I've spent some time each morning (almost!) for the past week and a half reviewing my notes from the New Attitude messages, re-reading the scriptures that were central to each sermon, and jotting down some thoughts about how to apply. Here's a recap:
Discernment - Josh Harris (Sat. p.m.)
Romans 12:1-2
- discernment requires resistance
- discernment requires renewal
- discernment requires action
- discernment requires the gospel
I want to exercise discernment in the realm of infertility. As my circumstances seem to belie God's promises, I want to reclaim truth from the Word daily. I want to practice God's will - to get busy doing what I know he wants me to do - until his will becomes to me good, acceptable, and perfect. I want to blog about infertility by speaking truth, dying to the desire to appear sophisticated. I want to humbly remember that any insight I have into dealing with this trial is only because the Spirit has opened my eyes to the gospel.
Discern Your Doctrine - Mark Dever (Sun. a.m.)
- learn what doctrine we must agree upon through the Bible, your church, & your conscience
- fourfold test for doctrinal importance: (1) how clear is it in Scripture? (2) how clear do others think it is? (3) how near is it to the gospel? (4) what would be the effects of allowing disagreement?
Discern Your Culture - Al Mohler (Sun. p.m.)
- 5 wrong ways of understanding culture (using the metaphor of water): (1) "let's get completely wet" - letting culture define reality; (2) "let's stay completely dry" - impossible, because we cannot talk, eat, etc. without participating in culture in some way; (3) "let's take a dip" - we can't carelessly drop into culture and emerge safe; (4) "let's take a sip" - we cannot understand culture without serious study; (5) "let's look at the aquarium" - we can't engage culture from a distance
- culture is a sea that we swim in; it can be poisonous, but we cannot jump out; we need a systematic theology to understand and relate to culture
Discern Your Heart - C.J. Mahaney (Sun. p.m.)
Ex. 20:2; Rom. 1:25; 1 Thes. 1:9; 1 Cor. 10:4; Col. 3:5; 1 John 5:21
- defining idolatry - a false, functional God
- discerning idolatry - through Scripture, by the Spirit, in the church, in circumstances
- the fruit of identifying idolatry - growth in godliness; growth in gratefulness to God
Idolatry is my chief temptation, whether I recognize it or not. I need new eyes to see the sacrifice Christ made to win me to worship and serve the true God. As I pursue hard after pregnancy and children, I need to be aware when those become ruling desires. When I am prone to envy friends who are pregnant or have children, I need to ask whether that is idolatrous covetousness. I want this test of adversity to wean me from idolatry. I need God's grace so that he - my professed God - truly becomes my functional god - the One who drives every desire that I have.
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