It seems to me that I’ve written too many heavier posts lately. I’d like to give you a break. I’m still trying to figure out how to use my new Thesis wordpress theme that has been installed. Along with that, I’m trying to figure out how to integrate the new things I learned at the Savvy Blogging Summit with this new program. thechnology:(
It seems that whenever I make a change on the blog, there are so many new things I must learn in order to benefit from the change. I’d love to be able to get to a point where I can coast. I’ve learned that if I want to grow, and I do, I can’t coast. Too bad:(
Now, for the links that I enjoyed. I have met a number of neat ladies through my association with Gypsy Mama and her Five Minute Friday link-up. This past week, 2 new ladies connected with me and I thought I’d pass on info regarding them to you. Their blogs were delightful. One of them particularly, linked well to this blog. So, here goes!
Jennifer of You Are My Girls It’s a beautiful blog. It is very upbeat. Why? We are God’s “girls”…no matter how old we are…if we are believers. If you are young…or young at heart, you will enjoy reading this blog. Her love for the Lord shines through and will be an encouragement to you!
Then on to Coley (Nicole) who has a little different spin to her blog. It is about her life with a 14 yr. old son who has special needs. She also has lots of scrapping info. You will appreciate her joy, love for her family, and love for Christ.
Last of the links, is A Picturebook Life by Sadee. From the minute you land on her blog you will be refreshed by the beautiful art of hers (I’m quite certain). It is a beautiful site:) The words are great too. The pictures are the kind I love! I think you will too.
So enjoy the browse today and meet some of my new friends. Meanwhile, I’ll leave you with a new thought I read last week from a commentary of sermons on Galatians by Philip Ryken. He is former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA and for about a year now has been president of Wheaton College.
Can you distinguish between the true gospel and the false gospels of the contemporary church? We worship in a church of many gospels….What makes these gospels so dangerous is that the things they offer are so beneficial….Yet as good as these things are, they are not the good news….
Ray Ortland, Jr. has tried to imagine the church without the gospel. “What might our evangelicalism, without the evangel look like?” he asks. “We would have to replace the centrality of the gospel with something else, naturally. So what would take the place of the gospel in our sermons…and above all, in our hearts?”
Here are some possibilities he listed:
- A passionate devotion to the pro-life cause.
- A confident manipulation of modern managerial techniques.
- A drive toward church growth.
- A deep concern for the institution of the family.
- A clever appeal to consumerism by offering a sort of cost-free Christianity-Lite.
- A sympathetic, empathetic,thickly honeyed cultivation of inter-personal relationships.
- A determination to take America back to its Christian roots through political power.
- A warm affirmation of self-esteem. (from A Passion for God by Ortland)
In other words (this is Ryken now), the church without the gospel would look very much the way the evangelical church looks at this very moment. Unless we keep the gospel at the center of the church, we are always in danger of shoving it off to one side and letting something else take its place.
I know, it’s a long quote! I had to leave off a lot of really good stuff too. If you have never read Galatians, it is a great book to read…especially in relation to God’s grace. It turned Martin Luther’s whole life upside down!
