A Disturbing Christmas?

This past Tuesday CJ Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Ministries wrote an excellent reminder about the true meaning of Christmas. I thought it was worth sharing with you because my sermon last Sunday at Servant's Heart Fellowship was on how Christmas is really about Christ's suffering and our salvation. Check out CJ's post: www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Blog

What Do You Think About At Christmas?

While preparing for this week's message (1 Peter 1:10-12) I asked myself this question: what do I think about most during Christmas time? The gifts I might get? Or give? Christmas cookies? Visiting relatives? The look on my oldest son's face when he opens his pink fluffy slippers on Christmas morning?

Gifts are cool - I've finally conquered the Grinch within - when they foster appreciation and genuine affection and not feed greed. But the Scriptures give me something much more important to think about during this and every season: the salvation purchased for me by the suffering Savior. This is what Peter writes about in verse 10 when he begins, "Concerning this salvation..."

Join us this Sunday as we gaze upon this great salvation. It is something that amazes the angels and the prophets of old longed to know more about. I hope we will all be freshly affected by the Savior's loving sacrifice and the gift of salvation! Merry Christmas!

Suffering And Worship?

Maybe the title confused you. When I say "suffering and worship" I'm not talking about any one's Sunday morning experience of suffering through the worship service! This is not about singing the same chorus 10 times in a row, or gritting your teeth while a musician keeps messing up your favorite hymn, or listening to a boring preacher's monotone voice for an hour. Not that these things ever happen at our church, well... at least not the singing or musical part! (By the way, that kind of "suffering" reveals more about our maturity as believers than we probably want it to... but that's another topic.)

No, when I say "suffering and worship" I mean that these two words actually go hand-in-hand. We can worship God in the midst of our suffering. How is this possible? Join us Sunday as we look to the apostle Peter for the answer!

Hint: read 1 Peter 1:3-9

Exploring First Peter

The well-known Reformation theologian John Calvin wrote this in his introduction to 1st Peter:

"The design of Peter in this Epistle is to exhort the faithful to a denial of the world and a contempt of it, so that being freed from carnal affections and all earthly hindrances, they might with their whole soul aspire after the celestial kingdom of Christ, that being elevated by hope, supported by patience, and fortified by courage and perseverance, they might overcome all kinds of temptations, and pursue this course and practice throughout life."

Alright, two things immediately occur to me when I read this. First, I can hear both my Elementary grammar teacher and my college English professor saying, "That is a run-on sentence..." Second, I'm reminded of why Calvin is still a resource that so many turn to when studying the Scriptures. His passion for understanding the Bible is still evident after all these years. Go ahead, read his run-on sentence one more time.

Calvin suggests that Peter's "design" is for believers: To deny the world... to be free from carnal affections... to aspire with their whole soul after Christ's kingdom... to overcome all kinds of temptation... and to do this throughout their whole life!

This design of Peter is also a personal desire for myself and my church family. This is why we at Servant's Heart Fellowship will now turn our attention to 1st Peter. Join us as we start chapter 1 this Sunday, and I pray that this portion of God's Word may cause our hearts to blaze with passion for our Savior!

Quote of the Week

I love the church. This is a good thing for many reasons, one of which is because I am a pastor! A church-hating pastor would be (or should be) quickly removed from the pulpit. Now, because I have this love for the church and because I read books about the church all the time, there is a small section in our bulletin each week called: "Quote of the Week". It includes something written or said by a theologian or pastor about the church. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites:

"If we are coming to church only as consumers, to get our needs met, then we have missed the point of the church." -Mark Dever, The Deliberate Church

"A local church will only be as great as its conception of God." -AW Tozer, The Attributes of God

"I believe every Christian ought to be joined to some visible church; that is his plain duty, according to the Scriptures. God's people are not dogs, else they might go about one by one; but they are sheep, and therefore they should be in flocks." -Charles Spurgeon

"So essential is the gospel to the Christian life that we need to be saturated in it in order to be healthy church members." -Thabiti Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member?

"God Is... Able!"

It's obvious to my friends that I'm pretty incompetent in many areas. I can't work on my cars (to my mechanic's delight), and I'm not able to fix plumbing problems that require more than a plunger (thankfully, I know a plumber). Those are just two of the many things I can't do. You could correctly say, "Dan is unable to do many things." I wouldn't argue. Thankfully, God is not like me. This Sunday we will explore this glorious truth: God is able! You might be thinking, "able to do what?" Great question! The answer is found throughout the Bible. According to the Scriptures, He is able to:

1. save us to the uttermost - Hebrews 7:25
2. help us during temptation - Hebrews 2:18
3. strengthen us through the gospel - Romans 16:25
4. work in us by His Spirit - Ephesians 3:20
5. keep us from stumbling - Jude 24

Join us as we turn our eyes upon the One who is able and again marvel at His glory!

"God Is... Unchanging!"

During challenging times in my life my father occasionally says to me, "The only thing that's permanent is change." It is true that from our perspective "change" occurs all the time. Everything changes. Everyone changes. I have five children and sometimes I can't keep up with the changes that occur in my home. I change. You change. All we need is a mirror to point out this obvious truth to us. We, as finite and fragile people, have grown familiar with change.

This week we will examine an attribute of God that is totally foreign to us. You see, God does not change... ever. He never has and He never will. Theologians call it God's "immutability". Dr. Sam Storms puts it this way:

"When we talk about the immutability of God's life... we are saying that God never began to be nor will ever cease to be. His life simply is. He did not come into existence, nor will He go out of existence. God is not young or old: He is." And, Dr. Storms adds, "The Being, who eternally is, never changes."

Join us this Sunday as we gaze upon the unchanging One and may our hearts be freshly amazed at the surpassing greatness of our God!

"God Is... Great!"

Tony the Tiger is famous for making this announcement about Frosted Flakes: "Theeeey're GREAT!!" Well, Frosted Flakes are consumed regularly at my house, but I personally think that Tony might be exaggerating just a bit. When I think of greatness, small crunchy corn flakes with a sugary coating isn't the first thing that comes to my mind.

Psalm 145:3 says, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable."

Not quite in the same category as breakfast food, is it? Join us this Sunday as we turn our eyes upon the greatness of our God. It will be far more satisfying than a bowl of cereal.

"God Is... Love!"

These three simple words - "God is love" - used twice by the apostle John (1 John 4:8,16) contain within them a most profound thought: The God of the universe, glorious and infinite, majestic and all-powerful, incomprehensible and greatly to be praised, holy and sovereign - has chosen to love someone like me.

You see, "God is love" is not just a catchy slogan. It is a deep theological statement about who He is and what He does. And, as we will discover in Sunday's message, what He actually did for us because of His great love for us is absolutely extraordinary! Join us as we gaze upon this attribute of God.

"God is... Good!"

Psalm 100:5 says, "For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

This week we will explore the goodness of God. Maybe this quote from RC Sproul will help whet your appetite for this amazing attribute of God:

"Not only is God altogether good, He is consistently good. God doesn't know how to be anything but good."

Let's marvel at the goodness of God together!

Surveying the Wondrous Cross Messages

It was such an honor to be one of the speakers at the "Surveying the Wondrous Cross" conference last weekend. I was both encouraged and challenged by the messages and my heart was filled with fresh appreciation as we sang cross-centered songs together!

All four messages are now available online at http://www.randrfellowship.com/

"God Is... Holy!"

What do you do when you are exposed to something that is unlike anything you have ever experienced in your life? Something that is far more pure than you are... far more glorious than any created thing...? This is exactly what happened to Isaiah the prophet and this Sunday we will examine his response when he "sees the LORD". I'll give you another hint: Isaiah's response is certainly not casual or indifferent when he is thrust into the Holy presence of God! Check it out for yourselves at Isaiah 6:1-8.

This Sunday: God Is... Holy!

"God Is..."

What do you think of when you think of God? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that very important question? Now please don't misunderstand what I am asking. I don't mean thinking about what God does (something hopefully we do often), but rather who God is. Who is God? What is He like? What do we know of Him? If I were to ask you to finish this sentence, "God is __________ .", what would you write? Why would you write that?

Join us this Sunday, October 5th, as we begin a new series exploring the attributes of God. Don't forget to bring your life jacket, we will be swimming in the deep end of the theological pool!

Here is a hint for this Sunday: Exodus 3:13-14

Shrinking At The Foot Of The Cross

Self-righteousness has an annoying way of sneaking up on me. I'll go a few days... no major blow ups in my temper, doing pretty good with training my eyes to look away from things they shouldn't be looking at, finding time for lengthy Bible study and meditation... then suddenly self-righteousness pops up in my heart and I begin telling myself, "See Dan, your not that bad. Look at what you have done." It is at these moments, if I am sensitive to the Holy Spirit, that I detect a red flag and quickly run to the cross. I wish I could report that I always do this right away.

While reading CJ Mahaney's book on humility, I came across this very helpful quote from theologian John Stott: Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to be saying to us, “I’m here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.” Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size.

I love the shrinking power of the cross! I need the shrinking power of the cross! I'm looking forward to celebrating the cross this Sunday. This is where we shrink to our true size!

Proclaiming Truth

I recently read this in Bob Kauflin's book, Worship Matters:

The world is constantly telling us lies: "God doesn't exist." "It's all about you." "Sin has no consequences." "This is all there is." "The more you own, the happier you'll be."

In the face of these lies, we gather as the church to proclaim the truth. We gather to declare - to ourselves, to each other, and to God - what we know to be eternal reality. There is one God, who is sovereign over the universe and every detail of our lives. We have rebelled against him. He sent his Son to die in our place for our sins. And through Jesus Christ we have forgiveness and peace with God.

I love what Bob has written because it so clearly reminds me of why we exist as a church:
-to proclaim the truth
-to glorify our sovereign God
-to celebrate the cross

It is so easy to get distracted and to forget how important the Sunday morning meeting really is. What an awesome privilege we have to gather around the cross each week and say "thank you" to the One who delivered us from death to life and to proclaim the truth of the gospel! I can hardly wait until next Sunday!

"Surveying the Wondrous Cross"

Here's a "heads up" about something very exciting coming up in October.

I have the huge privilege of joining together to do a conference with four guys who are not only my friends, but also have a common passion for the cross. These men are Justin Childers, Eddie Burroughs, Jason Sessoms, and Justin Nale. The conference is called "Surveying The Wondrous Cross" and is being offered by R & R Fellowship, a gathering of local ministers in the Rocky Mount and Wilson area who desire Reformation and Revival in the local church.

This is what Justin Childers had to say about this conference over at his blog: "If you live in the Wilson/Rocky Mount area, I hope you will set aside October 17-18 to survey the wondrous cross with us. We will be singing about, celebrating, and proclaiming the glory of Christ crucified for sinners."

The conference will be a Friday evening/Saturday morning event and will be held at New Hope Elementary School in Wilson. Justin C. and I will be preaching on Friday, and Justin N. and Eddie will be preaching on Saturday. Jason will lead us all in singing about the cross and moderate our Q & A time.

Mark your calendars! I'll post more details (including message topics) soon.

Reading my Bible at the foot of the Cross

While preparing to preach from the second chapter of 2 Peter, I paused momentarily when my eyes focused upon the gloomy description found in verse 14. Here Peter writes:

"They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!" (ESV)


Now in context this terrifying verse describes the false teachers that Peter was warning the church about in this letter. Yet, I also found a reason to once again rejoice in the Savior while reading this verse. Why? Well... I realize that apart from the glorious salvation that was so graciously and undeservedly provided for me at the cross of Christ, this verse would very accurately describe me!

What a humbling thought. A thought that my flesh rises up and finds offensive. Maybe you think I'm exaggerating. I wish it were so, but the truth is I not only was a great sinner, I am a great sinner. Remember Paul's words to Timothy? He said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the the foremost." (1 Timothy 1:15)

John Newton (who wrote Amazing Grace) would agree with the apostle Paul. As he so adequately stated near the end of his life: "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior."

I am so grateful for Christ my Savior! I'm making it a habit to plant myself at the foot of the wondrous cross every time I open the pages of Scripture. And whenever the Bible gives detailed descriptions of sinful people like 2 Peter 2:14, I want to intentionally pause and thank God for providing a Savior and for pouring out His amazing grace on a wretch like me!

Sewage In The Church?

I have an ongoing passion for Servant's Heart Fellowship to be pursuing purity and holiness. We live in a culture that is very actively seducing the American church into worldliness and because of the sinful inclinations of our own hearts, we are often wide open to this seduction. The results can be catastrophic and heartbreaking. I recently read an insightful article by Nancy Leigh DeMoss that addresses this concern, and I'd like to share just a portion with you:

"If plumbing or septic problems caused raw sewage to overflow into the hallways and aisles of your Church, one thing is for sure: the problem would not be ignored. Everyone would be horrified. The health hazard would prompt immediate action. Business would not continue as usual. Services would be relocated and crews would work overtime, if necessary, until the problem was resolved.

The fact is that something far more serious than raw sewage is running through the lives of countless professing Christians and most of our evangelical churches. And by and large, we are oblivious to the threat.

The floodgates of unholiness - including wilful, presumptuous, blatant sin - have opened up with in the church. Adultery, drunkenness, abuse, profanity, outbursts of temper, divorce, pornography, immodest dress - such sins among professing believers, often members in good standing of respected local churches, are no longer rare exceptions.

And then there are the more "respectable" forms of sewage that are often overlooked and tolerated among believers - things like overspending, unpaid debts, gluttony, gossip, greed, covetousness, bitterness, pride, critical spirits, backbiting, temporal values, self-centeredness, and broken relationships. Sadly, the church - the place that is intended to showcase the glory and holiness of God - has become a safe place to sin." (Spirit of Revival, vol. 39, #2)

One word: Wow! I think Nancy has summed this up very vividly for us. By the way, this is exactly why we study the doctrine of sin at our church and read books like Jerry Bridges' Respectable Sins. We want to be openly honest about indwelling sin, active about growing in humility and holiness, and always gazing at the cross of Christ with increased appreciation for that incredible and costly sacrifice!

Upcoming Resource Table

As a way to serve our church family we will soon provide a Resource Table in the lobby where some excellent books and music can be purchased for our continued growth as a healthy church. While preparing to launch this, I am forced to consider what books would I most recommend to our church family. Here is just a start:

The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney. One of my all time favorite books.

The Holiness of God by RC Sproul. I've said elsewhere on this blog, a "must read" for all Christians.

Knowing God by JI Packer. This book greatly influenced me in college and still does today.

Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris. I love this book and the way it challenges my love for the local church.

The Beginners Guide To Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms. A great resource. One of my favorite books on this topic.

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. This book is like having surgery - it might hurt, but in the long run it is good for you!

I guess this is enough for now. Hopefully I have whetted your appetite. All of these will find themselves on our upcoming Resource Table.

Forgetting The Gospel

How many of you have forgotten something very important? Maybe a meeting with a client? Or forgetting to return an important phone call? Or how many of you have forgotten a spouse's birthday or your anniversary? That's pretty big. Flowers can only do so much!

But there is something much more serious that we are in danger of forgetting on a regular basis: the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. One of Peter's concerns in his letter is that his beloved readers are in danger of forgetting the gospel (2 Peter 1:9). How does this happen? We get our eyes off of the cross and onto other things. It is a daily danger.

CJ Mahaney wrote, "Reminding ourselves of the gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed." (The Cross Centered Life)

Join us this Sunday as we stand at the foot of the cross, are freshly amazed at the grace of God, and learn how to guard against this danger of forgetting the gospel.

Knowing Him

This week at Servant's Heart Fellowship we will begin our study of 2 Peter. In the 1st chapter Peter clearly emphasizes the importance of knowing God (count the times he uses the word "knowledge" in the first 8 verses!). It was while I was reviewing this that an amazing thought struck me: It was Peter, the author of this letter, who denied Christ!

Maybe you are thinking, "Yeah, so what? Everyone knows this. What is so amazing about that?" Let me explain. Matthew 28:69-75 records Peter's denials, but I want to draw your attention to verse 74: Then he began to invoke a curse upon himself and to swear, "I do not know the man."

"I do not know the man..." Six sad and painful words, uttered by one of our Savior's closest friends during one of His darkest hours. Of course we know that Peter repented of these horrible words and was graciously restored by the risen Savior, but... I can't help but to wonder if when Peter later writes this letter and so strongly emphasizes the need to know Christ, is he remembering the time he said he didn't know Him? I'm not sure, but if so, I bet Peter was again overwhelmed by God's grace. Peter is an example to me of how amazing grace really is. Why? Well, because he is not all that different from me. Or you.

Join us this Sunday as we consult with the apostle Peter and dig deeper into this all important issue of knowing God. Or to put in another way (and to loosely quote J.I. Packer), this all important issue of "being known by God."

Phil Sasser Preaching This Sunday

This week at Servant's Heart Fellowship we are honored to have Phil Sasser as our guest speaker. Phil is the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, NC and is a good friend of mine. You can learn more about him at www.sovgracenc.org/pastors

Phil and I have known about each other for many years, but it has really been within the last year that we have grown in our friendship. I'm grateful for Phil's interest into my personal life and my pastoral ministry, which is evident every time we get together for lunch. I can say without hesitation that I have benefited greatly from his insights, and I'm certain our church will benefit from his visit.

We are very grateful that Phil and his wife Cassie will be worshipping with us this weekend. Join us this week as we hear Phil's message to our church about the importance of the church.

Praying With The Porters

Let me introduce Roy Porter (for those who do not know this man). He is the pastor of Oakdale Baptist Church here in Rocky Mount. He is very well respected by many local ministers, including me, and he is a huge encouragement to be around. He smiles a lot and has a great sense of humor. Oh, and he enjoys Dunkin Donuts coffee (which I personally believe should be included along with 1 Timothy 3 as an additional qualification for all pastors).

You want to know something else about Roy Porter? He is a loving husband. Roy's wife, Rosa, is going through a serious health issue right now which you can read about at: http://www.rnporter.wordpress.com/

Many things will be immediately obvious as you read Roy's blog. I'll only point out three: (1) Roy and Rosa's faith in God is very strong; (2) they have many people who care deeply about them and are supporting them; and (3) Roy loves his wife. I mean this man really loves his wife.

I encourage everyone to join them in prayer during this time of need. We here at Servant's Heart Fellowship count it a joy and privilege to pray with the Porters.

The Legacy Of David

Elvis Presley concluded what would ultimately be his last press conference with these words, "I hope I haven't bored you." Given his larger-than-life fame and his equally infamous dance moves, I'd say that his concern was unnecessary. He may have been loved or hated, but I doubt Elvis ever bored anyone. Yet this is what he said: "I hope I haven't bored you..." To be honest, it seems a bit disappointing to think that these were the last words uttered in public by Elvis Presley.

I have a (morbid perhaps?) fascination with reading "famous" people's last words. You can learn a lot about someone by what they communicate in their last moments. I have smiled, laughed, frowned, and even shook my head sadly while reading the sometimes bizarre, sometimes serious, and sometimes just outright hilarious things people have said prior to their meeting with the Judge of the universe. In some cases, my laughter quickly dies away and is replaced with a sense of dread. Well, what does any of this have to do with David's legacy? Everything.

1 Chronicles 29 records for our viewing the last "public" prayer of David before his death. As I said, we can learn much from what people say in moments like this. David doesn't disappoint us. What does he do? He (yet again, as he had so many times before) turns his gaze upon the glory and majesty of God, humbles himself before His greatness, and encourages everyone else around him to do the same!

This Sunday we conclude our study of David by examining his final public words and join with him as he implores the people of Israel to "Bless the Lord your God!" one more time.

Can God Really Read My Mind?

Ever have that thought, "If he/she only knew what I was thinking..."? Thankfully, people can't read minds. Imagine what the world would be like if people could! The divorce rate would skyrocket, friendships would crumble, unemployment would rise to an all time high. Why? I think you know the answer. If we are honest, we would admit that we have all thought things that we are very grateful no one else knew about. Indwelling sin never rests. In fact, the only positive thing I could think of was that the justice system would benefit greatly from mind reading abilities. Criminals, on the other hand, would not.

I'll admit it, I do take comfort in the fact that other people can't read my mind. I'm sure you do as well. But what about God? Can He read our minds? In Psalm 139:2 David says this about God, "...you discern my thoughts from afar." Yeah... He can read minds. It is no problem for Him. Does that make you uncomfortable?

If you are a Christian, then this is one of those bad news/good news moments that are so common in our lives. The bad news is He does know every single thought we have ever had or ever will have - including all the terrible and sinful ones! The good news is He loves us in spite of our wretchedness and is graciously working in us even now to sanctify us. That is the glory of the gospel! Christ died to save a sinful wretch like me. Thankfully, salvation does not depend upon my thought life. It depends wholly upon the work of Christ at the cross. He knows me better than anyone else ever will, nothing in my life is hidden from Him - and (here is the amazing part) He still loves me with an everlasting love! This incredible truth is what we are studying this Sunday from Psalm 139, so I invite you to come and celebrate the love of an all-knowing God with us.

Is There A Shimei In Your Life?

You might be thinking, "Shimei, who is that?" Great question. Shimei is the guy who cursed David from a hilltop when David was forced out of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 16:5-14). I think it is fair to say that David was certainly having a bad day. His son, Absalom, had turned against him and now David was leaving Jerusalem before Absalom arrived. Just when he probably thought it couldn't get much worse... here comes Shimei! He yells at David, calls him names, curses him, and to top it off - throws rocks at him. Just a side note - I'm not sure it is very wise (or safe) to throw stones at the guy who defeated a giant with one stone! If David had stooped to pick up a stone Shimei might have thought twice before tossing another one.

What does David do? Does he let his men kill Shimei? Nope. Not even when one of his mighty men, Abishai, is chomping at the bit to slay this guy. David responds by trusting in God's sovereignty. This is yet another reason why we are studying this man to learn from him. I don't know about you, but I have had my share of "Shimei's" in my life and I need to learn how to respond like David did, and not like Abishai!

Join us this Sunday as we look closer at David's reponse to Shimei and apply it to our lives.

Sam Storms On True Revival

What is a genuine revival? Well... the answer sometimes depends upon who is giving it! A Pentecostal believer might use the word "revival" in a way that is very different from how a Presbyterian or Baptist would use it. And to further complicate things, sometimes believers in the same traditions don't even agree about what constitutes a genuine revival. This is the case with the event at Lakeland's Ignited Church. As word about this event continues to buzz around the Internet, how should we attempt to understand these things? Let me suggest one resource.

Dr. Sam Storms gave an excellent message on this topic at Grace Church in Chapel Hill last week. Using Psalm 85:6 as a starting point he described a biblical definition for genuine revival. Here's the verse: "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you ?"

It was perhaps one of the best messages I've heard about the topic of revival (especially in evaluating contemporary events) and I highly recommend his sermon. You can find it at http://www.gracelife.com/ by clicking on the "sermons" button and selecting Sam Storms.

What Was He Thinking?

Have you ever seen someone do something totally crazy or out of character and thought to yourself, "What in the world were they thinking?" That might be your first reaction when you read about David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. We've been looking at David's life for 5 weeks now and there seemed to be no indication that there was this lustful and murderous sin lurking right beneath the surface of this humble worshiper just waiting to explode. Right? But there it is - recorded for all to see in the pages of the Scriptures: lust... abuse of power... adultery... deceit... intentionally getting one of his faithful soldiers drunk... and to top it all off, murder.

Wait a minute, you might be thinking, isn't this David the man after God's own heart? David the giant slayer? David the guy who wrote so many worshipful Psalms? David the one you keep telling us each week that we have "so much to learn" from?

Yeah, that's the guy. How can this be? Go ahead and read 2 Samuel 11 (Psalm 51 might help as well) and join us this Sunday as we answer this question and examine the heart of David when he is at his worst.

Maybe we will discover together that you and I are not all that different from David after all...

A "Must Read" Book!

As part of my preparation to preach this Sunday on 2 Samuel 6, I re-read a portion of R.C. Sproul's book, The Holiness of God. I want to go on record as saying I believe that this book is one of the most important books for Christians to read, and that chapter 6 of this book is exceptionally helpful in teaching us about divine mercy and divine justice. Here is a small taste:

Sproul says, "We often blame God for the injustices done to us and harbor in our souls the bitter feeling that God has not been fair toward us. Even if we recognize that He is gracious, we think that He has not been gracious enough. We think we deserve more grace. Please read that last sentence again: We think we deserve more grace. What is wrong with that sentence? Grammatically it is fine. But there is something seriously wrong with the content, with the meaning of the sentence. It is impossible for anyone, anywhere, anytime to deserve grace. As soon as we start talking about deserving something, we are no longer talking about grace; we are talking about justice."

Hopefully that will whet your appetite enough so that you run out and buy this book. R.C. Sproul's writings have had a profound influence upon my understanding of mercy and justice. You will benefit (I hope) from this influence this Sunday as we take a much closer look at divine mercy and divine justice in the life of David.

Why The English Standard Version?

Near the end of last year I began using the English Standard Version more frequently as my preaching Bible. While this move may have seemed sudden to some, it actually has been a long time coming. I've been using this translation privately in my studies for several years. In fact, I came very close to switching to the ESV as my primary preaching Bible in 2002. I even wrote a review six years ago about this translation online at Christian Book Distributors. This is what I wrote (and it is still there at http://www.christianbook.com/):

Reviewed by Rev. Dan Rolfe (Rocky Mount, NC), April 01, 2002
Finally! The translation I have been waiting for has arrived. With accuracy to match the NAS and readability equal to the NIV, the ESV is exactly what I've been looking for. As a minister, the "thought-for-thought" rendering of the NIV has never been a personal favorite of mine, but I have used it for years because it reads with much more ease from the pulpit than the NKJV or the NAS. Now I won't have to sacrifice literal accuracy anymore. I truly hope the ESV becomes the standard for this generation of Christians. I highly recommend the ESV to all who are serious about the Word.


So what took so long for me to begin using it from the pulpit? Did I change my mind? No, but even though I loved the translation, I was curious to see if the ESV would become widely accepted by other evangelicals. It did. You can check out http://www.esv.org/ and see for yourself who endorses it. I also hesitated back in 2002 because I have this (perhaps sinful) resistance to jumping on bandwagons. For example, Prayer of Jabez mania (remember the mugs, t-shirts, bracelets, paperweights?) was long over before I even read the book. I didn't think the ESV was going to be like this, but my natural inclination caused me to be overly cautious. It turns out my hesitancy was totally unnecessary. The ESV is widely accepted and is quickly becoming the standard for many Christians. Including me. I still highly recommend it - and I am eagerly awaiting the ESV Study Bible (available later this year) because several theologians I greatly respect, such as J.I. Packer and Wayne Grudem, were involved in this project.

So there you have it (for any who have been curious), the reason why I have "gone public" with my use of the ESV!

Current Preaching Series: Cultivating A Heart Like David

I am currently preaching about the life of David, a favorite Old Testament hero for so many people. We are studying David because at SHF we so strongly desire to have a passion for God like David did. This man clearly loved to worship God and we have much to learn from his example.

Join us this Sunday (10 am @ Northern Nash Senior High School, Rocky Mount, NC) as we examine David's response when the Lord establishes His covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7:18-29.

Welcome To Our Church Blog!

Congratulations, you found us! I am Pastor Dan Rolfe, and this is the online resource center for Servant's Heart Fellowship of Rocky Mount, NC. We are a cross-centered church, building our fellowship with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. For more information about us visit our website www.shfchurch.com

Over the course of the next few weeks we will be adding to our blog, offering articles on a variety of church related topics - from my own favorite Bible translation to answering theological questions people may have about us.

Thanks for stopping by!