Comments for pastormatthew.net http://pastormatthew.net/blog Passionately proclaiming the person of Jesus Christ Mon, 12 May 2008 03:32:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 Comment on Not A Mere Pebble in the Pathway by Michael Karpf http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/23/not-a-mere-pebble-in-the-pathway/#comment-89 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:20:09 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/23/not-a-mere-pebble-in-the-pathway/#comment-89 You know the Saviour more readily in the face of suffering. How true that is. Chuck Swindoll put it very well in a recent chapel message at Dallas Seminary when he said, that "depth is not gleaned from the text. It is gleaned from trials which bring you on your face before God." You know the Saviour more readily in the face of suffering. How true that is. Chuck Swindoll put it very well in a recent chapel message at Dallas Seminary when he said, that “depth is not gleaned from the text. It is gleaned from trials which bring you on your face before God.”

]]> Comment on Knowing Jesus Christ by Donna Godfrey http://pastormatthew.net/blog/knowing-jesus-christ/#comment-87 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:18:59 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/knowing-jesus-christ/#comment-87 I have been a Southern Baptist all my life and am the daughter of a long-time Southern Baptist preacher in Dallas. I drive by your church frequently and have always wondered about the Scofield Church's beliefs. So today I decided to check it out for myself. I have read everything on your website and want you to know that I find not one thing that I disagree with (even the pre-tribulation Rapture!). Your church sounds absolutely wonderful, but I especially love your words about how to become a Christian. Praise the Lord for the wonderful works you are doing. I will keep you and your congregation in my prayers, and who knows -- I might even come visit one day! I have been a Southern Baptist all my life and am the daughter of a long-time Southern Baptist preacher in Dallas. I drive by your church frequently and have always wondered about the Scofield Church’s beliefs. So today I decided to check it out for myself. I have read everything on your website and want you to know that I find not one thing that I disagree with (even the pre-tribulation Rapture!). Your church sounds absolutely wonderful, but I especially love your words about how to become a Christian. Praise the Lord for the wonderful works you are doing. I will keep you and your congregation in my prayers, and who knows — I might even come visit one day!

]]> Comment on Broken Parts and Broken Plans by Michael Karpf http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-86 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:54:52 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-86 I'm praying for you Matthew. Walt Baker told me about what happened. Too bad you won't be going to Indonesia. You can always stop by Tokyo on the way there. And I am going through a major disappointment right now (I'll tell you about it when I next talk to you), and realizing even in these you can trust God. Have a blessed day I’m praying for you Matthew. Walt Baker told me about what happened.
Too bad you won’t be going to Indonesia. You can always stop by Tokyo on the way there.

And I am going through a major disappointment right now (I’ll tell you about it when I next talk to you), and realizing even in these you can trust God.

Have a blessed day

]]> Comment on Broken Parts and Broken Plans by David http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-80 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:45:30 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-80 I'm praying for you, Matthew. I’m praying for you, Matthew.

]]> Comment on Broken Parts and Broken Plans by Laura Shaw http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-79 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:51:05 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/04/04/broken-parts-and-broken-plans/#comment-79 Matthew, I wonder where you got that word? "DUH!" Sounds like a best friend of mine. Anyway, please know that the Shaw family is praying for you and scratching our heads with you. You mean the world to us. Love, Laura, Brian and the "A" Team Matthew, I wonder where you got that word? “DUH!” Sounds like a best friend of mine.

Anyway, please know that the Shaw family is praying for you and scratching our heads with you. You mean the world to us.

Love,
Laura, Brian and the “A” Team

]]> Comment on A Letter Regarding My Sermons by Michael Karpf http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/06/09/pastor-matthews-blog-4/#comment-63 Mon, 11 Feb 2008 04:34:09 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/06/09/pastor-matthews-blog-4/#comment-63 I have often shared this post with others because too many people want to come to church on Sunday, hear their "Bible message to make them feel good," and that is the extent of their Christianity. Unfortunately that is not our job to make them feel good and our responsibility is exactly what Paul exhorted Timothy to do. This is one of the times when we need to be faithful to our calling. I say preach the word and let the chips fall where they may. I always ask my listeners, "Does it bother you that people around you are perishing without Jesus Christ? If it does, what are you doing about it?" I appreciate your ministry at Scofield Matthew, and I always look forward to visiting when I'm in town. I have often shared this post with others because too many people want to come to church on Sunday, hear their “Bible message to make them feel good,” and that is the extent of their Christianity.
Unfortunately that is not our job to make them feel good and our responsibility is exactly what Paul exhorted Timothy to do. This is one of the times when we need to be faithful to our calling. I say preach the word and let the chips fall where they may. I always ask my listeners, “Does it bother you that people around you are perishing without Jesus Christ? If it does, what are you doing about it?”
I appreciate your ministry at Scofield Matthew, and I always look forward to visiting when I’m in town.

]]> Comment on Who Will Come Through? by Carolyn Shaw http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/01/16/129/#comment-59 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:36:17 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2008/01/16/129/#comment-59 It appears to me that Dr. Matthew St. John is making a difference and coming through loud and clear. He performed the funeral service for my husband, Robert E. Shaw, Jr. recently and so many of the people that attended have raved about what a dynamic speaker he is and what a great job that he did. Some have asked where his church is because they want to attend some of his services, and one even said that she wants him to perform her funeral service when the time comes. I think that is a great service for a man like Matthew to open up to his friends, and to strangers, making them feel a part of a very wonderful final tribute. In my book Matthew is a wonderful leader and someone we can count on to come through for us when we need it the most. It appears to me that Dr. Matthew St. John is making a difference and coming through loud and clear. He performed the funeral service for my husband, Robert E. Shaw, Jr. recently and so many of the people that attended have raved about what a dynamic speaker he is and what a great job that he did. Some have asked where his church is because they want to attend some of his services, and one even said that she wants him to perform her funeral service when the time comes. I think that is a great service for a man like Matthew to open up to his friends, and to strangers, making them feel a part of a very wonderful final tribute. In my book Matthew is a wonderful leader and someone we can count on to come through for us when we need it the most.

]]> Comment on Recipe for a Rich Legacy by gymmbo http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/28/recipe-for-a-rich-legacy/#comment-48 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:42:59 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/28/recipe-for-a-rich-legacy/#comment-48 It was only a year ago, a few of my friends and I were reminiscing about, “the most significant event in our lives”, something I suppose many of us do about this time of the year. As each man shared their “event” I was not really surprised that one of the men mentioned his parents divorce, when he was 14 years old. I was not surprised that a 30 year old man would count that as the “most significant event” because my lovely wife of 32 years still considers the divorce of her mother and father to be in that category. It still challenged me that a man who I had known and loved for 15 years would count that as the most significant event in his life because I remember the day when I received the news of his diving accident. It was on that day that he lost his ability to ever walk again – yes – I thought I knew my good friend well enough to know what I thought his answer would be. But I was wrong. Not many parents today have caused one of their children to loose their ability to walk – Can you imagine having to live with the guilt of knowing that because I made a bad decision my child would live with that disability the rest of their life! But the world tells parents today, “you need to be happy, go ahead, your children will be better off with you being divorced”. I suppose my good friends parents heard that advice. What will my children say? My life story is still being written. We have all fallen short – there is only one who can save. David wrote, over 2000 years ago, “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of”. Matthew, thank you for challenging me to stay the course. It was only a year ago, a few of my friends and I were reminiscing about, “the most significant event in our lives”, something I suppose many of us do about this time of the year. As each man shared their “event” I was not really surprised that one of the men mentioned his parents divorce, when he was 14 years old. I was not surprised that a 30 year old man would count that as the “most significant event” because my lovely wife of 32 years still considers the divorce of her mother and father to be in that category. It still challenged me that a man who I had known and loved for 15 years would count that as the most significant event in his life because I remember the day when I received the news of his diving accident. It was on that day that he lost his ability to ever walk again – yes – I thought I knew my good friend well enough to know what I thought his answer would be. But I was wrong.

Not many parents today have caused one of their children to loose their ability to walk – Can you imagine having to live with the guilt of knowing that because I made a bad decision my child would live with that disability the rest of their life! But the world tells parents today, “you need to be happy, go ahead, your children will be better off with you being divorced”. I suppose my good friends parents heard that advice. What will my children say? My life story is still being written.

We have all fallen short – there is only one who can save. David wrote, over 2000 years ago, “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of”.

Matthew, thank you for challenging me to stay the course.

]]> Comment on “The Church is Floundering” by Lilly http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/03/the-church-is-floundering/#comment-15 Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:41:29 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/03/the-church-is-floundering/#comment-15 After reading The Church is Floundering by Pastor Matthew and the comments by Dr. Don it is obvious that Scofield is being led by the Lord Jesus and a humble servant leader. After reading The Church is Floundering by Pastor Matthew and the comments by Dr. Don it is obvious that Scofield is being led by the Lord Jesus and a humble servant leader.

]]> Comment on “The Church is Floundering” by Doneroma http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/03/the-church-is-floundering/#comment-14 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:11:28 +0000 http://pastormatthew.net/blog/2007/12/03/the-church-is-floundering/#comment-14 I am very appreciative of and grateful for the comments above. It is easy to give too much of a voice to grumblers. Oftentimes, here is a nurturing temptation to unwittingly encourage more of this type of thing and thereby enable those prone to it to only more of the same. I would certainly not discourage dissent, but neither would I encourage mindless complaining. At some point the cycle needs to stop. The latter only fosters the idea that the church exists for a consumer under the guiding axiom, "The customer is always right." But as Paul said, "If I were trying to please people, I would no longer be the servant of Christ" (Gal 1:10). However, in this case, Pastor Matthew has prudently used the occasion to articulate what true success is in terms of vision, leadership. discipleship, stewardship, and the biblical measure of a congregation ("soul rich"). The Christmas season offers a time to be grateful for what God has done in terms of salvation in particular and his overall care in general. It is important to remember that the season is not about us. The end for which God created the worlds, as Jonathan Edwards has so eloquently written, is the full manifestation of God's own excellence. And the greatest act of love is the emanation of his own infinite fullness, excellence, or glory in us which in turn completes us in our happiness. This happiness consists of God's "enjoying and rejoicing in himself; so does the creature's happiness" (Edwards, The End for Which God Created the Worlds, pg. 158). This gives a new perspective on happiness does it not? Pastor St. John has articulated a robust, passionate, and biblical perspective that I whole-heartedly endorse. It is an example of leading instead of following. Scofield has been through the fire. Hopefully, a little less of the dross remains and we are left with a refined remnant. That is not an example of floundering but flourishing. Dr. Don I am very appreciative of and grateful for the comments above. It is easy to give too much of a voice to grumblers. Oftentimes, here is a nurturing temptation to unwittingly encourage more of this type of thing and thereby enable those prone to it to only more of the same. I would certainly not discourage dissent, but neither would I encourage mindless complaining. At some point the cycle needs to stop. The latter only fosters the idea that the church exists for a consumer under the guiding axiom, “The customer is always right.” But as Paul said, “If I were trying to please people, I would no longer be the servant of Christ” (Gal 1:10).

However, in this case, Pastor Matthew has prudently used the occasion to articulate what true success is in terms of vision, leadership. discipleship, stewardship, and the biblical measure of a congregation (”soul rich”). The Christmas season offers a time to be grateful for what God has done in terms of salvation in particular and his overall care in general. It is important to remember that the season is not about us. The end for which God created the worlds, as Jonathan Edwards has so eloquently written, is the full manifestation of God’s own excellence. And the greatest act of love is the emanation of his own infinite fullness, excellence, or glory in us which in turn completes us in our happiness. This happiness consists of God’s “enjoying and rejoicing in himself; so does the creature’s happiness” (Edwards, The End for Which God Created the Worlds, pg. 158). This gives a new perspective on happiness does it not?

Pastor St. John has articulated a robust, passionate, and biblical perspective that I whole-heartedly endorse. It is an example of leading instead of following. Scofield has been through the fire. Hopefully, a little less of the dross remains and we are left with a refined remnant. That is not an example of floundering but flourishing.

Dr. Don

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