Trivia Question 7

How many references to God's sovereign control over evil are found in the Book of Proverbs?

A. 3
B. 10
C. 6
D. 8

Answer is found in the comment section...

Paul Washer: Worth the 9 Minutes & 37 Seconds!

How Do We View Church: Like Going to a Movie?

[This idea was taken from one of Kevin DeYoung's blog entries about "The Church Service You Don't Want."]

Have you ever noticed that some church services can be a lot like going to the movie theater on a Friday night?

It starts with a communal agreement that everyone is here because it is Friday night and everyone is here because this is what you do on Friday nights – you go to the movies.

Okay, let me set the stage (no pun intended): a large crowd is already gathering in the parking lot, arriving at a socially acceptable time of 15 minutes prior to the previews (of course, there are those early birds who arrive uncannily early at 30 minutes before showtime so that they may get the best seats in the house). There is a mingling-group here or there, but most of the crowd is headed to their seats with beverages in hand.

Once seated and comfortable, the mingling continues – only it is now whispers that are being heard around the theater by those speaking about “surface issues” with those directly beside them. Some people, however, don’t even talk with those outside their immediate party. They would rather listen the background music and observe the commercials flashing on the large screen.

Okay, so that is the stage. Now we move onto the actual event being performed before the observers. It is different every week, yet all the while the same. You have the previews, you have the actual movie and you have the credits (some people leave before the credits start and then there are those (my wonderful mother!) who like to stay far too long watching each and every credit).

Of course, you have the occasional interruption with someone getting up to use the restroom, someone sneezing or someone munching awkwardly during a quiet scene in the movie. There are some tears shed from a few emotional-charged women and there are some men who came because of their wives. There are those who are there with their date and those who wish they had a date. Participation in the event is slim to none. Other than that, you have completed your Friday evening ritual…and you leave…feeling either good or bad, either tired or bored, or feeling just plain irritated by what you saw.

Once in the vehicle, the immediate party discusses the pros and cons of the script, actors, actresses and dramatics of the movies (some people can be more thematically savvy than others). Statistically speaking, it is 95% times more likely that these viewers will never speak about the film again.

I pray we don’t “do church” like that…

Trivia Question 6

How many psalms have specific traces of Exodus 34:6-7 in them?

A. 3
B. 7
C. 1
D. 4

Answer is found in the comment section...

Trivia Question 5

In the Book of Jude (verses 12-13), what are the five creation-references used the describe the ungodly?

A. fire, water, air, star, sky
B. reefs, clouds, autumn trees, waves, stars
C. spring trees, waves, reefs, stars, sky
D. water, lion, tiger, bear, molecule

Answer is found in the comment section...

New Creation with New Affections: Paul Washer

God’s M.O.: His Glory Through Salvation

“M.O.:” acronym for modus operandi, Latin for mode of operation.

What is God’s M.O.?

In short, God saves sinners through the mercy and grace shown them in the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that as the Spirit of God dwells within them they may honor and glorify Him by declaring that gospel to all nations.