Private Means of Grace

The point: Do not grow weary with the means appointed by God for spiritual sustenance, lest you suffer with leanness in your souls.

The children of Israel grew weary of God's appointed means (manna) for physical sustenance, hankering after other food. This illustrates how believers often grow weary of God's appointed spiritual means of grace, leading to spiritual leanness, just as God sent leanness to Israel's souls.

And so often God's people are like the children of Israel. God brought them out of Egypt, into the wilderness wanderings, and He appointed manna as His means to sustain physical life. And they grew weary with the manna. There was everything in that manna to meet all of their nutritional needs, but they grew weary with the means that God had appointed for their sustenance and for the growth and development of their life.

6:47 - 7:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Young mothers, despite peculiar pressures, must make time to pray, even if it means finding unconventional times or places.

The story of King Uzziah from 2 Chronicles 26:5 is used to show that his prosperity lasted 'as long as he sought the Lord,' but his later neglect of prayer led to tragedy. This illustrates the direct link between seeking God and spiritual flourishing, and the consequences of neglecting prayer.

And I was struck again in my Old Testament reading this week with what it says concerning Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26 and verse 5. As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. But then it goes on to say when he became older his heart was lifted up and he stopped praying. And then you read the tragedy of his latter days.

21:03 - 21:25 Read in full sermon

The point: Young mothers, despite peculiar pressures, must make time to pray, even if it means finding unconventional times or places.

In the early days of faith, prayer is often a 'reflexive delight,' but as one matures and feels the battle's weariness, it becomes more of a 'wrestling' or 'agonizing' discipline. This illustrates the changing nature of the prayer life and the need for sustained discipline.

As long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper. And that can be said of almost any Christian. And so often it's in the early days of our newfound faith and the throne of grace has a novelty about it. And the joy and the liberty of drawing near to God in the flush of that newfound faith and love, prayer was much more a reflexive delight.

21:25 - 21:51 Read in full sermon

The point: Be determined to kick the hindrances to spiritual disciplines in the teeth, as spiritual sluggishness is often the main problem.

Martin recounts counseling someone who made little spiritual progress until they 'got mad enough to do something about it.' This illustrates that often, the hindrance to spiritual disciplines is not ignorance but spiritual sluggishness, requiring determination.

And I think for most of us, we know what the problems are. We've got to get mad enough to do something. I was counseling someone not too long ago who had made very little progress in the divinary and now there's some real progress. I said, well, how do you account for the change?

24:47 - 25:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Cultivate the consciousness or practice the presence of God, reminding yourself, 'God is here; I am in His presence,' as a profoundly transforming thing.

Martin describes how people must consciously 'neutralize the sense of God's presence' before indulging in certain sins like watching inappropriate TV, reading forbidden literature, or engaging in sinful conversations. This illustrates the profound transforming power of practicing God's presence and how its absence enables sin.

Yes, Dan? Yes. What some have called cultivating the consciousness or practicing the presence of God. Wherever I am saying to myself, God is here. I am in

39:47 - 40:20 Read in full sermon