Weekly Roundup For Your Weekend Reading – May 12

Rule #1: Trust In The Means Of Grace (8 Rules For Growing In Godliness)

“God’s means of grace are the Word, prayer, and fellowship. These, according to John MacArthur, are the “instruments through which God’s Spirit graciously grows believers in Christlikeness and fortifies them in the faith and conforms them into the image of the Son.” J.C. Ryle describes them as “appointed channels through which the Holy Spirit conveys fresh supplies of grace to the soul and strengthens the work which He has begun in the inward man….””

Cumulative Effect Of Our Little Choices

Randy Alcorn hits the nail on the head and drives at our hearts in this article.

“Have you ever seen a sink hole? Cars can be parked on a street day after day, and everything appears normal, then one day the asphalt caves in and cars disappear into a gigantic hole. Everybody says, “That hole came out of nowhere.” But they’re wrong. The hole appears suddenly but the process that led to it has gone on for many years. The underground erosion was invisible, but it was there all along. Likewise, sometimes when a man commits adultery and abandons his family, it appears to have come “out of the clear blue sky.” It hasn’t. Sink holes remind us of two things: first, something can look good on the outside, when underneath major problems have been going on for years, and disaster’s about to happen. Second, our lives are affected by little choices, which have cumulative effects that can result in either moral strength or moral disaster….”

Danger Of Gospel Osmosis

There are a lot of good questions posed in this article that we should be asking of ourselves individually and corporately.

“We find ourselves in an age of a great renaissance. The gospel of Jesus Christ has resurfaced as both a means of entrance into the kingdom of God and the key to our growth in the kingdom. Churches, small group ministries, sermons, and the like are finding an infusion of life, centered on the unchanging and active power of the gospel. But amidst the hopefulness of this resurgence, there remains an ever-present dilemma. It’s the danger of gospel osmosis. It’s the threat of being in the proximity of the gospel but not being truly in its grip…”

7 Ways To Fight Distraction In Prayer

If I can post an article on prayer every week I will. I think it is that important. I am also inclined to think it is the thing in our spiritual lives most aggressively attacked and therefore neglected. There are some good things in this article for to think about and implement into our prayer lives.

“I’ve been trying to pray more this year. But prayer doesn’t always come easily to me. I often sit down to pray with the best of intentions only to suddenly catch myself, a few moments later, daydreaming about yesterday’s conversation, tomorrow’s meeting, or next week’s vacation. Most of us will admit experiencing this, and the rest of us are liars! Distraction can be a huge hindrance in our prayer life, but I’m also discovering it provides an opportunity for growth. Here are seven strategies for fighting and harnessing distraction to deepen and direct our prayers….”

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