Aug 18
2021
The Thief of Joy
I recently started a photography job that includes showing and selling the finished sessions to clients. I have done better at sales than I expected; it helps that I believe in what I am selling.
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A Sermon on Slavery
Today, I am featuring a sermon by Aaron Turner, Outreach Pastor of Midtown Church, PCA in St Louis, which he gave at his church two weeks ago.
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Pastor Addison Called as Our New Senior Pastor
We are excited to share that the election of Willie Addison to become the new pastor of Crown and Joy is complete.
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Whose Story Will You Follow? – by Karen Ellis
The following is an address Karen Ellis gave regarding the story of scripture vs. the stories of everything from the populist right to the progressive left.
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A Collection of Resources
Below are various articles/videos/podcasts that are interesting, thought-provoking, and worthy of consideration. We hope they will be encouraging to you and invite you to read them.
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An Article on Grief
Dear Saints, Ed Welch’s article “God Scares Me To Death,” gives helpful thoughts and ideas to consider in the presence of grief.
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Remember
Maybe it’s cliche to talk about being thankful at this time of year, but while having a day set aside every year to be thankful and express that thankfulness is a good thing,
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Luke 12:13-22
This past Sunday I stated I believe I Thess 4:11-12 is a statement of God’s goal for the poor. In it Paul states “But we urge you, brothers (and sisters) …to aspire to live quietly, and to
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Invest or Bury?
I used to think I was not a talented person. Sure, I had some skills and I was strong and clever at times, but I wouldn’t have said I was talented.
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Good News To All
I just talked with someone this morning about how Eastern religious practices are making their way into the church.
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An Article on Joy
There is a struggle we all have between biblical joy and circumstantial happiness. How do we respond to circumstances that are dry, hard and/or traumatic and seem to never end?
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Fellowship Meals
This week’s devotion comes from Rosaria Butterfield regarding the evangelistic value of fellowship meals.
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Love: Needs Vs. Wants
What do you do when someone loves you in a way that you did not expect? Do you shrug it off, chalking it up to differences in personality?
Keep ReadingDoes God Scare You?
Perhaps you have felt like this about God – that He is scary. Yet He is supposed to be good, approachable and loving.
Keep ReadingThe Thief of Joy
I recently started a photography job that includes showing and selling the finished sessions to clients. I have done better at sales than I expected; it helps that I believe in what I am selling.
Keep ReadingA Gospel Coalition Article For You
Dear Saints, The following article/video addresses suffering in a very real, lucid and evangelistic manner. While it does not address sociological suffering per se, it speaks to every one of us at some level. I commend it to you.
Keep ReadingA Sermon for You
Today I am attending a conference held by the Banner of Truth. They are known for their publication of old books with rich theology
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Who Are the Poor?
The poor. It’s a common phrase, and as often happens with common phrases, we use it without comprehending its meaning.
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Suffering In This World
NOOOOO!! We don’t want to even entertain the word suffering. Some theologies actually think we can control suffering in such a way as to get rid of it or minimize its impact.
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A Sermon on Romans 8
This week’s devo will be provided by Ligonier contributing pastor H.B. Charles Jr. Son of a preacher man, he is pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL.
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An Article on Sexuality
There are many topics in today’s world that seek our attention and awareness. The topic of sexuality in our culture is one of those.
Keep Reading In the Thirties of the Psalms
How might one muse concerning the character of God during a pandemic? Our gut level assessment might suggest that God is either unaware of what’s going on or He can’t do anything about it or He is up to something malevolent.
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What Love Isn’t and What It Is
Love, real love, will never be pain-free. Pain in our relationships comes from lack of or poor communication.
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A Gem from Jarratt
Recently, a sister from our church brought a musician to my attention. Composer, musician, and educator Undine Smith Moore hails from Jarratt, Virginia, the home of our sister.
Keep Reading B.B. Warfield Essay
Our feature this week is an essay written in 1887 by Benjamin B. Warfield (1851-1921) entitled “A Calm View of the Freedman’s Case”. I found this essay years ago when I was in seminary.
Keep ReadingA Anti-Slavery Poem
This week’s tribute to African American History during this month is a poem called “The Negro’s Complaint.” William Cowper wrote this poem in 1788.
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A Prayer for Today
In light of the events of last Wednesday, I reminded our congregation and those streaming Sunday during our Confession of Sin, that Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world and thus violence such as what we have seen over the last few months is an indication of idolatry – whether of an ideology or of a political figure.
Keep ReadingWhat is God doing?
Yes, it has crossed my mind during this pandemic “What is God doing?” Below is a well-reasoned, theologically grounded exposition on a portion of Revelation that points to such events.
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Hold on to Hope
This has been a dark year. We are not the first people to walk through a period of great darkness and, unless the Lord comes again very soon, we will not be the last. Nor is this the last period of darkness we will face.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Stan and the community of Crown and Joy Presbyterian Church wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! God’s blessings to you, one and all!
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“Orthodox Activism and the Global Perspective,” by Karen Ellis
Dear Saints, The Wednesday Devo this week is provided by the wife of Dr. Carl Ellis, Karen Ellis. As with all of her addresses, this one carries a deep theological, apologetic and yet accessible character.
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Patience & Provision
There are days filled with sunshine, the glow of abundance and tranquility casting a golden hue over everything in sight. Each step is a delight, barefoot toes brushing the soft grass; grass so green and vibrant it eludes description. Each breath; inhaling peace, exhaling joy.
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An Article To Consider
Dear Saints, The Devo for this week is a blog post by Dr. Carl Ellis that I did not see until last week. It will help us sharpen our thinking about the unrest that has gone on over the past few months.
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Christ’s ‘It is finished’ versus God’s ‘Enough!’ – A Poem
Dear Saints, As you know, if someone I know has done something that I sense will be nourishing to the flock, I will feature it.
Keep Reading A Sermon on Ephesians
Dear Saints, This week for our Wednesday devotional I am featuring a sermon given by my son-in-law, Aaron Turner, Assistant Pastor for Outreach Midtown Church, PCA in St Louis, MO.
Keep Reading A Sermon on Ephesians
Dear Saints, This week for our Wednesday devotional I am featuring a sermon given by my son-in-law, Aaron Turner, Assistant Pastor for Outreach Midtown Church, PCA in St Louis, MO.
Keep ReadingWill You Join Me?
When I first started writing devotionals for church, I decided to write about what God was teaching me. They say to write what you know.
Keep ReadingAn Article To Consider
Dear Saints, Linda Trumbo recently gave me a link to an article published on ThePlough.com about what it is like to be separated by COVID-19. Does it ever capture what we all feel, but it is also instructive!
Keep ReadingThe Good Life – A Devotional
What is the definition of a “good life?” How do we determine whether we’ve reached this milestone? Our society and history are filled with ideas and standards of a “good life,” but what does Scripture teach us?
Keep ReadingCultivating Trust
In a year filled with raging wild fires, tropical storms, a worldwide pandemic, months of quarantine and mandated isolation, protests, riots, economic crises, earthquakes, shootings, and so much more, we have been increasingly reminded this year of how unknown the future is and how much evil, darkness, and corruption are present in the world.
Keep ReadingHow Long?
Dear Saints, I want to share with you a confession/devotional my long time accountability partner Rick Smith released to his supporters about the experience of Covid 19. I thought it may be helpful so I am sharing it with you. He lives in New Mexico with his wife (a counselor) and some of his grown children. He currently serves at a church and with a mission organization called InFaith.org.
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Complacency and the Christian
The path of a Christian is not an easy one. It is narrow, full of ups and downs, twists and turns, double-backs and sometimes agonizingly slow progress. As Christians, we face many challenges and fight many enemies along the way, enemies like: comparison, jealousy, pride, anger, fear, complacency—the list goes on.
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Looking at Dr. King’s Work
Dear Saints, In keeping with providing resources related to the current racial situation, I have found Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” captures so much of what drives struggles like the current one and is instructive on so many levels.
Keep Reading Looking at Dr. King’s Work
Dear Saints, In keeping with providing resources related to the current racial situation, I have found Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” captures so much of what drives struggles like the current one and is instructive on so many levels.
Keep ReadingCoronavirus Devo #12
Dear Saints, Our Coronavirus-Protest Movement Devo this morning is from a dear pastor friend from Lancaster County PA – Pastor Mark Ammerman.
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The Hidden Strength in Forgiveness
Strength has always been an important characteristic to me. Growing up with five brothers tends to toughen you up, whether or not you want that. My three younger brothers and I made up a squad and I was the leader of the squad.
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Be Still and Know That I Am God
I was praying the other day and I asked God—“What do you want me to do?” I felt this sense of quiet and into my mind came the words “I just want you to be still.” Those words surprised me.
Keep ReadingDevotionals Series During COVID-19
The Lord laid it on my heart to communicate the gospel message in such a way as to support us during this crisis. It is my hope that the active power in His Word will strengthen and encourage you during this time.
Keep ReadingAug 4
2021
A Gospel Coalition Article For You
Dear Saints, The following article/video addresses suffering in a very real, lucid and evangelistic manner. While it does not address sociological suffering per se, it speaks to every one of us at some level. I commend it to you.