Jared Sparks

Family Spiritual Formation PackBibleThis first place to start with family discipleship is the bible. Find a year reading plan (Simply google it) and start it as a family. If you don’t want to go by a year reading plan then start in the New Testament and read a chapter at a time. Dad, rally the troops and dive into the bible. Jesus Storybook Bible ... Continue Reading

   By God's grace in 2005, I discovered the truth of biblical manhood and womanhood. Previous to that year I had no idea what it meant to be a man. What I soon discovered is that I was not the only one in the dark about how the bible addresses men and women. I was accompanied by almost everyone I knew, and from every church I had ever ... Continue Reading

My reasons for writing on Biblical ManhoodOur area (Southern Illinois Churches) have little/no understanding of true Manhood. Older Christian Men seem just as confused as the younger men I know. Ladies need to know about the beauty of Biblical Womanhood but also about God's design of  Biblical Manhood.Most of our (So Ill Churches) ... Continue Reading

Sometimes when reading a book I get stopped by the power of the truth that is being written. This morning God used this paragraph from John Piper's "The Pleasures of God" to do just that. "But the gospel is the good news that God is the all-satisfying end of all our longings, and that even though he does not need us, and is in fact estranged from ... Continue Reading

I had to much morning coffee. I went to the bathroom before the service. It was about my time and my bladder was about to explode. I was called up and said?“The great thing about the Gospel of Jesus is that it is so powerful that it has the ability to make strangers family. I don't know you and you do not know me. I have likes and ... Continue Reading

I recently read back through my highlights from the book by Walter Marshal The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. This book is hands down the best book on sanctification I have ever read. Here is a somewhat randomly sample of some of the goodness that is on every page. Enjoy!"And though we have a better way revealed to us in the ... Continue Reading

Let me bring you up to speed real quick. I grew up at a bapticostal type non-denominational church. At our church we had prophecies and even some tongues with interpretations and tongues without interpretations. I was clueless about what the Bible taught about the Holy Spirit and my church did little to no teaching about what was happening. After ... Continue Reading

1 Sam 12:24 Only fear The Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. Samuel gave his farewell address to Israel and finished with the above verse as has second to last sentence. Take a look at the first part of the verse. The commands are to fear The Lord and to serve Him faithfully with ... Continue Reading

This is the incredible last paragraph in George Smeaton's book "Christ's Doctrine of the Atonement"The manifold and various motives derived from the cross are enforced in all the apostolic epistle. The final purpose which we are told the atonement was meant to effect, according to the divine plan, becomes to believers a guiding principle in the ... Continue Reading

1 Sam 3:1 And the word of The Lord was rare in those days; there was not frequent vision. God is every present and always working as He providentially reigns and rules over all things. However it must be noted , as the above verse indicates, there will be seasons when God's activity will seem harder to identify and seasons when God's saving power ... Continue Reading