Posts by Jeremy Pate
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART FIVE
So, you want to bring glory to God? Isn’t it a wonderful thought? Isn’t it almost unbelievable that imperfect, sinful people could bring glory to our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior? And yet, we have studied a passage of Scripture over the past few weeks that has shown us a clear “path” that leads to doing just that. And here we are, at the end of this study of Philippians 1:9-11, to examine the final step in this important and amazing…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART FOUR
In the world of sports, the phrase “respect the process” is often used to remind people that there is no “magic wand” or “easy button” that can create a winning team. It takes hard work, discipline, and lots of “behind-the-scenes” effort to be successful, and anyone who thinks otherwise is most likely nothing more than a “consumer” with a lack of understanding about the dynamics and inner workings of these organizations. The process is important. The process is the path…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART THREE
In our study of Philippians 1:9-11, we have observed the first two “steps” towards bringing glory to God in our lives: Step #1: Abound in love Step #2: Use knowledge and discernment In our text, these first two steps seem to serve as a “prerequisite” for what comes next… STEP #3: APPROVE WHAT IS EXCELLENT Paul says in verses 9-10, “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART TWO
Last week, we began a study of Philippians 1:9-11 as a “blueprint” for how we, as Christians, can bring glory to God. This “Path to Glory,” as it is presented in this particular section of Scripture, is a 5-step process. Step #1, as Paul states in verse 9, is “that your love may abound more and more.” In other words, an active, growing, and overflowing love for God, for each other, and for others is the first step in bringing…
THE PATH TO GLORY – PART ONE
“To God be the glory, great things He hath done. So loved He the world that He gave us His Son, who yielded His life an atonement for sin, and opened the life gate that all may go in.” – from “To God Be the Glory,”by Fanny Jane Crosby and William Howard Doane We sing about giving glory to God; we pray about giving glory to God; we talk about giving glory to God; but how does this actually work?…
PROBLEM SOLVER
If you’re looking for baby names, how about these two beauties: Euodiaand Syntyche. I know what you’re probably thinking: “I knew a Euodia in high school, and she was a total jerk.” But wouldn’t those names look absolutely fantastic on a monogrammed diaper bag or a Christmas stocking? You know they would. Seriously though, would you like to have been either Euodia or Syntyche when the letter to the Philippians was read out loudto the entire congregation for the first time?…
THE FRAMING DEPARTMENT – PART FOUR
Over the past several weeks, we have been exploring the concept of how we “frame” our lives. In other words, what are the primary motivations that drive our thoughts, words, actions, and decisions? So far, we have looked at the frames of “Self-Righteousness,” “Guilt,” and “Fear,” and we have seen that these are poor choices, both practically and biblically. If we have chosen any of these frames for our lives, we will find them to be disappointing, frustrating, and disconnected…
The Framing Department – Part Three
We have spent the past two weeks taking a look at some of the “frames” that surround our thoughts, words, and actions. We are basically talking about the motivations and expectations that serve as our primary approach towards life. So far, we have discussed “The Frame of Self-Righteousness” and “The Frame of Guilt,” and we have seen that neither of these frames is effective, much less biblical. This week, we will take a look at another common “frame” that many…
The Framing Department – Part Two
Last week, we began a study on how we “frame” our lives. In other words, what are the motivations and expectations that surround our thoughts, words, and actions? We began our study by looking at the frame of “Self Righteousness” last week, and we saw that this is a “flimsy frame” to build our lives around, based on what the Scriptures teach. This week, let’s take a look at another “best seller” in the category of “frames” for our lives: THE…
The Framing Department – Part One
One of our favorite stores, as a family, is Hobby Lobby. We go into Hobby Lobby to look at lots of different things: I enjoy the comic book wall art (because I’m a mature adult who still likes superheroes), the girls like looking at the toys, and Brooke likes pretty much everything else. Also, you can shop for Christmas trees in mid-May, which is always a much-needed burst of festivity during the summer months. Going into Hobby Lobby, however, it…
Know Your Place
“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.” – Friedrich Nietzsche We are part of a culture – religious and otherwise – that seeks pleasure and avoids pain, at all costs. Because of this tendency to embrace anything that is pleasant and to reject anything that might be painful, many of us prefer to embrace illusions instead of reality. We choose to live our lives in a lie. As the old saying goes,…
Imbalanced Worship?
In John 4:24, Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” In context, Jesus was not preaching a “sermon” about worship; instead, He was having a personal and intentional conversation with a Samaritan woman about her spiritual condition. In other words, He wanted to talk about something else. When the woman realized that the conversation was getting a little TOO personal, she changed the subject – like so many people still do…