girltalk Blog
2008 at 2:55 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
How do I preach the gospel to myself every day?
We told you we’d answer this question today, but instead, we are going to punt to Dad, who already explained how-to in his book, Living the Cross Centered Life
. So here are five suggestions to help you begin today, to preach the gospel to yourself every day:
Memorize the Gospel—“All God’s promises commands are precious and powerful, but those verses that tell us of the Son of God who gave His life in our place are the most precious and powerful of all.” You can begin by memorizing verses such as 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 8:31, Isaiah 53:3-6
Pray the Gospel—“The gospel should be at the center of your prayer life because it makes it possible for us to approach God.”
Sing the Gospel—“A Christian’s heart should be brimming over every day with the song of Calvary.” You’ll find cross-centered music at the Sovereign Grace Ministries web store.
Review How the Gospel Has Changed You—“For Christians, one of the best ways we can draw near the blazing fire of the cross is to remember our past, and allow it to remind us of how marvelous God’s salvation really is.”
Study the Gospel—“To grow in your passion for what Jesus has done, increase your understanding of what He has done.” Discovering the Power of the Cross of Christ by Charles Spurgeon and The Cross of Christ by John Stott are two classic works to get you started. Tomorrow we’ll tell you about one, newly published book on the cross.
2008 at 3:20 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
In reference to yesterday’s post, several readers asked “What does it mean to ‘preach the gospel to yourself every day?’”
This phrase was popularized by author Jerry Bridges in his book, The Discipline of Grace, where he explains: “To preach the gospel to yourself, then, means that you continually face up to your own sinfulness and then flee to Jesus through faith in His shed blood and righteous life.”
Mr. Bridges asserts that the gospel isn’t only the most important message to preach to non-Christians but it is also the most important message for Christians to review each and every day. This is because….
“…preaching the gospel to ourselves every day reminds us that we are indeed sinners in need of God’s grace….It helps us to consciously renounce any confidence in our own goodness as a means of meriting God’s blessing on our lives. Perhaps more importantly, though, preaching the gospel to ourselves every day gives us hope, joy, and courage. The good news that our sins are forgiven because of Christ’s death fills our hearts with joy, gives us courage to face the day, and offers us hope that God’s favor will rest upon us, not because we are good, but because we are in Christ.
Hope, joy and courage are available in Christ, and by preaching the gospel to ourselves daily, we enjoy these blessings.
Tomorrow we answer the question: “How do I preach the gospel to myself every day?”
There is one more question we must add to our list of fellowship questions, and it is the most important one of all:
How are you preaching the gospel to yourself every day?
Milton Vincent, author of The Gospel Primer makes the case for why the gospel is vital to Christian love and fellowship:
“The greatest gift I can give to my fellow-Christians is
the gospel itself. Indeed, I love my fellow-Christians not simply
because of the gospel, but I love them best when I am loving them with
the gospel! And I do this not merely by speaking gospel words to them,
but also by living before them and generously relating to them in a
gospel manner. Imparting my life to them in this way, I thereby
contribute to their experience of the power, the Spirit, and the full
assurance of the gospel. By preaching the gospel to myself every day, I
mature the bond that unites me with my brothers and sisters for whom
Christ died, and I also keep myself well-versed in the raw materials
with which I may actively love them in Christ.”
Mr. Vincent references 1 Thessalonians 2:18 where Paul tells the church that: “Having
so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not
only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become
very dear to us.”
We may say that our friends are “very dear
to us;” but if we do not live in the good of the gospel, we stifle the
source and limit the scope of our love for them. May this motivate us
to preach the gospel to ourselves every day—so that we can “actively
love” our friends.
Marsha, a reader and seminary wife, wrote to tell us that she and a friend are going to begin “holding each other accountable to the tough things of the faith.” They are comprising a list of helpful questions and she wanted to know if we had any to add to their collection.
Several years ago, we put together a list of questions to encourage fellowship among women: to provoke one another to pursue Christ-like character and cultivate biblical womanhood.
We hope these questions get you started, Marsha. And for all our readers, we hope they spark many Christ-honoring girl talks!
Describe your current practice of the spiritual disciplines.
What is a passage of Scripture you have been meditating on recently?
What fruit of the Spirit are you cultivating?
What sin are you seeking to weaken?
How can I pray for you?
Here is an evidence of grace that I observe in your life.
How are you seeking to grow in expressing biblical femininity?
Thanks to Mary for this week’s Friday Funny. Have a fun weekend!
Carolyn
for Nicole, Kristin and Janelle
Just wanted to share with you the funny sight that greeted us after our room rescue the other night.
Our 5 year old daughter may have toy soldiers, but she surely plays with them differently!
2008 at 4:54 pm | by Janelle Bradshaw
The Super Bowl is this Sunday and in my fam, the snacks are almost as important as the game (if not more important). You don’t have to guess where my loyalties lie. Who is playing again?
A long-time favorite snack of my dad’s is a rather unusual cheese dip. It has shown up at every Mahaney-family event for as far back as I can remember.
Now let me warn you up front: this combination of ingredients may seem a little weird. But don’t let that stand in your way. My dad is sure you’ll love it. It’s super easy (no pun intended) and only has four ingredients. That sounds appealing, right?
You need 1½ cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese (if you are lazy—I mean, resourceful—like me, you will purchase the already grated stuff), ¾ cup mayonnaise (if Miracle Whip is used, we cannot vouch for the results), 2 tablespoons grated onion, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix it all together and cook at 350* for 20 minutes or until bubbly and brown on top. Use a paper towel to absorb excess oil (oh yeah, did I mention, this isn’t healthy?). Serve it piping hot with Triscuit crackers.
Go Redskins!
2008 at 3:36 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Speaking of Sarah, Mom’s dear friend (and like a special “aunt” to us girls!) Janis Shank, shared a message on “Hoping in God” from the life of Sarah at a ladies meeting at our church this past weekend. Unfortunately I was unable to attend as Jack came down with a stomach virus about an hour before the meeting. But I have already listened to half of Janis’ message online (as much as the kids allowed!) and I thought the girltalk readers would want to hear it as well.
Janis is as winsome, sweet and God-centered in this message as she is in person. And she is well-qualified to speak about hope in God. She has served her husband (Steve, mentioned in yesterday’s post) for twenty seven years, and in doing so, has served the church faithfully and sacrificially.
“To hope means to look forward expectantly for God’s future activity” Janis quotes the New Dictionary of Theology. Listen now, for more hope-filled truth from God’s Word.
2008 at 3:58 pm | by Carolyn Mahaney
Over at CJ’s blog you can now meet his new and talented assistant, Tony Reinke. We want to introduce you to his lovely wife, Karalee. Or, I should say, reintroduce you. Girltalk readers met Karalee once before. But that’s another story.
The part of Karalee’s story we want to tell you today is one marked by trust in God and a humble eagerness to follow her husband on a most unusual path. Several years ago, Tony and Karalee (with two small children) left their home and family in Nebraska to join Sovereign Grace Fellowship in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They uprooted and moved because of a conviction about the importance of the local church and a belief that God had called them to serve in this particular church. When Tony’s gifts caught the attention of Pastor Rick Gamache and Sovereign Grace Ministries Leadership Team member, Steve Shank, it led to him being asked to come on as CJ’s assistant. And once again Karalee packed up house and family (including an additional child!) and joyfully followed her husband to Gaithersburg, MD. A long way from Nebraska.
Like Sarah in the Bible, Karalee had no idea when she left her home of the twists and turns her journey would take. But she has displayed the same trust in God as that faith-hall-of-fame inductee. She has willingly laid aside her own desires and utilized her gifts (of which she has many) in order to support God’s plan for her husband’s life. She has proved herself to be what Murray J. Harris calls “Christ’s movable property…totally available for the Master’s use (2 Tim. 2:21).”
Karalee, I am personally grateful to you for making it possible for your husband to so effectively serve mine. You both are a gift to our family, to Sovereign Grace Ministries, and the body of Christ. May you know God’s pleasure and our gratitude!
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” I Peter 3:3-6
2008 at 4:30 pm | by Carolyn Mahaney
Yesterday we announced a big sale. Today we have another announcement. Only this time it’s not a sale. Actually you do not have to pay any money at all to avail yourself of this resource. It’s absolutely free.
Simply by a click of your mouse, you can go to my husband’s new blog which debuts today. It’s entitled “CJ’s View from the Cheap Seats.”
I have been the recipient of CJ’s “view” for over 32 years (we celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this coming May). And though he may characterize his perspective as “from the cheap seats,” I hold a completely opposing “view.” His leadership, his counsel, and his wisdom have been invaluable in our marriage and in our family life. And I am thrilled that now all of you can benefit from the storehouse of priceless wisdom that I’ve drawn upon these past three decades.
So for fresh insight on cross-centered living, with a good dose of humor and the occasional comment on the sports world, check out my husband’s “View from the Cheap Seats.” It’s a view, in my view, that you won’t view as cheap.
2008 at 5:12 pm | by Nicole Whitacre
Sovereign Grace Ministries is having a sale. (And what woman doesn’t like a big sale?) During the month of February all their cds will be $6 (including Valley of Vision, In A Little While, and Songs for the Cross Centered Life) and the six books in the Pursuit of Godliness series will be $5 a piece. And free shipping to boot.
Why take advantage of this sale? I got one good reason, from a guy named Jed. Yesterday he was one of eight people baptized at my church. Here’s an excerpt of his conversion story, which he shared prior to his baptism:
In 2003, I started attending youth meetings at this church. We started going through the book How Can I Change? by C.J. Mahaney and Robin Boisvert. As I read the first chapter of the book, God revealed to me the mystery of the gospel. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.” I’m not sure exactly when, but I believe that within that year, I truly repented of my sins and put my trust in Christ’s atoning blood.
It was God who revealed Himself to Jed. But he used books like How Can I Change? (from the Pursuit of Godliness series) to point this young man to the truths of His Word. So for yourself, and unsaved family members, let me encourage you to take advantage of this February sale.
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We told you we’d answer this question today, but instead, we are going to punt to Dad, who already explained how-to in his book, Living the Cross Centered Life
