Friday Coffee with PJ

Pour your favorite cup of morning brew (mine will be San Fransisco Fog Chaser) and join me for a few thoughts to start  your day or end your day ... whatever might be the case.

1. Are you familiar with the expression, "the seven deadly sins?" Nowhere in the Bible are certain sins labeled as "deadly." In reality, all sin is deadly as Romans 6:23 states so clearly. But in the early years of the church, somehow this list came into being. The seven "deadly" sins are: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth. As I look at that list, it strikes me that increasingly these sins are so often seen as being more "acceptable" than "deadly." All of us would greatly benefit by examining our hearts before God, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us if indeed any of these sins are resident in us. My guess is that if you are anything like me ... the answer will be yes! If so ... confess, repent ... and move on, determined, with God's help, to rid yourself of these sins that are far too prevalent in the church of today! 

2. Wednesday evening we conducted our Awana Awards Night, concluding our fourth year of our Awana ministry. When I think of all the options children can be involved in (music, sports, scouting, etc, etc, etc), I can think of no activity that could top AWANA. Why so? Although it is true that the other activities have their benefits (I learned valuable lessons in playing little league baseball as a youngster), AWANA has

benefits that will provide wisdom for this life and fruit for the next! If we really believe God's Word is our polaris, our north star by which we navigate through life, then what better way to prepare children for life in this world then to teach them the Bible. There are few ministries that can do this as well as AWANA!  

3. Taped to the bottom of my office computer monitor is a prayer I ran across in John Piper's devotional book, Life As a Vapor. It is a prayer that I try to pray often ... here it is: 

Thank you Lord, for the lives of flawed and faith-filled saints!

Thank you for grace, amazing grace, that saves and uses sinners!

Lord, don't let me limit your power by what I see in the mirror. 

Help me to trust you. Help me, as William Carey said, 

to expect great things from God and attempt great things for God. 

I am not great. But you are great. 

Your power is made perfect in weakness. 

I surrender all worldly claims on my life. 

Come. Make me useful for the glory of Christ. 

In his great name I pray. 

Amen. 

Take a few moments and pray this prayer back to God. You will be better for it! 

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj