John Piper

As one of the Christmas gifts to my mother, I plan to give her a collection of cd’s containing powerful messages from pastors that have impacted my life. If I’m honest, there is only a small number of pastors/teachers who I really love listening to. One such pastor in that short list for me is John Piper. The man has a gift…he can flat out preach, and I love to listen and learn from this man.

Well, tonight as I was looking through messages stored on my iTunes, I ran across some of Piper’s sermons, a few that I have kept because they were so impactful in my life. A couple messages stood out to me as I was looking and scanning through what I’ve saved. There are lots of messages I could pass on, but tonight, a few really stood out to me.

One such message that I’ve actually passed on to others in the past is a message Piper preached on the subject of evangelism titled, “I’m Sending You To Open Their Eyes”. I need to listen to this message a couple times a year, primarily as a reminder of my calling as a believer to be active in evangelism, as well as a motivator to develop intentional relationship for the purpose of sharing Christ. It’s a message where Piper gives very practical advice on sharing Christ with the lost. Great ideas, and great motivation to get out there and seize the opportunities God puts in your lap. You can download the audio of the message here: http://tinyurl.com/6f6h9b

A couple other messages that have impacted my life….“Doing Missions When Dying is Gain” and then the message he preached at One Day 2000, titled, “Boasting Only in the Cross”. You can find these messages along with hundreds of other’s at www.desiringgod.org.

Grateful for...

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror and Christmas just a few days away, this time of the year is always a time that I cannot help but reflect on how good God has been to me and my family. I actually was going through files on my computer this morning and came across an email sent to me a few years ago by a friend of mine, David Robbins at The Aquila Project (www.theaquilaproject.com http://tapasia.wordpress.com). I thought I’d pass on to you some of what he shared in that email…

I am grateful for…

*Being born in this country (we had no say where we were born or to whom we were born--it was the gracious gift of God).

*Having a wonderful home (1.3 billion people around our world are living without adequate shelter).

*Our health and access to healthcare (there are 1.5 billion people who have no access to medical care).

*Adequate clothing (1.4 billion people are without adequate daily clothing).

*Clean, fresh water (an estimated 25,000 people die everyday due to dirty, polluted water).

*Freedom to meet with brothers and sisters in Christ in worship (3 billion people are denied freedom to assemble).

*God’s provision of an income to meet our needs through faithful giving of ministry partners (1.9 billion people live in absolute poverty).

*His Word (380 million people are still waiting to receive God's Word in their own language).

*Certainty of heaven (one third of our world population have never even heard the name of Jesus).

*Our family and friends.

When I read those statistics, I’m reminded of how fortunate we all are. As you continue through this Christmas season, may you be faithful to reach out to those who are in need around you. God’s purpose does not end at us being blessed, but that we will be a blessing to others. I hope you and your family pause in reflective gratitude to the God of good gifts this season.

Tip for Online Purchases

It’s a little late to pass on a tip for Christmas shopping, but a site that could save you some money when you buy things online is www.ebates.com

The gist of it is, you open an account with ebates, click on the store you want to shop from, and then get a percentage of your purchase back. The price you pay going through ebates or straight to the store website is exactly the same, so it’s a no brainer if you buy absolutely anything over the web. Some stores give back 1%, some give upwards of 10% back. Ebates sends you a check 4 times a year, and there’s no catch to any of it. Pretty much any store you might buy something from works with ebates. Check it out… www.ebates.com