Today in Blogworld 01.24.14

Mike Leake

145 John Newton Tweets

Tony Reinke is writing a book on John Newton. I’m excited to see more exposure for Newton—and hopefully posts like this one are only a preview of things to come.

Your church can be a gospel culture

Ray Ortlund gives four categories of speech that leaders should consider.

Gospel-Centered Churches and Consumerism Are Not Friends

Helpful point from Erik Raymond.

7 Ways a Wife Injures a Husband…Without Even Knowing It

I’m awaiting the 7 ways a husband injures his wife as well. (Wait, that doesn’t sound right does it?)

I found this to be a helpful discussion on justification and sanctification:

Pray For Your Daughter: 31 Day Challenge—Day Twenty-Four

Mike Leake

Day Twenty Four: That she would view life from the perspective of eternity

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Our daughters must know that life is hard. They must know that, in life, they will experience pain…and hurt…and struggle. But, they must also know that all that they feel in this life is temporary. As believers in the one true God, we are not dependent on what we see, but on what we don’t see. Our hope and expectation is in an eternal life, not this temporary existence. So, their current troubles are nothing compared to their future happiness.

Lord, thank you for eternity. In eternity, my daughter will no longer feel the hurt of temporary things. In eternity, my daughter will not focus on things that are not forever. In eternity, may she not even be able to look back and see what she went through because what she has in you is so glorious. I thank you now for her happiness in your Son, who you sent to die on our behalf so that we could one day experience the “eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Amen.

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John Coakey, Jr. and Danielle have been married for 14 years, they have two daughters (14 & 10), and they all live in Columbia, MD. John has served in the US Army for the past 17 years and is currently a Lay-Elder serving First Baptist Church of Brooklyn (Baltimore, MD). He blogs at “christfocusedliving.wordpress.com“

How to Help a FAT Disciple to Become Better Disciplined

Mike Leake 1 Comment

I’m not talking here about overweight disciples needing to become more disciplined in their eating habits. Instead I’m referring to the acronym that I learned in college (and then was reminded of by Tim Challies recently). When looking for people to mentor/disciple one thing to look for is a person that is Faithful, Available, and Teachable.

But what happens if your new FAT friend isn’t disciplined? My guess is that his growth will be stunted. 1 Peter 2:1-3 shows us that in order to grow into maturity one must have a study diet of God’s Word. This doesn’t happen through the big events as much as it happens through a “long obedience in the same direction”.

As one that has worked with teenagers and young adults for a good ten years of my life I’m noticing that more and more young people lack discipline. They live in a fast paced society that craves instant results. The slow and steady plodding of spiritual disciplines doesn’t come natural. In fact it’s a battle. So how do we help our FAT disciples become better disciplined?

A Lesson From the Master

I’ve greatly benefited from the work of Robert Coleman in his Master Plan of Evangelism. Coleman saw that Jesus’ method of discipleship was to do it, do it while the disciples watch, have the disciples do it while he watched, and then to have them do it. I believe this same thing can be applied to discipline.

1. Do it with them. If you’ve got one to two FAT friends that you hope to help become better disciplined then try to find a way to engage them in a daily spiritual discipline. It doesn’t haven’t to be big. It can be as small as a Facebook chat for 15 minutes every day over a Bible verse. But do something to get them fixed in a daily routine.

2. Have them do it while you watch. Here the impetus is on them to engage in a spiritual discipline. Your daily meeting will be less you leading and more you supervising.

3. Have them do it. As a formerly—and still struggling—undisciplined man I can say that one of the best things that has created discipline in my life is having to be there for other people. From the get go put in the mind of your FAT friend that he/she ought to be looking for someone else to disciple.

This is not a cookie cutter model that promises 100% success. But it is certainly one that I’ve seen the Lord use to help undsciplined men grow into more maturity in this area.

How do you help FAT disciples become more disciplined?

Pray For Your Daughter: 31 Day Challenge—Day Twenty-Three

Mike Leake

Day Twenty-Three: That she would delight in who God has called her to be

Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled,pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands,that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5

As parents we must have godly dreams for our daughters; this will alleviate undue pressures. God’s plan for our daughters is beautiful and suited to how he created them. Let us pray today that her parents would celebrate who God has created her to be. Furthermore, let’s pray that she will surround herself with godly women to help her delight in His call on her life.

Thank you, God, for your tender care of our daughter and for the “divine poetry” that took place when you knit her together in the womb. Lord, give us the strength to model unhindered and unashamed joy in your will for us and in who you’ve created us to be. We pray that you would surround our daughter with many other women that will teach and BE Titus 2 for her. Give us open hands and enough faith in You to encourage our daughter to embrace your call on their lives with joy.

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Nikki Leake is an Ozzy Osbourne, Colbie Caillat loving pastor’s wife who once got to pet an elephant for her birthday. Oh yeah and she has two kids. They’re pretty neat, too.