I heard a sermon the other day that was a “good sermon”.  The speaker was funny.  The congregation was engaged.  The congregation was given very helpful pointers, things that would help in living better lives.  There was nothing heretical in the sermon; nothing that I could not heartily affirm.  Helpful, engaging, down-to-earth, and it used biblical principles.  Yet, after hearing the sermon I felt sick to my stomach. 

What caused my sickness?  Was it my breakfast burrito?  Perhaps too syrupy of pancakes?  That could have added to my sickness but the main problem was not in something I ate but more in what the preacher did not feed me.  Missing from the “sermon” was gospel and Christ-centeredness. 

And here’s the deal.  I have preached “sermons” that are void of the gospel myself.  I am just as guilty.  I have preached on relationships in such a way that teens engage in legalism instead of gospel-driven obedience.  I have preached a text from Paul that would make Paul vomit because of its gospel-deficiency.  I have preached a text from the mouths of Jesus that had little to do with Jesus and more to do with us.  I have preached sermons that would make me vomit.  May I never preach another one.

You see, I cannot bring myself to preach another sermon or happily listen to another sermon that is void of the gospel.  I really could care less about having 7 principles to being a successful employee, 3 things to help me be a better spouse, 14 rules for being a faithful church member, etc.  Those are important.  Those are very important.  But once you have been captivated by the beauty of the gospel a sermon that ONLY deals with being a successful employee just will not cut it.  I want to know what the gospel has to do with my employment.  I want to know how Jesus redeems work.  I want to know how Jesus puts me on mission.  If those 7 principles are grounded in the gospel, lead me to believing the gospel more, and are motivated out of what Jesus’ has done on my behalf then preach it. 

I want to know what happens when everything in your life explodes and your 7 principles just do not cut it?  Do you just make more little rules that are founded upon biblical principles or do you cast yourself wholly on the mercy of God?  The church doesn’t simply need better marriages, better finances, better living, better church services, better politics, or anything else.  The church needs the gospel.  The church needs gospel driven marriage and not “biblical-principle” driven marriages.  The same goes with every other topic you want to throw in there.  The gospel is not meant to be slid in through the back door at the end of the sermon. 

The gospel is meant to permeate the entire sermon.  As Bryan Chapell has beautifully said, “whether people depart alone or in the Savior’s hand will mark the difference between futility and faith; legalism and true obedience; dogoodism and real godliness.”  I am not saying that living by biblical principles is not needed, is not wise, and is not godly.  What I am saying is that it’s not biblically faithful unless the sinner is left in the hands of the Savior.  Only Jesus can heal and only the power of God can lead us on to biblical faithfulness. 

Lest you misunderstand me let me be clear.  I am not talking about “a salvation message” every Sunday.  I am not talking about preaching sermons that are devoid of practicality.  That’s not preaching either.  What I am desperately sick of are “good sermons” that teach us “biblical principles” but do not drive sick, broken, rebellious sinners to the Jesus that deeply loves them.  If “biblical principles” had the power to please God and change hearts then the religious elite would not have crucified Jesus. 

Just give me the gospel…that’s enough to captivate me for all of eternity.

Author: John Piper

Publisher: Crossway

Pages: 192 pages

Price: 12.99

Genre: Christian Living

Quick Summary:

This is a Piper book so you should know what you are getting: a healthy dose of the glory of God, radically Christ-centered appeals, and passionate pleas to enjoy God. In this particular offering Piper’s main concern is that we understand that the greatest gift of the gospel is God Himself. “All God’s gifts are loving only to the degree that they lead us to God Himself. That is what God’s love is: his commitment to do everything necessary (most painfully the death of his only Son) to enthrall us with what is most deeply and durably satisfying—namely, himself.”

The first few chapters of this book are given to defining the gospel. Then Piper moves towards what this means for the Christian life. He then moves forward with a little theology. And finally closes out the book by encouraging us to “sacrifice and sing”.

What I Liked:

The first four chapters are worth the cost of the book. Even in the introduction Piper asks perhaps one of the most important questions for modern evangelicals: “could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?” We really need to hear this message. If you do not consider God to be the ultimate good of salvation then something is wrong. Piper makes a passionate biblical defense of this central doctrine to the Christian faith.

In his typical Edwardsean-way Piper absolutely exhausts this topic. He considers the impact of this doctrine on numerous aspects of the Christian life. He writes in a heartfelt and pastoral manner. You will be deeply informed and emotionally stirred.

What I Disliked:

UPDATE: Due to a comment, I have reworded this section. The original did not convey my actual intent.

I absolutely love John Piper and his ministry. Unfortunately, most of the congregation in which I serve do not share that love. A good portion of our church has commented that his writing is too difficult for them. And I think I understand. Piper can use really big words that may be unfamiliar to those that do not read a good deal of theology books. Piper also will have jam-packed sentences. Now, in Piper's defense I would love to see the somewhat anti-intellectualism in our church context be changed. I would love to see people pursuing God with not only heart but also mind. So, I am torn. I love Piper and his writings and would love to see people labor to read and enjoy him. At the same time I would love for Piper to write books that would appeal to those of a more rural context.

One commenter felt in the orignal that I was holding my church in contempt and not loving them. The truth is I have a ton of compassion for our church. Certainly, that passion can grow because I know I do not love them like Jesus does. Yet, at the same time I also would love to see our church pursue doing hard things...like reading Piper.

Should You Buy It?

There is hardly a Piper book that I would not heartily recommend. The modern church that is so enamored with the gifts of the gospel needs to hear this call. I heartily suggest you buy and read this book. In my opinion, this is one of the Top 5 books written by Piper.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Last time we discussed the three different types of cultural engagement.  This time we will look at the stick-shaker.  Remember last time we defined the stick-shaker as the one who looks at the problems of the world shakes a stick at them, rebukes them, rallies the troops to pick up their sticks, and hopes that by enough stick-shaking the problems will go away.  Today we will consider what the stick-shaker gets right and where I believe the stick-shaker turns from the Bible. 

The stick-shaker is correct that worldliness is a major problem.  When the world infiltrates the church you have major problems (see Corinth).  We are told by the apostle John not to “love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 

There is also an element of engagement that the stick-shaker does get right.  In Ephesians 5:11 we are told to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead to expose them.”  Sometimes the way that we are to engage is by loving rebuke.  So there are some things that stick-shakers get right and there are areas where we are indebted to their faithfulness to the holiness of the gospel.  But there are also serious problems with a stick-shakers view of engagement.

The fundamental error of the stick-shaker can be seen in a quote by JC Ryle’s book Holiness.  By no means am I accusing JC Ryle of being a stick-shaker.  These words, I think, meant something different in his day.  However, this quote will serve to show the underlying mindset of the stick-shaker:

[There] are [those] who are always trying to keep in with the world.  They are ingenious in discovering reasons for not separating decidedly, and in framing plausible excuses for attending questionable amusements, and keeping up questionable friendships.  One day you are told of their attending a Bible reading; the next day perhaps you hear of their going to a ball.  One day they fast, or go to the Lords’ table and receive the sacrament; another day they go to the racecourse in the morning, and the opera at night.  One day they are almost in hysterics under a sermon of some sensational preacher; another day they are weeping over some novel.  They are constantly laboring to persuade themselves that to mix a little with worldly people on their own ground does good.  Yet in their case it is very clear they do not good, and only get harm.

The problem with what Ryle is saying is that there is nothing innately wrong with a ball, watching horses go around a track, opera, or weeping at a novel.  Can these things become worldly and sinful?  You bet.  But can you enjoy an opera, read a novel, watch race horses, or enjoy a ball and it not be sinful?  Can Jesus go to a wedding party?  Where Ryle errs on this point is that he creates a needless dichotomy between sacred and secular. 

This needless dichotomy is the fundamental error with stick shakers.   And because of this they will defend their position with a great amount of vigor; after all, they are defending the sacred against the secular—God against the world.  The problem, though, is that the “world” that John is referring to is not the opera or great works of fiction.  The “world” that John is referring to is the God-hating mindset of secular man.  As D.A. Carson points out for John the world, “is not the universe, but the created order (especially of human beings and human affairs) in rebellion against its Maker.”

Furthermore, you do not see this type of cultural engagement with Jesus.  His sharp rebukes were often reserved for the religious elite.  Prostitutes, tax collectors, and society’s outcast often were given grace.  The problem with the stick-shaker is that they  create an “us v. them” mentality and often they feel more holy because they are not like the world.  I like what Paul Tripp says, “Whenever you believe that the evil outside of you is greater than the evil inside you, a heartfelt pursuit of Christ will be replaced by a zealous fighting of the “evil” around you.” 

If you are a stick-shaker that refuses to get your hands dirty and really incarnate the love of Jesus into other people’s lives then you need to come to grips with the sin in your own heart.  The reason for you disengagement is probably a combination of fear and pride.  So, realize that your greatest enemy is not the person across the street that is in love with world; your greatest enemy is indwelling sin.  Realize that the only hope that you have is the same hope that your neighbor has—the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Rather than engaging your neighbor with picket signs engage him with the love of the gospel.

To be continued…

Warning***  If you are a member of Child Services please do not read this post.

Last night around 2:00 am I was woke up by glass shattering.  In a sleep-drunk stupor I fumbled my way into Isaiah’s room just to make certain that someone didn’t break out his window to steal him in all of his amazingness.  To my enjoyment he was still sleeping soundly, and no windows broken.  I made a quick look around the house—saw nothing broken—then just went back to sleep.

This morning our son woke up a little earlier than normal.  And it was obvious that he was not going to go back to sleep no matter how much of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse he watched.  I could tell that my wife was tired, so I offered to watch Isaiah for a little while before I went to work. 

I sat down on the couch to check my e-mail’s and Google Reader, while Isaiah was playing.  It couldn’t have been but a couple of minutes that had passed.  I looked over and Isaiah is gleefully playing with glass shards.  The glass that I heard last night was a drinking glass that my wife had put a flower in; stupid cat (whom we’ll call Battle-axe until my wife notices). 

Now before you put us on the prayer chain (which might be needed for various other things) you should know that Isaiah only cut himself on his thumb just a little.  And I seriously mean a little.  He didn’t even cry or really even notice it.  He was more ticked off about having a band-aid on his thumb than the cut. 

It could have been much much worse.  He was waving a huge chunk of glass in front of his face.  So, I am very thankful for the Lord’s protection even in the midst of my ignorance.  (By the way Isaiah is 16 months old so I’m not quite as bad for letting him play by himself for a few minutes).

Two questions.

1) How does this illustration relate to the gospel?

2) What are some stupid things you have done as a parent to your child’s detriment? 

I do not simply mean by ‘gospel-centered’ that ministry is to be doctrinally orthodox. Of course it must certainly be that. I am speaking more specifically.

(1) All religions operate on the principle - “I obey--therefore I am accepted by God.” The basic operating principle of the gospel is - “I am accepted by God through Christ--therefore I obey.” Two people living their lives on the basis of these two principles may (do!) sit right beside one another in the pew--and both are strive to obey God’s law, to pray, to give money generously, to be good family members. But they are doing so out of radically different motives, in two radically different spirits, resulting in two radically different personal characters. Since it is easier to understand the difference between the gospel and irreligion, let’s lay out the differences of religion and the gospel.

(2) We must communicate the gospel clearly--not a click toward legalism and not a click toward license. Legalism/moralism is truth without grace (which is not real truth); relativism is grace without truth (which is not real grace). To the degree a ministry fails to do justice to both, it simply loses life-changing power.

(3) I can't tell you how important this is in all mission and ministry. Unless you distinguish the gospel from both religion and irreligion--from both traditional moralism and liberal relativism--then newcomers in your services will automatically think you are simply calling them to be good and nice people.

The only way Satan can effectively be the Father of lies is by knowing the truth so well. 

Our lives are not so much a quest to gain truth as it is to live by the truth that has been revealed to us.  Our problem is often not that we are unaware of the truth.  Our problem is that we are painfully aware of the truth and we rebelliously reject it.  Lying is not a problem of information it’s a problem of knowing the truth but not liking it.

Idolatry is at the heart of lying.  How more prideful and idolatrous can you be than to stare reality in the face and attempt to reconstruct it with a reality of your own making? 

The only hope we liars have is that the truth of the gospel might penetrate our hearts in such a way that we love reality more than a lie.

“You might be the only Jesus that some people ever see”. Undoubtedly, you have heard that phrase. It is supposed to motivate us to holiness—especially around unbelievers. And it’s a decent statement. But, have you ever totally blown it around an unbeliever? If you are the only Jesus they will ever see then their view of Him is going to be pretty shallow. Perhaps, you said something stupid. Maybe it was something that you did that Jesus would probably not have done. Is your witness totally blown at this point?

It is my opinion that evangelicals have bought into the myth that a follower of Jesus has to be perfectly like Jesus in order to be an effective witness. This is not to say that holiness is not important. This is not to deny that we are to adorn the gospel with our lives. But if the gospel requires perfect examples of Jesus then nobody is going to come to embrace the God of the gospel.

One of the consequences of this myth is that discouraged believers struggle with personal evangelism. Because they are very aware of their sinfulness and because they assume they will “blow it” by their lives they are timid in sharing the gospel. I understand that often this is an excuse for not engaging unbelievers, but nonetheless, such a fear is present. Alongside this are believers that shamefully stop engaging an unbeliever with the gospel once you’ve “blown it”.

Perhaps the biggest consequence is that in order to be perfect examples of Jesus we fake it. We are often surface and inauthentic as we engage unbelievers. We do this because to really be authentic would be to show our brokenness. And because the gospel that is often shared is “Jesus will fix your life” we make a really poor example of an “abundant life”. So we fake it; and that is perhaps the most ineffective witness that we can have.

Here is the point: the most effective witness might be to believe the gospel enough to ask for forgiveness. If you blow it then perhaps the best way you can proclaim Jesus is by modeling repentance and believing in the power of Jesus enough to be authentic. So, if you blow your witness (and you will) then show Jesus by being humble enough to admit that you are wrong, don’t stop modeling the gospel.

Steve McCoy has done the church a service by making available in one location everything Tim Keller.  One such article he links to is this one: All of Life is Repentance.  In this article Keller compares religious repentance to gospel repentance. 

Religious repentance, says Keller, is "selfish, self-righteous, and bitter all the way to the bottom”.  It is selfish because we only do it to avoid punishment.  It is self-righteous because we can be duped into doing it as a means of atonement.  And it is bitter because, “in religion our only hope is to live a good enough life for God to bless us.  Therefore every instance of sin and repentance is traumatic, unnatural, and horribly threatening.  Only under great duress does a religious person admit they have sinned because their only hope is their moral goodness.” 

Contrast this with gospel repentance that hates sin because of love for God.  Gospel repentance receives grace rather than trying to earn it through self punishment.  And finally a firm understanding of the gospel does not produce bitterness but rather joy in repentance.  As Keller nicely sums up, “The more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you.  But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more you [are] able to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions of your sin.”

When you understand the difference between religious repentance and gospel repentance then, and only then, can you begin “to profit from a regular and exacting discipline of self-examination and repentance”.  Keller then uses a statement by George Whitefield to put together a few questions to foster gospel-centered repentance:

• Deep Humility v. Pride
• Burning love v. indifference
• Wise courage v. anxiety
• Godly motivations (a single eye)

You’ll have to read the whole article to see how Keller expounds upon these…it’s only two pages and well worth your time. 

I used to collect comic books.  One of the particular series that I liked was the “What If…” series.  What If…Daredevil Killed the Kingpin?  What If…the Fantastic Four All Had the Same Power?  What If…Kraven the Hunter Had Killed Spider-man?  This past Sunday evening I had the opportunity to preach.  I recycled an Easter sermon from last year:  What If…Jesus Was Not Resurrected.  The text is from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20.  Here are the points and sub-points:

I.  What If…Christ is Not Resurrected?

1. Christian preaching (proclamation) is in vain
2. The faith of Christians is in vain
3. The writers of the New Testament cannot be trusted; they are false witnesses and guilty of misrepresenting God. 
4. Christians, believing they are forgiven, are in fact still in their sins
5. Those that have died have no hope (there is no hope of an after-life)
6. Christians are people to be most pitied

II.  What If…Christ is Resurrected?

1. Christian preaching is NOT in vain
2. The faith of Christians is NOT in vain
3. The writers of the NT are reliable (at least this goes a long way in proving that)
4. The sins of believers has indeed been removed; we have newness of life
5. We do have hope of an after-life
6. Rather than being pitied believers have hope and meaning in their lives

The resurrection is vital to our faith.  It is worth noting that what is being addressed in Corinth is not a denial of the resurrection of Jesus but resurrection altogether.  Even so, to deny the resurrection is to deny the Christian faith. 

"Contemporary spiritualities must be recognized as a form of temptation. The question they raise, as Barth rightly suggested, is whether the Church is able to take its own revelation seriously. For what these spiritualities do is invite the Church, theology, and faith, 'to abandon their theme and object and become hollow and empty, mere shadows of themselves'."

-David Wells, Above All Earthly Powers, page 160

seWhat you do to hook them is what you will have to do to keep them. Windsor Hills Baptist Church in Oklahoma has made the news by giving away an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle to encourage young people to attend their youth conference. The goal is for "teens to find faith".

My main disagreement with this is not necessarily giving a teenager a gun. That could be done responsibly--many of our teenagers are responsible hunters. My main problem with this is that it rejects the sufficiency of Christ and his Word to bring about "teens finding faith". Apparently God's Word is no longer sufficiently the power of God unto salvation but it now requires giving away semi-automatic rifles.

Remember this; what you do to hook them is what you will have to do to keep them. You cannot slide the gospel in the backdoor--unless you intend to ALWAYS slip the gospel in the back door. Here is a suggestion: believe God enough to draw people to himself--yes even crazy lost teenagers.

I also should mention that my "problem" is not with the people at Windsor Hills Baptist Church, their staff, their people, nor anything of that sort. I wholeheartedly affirm their passion to bring about "teens finding faith". My "problem" is with the theology and dangerous philosophy of ministry that brings about such events. It is unnecessary and actually hinders the glorious gospel, and I hope that they turn from this and find more confidence in the gospel. I say this with much humility.

In Mark 5 we read the story of the "bleeding" woman. Verse 26 reflects my own attempts at self-atonement: "[this woman] had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse". My "physicians" are not actual doctors but rather the numerous disciplines I place in my life to heal the disease of sin. Yet, these (at least when divorced from the Cross) cause me to be worse instead of better. In fact every time that I set up a discipline to "become more holy" it ends up either causing me despair or self-righteousness. The woman spent everything that she had trying to cure this disease but only became worse--I feel her plight.

Our only hope for curing the disease of sin is not spending all we have on expert physicians but rather "touching the hem of His garment". Our only hope is Christ--the Great Physician.

Wednesday's sermon is now available online. Colossians 1:15-17 is an absolutely stunning text in all that it asserts. Jesus is God made flesh. Jesus is the Lord over all of creation. Jesus is the Pre-existent I AM. Jesus holds all things together. That is enough to blow our minds. Yet, as Paul expounds on Jesus being the Lord over all creation in verse 16, the scope absolutely is astounding. Everything was created by the means of, through, and for Jesus Christ.

Why is Mercury closer to the sun than Jupiter? Because Jesus thought that was a good idea? Why was I created? Because Jesus thought it was a good idea. He created me because He wanted to, and he did so for His glory. If that does not give us significance I am not sure what does. EVERYTHING was created by, through, and for Jesus. Truly astounding.

One final thing, did you realize that Jesus was actively involved in knitting Judas together in his mother's womb? In one sense Jesus planted the tree that became the Cross he hung on. He wrote the Passion story. From the rocks under his feet, to the spit that wet his brow, to the blood which dripped from his veins. He poetically wrote the whole thing. Why? Because he wanted to and for His glory. What a mighty God we serve!

In the sermon from Wednesday night I gave this analogy:

Imagine a beggar. He has no cash. His clothes are tattered and torn. His breath is smelly. His hair is unkempt. His biggest hope is to get a few coins to get a coffee or a beer to drown out his pain. Every afternoon around 3:00 he waits outside a successful law firm, hoping to get a few coins from the wealthy employees.

One day a young businessman exits the law firm. It has been a relatively tough day and his mind is wandering and his heart is betting a little excited about his plans for the evening. Suddenly, he is awakened from his day-slumber. He notices the man. The beggar. The tattered clothes. He reaches in his pocket for a few quarters, but something hits him. Perhaps it was a Sunday school lesson from his childhood, maybe it was the Mexican food he had for lunch. He decides to really bless this beggar. Rather than giving this man a few dollars to get him through the night. The man decides to lavish riches upon the beggar. He stoops down to the old man, and asks him if he would like to go for a ride. Of course, the beggar is a little reluctant, but with a little pleading he follows the man. What happens next is almost unbelievable. The rich lawyer goes to the closest 5th Avenue store and buys the beggar an expensive suit. They get a haircut. He takes the man to get a shower. He takes him out for a really nice dinner. Then at the end of the night he gives the beggar a key chain. On the key chain is a key to his new car, his new house, and to the building of his new office. He has taken the beggar off the street and set him in the lap of luxury.

Now, how does the beggar give gratitude to the rich man? If we can speak this away, how would
the beggar glorify the rich man? How would he magnify the works of the rich man? What could the beggar do to make the rich man shine the brightest? As I stated in the sermon Wednesday night, our answer to that question, will dictate whether or not we understand thanksgiving and gratitude towards God. We are the beggar, God is the "rich man". How are we to give Him thanks for what He has done?

There is quite a stir among my Calvinist brethren over the upcoming Jacobus John 3:16 Conference. Rhett from the Reformed Mafia, believes we are being set up for the kill. Tom Ascol continues to have hope. Dr. James Galyon has a very thoughtful response to Steve Lemke.

Frank Turk has an interesting take on the Rick Warren call to Mark Driscoll. (Hey, blogosphere, I just used the name Driscoll and Warren in the same post...can I anticipate 3,000 hits today?)

Great post at The Gate: A Reality Check, It's Not All About Me. (HT: Jared)

How do you apply the gospel to pastoral ministry? This is a phenomenal article by Rich Richardson. Seriously. Read it twice. Then apply.

John Piper offers 6 Apsects of Humility.

The Irish Calvinist (that makes it sound like there is only one guy in Ireland that is a Calvinist, doesn't it), has a wonderful post on Preaching. Here is a sample quote that rips into my small intestine: "Jesus just unfolds the Scriptures...This is a rebuke to those of us who teach and find more power in a pithy quote from a theologian than the precise and power-packed Word of God. Let’s preach and teach as men who are under the authority of the Word. May it be clear when we teach who the authority is. Sometimes contemporary preachers, particularly in the Reformed wing, tread dangerously close to a Protestant Magisterium with all of their appeals to “heroes” of the faith. If you are a preacher, does your word possess authority? If you are preaching the Word then it does. Men, preach to put God on display and make Jesus the hero."

Josh Harris and CJ Mahaney address how a pastor monitors the health of his own soul. Here is a similar article by CJ.

Very convicting statements by Dan Phillips. Here is the foundational point in his article: "Sure, God says to do ___, but I've figured out that that won't work. So I don't have to do it. And I won't. Because I'm too smart."

For those involved in the Purtian Reading Challenge, Timmy Brister offers his monthly biographical on our author of the month. This month is Thomas Watson.

Michael Patton asks, How Many Beliefs Can One Abandon and Still be Called Christian? I'm guessing the magic number is 7, but that's just because God seems to like that number. Maybe you should read Michael's article, it's probably more scholarly than my guess of 7. By the way, this article is really about what doctrines are essential to the Christian faith.

Are we still under the Law? Nathan Busenitz attempts to answer that question. Today we are treated to Part 1 in his series. His thesis will be that the apostlic saints saw that we are "no longer under any part of the Mosaic law". He will prove this by making four points. We are treated to his first point today; "the biblical saints saw the Mosaic law as a solitary unit." Check it out, here. You can also read the introductory post, here.

Trevin Wax is asking his readers to come up with Gospel Definitions. How would you define the gospel? He also offers advice on How the older gen. can mentor the younger.

In the category of This is What Happens When We Make Man the Center: the Daily Dose delivers an article about Easter. Joshua responds to a church marketing flier that says, "Easter: It's All About You". I understand what they are attempting to say. But whenever we make that which is secondary, the primary thing, we run the risk of idolatry.

Ed Stetzer has a great article on Ethnicity in the SBC.

Michael Patton continues his series on the Emerging Church. Today he tries to tack jello to the wall, or in other words, define the emerging church.

John Piper posts his son Karsten's poem on Luke 18:25. It is phenomenal.

Phil Johnson continues his discussion on total depravity. Today he asks, How did we Inherit Adam's Sinfulness?

If this guy is serious, then I apologize; it deserves not laughter but rebuke. If it's a joke, then it's a really good one. Because I am giving this guy the benefit of the doubt, and do not see how it cannot be a joke, I post it. (HT: Reformed Mafia)



Along the same lines John Piper discusses his hatred of the prosperity "gospel". (HT: purgatorio)

Alvin Reid has some insights on Students and Student Ministry.

Phil Johnson asks, and attempts to answer, a much debated question: How Can we be Held Responsible for our Inability? In the conclusion he states, "our inability is no excuse for our sinfulness. It is precisely the opposite. It is the very reason we are condemned. Sin flows from the very core of our souls. The heart of who we are is evil." Go there and find out how he got to that conclusion.

Dr. Mohler has a wonderful article for prospective preachers. He helps us asks, "Has God Called Me to Preach". Important to this consideration will be Mohler's statement here: "One key issue here is a common misunderstanding about the will of God. Some models of evangelical piety imply that God's will is something difficult for us to accept. We sometimes confuse this further by talking about "surrendering" to the will of God. As Paul makes clear in Romans 12:2, the will of God is good, worthy of eager acceptance, and perfect. Those called by God to preach will be given a desire to preach as well as the gifts of preaching. Beyond this, the God-called preacher will feel the same compulsion as the great Apostle, who said, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!"

David Powlison gives excellent advice in counseling others. “Don’t ever degenerate into giving good advice unconnected with the good news of Jesus crucified, alive, present, at work, and returning.” (HT: Of First Importance)

Justin Buzzard reminds us to put the gospel in everday conversations.

Bob Kauflin the Soveriegn Grace Worship Director, enters the conversation begun by Greg Gilbert on the place of music in worship today. He has great insight to add to the conversation.