For God Alone

Love the Lord your God with all your heart,  with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:37) When Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisee, he was quoting the Shema as found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Every Hebrew father taught his children this bedrock verse from the Talmud. With His reply to the Pharisee’s question, Jesus confirmed that this principle, this maxim, remains at the very foundation for those who would follow Him as His disciple. James, the apostle, reminded us to …  Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8) In the Preface to his book, A Passion for God,* Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr. writes: “To commune with God by faith in deep personal fellowship is the highest fulfillment one can experience. I have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and I want more.” Years ago, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland a few days before a scheduled mission effort, that I might spend time alone with God in a city that was altogether new to me. ...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  (Galatians 5:22-23) Recently, our son and I were driving and saw a sticker attached to the gas cover of the car next to us at a stop light. The sticker read: KINDNESS MATTERS. Years ago, we sang a song based on Proverbs 17:17 to children in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, A Friend Loveth at All Times. A friend loveth at all times, when things are good or bad; A friend loveth at all times, rejoiceth when we’re glad. A friend helpeth in trouble, a friend is always true; A friend loveth at all times, a friend I’ll be to you! Margaret Hammon Songs for Children, Broadman Press, 1950 The Scriptures are chock full of verses regarding kindness: Love is patient and kind … (1 Corinthians 13:4a) A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.  (Proverbs 11:17) N...

For God Alone - The Primacy of Worship In September of 2016, Central Baptist Church Bearden (Knoxville, TN), a church I served nearly seven years, launched a discussion regarding their direction and vision. Ultimately, that discussion led to the creation of a Vision Lay Team (VLT). Throughout much of 2017, this congregation-elected team met most Monday evenings for 1.5 - 2 hours praying over and discussing their future. Following much prayer, many discussions and meetings, this team (of which the author was a member ex officio) created four dreams around the general topics of worship, discipleship, community, and evangelism. Rightly so, worship was the first dream among the four. Worship is the church’s first priority. Bruce H. Leafblad is the person I respectfully call my worship mentor. Dr. Leafblad joined the music faculty at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall of 1983, the beginning of the second year into my master of music degree at Southwestern. Le...