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? 

The preaching notes for the series on Ephesians (at least what has been preached thus far) are now available online.  As always they are the rough copy that I take into the pulpit with me and it always ends up being a tad different than I have originally written.  May the Lord bless you through these.  Here are the sermons and their links:

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part One

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part Two

Ephesians 1:3-14 The Cure for Broken People and a Broken World Part Three

Ephesians 1:15-23 You’ve Already Got It: Living in what Christ has purchased

 

Ephesians 2:1-5 How Broken Are We?

Ephesians 2:4-6 The Cure for Brokenness, No Matter How Broken

Ephesians 2:7-10 Are You Different? The Gospel Changes You

Ephesians 2:11-22 Don’t Forget to Remember

 

Ephesians 3:1-13 Losing Heart

Ephesians 3:14-21 Life Shattering Prayer

 

Ephesians 4:1-6 Walk in Unity

Ephesians 4:7-16 Unified or Unstable?

Ephesians 4:17-24 What Does a Christian Look Like?

Ephesians 4:25—5:2 Living Out Redemption Part One: Lying v. Truth

Headlining the news this week (minus the Swine Flu epidemic) is Danny Akin, Johnny Hunt, and other’s championing The Great Commission Resurgence.  A new website has been put up where like-minded believers can sign the “manifesto”.  Tom Ascol explains why he signed it.  Bart Barber explains why he cannot.

Speaking of Swine Flu, Dr. Mohler has some excellent thoughts on Love in a Time of Swine Flu.

The manuscript for Piper’s sermon at the 2009 Children’s DG Conference is now online:  The God-centeredness of God".  This is also a good read for father’s and mother’s. 

Another phenomenal blog post by Erik Raymond:  How do I make Christ appealing?  Erik is quickly becoming one of my favorite bloggers. 

Also, a favorite blogger of mine is Jared Wilson.  I absolutely love his gospel-centeredness.  “Dude Where’s My Gospel” serves as a reminder of why we must never move away from the gospel.

I was hoping they would make these available and they have.  The workshops from The Gospel Coalition are now available online.  Now all I need is a couple weeks of free time to listen to all of them.  I think I mentioned it last week but if not here it is again:  All the audio and video from the Gospel Coalition is available here. 

Kevin DeYoung discusses church membership with a pastor that believes unbelievers should be able to join a church with a different set of vows. 

Zach Nielsen points us to a very interesting story about an Oakland pastor that chooses jail over a plea bargain. 

Joe Thorn with another “Note to Self”; this time a reminder to LIVE.

Wonderful, Wonderful, discussion on transformation by Bill Mounce.

How can you not love stories of the gospel penetrating hearts:

(HT: Josh)

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.

From Being the Church in Our Culture

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.

I started yesterday.  For 2 weeks I am going to try to be active on facebook and twitter.  I will see which of these assists in ministry the most.  I will keep one, probably not the other, maybe neither.  So if you are on facebook feel free to add me as a friend if you have not already.  And you can follow me on twitter at @mikeleake

Am I cool now? 

In the past year the Lord has led me to the writings and ministry of Paul Tripp. What a blessing of transformation in my life. My latest read has been Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands. I am only on chapter 2 but so far it has been wonderful. Here is a sample. Tripp is discussing the “spiritual cut-and-paste system” of Christian ministering of the word:

“In this kind of ministry, self is still at the center, personal need is the focus, and personal happiness remains the goal. But a truly effective ministry of the Word must confront our self-focus and self-absorption at its roots, opening us up to the vastness of a God-defined, God-centered world. Unless this happens, we will use the promises, principles, and commands of the Word to serve the thing we really love: ourselves. This may be why many people read and hear God’s Word regularly while their lives remain unchanged. Only when the rain of the Word penetrates the roots of the problem does lasting change occur.”

(Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands, p.24-25)

By the way that picture of Tripp....yes....the 'stache is real. How can you not listen to a man with the discipline to have a mustache like that????