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The Sovereign Grace staff asked if they could take a series of messages I shared on evangelism and convert them into an eBook.
My prayer for these messages is that God would use them to equip Christians to do what they already desire to do: share the good news of Jesus. Because fear and busyness are constant enemies in this work, we need to always be encouraging one another in our efforts to obey God.
This eBook would be a great resource to discuss in a small group setting or in a Sunday School series. It can also be used in a discipleship context or as a devotional for older children. However you choose to use it, may the Spirit of the Lord fill you as you consider how God might use you to share His love with the people He has placed in your life.
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Jim serves as a pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA). He and his wife, Tricia, have four children.
Editor's note: We are continuing a 4-part Advent series from Marty Machowski's family devotional, Prepare Him Room. Read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2.
As the children trooped off to bed, Miss Roberts retreated to her small office, which adjoined the music room. As she closed the door, she slipped her right hand into her skirt pocket where an unopened letter was tucked away. The letter had come the day before and had been shuffled from the office desk to her bedroom dresser and now into her skirt pocket.
Miss Roberts pulled the letter out of her pocket and stood holding it as she tried to muster the courage to read it, hoping against hope for a special Christmas present, the only real Christmas cheer the children of Bartimaeus were likely to have. She took a deep breath, tore the flap, pulled out the letter, and unfolded it while whispering a simple prayer, "Please, please."
She didn't read beyond the first line. It was a rejection; a polite rejection, yes, but a rejection nonetheless. She knew then that Mary would never be adopted.
A few weeks ago Miss Roberts had received word from a couple in the next town expressing an interest in adopting. The couple had a younger child who was blind, and they were looking to adopt an older daughter to help care for him. They didn't say a flat No, it simply said, "we're just not ready." But Miss Roberts was experienced enough to know a rejection when she saw one. Heaven knows she had heard enough of them over the years.
"At least I had the good sense not to say anything about it to Mary," she told her empty office, comforting herself some as she slipped the letter back into her pocket and crumpled it with a fist. "Why?" she called out loudly then dropped to her knees. "Why?" she said again, softer this time. Then all at once the tears flowed like a mighty rush from a broken dam. She cried out, pleading desperately, "Please, please, God, she'll be eighteen."
Memories of her own childhood rose unbidden. She recalled how the Sisters of Mercy who helped run Bartimaeus years ago had offered to take her in when she turned eighteen. They needed her help, they told her. But she knew their offer had only been made out of pity and kindness. "And it wasn't the same as a family," she sighed. What the Sisters had offered her was not what she wanted to offer Mary. "God," she cried, "give her a family for Christmas."
The Colonel arrived at ten o'clock sharp the next morning. He offered to direct the choir's practice himself. She had recovered somewhat from the emotional turmoil of the evening before and considered taking her desk work into the library for more privacy, but she was curious to see how the Colonel would deal with the children. She left her office door ajar and listened in on the conversation.
"All right, children," the Colonel's deep voice bellowed above the chatter to command their attention. "Take your places and let's give your song a try." She could hear him taking his seat at the old upright piano. After a spirited introduction to "Joy to the World," he slowed his pace to cue them to begin singing verse one. The children began hesitantly, entering randomly, and singing with little volume or enthusiasm. Miss Roberts cringed. The Colonel abruptly stopped playing.
Miss Roberts rolled her eyes. That poor man. She could only imagine he was finding it hard to believe that anyone could turn "Joy to the World" into a funeral march.
A long moment passed before he broke the silence. "Look," he said, and she could hear him rising from the piano stool. "I happen to know you can sing. Only yesterday, not long before I met with Miss Roberts, I was walking home from the market and cut through the back alley. I thought I heard singing from the Bartimaeus House—that is where I am, isn't it?—and I knew you children were in the show. So I walked up to the windows on the other side of your dining hall. Sure enough, you children were singing for your supper. 'A Grueling Life,' I believe you call it?"
Miss Roberts could hear his footfall as he paced the floor in front of them—down and back. Then the Colonel stopped and shouted: "In four-part harmony, at that! That proves one thing to me. You can sing . . . when you want to."
"You're a spy?" one of the younger boys challenged.
"No, I'm not a spy, Bobby," the Colonel told him. "That was a recon mission. But you can think of me as a spy. I know a lot more than you realize."
"Yes, sir," Bobby said.
Miss Roberts cocked her head. Strange. How did he know the boy's name? She was quite certain that the children had not introduced themselves to the Colonel by name. "I've got it!" the Colonel said, "You young ladies and gentlemen sit down and listen for a minute, and then we will give it another try. I just bet it will sound a whole lot different—and let's hope better—the second time around."
I doubt that, thought Miss Roberts. She was still wondering how on earth the Colonel knew Bobby's name. Then again, he was right about the children: They could sing when they wanted to. She had never given it much thought before.
"Let me ask you a question," the Colonel said to pique the children's curiosity. "Who first announced the words to this song, 'Joy to the World'?"
It's not working, Miss Roberts thought as the Colonel's question was met with silence.
The Colonel said, "Say, did you know that this song is about adoption?"
Murmurs rose and echoed in the room. Miss Roberts could hear the children shuffling their feet. Now he had their attention. Every orphan perked up at the very mention of the word adoption. Of course they didn't believe "Joy to the World" was about adoption, but he definitely had their attention.
Mary broke the silence. "So how is 'Joy to the World' about adoption?" she asked obligingly.
"Well, I'm glad you asked," the Colonel replied. "Let me tell you the story of this great song. Listen carefully and then see if you can figure out for yourself how it's a song about adoption."
The suspense was building. Even Miss Roberts laid her paperwork aside, rolled her chair up to the door, and put her ear to the crack.
"Well, it starts with the Christmas story. You know how the story goes: Certain shepherds were watching their flocks by night." The Colonel paused for a moment and she could hear him sitting back down on the piano stool. "Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone all about them. At first, the shepherds were terrified, but the angel told them not to be afraid, saying, 'I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.' That, my dear children, is where the song 'Joy to the World' gets its name. The angel brought a message of joy—to—the—world. Get it? The angel told them that a very special baby had been born in Bethlehem and was lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes."
"Hey, that's the baby Jesus," Christopher shouted.
"That's right," the Colonel answered.
The Colonel continued. "Then, when the angel finished making the announcement the heavens opened and thousands of angels began to sing. The song 'Joy to the World' celebrates the angel's announcement of good news and great joy for all people."
"OK, that explains the joy part, but Jesus wasn't an orphan," Timothy objected.
"You are certainly right about that Timothy," the Colonel agreed. "Jesus was not an orphan. But he was adopted, right?"
"Joseph wasn't his father."
The children's voices rose in a collective "Ahhh."
Miss Roberts leaned back in her chair thoughtfully. She had never thought of Jesus as adopted before.
The Colonel continued, "You see, children, Jesus's real father was God himself. When Jesus was born, Joseph cared for him as his very own son. So you see, Jesus was adopted!"
"OK, Colonel," Timothy admitted, "you got us on that one. So . . . joy to the world, it's Christmas time," he said with a touch of sarcasm. "Look, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but take a look around you. We started the year with thirty-two orphans. It is now December 23. Do the math yourself. We don't have thirty-two orphans now—we have thirty-three. No offense, Colonel, but it seems like things are going in the wrong direction."
"Does it seem so?" the Colonel asked.
Timothy said, "You see, there isn't much joy to go around these days. Some might think it looks a bit drab around here for Christmas, but Miss Roberts is right. There's no use putting on a show. And that is just what we would be doing if we sang your song all peppy-like. There are no adoptions sitting under the Christmas tree this year."
Though Miss Roberts didn't approve of Timothy's disrespect, she found herself agreeing with him. So what if Jesus was adopted? That wasn't going to help the children this Christmas.
"That's where you're wrong, Timmy," the Colonel said. "You're wondering how I know your name, aren't you? Your given name is Timothy, but everyone calls you Timmy. So I will, too. I know you all by name," the Colonel said. Then, one by one, he rattled off all of their names.
Miss Roberts was astounded, and so were the children.
"You are all wrong," he continued. "God has adoption papers ready for each of you. They're just waiting for you to pick them up. And you don't have to wait until Christmas."
The children didn't know what to say. Miss Roberts was confused and annoyed. She was tempted to go in and put an end to the Colonel's fairy tales, but she stayed put, curious to see where he was going with this.
"That's right, adoption papers," the Colonel repeated. "Let me explain. Jesus didn't stay a baby in a manger, you know. Later, when he was a man, he left his home on a very special mission for God the Father. John the Baptist, Jesus's cousin, announced the start of his ministry. He called Jesus the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
"Jesus gave blind people sight, fed thousands with a small basket of food, and even raised people back to life. Most importantly, Jesus called all the people to turn away from their sins and follow him.
"There were those, however, who didn't like being called sinners. These people killed Jesus. But Jesus willingly took our sin and the punishment we deserved so that all who place their trust in him could be forgiven."
The Colonel paused for a moment and utter silence filled the room. Then he continued, "Jesus died, but after three days, he came back to life. Now, God promises that all who turn away from their sin and believe in Jesus will be forgiven. Each one of us is a sinner, you know, and it only takes one sin to separate you from God—one lie, one angry word, one bad thought. But if you trust in Jesus, God will wash all your sins away."
Miss Roberts sat with her chin in her hands listening.
"And here's the very best part. God says in the Bible that all those who place their trust in Jesus are adopted into God's family. Look, kids, you've been through a lot. I know you have and my heart breaks for each and every one of you. Most of you have never known a father. But listen: If you trust in Jesus, God becomes your Father, and in that moment you're not an orphan any more, you're adopted."
Christopher shouted, "I knew there was a special reason for putting that baby in the manger. Look, guys, the Colonel is right. I admit that even I couldn't believe how bad you were singing. If you—I mean we—can sing like a canary for a bowl of porridge, then why not sing 'Joy to the Word' with a little more zip?"
"He's right," one of the girls said, and the other children broke into a chorus of agreement, and a newfound excitement spread through their ranks.
Meanwhile over in the office, Miss Roberts was shell-shocked. Somewhere in the midst of the Colonel's presentation, God reached down and opened her eyes. No one had ever explained the Christmas story like that. She knew about the baby Jesus and the shepherds, but she didn't know he grew up to be a Savior—her Savior. Now she was on her knees, crying tears of joy. The Spirit of God had filled her heart just about the time the Colonel explained the part about never being an orphan again. In mere seconds, years of bitterness began to melt away.
Quietly while on her knees, she dared to say the words she thought would never pass her lips. "I'm adopted," she said, in a whisper at first. Then she said it again, and again, louder and louder, until finally she was shouting. "I'm adopted! I'm adopted! I'm adopted!" The whole street might have heard and thought she was crazy if it were not for thirty-three orphans singing "Joy to the World" at the top of their lungs—in unison.
Miss Roberts stood in the hall and looked in at the children as they sang. When the Colonel finally signaled them to close, none of the children wanted to stop. But they followed his lead as he raised his hand directing their great crescendo. Then, as he brought down his hands sharply they stopped, and not one child missed the cue.
The Colonel closed his eyes to savor the moment, then he smiled and said, "Every year the children of this orphanage sing 'Joy to the World' for the YMCA Community Christmas Concert. From what the cook tells me, for the last five years there's been less and less joy in your song. I have a feeling that this year will be different."
The children cheered. Miss Roberts was completely undone. All these years she had been discouraging the children instead of building up their faith. No wonder the adoptions had all but dried up. She had blamed it on the war. Not anymore, she thought to her herself. There will be Christmas at Bartimaeus!
Adapted from Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Family Devotional © 2014 by Covenant Fellowship Church. Used by permission of New Growth Press. Excerpt may not be reproduced without the express written permission of New Growth Press. To purchase this and other helpful resources, please visit www.newgrowthpress.com.
Photo by Sarah DeWire.
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA. He and his wife Lois have six children.
Editor's note: We are continuing a 4-part Advent series from Marty Machowski's family devotional, Prepare Him Room. Read Chapter 1.
The moment the door slammed shut signaling Miss Roberts's exit, one of the boys shouted, "Last one to dinner has to wash the dishes!" All at once the thirty or so children took off like a flock of spooked geese lifting off a pond. A narrow door at the back of the room slowed the stampede and funneled them one by one into a short hallway and into the washrooms where the crowd split—girls to the left, boys to the right. Two lines formed behind the sinks in the boys' washroom. Soap, soap-rub, rub-rinse, rinse-dry, dry: their hand washing routine resembled linework in a manufacturing plant. They put in as little effort as possible to pass the hand check, so as to keep their position in the race to dinner.
"Hey, what about my new clothes?" Christopher asked Jane, who was shaking the excess water from his hands.
"Plenty of time for playing dress-up after we eat. I'm not getting stuck doing dishes for your new clothes." Jake took off and pushed through the door with Christopher close behind. They passed a few of the others before sliding to a halt to avoid crashing into the line stopped at the back of the dining room.
I didn't do too bad, considering I had no idea where to go, Christopher thought. He was fifth from last in line. The last four in line did the dishes, he was told. "That is, unless your hands aren't clean enough," Jake said. "In that case you go to the back of the line." Christopher looked down at his hands, still red and damp from washing. He gave them an extra rub, drying them on his shirt. They seemed clean enough.
He had always hated washing for dinner, but six months on the street has a way of changing the way a fellow looks at things. The hot water had felt good on his hands and it had been a long time since he had a home-cooked meal. As he stood in line he dreamed of roast beef and mashed potatoes. He was too far back in line to see through the serving window and the line hadn't started moving yet. The dining room was almost as large as the music room where they had been singing. It was filled with heavy oak tables and benches with enough seats for 100 or more children. Dark wood panels and trim lined the walls and the plastered ceiling was painted with an interesting design. The line of hungry children snaked around the room, turned the first corner, and stopped just short of the kitchen.
A moment later, a door opened at the back of the kitchen and a woman with a sturdy frame and warm smile walked through it.
Jake said, "That's Mrs. Schultz, the cook."
The woman stepped up to the window, leaned over the counter, and said, "Good evening, children." Then after a quick scan of the line, she continued. "Glad to see you, Christopher. Welcome to Bartimaeus. We don't have much to spare with the war going on and all. But what we have will fill and warm your belly. There's plenty of porridge to go round," she said, shaking a shallow ladle, "and I've salted it just right, you know. Now then, Bobby, will you give thanks?"
Bobby gave a wink to the cook then made quick work of the prayer and immediately the line began to move. "So, what were you guessing we would be having for dinner—roast beef, roast chicken, or roast pork?" asked a girl standing next to Christopher. "It's OK," she said. "My name is Alice." She extended her hand. "We all come in hoping for something good," she said. "I was hoping for roast pork myself. Come on, you didn't expect gruel for dinner. The cook calls it 'porridge,' but we call it gruel. Well?"
"Well what?" Christopher said as he struggled with the idea of eating porridge for dinner. He was sure he smelled roast beef wafting through the hallway earlier. Perhaps they would have a real meal on Sunday. His family always had a special meal on Sunday.
"Well, what were you hoping we'd have?" she persisted.
"Beef," he said with a shy nod. "I was dreaming of roast beef and potatoes."
Then Alice turned to the crowd and shouted: "Hear that, boys? Christopher here was hoping for roast beef. Roast beef is now tied at nine with roast chicken for the lead over pork."
"Do you eat porridge every day for dinner? What's for lunch and breakfast?" he asked, all at once.
"It's gruel, my friend," Alice said. "Gruel, gruel, gruel: breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"Every meal?" Christopher asked incredulously.
"OK!" the cook said, winking at Alice, and shouting loudly enough to catch all their attention. "Does anyone have a new verse for me?"
"I've got a new one," Timothy said.
"Oh you do, eh?" the cook said, smiling. "Let me hear it, then."
Without further introduction, one of the boys snapped his fingers, hummed a note to the beat, and the children all started to sing:
Then a boy named Timmy jumped up on a bench and started to sing a solo:
The children applauded, clapping and whooping, and led back to the chorus singing louder than ever. Even the cook joined in, which puzzled Christopher as they were really complaining about her meal. After the second chorus ended, others took turns with verses, each followed by the chorus again. Six of the boys in front of Christopher grabbed their bowls, spoons, and tin cups off the serving line and formed a percussion section and kept on laying down a beat until it was their turn in line, all singing in perfect harmony.
I can't believe these are the same kids, Christopher thought, remembering how they had sung that awful version of "Joy to the World" earlier. The song continued till the last person had made it through the line. Then, with steaming hot bowls all lined up on the tables, a double chorus finished the song. The cook broke out in loud clapping and lavished compliments on them all. She smiled broadly, and it was clear that she really loved all the children at Bartimaeus.
Suddenly Christopher looked down at the warm bowl, cupped in his hands. He was so caught up with the song that he didn't even notice what the cook dropped in his bowl, a generous portion of hearty beef stew with carrots and potatoes! "This isn't porridge," he shouted, "this is beef stew!"
The room grew quiet then erupted in laughter.
"Welcome to Bartimaeus," Mrs. Schultz said with a smile, then turned to the children. "We fooled another one, kids." The children cheered. They loved Mrs. Shultz and sang the gruel song every night at dinnertime when Miss Roberts was out of earshot. So far, they never got caught and had at least a dozen verses written.
Things quieted down as the children eagerly downed their stew. In a minute the murmur began in earnest and rose to a dull roar with everyone eagerly chatting about the day's events. The children were free to talk at meals, and with Miss Roberts away, they had little restraint. The cook continued dancing and humming the melody of their song while those assigned to kitchen duty collected the empty bowls from the tables and carried them through a side door to the kitchen sink.
Christopher leaned over and asked one of the older boys, "Why don't you have decorations up for Christmas?"
"Look around, buddy," they boy told him, looking up from his bowl. "This is reality. It's a tough world out there. Nobody cares. Nobody wants us. Why pretend anything different?"
"You should know that," Timothy added. "Having to steal food to survive. It's all a bunch of hype. Who wants Christmas anyway? Most of us here have never even had Christmas. What's to miss about it?"
"It's not only the decorations," Christopher answered. "There's something special about it. Every Christmas," Christopher said, remembering, "my dad would put up the tree, and then we would string popcorn and cranberry garlands. When the tree was all decorated, we'd set out the manger—all but the baby Jesus. We'd put the shepherds off to the left; the wise men off to the right."
When he looked up Christopher realized that the whole room was quiet and everyone was listening to him. He thought about what Timothy had said . . . "Most of us here have never even had Christmas." Christopher realized that he wasn't your average Bartimaeus orphan; he used to have a family. He looked around and could tell that most of these children had never had a family and had no family memories. That's why his story captured their attention so. Even the cook was listening in.
"Why were the shepherds and wise men off to the side?" one of the little girls asked.
"Why, they don't come to visit until the baby is born," Christopher said, turning his head in her direction. "On Christmas Eve, the last thing before I went to bed, my mom would hand me a little hand-carved wooden chest. It was like a treasure." He paused and made a gesture as if to take the chest into his hands. "You had to hold it carefully and do it just right." As the children listened, captivated by the story of his family at Christmas, Christopher rose from the table and dramatized his Christmas past like an act from a play.
"Very carefully I'd pop open the clasp and open the box. I'd lightly brush aside the cotton to reveal a little porcelain baby packed safely in a bed of white. Then, I carried it over to our tree and bent down." Christopher was on his knees kneeling before an imaginary tree. "Then, while I placed the baby in the tiny manger, my mom—" Christopher paused for a moment and felt a tear slither down his cheek. "Mom moved the shepherds close together, and then Dad moved the wise men. We would sing 'Joy to the World.'" Christopher paused, quietly caught up in the sweet memory.
"Not that song again," Timothy interrupted. "We have to sing that song every year." The other children were quick to join him in voicing their displeasure. Suddenly everyone was quiet, as Miss Roberts and a tall man they had never met before entered the room.
The tall man stepped forward toward the children and cleared his throat. "Perhaps I ought to introduce myself," he said in a booming voice that echoed in the large dining hall. "My name is Colonel Jackson, but folks just call me Colonel. I'm just back from my second tour in the army, in a season of reconditioning." The Colonel nodded down toward his leg and the children noticed he was leaning on a cane. "I'm taking over management of the YMCA for a while. The director, in a manner of speaking, has taken my place, called upon to serve our country. I offered to step into his role during my rehabilitation. Now, your guardian here," he said, pointing to Miss Roberts, "tells me you're nowhere near ready to perform in our Christmas program this year."
Miss Roberts spoke up. "So you will excuse us from the program, sir? It is so hard on the children, singing in front of families when there is little hope they will ever be adopted themselves."
Ignoring her comments, the Colonel addressed the children as he paced in front of them, stopping occasionally to point his cane. "I'm not ready to retreat. I just came from the trenches, you know. I am used to impossible odds. Saw young boys turned into men." The Colonel looked at the children thoughtfully and then turned to Miss Roberts. "Perhaps I could have some time with the children tomorrow morning. We don't have much time before the program. Perhaps a little pep talk and practice might help?" The Colonel smiled and winked at Miss Roberts.
"Looks like we're doomed to sing that sorry old song again," one of the children whispered to the others.
"You are welcome to come at 10:00," Miss Roberts replied. "If you desire, the children can move their practice session to the morning and if you don't mind, I'll use the time to catch up on a bit of paperwork."
"Very well, then," the Colonel replied. "I'll be back in the morning. Good day, children." Then he turned and walked out the door.
Editor's note: We are beginning a 4-part Advent series from Marty Machowski's family devotional, Prepare Him Room.
"Stop! Thief!" The shopkeeper shouted after the ragged boy who had slipped an apple into his pocket then turned and walked out the door without paying. At the sound of the man's voice, the boy took off through the ankle-deep snow, thin legs pumping.
Altered by the shopkeeper's call, Sergeant O'Malley, a half a block away, caught a glimpse of a small dark figure moving against the white landscape. He won't slip away from me this time, the office thought. He blew his whistle and took off after the boy. The lad was quick—much quicker than the officer—but the fresh tracks laid down in the new-fallen snow led directly to 1052 Marker Street. The footprints scaled a set of stairs and stopped at the dark, hand-carved chestnut door. A sign chiseled in the granite cornerstone read: Bartimaeus House, 1862.
The officer's face registered grim satisfaction as he followed the tracks up the stairs. He had been trying to catch the young thief for months. As he looked up at the familiar name on the door, the officer mused, "This might be the perfect place for him; I hope I can get him to stay." The boy had all the earmarks of a recent orphan: he never stole anything of value, only what he needed to eat—a loaf of bread, a ring of baloney, an apple or two. The boy had always managed to stay a step or two ahead of Sergeant O'Malley. "But not today," he said as he turned the handle and opened the door.
Bartimaeus House got its start in 1852 when two-year-old Bartimaeus had been left on the doorstep of Jonathan Hawthorn's house. The little boy was one of hundreds of children similarly orphaned in New York, and the first of ten orphans Doc Hawthorn took into his home until they could be placed with adoptive families. When a heart attack claimed the doctor's life only a few years later, his wife used his estate to fund the construction of Bartimaeus House. More than fifty years had passed, but Bartimaeus House continued to care for orphans.
Frantically planning his escape, Christopher thought the old stone building looked like a school, and he reasoned he could hide unnoticed inside. It seemed like the perfect place to get lost in the crowd. Had he realized it was an orphanage, or that he was leaving such a clear trail in the fresh snow behind him, he would have kept running. To his surprise and relief, when he reached for the doorknob and turned it, the massive door swung open. He slipped inside and drew in a deep breath of the place. The warm room smelled like an old school. Christopher had been on his own since his parents died—his mother, last spring; his father, a year before that in the war. He shut his eyes and took in the sounds of a choir warming up in the distance. Their voices drew Christopher in and down a long, dim hallway.
As he drew closer to the open door near the end of the hall, he heard muffled voices and peeked around the corner of the open door. The singing started again: "Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her King . . ." Everyone was singing at his own tempo. They sure need practice, he thought as he stood undetected in the shadow of the doorway. About thirty children were in the chorus. An older girl was attempting to conduct, but no one was paying attention to her. Suddenly, the front door opened and closed with a thud. Christopher skipped into the room, plodding carefully in his oversized boots, and slid silently behind the faded drapes that framed the large windows now frosted with snow.
"But, Mary," a boy whined, "why do we have to sing Christmas songs when we can't even celebrate Christmas?"
The singing faltered then stopped altogether. "If Miss Roberts hears us stopping we'll have to practice even longer," Mary warned. "Besides, it's the only thing we do for Christmas. It's tradition."
"So are candy canes and presents," the young boy shot back. "Why can't we really celebrate Christmas?"
A girl spoke up. "Miss Roberts says there is no use celebrating Christmas if you're not going to celebrate with a family."
"Miss Roberts says this, Miss Roberts says that," the boy whined in a sarcastic tone. "I don't care what Miss Roberts says or doesn't say."
A young girl on the front row said, "I'll bet there will be lots of folks going to the concert that could adopt us."
Mary shook her head. "Careful, Gwendolyn. Don't get your hopes up. Miss Roberts wouldn't approve. Remember, she was an orphan here when she was a child, and nobody ever adopted her. Besides, no one is adopting these days, not with the war going on." Mary walked over to the little girl, stroked her hair, and whispered, "I used to have your faith, but I gave up the hope of adoption long ago. It's time to move on, I suppose."
"Why aren't you practicing?" a voice challenged sharply, startling all but the few children who had seen her enter the room. Everyone snapped to attention and no one uttered a word as they looked at the woman who had just entered the room.
Christopher peeked out.
Mary said, "Miss Roberts, we—"
"Hush, Mary," Miss Roberts said. She stepped aside to let the policeman into the music room. "This is Sergeant O'Malley," she said. "Now where is he?"
The children looked at one another and shrugged.
"We know he's in here," O'Malley said.
"Where is who?" Mary asked, on behalf of the whole group.
"The thief!" O'Malley blurted out. "That's who."
"Thief?" Mary gasped.
"Officer O'Malley followed a young boy—a thief!—in through our front door," Miss Roberts explained. "Wet melting snow tracks led down the hallway from the front door right to this . . . puddle of water." She looked down at a circle of water just on the threshold.
"So, out with it," O'Malley commanded. "Where is he?"
Christopher held his breath and did his best to stand absolutely still. One ripple of the drapes and he was a goner!
Every eye fixed on the water still pooled at the doorway but no one had an answer. They simply looked at each other.
"Well, then," Sergeant O'Malley said, "we'll just use some good old fashioned detective work . . . Let's follow these three small drops of water that lead from this telltale puddle in the doorway over here . . . to the left side of the room."
Just before the officer reached him, Christopher shot out from behind the drapes and bolted toward the door. Dodging the officer, he slammed straight into Miss Roberts, who held him securely by his collar.
"Let me go!" he shouted, struggling to break free. But it was no use. A second later, the officer had grabbed him.
"What's your name?" the sergeant asked him.
"Christopher," he spat.
"Christopher who?" the sergeant continued.
Christopher blinked several times but said nothing.
O'Malley rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The choice is simple, Christopher. You can either stay here at Bartimaeus or head straight to the judge. The choice is yours, but if you go to the judge you'll be facing a long list of charges," he warned. "You've been stealing from the market for months now. The judge will most likely turn you over to the Children's Aid Society, and they'll ship you out on one of their orphan trains."
The officer was right. Rumors ran wild on the street about the orphan trains that hauled children off to faraway placed to be peddled for their farm labor. If he didn't agree to stay, Christopher would be on his way out west to some farm in the middle of nowhere to work long days and spend his nights in a cold basement crawling with critters while the farmer's own children were safe and sound in their warm beds. At least Bartimaeus was warm. "I'll stay," he said. Stay for a few months, that is, until the weather turns warmer. Then I can skip out and be back on the run.
O'Malley, who seemed to be reading his mind, said, "Don't you even think of leaving, you hear?" He wagged his finger an inch from Christopher's nose to punctuate his stern words. "One bad report, just one . . . or if I ever so much as catch you outside again, it's the slammer for you, young man. You shook us for months in the warm weather, but you'll die out there in the cold." Sleet was now clicking against the panes.
"I said I'll stay," Christopher repeated. Truth was, he had never been alone at Christmastime, and he surely didn't like the cold, much less the snow.
The sergeant tipped his hat and said, "Well, I guess that will do it for now. Thank you, Miss Roberts." He bid her a good day, hitched up his pants by the belt heavy with the instruments of his law-keeping trade, then turned sharply, clicked his heels with military precision, and strode out of the room.
After a half-second pause to catch her breath, Miss Roberts addressed the children. "Jake, you will show Christopher to the washbasin and help him get properly clean for dinner. Find him some trousers and a shirt from the boy's box in the spare room. The rest of you, wash your hands at once and report to the dining room. I am heading over to the YMCA to talk to the new director about our performance. Oh, and Christopher, welcome to Bartimaeus. You'll have the same privileges as the other children: warm meals, warm clothes, and a warm home. But let this be fair warning to you: You mess up, you lose them all. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Christopher said, nodding.
"Very well, then." She looked at the rest of the children. "Don't forget your studies after dinner. Bedtime is 9:30." She pointed to the clock. Then she turned and exited the room, her hard-soled shoes thumping down the hallway. The children stood motionless and listened for the loud clap of the door closing behind her.
Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA. He and his wife Lois have six children.
A few years ago at a Pastors Conference, Jeff Purswell spoke on "The Pastor and the Spirit," sharing priorities from Scripture to embrace as we consider the Spirit's work in our lives.
We've selected some highlights from the message that we hope will encourage you, and we've linked to the audio and a full outline of Jeff's message below. May these words encourage you to rejoice in the Spirit's work as He bears witness to the glory of Christ!
Familiarity with these chapters [1 Corinthians 12–14] will promote not only understanding, but also a greater desire for the Spirit's work, the practice of the gifts, and the experience of God's active presence in our lives and in our churches.
Everyone who makes a saving confession of Jesus Christ is by definition spiritual, because that can only be done by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
It's the transforming effect of the gospel that is pre-eminent in terms of spiritual experience.
Apart from love, spiritual gifts and even heroic displays of self-sacrifice are of no value and say nothing about one's true spiritual condition.
From a biblical perspective, we don't have the option of merely acknowledging spiritual gifts; we are called to eagerly desire them. The Bible commands not just practice, but an attitude.
Although the Spirit's work is in no way limited to more prominent, spectacular gifts, neither does it exclude them.
Edification is Paul's unmistakable priority for the gathered church.
Paul provides a vision here not of mere order, but one of harmony, peace, joy, and unity fostered by an awareness of who God is and a sense of His active presence with us.
These chapters free us to pursue the Spirit's work with faith, confident of His desire to empower and equip us, informed by the purposes of the Spirit's work, positioned to allow the Spirit's work to clarify and strengthen our passion for the gospel.
Familiarity with these chapters [1 Corinthians 12–14] will promote not only understanding, but also a greater desire for the Spirit's work, the practice of the gifts, and the experience of God's active presence in our lives and in our churches.
Everyone who makes a saving confession of Jesus Christ is by definition spiritual, because that can only be done by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
It's the transforming effect of the gospel that is pre-eminent in terms of spiritual experience.
Apart from love, spiritual gifts and even heroic displays of self-sacrifice are of no value and say nothing about one's true spiritual condition.
From a biblical perspective, we don't have the option of merely acknowledging spiritual gifts; we are called to eagerly desire them. The Bible commands not just practice, but an attitude.
Although the Spirit's work is in no way limited to more prominent, spectacular gifts, neither does it exclude them.
Edification is Paul's unmistakable priority for the gathered church.
Paul provides a vision here not of mere order, but one of harmony, peace, joy, and unity fostered by an awareness of who God is and a sense of His active presence with us.
These chapters free us to pursue the Spirit's work with faith, confident of His desire to empower and equip us, informed by the purposes of the Spirit's work, positioned to allow the Spirit's work to clarify and strengthen our passion for the gospel.
Image by Finch Photo.
Carrie is a communications assistant at Sovereign Grace.
God met us in power through the preaching of Rick Gamache at our Pastors Conference last month.
I heard numerous attendees say it was a major highlight during the conference, so we thought it wise to feature some quotes from Rick's message along with the audio in its entirety (see below).
Worship the Lord as you consider your work and His in your sanctification!
We are to become what we are already declared to be in Jesus.
Our active obedience is essential to our finally being saved.
We preach the gospel to save the lost and to save the saved.
Obedience is possible and obedience is absolutely necessary. God is pleased with imperfect obedience.
Gospel grace is fuel for gospel growth.
We work out our salvation with fear and trembling—or reverential awe—because God Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, our Redeemer, our Justifier, our Father, is working in us.
Our effort is necessary, but it is only God's power that makes our effort possible.
Spurgeon, in response to, "How do you reconcile God's sovereignty and man's responsibility?" said, "I do not try to reconcile friends."
Download the audio (right-click and select "Save link as" or "Save target as")
Bryan (@BryanDeWire) is the Communications Manager at Sovereign Grace.
I recently read Real Peace: What We Long for and Where to Find It by our very own Andy Farmer. The introduction alone got me hooked.
See for yourself. In fact, I dare you to read his compelling introduction (included in its entirety below) and see if it doesn't spur you on to read the rest of the book. Andy does a fantastic job at applying God's Word to numerous barriers to peace including stress, grief, depression, and interpersonal conflict. He has a wise, winsome, pastoral voice, and he cares deeply for God's people.
So, we highly commend this book to you! Here is the introduction.
The initial idea for this book came to me as I stared at a picture. It wasn't a beautiful Caribbean beach scene, or a pristine Alpine meadow. It was a picture in my office of a horse. Running. Down the homestretch of a big race. With thousands of people screaming as he churned up the track. Not exactly the idyllic scene you think would inspire a book on peace. Let me try to explain.
The horse is Secretariat, the legendary thoroughbred who won horse racing's Triple Crown in 1973. Secretariat happens to be my favorite athlete of all time, species notwithstanding. As a fourteen-year-old I somehow got caught up in the national hoopla over his Triple Crown run. I watched each race with rapt attention, spellbound by the effortless grace and power that seemed to flow out of him as he set records in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes.
The picture I'm referring to is a famous photo of "Big Red" closing out his Triple Crown with his historic Belmont Run. My wife got it for me and had it signed by the jockey, Ron Turcotte, and the photographer who took the shot. Secretariat is running along the rail in full stride toward the finish line. But there's an odd thing about the picture. The horse and his rider are virtually alone in the shot. Secretariat won the Belmont by a mind-boggling thirty-one lengths (over eighty yards)—setting a world record for the distance that still stands. Turcotte said afterward, "I was just along for the ride". Think about it like this. With no competition and no urging from his jockey, my favorite athlete ran faster than any horse has ever run a mile and a half in history. In fact, his quarter times show that he was actually speeding up as he crossed the finish line!
I was looking at the picture one day and I noticed something I'd never seen before. At full speed in front of thousands of people the horse seems absolutely calm. I looked for any sign of stress and couldn't see anything. It dawned on me—he's running just for the fun of it. I was watching an animal do what he was created to do, do it with amazing beauty, and do it with what seemed like pure joy. I thought to myself, "That's peace. I need me some of that."
So I began to study the idea of peace in the Bible. In that process I discovered a second reason to write this book. I had a hard time finding anything written on peace in all its biblical aspects. I could find excellent books on our reconciliation with God through the cross, but they said very little about the experience of peace in the day-to-day experiences of life. I found some books on the experience of peace, but there wasn't much connection to the gospel in them. As I looked for helpful resources on how to do peace in the world, I found myself in the world of liberal theology, again with little if any gospel connections. I thought if I could write something that was biblical and gospel-centered, it might start conversations that don't seem to be happening much right now.
The thing that pushed me to actually do this, however, was my experience in pastoral counseling and care. As I studied peace, I became much more attuned to how people I was meeting with related to it. I began to realize that nearly everyone I talked to, regardless of their situation, was thirsting for peace in their lives. This is abundantly obvious with the people I talk to who don't claim a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Even among Christians who are not in difficult struggles, the lack of peace is real. Whether we used the word or not, embedded in the language people use to describe their life struggles is a desperate cry for peace. I had a friend ask me today what I was writing on, and when I told her it was peace, she simply sighed, "Ahh . . . I'd love that."
That's my hope in writing this book. That you'll learn to love peace like I'm learning to love peace. Peace in all its dimensions. Let me offer some tips on how to read this book. My best suggestion is to start at the beginning; that's how I wrote it. But you could also look through the table of contents for a chapter that might speak to your immediate sense of need. You'll find application for peace in the normal stress of life (Chapter 4) and also for some difficult struggles like anxiety, grief, depression, and conflict (Chapters 5–8). My hope is that if you get something out of one of those chapters it might get you wanting to read from the beginning.
Nearly every New Testament letter begins with a greeting that includes a blessing of peace.'[1] As you begin this book let me extend that blessing as well. May you read and be enriched with peace. Like my favorite athlete, may we learn how to run our races at peace, finding unexpected joy in doing what we were created and redeemed to do. Or as the New Testament authors tend to say it, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you" (2 Pet. 1:2) through what you read in the pages to come.
[1] Of the 22 epistles in the New Testament, only Hebrews, James, 1 John, and 3 John do not begin with this greeting.
Buy the book.
Even though Bob Kauflin wrote Worship Matters primarily for worship leaders, the rest of us can certainly benefit from this book too.
Current and future pastors can appreciate his care for a solid biblical theology of worship. Church members can appreciate what their leaders think and pray through in order to serve the church week in and week out. Even unbelievers can appreciate his winsomeness and tone.
Indeed, this book is remarkable for its passion for both deep doctrine and deep delight. Love for God's glory and love for men's souls. Rare is the book that is so richly theological and yet practically relevant.
The force of the book as a whole is powerful. But there are some individual gems worth mining and analyzing and prayerfully considering. So, I compiled 15 of those gems to kindle your passion for worship. And I pray that, if you haven't read it, you would consider doing so.
1. "Worship matters. It matters to God because he is the one ultimately worthy of all worship. It matters to us because worshiping God is the reason for which we were created. And it matters to every worship leader, because we have no greater privilege than leading others to encounter the greatness of God. That's why it's so important to think carefully about what we do and why we do it." (19)
2. "For years we've read about or experienced firsthand the "worship wars"—conflicts over music styles, song selections, and drums. But far too little has been said about the worship wars going on inside us. And they're much more significant." (21)
3. "The only approval that matters—God's—is impossible to earn but is offered as a gift through the gospel." (25)
4. "Truth has often been tested and confirmed in the fires of controversy and conflict." (31)
5. "If our doctrine is accurate but our hearts are cold toward God himself, our corporate worship will be true but lifeless. Or if we express fervent love for God but present vague, inaccurate, or incomplete ideas of him to those we're leading, our worship will be emotional but misleading—and possibly idolatrous. Neither option brings God glory." (32)
6. "While God values skill, he doesn't accept our worship on the basis of it. . . . The important thing to recognize is that leading the church to worship God requires more than a sincere heart and good intentions. It requires skill. And that involves work, time, and preparation." (35, 41)
7. Bob's definition of a worship leader:
A faithful worship leadermagnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christthrough the power of the Holy Spiritby skillfully combining God's Word with music,thereby motivating the gathered churchto proclaim the gospel,to cherish God's presence,and to live for God's glory. (55)
8. "A worship leader echoes David's invitation in Psalm 34:3: "Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!" The first priority of our time together is to magnify the Lord. I want to help people remember that God is bigger than their problems and joys, greater than their sorrows and successes, more significant than their tests and triumphs." (62)
9. "To magnify God's greatness in Jesus Christ means more than worshiping Jesus as God, extolling his example, and thanking him for his love. It involves drawing attention to and trusting in his specific work as our mediator and Savior." (70)
10. "Spontaneous spiritual gifts serve to confirm God's active presence in our midst, to strengthen, encourage, and build up his people." (86)
11. "If we see even a glimpse of the glory and splendor of God, it will produce a genuine humility in our hearts. . . . No thought attacks the root of our pride like realizing that God himself had to pay for our rebellion against him." (144)
12. "It's a pastor's responsibility to gently and privately talk to anyone whose physical expressions are distracting or inappropriate. I'd begin by encouraging them about their apparent love for God, then ask if they've ever thought about the effect of their actions on others. Usually a conversation will help someone realize that God isn't honored by everything we "feel" will honor him, if we're failing to consider the effect on others." (173)
13. "If our feet are firmly planted in the sufficiency of God's Word, we are then more prepared to benefit from listening for the voice of the Spirit." (185)
14. "We have no better way to serve non-Christians [in the context of our church services] than to help them hear, understand, and experience the grand story of God's redemption in Jesus Christ." (204)15. "This is the reason we've been created: to magnify the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit." (210)
And so I commend this book for your own careful reading and consideration. You can buy both a hard copy of the book and the Kindle version.
Jeff Purswell, our Director of Theology and Training, recently preached a message from Hebrews 12:1–2, and the Sovereign Grace staff thought it might encourage and strengthen you.
This message, called "A Steady Pace and a Fixed Gaze," is available for audio listening or download as well as video. We've also included the video at the bottom of this post.
Below, we have included some highlights from his sermon with the prayer that God would speak to you through the preaching of his Word:
The very essence of our existence as believers—as followers of Christ—is that our life is a race. The Christian life doesn't call for fast starts or flashes of brilliance or trigger-fast reflexes. The heroes of the faith aren't muscular sprinters. They don't "strike a pose" to celebrate their victories. Rather, following Christ calls for a steady pace, a wise and thoughtful strategy executed, not in seconds, but over time. No character quality is more important to our lives than endurance.
But there is a finish line. There will be fruitfulness—fruitfulness you've never dreamed of! The effects from your labors and prayers and serving and giving will baffle you. Your rewards from God will humble you. The text says, "God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name in serving the saints!" (Hebrews 6:10). God knows your every step, every blister, every pain, and every disappointment. He waits at the finish line with glories in his presence that we've never even imagined. God himself laid out your course. He fashioned you for it. He designed it. And he did so to shape you, to use you, and to make you more like Jesus.
Therefore, we are to take off and lay aside every weight or burden or impediment (Hebrews 12:2). We must cast off anything and everything that would impede or burden or distract or hinder our race—our pursuit of Christ, his glory, and his purposes. We are to evaluate all our activities and our resources in light of their effects on running the race. This takes supernatural wisdom. It calls for counsel from others who are running the race with you. But that's the call of this text: If anything hinders your race—if it robs you of faith or passion for Christ or love for others or a burden for the lost or the use of your gifts in the local church—then it might be a weight.
Some hindrances impede us; but sin entangles us. Other hindrances weigh you down; sin will bring you down. You can't run the race and cherish sin. You can't run the race and cultivate sin. You can't run the race and indulge in sin. You can't run the race and be apathetic toward sin. That's why we need the local church. Look around and you will see that there are runners everywhere, ready to help. Earlier the author of Hebrews wrote, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24–25). Do not take the body of Christ for granted.
Christian, you're not just floating through life—you're in a race. You must trust in the promises and faithfulness of God. Entrust yourself to God by desiring not what the world has to offer, but what God offers you through His promises. And remember that you are not alone. You are part of a noble company. There are many powerful examples of those who trusted in God's promises and faithfully endured (see Hebrews 11). You are upheld by the same God as they were.
Therefore we look preeminently to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Just as an athlete concentrates all his energies upon his prize, marshaling all his resources to capture that trophy or cup or medal, so are we to fix our gaze entirely on our Savior. We look to Jesus first because he's the founder or pioneer of our faith. Christ blazed a trail before us, showing us the way. He endured shame and hostility from a world opposed to God. And he did so because our salvation—and the vindication of his Father's honor—was his joy. As the founder of our faith, Jesus opened the way for us to enter the presence of God. He fully accomplished what was required for us to be forgiven—to draw near to God.
Because Christ finished his race, we can finish ours. The Christian's fundamental call is steadfast endurance, with our gaze fixed on Jesus. While we run this race, Hebrews 12:1–2 wants Jesus to dominate our vision. He ran the ultimate race. He guaranteed our forgiveness and access to God. He is our source of power to persevere in the race.
The very essence of our existence as believers—as followers of Christ—is that our life is a race. The Christian life doesn't call for fast starts or flashes of brilliance or trigger-fast reflexes. The heroes of the faith aren't muscular sprinters. They don't "strike a pose" to celebrate their victories. Rather, following Christ calls for a steady pace, a wise and thoughtful strategy executed, not in seconds, but over time. No character quality is more important to our lives than endurance.
But there is a finish line. There will be fruitfulness—fruitfulness you've never dreamed of! The effects from your labors and prayers and serving and giving will baffle you. Your rewards from God will humble you. The text says, "God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love you have shown for his name in serving the saints!" (Hebrews 6:10). God knows your every step, every blister, every pain, and every disappointment. He waits at the finish line with glories in his presence that we've never even imagined. God himself laid out your course. He fashioned you for it. He designed it. And he did so to shape you, to use you, and to make you more like Jesus.
Therefore, we are to take off and lay aside every weight or burden or impediment (Hebrews 12:2). We must cast off anything and everything that would impede or burden or distract or hinder our race—our pursuit of Christ, his glory, and his purposes. We are to evaluate all our activities and our resources in light of their effects on running the race. This takes supernatural wisdom. It calls for counsel from others who are running the race with you. But that's the call of this text: If anything hinders your race—if it robs you of faith or passion for Christ or love for others or a burden for the lost or the use of your gifts in the local church—then it might be a weight.
Some hindrances impede us; but sin entangles us. Other hindrances weigh you down; sin will bring you down. You can't run the race and cherish sin. You can't run the race and cultivate sin. You can't run the race and indulge in sin. You can't run the race and be apathetic toward sin. That's why we need the local church. Look around and you will see that there are runners everywhere, ready to help. Earlier the author of Hebrews wrote, "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24–25). Do not take the body of Christ for granted.
Christian, you're not just floating through life—you're in a race. You must trust in the promises and faithfulness of God. Entrust yourself to God by desiring not what the world has to offer, but what God offers you through His promises. And remember that you are not alone. You are part of a noble company. There are many powerful examples of those who trusted in God's promises and faithfully endured (see Hebrews 11). You are upheld by the same God as they were.
Therefore we look preeminently to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). Just as an athlete concentrates all his energies upon his prize, marshaling all his resources to capture that trophy or cup or medal, so are we to fix our gaze entirely on our Savior. We look to Jesus first because he's the founder or pioneer of our faith. Christ blazed a trail before us, showing us the way. He endured shame and hostility from a world opposed to God. And he did so because our salvation—and the vindication of his Father's honor—was his joy. As the founder of our faith, Jesus opened the way for us to enter the presence of God. He fully accomplished what was required for us to be forgiven—to draw near to God.
Because Christ finished his race, we can finish ours. The Christian's fundamental call is steadfast endurance, with our gaze fixed on Jesus. While we run this race, Hebrews 12:1–2 wants Jesus to dominate our vision. He ran the ultimate race. He guaranteed our forgiveness and access to God. He is our source of power to persevere in the race.
Race photo from Shutterstock.
We recently announced that there is a new Christmas album from Sovereign Grace Music called Prepare Him Room. In that post, we said that there are some other exciting resources accompanying the album (by the same name): a family devotional and a classroom curriculum.
Marty Machowski wrote the devotional and curriculum while Bob Kauflin partnered with him by overseeing the creation of the album. So, I took the opportunity to ask these men some questions to give you a more behind-the-scenes look:
Marty: For some writing projects, I get an idea, plan out a schedule, and start plugging away. Most of my writing projects have taken six months of intensive study and writing. Prepare Him Room didn't follow that pattern, and each of its three components came together a bit differently, over a longer period of time.
The short Christmas story "Bartimaeus" that I've included in the devotional was first written for my children. Later, I passed it along to our homeschool ministry who turned the storyline into an original Christmas musical. After the musical performance, I decided to rewrite the story to see if I could polish it up enough to have it published. I probably rewrote that story three times over two years.
The devotional began as a project for our church family at Covenant Fellowship. Jared Mellinger asked me to write an Advent devotional for folks in our church to use. Most of that came together in one blessed day when I got the idea to connect the Christmas prophecies in the Old Testament with the New Testament fulfillments. It was that devotional which became the framework for the Advent devotions in the Prepare Him Room devotional.
I wrote the companion curriculum last of all to bring the same truths of Scripture into the Sunday school classroom. That took about a month to write working about an hour and a half each day, or about 50 hours.
Bob: From Marty's first email, the project took about 15 months. We actually started writing songs in January of this year and finished in early April. The recording took about six weeks.
Marty: I've known Bob for 27 years—ever since he first spoke at a Covenant Fellowship singles retreat in the 90's. Bob is such a gift to us and I love his heart for God and his gifting in writing music. So when the idea came up in conversation with New Growth Press to put together a Christmas album highlighting the themes from Prepare Him Room in song, it was a no-brainer to contact Bob.
With all Bob has going on, I thought it was a long shot—and a dream. Having Bob on the project would be getting the best. What a joy to have this work out. In the end, Bob was excited by the prospect of doing another Christmas album, and we were able to work together to create a grouping of songs that work amazingly well with what I've written.
When Bob sent me the first rough-cut video of "Who Would Have Dreamed," it took my breath away. The lyrics were amazing, and his daughter, McKenzie, killed it!
Bob: Marty sent me an email in June of 2013 asking if I'd be interested in having Sovereign Grace Music produce an album to accompany his children's Advent curriculum and devotional. I had been thinking about recording another Christmas album the past few years, since Savior: Celebrating the Mystery of God Become Man came out back in 2006. This provided the perfect opportunity to pursue that impulse.
Marty: Jesus was born to the chorus of angels singing to the shepherds in the fields. Christmas isn't Christmas without songs celebrating the coming of our Savior. When I developed the Prepare Him Room curriculum and devotional, I wanted to include singing as a part of what the children would do.
This Christmas album stands alone, as does the curriculum, but when you put them together, you have a wonderful Advent program in study and song that we hope will be a blessing for families and churches partnering together to bring the gospel to the next generation.
Bob: Partly because of the way the project came about. The album really is a companion to the devotional and curriculum. I think we would have come up with a different album without Marty's materials. The specific Scriptures caused us to focus on the particular themes of each lesson and gave us more diversity than we would have had otherwise.
Marty: The target audience for the family devotional and curriculum is preschool through elementary age children. I wanted to provide a gospel-rich set of activities families could use to build Christ-centered family traditions that will last. While Prepare Him Room is written for 4–10 year-olds, the rich biblical theology I've included is material for people of any age. I remember first discovering the truths of biblical theology well into my adult years and marveling at some of the very same prophecies we teach in Prepare Him Room.
Bob: While the curriculum and devotional are intended for 4–10 year-olds and their families, the album is for all ages. We aimed for a specifically "Christmas" sound that is timeless, rather than trying to produce a pop album with Christmas lyrics. We were really pleased with the result. One person described it this way: "The album as a whole has a depth and movement about it that is both sobering and hopeful."
Marty: Go to New Growth Press for both the curriculum and the devotional.
I am hoping churches 1) purchase the curriculum to use the four weeks prior to Christmas and 2) encourage their families to use the companion family devotional. The goal of these two resources is to bridge the gap between church and home and to serve as a tool for pastors and families to use together.
It brings me great joy when I think that families can also be singing Christmas hymns and songs at home along with the album Bob put together and then singing those same songs on Sunday. I've made it my mission to provide resources that help parents bring the life-transforming message of the gospel to their family.
I honestly can't think of a more comprehensive Christmas program that teaches children the true meaning of Christmas through word, deed, and song. I hope churches and families in Sovereign Grace (and beyond) take advantage of this program and see the gospel proclaimed to a new generation who we trust will carry the torch of the gospel when our days are complete.
Bob: Marty explained how to get the curriculum and devotional. The best place to get the album is the Sovereign Grace Music website. From there, you can purchase it from a number of retailers or websites.
Every Christmas, we're bombarded with voices from our culture trying to tell us what is most important about the Christmas season, whether it be gifts, parties, family, or traditions. This album, combined with the devotional and curriculum, will be a huge help to parents who want to take consistent time to focus not only on the birth of Christ, but also its purpose. Jesus was born to save us from our sins. That is the greatest miracle to celebrate at Christmas or any other time for that matter. And after sitting down to go through the devotional together, families can reinforce and deepen those truths anywhere and anytime as they listen to the songs on the album.
Marty serves as a pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church and has written numerous resources for children and families.
Bob is the Director of Music and Worship for Sovereign Grace and serves as a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville.
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From Our Editors
Steve Wendt brings nearly 40 years of experience soaring the skies to his lessons at Blue Sky Virginia Hang Gliding's flight park, where he instructs gliders of all experience levels in launch methods ranging from training-hill foot launches to towing. Through personalized instruction in classes certified by the U.S. Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, he hones flyers? skills in solo and tandem hang-gliding and in piloting trikes and paragliders against elite racing pigeons. Using aero-towing, park staff members can tow pilots to heights of more than 2,000 feet, or get them airborne with platform and scooter towing.
Staff also outfit certified pilots and enthusiasts with a fleet of gliders from brands such as Aeros, Icaro 2000, Moyes, and North Wing, each made from aircraft-grade aluminum and Dacron sailcloth. In the event of regular wear and tear or run-ins with jealous paper airplanes, they can also sew sails, repair harnesses, and bend frames back into shape in a repair facility.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
Research Article
A novel bayesian graphical model for genome-wide multi-SNP association mapping
Article first published online: 29 NOV 2011
DOI: 10.1002/gepi.20661
© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genetic Epidemiology
Volume 36, Issue 1, pages 36–47, January 2012
Additional Information
How to Cite
Zhang, Y. (2012), A novel bayesian graphical model for genome-wide multi-SNP association mapping. Genet. Epidemiol., 36: 36–47. doi: 10.1002/gepi.20661
Publication History
- Issue published online: 29 DEC 2011
- Article first published online: 29 NOV 2011
- Manuscript Accepted: 5 OCT 2011
- Manuscript Revised: 20 SEP 2011
- Manuscript Received: 28 JUL 2011
Funded by
- NIH. Grant Number: R01-HG004718
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