Book Club Update

A few weeks ago I announced that I would be starting a book club. I love reading and I love to discuss what I am reading with other people. I have wanted to be a part of a reading club for years; however, there were several red flags to starting one right now. (I was in denial of that for a while but as the date approached, I realized that I was not going to be able to add it to my plate.) It was not going to be wise for me to facilitate another monthly meeting. In addition to that I found out that my husband’s leadership team is beginning some type of reading event as well so that will be an opportunity for reading too.

In the meantime I have morphed my own reading club into a blogging exercise. This blog was originally created to encourage the women that I meet with on a monthly basis for accountability. We are going to start a reading project inspired by the sermon series at FBC, Norco. The sermon series is based on Titus. Consistently we have been exhorted to think about the necessity of sound doctrine in our lives. Sound doctrine keeps us from making decisions based on our culture, our emotions, pressure from others, our own selfish flesh etc., but instead gives us the ability to live life and make decisions based on the safety and strength afforded by God’s Word.

With that in mind we are going to be reading Bible Doctrine by Wayne Grudem and responding to it on my blog. Our goal will be attainable which might make it look like a small goal but it will be definitely better than nothing! We will read 5 pages a week.

This reading exercise will start on February 19. On that day the pages for the next week will be assigned as a post for which anyone who is reading can comment on during that week. I will write at the end of the week and then will assign the pages for the next week! Thanks to all who commented at our last meeting that they were excited about doing this. I think it will be fun and challenging at points.

Quotes that caused me to think

The following are some of the things that I have been thinking about lately. Things I have heard through the teaching at FBC, Norco.  Things that have caused me to “set my mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

“You cannot say that you take the gospel seriously if you do not share it. Christians love the gospel, live the gospel and share the gospel.” paraphrase of Matt Cobb’s teaching

“I cannot understand the gospel on my own, therefore there is no room for boasting….” Matt Cobb

“The church is the community of all true believers of all time bound together through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.” Jeff Mooney

“Your identity is in Christ; you cannot look to the world to define you.” Jeff Mooney

“Grace trains you to say NO to ungodliness.” Titus 2:11-14

“Repentance is knowing, responding, renouncing, and trusting that sin is not better than Christ.” Jeff Mooney

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” Prov. 31:11-12 (memory verse from Bible study)

“The value of God’s word in our lives is directly linked to righteousness.” Darren Meisel

“Sin deadens your senses. The common denominator of all sin is lack of trust in God.” Jeff Mooney

“The vitality of the Christian life is found in the reality of Christ’s work.”

“The biggest hindrances to gospel-living in America are indulgence and diversion.”

“How would Jesus think?” (Noting that I cannot always do the things that Jesus did….like heal a leper, but I can learn to think in terms of glorifying my Father in all situations.) Nik Brownell

“The heart is an idol factory.” Luther

“We must speak, sing, and discuss the gospel with each other daily! Why? to strengthen us, focus us, motivate us, and give us joy!” paraphrased from sermon

“The elemental spirits of this world have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh”  Only by faith in Jesus Christ. He alone is the answer to my sin problem.  from study in Colossians in Sunday School

“Do not resist the struggles of ministering to people.”  comment made in Sunday school as we discussed Paul’s willingness to struggle so that the gospel might go forward.

I will stop here.  Typing all this up has made me grateful for the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the teachers at Norco, the family of believers at Norco and worldwide, and the nursery workers that make it possible for me to hear the word.

I hope you are blessed by these thoughts too.

www.bondedtogether.wordpress.com

Wasting Life By Not Risking For the Sake of the Gospel

Last night the ladies to whom I am accountable for spiritual disciplines and who are seeking accountability for discipline met again to encourage each other, “check in,” and discuss Piper’s book, Don’t Waste Your Life. As usual it was an uplifting time for me and I hope for them.  I really like having to answer to them because it reminds me constantly of how important it is for me to walk in the things that I believe to be important and worthy of time.  It amazes me how easy it can be to get distracted from eternal things….even doing mundane things like cleaning house, which while is important, is not more important than time in the Word.

My favorite thought for reflection last night was the idea that sometimes I can blend in to the values of the world if I am not taking risks that set me apart for Christ.  The risk we were talking about is the risk to invest in people, to give to the poor, to spend time caring and noticing that there are people around me that I can serve and that serving them with the love that Christ has rather than out of selfish ambition stands out because that’s not exactly “natural.”  There are kind people in the world that do not love Christ, but the motivation for their kindness is what sets them apart.  How much will I give to make someone else happy, happy in such a way that they look to CHRIST, not me as the source of the blessings?  And at the same time, how much am I willing to serve others by speaking the truth even if it means rejection of me…something I am not fond of at all.  It’s challenging and it’s so good for me to be urged to seek Christ in cleansing my heart and helping me to think Biblically, eternally.

Java and Jazz

On April 17th and 18th First Baptist Church of Norco will host Java and Jazz. It is a night dedicated to the world in that all the proceeds from tickets sales and auction items will go directly to put around 40 people overseas at some time this summer to share the gospel.

As many of you know, my husband, Jeff Mooney has a degree in Jazz Music Studies. He was a jazz piano player when he became a Christian. He will be sharing his piano talent AND his testimony to God’s redeeming power in his life on both nights. He will have two accompanists as well. In addition to the concert, there will be coffee and dessert and a big band dancing after the concert. We have some amazing items up for silent auction as well. The Friday night event starts at 6:00 and the Saturday night event starts at 5:00. (It’s an either/or event.)

The tickets cost $20.00. Are you planning to attend? If you cannot attend either night, would you purchase a ticket to give to someone else?

Tickets can be purchased from me. contact me through email mooney_david@msn.com.

Jeff and Jonathan, my son, will be two of those traveling to share this summer.