Brian Regan on Politics

Not sure if you have heard about what has been going on in Madison lately and the politics up here.  It's been crazy.  Google it if you don't know what is going on.  I think both sides need to watch this video and have a good laugh together.



(HT: Kevin DeYoung)

God Saves Us From Himself

Moved only by his own character, God sent his only Son into the world to save sinners from the judgment they deserve. At the end of the day, it was not the Jews who crucified Jesus or even the Romans. It was not even we who put him there, although it was because of our sin and guilt that he hung in derision. Ultimately, God crucified Jesus. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,” not because God is sadistic, but because of his great love for those who would be rescued by this selfless act, “and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied” (Is 53:10-11). Although Jesus freely gave his life up to the Father as a sacrifice that he was not forced to give, it was a death penalty that God executed as the just judge of the universe. Turning his eyes from the mutilated body of his Son, now carrying the sins of us all, the Father abandoned Jesus Christ so that he would never have to abandon us in our deepest trial or most heinous sin. God saved us from himself in order to save us for himself forever.

– Michael Horton, Saved From God, Modern Reformation, March/April 1996

(HT:  Joe Thorn)

I remember John Piper saying this many years ago in a sermon on Romans (can't find the link), "God gives to us (righteousness), what he demands from us (righteousness), in order to save us from himself (wrath of God)."

Our Greatest Problem is Inside Us

Paul Tripp:

One of the most tempting fallacies for us—and for every human being in this fallen world—is to believe that our greatest problems exist outside us rather than inside us.  Despite this, the Bible calls us to humbly confess that the greatest, deepest, most abiding problem each of us faces is inside of us, not outside. The Bible names that problem "sin." Because sin is self-focused and self-serving, it is antisocial and destructive to our relationships.

Read the rest.  

Rob Bell, Tribes, and Our Tendency Towards Idolatry

Much could be written about yesterday's post from JT discussing Rob Bell's new book.  I share all the same concerns that he raises as well as those from Josh Harris, Denny Burk, Kevin DeYoung and more that are sure to come.

But something came to mind that I have not seen talked about much in this discussion.  It's the fact that we are are so desperately tribal.  Now of course this can be a good thing.  None of us can escape it.  We are built for community and from the creation account in Genesis we learn that "it is not good for man to be alone."  Community most naturally happens around shared view, interests, and beliefs.  

But this fact comes into a clearer light when a high profile leader comes out with something controversial, heretical, or just plain dumb. You'll have a certain group of people who are very quick to be defensive and you have another set of people who are very quick to rejoice and assume the worst.  We like our teams and when someone from the other team falls it can be a source of much pride.  In my heart I know I am guilty of this.

I also see the intensity of my tribal nature if I imagine John Piper saying something really stupid or having some sort of theological meltdown or moral failure.  I would be crushed.  No one single man has had more of an influence on my life and ministry than him.  I would be quick to be defensive and also eager to ask people to "just hold on a bit" and would probably fight to believe the best of the situation.  But at it's core the comfort of my theological tribe would be crumbling and that would be quite unsettling.

It strikes me even now as I write that in the opening statement above I needed to point out that I am aligning myself with JT, Josh Harris, KD, and Denny Burk.  That was simply instinctual.  I didn't even think about it until now.  Do I do that because I want to make sure that those guys and all the people that follow them know that I am "in" as well?  "I am on the right team!  Just wanted to make sure you guys know that!" And on and on...

All this forces me to ask, "where is my ultimate allegiance?"

These issue are not new.  Have you ever read 1 Cor. 3:1-10?

[3:1] But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. [2] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, [3] for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? [4] For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? 

[5] What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. [6] I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. [7] So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. [8] He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. [9] For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building. 

Aligning ourselves to men rather than God is reflective of our tendency towards idolatry, pride, and self-preservation.  Do we follow God or Rob Bell?  Do we follow God or John Piper?  Do we follow God or Tim Keller?  And the list goes on and on.

Rob Bell, love him or hate him, either way, our response to yesterday's news should be appropriately reflective of an ultimate allegiance to God.  We shouldn't be TOO disappointed (this demonstrates idolatry) or TOO elated (this demonstrates pride) or TOO dismissive (this demonstrates self-centeredness).

In the Twitter, FB, and blog firestorm that took place yesterday (and is sure to continue) may we be reminded that our ultimate allegiance is to the Triune God and his Word alone.  That doesn't mean we shouldn't have tribes, coalitions, networks and read lots of books by really gifted people.  It just means that we need to remind ourselves where the priorities are and where the emphasis should lie.  Unless we are aware of our endless tendency to make good things God things (and any man a GodMan), we are asking for severe disappointment when our idols fail us.

Josh Harris: Rob Bell, Hell and Why I Hope I'm Wrong

Helpful words here from Josh.

Josh Harris:

Many people have challenged me for tweeting my dismay over Rob Bell's new book when it hasn't been released yet. I think the content of his video alone is concerning enough to be challenged. But I will read the book and if it contradicts the publisher's description and the content of the video I will rejoice and I will apologize to Rob for jumping to conclusions. (At which point I hope Rob will forgive me and also thank me for helping to make his book a best-seller.) Honestly, I would loved to be proved wrong and look stupid on this one. But based on the trajectory I've observed of Rob's teaching, and the content of his video and the statement of his publisher, I have a sinking feeling.

We also need to remember that all discussion about hell (for those of us who believe scripture teaches its existence) should be done with heavy hearts. Hell is what our sin deserves (Eph. 2:3). Hell is what God in his love has rescued us from. And we are not rescued from hell by our merit or the rightness of our doctrine. We are rescued from God's wrath by the self-giving love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (Rom. 5:8-9). We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8). So there should be no glee or triumph in our tone in seeking to proving this biblical doctrine. Our hearts should break for the lost and for our own coldness of heart towards their spiritual condition. This conversation should lead us to redouble our prayers and our evangelistic, risk-taking efforts to proclaim the hope of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, to the ends of the earth.

Read the rest.


Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

Answers to Questions Rob Bell is Asking

Denny Burk provides a very helpful response to questions that Rob Bell is asking. I would encourage you to read it.

More on this topic here.

A Picture of Jesus and His Church

Men, let this inspire you to lead well, remind you of the Gospel, and be thankful for your wife today.

Timmy Brister:

I first heard about this story from Steve Childers in his final talk at my first GCA National Church Planting Conference. His message was entitled, “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing.” It’s the story about Robertson McQuilkin and his dear wife Muriel. McQuilkin was the son of the founding president of Columbia International University, and as a young missionary couple, Robertson and Muriel spent 12 years in Japan before returning to the United States, at which time Robertson became the president of Columbia International University in 1968.

Although thoroughly enjoying his role as president at Columbia, McQuilkin resigned from his post in 1990 to care for his wife who had been battling Alzheimer’s Disease since the early 1980′s. Someone happened to have a micro-cassette recorder in that meeting and recorded a portion of his resignation speech. Here is that recording of Robertson sharing about why he resigned. This is a testimony of biblical manhood.

Great Word from Piper on Technology

"The temptation to be distracted is harder probably to resist today than ever."  Watch this.  (RSS might need to click through)



(HT: Erik)

The Mission Field Created by Abortion

I so appreciate this blog post from John.

John Ensor:

Our generation needs a gospel presentation that address the blood-guilt of abortion specifically and openly as a gospel issue. To view abortion as a secondary, or worse, a political issue is to fundamentally misunderstand the defining experience of our times. Imagine preaching the gospel in the town of Dacau in the 40’s and intentionally avoiding, rather than pressing head-on, as to how the gospel addresses the sin of shedding innocent blood. Our silence would be interpreted to mean that it is outside the reach of what the gospel offers. Imagine sharing Christ in a hospital full of soldiers, some missing eyes, others arms, and never mentioning the part of the gospel that promises new bodies. Imagine preaching Christ at a funeral and never mentioning the hope of resurrection.

Called Out, Confessed, and Brought Under the Gospel

If you care about the primacy of the gospel and have a passion for missions, I beg you to stop seeing abortion as a secondary issue. Understand that it is the primary mark of this generation. And understand the anguish it causes. It is a megaphone of endless Satanic accusation. It snaps the tendons of spiritual effort and risk. The blood-guilt of abortion festers under the surface of all Christian endeavor. It needs lancing. It needs to be outed. It needs to be called out by name, confessed by name, and brought under a gospel that declares that there is no forgiveness for the shedding of innocent blood except by the shedding of innocent blood. Our generation needs to hear explicitly that the blood of Christ cleanses us from acts that lead to death, even and explicitly, abortion, “that we might serve the living God” (Heb 9:11).

Read the rest.


Books by John:
Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart
The Great Work of the Gospel: How We Experience God's Grace
Answering The Call: Saving Innocent Lives, One Woman At A Time

A Baby With a Razor Blade - The State of the NBA

I hear over and over again from people that they can't stand watching the NBA and have a far greater affection for the game of college basketball.  In some sense I agree.  I usually don't watch much until the playoffs.

Many people complain that these guys are lazy, over-paid, undisciplined, possess inflated egos, don't care about team, only play one-on-one, don't know how to play defense and act like self-indulgent children away from the court.  These are certainly generalizations but what this points to is that they feel as though the game is more "pure" in the college ranks and the NBA game is more polluted.

Jason Whitlock (one of my favorite sports writers) just started a new podcast and his guest in the newest edition is Buzz Bissinger (author of Friday Night Lights) in which they discuss Buzz's most recent column concerning the state of the NBA.  They discuss these issues.  It is a quite fascinating discussion of our professional sports culture in America and it's not a pretty picture.

I lay most of the blame on the enablers.  Us.  We love to worship our idols and our idols have to get paid.  When you give a 21-year-old kid millions of dollars and his pick of any number of millions of women with which to have sex on demand, what do you think is going to be the by product?  Do you think a 21-year-old kid with unlimited fame, fortune, and sex drive is going to be told what to do by a coach or think about anything other than himself? He makes WAY more than the coach!  Everyone knows that the people are not in the seats to see Coach A sit on the sideline.  

It's like giving a baby a razor blade.  He is completely unequipped to know how to use it without hurting himself.  In professional sports, we love to hand out razor blades to babies.  The razor blade is shiny and endlessly interesting to look at, but the baby will always end up getting real bloody.

Is it any wonder that a guy like LeBron James has no one to tell him the truth?  Why would he listen?  He doesn't have to!  He's got more power, money, and physical talent than anyone else he knows.  In the most literal sense possible, he is King James.  It doesn't help either that many of the young men in the NBA did not group up with any sort of positive male role model other than the hip-hop culture that trumpets the objectification of women, the allure of money, and the glory of the self-promoting man.

But this issue runs deeper.  It runs right to my doorstep.

I don't like to be told what to do either.  I don't like to be a team player.  My heart gravitates towards selfishness and I could just as easily be drunk on power and self-worship.  Do I surround myself with "yes" men?  Am I listening to a higher authority or do I bow down and worship the autonomous self?  The finger that points to the dysfunctional culture of professional sports and the NBA in particular needs to have it pointed back at itself.

I need to repent too.

"You Wouldn't Be a Christian if You Were Born in India."

Suppose we concede that if I had been born of Muslim parents in Morocco rather than Christian parents in Michigan, my beliefs would have been quite different.  (But) the same goes for the pluralist... If the pluralist had been born in (Morocco) he probably wouldn't be a pluralist.  Does it follow... his pluralist beliefs are produced in him by an unreliable belief-producing process?

Alvin Plantinga, A Defense of Religious Exclusivism, p. 205

Quoted in Tim Keller's, Reason For God.

"I Can't Stand Kids..."

Walt Mueller:

Natalie Munroe is only 30-years-old. She's been teaching English at Central Bucks East High School in the suburbs of Philly for only a few years, and already she's sick and tired of kids. . . so sick, in fact, that she's used some choice words on her blog to let the world know what she really thinks of teenagers. Her blogging got her in some big trouble and she's now suspended from her job as school administrators try to figure out what to do with her.

I found out about Munroe last Thursday morning as I read a news story about her online rants. She wrote - among other things - "My students are out of control. They are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying. Kids, they are disobedient, disrespectful oafs. Noisy, crazy, sloppy, lazy LOAFERS." Hmmmm. Is she right?

Later on in the piece he writes:

If the fundamental problem of every kid in every generation is the same as it always was - that is, dealing with their own sin and bent towards worship of self - then the unique way this current generation is living that issue out might just be through the personification of mantras like "this sucks," "screw you," and "whatever." And if kids are the "vehicles" moving in that direction, then over-indulgent and child-centered parents (that's a funny term, huh?) are the ones fueling the ride. When life works like that it really isn't working at all because, after all, that's not the way it's supposed to be. 

Read the rest.


I would give a strong "Amen" to his comment about parents.  This whole "change" in kids these days (is it really a change?) is less about the kids themselves and more about the parents.  Dads, where you at?

Thom Yorke Dancing to "Single Ladies"

I think Radiohead is one of the best bands ever.  Simply revolutionary.  But their frontman Thom Yorke is a bit of an odd bird to say the least.  Dude probably treads the line between genius and insanity.  In their latest video he does a nice little dance routine.  Someone thought it might be a good idea to play some different music behind it and below you have the result.  I love it.



(HT: Jonathan Dodson)

NBA on the Brink of Collapse?

Jason Whitlock thinks so.  Interesting argument:

That is not a statement about the product. The product is strong. We’re in the middle of one of the best NBA seasons in quite some time. Every night, there seems to be at least one must-see matchup, and the television networks — ABC, ESPN and TNT — trumpet the record number of viewers.

There are six legitimate championship teams — the Celtics, Spurs, Heat, Lakers, Bulls and Mavericks. There is a seemingly endless list of compelling superstars worth paying to see — James, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Dwyane Wade, Amar’e Stoudemire, Derrick Rose, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki, etc.

We’re at the height of the bubble. We’re at the brink of collapse.

Read the rest.

Signs of Growing in Grace

Very helpful list here from Scotty Smith:

A sign you’re growing in grace is less bombast about not being a legalist & more humility because you “get” the gospel. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is less theological arrogance & greater appreciation for diversity in the Body of Christ. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is you work much harder at remembering names and forgetting slights. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is that everybody notices it but you. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is movement from destructive cynicism towards redemptive engagement. Anybody can spew. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is that you’re less like a drive-by-shooting with criticisms & more of a healing presence. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is evident when you receive feedback non-defensively and give it clearly & lovingly. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is evident when people don’t feel like they have to walk on egg shells around you as much. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is when you say, “I’ll be prayin’ for ya”, and you follow through on at least 50%. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is committing fewer homicides in your heart of slow drivers. 

A sign you’re growing in grace is praying for our government rather than simply being cynical about our government. 

A sign you are growing in grace is that you are more disgusted with your critical spirit than offended by others’ sins.

(HT:  Timmy Brister)

Sin is Essentially Antisocial

What all this means is that sin is essentially antisocial. We don’t really have time to love our spouse, in the purest sense of what that means, because we are too busy loving ourselves. What we actually want is for our spouse to love us as much as we love ourselves, and if our spouse is willing to do that, we will have a wonderful relationship. So we try to co-opt our spouse into a willing submission to the plans and purposes of our claustrophobic kingdom of one.

But there is more. Because sin is antisocial, it tends to dehumanize the people in our lives. No longer are they objects of our willing affec- tion. No, they quit being the people we find joy in loving. Rather, they get reduced to one of two things. They are either vehicles to help us get what we want or obstacles in the way of what we want. When your wife is meeting the demands of your wants, needs, and feelings, you are quite excited about her, and you treat her with affection. But when she becomes an obstacle in the way of your wants, needs, and feelings, you have a hard time hiding your disappointment, impatience, and irritation.

- Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage, p. 47

This is Just Plain Funny

A Provocative Billboard in New York City

Read about it here.

Washed and Waiting - A Short Review

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality

Darryl Dash:

You need to read this book for three reasons.

One: There are probably people in your church whose struggle is described in this book. Read this book to understand the struggle and their loneliness.

Two: Read this book to think about what it means to be a church that supports those who are tempted in this area.

Three: Read this book to see the beauty of the gospel. This is a book that deals with a tough issues, and drips with the glory of the gospel.

I’ve been waiting for this book for a long time. I highly recommend it.

Read the rest.  

Smoking a Cigarette on the Steps of the Church

Great 3 minute story here from Matt Chandler.

(via)

Keller on FoxNews

(RSS will probably need to click through)




(HT: Erik Raymond)

New Zealand Earthquake

Images here.

The King's Cross - A Review

Colin Hansen:

This is the book where Tim Keller hits his stride as an author.

Read the rest.  

Introduction to Books & Resources by Timothy Keller from Redeemer City to City on Vimeo.

Tozer Was Great, but Don't Be Like Him in This Way

With a burning desire to learn and a keen sense of educational inadequacy, Tozer began to devote long hours to reading. He not only read a lot, his mind was preoccupied when he was home, as he continually sorted out ideas and wrote articles in his mind when he could not be alone to put them on paper.

By early 1928 the Tozers had a routine. Aiden found his fulfillment in reading, preparing sermons, preaching, and weaving travel into his demanding and exiting schedule, while Ada learned to cope. She dutifully washed, ironed, cooked, and cared for the little ones, and developed the art of shoving her pain deep down inside. Most of the time she pretended there was no hurt, but when it erupted, she usually blamed herself for not being godly enough to conquer her longing for intimacy from an emotionally aloof husband.

- Lyle Dorsett, A Passion for God: The Spiritual Journey of A. W. Tozer, p. 81

(HT:  KD)

Passion for one thing can be all consuming.  I can certainly relate to this.  Is not passion for God something that should be greatly commended?  Certainly.  Maybe Tozer should have stayed single.  I don't know.  But I do that know that I should check in with my wife and ask her if she see's this tendency in me.

A Healing Balm for Cranks

John Piper:

Sam’s book is a healing balm for cranks, misfits, and malcontents who are so full of self they scarcely see, let alone celebrate, the simple beauties of imperfect virtue in others. Or to say it differently: I need this book.

Read the rest.  

Sticky Teams - A Short Review

Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team and Staff on the Same Page

A few months ago I got an email from a friend who used to work on staff with Larry Osborne at his church in California.  He asked me if I had read, Sticky Teams yet.  I said "no".  He said, in essence, "Run, don't walk, to your computer and get that book ordered. You should have finished it yesterday!"  As a church planter who is starting a church from scratch, we have the unique chance to build a very healthy leadership team from the start and Sticky Teams has been a gift from God in that regard.  

Let me put it this way.  If you are on staff at a church or in leadership at any level, you are going to want to read this book.  Chalked full of years of pastoral wisdom from beginning to end, this book addresses how to lead the church well as a team.  How many churches do you know that came unglued because the leadership was not on the same page?  If the leadership is not on the same page the church will crumble.  But if they are lovingly unified around a common mission and commitment to each other there ain't much that is going to take them down.  

I'm sure that many of you are serving on teams that are not quite "clicking".  This book will help you see why.  Buy it for your whole team and go through it together.  It will bless you.  I know there will be many reasons for me to return to this book in the future as I serve on a local church leadership team in the future.  

Blasphemy on the Rooftop

(HT: Mockingbird)

Why Jazz?

Christopher Benson reviews this new book that looks quite interesting, Why Jazz?: A Concise Guide:

Music endears itself to us long before we achieve an understanding of it. When I was enrolled at Wheaton College, where students must uphold a covenant (popularly known as "the pledge") that entails abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and—at that time—dance, I felt the institutional standard for "the responsible use of freedom" was really an impingement on freedom. Escaping the claustrophobic campus, I discovered a freeing atmosphere in downtown Chicago at the Green Mill and Jazz Showcase, amid hoot 'n holler, clanking glassware, and a marine layer of cigarette smoke.

Those nights grooving to jazz are indelibly stamped on my imagination. Bewitched by the democracy of musicians who vocalized their eccentricities through instruments, I bopped my head, thumped my foot, and snapped my fingers. None of the entertainment seemed "immodest, sinfully erotic, or harmfully violent," as the pledge cautions against. But it was—and is—spontaneous, experimental, and daring. Years later I realized why this music appeals to me beyond its pleasurable sounds. "Jazz is freedom," declared the great Duke Ellington. It is an exhalation of the human spirit, like all music, but uniquely textured by the African American cry for freedom: long-suffering, exuberant, and sensuous.

Asking a big question in the title—as Kevin Whitehead does here—primes the reader to expect a big answer. Why Jazz? aims to "tune you in if you're new to the music, or tune up your listening if you've already got the bug." Whitehead, National Public Radio's Fresh Air jazz critic, admirably succeeds in meeting this goal by using a chronologically organized Q&A format. With remarkable precision and polish, he traces the lineaments of each genre, discerns the significance of key figures, explains the anatomy of sound, and sketches the important venues—making this a useful reference for a puzzled or curious audience. I am now equipped with more angles for listening to jazz performances, although the music theory continues to stump me.

Read the rest.

New From Sojourn Music - Split EP: The War & The Mercy Seat

This record sounds really good.  Listen to samples and pick up your copy here.

Preview For The Mercy Seat-The War Split EP from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo.

Prevent Moral-anity

Erik Raymond writes a great post about how he leads his 15 year old son through the sexual dysfunction that is on display at his high school.  I especially appreciated this section:

Prevent Moral-anity: If the issue is sin (fornication, homosexuality, porn, whatever) then does that mean that the kids who are not doing these things are all right? After all, there a lot of kids in his school that are not making out in the halls (straight or gay), does that mean they are good? 

If Christianity was all about making people seem like they were good it wouldn’t need ‘Christ’ in it. We could just call it ‘Moral-anity’. But this is not what Christianity is about. Christ came to save sinners. He came rescue rebels by giving his own life for us. He lived the perfect life in the place of sinners who couldn’t and wouldn’t. He is the law-abiding, wrath-satisfying, death-stomping Savior! He doesn’t come and give a code of conduct, he comes and gives himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

This is why the Christian message to homosexuals is not a merely a message aiming to convert them to heterosexuality. Instead, the message to all people (gay or straight) is that we are all sexual sinners in need of a Savior! We all need Christ for redemption. 

I need to remind myself and my son that the gospel works first on the internals before the externals. The gospel deals with the heart and then produces fruit. Therefore, everyone in that school, teachers and students alike, is in need of the same rescuing grace. This is a great opportunity to reset the reach of depravity and the shams that get passed off for salvation.

Read the rest.  

Lowest Notes Ever Played on An Instrument

Octobass from Pat Shannahan on Vimeo.

(HT:  A. Piper)

Kids Flying Helicopters and Grown Men Riding Trikes

Good thoughts here for those investing in leadership development but also discipleship in general (which should be all of us.)

Kevin DeYoung:

A theologically astute, immature Christian is like a five year old flying an Apache helicopter. Here’s this massive weapon; it can destroy arguments and defend against heresy. It can soar to the heavens and take in glorious sights no one at sea-level will ever witness. This theological helicopter is good for search and rescue, just as good for seek and destroy. Every congregational army would be thrilled with such a vehicle. It’s fast. It’s furious. It’s impressive. But it’s also dangerous. And with a five-year old behind the wheel (or whatever they have in choppers), some people are going to get hurt. It’s not wrong for a little kid to have a helicopter, but it would be nice if he grew up and took some flying lessons before taking the thing out for a spin.

On the other hand, a mature Christian content with the barest theological knowledge is like a 45-year old riding a tricycle. If I had to choose, I’d go with the trike-riding middle-aged man, but only because he’s a little safer than the five-year old fighter pilot. In a perfect world, the 45-year old would learn to ride something for grown-ups. Sure he can get around on the tricycle. But he can’t go very fast or very far. He’s limited in terms of what he can see and experience. He can’t do much to beat back enemies or scale new heights. He’s steady, but not the best he can be.

The goal in Christian discipleship is that we don’t have to choose between kids flying helicopters and adults riding little bikes. We want the most mature pilots flying the most intricate machinery. Our aim is for Mr. Knowledge to grow into Mr. Head-and-Heart and for Mr. Simple-Faith to learn to be Mr. Deep-Truth.

Read the rest.  

Why Emphasize God’s God-Centeredness?

John Piper:

Reason #1 — He is supremely valuable and supremely satisfying.
Reason #2 — Receiving him as such is the only way we will find full, everlasting joy.
Reason #3 — Therefore, his demand that we do so is love, not egomania.

Read the rest of this very important post.

Three Main Approaches in Sharing the Gospel

T-Wax, with a helpful article that summarizes the three main ways that most people lean towards when sharing about Jesus.  He writes:

In February 2008, I began a blog series called “Gospel Definitions”, in which I posted (without comment) any and every definition of “the gospel” that I came across in books or online. Eventually, that series became the largest group of gospel definitions on the web. (See a full list or pdf here.)

As I have posted various definitions of “the gospel” on my blog, I have noticed that people hear the question “what is the gospel?” in different ways.

Telling the Story for an Individual

Some hear this question and immediately think about how to present the gospel to an unbeliever. Their presentation systematizes the biblical teaching of our sin and Christ’s provision. They usually begin with God as a holy and righteous judge. Then we hear about man’s desperate plight apart from God and how our sinfulness deserves his wrath. But the good news is that Christ has come to live an obedient life and die in our place. We are then called to repent of our sins and trust in Christ. (Greg Gilbert takes this approach in his helpful book, What Is the Gospel?.)

Telling the Story of Jesus

Others hear “What is the gospel?” and think of how the New Testament authors would define the word, which leads to definitions that zero in on the announcement of Jesus. They focus on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The gospel, according to this second group, is telling people who Jesus is and what he has done. (Martin Luther, Graeme Goldsworthy, and John Piper take this approach.)

Telling the Story of New Creation

Still others hear the word “gospel” and think of the whole good news of Christianity, how God has acted in Christ to bring redemption to a fallen world. They focus on the grand sweep of the Bible’s storyline and how Jesus comes to reverse the curse and make all things new. (Tullian Tchividjian, Tim Keller, and Jim Belcher take this approach.)

Robust Gospel Discussion

Though there is significant overlap among these groups, advocates of each position sometimes discuss and debate the others.

The Individual-Story crowd says, If you only focus on the announcement of Jesus, you leave out the reason we need good news. In other words, zeroing in on the “Christ” part of God-Man-Christ-Response doesn’t tell you enough.

The Jesus-Story crowd says, You’re adding too much to the gospel, confusing the truth about our sin or our necessary response of repentance with the good news itself, which is only about Jesus. In other words, don’t add doctrines to “the gospel” that the New Testament doesn’t describe as “gospel.”

The New Creation crowd says, If you only focus on individual salvation, you leave out the cosmic sweep of what God is doing. You also leave out the necessity of the church. In other words, the picture of God’s redemptive activity is bigger than just God-Man-Christ-Response or even the Jesus-announcement. You need the bird’s eye view of Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration.

For the most part, I am encouraged by these discussions. How marvelous to see Christians – young and old – seeking clarity on the message that is at the heart of our faith! It is important to think clearly about the gospel, and the motivation behind these debates is to get the message right and – hopefully – to then take that message everywhere from our neighborhoods to the nations.

How Timothy Keller Spreads the Gospel in New York City, and Beyond

Tim Keller has a great interview by The Atlantic that you can view here.  Much of the discussion surrounds his new book, King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus.  I appreciated this question and answer:

The Reason for God spent several weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. How has being a successful author changed your relationship with the people in your church?

That's a fair question, and a good one, actually, and a wise one, even. The upside is, many, many people show up because they've read the book. An example of this is, I met a German PhD student at a local university who was wrestling with whether he believed in God or not, found the book The Reason for God in the airport, read it, was very intrigued with it, said "Gee, I would love to hear more about this," and realized he lived within walking distance of where the church was. He just looked at the book jacket and said, "Wait a minute, I can walk to this place." And he just showed up.

Those are the good stories. I would say that the problem with ministers who write books is that people make the church a destination church. Which is to say they either drive in from a long distance away because they say, "Oh, let's go into town, have a bite to eat, and go hear the minister whose book I read." Or they may even fly. There are certain churches where the minister has a high profile that become destination churches. I don't think it actually directly hurts to have an additional 500 people every Sunday who show up and don't live here and aren't actually part of the church. In some way you could say it's cheap thrills—they fill up the seats, and it's really kind of festive, and it's nice. But it actually can give the rest of the congregation the mistaken idea that the congregation is growing—which it has, but it's not actually growing as much as they think because the folks are not really part of the community.

That doesn't hurt. And yet I could imagine if this went on for 20 years, I think you'd actually have to start to say, "Which part of the church is the community of people who are here, and which part of the church is coming to hear the celebrity?" I would say that because I'm near the end of my career, I don't think it's going to harm the church, at all.

Pray Less, Do More?

Interesting quote here from C.S. Lewis:

I’m afraid, however, I detect two much less attractive reasons for the ease of my own intercessory prayers. One is that I am often, I believe, praying for others when I should be doing things for them. It’s so much easier to pray for a bore than to go and see him. And the other is like unto it. Suppose I pray that you may be given grace to withstand your besetting sin (short list of candidates for this post will be forwarded on demand). Well, all the work has to be done by God and you. If I pray against my own besetting sin there will be work for me. One sometimes fights shy of admitting an act to be a sin for this very reason.

 C.S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer

(HT:  Robbie Sagers)