By John Henson, McMinnville TN
Text: James 1:19-27
- Attention (Verses 19-20)
- Reception (Verse 21)
- Application (Verses 22-25)
- Action
My Search
‘Tis common sense the world lauds,
Above the follies of the fool,
But I seek wisdom that is God’s,
As that one worthy, precious jewel.
O Lord, from you discernment I ask,
As I make righteousness my task.
Our Short Attention Span
Our short attention span
limits to what we can
do and pray and think —
our mind the weakest link.
Give strength to our soft mind,
O Lord, that we might find
the truth and apply today
your wisdom, without delay.
With Selfies Obsessed
With selfies is the world obsessed —
Appearance — figures that look the best —
The eye sees only flesh and youth,
The painted nail, the whitened tooth;
From beauty’s love, O Lord, protect —
It fails to see the worth of the soul —
The Spirit’s fruit in me perfect,
Where Jesus’ face is captured whole.
I Most Believe the Fear I Feel
What windows look upon your face,
Through darkest hour and hardest race,
Where can we see the upward turn? —
Your sovereign hand we’d soon discern.
I see the waves and howling wind,
The chilly vale where men walk blind,
And fail, in swelling pride, to heal —
I most believe the fear I feel.
Till Jesus comes, will I have faith?
Or will I be an object of wrath?
My will to endure, O Lord, is small —
Along the way let me not fall.
The pain of persecution
From a series on the pains of the Christian. One of those pains is persecution.
Text: 2 Tim 3.6-17
- Persecution arises because of opposition to the truth, 6-9.
- Persecution is part of the “package” of living for Christ and proclaiming his word, 10-11.
- The Lord rescues us from it all, 11.
- Persecution is the reality of godly living, 12.
- The Christian’s reaction: faithfulness to the Scriptures, 14-17.
See All My Pain and Need
The longings of man, O Lord, run deep,
Desires of body and soul,
They ruin his day, disturb his sleep,
And make of him a fool.
No passion is greater than need for you,
No wider emptiness;
Than self is required a vaster view,
Which pride balks to confess. Continue reading “See All My Pain and Need”
Answer to Prayer
Hope for me, a light, no matter how faint,
From heaven shines — even when evils paint
Their darkest colors and into the heart the cold
Of doubt seeps and chills, when men grow bold
To oppress the poor and weak — but still I see
That ray descending — answer to prayer — to free
My soul from despair. O save me, Lord — ’tis gone
My strength, awaiting the sun beyond the dawn.
Love Me
Save me, Lord, for I am weak,
Love me with your love undying,
Satisfy me with all I seek,
My deepest need in Christ supplying.
Cast me, Lord, your single net,
Use me for a soul’s salvation;
Honor my tears and blood and sweat,
To build on Christ’s secure foundation.
Whatever Comes My Way
Whatever comes my way I will
accept with quiet gratitude:
What I receive today will give
me cause for joy, all in good time;
And if tomorrow shall remove
what makes me glad today, I’ll thank
the Lord above for his good gift,
allowing me that cherished hour.