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| She said "Yes"!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HA!!
How can I thank God enough for these two blessings?
1) For saving my soul through Christ's work on the Cross (mercy), and
2) for giving me Jessica to love, cherish, befriend, romance, and, with
the Spirit's help, model the relationship between Christ and the Church
(grace), I am eternally, irrevocably grateful!
Thank you, GOD!
MASSIVE, MASSIVE props to my brother and longstanding best man --
NATHANIEL SWIFT SOMERVILLE -- for enduring a long stakeout in the 90+
degree humidity without water with the digital camera and the telephoto
lens to bring you these pictures! Love you, man!
Ladies, now that I'm taken, he is officially the world's most eligible bachelor! 
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| Hey ACES -- I'm a card-carrying idiot ... (in case you didn't know) ...
so don't take anything I've said about care group arithmetic very
seriously. Constant change IS here to stay; however, it may look
different than I thought.
Call me if you have questions. Sarah -- you'll find out Wednesday night.
-mike.
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| AAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... (happy sigh)
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| Has anyone seen my brain?
I'm kinda missing it ...
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| Just listened to an outstanding, mind-altering, blow-yer-doors-off,
must-hear message from the Sovereign Grace Leadership Conference given
by Mike Bullmore on the subject of the functional centrality of the
Gospel.
For your enjoyment -- here is a brief outline:
Intro:
Q: What is the greatest, most crying need in the church today?
A: Really broad question; won't attempt to claim to have an
answer, but a FUNCTIONAL Biblical literacy, especially as relates to
the Gospel, clearly, carefully, and consistently applied to everyday
thinking and actions. The greatest need for the LOCAL church
today is for the Gospel to FUNCTION!
I. BIBLICAL PARADIGM FOR THE FUNCTIONAL CENTRALITY OF THE GOSPEL - envision a 3-ring set of concentric circles
A. Innermost circle: Essential theological centrality of the gospel
1. 1 Cor. 15:3 "Christ died for our sins"
2. 1 Cor. 2ish "I resolved to know nothing among you except Christ and him crucified ... "
3. Romans 1:16 --> The gospel is the POWER of God
4. The centrality of the essential gospel in the storyline of the Bible (ref. "The Unfolding Mystery")
B. Secondmost circle: Gospel Truths - doctrinal implications
--> Thinking that flows logically from truths of the gospel (1 Tim.
1 "doctrine conformed to gospel")
1. There MUST be a connection between the abstract, theological Gospel and the concrete patterns of thought and behavior
2. This is doctrine that "grows out" of the Gospel. Doctrine has derivative truth from the Gospel.
3. These doctrines should be brought to bear on the PATTERNS and
STRUCTURE of our THINKING. Examples include: (notice the logic)
a. Romans 5:1 "THEREFORE, since we have been JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have PEACE with God."
b. Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are IN CHRIST JESUS..."
c. Romans 8:32 "He who DID NOT SPARE HIS OWN SON, but gave
him up for us all, how will he not also along with him GRACIOUSLY GIVE
US ALL THINGS?"
4. The Gospel is like a giant flywheel that builds up enormous
momentum. Off of this flywheel, we must hang our thinking and
behavior.
C. Outermost circle: Gospel Conduct - behavioral implications (Galatians 2 - conduct not in line with the Gospel)
1. An intelligent, spiritually mature person should be able to argue backwards from your life to the Gospel
2. Examples: this is what it means to motivate by grace ...
a. 1 Corinthians 6 <-- reminds of the Gospel "bought
with a price"; therefore, "honor God with your body" <-- applies
Gospel momentum to the moral imperative toward sexual purity
b. Ephesians 4:32 "forgive one another ... just as God IN CHRIST forgave you."
c. Ephesians 5:35 "... as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her ..."
d. 2 Corinthians 8-9 <-- reminds of God's generousity through the Gospel.
3. Ultimately, all Christian behavior should flow out of the Gospel.
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