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 | 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 | No Comments »
“A Gospel Primer” Book Review
I first saw A Gospel Primer for Christians at the Shepherds’ Conference a couple of years ago. It looked like an interesting read, so I picked up a copy but in the busyness of life and ministry forgot about it until just a few months ago. As I was packing up my library preparing to move down to Cool I found this little book (97 pages) and decided to read it. The result has been a powerful re-awakening of my love for the gospel and insight into it’s application to daily life.
A Gospel Primer is essentially a devotional book with a series of meditations. What makes this such a powerful book is the way that the author unfolds the implications of the gospel for every day life. Each meditation is well thought out, winsomely written, and directly applicable today. The second half of the book is called “A Gospel Narrative”, which walks step by step through the process of salvation in a way that exalts Christ and leaves one hungry for more of the gospel.
This is a fantastic little book and one that I highly recommend. I’ll close with my favorite meditation from the book on the topic of Liberation from Self-Love
Compared to greater endeavors, self-love is mundane and tiresome. Consequently, the more thoroughly I can be done with such tedium, the freer my soul will be to soar at its God-intended heights.
One of the leading causes of my natural tendency to self-love is fear. I fear that if I do not love myself there would be no one left to love me quite so well as I do. An even more significant cause of self-love is a lack of persuasion that there is someone out there who is worthy to be loved more than I. Arrogance lies underneath both of these causes: I love myself supremely because I am the most worthy person I know to be loved and also because I think I can do a better job at it than anyone else. Such arrogance makes me dangerous, yet it is deeply ingrained in my sinful flesh.
Thankfully, the gospel frees me from the shackles of self-love by addressing both of these causes. First, the gospel assures me that the love of God is infinitely superior to any love that I could ever give to myself. “Greater love has no one than this,” says Jesus while speaking of His love. And the deeper I go into the gospel, the more I experience the truth of His claim and thereby know how far His love for me surpasses even my own. His astonishing love for me renders self-absorption moot and frees me up to move on to causes and interests far greater than myself.
Second, the gospel reveals to me the breathtaking glory and loveliness of God, and in so doing, it lures my heart away from love of self and leaves me enthralled by Him instead. The more I behold God’s glory in the gospel, the more lovely He appears to me. And the more lovely He appears, the more self fades into the background like a former love interest who can no longer compete for my affections.
Preaching the gospel to myself every day reminds me of God’s astounding love for me and also of His infinite worthiness to be loved by me above all else. These reminders deliver a one-two punch to my innate self-absorption and leave me increasingly absorbed with Christ and with God’s ultimate plan to gather together all heavenly and earthly things in Him.
August 09 2010 | No Comments »
When Should I Talk to My Kids About Sex?
Some excellent counsel here from CCEF on talking to kids about sex. Julie Lowe gives three great pieces of advice.
- Talk often
- Talk freely
- Talk soon
August 06 2010 | No Comments »
Two Views of the Same Door
Phil Ryken, The Message of Salvation:
The famous American Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895–1960) often used an illustration to help people make sense of election. He asked them to imagine a cross like the one on which Jesus died, only so large that it had a door in it. Over the door were these words from Revelation: “Whosoever will may come.” These words represent the free and universal offer of the gospel. By God’s grace, the message of salvation is for everyone. Every man, woman, and child who will come to the cross is invited to believe in Jesus Christ and enter eternal life.
On the other side of the door a happy surprise awaits the one who believes and enters. From the inside, anyone glancing back can see these words from Ephesians written above the door: “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.” Election is best understood in hindsight, for it is only after coming to Christ that one can know whether one has been chosen in Christ. Those who make a decision for Christ find that God made a decision for them in eternity past.
HT: Justin Taylor
August 04 2010 | No Comments »
Leaders Alongside
Some excellent thoughts from J.A. Motyer on leadership in the local church.
Philippians 1:1 – “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.”
How is leadership to be exercised? What is the relationship between leaders and led? The one word with provides the answer: ‘…the saints’, writes Paul, ‘…with the bishops and deacons.’ The strong natural leader chooses the easy path of being out front, taking for granted that all will follow; the low-profile leader ‘plays it cool’, submerges his own identity and takes the risk that the tail will soon wag the dog. The more demanding exercise, the sterner discipline and the more rewarding way are found in companionate leadership, the saints with the overseers and deacons.
This kind of leadership has many facets. It involves realizing that leader and led share the same Christian experience: both are sinners saved by the same precious blood, always and without distinction wholly dependent on the same patient mercy of God. It involves putting first whatever creates and maintains the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. It means that leaders see themselves first as members of the body, and only then as ministers…It involves open relationships in which the leaders do not scheme to get their own way or play off one against another, but act with transparent integrity…It is the leadership of those who are content to stand among the saints as those who serve.
The Message of Philippians- J.A. Motyer
August 02 2010 | No Comments »
How Can We Love People Who Talk too Much?
Dr. Mike Emlet of CCEF gives some excellent counsel here for how to minister wisely to someone who talks too much.
July 30 2010 | No Comments »
John Piper on Productivity
This a great paragraph from Piper’s article The Marks of a Spiritual Leader:
A leader does not like clutter. He likes to know where and when things are for quick access and use. His favorite shape is the straight line, not the circle. He groans in meetings that do not move from premises to conclusions but rather go in irrelevant circles. When something must be done he sees a three-step plan for getting it done and lays it out. A leader sees the links between a board decision and its implementation. He sees ways to use time to the full and shapes his schedule to maximize his usefulness. He saves himself large blocks of time for his major productive activities. He uses little pieces of time lest they go to waste. (For example, what do you do while you are brushing your teeth? Could you set a magazine on the towel rack and read an article?) A leader takes time to plan his days and weeks and months and years. Even though it is God who ultimately directs the steps of the leader, he should plan his path. A leader is not a jellyfish that gets tossed around by the waves, nor is he an oyster that is immovable. The leader is the dolphin of the sea and can swim against the stream or with the stream as he plans.
HT: What’s Best Next
July 28 2010 | No Comments »
Sermon Videos
We just bought an HD Video Camera for the church and started uploading our sermon videos to the internet. If you’re interested you can check out the video below or take a look at our channel on vimeo.
The Gospel is About God from DrewBuell on Vimeo.
July 27 2010 | No Comments »
Numbering My Days
One of the last things that I did before leaving Mount Vernon was to visit one of the sweetest women that I have ever met with my good friend Caryl. We pulled up to her apartment, walked in and enjoyed talking to her about her many decades ministering at EBC, where her favorite plants were from, and what it was like to be diagnosed with caner. It was a very special afternoon.
As I drove back to the church I noticed a group of college girls running on the side of the road conditioning for some kind of sport and then it hit me. It wasn’t that long ago that this dear woman who I’d just visited was able to run and play with her own friends. It wasn’t that long ago that the entire world seemed to be full of possibilities for her and adventure waited around every corner. It wasn’t that long ago that cancer was the furthest thing from her mind and yet today, just a few short decades later it’s probably one of the only things on her mind.
I guess what I’m saying is that this experience was a powerful reminder that “life is short!” It won’t be long before I begin to slow down myself, and it probably won’t be very long after that when God will call me home. And in a few short years there will be very few people who even remember my name. The Psalmist talks about this in Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The point is that we only get so many days and before we know it life has passed us by, so the question is how am I going to spend these few days that the Lord has given me? The best place to start is probably in asking yourself, “How am I going to spend today in light of how short my life really is?”
July 26 2010 | 3 Comments »