Pastor Paul's Blog http://www.smccnet.org/ en-us Sun, 26 May 2013 07:51:59 GMT Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss SiteOrganic 60 webmaster@smccnet.org Written in Stone http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36789 Fri, 15 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36789 Gospel-Centered Emotions: The Stuff Beneath http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36465 Human beings are a complex mixture of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. Beneath the surface of our lives lies a complex mass of emotions. Focusing on those emotions and inviting the truth of God’s Word to inform our feelings is a significant part of our spiritual growth. Ignoring our emotions can lead to trouble. Sooner or later those stuffed emotions will unstuff (a new word!) themselves and affect the way we live. In our message today we are going to explore the emotional world that rests beneath the surface of our lives. This will be hard work but by the help of the Holy Spirit we can understand who we really are.

“Now may the God of peace himself 

sanctify you completely, and may your 

whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless 

at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:23


Listen Now]]> Sat, 16 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36465 Gospel-Centered Emotions: Emotional Maturity http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36464 As we continue our series on Gospel-Centered Emotions we are going to talk today about how our emotions are transformed when we change our focus, knowledge, values, and beliefs. If we say we believe something but our emotions say we do not, we had better listen to what they are saying. Our goal today is to be very practical about seeking to line up what we feel with what God says is true and valuable. As you prepare for worship take some time to read the following verses and think about the feelings that are involved in each person’s valuable discovery:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure

hidden in a field, which a man found

and covered up. Then in his joy he goes

and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant

in search of fine pearls, 

who, on finding one pearl of great value, 

went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

~Matthew 13:44-46

Listen Now]]> Sat, 09 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36464 Gospel-Centered Emotions: Truth and Feelings http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36463 Lots of Christians are stuck. (For many of us, after years of living on the Christian treadmill and doing all the things that are expected, all we have to show for our activity is an inner hollowness.) For many others there is the repetition of the same old patterns of sin and little evidence that we are becoming more loving, patient, kind and humble. What’s wrong? Generally speaking, there is a disconnect between our convictions and our emotions. Spiritual growth and progress involves emotional health and maturity. As we continue in the series, Gospel Centered Emotions, we want to talk about the antidote that is essential for spiritual transformation.

“As a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When shall I come and appear before God?”

~Psalm 42:1-2

Listen Now]]> Sat, 26 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36463 Gospel-Centered Emotions: The Emotional Life of God http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36462 Does God have emotions? What a loaded question! Most classical theologians, from the early centuries of the church into the modern era, have argued in favor of the doctrine of impassibility. This is the idea that God is neither controlled by or subjected to emotions. The motive behind this doctrine is to guard God against the appearance of experiencing mood swings. Unfortunately, divine impassibility has come to mean that God doesn’t have emotions. Certainly, God is not unstable but that is very different from saying that He is without emotions. As we come to the second installment in our series on Gospel-Centered Emotions we want to explore the emotional life of God. The central theme of this message is that God’s emotions, especially His love and empathy, serve to deepen our relationship with Him.


“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.”

~Lamentations 3:22-23


Listen Now]]> Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36462 Gospel-Centered Emotions: The place of emotions in the Christian Life http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36461 The intersection between faith and feelings has had a rich and complicated history in the church. Many of us grew up in a tradition that asserted if we were going to become more spiritual, we had to become less emotional. As a result, we were told to stop showing emotions because they cannot be trusted. The truth is that maturity in Christ is about becoming more and more whole in our mind, will and emotions.  We are beginning a new series today on the emotional life of a Christian. The emotions are essential to our humanity and our spiritual life. During this series we will discover that we have emotions because God is an emotional being. The truth is that emotions move us. They push us toward action. They can move us toward sin but they can also drive us towards righteousness and heroic living. In fact, the more we grow toward spiritual maturity, the more aware we will become of our emotions. This is going to be an exciting and challenging series.

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

~Mark 12:30


Listen Now]]> Sun, 13 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36461 Gospel-Centered Emotions Reading List http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36456 Feel: The Power of Listening to your Heart
by Matthew Elliot

Spiritual Depression Its Causes and Cure
by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The Cry of the Soul
How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions About God
by Dr. Dan B. Allender & Dr. Tremper Longman III]]> Sat, 12 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36456 Recommended Reading http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36455
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God
by Eric Metaxas

The Meaning of Marriage
by Timothy Keller

A Taste of Heaven
by R.C. Sproul

John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace
by Jonathan Aitken & Philip Yancey

On Loving God
by St. Bernard of Clairvaux

On the Incarnation of the Word
by St. Athanasius

Athanasius
by Simonetta Carr








Pat Swanson 
Executive Administrative Assistant
Sierra Madre Congregational Church
626.355.3566 ext. 321



]]> Tue, 01 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=36455 The Radical Experiment for 2011 http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=18677 Our Radical Experiment begins today. During this year we have committed ourselves, by God's grace, to five specific challenges:
    • To read through the entire Word this year.
    • To pray for the entire world using Operation World.
    • To give 2% of our time (7 days) serving our community or in a cross- cultural context.
    • To sacrifice our wealth for the advancement of God's kingdom.
    • To encourage and support one another as we seek to follow Christ in radical obedience.
  This radical experiment is not intended to be easy, nor is it intended to be an effort in religious performance. Our aim in each component is to know Christ and to savor Him above all things. The danger lurking behind any spiritual discipline is thinking we can gain God's approval by what we do. We cannot. God's approval has already been purchased for us by Christ on the cross. We are approved by what He did.  

    I want to encourage you in this experiment along the way. For instance, as you begin the process of reading through Bible today, there are some drawbacks to a Bible reading plan. It is easy for a a reading plan to become a formal routine resulting in duty without delight. However, the advantages for such a plan outweigh any negatives that could be mentioned. On December 30, 1842 Robert Murray M'Cheyne wrote a letter to his Scottish congregation commending them to a year-long adventure in reading the Bible from beginning to end:

MY DEAR FLOCK, -- The approach of another year stirs up within me new desires for your salvation, and for the growth of those of you who are saved. "God is my record how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ." What the coming year is to bring forth who can tell? ... Those believers will stand firmest who have no dependence upon self or upon creatures, but upon Jehovah our Righteousness. We must be driven more to our Bibles, and to the mercy-seat, if we are to stand in the evil day. Then we shall be able to say, like David – “The proud have had me greatly in derision, yet have I not declined from Thy law.” “Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word.”


As you read God's Word this year, may your love for Christ increase so that you may stand firm in Him.

    For your joy,
    Paul]]> Sat, 01 Jan 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://www.smccnet.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=253660&articleId=18677