I don’t remember ever experiencing a thunderstorm like last night, even after 3 years living in Kansas. The lightning began around 10pm near our house, and didn’t move on until about 2. So loud, so bright, and so many.

As my house shook and the room flashed white, I thought about how I was enjoying a glimpse of the power of God. I remember Jerry Bridges explaining that we should be very careful how we use the word “awesome.” For instance, an ice cream sundae might be delicious, but it isn’t awesome. An new video game device might be technologically innovative, but it isn’t awesome. Something that is awesome is something that inspires awe, that leaves us speechless, stunned and amazed. God is awesome. And displays of his power on the earth, like last night’s lightning storm, are awesome. I was in it awe watching and listening for hours last night: awe-some.

Here’s how the man Job describes the awesome display of God’s power through lightning:

• Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea. (Job 36:30)
• He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. (Job 36:32)
• Under the whole heaven he lets it go, and his lightning to the corners of the earth. (Job 37:3)
• He loads the thick cloud with moisture; the clouds scatter his lightning. (Job 37:11)
• Do you know how God lays his command upon them and causes the lightning of his cloud to shine? (Job 37:15)
• Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are’? (Job 38:35)

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Did the title get your attention? I hope it did. That’s something I’ve said numerous times at five15 and at Leadership Development. I say it because I want to help people remember that our time here is fleeting and soon to be gone. And this should have an effect on how we live.

Mark recently gave me this quotation, which says the same thing in a longer (and much more eloquent) way:

“When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow: when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of the tombs, of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great Day when we shall all of us be Contemporaries, and make our appearance together.” - Joseph Addison

Reminds me of Psalm 90:5-6, 12:

“You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.“

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Last week, I said that one way to stay amazed by grace is sing the truth about grace. We’ve been given huge gifts in the form of Sovereign Grace Music: CDs that are lyrically rich and musically creative. I’m pleased to announce Christmas will be in August this year: another gift is on the way.

Sovereign Grace Ministries is working on a new CD entitled Valley of Vision, inspired by a book of Puritan prayers by the same name. Here’s what this CD is all about:

Someone might ask, “Why produce a CD inspired by the prayers of a bunch of dead guys?” That’s an easy one. Puritans like John Bunyan, Thomas Watson, Richard Baxter, and Isaac Watts knew their hearts, their Bibles, and their God much better than we do. Many of them wrote down their prayers not to be published, but to assess their own spiritual growth and to encourage themselves in times of spiritual dryness. These prayers reveal a personal, humble, passionate relationship with an awesome God, a living Savior, and an active Spirit. Reading their meditations inspires us to pursue the same level of reality as we worship God.

The songs on Valley of Vision draw from these prayers at various levels and in various ways. Some use a few phrases from a specific prayer, others develop a particular idea, and a few try to capture the original flow of thought, using many of the original words.

Cool: check out the Valley of Vision page.
Cooler: Listen to music samples, read the lyrics, even watch a trailer.
Coolest: One of the songs was written by our own Pete Gagnon.

You’ve read the prayers from Valley of Vision. Sing them this summer.
Coming August, 2006.

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Parents, I hope you are continuing to benefit from Mark’s special Fathers Day message: “Love is Kind.” (If you didn’t hear it on Sunday, you can download the MP3 here.) This message is so helpful for parents because self-righteousness may be one of the most blinding, and the most serious, ways that parents sin towards their teenagers.

Mark explained simply: Self-righteousness is believing that my opinions and behavior are morally superior to those of others. But: Love will dispose us to relate to sinners with patience and without self-righteousness.

Need help detecting self-righteousness? Ask yourself (or others) if any of these statements sound familiar:

• “I sure hope my husband/wife/son/daughter/friend is listening to this message. He really needs it.”
• “I can’t believe he…”
• “How could she…?”
• “How many times have I…?”
• “This is the last time…”
• “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard/seen/read…”

Or maybe:

• You ask leading questions
• You don’t ask questions at all, you simply assume you know what the situation is
• You complain a lot, assuming “I deserve better than this.”
• You are quick to find fault
• Your criticisms are sharp, pointed, and specific while your encouragement is general, vague, and infrequent
• The gospel rarely comes up in your conversations
• Correction is about getting satisfaction, not about serving the other person.

If any of these descriptions fit you, you may self-righteousness may be a helpful description of what is going on in your heart. We’re self-righteous because we’re proud. Self-righteousness distorts our view of ourselves and others by exaggerating our virtues, and exaggerating others’ deficiencies.

But there is hope through the gospel: remembering that Jesus Christ died for sins gives us the right perspective. We are reminded of our sin, lessening our view of ourselves. And we are reminded that this person is someone for whom Christ died. If he can bear their sin, we can expect this grace to teach us to wait peacefully and suffer long. I particularly like Mark’s “paraphrase for parents” of 1 Corinthians 13:1-7:

If I speak the gospel to my children but have not love, I am a noisy gong or clanging cymbal. And if I have the rod and use it at just the right times, and if I understand how to shepherd my child’s heart, and if I have all faith so as to persevere through the twos and the teens, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have for tuition and weddings and if I deliver up my car and many a good night’s sleep as well, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

As a way to apply this, and to involve your family in your sanctification, ask those around you these questions:

1. Would you describe me as a patient person?
2. What do I look like and sound like when I am impatient?
3. Are there times when you are more aware of my displeasure than my affection?
4. Do you believe I am more concerned about my own sins than about yours?

Categories: Thursday Thoughts For Parents, five15 blog
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Don’t forget: the White Oak Canyon hike is THIS Saturday, August 24! We’ll be meeting at the building at 8am, should be back in the mid- to late-afternoon. (REMINDER: though we are meeting at the building to drive out together, we are NOT arranging carpools. You need to arrange a ride before you show up!)

What to bring: White Oak Canyon is not a difficult hike, and the main falls are only a little over a mile from the parking lot. Still, there is no snack bar, and you probably shouldn’t drink the water from the stream, so plan on bringing a backpack with your lunch and plenty of water. You don’t have to have hiking boots, but flip-flops probably aren’t a great idea. If you’re planning to go swimming in the pools (COLD!) to plan on serving others by wearing modest swimwear. Don’t forget your camera. Also, $5 park entrance fee if you are 17 or older.

Need directions? Click here for a PDF map of the area with directions on the next page. Or:

Take I-66 WEST to Gainesville. Head SOUTH on 29. In Warrenton, get onto 211 WEST. When you reach Sperryville, go LEFT/SOUTH on 522. You won’t go far before turning RIGHT onto 231. Head to Etlan and turn RIGHT onto 643. Turn RIGHT again onto 600, go about 4.7 miles and the parking area will be on your left.

Weather forecast:

Right now, the weather looks good, but if it changes and we have to cancel, we will post it here no later than 7am.

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Ladies, it was one year ago that the GirlTalkers got started with their blog. Hope you’ve been checking in regularly and enjoying the ride.

Check out the post today for a year-in-review: 12 months of blogging on biblical womanhood and other fun stuff. Enjoy.

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When Mark described his experience in the check out line, I thought he might as well be describing me. So many of the things he described, I’ve done. Counting people’s items in line. Paying attention to who is last in the next line to compare and see who gets through first. Wincing at those dreaded words: “Price check on aisle 3…”

What Mark was describing is impatience, so it was particularly helpful that he preached on these three words from 1 Corinthians 13:4, “Love is patient.” How is it patient? Simple: it waits peacefully and it suffers long. I don’t think I usually wait peacefully. I’ll wait if I have to. And I can be peaceful if I don’t have to wait. But waiting peacefully? That’s a tall order.

But that’s what love is all about. As Mark explained, “this quality is essential for any human in a relationship with other humans.” That’s us. This doesn’t come easily to any of us. Whether your siblings are borrowing your clothes, or you can’t wait to finish driver’s ed, or the monotony of daily chores is wearing you out–patience is still required. “If it isn’t patient, it isn’t love.”

How are you doing at being patient, at waiting peacefully and suffering long? Are you loving those around you with patience? Two simple questions you can ask your parents and siblings to help you get at this:

• Would you describe me as a patient person?
• What do I look and sound like when I am impatient?

Then ask your parents:

• What steps can I take to grow more loving and more patient?

Categories: Monday Matters, five15 blog
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The final recommendation about keeping yourself amazed by grace: read the truth about grace. Of course there are lots of good books that will get the job done (like Living the Cross-Centered Life, by CJ, Stott’s The Cross of Christ, or anything by Piper), but why not get into the Bible itself? If you aren’t on a Bible reading plan already for the summer, maybe devote your summer to reading a book like Ephesians. Or Romans. Or pick one of the gospels: I’m particularly fond of the Gospel of Mark. Whatever you do, read the truth about the gospel.

Here’s a favorite that I read recently:

“Salvation is not mainly the forgiveness of sins, but mainly the fellowship of Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:9). Forgiveness gets everything out of the way so this can happen.” John Piper, Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, 41.

As you are reading along, you are going to come across more nuggets like this that are worth remembering. What happens then? How about writing the truth about grace? Coming up next…

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Oops: I just put aftershave on my toothbrush.  The smell tipped me off before the brush hit the pearlies, but it didn’t rinse well.  Not recommended.

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Here’s another way to be amazed by grace: sing the truth about grace. This is, after all, what we are commanded to do so often in the Psalms:

“Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!” (Ps. 47:6)
“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.” (Ps. 71:23)
“Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Ps. 100:2)
“Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (Ps. 105:2)
“Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant!” (Ps. 135:3)
“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!” (Ps. 147:7)

Got a favorite worship song? Work to memorize the words. Then sing it wherever you are during your day. (If you have a voice like me, this doesn’t necessarily have to be out loud!) Singing songs you’ve memorized is a great way to meditate on the deep truths of the gospel and a great way to make grace more amazing. I’ve been often singing “Grace Unmeasured” from the WorshipLive album:

Grace unmeasured, vast and free
That knew me from eternity
That called me out before my birth
To bring You glory on this earth

Grace amazing, pure and deep
That saw me in my misery
That took my curse and owned my blame
So I could bear Your righteous name

Chorus
Grace paid for my sins
And brought me to life
Grace clothes me with power
To do what is right
Grace will lead me to heaven
Where I’ll see Your face
And never cease
To thank You for Your grace

Grace abounding, strong and true
That makes me long to be like You
That turns me from my selfish pride
To love the cross on which You died

Grace unending all my days
You’ll give me strength to run this race
And when my years on earth are through
The praise will all belong to You

Grace Unmeasured by Bob Kauflin
© 2005 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI)

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