Am I Really a Christian?

As I mentioned in a previous post, we're using Wednesday evenings at First Southern to journey through a discipleship program called "Growing in Christ."

Our first series was "Am I Really a Christian?" based loosely on Mike McKinley's book that shares the same name. It focused on the need to examine ourselves spiritually and to look for evidence of being truly born again.

We recently concluded this first course, but it's not too late to follow along! All the handouts and even some of the audio recordings are available online. This would make a great self-guided study of basic Christianity.

Here's a complete list of the lessons:

"Am I Really a Christian?"

Growing In Christ, Course 1

Lesson 1:  Am I Really a Christian? (handout | request audio)
Lesson 2: More than a Name (handout | request audio)
Lesson 3: The New Birth (handout | request audio)
Lesson 4: Saving Faith (handout | request audio)
Lesson 5: Dead to Sin (handout | request audio)
Lesson 6: Finishing the Race (handout | request audio)
Lesson 7: Loving Others (handout | request audio)
Lesson 8: Contentment (handout | listen to audio)
Lesson 9: Assurance (handout | listen to audio)
Lesson 10: You're Not Alone (handout | listen to audio)

As you can see, some audio is available, though our podcast service has a limited data plan so I wasn't able to upload all of the lessons. The others are available by request. Just click on the link or leave a comment below and I can send you a copy of the other audio lessons.

Stress test

Thanks to all who have been praying for Natalie this past month. She went into the ER again Thursday night with extremely high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and tingling in her face. We thought maybe it was an allergic reaction to sugar, but we’re honestly not sure. She’s staying off processed sugar completely until she meets with her primary care doctor tomorrow, but such a restricted diet is sometimes making her even more tired and weak.

Natalie has had two sets of blood tests so far with no significant abnormalities. Her cardiology stress test went pretty smoothly this morning. She was dizzy throughout, but the doctor said her heart looks good. Praise the Lord! However, we're back to the drawing board on what might be wrong. We just have no idea what's causing her dangerously high blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, shakiness, occasional blurry vision, etc.

We are physically and emotionally exhausted, taking this one day at a time and grateful for God's sustaining grace. Natalie has an appointment with her PCP tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully we'll find out what our next step should be.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Heaven for Kids

What happens when we die? Do people in heaven remember life on earth? Will animals live in the new heavens and new earth? What will we do in heaven? These are not just questions for adults. Many kids are asking these questions too.

Here’s a free book on Heaven by Randy Alcorn that addresses some of the common questions and misunderstandings about heaven. It’s geared toward a younger audience but it has something we can all learn!

If you’re interested in a fuller treatment of the subject, check out Alcorn’s larger volume on Heaven. I also heartily recommend Paul Enn’s Heaven Revealed and Erwin Lutzer’s One Minute After You Die.

These are far more biblical than the runaway bestsellers 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper or Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. Why expend a lot of time reading about subjective dreams/experiences/visions when we have “something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Pet. 1:19)?

Paul says a crown of righteousness awaits all who love and anticipate the Lord's appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). Do you long for the return of our Lord? This book is sure to get your family excited for our heavenly home.