Knowing the God of the Gospel

Within the past year, the pastor of my church encouraged me to have a formal 'date night' with my wife each week.  This was a pipe dream for my wife and I for several years, and we never implemented this idea because of three young children below the age of 9.  Baby sitters are hard to find and expensive, kids require constant attention and soccer commitments.  It is hard to carve out time for a "date night" because of the ever pressing needs of our kids and money commitments. Yet his excellent suggestion directed us to have a "date night" at our dining room table at home.  Now each week, we put the kids in the basement with their favorite video and a bowl of popcorn, and my wife and I enjoy a candle lit dinner with a store bought dessert and peace and quiet together for a couple of hours.  In a planned and formal way, it is a practice that cultivates love and relationship in our marriage that we both look forward to and cherish.  You could say that this is

John Newton was a great hymn writer of the 1700's world renowned for his authorship of "Amazing Grace", but many do not know that he was a wonderful letter writer. Although his sermons were not widely published, his letters to friends and congregants are full of pastoral wisdom and insight.  Tony Reinke recently published a compilation of Newton's writing that are pure gold. Newton writes, "Every step along the path of life is a battle for the Christian to keep two eyes on Christ"-the eyes of the heart. "If I may speak my own experience," he said, "I find that to keep my eye simply upon Christ, as my peace, and my life, is by far the hardest part of my calling." Newton lived out what the ancients called "the beautific vision".  Through the eyes of faith, keeping our vision of Jesus Christ at the center of our lives. Keeping our eyes upon Jesus with a constant awareness of his presence, is the great goal and challenge of th