|
"Knowing God: The Sum and Substance of Life"
Health update at the end of this message. ===================================== Today's WORSHIP QUOTE is in three parts: (1) a challenging Scripture passage from Jeremiah 9, (2) a short quotation from the pen of A. W. Tozer, and (3) an invitation to listen to a fantastic online video message about the sum and substance of life—knowing God. WHO'S BOASTING, AND ABOUT WHAT? This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. --- Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NIV) THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT YOU What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. . . . Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her idea of God. --A. W. Tozer, THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY (New York: HarperCollins, 1961), 1. Reissue (1998) is ISBN-13: 9780060684129. Highly recommended. KNOWING GOD: THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF LIFE On September 10, 2009, a dear friend and colleague, Dr. Bruce Ware, preached a chapel sermon on Jeremiah 9:23-24. Early in his message he quoted the Tozer passage included above. Honestly, this study of the importance of "knowing God" was incredibly helpful to me. I invite you (even urge you) to watch or listen by going to: http://tinyurl.com/Ware-KnowingGod-Sept-10-09 In addition the Jeremiah passages, Dr. Ware calls on Isaiah 11 and Philippians 3 to point to the Bible's emphasis on the importance of knowing God. ===================================== HEALTH UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST FOR CHIP STAM, CANCER PATIENT ===================================== Dear Friends, Thanks for praying for my complete healing from cancer. There are longer journal entries and some photos at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam. The PET/CT scan was last Friday, September 11. I should be hearing the results in the next day or two, and I will see the doctor on Friday, September 18. I will post the results at www.caringbridge.org/visit/carlstam as soon as I know anything. Classes and rehearsals at the seminary and worship leadership at church are going very well. I am so thankful to the Lord for restoring me back to these opportunities for ministry. Your friendship and prayers are a great encouragement. Blessings in Christ! Chip Stam Director, Institute for Christian Worship School of Church Ministries The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky www.wqotw.org www.sbts.edu/icw =========================== WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK: To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view a complete index of worship quotes, please visit http://www.wqotw.org. =========================== |