Seven Mile Road https://sevenmileroadphilly.org Tue, 13 Sep 2022 21:18:38 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.7.11 https://s3.amazonaws.com/sevenmileroadphilly.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/04141052/cropped-smr-favicon-32x32.png Seven Mile Road https://sevenmileroadphilly.org 32 32 yes Sermons – Seven Mile Road false Sermons – Seven Mile Road podcast Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA Weekly Weekly Trimmed Fat from Genesis 1 https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/trimmed-fat-from-genesis-1/ https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/trimmed-fat-from-genesis-1/#respond Tue, 13 Sep 2022 21:15:58 +0000 https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/?p=14770 My notes for every sermon has a section called “Trim the Fat.” It’s the material I come across in study that is tempting to include but is trimmed in an effort to keep the sermon lean. Although, based on sermon length, I imagine some of you wouldn’t mind a bit more trimming. Here are a […]

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My notes for every sermon has a section called “Trim the Fat.” It’s the material I come across in study that is tempting to include but is trimmed in an effort to keep the sermon lean. Although, based on sermon length, I imagine some of you wouldn’t mind a bit more trimming.

Here are a few items that wound up on the cutting room floor but may be of interest given a chapter like Genesis 1.

Your belief about the origin of the universe, whatever it might be, is faith.

Consider this quote from theologian, Herman Bavink.

Materialism is not the result of exact science but of philosophy, of a worldview, of systems of beliefs…Granted, materialism loves to pass itself off as an exact science but it can be easily demonstrated that, both historically and logically it is the fruit of human thought…for the origin and end of things lie outside the boundaries of human observation and research. In that regard, materialism is in the same position as theism, which acknowledges the mysterious origin of things.

Ultimately, it is by faith that one believes that uncreated, self-existent, eternal matter organized itself by chance in an unguided, undirected, and purposeless process. And it is by faith that one believes that an uncreated, self-existent, eternal God created, guided, and directed everything in existence with a purpose (Heb 11:3). Both are beliefs ultimately grounded in faith.

What you believe about the origin of the universe has implications on how you see life.

On Sunday, we preached Genesis 1 considering the implications of believing in a Creator who created the universe. Likewise, a faith commitment to materialism or a naturalistic universe also has implications. Hear how Betrand Russell candidly, albeit bleakly, states the logical conclusion of his atheistic worldview.

That Man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Mans’ achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins – all these things, if not quite beyond despute are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand.

Russell is saying, if there is nothing but matter, nothing matters. Thankfully in Genesis 1, Moses said otherwise.

Additional Resources

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Reflections: Fighting Temptation with Scripture https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/reflections-fighting-temptation-with-scripture/ https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/reflections-fighting-temptation-with-scripture/#respond Thu, 20 Jan 2022 16:37:23 +0000 https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/?p=14576 The following post was written by Tim Smith, member at Seven Mile Road Church This past Sunday we continued in our series Conversations with Jesus as a church family. We read and heard God’s Word from Luke 4:1-13 and the all-familiar story/interaction of Satan tempting Jesus. As I was reflecting, there is indeed great comfort […]

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The following post was written by Tim Smith, member at Seven Mile Road Church


This past Sunday we continued in our series Conversations with Jesus as a church family. We read and heard God’s Word from Luke 4:1-13 and the all-familiar story/interaction of Satan tempting Jesus.

As I was reflecting, there is indeed great comfort in the points shared from Sunday’s sermon:

  1. In our greatest temptation – Jesus can/will be our sympathetic ally (Heb. 2:18, 4:15)
  2. Jesus is always our substitute & Savior
  3. Those in Jesus have victory over the tempter.

These truths are so helpful as we consider the history of repeated failure – from Adam in the garden, to the people of Israel, to Peter denying Jesus, to you and me. The repeated failure does highlight the truth that where we failed, Jesus succeeded. It’s comforting that through his victory over sin and temptation, we have the atonement, forgiveness of sins, and righteousness that can be found in Christ, all because of His death on the cross and resurrection.

As I’ve been reflecting on the Word of God in this text this week, I found myself asking God, “what does Jesus’ interaction with Satan teach me about my interaction with temptation?” I want to share with you what God pressed on my heart in hopes that it encourages you as well. Here it is: Jesus uses the authoritative Word of God to fight temptation, therefore so should I. Let me repeat that, Jesus uses the authoritative Word of God to fight temptation, therefore so should I.

Satan addresses Jesus as “the son of God” (v3,9) but Jesus responds from His humanity as a man. And he responds with “it is written” (v4, 8). Did you catch that? When Jesus was tempted, in his humanity, he didn’t make up an excuse, justify his actions, defend, argue or use some supernatural act – he used the authoritative Word of God to fight temptation. (1st temptation, Deut. 8:3; 2nd temptation, Deut. 6:13; 3rd temptation, Deut. 6:16)) Jesus well had the authority and power to turn every stone into bread – however, Jesus knew the power of Scripture and he relied on its authority to fight temptation.

Here’s what’s so comforting and encouraging about Jesus using Scripture to fight temptation – that gives me great hope in how I fight my temptations! You see, if Jesus had done some miraculous act or some supernatural ability to fight temptation, it would be difficult for me to relate. I can’t do the supernatural and I can’t do the miraculous. However, I can quote Scripture, I can read my bible to learn more of God’s Word, I can, in the face of temptation, as a human (just like Jesus), fight the temptation(s) of the enemy with the power and authority of Scripture. Sometimes I overthink it, I can defeat myself and give up too easily, before I ever start the fight. (Or we believe some drastic life altering measure needs to take place to fight temptation) Remove this, change that, cut off this, abandon that, etc. Yes, in some contexts we need to take drastic measures (Matt. 5:29) to fight our sin/temptation and we should always work towards considering removing the “things” that stir our temptations. But, I can start by learning from Jesus’ example and fight temptation, simply by and through the authority of God’s Word.

So here’s the thing – how much more than should we as believers, as a church family, be saturating ourselves in Scripture to know the truth of God’s Word. As new parents, we try to read Scripture with our girls when we can – they’re both under 2 at this point so attention span and comprehension are limited. But, they will one day face temptation (in fact our oldest is already showing signs of jealousy with some toys) – they need to know God’s word to fight temptation. When we are faced with temptation we can use the knowledge and authority of God’s Word to overcome the tempter and his temptations.

Oh, and here’s another thing – the enemy knows Scripture too (Ps. 91:11). And to be completely frank, he knows it far better than you and I do. That’s how temptation works: it takes the truths that we know and provides a subtle twist/nudge/misguidance of the truth to make it appear to be right and justifiable. (Satan is called the “Father of lies”, John 8:44)

I do believe a list of examples where the authoritative word of God encourages/equips us to fight the enemy’s temptations is exhaustive for this reflection. However, here’s one that’s been more recent for me as I interact with my children at 3 am when they aren’t sleeping. When I’m feeling the temptation for unwholesome talk (towards my spouse, children at 3 am, a co-worker, etc.) Scripture trains me to fight this temptation, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29).

I know we’re all busy, but I’m willing to make a bet that we too flippantly use our “busyness” to keep us from God’s Word and equip ourselves with the tools to fight temptation. I know some days can’t afford you and I the time we want to sit down, uninterrupted to open God’s Word. While, I don’t think we should ever replace this desire; our family has found some other avenues to help us find time around God’s Word: like post verses around our home, write them on the bathroom mirror, listen to the bible on our commute to work, pray through a Psalm before we go to bed, etc. These small steps begin to saturate our heart and mind with Scripture. It’s not that I have to be perfect in my full knowledge of Scripture – to know every verse, every detail. Because indeed, where we fail, Jesus succeeds. However, if I am not regularly using God’s word to read, pray, study, meditate, reflect and learn God’s truth, then I will be prone to falling into temptation far more easily than I desire or care to admit. Psalm 119:11 reminds us, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

As I continue to reflect on this interaction with Satan and Jesus, and my response to fight temptation, I find additional hope and confidence knowing that:

  • Jesus resisted temptation as a human – this gives me hope because I am human too
  • Jesus conquered temptation because He was “full of the Holy Spirit”- as a Christian Christ lives within me (Gal. 2:20), therefore I too have victory over the tempter
  • I need to study/read God’s Word.

Friends, we need to be filled with God’s word! I don’t know how to stress the importance of this other than to say, you need to read/study Scripture. If you want to know God’s word to fight temptation, you must read and saturate yourself with God’s Word. Friend, our time spent in Scripture is not wasted! Maybe it’s 10 minutes today, but 30 minutes tomorrow. Our time spent in Scripture, it is profitable to train us in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16), which includes our ability to fight temptation(s).

We each know our temptations, may I encourage us to read God’s authoritative Word more often, to equip us with the knowledge and authority to help fight those temptations, just as Jesus did – and where we fail, rest assured that Jesus succeeded.

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The Year of the Bruised Reeds https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/the-year-of-the-bruised-reeds/ https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/the-year-of-the-bruised-reeds/#respond Tue, 25 Aug 2020 02:39:10 +0000 http://smr:8888/?p=131 Not too long ago, a friend reminded me of Matthew 12:20, “… a bruised reed he will not break…”. I, like many of you, would describe 2020 as a year of being badly bruised. With every painful punch of circumstance, whether it’s COVID-19 related or something personal, it’s getting harder to stand up and gain […]

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Not too long ago, a friend reminded me of Matthew 12:20, “… a bruised reed he will not break…”.

I, like many of you, would describe 2020 as a year of being badly bruised. With every painful punch of circumstance, whether it’s COVID-19 related or something personal, it’s getting harder to stand up and gain our composure. We’re trying to pick ourselves back up, but our bodies and our spirit are just feeling too exhausted to get up again. We’re feeling terribly discouraged.

Most likely, for you, like me, it has been a year of tremendous loss. We’ve lost family members, jobs, homes, opportunities to celebrate, periods of mourning…we’ve lost the feeling of normalcy and the sense of looking forward to things, even something as pleasurable as eating has become dull. As we’re realizing how close we are “to the end of ourselves,” I’d begrudgingly say, it’s a good place to be.

Becoming aware of our limitations and insignificance is not a terrible thing, only if it is in light of realizing how big our God is. Just like looking up at a dark sky and faintly seeing the glimpse of a star, far away, small but shining, I hope you see that however small you might feel, our God who loves us is most powerful.

Friends, true that we are badly bruised, but we’re not broken.

My prayer for you and me during this time is that God would allow us to catch a small glimpse of hope in all that we’re experiencing. And with that glimmer of hope, I hope that we’ll come to agree with the Psalmist that, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

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Love Each Other Fervently https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/love-each-other-fervently/ https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/love-each-other-fervently/#respond Tue, 28 Jul 2020 11:32:15 +0000 https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/?p=13460 There is a temptation that exists to look back on the past with rose-colored glasses. In the year 2020, I think that temptation is even stronger. If you’re like me, that temptation can even extend to the church. However, as we read through Galatians, the rest of the New Testament and take a look at […]

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There is a temptation that exists to look back on the past with rose-colored glasses. In the year 2020, I think that temptation is even stronger.

If you’re like me, that temptation can even extend to the church. However, as we read through Galatians, the rest of the New Testament and take a look at church history, there is only really one conclusion you can make: the church has always had problems.

One of the biggest problems the church has faced from the beginning is disunity. Speaking of the Judiazers, Paul says “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them” (Gal 4:17). In Corinth, people were apparently sectioning themselves off based on what teacher they liked the most (1 Cor 1:11-12).

Is today any different? Is there anything new under the sun? Whether it is false teachers distorting the gospel or immature Christians being needlessly divisive over secondary matters, the church has been plagued by disunity from its earliest days. Perhaps this is why Jesus and the apostles took unity so seriously.

Jesus’s prayer for us in the garden of Gethsemane was that we would be one, that we would have unity with Himself and each other, the same unity that He shared with the Father. Paul wrote the entire epistle of Galatians to protect from the disunity and false gospel of the Judiazers and his first order of business in talking to the Corinthians was in addressing the factions among them. God knows that unity is a struggle for sinful people, so He calls it to us fervently.

There is nothing new under the sun, but 2020 does feel a bit different. The stresses of this year’s apocalypse, have revealed a lot about who we are as a world, nation and church and I think it is just the beginning. Conversations are starting and continuing that will reveal a great diversity of opinions and feelings on a variety of topics. Many of us may grow frustrated and dismayed at our own brothers and sisters at Seven Mile Road. These conversations should still happen. We must resist the urge to devolve into factions. We must be wary of anyone who would create sects within our church.

Peter says it well:

“The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Pet 4:7-8).

We must love each other earnestly in the midst of strife and disillusionment. Jesus gave His life for His bride, the church. This messy, disappointing, strife-filled church. He knew it would be this way and still loved us. Will we not also love His church?

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Pressed into New Wine https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/pressed-into-new-wine/ https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/blog/pressed-into-new-wine/#respond Tue, 14 Jul 2020 11:06:37 +0000 https://sevenmileroadphilly.org/?p=13444 Anybody else not particularly like the person you are in quarantine? Over the past three months I’ve found myself more irritable, anxious, depressed, and self-focused than normal. And I don’t like it. I’ve had to say, “I’m sorry,’ a lot when I’ve spoken out of any of those things instead of out of love and […]

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Anybody else not particularly like the person you are in quarantine?

Over the past three months I’ve found myself more irritable, anxious, depressed, and self-focused than normal. And I don’t like it. I’ve had to say, “I’m sorry,’ a lot when I’ve spoken out of any of those things instead of out of love and kindness. It makes sense, though right? When we are put under pressure, when we are afraid, our sin nature tends to find a way to surface.

Our worries and fears bubbling up under the surface can often cause us to be short tempered, self-protective, and selfish. However, James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” What’s the difference? How do we get perseverance instead of resentment, annoyance, etc?
Jesus.

And no, my entire three months haven’t been spent that way. But I’ve found myself by now enough times having spoken out of frustration or choosing what I want instead of serving others that it made me sit down and think about it.

These reflections came mostly from a song I love by Hillsong called; “New Wine.”

“In the crushing, in the pressing, You are making new wine. In the soil I now surrender, You are breaking new ground….Make me Your vessel, make me an offering, make me whatever You want me to be. I came here with nothing but all You have given me. Jesus bring new wine out of me.”

These lyrics remind me of this glorious hope; that what we have always been does not need to be what we always are. Jesus is the only one with the power to take us and bring different responses from our same circumstances.

Our fear, worry, sadness can well up and say to us, ‘nothing will change,’ ‘God doesn’t care,’ and cause our actions to be, self-centered, impatient, thoughtless. But what if we met those fears and heavy emotions instead with Jesus by our side? What if in these moments we cried out to God and asked Him to take control of our hearts, minds, and actions? What people of grace, kindness, patience, selflessness, we would more often be.

On my own with my own efforts I can’t bring anything new, good, beautiful from my heart.

I don’t want that old person; I don’t want those old responses anymore.

Friends, lets today fully choose even if we don’t feel it to believe that God can and is delighted to bring something beautiful from us. He can, He wants to, let’s be willing.

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