes of God. It is not a divine afterthought. It is not an accident of history. On the contrary, the church is God's new community. For His purpose, conceived in past eternity, being worked out in history, and to be perfected in future eternity, is not just to save isolated individuals and so perpetuate our loneliness, but rather to build His church, that is, to call out of the world a people for His own glory

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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Not just Social Action

Social involvement is not simply social action. It is a cohesive blend of action and evangelism. If our social actions don’t point to the gospel, they “are like a signpost pointing nowhere” (p 78). #totalchurch

We Need Humility

We Are Born Proud and Need Humility


Humility like this is one of the strongest evidences of the indwelling of the Spirit of God. We know nothing of humility by nature, for we are all born proud. To convince us of sin, to show us our own vileness and corruption, to put us in our right place, to make us lowly and self-abased–these are among the principal works which the Holy Spirit works in the soul of man. Few of our Lord’s sayings are so often repeated as the one which closes the parable of the Pharisee and Tax-collector–“Every one that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.” (Luke 18:14.)
~J.C. Ryle

Where is Your Zeal For God?

Let me speak to your conscience. Where is your zeal? Where is your zeal for the glory of God, and for extending the Gospel throughout the world? You know well, that it is very low. You know well, that your zeal is a little feeble glimmering spark, that just lives, and no more—it is like a thing ready to die. Surely there is a fault somewhere, if this is the case. This state of things ought not to be. You, the child of God—you, redeemed at so glorious a price—you, ransomed with such precious blood—you, who are an heir of glory such as no tongue ever yet told, or eye saw; surely you ought to be a man of another kind. Surely your zeal ought not to be so small.

~ J.C. Ryle


We need to first look at the word zeal. What does it mean? If you look it up in dictionary this is what you would get::

–noun
fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor.


A few things to think about?

.. Am I really zealous for the glory of God to be made known?
where is my devotion, eagerness, verve, fervor, sincerity, and or passion for the glory of God?

.. Am I really zealous about extending the Gospel?
where is my devotion, eagerness, verve, fervor, sincerity, and or passion for the Gospel


Our devotion, eagerness, verve, fervor, sincerity, and or passion for the glory of God and the Gospel must be more than just a glimmering spark. Remember, as a Christ Follower, you are redeemed, you are ransomed, and you are HIS

UTHconnect~July 27

UTHconnect~July 27
GFchurch

1 John 3

God loves us and makes us His children
We need to want to be like Him
He came to take away sin
The righteous do right things
We have new life as a believer
We are called to love
We love because we are His
We love by action

Trent Brown, Lead Pastor
Gateway Fellowship

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