Poets’ Corner – Beams of Heaven

Great hymn that’s been redone on Indelible Grace IV by Dan Haseltine. Originally written by Charles Albert Tindley:

1. Beams of heaven as I go,
through the wilderness below,
guide my feet in peaceful ways,
turn my midnights into days.
When in the darkness I would grope,
faith always sees a star of hope,
and soon from all life’s grief and danger
I shall be free someday.
I shall be free someday.

2. Often times my sky is clear,
joy abounds without a tear;
though a day so bright begun,
clouds may hide tomorrow’s sun.
There’ll be a day that’s always bright,
a day that never yields tonight,
and in its light the streets of glory
I shall behold someday.
I shall behold someday.

3. Harder yet may be the fight;
right may often yield to might;
wickedness a while may reign;
Satan’s cause may seem to gain.
But there’s a God that rules above
with hand of power and heart of love;
and if I’m right, he’ll fight my battle,
I shall have peace someday.
I shall have peace someday.

4. Burdens now may crush me down,
disappointments all around;
troubles speak in mournful sigh,
sorrow through a tear-stained eye.
There is a world where pleasure reigns,
no mourning soul shall roam its plains,
and to that land of peace and glory
I shall want to go someday.
I shall want to go someday.
I shall want to go someday.

Final Reminder – Free Concert Tomorrow Night

Just in case you missed the news. Tomorrow night at Oikos, we’ll be graced by the musical talents of Bug Jerome, Théa Rosenburg, and John Furtado. Everyone is welcome. Show starts at 7:00 pm.

Mark Dever – Evangelism, Pastors, and Churches

I’ve been listening through this series of talks by Dever – given at the SGM Pastors College last year – and have found them to be really thought-provoking and challenging. I blogged about it over at ASAD, but this is so good that I thought I’d include it here as well. Here’s the list of talks:

• What is Evangelism?
• A Biblical Theology of Evangelism and the Gospel
• Evangelism for the Pastor or Preacher
• The Church Practice of Evangelism

Sermon text for September 30th – Galatians 2:20

This Sunday we’ll be unpacking our second core value – Christian Spirituality. Here’s one of the sermon texts behind it:

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here’s one more:

2 Corinthians 5:17…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. [1] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Click here for sermon audio.

Double dippin’

Against his better judgment, my friend Steve Allen has asked me to sub for him this week over at his blog A Sermon A Day. Each day I’m going to be posting a link with comments on a sermon that has been meaningful in some way to me. For those of you who have been keeping an eyeball on this site for some time I don’t expect you’ll find too many surprises, but you never know.

Sermon text for September 23rd – 1 Timothy 3:15

This weekend we begin our study of the core values that underlie who we are and what we do at Oikos. The first of these is Truth and one of the foundational texts comes from Paul’s first letter to Timothy:

15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

Click here for sermon audio. 

Poets’ Corner – Arise, My Soul, Arise

Been a long while since we’ve had one of these posts. I recently purchased some Trinity hymnals – one for our worship arts director and four for our family – and so far have been deeply impressed by the depth and beauty of many of the songs. We began singing this one by Charles Wesley this morning and it was hard not to be moved by what we sang:

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all redeeming love, His precious blood, to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears; received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, O forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away, the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

My God is reconciled; His pardoning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

If you want to hear the tune for this take this link over to Cyberhymnal.

Community Groups Are Starting Up!

Things get started next week. We have groups meeting on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. For more info, including who to contact, take this link to the website. This is a great way to connect with others in the church outside of Sundays and really an essential part of Christian discipleship.

Sermon text for September 16th – 1 Peter 4:8-11

Bit of a change of plans. Instead of continuing with Luke, we’re going to take the next few weeks to look at the mission and values of Oikos. Our mission reads thus: we exist to bring glory to God through lives changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. The passage from 1 Peter seems to fit in pretty well with this thought.

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Click here for the sermon audio. 

SGM Leadership Conference Audio

One more resource to pass along. Sovereign Grace Ministries has recently made available for free a whole host of sermon and conference audio. Among these that you want to check out is the audio from this year’s Leadership Conference. Both the general sessions as well as the breakout sessions are available. Not only is there a lot to listen to, all that I’ve listened to so far has been terrific. For example, I highly recommend to anyone Mark Dever’s seminar on developing a yearly reading schedule through church history.