Posts by Pastor Steve Balentine (Page 2)

Posts by Pastor Steve Balentine (Page 2)

The “Power of God”

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.Romans 1:16 “Outside of heaven, the power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel. This must be so, for the Bible twice describes the gospel as “the power of God.” Nothing else in all of Scripture is…

Is this how they felt when Henry Ford died?

I read the news of Steve Jobs’ death last night on the monitor of my Apple computer.  It was surreal.  I imagined a man driving home from his factory job, in his Model A Ford, to hear about the death of Henry Ford on the radio.  These men are so distant from us, and yet have had a tremendous impact on our daily lives. By all accounts, Steve Jobs did not know Jesus. …

The G.O.S.P.E.L.

This will be different for some of you but I would encourage you to listen through to the end. It is a clear, creative, accurate and helpful presentation of the gospel.  G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Rev. John Stott (1921- 2011)

I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be a young pastor in Northern Europe in the 5th century.  Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest theological minds the world has ever known is writing, preaching and teaching…and I had never heard of him.  I try to imagine what it would be like to be a young settler and pastor coming to America in the mid 16th…

Biblical Unity

I found this quote from Dr. Ralph Winter that reinforces the famous “piano tuning”  quote by Tozer.  It is well worth reflecting on…and then acting on. “I see the world church as the gathering together of a great symphony orchestra where we don’t make every new person coming in play a violin in order to fit in with the rest. We invite the people to…

Birthday Gifts and Reflections

Perhaps you have a birthday tradition at your home.  Ours is Swedish pancakes for breakfast!  My wonderful wife gets up before everyone else, and as she pours the batter into the griddle, the sweet aroma fills the house in a way that draws us like zombies to the breakfast table.  We fill them with fruit, or sprinkle them with powdered sugar, or just smother them in some…

An old friend…

I want to introduce you to a man who has been discipling me for almost 20 years, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  I did not “meet” him until years after his death but he has had a profound impact on my life.   His book, Spiritual Depression, was one of the most influential and helpful books I have read and his sermon series on The Sermon on the Mount was food for my soul as I…

True Friendship

In Four Loves, C. S. Lewis wrote this about friendship, “Friendship arises out of mere companionship when two or more of the companions discover that they have in common some insight or interest or even taste which the others do not share and which, till that moment, each believed to be his own unique treasure (or burden). The typical expression of opening…

Preparing you to be encouraged not exhorted.

This Sunday we plan to sing a worship song  that reminds us of the life changing nature of God’s Holy Word.  We can easily take for granted on Sunday morning when we choose among which of our Bibles to carry to church that this book has come to us on a river of blood.  We forget that God’s providential preservation of His Word has cost countless, faithful servants their…

Boasting…in the cross

What do you boast in? Martyn Lloyd-Jones is one of my favorite authors and has written one of the books that has had the greatest impact on my life.  I want to introduce him to you over time and hope that brief nuggets of the clarity, wisdom and insight he offers will encourage you to hunger to read more of his writings and sermons. In this quote, he is commenting…

Purpose in Suffering

This Sunday in 1 Peter, we will be introduced specifically to the theme of suffering.  In preparation for Sunday I want to encourage you to reflect on the nature and purpose of suffering.  In his book, Knowing God (p 97-98) (also available in the church library) J. I. Packer writes about suffering.  He is reflecting on the suffering of so many of God’s children in the Old…