Who the Son Sets Free is Free Indeed!

I was going through my notes in my iPod and I found these notes from last year at the Paul Tripp conference I attended with my parents. It was very powerful and Mr. Tripp is such a good speaker. So I thought I'd share the notes (stuff he really said, only I'm not fast enough to get all of it):

The Battle Against Sin

"We're putting our trust in things that will fail us. God is in the middle of my troubles. Through every circumstance God is working to change me. He needs to be the thing that makes your life worth living just because you've come to know him. Our lives are shaped by a war between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of self. The DNA of sin is selfishness. It makes life all about me. I'm not in the battle by myself. The purpose of the cross is to liberate me from myself. My greatest danger in life is myself. You live in little moments. God's power in us should live in the little moments."

The Power of Words

"What's the quest behind your words? What do you really want your words to accomplish? Let no corrupting or unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only that which benefits other persons with the grace of God. God wants us to be an instrument of grace to others. What a radically different way to talk when we talk to say what God wants us to say instead of what we want to say. Some people say 'I didn't mean that.' But, if it's not in your heart, it won't come out of your mouth. Consider the need of the person you are talking to. Are the people in your life actually graced by your words? If you're living for the bigger kingdom it will change the way you talk."

Worldly or Heavenly Treasure

"Everyone lives for some kind of treasure. The thing that is your treasure will control your heart. What controls your heart will control your behavior. Life will never be found in the assemblage of worldly treasures. Earthly things or beings do not have the capacity to satisfy the desire of your heart. It's wrong to by ruled by the things of the earth. We are living way beyond our means. We try to squeeze the kingdom of God into the extra spaces in our schedules that are driven by the treasures of the earth. We try to squeeze hundred dollar conversations into dying moments. Be willing to live on smaller portions so that you can live for God. What value system is driving your schedule?"

Thoughts that have been tumbling about in my mind:
We owe so much to God. And we can't repay any of it. But we are obligated to commit our lives to doing good in Christ's name. We have no excuse not to--we have been freed from the laws of sin and death and this world has no hold on us. We are now slaves to righteousness and therefore should serve God with everything He has given us.

I hope these notes will help you grow in your relationship with God and serve Him even better.