…the angel said…“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay…he has risen from the dead…” (Matthew 28:6-7)

Last Sunday I referenced some alarming research findings that came out in 2005 regarding the spiritual beliefs of American teens, which really reflect the beliefs of many Americans young and old. One term that emmerged from that research was Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. In short, the research showed that while Americans might say they are Christians, they’re beliefs about God, Man, Christ, and The Gospel were not in keeping with historic or biblical Christianity. Below is a link to a summary of the research as well as a quote:

https://www.ptsem.edu/uploadedFiles/School_of_Christian_Vocation_and_Mission/Institute_for_Youth_Ministry/Princeton_Lectures/Smith-Moralistic.pdf

“It is not so much that Christianity in the United States is being secularized. Rather more subtly, either Christianity is at least degenerating into a pathetic version of itself or, more significantly, Christianity is actively being colonized and displaced by a quite different religious faith.”

You’ll notice that Moralistic Therapeutic Deism is void of what the New Testament refers to as “of first importance” — The Gospel! Click the link below for a breakdown of the gospel, published in Christianity Today.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/june/what-is-gospel.html

I love the accuracy and readability of the ESV Translation of the Bible. But regardless of which translation you read/study from, this is good/helpful info on Bible translations. Check it out! http://thevillagechurch.net/sermon/what-bible-translation-does-the-village-recommend/

Here are a few great quotes from a book that we have been going through together in our Tuesday morning men’s Bible study, Kingdom Man.

“A kingdom man is one who visibly demonstrates the comprehensive rule of God underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of his life.” p.14

“To be aligned under God is to consistently make your decisions whether personal or professional, in line with God’s Word.” p. 34

“Achieving greatness means maximizing all that you are destined to be for the glory of God and for the good of others.” p. 44

“Men…if you will simply make the most of where you are, God will do the rest…Never let your limitations limit what God can do with you.” p. 50

Check out this month’s issue of Grace Bible Fellowship’s Grace Notes at the link below:

GRACE NOTES MARCH 2016

  
Me and 30 of my closest friends at the Mavs game this past Wednesday night!! 25 4th, 5th, & 6th grade boys + 5 great adult leaders (Jason Waligura, Donnie Walton, Jarod Martin, Brandon Jester, & Barret Dupler) & me. We had a great time.

Effective youth ministry has at least 3 components. You have to — 1. PLAY 2. PRAY & 3. PREACH. This night was heavy on the PLAY. Our hope and prayer is that through this fun outing we disarmed these boys toward Christ’s church and built some relationships toward deeper, life on life discipleship. 

We’ll be looking at John 9 this Sunday at Grace Bible. And it’s not just a story about a nameless man born blind who regained his sight. It’s more than that. It’s the story of all of us apart from Jesus Christ. It’s my story. I was blind, now I see.

See you Sunday, Fam.

Video of recent Baptisms at Grace Bible, including my 8 year old daughter, Norah (picture below). Special day for our Faith Family AND The Layman Family.

*Thanks to Jason Carney for making this vid!

Our sermon yesterday at Grace Bible was over the WHY of pain and suffering, and how we can view it/deal with it biblically. Below, Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach Monty Williams speaks at his wife Ingrid’s memorial service after she died tragically in a car accident last week.  Clearly, Mr. Williams has a firm grip on the gospel and serves as an example to us all.

Also, here is a link to a post from Desiring God with deeper insights into the faith and example of Monty Williams:

What Would You Say If Your Wife Was Ripped Away?

Weary? We all are, at some level. The short video below and the post that follows by Jared C. Wilson (taken from ESV Men’s Devotional Bible) help us to realize the power of the gospel in the life of weary men.

Strength for the Weary

The gospel breathes life into a man’s weary spirit primarily in three ways:

1. It provides freedom from the past
2. It provides power for the present
3. It provides hope for the future

1. Freedom from the Past

I think every man carries around some sort of wound, baggage, things that they’ve done, mistakes that they’ve made, sins that they’ve committed. Even if they’ve repented of these things, sometimes they don’t feel forgiven or they feel like they can’t escape from under that shadow.

The gospel comes in and says that what you were does not define you. You are what God says you are in Christ. Understanding the rich truth of justification gives us great freedom from the past.

2. Power for the Present

In the gospel comes the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We really do have the Spirit working according to the Father’s will to make us more like Christ . We do have the power to obey.

But when we fall short—as we often do—we know that we have the grace to forgive us so that we’re not defined by our worst deeds. We really do have the Spirit’s empowering presence for our present work and effort.

3. Hope for the Future

Most men worry about providing for their families and making sure the bottom doesn’t fall out from underneath them. The harsh truth of living in a broken and sinful world is that we have no guarantee of security; Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

But we do have the guarantee that our hope is secure in the gospel. The hope that we have in Christ is not the same hope that we often refer to in everyday language (e.g., “I hope something good will happen.). Our hope in Christ is a sure hope—a secure hope.

Every man can wake up in the morning with fresh mercies and with the understanding that whatever happens to his bank account or with his family or whatever else, he is united to Christ and therefore he is as secure as Christ himself is.

Jared C. Wilson is the director of content strategy at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri, and a contributor to the ESV Men’s Devotional Bible.

This post originally appeared at Crossway.org