This is from Tim Challies Blog.  Since we support Jerry and Jane as a church I thought I would pass this along.

Say ‘Happy Birthday’ to Jerry Bridges
Jerry Bridges has long been a great gift to the church. His books, especially the classics like The Pursuit of Holiness and The Discipline of Grace, have impacted millions of Christians. His speaking ministry has taken him across the world, allowing him to bless countless thousands more. A couple of years ago I was privileged to spend a half hour or so with him backstage at a conference and enjoyed the opportunity to just sit and enjoy his company. He is just the kind of Christian I want to be when I grow up.
Next month Jerry will celebrate his 80th birthday. One of his friends contacted me recently to see if I would like to send along some form of congratulations and of course I wanted to. We then discussed how we could allow others to do the same and thought that it might work best to simply give you the ability to do so right here.
So if you would like to wish a happy birthday to Jerry Bridges and, even better, if you would like to encourage him in his ministry or thank him for it, you can do so by filling out the form below. All replies will be be kept confidential and given to him by his wife on his birthday.

Go Here to send your Birthday Wishes!

Romans 3:10-12

There is none righteous, no, not one;

There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.

I am thankful today that my Shepherd sought me and with his blood he bought me.  I was one of the lost who did not seek, who did not understand, who had turned aside, but He sought me.  I was one who had become unprofitable and no good, but He bought me.  I am thankful I could come without money and buy that which I did not seek or even comprehend.  I feel the weight of these words more and more the longer He leads me, and I am learning more and more of His grace.

We have been studying Jonah on Sunday evenings at Edgewood.  This past Sunday we look at verse 5 of chapter 4 and drew from Jeremiah 29.  The point was to examine our hearts to see if we are moved with compassion for our city and community.   If so, are we  seeking to benefit the welfare of it.  We do this by doing the ordinary things that are necessary to life (having a house, working, eating, etc.), but doing them to the glory of God.

The application of this needs to be carefully done.  Peace and welfare can be general, in the sense of for the greater good (ie giving a cup of cold water in the name of Christ), but our ultimate goal must be redemption.  In our compassion and love for the lost, this sometimes means we must resist the practice of the world and go against the flow.   For instance, we work for the welfare of the city when we stand against things like abortion and abuse.   Engaging the world does not always mean coming alongside the world and its practices.  Kevin DeYoung gives an interesting application for seeking the welfare of the city in his examination of casinos and gambling.

The slot-machine is not a toy, or as it is so often dubbed, a bit of harmless entertainment.  It is a learning machine intent on finding your weakness and exploiting it.  Casinos exist to take your money.  They make no product.  They do not create wealth.  They do not contribute to the public good.  They hurt communities, hurt families, and by design try to hurt people by making them into coin-dropping addicts. Christians interested in seeking the shalom of their cities should do what they can to oppose the proliferation of casinos, lotteries, and the rest of the gaming industry. They could start by not showing up.

You can read the whole article here.