Weddings and Funerals

I read a very good article this morning by Matthew Perry on "The Importance of Attending a Funeral" (http://gospelgripped.com/2012/03/13/the-importance-of-attending-a-funeral/). It resonated with me because over the years I have performed approximately 35 funerals (many of those for relatives of people in our church). I have also performed nearly 40 weddings. A wedding and funeral are both body life events. They are very important events in the lives of the people who are involved. They provide an opportunity for a ministry of presence.

 

Often times I hear people say, "We didn't know so and so" and they decide not to attend the funeral. Or they say, "We aren't very close to so and so" and so they don't attend the wedding. What we need to understand is that there is something more important than how well you knew the deceased or how well you know the couple getting married. There is a ministry of presence. Just being there is a way to fulfill "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15). Your family's presence is a way to say to the family of the deceased, "we care about you and we know this is a major event in your life." It says the same to the couple and their repsective families at a wedding.

 

I want to encourage all of us to think about weddings and funerals not in terms of how close we are or how well we knew the person, and rather look at it as an opportunity to do to others as we would have them do to us.  Obviously we cannot attend every wedding or funeral  related to our church body. Sometimes we are providentially hindered. Even in those cases, let the person know how much you wished you could have been there.

 

Weddings and funerals gives us opportunity to give the gift of our presence, bringing to life the truth, "If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together" (1 Cor. 12:26).

 

For healthier body life

Pastor Brian 

 

www.gracenevada.com

www.feelingsandfaith.com

 

 

Remembering Ernie

Thanks to Pastor John Scheffer, I was reminded that today is Ernie Kuehnel's birthday. Ernie was born on March 8, 1932 in Illinois. He went home to be with the Lord on Sept. 28, 2007. He served his country during the Korean War. In 1992 they moved to Gardnerville, Nevada and lived right across the street from us on Waterloo. Ernie was at our first service at the Carson Valley Middle School. He and his wife Flo were charter members of the church. Ernie became our first deacon in 1994. In July 1995, his dear wife went home to be with the Lord.

 

Ernie's faithfulness was always remarkable. His favorite verse was Deut. 33:25, "as your days, so shall your strength be." He was loyal and trustworthy. He was an avid reader. I could go to his house and there in his breakfast nook would be Berkhof, Luther, Owen and Calvin, along with Bible dictionaties and commentaries. He earnestly prayed. He prayed for the church body. He ministered to others, to the sick and dying. He was an adopted grandpa by one of our families. He gave room and board to young men in our church. He was a servant. He lived the life of self-denial in following Jesus. He was humble, generous and loving.

 

The last few years of his life were filled with suffering. He never complained. I have tried to honor Ernie's memory in my book Feelings and Faith, pages 92-93.

 

I thank God for the gift Ernie was to me and this body. Thanks John for reminding me of his birthday.

 

Wanting to be more like Ernie,

Pastor Brian

 

 

The Sermon that Newt Gingrich heard last Sunday

 

This message was preached by Southern Seminary's Russell Moore. It is excellent. Speaker Gingrich was in attendance.

 

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/01/29/the-sermon-that-newt-gingrich-listened-to-this-morning/

 

 

 

FW: some thoughts on good books

Well Jim Elliff certainly stirred things up a little bit with some of his comments on reading good books.

Let me first of all affirm something that Jim said, which I think was his main point: We should be above all else Bible readers! I agree wholeheartedly. Our Bible reading should be our priority. Our Bible is the authority by which all other books are tested. So I give a hearty "Amen" that we should be above all else people of the Book, real Bible people.

However, I think Jim "protesteth too much." Good books, solid Christian literature, have been used by God throughout the centuries to help God's people, resolve theological controversy, understand God's Word, bring Reformation and even revival.

Books have played a major role in my life and growth as a Christian. (See Chapter 21 in Feelings and Faith). God has used biographies in my life. God has used theology, books on Greek grammar and exegesis, commentaries and books on the Christian life. I ask myself, "Where would my Christian life be without JC Ryle's Holiness? Or Owen's Sin and Temptation? Or Packer's Knowing God? Or Piper's Desiring God, The Pleasures of God?" My Christian life would be poorer if it were not for Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon and John Murray, and many more. These godly men and their insight into Scripture have enriched my life in a way that I do not have the inherent ability to do. They have gifts that I do not have. In fact, they are not only Christ's gifts to the church, but to me. They have helped me be a better pastor, a better husband, father, and Christian.

So should we read our Bibles more? Absolutely! Should we give up good books? Not all! We need to be careful that we do not inadverently dismiss the gifts of Christ to His people in an effort to do something good.

Below is a helpful piece from John Piper on how to decide which books to read.

Thanks for listening!

in Christ

Pastor Brian

How do you decide which books to read?

1) Largely from other people's recommendations that are within the scope of the kinds of things I want to or have time to read.

If other people I trust tell me that something is astonishing and worth my while, I go for it. They usually read faster than I do, so they read more books than me and know which ones to recommend.

2) Sometimes I just feel very burdened about an issue and very interested in a certain aspect of it.

Take the issue of racial harmony. I'm always thinking about what I should be reading so that I can go deeper and become wiser about ethnic diversity and racial harmony in our country. A woman came up to me after church and said she had just read the autobiography of Clarence Thomas called My Grandfather's Son. She said it was so good, so helpful and that I should consider it. Bang! I bought it. I put it by my bedside and I read it—I devoured it.

So that was for two reasons: a life commitment to grow on that issue and a recommendation from a woman in my church.

3) Another factor is proven time.

I don't think we ought to be reading new books all the time. I think we should read old books. And then the question is whether time and history has proven them. There are some books that have been around forever, and they are, generation after generation, witnessed to as being very shaping to people's lives. So I think we should constantly be exposing ourselves to those classics and not always reading the latest thing.

So I recommend reading 1) things that relate to the passions of your life, 2) recommendations from people that are responsible and that you respect, and 3) time-proven, classic, deep works on various issues.

What are two or three classics that you would recommend to just about anyone?

The Bible, the most proven and most useful book, should be in your reading list every day.

Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. Everybody, I think, who can read English can benefit from working their way through that.

In my own life I put The Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards very high up the list. And for those with a really strong theological bent, The Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards. Two massively influential books in my life.

Bondage of the Will, by Martin Luther.

Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin.

The Mortification of Sin and Communion with God by John Owen.

We have posted the Systematic Theology Notes on Sermon Audio

We have posted the handouts and notes from Pastor Brian’s Systematic Theology Series on SermonAudio.com

You can view the entire Series here. The notes are posted as pdf files available with the first message for each major section.

For the Canon Notes CLICK HERE

For the Hermeneutics Handouts CLICK HERE

For the Hermeneutics notes CLICK HERE

For the Doctrine of God notes CLICK HERE

For the Christology notes CLICK HERE

For the Anthropology notes CLICK HERE

Most messages after that have the notes for each message attached to that message.

Homeschool Blindspots

Years ago we had Reb Bradley speak at our church. There were many things that disturbed me. I just read this article today, posted by Josh Harris, written by Reb Bradley.

http://www.joshharris.com/2011/09/homeschool_blindspots.php

I am very thankful for it and believe it contains tremendous wisdom for homeschoolers and everyone else! I was convicted and instructed.

Pastor Brian

Feelings and Faith Study Guide Now availalbe in part

We have placed a study guide for Pastor Brian’s book Feelings and Faith on our website.

You can visit www.gracenevada.com and navigate to it

or

use this link to take you directly to the resources page http://www.gracenevada.com/linkspage.htm

Part one is up and ready to go, the following parts will come soon.

Special Thanks to Vicki McGill & Karen Tkaczyk for their work in compiling and editing.