To New Beginnings...

My family and I are making preparations to move to the upper peninsula of Michigan in the next few days so there will be no updates in the following week or so.

Addicted to Sex

Addicted to Sex. That is the title of the most recent issue of Christianity Today. It is no lie that many men and women are caught in a vicious cycle of pornography and sex addiction, and the church would be foolish to believe itself free of this sex and pornography stranglehold, so I am glad CT has tackled this issue head on and would encourage you to read it for yourselves. You can read a couple of its articles for free online. Here are the links -

Help for the Sexually Desperate

These Guys are Really Screwed Up

Inside CT: Porn's Stranglehold

Nice Yet Naughty

Recommended Chapters on Preaching

C.J. Mahaney has posted a great list of "recommended chapters on preaching." Here are the first five:

1. “Why Preach?” by J.I. Packer. The Introduction to The Preacher and Preaching (P&R, 1986).
2. “Theological Foundations for Preaching” by John Stott. Chapter 3 in Between Two Worlds (Eerdmans, 1982).
3. “Preaching Christ from the Old Testament” by Ligon Duncan. Chapter 2 in Preaching the Cross (Crossway, 2007).
4. “The Gravity and Gladness of Preaching” by John Piper. Chapter 4 in The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Baker, 1990).
5. “Paul’s Theology of Preaching” by Dennis E. Johnson. Chapter 3 of Him We Proclaim (P&R, 2007).

Dare to be a Berean

Here is a post over at CBMW that reminded me of Acts 17:11, "now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Oh that God would fill His church with more people who "every day" examine the Scriptures to see if what their pastor's say is true!

Pastoral Leadership and the Gender Issue: What Does Courage Look Like?

Dr. Russell D. Moore has some great thoughts on pastoral leadership and the gender issue.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"A pastor must be willing to lose his pulpit in order to save it. He cannot simply renounce the same "culture war" opponents that might be demonized by Fox News. He must talk about issues that will be sensitive to people in his own congregation--a dating culture that by its very definition anticipates fornication, the outsourcing of parenting to daycare "professionals" in order to carry out dual-income households, and so forth. A pastor who addresses such issues will find some hostility, but he will also find Christians--and seeking lost people--who are willing to give him a hearing because of his honesty and conviction."

Read the rest here!

John Piper on the Prosperity Gospel

WOW!

A One-Eyed Invader in the Bedroom

Well, chalk one up for my parents again! I can still remember the days when I fought with my parents to have a TV set in my bedroom, but thankfully they never gave in, and according to a study done in Buffalo, NY may have actually helped keep me healthy! Read more about the negative influence of TV in the bedroom. It is not just what a child watches on TV that is important, but where also!

Medical Testimony Against Murder (AKA Abortion)

The first video of Abort73's "The Case Against Abortion" series is now online.

Five Books To Read Before Easter

Tim Challies suggests five books to read before Easter at his blog:

"Easter is fast approaching and is now less than three weeks away. As Christians begin to turn their gaze towards the death and resurrection of the Savior, it seems appropriate that we should look for resources that will help us meditate on the cross and that will help prepare our hearts. To that end I’d like to suggest five books you may wish to read as Easter approaches. Each of these titles deals with the cross. Each will benefit you immensely as you prepare to remember the Lord. In each case I’ve provided my thoughts on the book and have listed a couple of representative endorsements."

Christian Truth Confronts Post-Christian America

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has some great food for thought concerning the Christian truth and culture over at his website. Here are some clips of what he wrote:

"The Church has constantly been perplexed concerning its proper relation to culture. H. Richard Niebuhr traced five different patterns of cultural response in his famous work, Christ and Culture. The book over-simplified the issues and now looks awkwardly optimistic, but some of the patterns Niebuhr described are still evident. The Church has at times withdrawn from culture and sought refuge in attempted cultural isolation. At other times and in other contexts the Church has simply abdicated to the culture, thus reflecting the culture rather than proclaiming the cross. A myriad of patterns and be traced between these two extremes. The fact is that the Church has often exhibited several patterns at once, capitulating to culture on the one hand and seeking isolation on the other."

"The mission of the Church in the midst of this cultural crisis is to proclaim the truth and reach out to the casualties. In the face of rampant relativisms, the believing Church must proclaim the truth of God's Word, the permanence of His commands, and the reality of His judgment. Given the cultural context, this task is one of the most important tests of Christian faithfulness. To proclaim biblical truth to this culture is to risk social isolation, outright rejection, and, in some cases, potent attacks."

Read the entire article now!

Worry and Fear

Edward T. Welch has done it again. I have benefited greatly from his previous writings and look forward to reading this too! It is titled Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest. C.J. Mahaney has written two seperate reviews of it found here and here. Tim Challies has written a longer and perhaps a bit more helpful review here (by the way, he admits this is his first, but certainly not last time, he read Welch). Here are some excerpts from the book:

"At this point, we know that worry and fear are more about us than about the things outside us. They reveal what is valuable to us, and what is valuable to us in turn reveals our kingdom allegiances. We also know that God is patient and compassionate with us, and he gives grace upon grace. Though alert to our divided allegiances, he persists in calling us away from fear and worry, persuades us of the beauty of the kingdom, and gives more than we can imagine."

"Like most writing projects, this book is aimed squarely at myself. Although I can be angry or melancholy, I am a fear specialist. In this I have found that I am not alone. Not everyone is a fear specialist, but there is no doubt that every single person who ever lived is personally familiar with fear. It is an inescapable feature of earthly life. To deny it is…well…to deny it."

No Little Places

I just finished reading an excellent book by Ron Klassen & John Koessler titled No Little Places: The Untapped Potential of the Small-Town Church. Here are some excerpts:

"If God has called you to pastor a small-town church, this book is for you.It is to encourage you to appreciate more than ever before the importance of the work to which God has called you and to give you and your people practical tools for fulfilling your church's God-given potential. Your picture will probably never grace the cover of a national magazine. You may never be invited to address your denominational conference. Few may hear or care about the struggles you have faced as you serve Christ in your small town. Do not let that discourage you. There is One who notices. He will bless your efforts and reward your faithfulness" (pg. 15).

"The more pastors become the students of their people, the more they can impact their lives for good. If we want to reach people for Christ, we must immerse ourselves in their world instead of trying to force them into ours" (pg. 68).

"Good worship is not a fancy sound system or choir or talented soloists or professional instrumentalists. The best worship is simply when all the people participate in ascribing worth to God" (pg. 84).

"The truth is that no church of any size can meet all the needs around it. But any church can do those things God has specifically called it to do. God never calls us to do anything without also giving us the resources to do it..." (pg 90).

"Pastors who want their congregation to be on the cutting edge of creative ministry must help nurture an atmosphere that encourages experimentation....Perfectionism - demanding excellence - can kill creativity. Paradoxically it is by extending the freedom to fail - by creating an atmosphere where the inexperienced can develop new skills without feeling embarrassed by their mistakes and where those with vision are encouraged to experiment with new ministries - that you provide the environment that is most likely to lead to excellence in ministry" (pg. 95).

Free Resources

Over at Sovereign Grace Ministries one can download the entire main set of 2006 "Together for the Gospel" conference. Download them here. Enjoy!

Message titles and speakers

The Pastor’s Understanding of His Own Role (Mark Dever)
Preaching from the Old Testament (Ligon Duncan)
Preaching with the Culture in View (Albert Mohler)
The Center of Christian Preaching: Justification by Faith (R.C. Sproul)
Why Expositional Preaching Is Particularly Glorifying to God (John Piper)
Watch Your Life (C.J. Mahaney)
Forty Years of Gospel Ministry (John MacArthur)

America's Most Popular Theologian

I have said it before and I will say it again, "Oprah Winfrey is America's most popular theologian." If you would like to know what this "theologian" is teaching about God and humanity then you must read this article by Warren Smith.

Here is a quick smattering of what Oprah teaches in "A Course in Miracles," a year long course on New Age doctrine. What she teaches is dangerous, deceptive, and flat out wrong:

“There is no sin. . . "
A “slain Christ has no meaning."
“The journey to the cross should be the last ‘useless journey.”
“Do not make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross.’”
“The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray.”
“God is in everything I see.”
“The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself.”
“The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power.”
“The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation.”

Avoid Every Appearance of Evil!!

Daniel Wallace has posted some great thoughts on what 1 Thessalonians 5:22 means when it says, "avoid every appearance of evil." I can remember as a child being told not to play cards, or watch movies at the theatre, etc., because they are the appearance of evil. I have long since grown away from that erroneous teaching but many still have not. I hope many will read this article and think carefully about its implications for the Christian life.

Church & Culture

"We do not want, as the newspapers say, a church that will move with the world. We want a church that will move the world."
- G.K. Chesterton

Programs! Come Get Your Programs!

The ancient church had a minium of organization, but it had a maximum of power. The average church today has a maximum of organization but tragically lacks power. Dr. G. Campbell Morgan once warned, “One of Satan’s methods today is to start so many organizations in a church that the members have no time for unhurried communion with God. Many Christians are so busy that they can hear only the clink and clatter of church machinery." Too often we are over-organized and under-agonized.
—Walter B. Knight

What God's church needs today is not new and better programs, but more men and women and children who are burdened and praying wholeheartedly for the spiritual and physical needs of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. The church needs more individuals who are committed both privately and publicly to prayer.

Epigram on Prayer Meeting

I first heard this on the radio a few months back and I remember thinking to myself how true it is! Unfortunately, I could never quite remember how it went so I couldn't share it with others, but now that has all changed.

The popularity of a CHURCH is measured by its Sunday morning attendance and the popularity of the PREACHER by its Sunday evening attendance. However, the popularity of the LORD is measured at the prayer meeting.

—The Bible Friend

Food for Living

"Man shall not live by bread alone, buy by every word that comes from the mouthof God" (Matthew 4:4).

The church father Jerome, in reflection upon this statement by Jesus, wrote, "if anyone does not feed upon God's Word, that one will not live."

Enough said?

When God Wants to Drill a Man

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And which every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out-
God knows what He's about.

- Author Unknown