A couple of days ago, Paul asked for book recommendations on the topic being considered. Here are a few. Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching (the best treatment I’ve read) Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method Edmund Clowney, Preaching Christ in All of Scripture Dennis Johnson, Him We Proclaim These four are a good start. I have included links to 9Marks reviews for those who wish to get a fuller look at these texts before buying... Read more

Note: I have a blog up over at Said at Southern that you might find him interesting. It’s on one song written by a folkish Christian artist named Derek Webb. You might enjoy it. I sketched out a basic argument for preaching Christ from all the Scriptures yesterday, and was delighted to read the comments on the post. G. F. was kind, Paul asked a great question, and Jed answered it (though I’ll supplement Jed’s answer tomorrow). Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered... Read more

One of the hallmarks of summer is time in the water. Here in Louisville, there’s little water to be found, particularly in the midst of a busy life. As a native of Maine, I often find myself pining for the sea. Walking home from a day of work in simmering heat, I sometimes transport myself back to my state, and imagine myself lying in ocean sun, contented. Growing up on Maine’s coast, I was not far from the ocean–about 10... Read more

I recently watched the 2006 film “The Holiday,” which stars Jude Law (Graham), Kate Winslet (Iris), Cameron Diaz (Amanda), and Jack Black (Miles). The film was well-made, decently written, and satisfactorily acted, but it is most notable for its strenuously post-modern perspective on adult relationship. The movie draws you in through setting itself in beautiful scenery and incredible opulence. The movie seems to be a celebration of materialism. The two main female characters played by Winslet and Diaz swap homes–Amanda... Read more

I don’t have much time today, but I want to say very quickly that if being Pharisaical is composing rules and guidelines for life that are not explicitly textual, then we all are Pharisees. It’s not, of course, and I’ll show you why. We all compose extra-biblical rules for ourselves. When parents draw up rules for the home, they’re making extra-biblical codes of conduct for their children, and holding them to it. When you work in an office, you abide... Read more

I’ve seen something floating around in the world of blogs, and I want to address it. It’s this: when someone advocates a certain moral or social principle that is not explicitly commanded in Scripture, that person is acting legalistically, and is thus filling the role of the Pharisee, the New Testament group known for their ruthless, gospel-squelching legalism. Though Christians certainly can act legalistically, I have observed a number of instances in which the charge has been made on improper... Read more

I try to incorporate responses to my posts into my blogs and to use thoughtful comments or questions to direct my own writing, when appropriate. But it’s good to take a more relaxed day to quickly respond to interesting points that I did not get to in the week. KC asked about discerning whether one is called to be a professor or pastor– KC, thanks for your question. I appreciated your humility. I have to respond in a humble spirit... Read more

One of the challenging aspects of seminary is this: the need most of us have to work. Unlike other graduate students, we are not usually given funding for our program of study. This makes for an interesting and often difficult journey through seminary. Many seminarians here in Louisville work at the local UPS shipping house. They get good benefits and a decent salary from UPS, and many are grateful to the company for its compensation. Yet one has to ask... Read more

Professors cast a large shadow over the seminary community. They are often the reason that seminarians come to a certain seminary over others. Professors have the opportunity to hugely shape the thoughts and actions of future pastors. The relationship between professors and seminarians is an interesting one, because most seminarians are not going to become professors. Yet when coming to seminary, many students begin to look up less to their former mentors, who are usually pastors, and instead begin to... Read more