"The Trial of the False Gods" A Meditation from Pastor Rob Snyder
...this whole pandemic, with all the economic consequences which follow it, is exposing our hearts for where our treasures truly lie (Luke 12:34)....
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Tried and Tested: The Deacon's Examination
So churches need to try and test the character and maturity of their deacon nominees prior to their appointment by the elders, a process that requires time and familiarity. That’s the deacon’s examination....
Examined By the Assembly: The Deacon's Nomination
Biblical deacons, then, are to be examined by the assembly. That’s at the heart of the deacon’s nomination for office....
Appreciating the Problem: The Deacon's Definition
Deacons, again, are to guard the unity of the church and the ministry of the elders from the demands of practical problems. Appreciating such problems requires the careful definition of each deacon’s role....
The Fifth Qualification: The Deacon's Purity
There is only one qualification Paul mentions to Timothy that is not found in Acts 6, and it is that qualification we now turn to examine: the deacon’s purity....
The Fourth Qualification: The Deacon's Faith
This combination of a practical, nuts-and-bolts focus and a separation from doctrinal and pastoral oversight ministry might tempt a church to overlook the piety and conviction of a candidate. That would be a grave mistake....
The Third Qualification: The Deacon's Wisdom
The very fact that this responsibility requires dedicated attention should tell us that it may not come easily, and that not just anyone will be able to fulfill it. It’s no surprise, then, that the third qualification emphasized by the apostles in Acts 6 is wisdom......
The Second Qualification: The Deacon's Maturity
Having seen last week that the first qualification of a potential deacon is a solid reputation, we now turn to look at the second qualification found in Acts chapter 6: being “full of the Spirit.” Of all the qualifications, this one is perhaps most at risk of being misunderstood in the present day. What does “filled with the Spirit” mean?...
The First Qualification: The Deacon's Reputation
Now that we’ve looked at the intent, mission, and objective of the New Testament deacon, it’s time to look at what kind of Christians fill this office. What are the qualifications of those called to be deacons?...
Freeing Elders For Word and Prayer: The Deacon's Objective
We see in Acts 6 that even in the earliest church the temptation to be distracted from this ministry is strong. The apostles put it in blunt terms: “it is not right that we should give up the preaching of the Word of God to serve tables.”...
Caring For Practical Needs: The Deacon's Mission
The mission of the office of deacon is to care for practical needs in the local church....
The Deacon's Intent: Fostering Church Unity
Deacons exist, first and foremost, with the intent of fostering unity in the church. Only with that primary purpose in mind can we then turn to look at others....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 10
David talks in First Chronicles 29 about uprightness of heart, but why does he do that? Why does the heart matter when looking at good deeds like a Temple offering? ...
To Believe and To Suffer in Seedtime and Harvest
The Christian life might not be romantic or nostalgic but its real. Our organic connection to Jesus Christ in his death and resurrection is better than all of the hoped for clean eating and living that hopeless shoppers pursue. ...
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 9
Human beings have an innate longing for meaning and significance. As we continue to pray after David's example in First Chronicles 29 we wrestle with the need for us to confess our mortality and shortness of days to God, and live in light of them....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 8
Even our willingness and ability to do things for God are gifts from his hand. In this article we look at and pray in light of this truth as David presents it in his prayer, found in First Chronicles 29....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 7
God provides all that we have. As we continue to pray through First Chronicles 29 in celebration of a year in our own building, we look at how David acknowledged God's provision of all things as an example for our own prayers....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 5
As we remember God's provision in the life of our own church one year ago, when we took possession of a building of our own for the first time, we look at the example of David's model prayer in First Chronicles 29. In this article we consider how David opened his prayer--with blessing and praise....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 6
Gratitude is a crucial attitude of the Christian life. As we continue to mark our first anniversary in a building of our own, we seek to imitate David's example of thanksgiving in prayer found in First Chronicles 29....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 4
As we continue to celebrate our first year owning our own church building, we are meditating on and praying through First Chronicles 29. How does the Christian look at a text like First Chronicles 29, or indeed any Old Testament story or promise or command? The answer is the classic Sunday School answer: “Jesus!”...
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 3
As we at Calvary Grace continue to mark our first anniversary as "homeowners" in a building of our own, we consider the miracle of Israel's offering for the Temple in First Chronicles 29:1-9, and mark its meaning....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 1
Sometimes God provides spectacularly in the life of an individual or a church. On Calvary Grace's first anniversary as "homeowners" in a building of its own, we pause to consider the example of King David's Israel after God ordains a staggering offering by his people for his Temple, seeking wisdom on how to pray after God pours out blessings....
When God Pours Out Blessings, Part 2
We can’t understand the amazing prayer offered in First Chronicles 29 unless we first understand the man who offered it. In this article, we’re going to look at King David, a "man on a mission." We’ll review what brought him to that moment, in order to help us grasp why he prayed the way he did....
Resources for Gathering One2One
We’ll wrap up this newsletter series by introducing three new e-book Ministry Guides you can download to help you with this ministry, along with providing (all in one place) the links to the Study Outlines introduced over the past month...
Gathering One-2-One For Bible Reading
To get you started reading the Bible one-to-one, what follows is a simple method of Bible study called the COMA method. COMA studies a Bible passage in four steps: Context, Observation, Meaning, and Application....
Gathering One-2-One For Prayer
ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. When gathering one-to-one for prayer, you simply take turns, each praying a prayer of adoration, then each praying a prayer of confession, and so on....
Gathering One2One For Sermon Application - Be An Expositional Listener!
Sermon listening is a central part of the Christian life, and so why not learn more about it? Christopher Ash has written a very short but very useful booklet called Listen Up! A practical guide to listening to sermons, filled with useful tips and challenging questions that will help you “take care…how you hear” (Luke 8:18). After getting started with Gathering One2One, we strongly urge you to find and use this book....
How Do I Get Started Gathering One-2-One?
Here’s some steps to follow, both before the first meeting, and at that first meeting together....
Who Should I Find to Gather One-To-One With?
Try to build up one another, and build up the church, by building fellowship across the whole congregation one-to-one around God’s Word!...
Announcement about CGC Public Services & COVID-19
Even though our church would be permitted to meet, the elders have agreed that it is best for us to suspend our public gathering this Sunday and suspend services on a week-to-week basis. ...
Keep ReadingCalvary Grace Church Response to Canada Summer Jobs Attestation Requirement
The text of a letter submitted to Economic Development Canada accompanying our church's application for Canada Summer Jobs program funding. It explains why we cannot in good conscience express the words of the attestation imposed as a requirement by the Trudeau government on organizations applying for this funding. It is our belief that the attestation requirement infringe...
Keep ReadingCalvary Grace Church Response to Summer Jobs Application Rejection
Calvary Grace Church's response to the federal government's refusal to allow modification or adaptation of its abortion-affirming Canada Summer Jobs application attestation requirement....
Keep ReadingDo Not Follow the Way of This People
I read the news. I listen to talk radio. I follow political and cultural commentators on Twitter as well as pastors and theologians. I listen to The Briefing by Dr. Mohler online at least a couple times a week. I know I'm not alone at Calvary Grace....
Keep ReadingWhen Washrooms Are Weaponized
Washrooms have been weaponized in the culture war over sexuality and gender....
Keep ReadingThe Revolution in Sexual Affairs
Our culture is witnessing a new "revolution in sexual affairs," but these new understandings of gender and rights are terrible for women in particular. I explain why in this new article at CBMW and point to a better alternative....
Keep ReadingAs the World Goes Mad, Go to Church
In the aftermath of the coordinated attacks in Paris murdering 150 image bearers of the living God, who were all somebody’s daughter or son, many wonder if the world is going mad....
Keep ReadingHere We Stand
Today, the United States Supreme Court redefined marriage to include same-sex couples. This ruling forces every individual state government to comply with the new definition. ...
Keep ReadingWe’re Not the Moral Majority
Anyone paying attention to American news reports over the last month or so will have heard of the “wedding cake controversy.” As background, earlier this year the state legislature of Indiana passed a law, modeled on a federal law signed by President Clinton, which laid out a process for courts to determine if government action and regulation imposes an undue burden on...
Keep ReadingA Chance To Pray
This coming weekend, our annual January conference will take place. Ryan Fullerton, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and a former roommate of Pastor Clint’s, will be preaching on the subject of “Abiding Love: Learning to Love in a Cold World.” I’ve said before that God has blessed this man as a preacher; here’s a message I had the privil...
Keep ReadingThe Movie "Hellbound?" A Deceptive and Dishonest Hatchet Attack On Christians By A Profess
Just this past week, I had the chance to watch the movie "Hellbound?" This film is being released tonight in theatres in Calgary and Edmonton. The movie is billed as a "feature-length documentary that explores the modern debate over the doctrine of hell." ...
Keep ReadingWhat Hath Aurora To Do With London? The False Promise of Human Ability
Today marked the beginning of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. After years of preparation, with a more than $14 billion budget, and guarded by more than 37,000 security personnel, more than 10,500 athletes from all over the world will be competing for medals. At more than 30 Olympic venues, an expected 11 million spectators will observe the events and marvel at the athlet...
Keep ReadingThe Christian and the State: Keeping the Faith in an Election Season
Last Monday, Alberta Premier Alison Redford announced an election for April 23. The parties are now in full campaign mode, with buses criss-crossing the province and politicians shaking hands and kissing babies. Already the polls are predicting a tight race between the governing Tories and the upstart Wildrose Alliance, and so the names and political accusations are alread...
Keep ReadingCatholicism and False Advertising
This past week, I stumbled across a misleading and saddening headline relating to one of the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination in the United States. The editorial was titled: “Is Rick Santorum Catholic or Evangelical? Yes.” Now, we live in a culture that has little time for history and which, under the influence of postmodern thinkers, does not have...
Keep ReadingDeath and Steve Jobs
On Wednesday night, the news broke that Steve Jobs, the founder and former CEO of Apple, had passed away from pancreatic cancer. ...
Keep ReadingNetanyahu's Tragic Speech
I work at a hotel part-time, and yesterday when cleaning up our breakfast room I had the opportunity to listen to Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to the United Nations....
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