Leading Your Church Through Suffering
Excellent advice here from Matt Chandler on leading your church through suffering.
September 03 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
Archive for the 'Blog' Category
Video Games and Idols of the Heart
One of the most common questions I got as a youth pastor was about video games. In the past 10 years video games have risen to a place of such public prominence that it is virtually impossible to ignore them. That’s why I am so thankful for CJ Mahaney’s recent blog post on Video Games and Idols of the Heart. Here’s an excerpt:
It is too easy for me to view my son’s form of idolatry [video games] as childish, but in essence, at root, there is no difference between our idolatries. His expression is consistent with a 12 year old, mine is consistent with a 56 year old, but in essence it’s no different. Therefore I must make sure my heart is softened by my own sinful tendencies. I don’t want the study to be punitive, I don’t want it to be (if possible) connected or related to discipline, because I think that can make it more difficult for a child to comprehend and to be convinced I have their best interest at heart. I want to supplement it with my own stories.
At 12 years old I would want to start leaving your son with questions to consider rather than pronouncements. But from 12 years old on up, it is far more complicated than when they are younger. For a toddler, discipline is pretty simple. You are not having to work through heart issues. It is a blatantly ethical world, at that age, nothing but right/wrong, yes/no. But as they get older you want to draw your child in and give him an opportunity to think about his own heart, think about it in relation to material, think about it in relation to Scripture, think about it with time for the Spirit to possibly convict. You are not bringing every conversation to a conclusion that he must agree with.
Helping our children identify idols is hard work. Your son may grow out of his love for video games, but he will not grow out of the idol factory in his heart. So as parents, we need the Lord’s help, and we can be confident that he will lead and guide us as we serve and lead our children with the gospel.
September 01 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
“The Minister as Shepherd” Book Review
I first read “The Minister as Shepherd” in seminary as part of a class on Pastoral Ministry. As I was preparing to move down to Cool I decided to pick up this classic book on Pastoral Ministry and read it again, which turned out to be an excellent decision. The Minister as Shepherd was originally a lecture series that Charles Jefferson delivered in the 20’s on the topic of pastoral ministry. While the lecture series is nearly 100 years old, the truths that Jefferson presents are timeless. For example, he spends much of the first few chapters arguing for the current need for shepherds:
A few things are certain. We live in a universe created by a Shepherd God. The Lord is our Shepherd. Our world is redeemed by a Shepherd Savior. Our Elder Brother is a Shepherd. The man whom humanity most needs is a shepherd. Every messenger of Christ is sent to do a shepherd’s work. We are to stand at last before a Shepherd Judge. God is going to separate the good shepherds from the shepherds who are bad. The questions which every pastor must meet and answer are three: “Did you feed my lambs? Did you tend my sheep? Did you feed my sheep?”
The rest of the book is filled with powerful and practical counsel for shepherding. Some of this counsel comes in the form of warnings, some as encouragements but all are perfectly suited for the minister who desires to be a shepherd. I’ll close with one of my favorites:
If a man is dependent on the applause of the crowd, he ought never to enter the ministry. The finest things a minister does are done out of sight and never get reported.
August 30 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
How He Loves Us
I just found this excellent recording of David Crowder singing “How He Loves Us” and it has been really moving me in my devotional times. I hope it bless you as well.
K-LOVE – David Crowder "How He Loves" LIVE from K-LOVE Radio on Vimeo.
August 27 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
For the Young Mother: Ministry, Guilt, and Seasons of Life
Excellent article here from Jani Ortlund for young mother’s. Here’s an excerpt:
Guilt is a young mother’s habitual shadow. It has a nasty way of soaking through many of her efforts at nurturing, serving and loving others. “Am I doing enough for my children? For others? What do they think of me? What does God think of me?”
As a young mother everyone wants something from you—your family, your church, your boss, your neighbor. And most likely, you give way more than you ever thought you could. But along the way guilt nibbles at your soul, eating away your inner peace and joy. And it often lingers through the years, even after your children are grown and gone.
Dear young mother, don’t waste your guilt!
You can find the rest here.
August 25 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
Pursuing Sexual Purity in Your Marriage
Randy Alcorn has some excellent suggestions for pursuing sexual purity in marriage. Here are a few of the highlights:
1. Regularly evaluate your relationship with your spouse. Beware of poor communication, inadequate conflict resolution, poor sexual relationship, discontent, and other red flags. Keep your fingers on the pulse of your marriage!
2. Spend regular uninterrupted time together to communicate on all levels: spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, and physically. (Date your spouse. If it’s not happening, put it in your schedule!)
3. Share openly with each other—don’t harbor secrets or withhold personal struggles. (Every adultery begins with a secret.)
7. Be fiercely loyal to your spouse; speak highly of her/him and never downgrade her to anyone.
12. Anticipate, and then act to prevent, avoid and resist sexual temptation.
17. Take care of your physical health; be as attractive to your mate as you can.
18. Be modest with others in public, and sexy with your spouse in private—not the opposite!
20. Rehearse in advance the devastating consequences of immorality and a broken marriage. Count the cost of neglect and unfaithfulness!
You can read the rest of Randy’s blog post here.
August 23 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
Darth Vader GPS
Having grown up with Star Wars as a kid, I found this to be hilarious!!!
August 20 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
Envy…
It looks like Paul Tripp is back to blogging again. I found this post on Envy to be especially helpful to me. Here’s an excerpt:
You must understand that envy is an interpretation. Envy is not an emotional response to what is. It is a particular interpretation of what is. Envy is a way of looking at and assessing what is that results in particular emotions and actions. But this needs to be said even more strongly; envy is not only an interpretation of what is, it is a distorted interpretation of what is. Envy is looking at life through a rippled window that will always distort whatever you see. In that way envy is madness. In its own way, envy separates you from reality. Envy expands certain facts, it neglects certain facts, and it reshapes certain facts; all the while presenting itself as a valid, accurate and reliable view of life. It makes you like the crazy guy on the street. What makes him crazy is that he doesn’t know he is crazy. He looks, speaks and acts weirdly because what he thinks is real simply isn’t real. Such is the world of envy. Envy is rooted in a distorted interpretation of life that will make you mad. Let me explain.
1. The distorted interpretation of envy makes it all about you. Envy always puts you at the center of your universe…
2. The distorted interpretation of envy is always idolatrous. Envy always puts the creation in the place of the Creator…
3. The distorted interpretation of envy is self-righteous. What is the fundamental perspective of envy? Here it is; "I deserve better!…
4. The distorted interpretation of envy is always short-sighted. Envy simply forgets that this is not all there is…
5. The distorted interpretation of envy is the soil of other sins. Envy never stops with envy…
August 18 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
How Does the Gospel Conquer the Sin of Pornography
Some excellent thoughts here from DA Carson and Tim Keller on how to overcome the sin of pornography with the gospel.
August 13 2010 | Blog | No Comments »
The Greatest Characteristic in the Life of a Saint
"I defy you to read the life of any saint that has ever adorned the life of the Church without seeing at once that the greatest characteristic in the life of that saint was discipline and order. Invariably it is the universal characteristic of all the outstanding men and women of God…Obviously it is something that is thoroughly scriptural and absolutely essential." – Martyn Lloyd-Jones
August 11 2010 | Blog | No Comments »