Dodgeball Rage

Don't hire this guy to be the new youth pastor at your church.

Should we focus on numbers in the church?

Great post from the T4G blog by Mark Dever on the very prominent topic of the subtle obsession with numbers in our ministries.

XXXChurch and MySpace

Interesting take on myspace.com from the guys at xxxchurch.com. It's worth the read since myspace have become such a cultural force for young people. Check it out here.

The Greatest Guitar Player of All Time

Watch the video here.

Glamour and The Cross

In light of the industry I work in (CCM) I found this article, The Theology of Glamour very helpful and edifying. Here is an exerpt from the author Brett Potter:

"The cross itself is the ultimate deconstruction of glamour—a complete subversion of the very nature of “beauty.” No one would put a crucified man on the cover of People. Yet the cross, ugly by nature as an instrument of torture and Roman imperial control, develops an unearthly beauty when seen as the symbol of God’s forgiveness and grace. This is a beauty more substantial than the illusory ideal held up by our culture; a beauty that cannot be bought. It is this ultimate reversal, Christ’s victory over the way our world operates, that we need to cling to in an age of gloss and glitz."

Does Pat need a muzzle?

Pat Robertson has said some pretty wack things in the last few months. Some would say these types of statements from a highly visible leader in certain Christian circles is a serious detrement to the name of Christ. You can sign a petition
here to ask that he close his mouth.

Arrested Development - R.I.P.

I am not much of a TV watcher (with the exception of the current season of American Idol), but in recent days the show Arrested Development has caught my attention as probably the best show on TV. In short, this show embodies pure comic genius. Unfortunately as testimony to the general artistic shallowness of the general public, the show has been cancelled by the FOX network due to lack of ratings. There was much talk of another network picking it up, but this article informs us that the door has been slapped shut.

Thank goodness for the DVD's!! You can find them here.

More Music You MUST Hear

Explosions in the Sky.

Remember the movie "Friday Night Lights"? I thought the soundtrack was utterly amazing. Soon after I saw the movie I found out that these guys provided most of the musical backing. This quartet consists of two electric guitars, drums and bass. They excel at beautiful, melancholy instrumental tunes that will blow your mind.

To listen to clips of them on iTunes check it out here. You can also find them on Amazon and any other of a gazillion places to buy music on the internet.

Mark Driscoll Apologizes

Mark apologizes, here, for comments made here.


We have alot to learn from his post. Let me highlight a few things that I see as evidences of grace:

1. His joyful submission to leaders and elders at his church. All good leaders should also be followers and surrender their authority to human godly voices that have the permission to speak to the leader as they see fit.

2. His willingness to SEEK review and correction from these people. Most people would say that they have accountability, but do that honestly persist in asking for admonitions? I think there is a key difference there that should be brought out.

3. His response in humbly asking for forgiveness from those he may have offended.

4. His desire to leave a legacy of sound theology and church planting and his awareness that comments that he may have made were potentially distracting from that goal.

5. His understanding that HOW we say things is sometimes even more important that the content of what we are saying.


For those interested, Brian McClaren posted a response to those who attacked his piece on homosexuality. Though I probably would not agree with much of his theology, I think he has some very sage advice in terms of our behavior as Christians. To read it click here.

More Music You Need to Hear

If Radiohead where a jazz trio, it would sound like these guys:

Esbjorn Svenson Trio.

For iTunes click here

Quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Trading Spouses Meltdown

Click here.

1. This poor woman has some serious psychological issues that need desperate attention.

2. Please show this to any unbeliever that you know and explain to them that this is NOT what Christianity is all about.

3. On some level the producers need to be ashamed of themselves as they had to know what they were getting into with this lady. This poor womans problems were used to hype a television show and that in my opinion is maybe even sadder than her own issues.

Can we use strobe lights in church services?

Very interesting post by Dan Kimball on his blog concerning techology and its use in the church.

More Parenting Advice from CJ

Check it out here. This time he deals with fathers and daughters.

Persecution in Afganistan and the tie to Church History

In case you have not already heard, this sad story is a reminder of how thankful anyone should if they live in a country where religious freedom is the norm. If you are a Christian, please pray for this brother, that God would sustain him and cause him "to set his eyes on things above above and not on earthly things."

Along these lines I have recently been studying Church History, specifically from the time of the Reformation through the present. Before I began this work I always looked back upon that time in history usually with many perplexing questions. Specifically, I looked back upon that time and wondered how "Christians" could be burning people at the stake (think of the brutality of that, ever burned your hand on the stove?) over disagreements concerning the Eucharist, baptism, or the nature of saving faith? How could this happen? Answer: No stark division of church and state. Ecclesiastical law and civil law were essentially one in the same. Since religious beliefs were foundational to the government and it’s laws, a deviation from the norm of religious thinking was deemed a threat to the structure and stability of that country, and thus a deterrent had to be promoted in order to squelch any such up risings of “radical” belief. During this time, fighting for your religious beliefs was way more than just fighting for a right to believe what you believe, it was fighting for the whole structure of how life would be understood in the country in which you lived.

I was reminded of my need to divorce myself from my current cultural understandings and assumptions when attempting to understand a cultural that is different from my own, past or present. The cultural air that I breathe is dominated by the idea of a sharp distinction between church and state. This is was not always the case in the past, nor as we see above is the case in today’s world. When seeking to understand and make value judgments concerning these things it is very important to first understand our own personal frame of reference.

The Power of the Cross

Maybe you have heard this already, but if not, check out this amazing song(iTunes). It would be extremely powerful for a Good Friday service or Easter.

Movie Review – “A History of Violence”

Strengths:

1. Amazing performances. Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, William Hurt, and Maria Bello. It doesn’t get much better than that. Ed Harris has always been on of my favorites and his performance here has got to be one of his best ever.

2. The story is very compelling and keeps you wondering, “what next?”

3. Although this movie is graphically violent, it is so in order to make a point. This violence is probably more of a reflection of reality than what we usually see in a typical action thriller. In those movies violence is always quick and easy and there are no lasting consequences for any of it. Viewers are simply left with a sense that the hero is doing his duty and we commend him for it. This movie is not like that. I think it paints a picture that is a bit more realistic and there is nothing that takes place in this movie that isn’t currently happening everyday in Iraq. I believe that the director is trying to get us to see that we are numbed by it all, usually on the nightly news that has a story about rape and murder piggybacked with a story about Fluffy the Dog who just won top prize in the local dog show. We have no context to think or reflect upon what is really going on in our world, thus we become desensitized to it all.

4. This movie shows real consequences. Sin is not glamorized or rewarded.



Potential Weaknesses:

1. There were some sexual scenes in this movie. Was it necessary? I think it did help us understand the characters a bit better. Again, this was not done in your typical Hollywood fashion. It was not presented in a way as to arouse and tantalize. At least I did not get that impression. I don’t think we should say that every sex scene in a movie is bad or inherently sinful. Is there a danger there? Yes, for certain and generally speaking most sex scenes in movies are about box office dollar signs and not about character development and good art. As Christians we can’t say that viewing all adult nakedness is bad. Who then could go to an art gallery? The bigger question may be, how is it presented and will it awaken sin in me? That has to be answered on a personal level. Obviously great caution must be taken and erring on the side of conservative is probably the best bet.

2. Again, this movie is very violent and probably won’t be for everyone. I believe that it is disturbing for the sake of illustration and reflection. I think this is important for us to meditate upon.

3. No resolution at the end. That is probably the point, but may leave you wanting more. That is how I felt.

Jesus loves porn stars?

Check out this recent post from xxxchurch.com's blog. Pretty interesting stuff.

My thoughts:

1. Is simply giving someone a Bible a good means to discipleship? I would say generally speaking, probably not. We all know of amazing testimonies of people just picking up a Bible and reading it and getting saved, but usually it seems that God works through the context of His Word plus relationships in saving people.

2. Is the slogan "Jesus love porn stars" on the cover of a Bible a help or a hindrance to the gospel? I can see it either way. It is true that God "loves" all people, and for that we need to rejoice. But there are many statements that we use in our culture that if not qualified very carefully can be dangerously misleading. I think that might be the case here. I know that the guys at xxxchurch.com are trying very innovative ways to do evangelistic and discipleship ministry in a very dark and untouchable world, and I commend them for it, but I get the sense that this specific slogan (though true) may be missing the careful clarification that it needs if they are using it in the way that I think they are. I may be wrong here and would welcome any correction.

3. I greatly value these guys vision and willingness to take great risks for the sake of those who desperately need the gospel. It's sad to say this, but I fear that most Christians would be far to judgmental to go anywhere near what they are doing.

Is the Bible a fixed standard?

Al Mohler has a great post today concerning the Bible and cultural issues. You can read it here.

Blood water mission

If you are not familiar with Blood Water Mission take a quick second and check it out. This is the program started by the Christian band, Jars of Clay, to do something about, as Bono says, the tsunami that happens everyday on the continent of Africa. Our church, Rolling Hills in Nashville is doing a fund raising campaign for Blood Water Mission over the season of lent in order to build a well for a village in Africa. In itself the website is very artistically satisfying, and the fact that the cause is worthy of our time goes without saying.

Boz the Bear

I can't believe I am posting on this, but since I am now a father of two I care greatly about what they are watching in movies and TV. This morning I was listening to Family Life Today and they were focusing on Boz the Bear, as new cartoon for kids under 6 that focuses on teaching the truths of God word for kids. Might be something to check out for the little hobbits that live in your house. A green bear has got to be better than a purple dinosaur.

Another great band you probably have not hear of...

The Fray. Check it out.

Another great post from CJ

How can you prepare your children for church? How do you instill in them a love for our corporate gatherings of worship? CJ Mahaney has some great thoughts. You can find them here.

In his post he says:

"My approach to preparing Chad for the Sunday meeting has been informed by the doctrine of the church as clearly taught in Scripture and the Savior’s love for the church as compelling demonstrated on the cross. I want to inform my son theologically about the church and demonstrate for him a passion for the church. I want to transfer to him my love for Covenant Life Church in particular. Imparting a love for the church must begin with my example. Modeling precedes teaching. Before we teach, we must provide a genuine (not a perfect) example for our children. So, in order to effectively prepare Chad for Sunday, I must first prepare my own heart."

Postmodernism and wacky architecture

In a recent Podcast entitled "If The Foundations Be Destroyed", Ravi Zacharias had this amazing quote:

"Some of you may have heard me tell of the time I was speaking at Ohio State University an on the way to the evening lecture the gentlemen who was driving me stopped outside a building called the Wexner Center for the Arts and he said to the me, "That is one of the newest buildings here on our campus" and he said to me, "that is considered one of America's first postmodernist buildings". I said, "What is a postmodernist building? I understand the term in logic and literature, what is it in architecture? What is a postmodernist building?" And I followed up his description of it in Newsweek which said exactly the same thing that he said to me, and it is this: The architect designed the building with no particular pupose or desing in mind. There were stairways that went no where. There were pillars that joined no surfaces. It was just randomly put together and the reasoning the architect gave was that life itself is capricious, and why should our buildings have any meaning and purpose if life itself has not meaning and purpose? So I looked at the gentlemen describing this so boldly and I said to him, "Did he do the same with the foundation? Did the foundation have any purpose and design and certain boundaries that is had to honor, certain laws that it had to keep?" The man started laughing. You see, we can fool each other on the infastructure level. We cannot fool with reality on the foundational level because the foundation will very quickly show you whether it can withstand the elements when they quickly come and invade upon the foundation."

Louie Giglio at Passion 05'

Amazing message from Louie Giglio from Passion 05'. Check it out here.

David Crowder vs. Mac Powell of Third Day

vs.




From the David Crowder Band website:

Controversial Wrestling Match Breaks Out on Stage:

In a bizarre and impromptu instant, at a concert in Kentucky, lead singers Mac Powell and David Crowder threw off inhibition and embraced the politically incorrect. In what was planned as a beautiful show of solidarity, the two bands gathered onstage together to perform a song; the Hank Williams classic I Saw the Light. However, before the music ever got under way, Powell challenged Crowder to a match of “Indian Leg Wrestling” in front of God and everyone in attendance.

“Next thing you knew, Mac was lying on his back in the middle of the stage and everybody in the band was chanting fight fight fight,” explained DC*B member Jack Parker. “What choice did Crowder have? If you back down in a situation like that you will never be able to hold your head up in public again.”

Rather than conceding to an existence as a spineless coward, Crowder relented, laying down next to his challenger, and engaged in fierce battle of the lower appendages that he eventually won. Powell was later overheard murmuring, “He’s wiry. Endowed with superhuman strength.”

Shocking as the exhibition was to onlookers, it did not hold a candle to the political incorrectness of the term “Indian Leg Wrestling” vocalized from the stage. Upon reflection, fiddle player Mike Hogan could only state “Shocking. Simply shocking, I thought we had come farther than this.”

Check the schedule section of the website for upcoming dates as more spontaneous chaos could erupt again at any moment.

Heartbreaker for the Hawks

My hometown Iowa Hawkeye's season came to a very disturbing end today in the NCAA tournament. Needless to say, I am sick about it. Coach Steve Alford had this to say:

"Our seniors have been the absolute perfect leaders on and off the court, so, as you might guess, it is very, very hard to say good-bye right now. I ache for the seniors that their last game had to be like this,"

It's doubtful that Steve will be back next year as their coach. The Hoosiers will be calling...and he will answer.

Donald Miller Review

Read this interesting review from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood concerning Donald Miller's (author of Blue Like Jazz) book To Own a Dragon.


Reviewer Robert E. Sagers sums up by saying:
"This is a sad book, but it is a sadness we need to hear. The title comes from Miller’s belief that he knows as much about what it is to have a father as he knows about what it is to own one of the dragons he read about his childhood fairy tales. We need to hear this man’s story, but we need more than this to confront the dangers of father hunger. We need a more robust announcement of the gospel, even when that means saying some hard things to fatherless non-Christians. A generation of lost young men may not know what it is to own a dragon, but the Bible tells us that a Dragon owns them (Rev 12). That’s what’s really at stake when fathers abandon their children—the gospel itself. And that’s even sadder than Miller’s tale, even bluer than Jazz."

Embattled cleric cites ancestor's example

Sad story about one of Jonathan Edward's great great grand daughters.

I thought Al Mohler was a band geek? I guess I was wrong...

Al Mohler weights in wisely on March Madness. Great to see he is putting some time into thinking about the greatest sporting event on the face of the planet!

For all those who love their kids and love athletics

Check out this post from CJ Mahaney. I love everything he says accept for his ignorant indirect dogging of my alma mater, University of Northern Iowa. He thinks there is no way that they and three other teams from the Missouri Valley Conference should have gotten into the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament. IMHO, CJ needs to check himself before he wrecks himself...when it comes to hoops.

Confrontation and the limits of e-mail

Confrontation is a part of life. At times it is more frequent than others and different personality types deal with confrontation in different ways. You don’t experience relational confrontation on some level there is probably something wrong with you and you are currently drowning in a sea of passive aggressive hell that will eventually either send you or those around you to the asylum. That said, I would suggest that we as humans and those who are Christians especially should put some limits around our styles of confrontation. I have one specific limit in mind that I want to address here: Never confront over email.

In the last ten years since I have been thoroughly addicted to my email account, I have had numerous distasteful experiences by confrontation that have taken place via sending and/or receiving emails. Here are some reasons why I believe we should be face-to-face or at least on the phone when dealing with confrontation:

1. Email has no tone or non-verbal communication. Some sociologists say that 80% of all communication is non-verbal. If this is true then we are standing on a very weak leg relationally, if we use e—mail as our dominant form of communication. Having no tone (or limited tone) or non-verbal communication can lead to great confusion when reading an email. What was not intended to be harsh can very easily be read that way when working with a printed form of communication. We need to use great caution and qualification in writing emails on sensitive topics.

2. E-mail gives no opportunity to ask questions or interact in anyway, thus the communication can easily digress into a unedited rank that defiantly could use the natural editing of human give and take in communication.

3. Generally speaking, most people have an easier time venting in print than they would face- to-face. The face-to-face contact can serve as a great filter for those who would easily spew forth statements in an email that they never would say in person.

4. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 18, Jesus outlines for us a style for confrontation. The first imperative is to “go to that person”. I think what is implied here is face-to-face contact as that was really the only practical means for communication in antiquity. Is Jesus opposed to e-mail? By no means, but I believe that He has created us to live in vibrant relationships with each other, (see The Great Commandment, the fact that God exists as a vibrant relationship, and that He has created us in him image) e-mail is a form of communication that has great limitations in accomplishing true community.

5. Face-to-face contact serves to humanize the other person as opposed to demonizing them. E-mail creates a disconnect between persons. This distance that is created as a result of the disconnect can often times be enough room to have other person become the arch enemy of all the is good and true in the world instead of being someone who may just have a simple disagreement with you or may have unintentionally offended you.


For what it's worth, I have recently been observing the current debate between Emergent Church type folks and conservative Evangelicals. Although I find that generally speaking the Emergent movement has some serious theological misgivings, I often time hear of them taking the initiative to talk to, or at least attempt to seek out those who are critiquing them and have a meaningful discussion with them. For this, they need to be commended and I am challenged and encouraged by their example of this. In the best-case scenario, we need to critique out of genuine relationship. When there is a void of relationship, or at least the attempt of a relationship, we can step easily into very harmful and dangerous territory.

All in all, can we make it a policy to never confront over email? I think this would greatly enhance our depth of relationships and ability to be truly honest with others. I say we give it a shot.

Touching the Void

Another amazing documentary to check out.

Touching the Void

Here is a brief description:

In the Peruvian Andes in 1985, Simpson and Yates set out to climb the still-virgin Siula Grande, a 21,000-foot peak. For the first part of the trek, Simpson (Brendan Mackey) and Yates (Nicholas Aaron) face no unanticipated trouble. The two are Alpine climbers--no base camps, backup supplies or sherpas. Getting to the top means slipping and slogging through a powdery snow that has formed "cornices"--whipped-cream-colored mounds sculpted by the winds. On the way back down, something goes wrong. Simpson plummets, driving his lower leg through his knee joint. The climbers, out of food, water and fuel, must inch their way down the mountain. That's about the time the snowstorm returns. What Yates did to his partner in the middle of that storm is still a matter of ethical debate among climbers.


This documentary is not shown in typical fashion. The climbers tell the story and then actors reenact the story for us. I found this story and documentary/movie extremely compelling. Must see!

Currently Reading...

Humility, True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney.

I think humility is THE christian virtue and this book has greatly helped me mediate on how to foster that in my life to a greater degree. I would highly recommend it!

Church is all about me

Check it out here. Just click on the video screen for a preview. It's pretty funny and would be great to buy and show in our churches to help quiet all the complaining about preferences that have nothing to do with the gospel.

J.P. Moreland on STR Radio

Today my wife and I were faced with a set of circumstances that any sane parent should never have to deal with: Making the 12 hour car trip home from Papa and Nana's house with two young cherubs ages 3 and 1 strapped in the back seat. Fortunately the wonders of modern technology make our plight a bit more bearable as the litttle hobbits can watch any number of movies ranging from Bob the Builder to Blue's Clues. Amist screams for more fruit snacks and stops to go potty I was able to listen to this podcast from str.org. I know I have been blogging quite a bit as of late concerning Stand to Reason, but it has really encouraged me in recent days since I discovered their podcast. If you are not an iTunes user, become one (it's free) and listen to this podcast of Greg's Koukl's radio show.

In the second hour, Greg interview's one of his mentors, J.P. Moreland concerning God's unique activity of sign and wonders in various parts of the world. I was totally oblivious to what he shared and I found that it encouraged my wife and I in a very unique way. Absolutely amazing testimonies that we don't hear about very often in our current evangelical culture. I can't recommend it enough. Check it out.

The Fog of War

For those lovers of documentaries I would highly recommend The Fog of War. Here is a description:

Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara worked for both Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, playing a key role in shaping both administrations' approaches to the Vietnam War. This Oscar-winning documentary directed by Errol Morris traces McNamara's career from government to the World Bank; but it's his work during the Vietnam years that's highlighted in this film, which features extensive archival footage and interviews.

Thomas Cahill

Recently I have encountered three different people who gave high recommendations for Thomas Cahill's book How the Irish Saved Civilization. One was Chuck Colson, (from my previous post), second was my church history professor, Dr. David Calhoun from Covenant Theological Seminary, and third, my Dad. I think my Dad is his biggest fan. I have not read this book, but plan to since I have been very interested in reading church history as of late. I'll post a review when I am done with it.

Colson and Mark Driscoll

talks to



An emergent type (in terms of practice, not theology... correct me if I'm wrong), Mark Driscoll, on his blog today has a very interesting post about some Q and A he had with Chuck Colson. Very interesting stuff that may lend itself to the continued Emergent vs. conservative/republican/evangelical discussion.

Check out Mark's post from today.


Here is a sample:

Question from Mark Driscoll: Does the greatest threat to Christianity come from forces outside the church, or from inside the church, through leaders who are more like Judas than Jesus?

Answer from Chuck Colson: The answer to your third question about whether the greatest threats are from inside or outside the church is “both.” I get nauseous about some of the things that go on in the church. In fact, I’m comforted by Niebuhr who once said that the church of Jesus Christ is like Noah’s ark; the stench inside would be unbearable if it weren’t for the storm outside. I’m in favor of cleaning up the stench, and also navigating through the storm.

Reproductive Rights? A side you might not have heard of yet...

From the Virginian-Pilot:

"The gist of the argument: If a pregnant woman can choose among abortion, adoption or raising a child, a man involved in an unintended pregnancy should have the choice of declining the financial responsibilities of fatherhood. The activists involved hope to spark discussion even if they lose."

What is sad about all of the issues surrounding abortion and "repoproductive rights" is that generally speaking, the children always lose.

How do you receive compliments?

Bob Kauflin has some great suggestions:

First, thank the person just for taking the time to encourage you. Whether or not I think their compliment is sincere or warranted, they made a point of expressing their gratefulness. I don’t have to know their motive or evaluate their grasp of reality. I can simply thank them.

Second, if someone’s compliment is vague, ask them to be more specific. “Thanks for saying that! So what about the meeting encouraged you?” We're not fishing for more praise. It's just that God receives greater glory when we acknowledge how He worked specifically.

Third, express amazement and gratefulness for the way God works through any of us. “I’m so glad God encouraged you that way! Isn’t He good?” What about the contributions of others? “Thanks so much. I’m just glad to be working with so many servants!” I often tell someone how much I’ve benefited from the example of people around me. One of the best ways to turn awkwardness into gratefulness is to remember how God has used others in my life.

Finally, and this is probably the most important thing, internally and intentionally “transfer the glory to God.” That’s a phrase I first learned from C.J. Mahaney, quoting the Puritan, Thomas Watson. It means telling God that whatever benefit, fruit, or glory is being ascribed to me at that moment is completely and rightfully His. I don’t want it, because it’s not mine.

None of this means that we won’t struggle later with pride. I may put the encouragement on constant replay in my mind, try to make others aware of how great I did, or exaggerate someone’s comments in a later conversation. The best thing to do then is confess my pride to God, thank Him for how He's used others, and again transfer all the glory to Him.

God intends encouragement to be a means of grace to us, and a reminder that He’s working through our lives. I regret how many times I haven’t received it that way. But I’m grateful that He has not only given His Son to pay for my sins – He continues to send encouragement my way so that I can learn to find joy in giving the glory to Him alone.

By God’s grace, may we excel in both receiving – and giving – encouragement, all for the honor of Him who created and called us for the praise of His glory. (Eph. 1:11-12)

What is the Cross about?

I've heard it said that Jesus died on the cross because he would "rather die than live without us," and that the cross shows how much we're worth to God. While I can understand the motive behind these and similar thoughts (that the cross demonstrates God's profound love for us, which it does), they tend to obscure where our focus should be. If thinking about the cross leads me to think more about myself, I've missed the point. Jesus died to uphold His Father's justice and righteousness (Rom. 3:21-26). My sins alone required the death of the Son of God. The reason Jesus confidently endured the cross was not ultimately because of His love for US, but because of His love for His Father and His zeal to uphold His glory. The cross sets us free from constant self-love to passionately love the One Who created, sustains, and redeemed us. May the cross of Christ amaze you, astound you, and continually awaken your soul to the infinite mercies of our great God.

-Bob Kauflin

(HT: Worship Matters)

Zwingli

"If the inner man is such that he finds his delight in God because he has been created in the divine image in order to have communion with Him, it follows that there will be no law or word which will delight that inner man more than the Word of God"

-Ulrich Zwingli

Keeping with the theme of podcasts...

Here are some podcasts that I have been listening to lately...

Dave Ramsey
R.C. Sproul
John Piper
Ravi Zacharias

I would love to hear what Podcasts you are listening to as well.

Link to Stand to Reason

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=128969318&s=143441

Just paste this in your browser.

FYI - I did not know this, but just found out through, Between Two Worlds that you can right click on the Podcast icon when you are in iTunes and it will copy the URL for the podcast which you can then share with others in order to find it easily.

Stand to Reason Podcast

During my vacation this week in Virginia I have been listening to Greg Koukl's podcast. In an earlier post I gave a link to him in passing, but wanted to bring attention again in an actual post. I don't think you can find him on the radio in most markets around the country, but would highly recommend his podcast to all iTunes users.

Stand to Reason

If you buy books...

This is the best website I have found for buying books at the lowest possible cost:

Book Finder 4U

Check it out to save some coin.

New Blog Recommendation

Check out Dan Kimball's Blog. I came upon this guy from a recommendation from Greg Koukl at Stand to Reason. (Check out Greg as well). I think Dan gets lumped into the "emerging group" based on his ministry style but this theology and ecclesiology is a bit more orthodox than what is usually found from emerging folks. This is probably why I like what I have read from him thus far.

Church History Reading

For those interested in some great reading on church history I would recommend:

The Story of Christianity Vol. 1 and

The Story of Christianity Vol. 2

When I started my church history courses I was thinking that it would be extremely boring. I found that is much to the contrary and the text books read like a novel. I would strongly recommend these books.

Theological Humility and Church History

Currently I have just begun a new class in church history focusing on the Reformation through the present. As I have been studying church history over the last few months I have been pondering the theological shifts that have taken place over the last two thousand years. It is amazing to reflect upon all the battles that were fought, councils that were convened, and theological storms that were weathered to get us to where we are today in terms of our theology and ecclesiology. One of the things that has struck me as I look back upon the shifts that have taken place is how it has drawn me to humility as I think about my own theological convictions. (Does this smack of Emergent type thinking? Is so, then so be it…am I Emergent? No. ) Should I presume that I have a complete understanding that is free from errors and void of the need for correction? I think there were days in my early 20’s when I pretty much thought that I had all the answers. Need to understand the great mysteries of suffering and sovereignty? Just check in with your gangly, redheaded neighbor and he’ll bring you up to speed. Today I think I have mostly the same convictions, but I realize that we are on a theological journey over the course of centuries and what brings us to where we are today will not be where we are in the next three hundred years. God’s revelation of his truth has been shaped and articulated by God-fearing leaders all through the course of history and will continue until Jesus returns. This understanding has me grasping for more humility as I hold firmly to my theological convictions, all the while realizing that when I pass from this life, the ending of my journey theological will probably will probably just be the starting points for others.

Dave Ramsey

Ever heard of Dave Ramsey? Dave and his ministry is one of the most life changing things that Kim and I have experienced in the last 10 years. Recently he has received great national focus by being on 60 minutes twice and The Oprah Show. His focus is money and most of us don't have a clue how to handle it. Dave has a lot to his program so I would recommend just clicking some of the links and reading some of his stuff. There is a reason that Jesus talked about money just about more than any other subject while he was on this earth. It has great power and we need to know how to handle it wisely for his glory. I don't agree with every word that comes from Dave's mouth, but all in all if you are not on some program like his to deal with your money I think you are probably missing out on a great deal of blessing. I think the greatest impact of Dave's ministry comes not through reading, but listening. He is a amazing speaker and we found the greatest motivation through his talks on Financial Peace University and his radio show.


To find Dave on the radio near you, click here

To read about his "baby steps", click here

To learn about Financial Peace University, click here
Financial Peace University is the most important step to changing your financial future. It is your Total Money Makeover program! It takes the head knowledge from the books and the radio show and turns it into real action. Find out more.

To read some samples from his column click sample 1, and sample 2, and sample 3

To buy some of his resources click here

Atrocities of North Korea

Probably one of the most disturbing books that I yet am thankful to have read would have to be, Eyes of the Tailless Animals: Prison Memoirs of a North Korean Woman by Soon Ok Lee. It is hard to believe that atrocities like those documented here still take place today, but I am thankful for the reminder of the depravity of man and the utter foolishness of those moral relativists who would say that objective evil does not exist. I would commend a reading of this book as it is will draw you to prayer for those living in North Korea as well as call you to extreme thankfulness if you are living in a free nation.

Great music site

Got to check this out if you are a music fan:

Pandora.com

(HT: Timmy B.)

Great Quote from Luther

Mark Dever says: Here is a good word from a very young Luther about being a disciple, before you become a leader.

“In holy and divine matters one must first hear rather than see,
first believe rather than understand,
first be grasped rather than grasp,
first be captured rather than capture,
first learn rather than teach,
first be a disciple rather than a teacher and master of his own.
We have an ear so that we may submit to others,
and eyes that we may take care of others.
Therefore, whoever in the church wants to become an eye and a leader and master of others,
let him become an ear and a disciple first.
This first.”
(Martin Luther, First Lectures on the Psalms II, Works II.245-246).


(HT: Mark Dever)

Dark Days

I am a big fan of film documentaries. Recently my wfie and I watched a very interesting documentary called Dark Days. Below is a description:

Documentarian Marc Singer focuses his camera on a group of homeless people who live deep underground in an abandoned New York City railroad tunnel. By day, they scavenge for food on the mean streets of Manhattan. At night, they retreat to the tunnel, where they've built huts out of scrap metal, plastic and plywood. Amazingly, they have electricity, furniture, working kitchens and a sense of community many surface dwellers would envy.

If you are a fan of the movies, Netflix is the way to go.