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Contextual Preaching is a helpful post by Ed Stetzer that discusses how to preach the intent of the text with the audience in view.
Pulpit Magazine is back in action, though not on their new website as of yet (see here and here), and Phil Johnson has started things off with a bang in his seven part series on Calvinism.
Today Justin Tapp e-mailed me a New York Times article on Mark Driscoll that no one seemed to be blogging about. The article, “Who Would Jesus Smack Down?,” was very interesting, although I do not think the author understands Calvinism, church discipline, or John Calvin I appreciated the article and was surprised to find it published in the NY Times.
Also Mark Driscoll posted a video interview with D. A. Carson at The Resurgence, concerning Carson’s book Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. The video is available here. I really enjoyed the interview and hope to have the book read before school starts back up. Carson’s dad was a church planter and pastor in Quebec where we are hoping to plant churches as well and so the interview was very encouraging.
I have been relatively slow with the posts lately, due primarily to my studies at school and work. I am planning to finish up the year with my annual post on books, a Christmas type post, and will hopefully have a thorough review of Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis sometime in the New Year. After these posts I will direct my attention to completing my doctrinal affirmations, here, which will be individually posted for feedback prior to officially going up on the blog. I hope to resume a fairly consistent schedule after these things are completed; however, if I fail to focus solely on them they would likely never see completion. Thanks for your continuing support and I look forward to your feedback as I work on these things.
Books
- The Darkness and the Glory: His Cup and the Glory From Gethsemane to the Ascension by Greg Harris is now on sale at Amazon (Also available at GBI and Logos). If you still don’t have The Cup and the Glory: Lessons on Suffering and the Glory of God be sure to pick it up as well.
Culture
- Here is an interesting little map which looks a adoption as a global phenomenon.
Economics
- This chart speaks for itself.
- Reuters details the current employment situation, as this November American employers cut the most jobs since 1974, here.
SBC Life
- Last month Voddie Baucham posted a The SBC and Calvinism: A Personal Perspective it is well worth the read.
The John 3:16 Conference
- Phil Johnson has responded to David Allen’s misuse of his “Primer on hyper-Calvinism” at the John 3:16 Conference in his recent post “You May Be a Hyper-Calvinist If….”
This was posted prior to the election; however, what John Piper has to say remains an important message that we all need to hear. I would also recommend reading Thabiti Anyabwile’s reflections on Piper’s video here.
For all of you wondering what was going on at “The John 3:16 Conference” (learn more here, here, and here) wonder no more.Tim Challies has let Andrew Lindsey guest blog and bring you every juicy detail; and to think that they thought they could simply avoid accountability by refusing to record and broadcast their sermons. The list below will be updated as they are posted on his website.
As America, and much of the world, awaits the outcome of the election here are two articles that I hope prove to be helpful as you reflect on this election and elections to come. These articles represent a balance that I think is lost in most pulpits around election season when many pastors preach the gospel of this kingdom and abandon the gospel of the Kingdom. I am glad that Piper, Driscoll, and many like them have kept the focus on the true gospel and provided us with a biblical perspective of politics.
Mark Driscoll – In God We Do Not Trust
John Piper – Let Christians Vote As Though They Were Not Voting
Blogroll
Todd Burus has been blogging since late 2007 but I want to bring his blog, “For the time that is past suffices…”, to your attention. Todd has one of the keenest minds that I know from mathematics to politics to theology Todd is profoundly intelligent and his blog comes highly recommended.
Justin Sok recently left the blogsphere and shut down his blog Marvelous Light. This was a devastating blow from the man who inspired me to blog. Luckily none of us will have to do without his thoughts for much longer as this weekend he rejoined us with the aptly titled In Medias Res. Like Todd Justin has a keen mind and provides solid insight on just about any subject. Other than Al Mohler Justin is the widest read individual I know and I love engaging him in discussion. I am excited to see where Justin takes this new blog and I hope you are as well. For those of you who were as sad to see ML go as much as I am let me know and I will e-mail you a .feed-ms file that contains all of Justin’s posts.
Books
Re:Lit, of Crossway, has several new books out and coming out in the near future that you would do well to check out. See the links below.
· Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (click here for Amazon)
· Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives
· Vintage Church: Timeless Truths and Timely Methods
Tim Challies offers a brief review of Serve God Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action by J. Matthew Sleeth, MD in his cleverly titled post “Serve God, Save the Planet.”
World News
“How Putin Wins” by Foreign Policy is a brief yet insightful post on the war in Georgia.
The Olympics
Michael Phelps is making Olympic history. There are countless articles on the web about this so I will just refer you to this article over at CNN. But seriously if you have not been watching the Olympics you are missing out, both in terms of history and hilarity.
John Mark Reynolds, Associate Professor of Philosophy, at Biola University, looks at the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics and reflects on the worldview imagery displayed there. I appreciate his post, “The Religious Olympics Opening,” as it reminds us to focus on being philosophically and culturally discerning. At the same time I think he has either underestimated China’s cultural pride or overestimated the historical pride and intelligence of most American’s. Why did China’s opening ceremony make “much of what contemporary Americans do in our public ceremonies look decadent and without cultural confidence?” Simple, most Americans are ahistorical slobs to whom decadence sells. For me a particular irony is this: throughout the news coverage of this Olympics China’s human rights record has been a constant topic of discussion and yet despite this record China’s citizens have displayed a tremendous amount of nationalistic pride. On the other hand if the US were to end poverty, bring peace to the world, and ensure democratic process to all large numbers of American’s would still hate their country and find no sense of pride in anything remotely American. So why would the US never produce an opening ceremony as pervaded with imagery from US history as the ceremony in Beijing? Because not only are most Americans ahistorical but a lot of them are aAmerican as well.
Theology
In Ed Stetzer’s post “Saturday if for (Baptist) Friends” he looks at the ever aging SBC and notes both how the convention will not survive if this young generation of pastors/missionaries/etcetera is lost and then asks how this generation can be reengaged.
Timmy Brister has a great post up about word-driven church planting movements entitled “Word-Driven Movemental Christianity.” Give this a read and then give Tim some feedback, I think you will really enjoy his post.
Blog Updates
Check out the Resources page as I have recently added some new papers. There are more updates on the way and I hope to have the new Links page up and running sometime this month.
Culture
CNN asks “Black and single: Is marriage really for white people?” This article is incredibly interesting and demonstrates how events in culture, such as being black and single, which appear to be normative eventually become accepted as being right. Truth however is not determined by the whims of the polis. Why do you think this is the cultural norm and how does one address such an issue?
In “The Feminization of the American Male From Top to Toe” Dr. Randy L. Stinson reflects on Tony Glenville’s Top to Toe: A Comprehensive Guide to the Grooming of the Modern Male. Such a book would seem trivial at best; however, Dr. Stinson does a fantastic job connecting the philosophy of this book to deadly patterns that have emerged in the church.
From the article:
Men reading Glenville’s book will only be encouraged in their sinful tendency to look out for themselves. If men are focused on such trivial things as dry skin and pampering themselves with long baths, it will be all the more difficult to expect them to lead, provide, and protect. . . . What we need is a church culture that will require boys and men to do hard things, to cultivate toughness, resilience, and courage, top to toe.
Economics
“Exxon posts new profit record:” Nothing new here; it seems that every quarter they are posting record earnings. I don’t typically buy into conspiracy theories but I do remember a time when gas prices rising over $0.90 was outrageous. If you have not begun already then I suggest that you start saving your cash for an electric/hydrogen car.
Theology
John MacArthur has taken a brief look at Martin Luther in a short, but fantastic post, entitled “No Compromise.”
Joe R. Miller has interviewed Eric Bryant about his recent book Peppermint Filled Piñatas: Breaking Through Tolerance and Embracing Love. Check out the interview here.
The Olympics
Foreign Policy has an article up about the real meaning behind the summer Olympic Games. Toss your altruism aside because the Olympics are all about one thing: profit. Take a look at “Prime Numbers: Rings of Gold” for all the dirty details.
Blogroll
Eric Bryant did an interesting post a while back entitled Why Homophobia is So Gay. I think he offers some good insight into how we should handle what I expect to be an inevitable norm, not just in America but globally as well. As for me I think we need to start thinking beyond constitutional amendments if we hope to engage this and a host of other issues that are on the horizon. I have not listened to the sermons that his post links to, although if I ever have the time, which I doubt, I will listen to them and post my thoughts here.
Derek Brown has done a fantastic post detailing How to Waste Your Theological Education this is a must read for all who are currently attending or plan to attend seminary.
Ed Stetzer (also here) discusses technology in the church and has some good insights as well as some great questions for discussion in his recent post Technolochurch.
Israel
First Things has an interesting and incredibly lengthy article entitled Zionism for Christians.
Just for Fun
Condoleezza Rice joins the Kiss Army.
Simply Amazing
Momentum