For Lord’s Day April 21, 2013

Dear Saints,

As Elder Huffmaster’s Sabbath class is taking us through John MacArthur’s book on worry, Anxious for Nothing, and as I will be preaching this Lord’s Day evening on one of the book’s main texts we regularly revisit during his class, Matthew 6:31-34, I would like to encourage you to watch the following webinar that Jennifer and I enjoyed for our morning devotions:  “Ocean of Emotions: Don’t Be Swept Away By Worry”.

This webinar is given by Dr. George Scipione, Director of the RPTS Biblical Counseling Institute (at my seminary alma matter and former employer), who also founded (and served for decades) the Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship right here in San Diego.

Here’s the link for the recorded seminar that was given on April 4:  https://www.fuzemeeting.com/replay_meeting/bffa2e59/3976207

This webinar has excellent theology and incredibly helpful advice for practical application. I think you’ll find it a great complement to Elder Huffmaster’s study with us, and I think you’ll see why I’ve chosen the Matthew 6 text for the evening sermon closing out Westminster Larger Catechism 119 on what is forbidden in the fourth commandment.

Dr. Scipione made a striking comment: he said something like “worry is the mother of all sins” and is essentially at the heart of all other sins and their many symptoms.  Thankfully, he gives such terrific tools for being victorious in not being swept away by the ocean of emotions (James 1:5-7).

RPTS offers a number of live webinars that are recorded and available here: http://rpts.edu/about/WebinarArchive.php.  I find them very edifying; you might enjoy listening to some others (the Faith and Facebook webinar was also really good, for instance, and overlaps with topics from this webinar on worry).

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7)

For Christ and HIs Kingdom,

Pastor Grant