Many years ago Allen, John Lyons, and I went up to visit Redeemer PCA in Manhattan to learn more about how they were running their small group ministry. We met with several of their pastors, and heard Tim Keller as he led a meeting with his ministry leaders.
I believe the most significant aspect of that trip for Columbia Presbyterian was learning about the study of Galatians that they had recently prepared for their group leaders. Pastor Keller had preached through the book (an excellent series!!) and had prepared a study on the book for his group leaders. He had also prepared a study for the congregation that he called Gospel and the Heart. We adapted his study and began running a weekend seminar by the same name. We have offered this seminar every year since that time.
We are drawing close to the time for this seminar. Once again we will spend time looking at how we live by the power of the gospel in the reality of our day to day lives. If you are newer to CPC and have never taken this seminar, I strongly encourage you to register. If you took this seminar years ago, I encourage you to register for two reasons: to see how you have grown in your understanding and appreciation of the impact of the gospel on you daily, and more importantly because of how I have grown in my appreciation for the gospel. Quite frankly, this seminar has grown over the years because of how God has grown me, the teacher, in the riches of His gospel.
We are going to spend Friday evening looking at the two topics: what is the gospel? and how does my adoption into God's family transform my life? Saturday morning we will look at how the gospel frees me to live in faith and gospel power, what saps the gospel's power in my life, and lastly, living with hope beyond our circumstances.
Because of my move to Portland, Oregon this summer this will be the last scheduled time for me to teach this seminar. I hope you can join us to benefit from how God has been shaping me through the gospel for the past 21 years, and to grow in our love for God's gracious gift of redemption. If you have any questions about this seminar send me an e-mail at Steve@ColumbiaPres.org or call me at the office (410-730-6004).
Steve
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Status Report on our transition to Portland
I thought I would write a blog to bring you all up to date with how God is leading in our family's transition to our next ministry. Many of you have stopped me and asked what is going on and expressed your support for our family. I am very grateful for your friendship and support.
I realized this week as I was praying that this blog site is a great vehicle to keep you current with what God is doing as we prepare to launch Impact Biblical Counseling in the Portland area. I also want to help you to know how you can be praying for us in this transition.
One of the things I would like to do is provide regular prayer requests for anyone who would like to be part of our prayer team. I would like to provide up to date prayer requests (weekly?) to anyone who would commit to praying for us. If you are interested, simply send me an e-mail at: Steve@ImpactBiblicalCounseling.com and I will send out a weekly e-mail that gives you our current prayer requests.
In the meanwhile I would like to ask you to pray for us in three areas.
Steve
I realized this week as I was praying that this blog site is a great vehicle to keep you current with what God is doing as we prepare to launch Impact Biblical Counseling in the Portland area. I also want to help you to know how you can be praying for us in this transition.
One of the things I would like to do is provide regular prayer requests for anyone who would like to be part of our prayer team. I would like to provide up to date prayer requests (weekly?) to anyone who would commit to praying for us. If you are interested, simply send me an e-mail at: Steve@ImpactBiblicalCounseling.com and I will send out a weekly e-mail that gives you our current prayer requests.
In the meanwhile I would like to ask you to pray for us in three areas.
- The first is that God will keep me focused on the responsibilities I have here at CPC. I am still fully engaged with the ministries here. I would love prayer for my work with the Building Executive Committee. I am pulling together a team of ministry leaders to plan for life when we move off site for Sunday ministries. Ask God to give us time to meet while we are all busy with the ministries we oversee. I would also love prayer for the Gospel and the Heart seminar on March 26-27.
- Secondly, pray for us as we develop Impact Biblical Counseling and establish relationships with churches in the Portland area. I will be going to Oregon March 11-22 to present two weekend conferences and to meet with more pastors to present our ministry.
- Thirdly, I ask you to pray for the logistics of moving. Ann and I are excited about God's call to this new ministry, but we recognize that this is completely beyond our ability to manage as finite people. Ann has described this as the "coming tsunami." I think I better understand the Hebrews' response to the spies who reported on their trip into Canaan in . Numbers 13 and 14. I agree with Joshua and Caleb's message that the land is filled with good things and will be a wonderful home, and there are giants that God will defeat for us. I want to see more of God who is leading us into this new home, and less of the giants! Please pray that we will be able to sell our home in this unstable market; buy a home (and get a mortgage in a tight credit market); be settled in as the fall starts; and, that God will use our ministry to serve the churches in Portland providing solid care for folks who want to grow in their understanding of how the unchanging grace of God changes us and matures us spiritually .
Steve
Friday, February 12, 2010
Lonely this Valentine's Day?
Lonely this Valentine's Day? Find the intimacy you desire!
The following link is to a small booklet produced by the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation:
http://ccef.org/single-and-lonely-finding-intimacy-you-desire
The following link is to a small booklet produced by the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation:
http://ccef.org/single-and-lonely-finding-intimacy-you-desire
Friday, February 5, 2010
A Song for our Month of Missions
A couple of hours ago we announced that all our activities this weekend at CPC are cancelled because we are expecting a "storm of historic proportions" to blanket our area with a whole lot of snow. That means (for those keeping track out there) that the start of our Month of Missions will have to wait yet another week to begin.
One of the things that I will have to put off until next week is my plan to introduce (or 'revive' depending on your familiarity with the Trinity Hymnal) a song entitled, How Sweet and Aweful is the Place written by Isaac Watts in 1707. I love the beautiful melody in the Trinity Hymnal, but it is the lyrics that I want to bring to your attention in this post.
The hymn takes us on a journey of wonder as the singer (sinner) discovers God's mercy and loving-kindness to sinners, marvels at God's transforming grace, and proclaims the Holy Spirit produced phenomena that causes our hearts to desire to participate with Him in His ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
Verse one describes the assembly of the saints in worship marveling at the glorious Bridegroom:
How sweet and aweful is the place with Christ within the doors,
While everlasting Love displays the choicest of her stores!
Although the updated Trinity Hymnal lyric says 'sweet and awesome', the original phrase was sweet and aweful. The first time I encountered this song several years ago that definitely caused me to pause and consider what I was hearing. The term, awful is commonly used now-a-days for something unpleasant, or of poor quality, but it literally means something that is full of awe or awe inspiring. The place where Christ is lifted up and adored is a sweet and aweful place.
Verses two through four reflect the jaw-dropping realization of the predestinating, unconditionally electing, undeserved favor that believers receive as a free gift of God's amazing grace:
While all our hearts and all our songs join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues, "Lord, why was I a guest?"
"Why was I made to hear thy voice, and enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice, and rather starve than come?"
'Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste, and perished in our sin.
We are reminded of what the 11th hour worker might have experienced in Jesus' parable in Matthew 20:1-16 as he was given according to his need, NOT according to what he deserved. Amazing!
Then the hymn takes an interesting turn to look outside of ourselves to the world around us and Watts gives us voice to intercede on behalf of the nations. Note the ordinary means of God's Word preached that is the vehicle by which the 'strangers will ultimately be brought home.'
Verses five and six are the reason why I wanted us to sing this as a congregation during our month of missions:
Pity the nations, O our God! constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad, and bring the strangers home.
We long to see thy churches full, that all the chosen race,
May with one voice, and heart and soul, sing Thy redeeming grace.
I have to be honest here - is that my 'heart for missions'? Do I long to see His churches full of persevering pilgrims awaiting the glorious return of the King who came to deliver His people from their sins? I want to grow in that.
Over the last week as it became clearer every day that we were in for a major snow event. We were warned to be prepared. If you ventured into a grocery store in recent days you saw many people heeding those warnings (I was in both Food Lion AND Giant twice each - ask me later why). We won't know the extent of this storm until Saturday or Sunday. However, there is coming a Day when all humanity will be judged by the righteous standard of a Holy God. Not only do we have the clear warning of the Scriptures to prepare for that Day, we also have the exceedingly good news of great joy which shall be for all people - both locally and globally.
I look forward to being able to sing How Sweet and Aweful is the Place with the congregation of CPC and, by God's grace, to live out the song together.
Pastor Tim
One of the things that I will have to put off until next week is my plan to introduce (or 'revive' depending on your familiarity with the Trinity Hymnal) a song entitled, How Sweet and Aweful is the Place written by Isaac Watts in 1707. I love the beautiful melody in the Trinity Hymnal, but it is the lyrics that I want to bring to your attention in this post.
The hymn takes us on a journey of wonder as the singer (sinner) discovers God's mercy and loving-kindness to sinners, marvels at God's transforming grace, and proclaims the Holy Spirit produced phenomena that causes our hearts to desire to participate with Him in His ministry of reconciliation (see 2 Corinthians 5:11-21).
Verse one describes the assembly of the saints in worship marveling at the glorious Bridegroom:
How sweet and aweful is the place with Christ within the doors,
While everlasting Love displays the choicest of her stores!
Although the updated Trinity Hymnal lyric says 'sweet and awesome', the original phrase was sweet and aweful. The first time I encountered this song several years ago that definitely caused me to pause and consider what I was hearing. The term, awful is commonly used now-a-days for something unpleasant, or of poor quality, but it literally means something that is full of awe or awe inspiring. The place where Christ is lifted up and adored is a sweet and aweful place.
Verses two through four reflect the jaw-dropping realization of the predestinating, unconditionally electing, undeserved favor that believers receive as a free gift of God's amazing grace:
While all our hearts and all our songs join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues, "Lord, why was I a guest?"
"Why was I made to hear thy voice, and enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice, and rather starve than come?"
'Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste, and perished in our sin.
We are reminded of what the 11th hour worker might have experienced in Jesus' parable in Matthew 20:1-16 as he was given according to his need, NOT according to what he deserved. Amazing!
Then the hymn takes an interesting turn to look outside of ourselves to the world around us and Watts gives us voice to intercede on behalf of the nations. Note the ordinary means of God's Word preached that is the vehicle by which the 'strangers will ultimately be brought home.'
Verses five and six are the reason why I wanted us to sing this as a congregation during our month of missions:
Pity the nations, O our God! constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad, and bring the strangers home.
We long to see thy churches full, that all the chosen race,
May with one voice, and heart and soul, sing Thy redeeming grace.
I have to be honest here - is that my 'heart for missions'? Do I long to see His churches full of persevering pilgrims awaiting the glorious return of the King who came to deliver His people from their sins? I want to grow in that.
Over the last week as it became clearer every day that we were in for a major snow event. We were warned to be prepared. If you ventured into a grocery store in recent days you saw many people heeding those warnings (I was in both Food Lion AND Giant twice each - ask me later why). We won't know the extent of this storm until Saturday or Sunday. However, there is coming a Day when all humanity will be judged by the righteous standard of a Holy God. Not only do we have the clear warning of the Scriptures to prepare for that Day, we also have the exceedingly good news of great joy which shall be for all people - both locally and globally.
I look forward to being able to sing How Sweet and Aweful is the Place with the congregation of CPC and, by God's grace, to live out the song together.
Pastor Tim
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Clarifying comments on Sun Jan 31
Last Sunday one of my applications of Matt 20:26-28 was to folks who have come to CPC for a long time and have not gotten involved. I raised the question of whether that might be because these folks want to avoid serving by remaining peripheral. I think that is a valid question to ask if you have been visiting CPC for years and still see yourself a simply a visitor.
However I want to clarify a couple of things:
1. I realize that there may be a number of reasons why you could choose to continue to visit CPC, and not join or get more involved that have nothing to do with your avoiding serving. I was not assuming I knew your motive.
2. I also realize that some of you are not members and yet serve as much or more than some members. The question was not about membership but serving.
3. I am not judging the hearts of people who visit CPC for some time without getting involved. I was simply raising that question among several others as applications of the text for self-examination.
I am convinced that obedience here, as in every one of Jesus's words to us, will increase our joy,not decrease it.
So I offer these words to all who heard me on Sunday with a prayer that we will all hear Jesus and raise difficult questions that draw us closer to Him in our recognition that we need Him to change our self-centered-want-to-be-served hearts. (By the way no one complained to me about what I said! I simply thought a clarifying blog might be in order.)
Enjoy a White Weekend!
Allen Harris
However I want to clarify a couple of things:
1. I realize that there may be a number of reasons why you could choose to continue to visit CPC, and not join or get more involved that have nothing to do with your avoiding serving. I was not assuming I knew your motive.
2. I also realize that some of you are not members and yet serve as much or more than some members. The question was not about membership but serving.
3. I am not judging the hearts of people who visit CPC for some time without getting involved. I was simply raising that question among several others as applications of the text for self-examination.
I am convinced that obedience here, as in every one of Jesus's words to us, will increase our joy,not decrease it.
So I offer these words to all who heard me on Sunday with a prayer that we will all hear Jesus and raise difficult questions that draw us closer to Him in our recognition that we need Him to change our self-centered-want-to-be-served hearts. (By the way no one complained to me about what I said! I simply thought a clarifying blog might be in order.)
Enjoy a White Weekend!
Allen Harris
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How to Engage Postmodern Cynics with the Gospel
Blog:
How to Engage Postmodern Cynics with the Gospel
I just finished a book that I took an unusual amount of time to read because it has so much to offer: David Henderson’s Culture Shift: Communicating God’s Truth to Our Changing World. This is probably the most helpful book I have seen in many years for helping Christians to understand our culture and how to communicate the gospel to it.
He not only gives a brief history of philosophy in understandable terms, but also lots of concrete examples from his own experience in leading post modern cynics to faith in Christ. Just following how he talks to people makes the book worth the price and time to read it.
He divides the main part of the book into two broad topics:
I. Who we are, and II. How we think.
Each of these is divided into three subtopics, and each of those has two chapters: the first on understanding our culture and how it got to be that way, the second on how we as Christians address it with the gospel.
I. Who we are: Consumers, Spectators, Self-Absorbed Individuals
II. How we think: Beyond God, Beyond Right & Wrong, Beyond Meaning & Purpose
This is not just an intellectual text, but a punch-to-the-gut-make-you-feel-the-despair of lost people in today’s world. For example his quotes from today’s thinkers such as Woody Allen: “Civilization stands at the crossroads. Down one road is despondency and despair, and down the other road is total annihilation. Let us pray that we choose the right road.”
Or the T-shirt that says, “A man’s got to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another beer.”
While there are a few things I disagree with him on, the approach is very God-centered and faithful to the truth of the gospel. It is a bit like Francis Schaefer for the 21st century. This is not just a book to read, but to do. It encouraged me to engage unbelievers because God is at work in our culture of people unglued from Reality, and dying of spiritual thirst.
I just checked; the book is available from Amazon.com: 24 new from .99 and 40 used from .49.
Allen Harris
How to Engage Postmodern Cynics with the Gospel
I just finished a book that I took an unusual amount of time to read because it has so much to offer: David Henderson’s Culture Shift: Communicating God’s Truth to Our Changing World. This is probably the most helpful book I have seen in many years for helping Christians to understand our culture and how to communicate the gospel to it.
He not only gives a brief history of philosophy in understandable terms, but also lots of concrete examples from his own experience in leading post modern cynics to faith in Christ. Just following how he talks to people makes the book worth the price and time to read it.
He divides the main part of the book into two broad topics:
I. Who we are, and II. How we think.
Each of these is divided into three subtopics, and each of those has two chapters: the first on understanding our culture and how it got to be that way, the second on how we as Christians address it with the gospel.
I. Who we are: Consumers, Spectators, Self-Absorbed Individuals
II. How we think: Beyond God, Beyond Right & Wrong, Beyond Meaning & Purpose
This is not just an intellectual text, but a punch-to-the-gut-make-you-feel-the-despair of lost people in today’s world. For example his quotes from today’s thinkers such as Woody Allen: “Civilization stands at the crossroads. Down one road is despondency and despair, and down the other road is total annihilation. Let us pray that we choose the right road.”
Or the T-shirt that says, “A man’s got to believe in something. I believe I’ll have another beer.”
While there are a few things I disagree with him on, the approach is very God-centered and faithful to the truth of the gospel. It is a bit like Francis Schaefer for the 21st century. This is not just a book to read, but to do. It encouraged me to engage unbelievers because God is at work in our culture of people unglued from Reality, and dying of spiritual thirst.
I just checked; the book is available from Amazon.com: 24 new from .99 and 40 used from .49.
Allen Harris
Monday, December 7, 2009
Thanks for your support
You guys are a wonderful church family for me. So many of you are coming up to me and asking where things stand with my transition into full time pastoral counseling that I thought I ought to write a blog and fill you all in at once.
Ann and I will indeed be moving out to the Portland area with a number of our kids to start this new ministry. We will be going out after Daniel graduates from Reservoir High School and after we sell our home. The churches in Portland/Vancouver are very positive about my coming out to work with them. I am excited about going out to work with them. I have a fairly clear sense of the need and of what I have to offer. I see God's hand in this fit.
I will also be going out periodically to do some teaching and build the relationships with churches out there. My next trip will be to go out in early March to teach a seminar in Eugene on Marriage and a seminar in Vancouver, WA on relationships. In the week between these two seminars I am going to be teaching about Biblical counseling in a church in Seaside, Or. I am very excited to be going out and having the time with these churches and the members of their congregations. Please pray for these sessions and ask God to use them to build His kingdom and to pave the way for our transition to the west coast.
There are several key prayer items I would love for any who are interested to pray for us: pray that these teaching times will build the churches in this area; pray that we will be able to sell our house and buy the right house in the right neighborhood in Oregon; pray for our family to live well in the stressful times of transition; and pray for us to follow God wherever and however He leads.
Feel free to contact me with any questions you have, but you will still be seeing a lot of me over the next months. I do not envision leaving before late June.
Thank you for your support, prayers, and affection. I love you all!
Steve
Ann and I will indeed be moving out to the Portland area with a number of our kids to start this new ministry. We will be going out after Daniel graduates from Reservoir High School and after we sell our home. The churches in Portland/Vancouver are very positive about my coming out to work with them. I am excited about going out to work with them. I have a fairly clear sense of the need and of what I have to offer. I see God's hand in this fit.
I will also be going out periodically to do some teaching and build the relationships with churches out there. My next trip will be to go out in early March to teach a seminar in Eugene on Marriage and a seminar in Vancouver, WA on relationships. In the week between these two seminars I am going to be teaching about Biblical counseling in a church in Seaside, Or. I am very excited to be going out and having the time with these churches and the members of their congregations. Please pray for these sessions and ask God to use them to build His kingdom and to pave the way for our transition to the west coast.
There are several key prayer items I would love for any who are interested to pray for us: pray that these teaching times will build the churches in this area; pray that we will be able to sell our house and buy the right house in the right neighborhood in Oregon; pray for our family to live well in the stressful times of transition; and pray for us to follow God wherever and however He leads.
Feel free to contact me with any questions you have, but you will still be seeing a lot of me over the next months. I do not envision leaving before late June.
Thank you for your support, prayers, and affection. I love you all!
Steve
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