photo by GAC "In [Christ] the enslaved find redemption, the guilty pardon, the unholy renovation; in him are everlasting strength for the weak, unsearchable riches for the needy, treasures of wisdom and knowledge for the ignorant, fullness for the empty." Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Carlisle, PA: … Continue reading Quote of Note #138: Hope and Help in Christ
Tag: anxiety
Quote of Note #133: Living Provisional Lives
Photo by GAC "There are . . . not a few who live what might be called provisional lives, in which the choice is constantly postponed. Such people's hearts are not in their present lives, for they are always waiting for the time--which never comes--when their true lives will begin." Paul Tournier, The Meaning of … Continue reading Quote of Note #133: Living Provisional Lives
Pastor Note #116: Advent Reflection #2
[Note: This post is the script for a video reflection that I posted to my YouTube channel. To view this particular video click here.] I first began making my “Pastor Gary’s Video Notebook” videos in March 2020 when the coronavirus shutdown came to my community and my church. I had a number of goals for … Continue reading Pastor Note #116: Advent Reflection #2
Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Are these hopeful times or are they fearful times? I write these words on a warm day, after a hard winter of snow and ice. The daffodils are poking up through the leaf litter in my flowerbeds. The crocuses have already begun to bloom. In fact, there are several dandelions in their yellow perkiness smiling … Continue reading Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Quote of Note #99: Worry and God’s Strength for the Day
"Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength--carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow--it empties today of its strength. . . . Jesus is stronger than all of our problems." Corrie ten Boom, He Cares, He Comforts: In Sickness and In … Continue reading Quote of Note #99: Worry and God’s Strength for the Day
Prayer Note #59: Fleeing My Inescapable God
What savoriness sin has! It is so hard to leave it alone, Even when I know it for what it is. I come back to it again and again. But behind the savoriness, There’s a coldness, a darkness. Savoring my sin keeps me Far from you, Lord. I can’t savor my sin In your presence. … Continue reading Prayer Note #59: Fleeing My Inescapable God
Quote of Note #51: Anxieties and Guilt
"Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith. I don't agree at all. They are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the Passion of Christ. For the beginning of the Passion -- the first move, so to … Continue reading Quote of Note #51: Anxieties and Guilt
Sermon #63 — A Troubling Election and A People of Hope
The U.S. presidential election of 2016 is surely one of the most spiritually destructive of the ten presidential elections in my voting experience. I have been deeply troubled by the extent to which many prominent evangelical leaders have stirred up and played on the fears of their people. This has not been American evangelicalism's finest … Continue reading Sermon #63 — A Troubling Election and A People of Hope
Pastor Note #59–Honestly, It’s Really Kind of Scary!
As some of your know by now, I will be traveling to the city of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May. I’ll be going as part of a team sent out by Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International to conduct a week-long training event for pastors and church leaders there. I’m excited … Continue reading Pastor Note #59–Honestly, It’s Really Kind of Scary!
BIBLE NOTE #18–Matthew14:22-33: Adventures in Water-walking with Jesus
ADVENTURES IN WATER-WALKING WITH JESUS I love this passage – Matthew 14:22-32. But I’m still not sure I understand what Peter had in mind (v.28). It all happened one dark, windy night out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. It’s typically called a “sea,” but really it’s a large, freshwater lake. Still, … Continue reading BIBLE NOTE #18–Matthew14:22-33: Adventures in Water-walking with Jesus
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 