Do you struggle with guilt related to evangelism? Do you feel like you do very little as a Christian to “draw” lost people? I sometimes struggle with this feeling–and sometimes, it’s justified. It’s a very healthy thing to examine one’s evangelistic witness, and to push oneself out of one’s comfort zone (read: the evangelical church/parachurch bubble, oftentimes) into the pathways and patterns of lost people. But it is also possible to carry the weight of the lostness of the world... Read more
Update: links fixed! Some of you out there may remember the Essential Edwards Collection (Moody, 2010). Doug Sweeney and I wrote it for Moody Books in order to make Jonathan Edwards and his treasure trove of theology and godly living accessible to a wide audience. Nobody wants to read the blog of the guy who flogs his books, but I wanted to let interested folks know that Westminster Books is right now selling all five volumes for a 50% discount... Read more
A few days back, CJ Mahaney posted on Kevin DeYoung’s message from the “Next” conference in May 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. CJ lauded Kevin’s call for “plodding visionaries” and listed several points from Kevin’s talk that developed his understanding of this term. This term and the idea behind it caught in my filter, as the kids say nowadays. I don’t know how it strikes you, but that term seems to me to nicely sum up biblical Christian living as a... Read more
Mike McKinley posted a few days back at 9Marks on how pastors serve everyone but their wives. That caught my attention. Wow. What a scary and damning reality. It made me think of a helpful article by Biola theologian Rob Lister on husbands leading their wives in regular conversation on the state of their marriage. This is by no means the solution to adultery; however, it could aid husbands in creating a strong “culture” for their marriage. Some husbands just died... Read more
Check out a new video from the new Andrew Petersen album: “Dancing in the Minefields.” Love the song, and especially the backing chorus. (HT:JT) ************** Have you heard about the new biblical theology by Jim Hamilton coming in November? It looks like necessary reading. Hamilton works book by book through the Bible examining the theme of God’s glory in salvation through judgment. This will be a highly stimulating book for pastors, thinkers, and interested churchmen. Here’s a helpful interview. **************... Read more
I recently had the chance to dig into a couple of good books: Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print and Power (Harper, 2010) by James McGrath Morris and The Publisher: Henry Luce and His American Century (Knopf, 2010) by Alan Brinkley of Columbia University. Both are notable texts by major publishing houses that tell important stories about the recent American past and the heights–and depths–of power. I won’t attempt any kind of lengthy review here, but I will say that... Read more
Some out there have likely enjoyed the honest, well-made show “Friday Night Lights” on NBC. According to an article entitled “On ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Abortion in a Small Town” by Ginia Bellafante in the New York Times, last night’s episode featured a teenage girl deciding to have an abortion. I haven’t seen this episode of the show, but I thought this turn-of-events noteworthy–at least it is to me. Not knowing how things worked out on the show prevents me from... Read more
The new IXMarks eJournal is out, and it’s on pastoring women and honoring and understanding distinctiveness. Below is a listing of the Journal’s contents. I. Pastoring Women: Understanding And Honoring Distinctness Why Complementarianism Is Crucial to Discipleship By Jonathan Leeman If God created men and women differently, discipleship should not be one-size-fits-all. It should cultivate their differences. Discipling Men vs. Discipling Women By Deepak Reju Practically speaking, how should a pastor disciple men and women differently? What kind of strategies and... Read more
I mentioned the current Russ Moore cover story in Christianity Today entitled “Abba Changes Everything: Why Every Christian Is Called to Rescue Orphans” (pp.18-22) a couple of days back. The piece (now online here; thanks, JT) merits more extensive quotation, though you’ll need to read it to get the full drift. Here are a few more lines worth pondering. Adoption as mission: “Adoption is also mission….Without the theological aspect, the growing Christian emphasis on orphan care too often seems like one more cause... Read more
Don’t ask me. Ask Kathleen Parker. She just suggested so–in the Post, no less. However you answer this question, it seems incontrovertible that men have adapted womanly traits and habits in just about every category–dress, speaking, physicality, you name it. You have to hand it to Parker–she speaks her mind, with no quarter given to anyone. I admire that. ************ Stephen Witmer, a Massachusetts pastor with a PhD from Cambridge, writes on a “God-Centered Understanding of Sin” at Ref21. An... Read more
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