Christmas Caroling!!!

Given Praise Like This Lately?

Mythbuster's Night Results

So last night we had our Mythbusters Night.  We tried several myths that were brought up by the students.  We attempted the following:

1. Myth: It's impossible to eat a dozen donuts in one half hour
2. Myth: Pickles squeak
3. Myth: It's impossible to eat 11 saltine crackers in one minute
4. Myth: It's impossible to finish "this drink" (a food/drink Matt made up)

It was a great night of fellowship and fun, here are the results (and a few more pics):

1. Donut Myth - Busted...4 people out of 16 did this (Logan, Jake, Caden, Cody)
2. Pickles Squeak - Busted....we tried every type of pickle on every side of the pickles and even tried cucumbers...no squeak
3. 11 Saltine Crackers - Confirmed...the most anybody got down was 6 in one minute
4. Finish "This Drink" - Busted...Javonna did it....twice

Matt is trying to get the girls to eat his left over crackers...no takers...

Jake was the first one finished with his donuts...I was on 7 or 8 and felt like I was going to explode...

Maddie's response to the smell of the "Drink This"

Javonna after finishing the "Drink This" drink

The table full of donuts!

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Jonathan Edwards on Christ

"In Jesus Christ meet infinite highness and infinite condescension; infinite justice and infinite grace; infinite glory and lowest humility; infinite majesty and transcendent meekness; deepest reverence toward God and equality with God; worthiness of good and the greatest patience under the suffering of evil; a great spirit of obedience and supreme dominion over heaven and earth; absolute sovereignty and perfect resignation; self-sufficiency and an entire trust and reliance on God"

~Jonathan Edwards "The Excellency of Christ"

Is This Your Passion?

Matthew 1:21

Matthew 1:21 is the "Transformation Verse" for our church this week.  It says:
"She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
This is one of my favorite verses.  It is of course timely for the Christmas season, but the depth of this Scripture makes me rejoice. There are several major theological implications from this verse.


Jesus is THE Savior - "HE"
There is only one way to escape the penalty our sin nature has brought upon us, Jesus Christ.  He is THE way to the Father.  This is a statement of the uniqueness of Christ.  This means that anyway attempted to gain eternal life other than by God's grace through faith in Jesus is false hope.  It is also freeing.  Man has no need to try many different avenues of living to try to make things right for eternity.  Jesus is our one and only hope.  We have many choices in life such as which clothes to wear in the morning, which food to eat, what TV show to watch, etc.  While these are small examples they can at times be annoying and bigger choices can be very burdensome.  Jesus is the opposite because He is the only way.  There is no need for other choices or varieties when it comes to our eternal state.  Jesus is THE Savior.


The Savior's mission can't be thwarted - "will save"
Not only does this verse show that Jesus the exclusive way to the father and our exclusive way to receive forgiveness, it also shows the great promise God has made known through Jesus.  Jesus will save.  There is no possibilities that He may save, it is a definite.  The work on the cross did not just make it possible for people to be redeemed it actually did redeem people.  If this truth is missed it means that Jesus' death accomplished nothing, only made it possible, unless man acts.  This puts focus on man and not God in the act of salvation.


The Savior has a people in mind - "His people from their sins"
The final point is that the exclusive Savior will wholly save His people.  This means that Christ's work on the cross was for His people.  "His people" are the people talked about in Ephesians 1:4.  They are the people who, before the foundation of the world, were chosen.  If  Jesus died for every single person who ever lived then every single person would be redeemed.  Because we know that not everyone is born again and we know that in Luke 13:23-25 there is few that will be saved (universalism is not Biblical).  


What joy to think that God showed His humility by sending His son to be the only way to Him and through him guaranteed His people's salvation from their sins against a Holy God!  

Video from Matt Chandler

Check out this Video from Matt Chandler

Spurgeon on "Our Holiest Example" (Psalm 16:8)

The following is Spurgeon's December 2 writing in "Faith's Checkbook".  I love his challenge at the end.  Great words from a man God used greatly.

“I have set the LORD always before me: 
because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken”

—Psalm 16:8

This is the way to live. With God always before us, we shall have the noblest companionship, the holiest example, the sweetest consolation, and the mightiest influence. This must be a resolute act of the mind. “I have set,” and it must be maintained as a set and settled thing. Always to have an eye to the LORD’s eye and an ear for the LORD’s voice—this is the right state for the godly man. His God is near him, filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way of his life, and furnishing the theme of his meditation. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, what joys we should experience if we did indeed set the LORD always before us! Why not?

This is the way to be safe. The LORD being ever in our minds, we come to feel safety and certainty because of His being so near. He is at our right hand to guide and aid us; and hence we are not moved by fear, nor force, nor fraud, nor fickleness. When God stands at a man’s right hand, that man is himself sure to stand. Come on, then, ye foemen of the truth! Rush against me like a furious tempest, if ye will. God upholds me. God abides with me. Whom shall I fear?