Blog


Jun 20

VBS: “Discovering the Rock of Ages,” July 18-22 (6:00 PM – 8:30 PM)

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Events

Tim Bradley said it well in this video. Every day our children are choosing between different gods. Who will they serve? Who is worthy of their attention, affection, and allegiance?

Part of our responsibility as the people of God is to proclaim the truth of God’s greatness and glory to our own children, and to all children who will hear. In deed, as the Scriptures exhort us, “tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. . . . so that they should set their hope in God” (Psalm 78:1-8).

Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a strategic means of fulfilling our mission among children in our own church and in our city. Let’s make the most of it. Consider now what friends, family, and neighbors you might tell about VBS. Point them to this blog or our VBS landing page.

Online Registration

To register for VBS, download this registration form, fill it out, and email it to dscgoldrush@gmail.com. You will receive confirmation of your submission within one week to verify your registration.

The sooner you register your children the better, for two reasons. First, this helps our team plan for the appropriate number of children. Second, and as important, we want to provide an orderly and hospitable first visit for families from the neighborhood who will register their children on site at the start of VBS. As Ryan said in his announcements, lets register early and clear out that registration table for our guests.


Jun 16

Are the Gospels Eye Witness Accounts?

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Link

While we’re listening through the New Testament together, our first concern is to hear what God has written, to let God speak on His own terms. God’s Word is powerful on its own, its power does not rest on human wisdom, and its authority does not rest on its conformity to some outside standard. We’re assuming that in our reading and listening together.

But because it is God’s very Word, we aren’t surprised when the New Testament is found, by some kind of test, to be an ancient document, and a document written, indeed, by those who must have actually been there. Hearing these kinds of arguments can reinforce our confidence in the Word, and help us converse with those who come to us with questions about the Bible.

With that in mind, I found the following two lectures, recently recommended by Joe Carter and Justin Taylor, to be worth highlighting at this point in our listening. Joe Carter’s introduction should peak your interest.

Dr. Peter Williams, a Senior Lecturer in New Testament at the University of Abeerdeen, has conducted what I’d call an “algorithm-enhanced close reading” of the canonical gospels and compared them to the apocryphal testimonies about Jesus.

Normally, my attention span for videos on the web is limited to about 2 minutes. But when I started watching this video last last night I got sucked in by Dr. Williams engaging style and watched the entire lecture. As Evangel blogger Tom Gilson says, it’s a “talk on apologetics like you’ve never heard before.”

Jun 14

R.C. Ryle, The Duties of Parents

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Resources

Ahead of our parenting seminar weekend with Fred Zaspel, June 24 and 25, “The Word on Parenting,” we will highlight a few resources here on the blog to whet your appetite.

One resource Fred will mention and recommend is a short book by J.C. Ryle, The Duties of Parents. In this book, Ryle presents seventeen instructions for parents in training their children:

  1. Train them in the way they should go, and not in the way they would.
  2. Train up your child with all tenderness, affection, and patience.
  3. Train your children with an abiding persuasion on your mind that much depends upon you.
  4. Train with this thought continually before your enes – that the soul of your child is the first thing to be considered.
  5. Train your child to a knowledge of the Bible.
  6. Train them to a habit of prayer
  7. Train them to habits of diligence, and regularity about public means of grace.
  8. Train them to a habit of faith.
  9. Train them to a habit of obedience.
  10. Train them to a habit of always speaking the truth.
  11. Train them to a habit of always redeeming the time.
  12. Train them with a constant fear of over-indulgence
  13. Train them remembering continually how God trains His children.
  14. Train them remembering continually the influence of your own example.
  15. Train them remembering continually the power of sin.
  16. Train them remembering continually the promises of Scripture.
  17. Train them, lastly, with continual prayer for a blessing on all you do.

This book is available online or at the Resource Center for $3.00. For those interested in more details about DSC’s parenting weekend on June 24 and 25, we published a post last week introducing you to our speaker, the subject, and how to register for childcare.

Also, for those who aren’t now parents but would like to bless the many young parents of our church with child care, please contact Kayla at kayla@desertspringschurch.org to express your availability. Of course, given the subject of this weekend, many who might otherwise help care for children desire to participate in the seminar.

Jun 9

Sermon Follow-up: “God Speaks in the Order of Biblical Books”

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Sermon Follow-Up

In Sunday’s sermon, “God Speaks in the Order of Biblical Books,” Ron opened up our summer-long series God Speaks, We listen: Through the New Testament in 90 Days Together. As you know, we’re listening or reading through the New Testament as a church at a rate of about 12 minutes a day. Instructions for obtaining audio are available here, and audio is posted daily to DSC’s Facebook Page. If you haven’t started yet, just pick up with today’s reading and go from there.

On Sunday, Ron shared a few slides giving the order of the Bible’s books. A Pdf of what he shared is available here. If you weren’t with us on Sunday but plan to listen, this should help you do so, as Ron spent a good portion of his sermon expanding on the order and arrangement of the Bible.

At the close of his sermon, Ron also gave some great suggestions to help you not only listen to the New Testament, but to listen to the New Testament well. Here they are:

  1. As you listen to, or read through, a book in the New Testament, see if you can figure out what question the book is trying to answer.
  2. Make a list of one or two key verses in each book.
  3. As you listen to a book, chapter by chapter, write down what that book is teaching about Christ.

Jun 7

New Song: “By Faith”

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Songs

One way in which we are commanded to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly is by singing (Colossians 3:16). We mean to do that as a church as we gather each Sunday to worship the risen Christ. In fact, so much is singing a part of what Christians do when we gather that worship is often, even if unthoughtfully, used synonymously with singing. Worship, of course, means very much more than singing, but in as much as we do sing the Word together and in our hearts to God, we are indeed worshiping.

At DSC we mean to sing songs that impress on our hearts the truth of God and the gospel, and express well right affections for the God of the gospel. DSC’s Music Ministry is a great help in leading us in this important element of our life together. Songs help shape the way we think about God, ourselves, and our life in between the comings of Christ. Music has a way of embedding words, and thus ideas, into our very soul. Reflecting on the songs we sing and singing those songs in our hearts during the week adds to our adoration of God and helps us to anticipate Sunday morning.

So, every now and then we will post to the blog lyrics of a new song, and, when a one is available, a video to help you grow into a new tune.

On Sunday, Drew introduced to us a new song by modern hymn writers, Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend. “By Faith” is a meditation on the themes of the book of Hebrews, and on our glorious identity as those who do live by faith in the glorious promises of God.

Above is a video of this song from their album, Awake the Dawn, and below are the words. Enjoy!

By faith we see the hand of God
In the light of creation’s grand design
In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness
Who walk by faith and not by sight

By faith our fathers roamed the earth
With the power of His promise in their hearts
Of a holy city built by God’s own hand
A place where peace and justice reign

We will stand as children of the promise
We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward
Till the race is finished and the work is done
We’ll walk by faith and not by sight

By faith the prophets saw a day
When the longed-for Messiah would appear
With the power to break the chains of sin and death
And rise triumphant from the grave

By faith the church was called to go
In the power of the Spirit to the lost
To deliver captives and to preach good news
In every corner of the earth

We will stand…

By faith this mountain shall be moved
And the power of the gospel shall prevail
For we know in Christ all things are possible
For all who call upon His name

We will stand…

Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty
& Stuart Townend