"My Hope is Built"

On their latest album, Everything is Different, Shane and Shane redid the timeless hymn, "The Solid Rock" retitling it "My Hope is Built."  The words are the same but the tune has been slightly modified.  Though the hymn has been around for ages and Shane and Shane's latest album out since last November, the truth found in the following words have arrested my heart yet again this week...  

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness

I dare not trust the sweetest frame

but wholly lean in Jesus' Name

When darkness seems

to hide His face

I rest on His unchanging grace

In every high and stormy gale

My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the solid Rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, His covenant, His blood

Support me in the whelming flood

When all around my soul gives way

He then is all my Hope and Stay

When He shall come

with trumpet sound

Oh may I then in Him be found

Dressed in His righteousness alone

Faultless to stand before the throne

I stand on the Rock Of Ages

more lessons from Hudson Taylor...

Due to a combination of things that the Lord has been working in my heart over the last 6 months this quote from Volume I of Hudson Taylor's biography is having a profound effect in my life in regards to being intentional about having Gospel conversations with folks in MEMPHIS. Most immediately, I'm praying for and talking with my neighbor.  You just can get closer to home than that! 

lessons from Hudson Taylor

I've been reading Volume I of Hudson Taylor's biography The Growth of a Soul.  I can not possibly commend it to you enough.  Here's a brief excerpt to whet your appetite.... Enjoy and then RUN get the book!

prayers from my clothes closet

I was at church last night where they were finishing up a weekend conference on missions.  The speaker for the weekend was encouraging consistent labor in prayer for the nations and unreached people groups all around the globe.  He suggested a simple method that he had adopted for assimilating further prayer for various nations into his daily routine: Each morning when you put on your clothes, take a brief moment to see where the article of clothing you are putting on was made.  Then as you continue to dress for the day spend a few minutes in prayer for that particular country, the unreached people groups there, the advance of the Gospel, the unrestrained worship of Christ, and laborers to go forth.  Genius!  I took a brief survey in my closet this morning and realized that using this method I would quickly be praying for India, Thailand, China, Bangladesh, and even the United States, just to name a few. So today I'm praying for Sri Lanka... who are YOU praying for?