Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sufficiency of Scripture...Family Roadtrip Part 2

Thursday Afternoon/Evening

Above is a picture of heading into the city of Covington for the SOS conference
It was so exciting to finally be arriving at the Northern Kentucky Convention Ctr where 2600 people gathered to hear the most godly speakers/preachers of our day!
They even had a men's chorale, which you can see practicing below. They did a great job, and their music selections were very moving.

This was the first large event held by the NCFIC led by Scott Brown. Here he is below opening the conference.

Recognize any of these men? They did vingettes of each speaker and the message they would be bringing.



Then, Scott Brown, Doug Phillips and Ken Ham each brought a keynote message.

Here is an intro of the conference from the NCFIC website:

We believe that the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture is the most important doctrinal battleground in the Church today with the purity of the Church, the supremacy of the gospel, the biblical family, and the
survival of Christian civilization hanging in the balance.
Known as “Sola Scriptura” during the reformation, this doctrine teaches that Scripture is fully adequate in both content and clarity for “everything pertaining to life (salvation) and godliness (sanctification)” including the ordering of nations, churches, and families (2 Pet. 1:3-4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The Church’s desertion of this doctrine in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries resulted in the defilement of nearly every aspect of America, the church, and the home through multiple waves of pragmatic, worldly ideas.

The messages this first night really set the tone for the whole conference.

Here are the Conference Memory Verses:
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.


All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:


That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy 3:15-17


Monday, December 14, 2009

Sufficiency of Scripture...Family Roadtrip

Well, we made it safely there and back to the wonderful Sufficiency of Scripture Conference!
 I'm going to do a post here about the beginning of the trip to Erlanger, KY/Cincinnati area.


We hit every kind of weather imaginable on the way there...we left in pouring rain....encountered snow and fog
 (both of which are pictured above),
and saw ice on the trees where they must have had freezing rain...
 (You can see that below)

Encountered some SERIOUS Wind!
And even saw a beautiful rainbow!


But, the Lord protected us and gave us, and our friends that also went, safe travel, and we thank Him for it.
Our son, Brad, got some valuable driving experience!

We got to our hotel, unpacked, ate dinner, and went to bed...then woke up to this...


The kids and I were happy, we love snow!
After our breakfast, we hurried over to the terrific Creation Museum. The SOS
Conference included free tickets to the museum! Yippeee!!!
Here are a few shots from that biblical museum...




























From their website:
Welcome and Prepare to Believe
The state-of-the-art 70,000 square foot museum brings the pages of the Bible to life, casting its characters and animals in dynamic form and placing them in familiar settings. Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden. Children play and dinosaurs roam near Eden’s Rivers. The serpent coils cunningly in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Majestic murals, great masterpieces brimming with pulsating colors and details, provide a backdrop for many of the settings.

It's a wonderful museum--don't miss the chance to see it if you get the opportunity!
They have an awesome Planetarium too!


Sufficiency of Scripture Conference tapes giveaway!

The SOS conference featured some of the most godly preachers of our day!
Over at Life in a Shoe they are giving away 3 sets of the conference messages! Go there to find out how to enter!
And, don't miss the chance to check out the SOS and NCFIC (National Center for Family Integrated Church)  if you aren't familiar!

Monday, December 7, 2009



Treasuring Christmas in Our Hearts
by James Montgomery Boice

HOW SHOULD WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?

If you are not a Christian, the best way to celebrate Christmas is by becoming a Christian, that is, by believing in Jesus, asking Him to come into your heart and determining to follow Him as His disciple. But perhaps you already are a Christian. Perhaps you already have believed in Jesus. How should you celebrate Christmas then?

The story of Mary and the shepherds and the angels gives us some clues.

First, the shepherds “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.”
(Luke 2:17). This means that they became witnesses to Jesus. That God used them to spread this heavenly message must have stunned them. Shepherds were a despised class in first-century Palestine. The nature of their calling kept them from observing the ceremonial law, which meant a lot to religious people. Shepherds were also considered unreliable and were not even allowed to give testimony in the law courts.

But the angels came to shepherds with the great message that Christ the Lord – the Savior of the world – had been born in the town of David. And despite what others thought of them, the shepherds knew that lost people needed to hear that great message. It is the same today. Jesus is the world’s Savior. And people are still lost without Him.

Second, the people who heard the message “wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (verse 18). People today are hardly amazed at anything, but it is hard to see how anyone can understand what Christmas is about and not be amazed. Christmas is the story of God becoming man, like us, in order to save us from our sins. This truth was so astonishing that people believed even shepherds!

But aren’t you amazed when you think about what God did for us? Yes, there is much about God becoming man that we cannot understand, but even if we could understand every bit of it, we still would be amazed.

Third, Mary “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (verse 19). What Mary did went beyond mere amazement, though she marveled too. This wonderful woman also made an attempt to remember everything that was happening to her in those days and then to figure out what each of these things meant. That is, she took time to think about spiritual things, just as we should do. Christmas is a very busy time. But our time is badly spent if we allow the business of Christmas to keep us from reading the Christmas story again and again, thinking about it.

Fourth, the shepherds “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen” (verse 20). This means that they spoke not just to others about the birth of Jesus. They also spoke to God, praising Him for it. They saw the birth of Jesus as something God had done, and they wanted to thank Him.

Here’s a suggestion. If you are willing to try to celebrate Christmas like Mary and the shepherds did, don’t begin with verse 17, which tells us to tell others about Jesus. Begin with verses 18-20, which tell us to wonder at the birth of Jesus, to ponder its meaning, and to praise God for it. Praise God for sending Jesus. Think about why Jesus came to earth on that cold night so long ago. And marvel that, because of His birth, life, death, and resurrection, you have not suffered God’s just punishment for your sins but rather have been saved from them.

When you have really thought about these things and thank God for them, go back to verse 17 and tell others, as the shepherds. did. And last, think about what you can give back to the Lord for this amazing Gift!



Sunday, December 6, 2009

Great Quilt Giveaway!


Over at marie-madeline studio they are giving away a quilt (And you can choose between two if you win!) Above is one, below is the other. Hurry over and enter--and please tell them I sent you!?

Thanks!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

No Greater Joy!




I love the daily verse today!
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
                                                                      3rd John 1:4

Wonderful, wonderful quote!



The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart.
--Mencius