5 CDs I'm Enjoing Right Now

1. Bart Millard, Hymned No. 1

I love this album. A lot of familiar hymns I grew up with performed in a fun way.

2. Bart Millard, Hymned Again

This one is even better than the first. My daughter Abigail oves singing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus." I pray she always will.

3. Fernando Ortego, The Shadow of Your Wings: Hymns and Sacred Songs

Beautiful, worshipful, devotional. Not music to drive to, but great music for your quiet time.

4. Paul Baloche, The Writers Collection

You are probably familiar with most all of these songs. Great music to sing and stir your heart for the Lord.

5. Together For the Gospel Live

This album has not been released yet, but you can down load three tracts. Great music. I was there. Brings back awesome memories.

Holiday Preaching is Hard

Preaching holiday sermons is tough. If you stay in one place for very long, you start to run out of obvious texts to preach.

How many Mother's Day sermons from Proverbs 31 or 1 Samuel 1 can a guy preach?

How many Christmas sermon series from Matthew 1&2 and Luke 1&2 can you preach before it feels repetative?

If I were a Martyn Lloyd-Jones, James Montgomery Boice, John MacArthur or John Piper who had/have the capacity to preach a dozen sermons or so from one to two verses, perhaps it wouldn't be a problem. Alas, I am not.

My Christmas Season preaching plan for 2008:

Why Christmas?

Sermon 1-- The Ugly Side of Christmas; Jesus came to save sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Sermon 2-- Promises Made, Promises Kept; Jesus came to fulfill OT promises. (Luke 24:44)

Sermon 3-- A Unique and Marvelous Birth; We celebrate Christmas because the Virgin Birth. (Luke 1:26-38)

Sermon 4-- Come Home for Christmas; Jesus came to redeem and reconcile us. (Galatians 4:4-7)

If you are preaching this Christmas, what will you preach?

5 Things About Thanksgiving Day I am Thankful For

1. Food (Sarah's mom is a great cook!)

2. Family (if I count right, 24 of us are crammed into the Raines' family home.)

3. Football (go Titans!)

4. Fall Weather

5. Fun, laughter, and the joy of being richly blessed by God.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

5 NT Verses I am Thankful For

1. Luke 1:37
For nothing will be impossible with God.

2. John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

3. John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

4. Romans 5:8
But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

5. 1 John 5:4
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith.

What NT verses are you most thankful for?

5 OT Verses I am Thankful For

1. Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2. 1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

3. Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

4. Psalm 107:1
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

5. Isaiah 1:18
Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

These may not be the best, or the most significant verses in the OT, but I am sure glad they are in there! What about you? What Old Testament verses are you especially thankful for today?

5 Attributes of God I Am Thankful For

1. His Sovereignty (Acts 4:24)
2. His Holiness (Isaiah 6:3)
3. His Love (1 John 4:8)
4. His Power (Matthew 19:26)
5. His Wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25)

What about you? What attributes of God are you most thankful for?

Five People I'm Thankful For

1. Sovereign Savior
2. Wonderful Wife
3. Delightful Daughter
4. Special Son
5. Fantastic Friend

Who are you thankful for?

Welcome Back

I've been away from the blogosphere for a while. At the4 first of the year I moved to Wordpress. For now, I'm moving back here to Blogger. I'll see you soon.