One More Thing

Hi Five Oakers, The weekend's coming and there are a few things I want to tell you:

The Weekend

There's hardly a better way to learn to pray than to practice with someone who knows how to pray. The Bible is filled with stories of women and men who know how to pray. They pray boldly and God responds. They are our primary mentors in prayer. We learn how to pray by practicing with them as our models. This weekend we watch Elijah as he prays for rain. Let Elijah be your mentor.

Links You Might Like

Joshua Wood on "Would Jesus Bake a Cake for a Gay Wedding in Arizona?"

Russell Moore wrote ..that "the couple asking you to do this wedding aren't your enemies. They are made in the image of God and loved by him and so should be loved by us." But Moore advised against participating, saying, "But we must stand with kindness as well as with conviction."

Dan Doriani on "The Danger of Forgetting How to Read the Bible"

Student and pastors need, therefore, to become technical, devotional readers. Here every exegetical skill remains, yet we also read like children, letting the word speak to our hearts again.

Michael Hyatt on "3 Forces that Shape Character"

Yes, talent is important. So is education and experience. But in the end, it is our character that makes or breaks us.

One More Thing

"There is perhaps no greater evidence that human beings act contrary to their self-interest than the fact that we spend so little time talking to the one who made and loves us." Ben Patterson

10 Tweets

Here's last weekend's sermon in 10 Tweets - Elijah Week 1 - "This is a Test," 1 Kings 17:

1//God goes to work on us before he does a work through us.

2// Will you say what he calls you to say?

3// Speaking the truth isn't about being rude or insensitive.

4// When starting a tough conversation, share your misgivings.

5// Will you trust him when he doesn't meet your needs?

6// Did you marry God for his money?

7// Will you share from your scarcity?

8// Will you trust me now with what you've got?"

9// If you don't trust God now with what you have, you won't trust him when you get more. More by itself never builds trust.

10// Passing the tests is about trusting God. Jesus passes the tests. Then he dies for our failures. You can trust a God like this.