“Is This Song About God?” (i.e., “Hold Me” by Jamie Grace)

Kirk E. Miller

So, yesterday I saw this video (see below) on YouTube. It’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.

As a disclaimer, I do not agree with everything in this video. For example, I do believe many musical artists can rightly call themselves Christian artists, seeing they produce music that is blatantly Christian and their sole goal is to glorify and promote Christ and His Gospel. And secondly, calling something “Christian” does not necessitate it must have a soul as this individual implies. “Christian” has a much broader use than the idea of being “saved.” But that’s besides my point.
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Lake Lundgren Bible Camp, Summer 2011 – Get a Clue: God’s Word Has the Answers

Kirk E. Miller

The following four power points (see links below) are pedagogical aids from four out of the five messages[1] I presented at Lake Lundgren Bible Camp last summer when I was the Bible speaker for a youth week (upper elementary to lower junior high grade levels). The theme last summer was “Get a Clue: God’s Word has the Answers” based on the text 2 Timothy 3:16-17. When I was asked to speak for a week on this theme I determined to start off with a message on God’s Word itself, how we can trust it (an apologetic), and some basic doctrines concerning the Bible and how it was written (inspiration, inerrancy, preservation). After having laid that foundation, I presented a “three step method” of studying/reading the Bible: 1) read it, 2) understand it, and 3) live it. These four messages are for what the power points below were made. They probably won’t make entire sense to you at various points apart from hearing the actual messages. But I hope you might find browsing through them to be beneficial.

Day 1 – The Bible – God’s Very Word (Power Point)

Day 2 – Step 1 – Read It (Power Point)

Day 3 – Step 2 – Understand It (Power Point)

Day 5 – Step 3 – Live It (Power Point)
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[1]The fifth message I preached (chronologically the fourth message) was a presentation of the Gospel from Romans 5 primiarily. However, that message was presented at a campfire. So, sorry–no power point.

The Cross = My Infinite Worth? (John Piper)

Kirk E. Miller

Today I was reading in The Supremacy of God in Preaching by John Piper and I ran across the paragraph below. This paragraph really seems to be just a side thought in Piper’s argument, but nonetheless, it caught my attention. Read it for yourself:

It horribly skews the meaning of the cross when contemporary prophets of self-esteem say that the cross is a witness to my infinite worth, since God was willing to pay such a high price to get me. The biblical perspective is that the cross is a witness to the infinite worth of God’s glory, and a witness to the immensity of the sin of my pride. What should shock us is that we have brought such contempt upon the worth of God that the very death of his Son is required to vindicate that worth. The cross stands in witness to the infinite worth of God and the infinite outrage of sin.

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“Are You a Horn Blower?” by Brian Trainer

Kirk E. Miller

I heard a great sermon out of Philippians 2:1-11 by Brian Trainer yesterday in chapel (2.28.2012). Here are my sermon notes:

Why we shouldn’t blow our own horn:

  1. Because of Christ’s future exaltation. You cannot blow and bow at the same time (v.9-11).
  2. Because of Christ’s past humiliation. You can’t blow your own horn at the foot of the cross (v.5-8).
  3. Because of our present relationship with Christ (v.1).

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