After a horrible game... Tim Tebow (knowing this would lift his spirits) stopped by to help Maggie and me out with a Christmas card... enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

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Matt Chandler on His Relationship with Christ.

I have been doing a lot of thinking about restructuring this blog... I am still in the process of thinking through what I want to communicate and what would be the most effective ways to do that. However, Until then ... I found this interesting clip of Matt Chandler being interviewed by Scott Thomas of Acts 29 Network. Enjoy... hopefully I will have a good idea about the future of this blog shortly.

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The Truth About Youth Ministers...

If you have ever been in a youth group... watch this video... pretty funny stuff.



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What Questions are People ACTUALLY Asking?

The other day I came across some research by Ed Stetzer that was and is fascinating. If you grew up like I did, you know the typical question you are suppose to ask "lost" people... "If you were to die right now, where would you go?" I always thought that this question was obviously permeating the minds of all the sinners walking the streets... why else ask it? However, according to Stetzer's research this question is the wrong question to be asking... simply because people really just don't think about it... let's look at his stats...

Interestingly, "Will I go to heaven when I die?" is not a question most Americans ask themselves with much frequency.

I think it is pretty clear what the results were. There are a good number of people who ask that question and do so frequently, but most do not.

Perhaps in previous generations people were asking questions about life after death, and so evangelistic approaches that focused on that issue were contextually appropriate. But the times - they are a-changing.

It appears that more people are thinking about meaning and purpose than life after death. (And it is important to note that the Bible provides the answers to all these questions.)

More people are thinking about is the purpose of life. People are looking for and thinking about purpose: perhaps one of the reasons that Purpose Driven Life has been such a best seller.

Why are we here? How can my life have meaning, value and significance? Explaining what the gospel says to these questions will more readily demonstrate just how relevant the gospel is to their lives. What happens after death is eternally important, but the world isn't always ready to see that. But they are somewhat prepared to consider that because we are made in God's image we have infinite value and dignity; that sin is what robs us of experiencing the reason for which we have been made - to glorify God and enjoy him forever; that Jesus alone is our only hope of redemption - that in him our sins are forgiven, the image of God is restored in us and by him we can glorify God and enjoy him now and forever.

This is the work of contextualization. Answering the questions the world is asking from God's word, pointing them back to the gospel. This is why I value research (asking questions, and really listening). Let's be about the business of making the gospel clear. To do that you will have to do more than speak. You'll need to do some listening as well.

So... instead of just awkwardly asking someone if they DIE... (a great way to start a question) where would they spend eternity... Let's answer the questions people are actually asking. The Bible has answers for purpose driven questions not just eternal security.

What do you think....

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25 Evangelical Myths

I came across this list on a blog I was reading this morning. I thought it was very interesting. Apparently, these 25 myths come from the #evangelicalmyths trend on Twitter yesterday. Some of these are worth discussing. Add more in the comment section if you think of them...

1. The "victorious Christian life"

2. Biblical principles make things work better

3. Non-Christians are bad

4. Jesus is all about church growth

5. Well known pastors and preachers are telling the truth

6. The Bible exists to help you be successful and happy

7. God will bless America (again) if we'll only get a godly president, put prayer back in schools, repent of homosexuality/abortion, etc.

8. Worship = music

9. We have lots of people, so God must be blessing what we're doing

10. The reason we don't have what we want is because we're not praying hard enough

11. Making "Christian" versions of popular music, games, movies, clothes, etc. is an effective evangelism tool

12. Jesus taught in parables so that everyone would understand what he was saying

13. If you aren't happy, you aren't a good Christian

14. Lost people sense a void in their life

15. Teenagers think youth ministers are cool :-)

16. We will help the poor in our community by spending $25 million on a new building

17. Jesus would vote Republican/Democrat

18. I can't worship if there isn't a rockin' band

19. Asking Jesus into your heart after walking an aisle gets you the insurance so you can go on living any way you please

20. Hurting someone's feelings is a sin

21. Ten alliterative points in a fill-in-the-blank outline is effective for sermon retention

22. Abstinence pledges are an effective means of preventing premarital sex

23. We don't need to pay attention to anything that happened in Christian history before the 19th century. Everything before that was Catholic or something

24. If you make a decision that blows up in your face, you stepped out of God's will for your life

25. Type-A leaders with dynamic speaking abilities make the best pastors

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Repentance

While I walked through my bedroom today I noticed My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers sitting on my wife’s night stand. It has been a long time since I had read anything from that particular book. I opened it up and read a selection on repentance. After reading it I did the hard work of self examination… and it proved to be a great experience. The following is that insert… enjoy

Conviction of sin is best described in the words: My sins, my sins, my Savior, how sad on Thee they fall. Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not the person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God – “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalms 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything les is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes – a reflex action caused by self-disgust.

The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses – repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

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It's Been A Long Time

Well… It has definitely been a while since the last time I posted anything on the ole blog. When the semester was finally over, I was mentally done. The last thing I wanted to do was write anything else… the idea of never opening Word again permeated my mind constantly. However, I never intended to go two months without blogging. Not that anyone lost any sleep over it… I’m sure everyone just kept living their lives.

But… I am back now. I have been thinking recently that I would like to write in a series format. Take a topic and just spend a couple posts developing the arguments/ideas that surround that particular subject. So I am asking YOU… what would be something you would be interested in? I would love to hear some of your ideas concerning topics that could be discussed via this forum.

So… let me know if you having ANY IDEAS… I would really love to hear them

And… if no one says anything… well then I will come up with something myself. Hope you are having a great summer.

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Change is Inevitable

Recently, I attended the Gospel Coalition Conference. While I was there, I had an amazing opportunity to attend a lunch hosted by band of bloggers, in which seven fantastic Christian bloggers shared insights on the world of blogging. One of the main things I learned from this lunch… was that I am blogging for the sake of the gospel. I should not be concerned about whether or not people know who I am or like what I write. The only thing that I should care about is if Christ is glorified through what is posted on this site. When I heard this stated from the panel I began to do the hard work of self-examination.

Do I write these posts so that people will know more about Jesus… and seek Him with greater fervency?

Or… Do I write these posts so that people will say… “Great post… Bobby”?

While I was thinking through these questions I decided that in a way I enjoyed the notoriety I received from comments and peoples praise. Although I never set out with that as my goal… I found myself being obsessed with checking google analytics to see how many people visited my blog the previous day. What I am trying to say is… although I really did care about proclaiming the gospel of Jesus… I also found myself falling into the trap of pride.

So… when it came time for me to buy a domain name for http://braulerson.blogspot.com, I naturally decided to register for bobbyraulerson.com (which shows where my priorities were). Of this ridiculous sense of arrogance I repent. I never want anyone reading this blog to think I am after my own gain… I want to exalt Christ through all that I do… even when it comes to blogging.

After being convicted about that issue I started thinking through what domain name I could buy that communicated the point of this blog. In the back of my mind, I just knew that all the good names had to be registered already. However, I tried the one that came to my mind first… http://www.engagechrist.com … and it was available… so needless to say… the new url for this blog will be…

www.engagechrist.com

Because the point of this blog is to let the reader in on the way I and or others engage Christ on a personal and corporate level. Therefore, from now on, if you go to http://braulerson.blogspot.com … you will be redirected to the new url.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this blog and continue to come back and see what the Lord decides to do in and through this medium.

Also… I know many people who have a url that reads theirname.com … I am in no way trying to imply that they are selfish or arrogant. This was just an issue for me… so do not take what I say out of context. For example, my buddy, Nathan Hoag just switched his blog to www.nathanhoag.com … and I know without a doubt that he lives to see Christ glorified. Let me assure you that he in no way wants to exalt himself. This was just something I have been working through lately and needed to do for myself.

Again… thanks for checking out engage…

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Life is CRAZY!!

Whoever this guy is... I feel his pain. I just wanted to take a second and tell you why I have failed to post anything for a while now... I am super busy and stressed out with school. It is getting to the crunch time and I am being bombarded with assignments and finals. For example...

Monday - 18 page paper due.
Tuesday - 3 page paper due.
Wednesday - 10 page paper due.
Next week - 20 page paper due.

I am not saying this for pity... this is what grad school is all about, however, this is the reason why the posts have been delayed. My semester ends on the 15th of May... expect more entries at that time.

If you have not had the chance to go back and read some of the earlier posts... I would suggest you do that. Some of them are products of papers I wrote last semester. You can just go to the archives of this blog for more information about those entries.

Well... I hope everyone is doing well... when the 15th rolls around... i will be!!

The Video's are UP!!!

Here are the links to the video's of the sermons preached at the Gospel Coalition Conference. It was amazing... you should check them out ... especially Tim Keller and John Piper!

• Tim Keller, "The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry" (Acts 19:21-41)
• John Piper, "Feed the Flame of God’s Gift: Unashamed Courage in the Gospel" (2 Timothy 1:1-12)
• Phil Ryken, "The Pattern of Sound Words" (2 Timothy 1:13-2:13)
• Mark Driscoll, "Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Timothy 2:14-26)
• K. Edward Copeland, "Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry" (2 Timothy 3:1-9)
• Bryan Chapell, "Preach the Word!" (2 Timothy 3:10-4:5)
• Ajith Fernando, "Gospel-Faithful Mission in the New Christendom"
• Panel Discussion: Tim Keller, John Piper, Ligon Duncan and Crawford Loritts (chair: Stephen Um)
• Ligon Duncan, "Finishing Well" (2 Timothy 4:6-22)
• Don Carson, "That By All Means I Might Win Some': Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did...

Bad News!

Well... I know that all of you were waiting with angst to read all my notes from the conference... however there is only internet at the hotel... and I am not going to be able to do as I advertised. I am sorry for this... all one of you that wanted to read this... haha... there are good summations @ the resurgence website and all the talks are being filmed and will be available for download at the gospel coalition website later next week.

Have a great week!

The Gospel Coalition Conference

This Monday my friend Evan Perkins and I will be leaving Denver and flying to Chicago to attend the Gospel Coalition Conference. While we are there I will be posting my notes from all of the speakers on this blog. I also will be providing the website where you can watch the conference live from wherever you happen to be. Just to give you a little taste of the lineup I will show you the schedule so you know when I will be posting what...

THE SCHEDULE...

Tuesday 21 April 2009

10:00 amRegistration Opens

1:30 pmIntroduction, Worship

2:00 pmSession 1: Tim Keller, “The Grand Demythologizer: The Gospel and Idolatry” (Acts 19:21-41)

3:00 pmBreak

3:30 pmSung Worship

4:00 pmSession 2: John Piper, “The Promise of Life” (2 Timothy 1:1-12)

5:00 pmDinner

7:00 pmSession 3: Phil Ryken, “The Pattern of Sound Words” (2 Timothy 1:13-2:13)

8:00 pmSession 4: Mark Driscoll, “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy 2:14-26)

Wednesday 22 April 2009

7:30 amInformation Session: Tim Keller and Don Carson explain how to start an official chapter for The Gospel Coalition in your area

9:00 amWorship

9:30 amSession 5: K. Edward Copeland, “Shadowlands: Pitfalls and Parodies of Gospel-Centered Ministry” (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

10:30 amBreak

11:00 amSession 6: Bryan Chapell, “Preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 3:10-4:5)

12:00 pmLunch

Band of Bloggers 2009

2:00 pmWorkshops: Session 1

3:15 pmBreak

3:45 pmWorkshops: Session 2

5:00 pmDinner

7:00 pmSession 7: Ajith Fernando, “Gospel-Faithful Mission in the New Christendom”

8:00 pmSession 8: Panel Discussion: Tim Keller, John Piper, Ligon Duncan and Crawford Loritts (chair: Stephen Um)

Thursday 23 April 2009

9:00 amWorship

9:30 amSession 9: Ligon Duncan, “Finishing Well” (2 Timothy 4:6-22)

10:30 amBreak

11:00 amSession 10: Don Carson, "'That By All Means I Might Win Some': Faithfulness and Flexibility in Gospel Proclamation" (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

So check back here for the notes and live streaming of the event!

John Piper Interviews Matt Chandler

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I recently introduced Matt Chandler who in my humble yet accurate opinion is the best pure communicator I have ever heard. The following links contain four segments of an interview that John Piper conducted in which Chandler tells his story and expounds on different theological issues. If you liked the clip of Chandler earlier posted you will enjoy these clips.

Enjoy...

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Preaching to the Younger Unchurched

Ed Stetzer wrote a great piece about preaching to the younger generation. I think his four points are valid and in need of attention by those proclaiming the gospel.

Enjoy....

Examine Your Approach

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is not length of life, but depth of life.” Interestingly enough, our research shows that young adults agree. The survey data confirms that the younger unchurched maintain a high level of interest in theology, apologetics, worldview, and other religions.

Many churches have chosen to lessen their emphasis on depth in order to complement their inaccurate stereotypes of this generation. This isn’t working now, and it certainly won’t in the future. In fact, most young adults are turned off by shallowness and are beginning to walk away from environments (including churches) that foster it.

The days of spiritual clichés and cuteness were never wise, but we can afford to engage in superficiality even less today. No matter your worship or preaching style, study the Word deeply and seek to communicate it thoughtfully. We know you’ve heard the common wisdom to “make it simple,” “make the application your points,” and “make it simple to apply” —and these are not necessarily bad approaches—but many young adults are finding simplistic communication less helpful than their Baby Boomer counterparts.

What young adults are interested in, however, is preaching that engages on several levels, provokes deeper thoughts, and reveals complexity. This doesn’t mean watering down the truth; it means teaching the truth in all its challenging fullness. Preaching that engages the younger unchurched is deliberate preaching crafted with depth of thought and delivered with conviction. Think and rethink. Evaluate and reconsider.

Encourage Struggle

Directly connected to the younger unchurched’s aversion to simplistic preaching is their aversion to “tidy” preaching. The Church has somehow forgotten that life is not always about having a neat, pat answer. Almost nobody is living “The Brady Bunch” any more, least of all the unchurched, and as much affection as young adults may have for retro entertainment, they instantly recognize when someone is trying to pass off a sitcom as real life. God gave us Jesus, and He gave us His Word. However, He did not give us all of the answers. Too many sermons imply that God and His plan can be wrapped up with a pretty bow in 30 minutes, just like “Diff’rent Strokes.”

Young adults are looking for something real – something that issues real challenges, reflects real struggles, and prompts real examination. This level of depth, as described by young adults, is characterized by a continual pursuit of knowledge, experience, wisdom, intellect, understanding, and exploratory learning.

This means that the moralizing of our preaching past is out like the 80s. Our preaching should encompass more than do’s and don’ts. It should reach to the why and the how behind our proclamation. Great preaching requires mining truth down to its deepest core and assigning it to resonate within the hearts of our listeners. As a result, our preaching must go beyond appeals to behavior modification, beyond pithy platitudes on being happy and living well. Our preaching must wrestle with the meat and marrow of human existence, because this is what young adults are already doing. Otherwise it becomes like tossing a fortune cookie to a man starving in the desert.

Be Authentic and Transparent

We must remember that preaching is not just about what you say; it’s very much about who you are. One of the reasons so many young adults think negatively about churches is because they see very little authentic struggle from their leadership. Indeed, a large majority of the younger unchurched believe the church is full of hypocrites.

Consider the “foolishness of preaching” from the perspective of an unchurched young adult. They see a pastor standing up and presenting the message in a way that implies the pastor already has everything figured out. When pastors relate no doubt, no struggle, and no experiential element, they just begging to be tuned out. But preaching is not just about the level of intellectual content; it’s also about the teacher’s relationship with that content.

Leaders who know the value of speaking to people, not over people, are leading churches that are reaching young adults. There is no substitute for authenticity. Preaching with transparency has to do with being open and honest with a purpose that is redemptive and developmental. A preacher who is being transparent opens a window for the divine and pure purpose of helping others change in positive ways, without hidden motives or pretense. This is the kind of transparency that will connect with younger adults.

Prepare Effectively

We realize very few Bible teachers set out to provide shallow teaching. No sincere pastor desires to develop biblically ignorant Christ-followers, and none deliberately set out to disseminate false teaching. But it’s happening. Our hunch is that these things aren’t happening because of bad motives but, instead, are the result of weak and inadequate preparation. If this is the case, we each must look long and hard at our approach to studying God’s Word and evaluate our need to improve in this area.

As with most things, great preaching takes commitment, and connecting to the younger generation takes even more. Are you willing to evaluate your methodology and approach in preaching? Are you committed to being authentic and transparent as an example for others? Are you willing to go beyond the surface and challenge your people to do the same? If your answers to these questions are no, then it’s time to start making changes. If you can answer yes, then your preaching is ready to engage this generation.

ROOTED... Read This Blog!

Jonny and Tom are two high school students who I worked with when I was a youth pastor in Oviedo, FL. They both are incredibly bright and have a lot to bring to the table regarding Christianity and what it looks like to live the Christian life in a younger generation. Don't let their age fool you... I have been challenged both spiritually and intellectually by both of these guys. It would be worth your time to check their blog out periodically.... actually just add them to your reader or subscribe to email updates. I am excited about reading their thoughts based on Scripture about Christ and the church. I just thought I would take a post and introduce you to two guys who are doing and will continue to do big things for the Lord...

So go read Jonny's first entry about community... He does an excellent job discussing this term that seems to have so many definitions floating around...

CLICK HERE ... to go to ROOTED!!

What Do You Think When You Hear... "Southern Baptist"?

The other day I posted a survey of 801 Southern Baptist pastors. It produced a lot of thoughts and comments... which was very interesting...

Over the weekend, Dr. Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay, conducted an informal survey on Twitter regarding people’s thoughts about the name “Southern Baptist.” Specifically, Rainer asked...

CLICK HERE ... for original article.

What do you think when you hear ‘Southern Baptist’?

The answers were quite telling.... to say the least....

About 60% of the respondents gave a negative association. Another 30% were positive, and 10% were neutral or unclear.

Let’s look at the responses. They are provided in the order they were received....

Legalism, Controlling
Fights, Legalists
Hellfire and brimstone, Pharisees
Fried chicken, Don’t drink
Women who can’t wear pants, Disney boycott
Cooperative Program, Banjos
Adrian Rogers, Fundamentalism
Passion, Missions
Conservative, Conservative
Strategic, Bickering
Disney boycott, Pharisees
Piano, organ, and robes, Irrelevant
Boycotts, Vacation Bible School
Legalism, Becoming more Reformed
Narrow-minded, Fond memories, sad memories
Legalistic, Awesome dinners
Suits and dresses, Old school, traditional worship
Not real, Legalism
Behind the times, Extreme conservatism
Crazy people, Restricted missionaries
Very legalistic, Bible-believing
More about what you’re against, Jesus followers
Southerner, Swiss Army Knife, all blades open
Evangelizing, Loving yet legalistic
Biblical, Welcoming only to some
Socially relevant, Talk, but does not walk missional
Deacon, Legalists
Introduced me to Jesus Christ, Safe
Southern, Don’t understand spiritual gifts
Slavery, Country
Evangelism, Fundamentalist sect
Missions, Tradition
Strength, Legalism
Potential for maximum impact, Small, rural churches
Potential for complete irrelevancy, Easy believism
Inerrancy, Gospel overshadowed by politics
Inerrancy, Fighting
Uptight, Legalistic
Legalism, Passionate about holiness
Staunch, Stuffy holy rollers
Unwavering, Traditionalists
Fundamentalist, Lost the next generation
Hellfire and damnation, Old traditions
Too limited, Close minded
Self-righteous over grace, Hymns, pipe organs, choir
Antiquated, Don’t let God move
Pharisees, Legalism
Name that needs changing, Fights
Missions, Controlling
Baptist from the South, Younger generation desires reform
Relationship with Christ, Cooperation for missions
Baptisms, Missions
Tradition, Cooperative Program
Love, Contrast of old and new
My grandmother, Fried chicken
Solid doctrine, Worldwide missions
Inerrancy, Sunday school
Tradition, Bible
Disney boycott, More negative than positive
Old people, Conservative
Pipe organs, Biblical
In-fighting, Evangelistic
Tradition, Family connections
Legalism, Blind about miracles
Lottie Moon, No drinking
Rich in past, not in future, Don’t know water turned to wine
Fundamentalists, Fellowships
Legalism, Fried chicken and 3 desserts
Men in suspenders, Controlling
Right doctrine, Don’t trust laity
Missionaries, Business meetings
Other Baptists, Legalistic
Name that needs changing, Inefficient

I am in no way bashing the Southern Baptists... I am one... I was raised in this denomination and received Christ in it as well.

So I am not posting this to add to the negative comments... what I want to discuss is...

What do you want people to think when they hear "Southern Baptist"?... and what can we do to change these perspectives?

A Slave to Christ

This morning I started reading Romans. I made it through verse one before I had to stop and meditate on a specific word. Paul uses this term all over the New Testament, primarily when he is introducing himself. He calls himself a "servant of Christ Jesus" (Romans 1:1). For whatever reason this phraseology stuck out to me when my eyes glanced over the text. If we are honest, many of you reading this post have done the same thing.... "Oh yeah... Paul is a servant of Christ... I know that... no big deal." We never stop to consider what that actually means. Well... this morning I set out to understand that particular word in more detail.

I started by looking up the verse @ Blue Letter Bible (fantastic resource that provides the Greek). I found that the word servant is translated from is Doulos. This term can have a wide range of meanings. It is translated slave, bondman, man of servile condition. Basically, this word describes someone who is devoted to another to the disregard of his or hers own interests. John MacArthur provides a great definition when he writes, "It was sometimes used of a person who voluntarily served others, but most commonly it referred to those who were in unwilling and permanent bondage, from which often there was no release but death." Although this sounds extreme to most reading these words it was the reality that Paul lived within. He had given himself wholeheartedly in love to the divine Master who saved him from sin and death. This claim by Paul should not be taken lightly. He considered himself a bond-servant or slave to Christ and the furthering of the Kingdom. It is obvious that if Paul claimed to be a slave that Christ was his life... everything he did was for the advancement of the Gospel... what a radical yet amazing description... to be a slave to Jesus!!

I don't think I am the only one that would say it is hard to find a believer who would describe themselves or be described as a slave of Christ. In an individualistic culture we are not prone to use terminology relating to slavery or being a slave to anything. We want to be in control... not slaves. However, the reality is we will be a servant of something. As humans we are designed to make something ultimate (to worship something). This will happen whether we like it or not. If you are not a bond-servant to Christ you will be a slave to an addiction, your own ego, even sports etc. So.. stop thinking that you are not mastered by anything... you will serve something... I would suggest it be Christ.

Honestly, I often think it would be wonderful in theory to be a bond-servant of Jesus. However, I am still a long ways from describing myself as a slave to my Savior. This truth is evident when I consdier the actions of my life... I often claim that Christ is my ultimate, however, my deeds loudly proclaim something else. My desire is to truly be a slave to Christ... where every aspect of my life is centered on proclaiming the Gospel and Kingdom of Jesus.

Good Friday

Understanding sin is a vital element in understanding the Gospel. We cannot understand grace if we do not understand sin. We cannot understand mercy if we do not understand sin. We cannot understand redemption, salvation, or forgiveness if we do not understand sin. A right understanding and application of the Gospel begins with a right understanding of sin. This is why J.C. Ryle said, “He must first dig down very low if he would build high.”

Good Friday is all about knowing Christ to be a great Savior. But we will never know Christ as a Great Savior if we do not first know ourselves to be great sinners. We will never feel conversion if we do not first feel conviction–desperation always precedes deliverance. In other words, we will never own God’s glorious salvation if we do not first own our grievous sin.

If we do not recognize our need for the Gospel we will never tune in to the Gospel. This is why the cross of Christ must be central to our understanding of the Gospel. Because the cross is like a thermometer reminding me of my great sickness, while at the same time it is like a barometer reminding me of God’s great salvation. It shows me my disease and points me to the cure.

Praise God that he sent his Son not just to share in our weaknesses, but to bear our iniquities. Praise God that the Suffering Servant was not just wounded for our identification, but for our transgressions. Praise God that the Son of man came not just be a restoration of our humanity, but a ransom for our sin. Praise God that our Brother shared not just in our humanity, but shared in our humanity that he might become a high priest in the service of God, a high priest who offered himself once for all as our eternal redemption. Because without the shedding of blood there can still be identification with humanity, but there cannot be the remission of sin.

So with these thoughts in mind, find a quiet place to meditate on these glorious words:

O sacred Head, now wounded,
with grief and shame weighed down,
now scornfully surrounded
with thorns, thine only crown:
how pale thou art with anguish,
with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish
which once was bright as morn!

What thou, my Lord, has suffered
was all for sinners’ gain;
mine, mine was the transgression,
but thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!
’Tis I deserve thy place;
look on me with thy favor,
vouchsafe to me thy grace.

What language shall I borrow
to thank thee, dearest friend,
for this thy dying sorrow,
thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever;
and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never
outlive my love for thee.

I wish this was my original piece... however... i enjoyed it so much that I wanted to share it with those who would have never seen it otherwise... Original Site.

Matt Chandler

Matt Chandler is the lead pastor of The Village Church in Highlands Village, Texas. How the Lord brought him to this position is a fascinating story. Chandler is by far my favorite communicator. He has a God given ability to proclaim the gospel of Jesus in a very compelling way. I started listening to him because a friend of mine told me I would like a specific message... long story short... I have listened to ever sermon I can get my hands on. I can say that he has challenged me more than any preacher I have consistently listened to. This clip is from when he spoke @ a Desiring God conference. Listen to this snippet and then go to itunes or The Village website and download his sermons... you won't be sorry.

If you want the message notes CLICK HERE.

Critical Ministries in the Southern Baptist Convention

LifeWay Research recently finished a survey that reveals the ministry priorities of pastoral leadership in churches of various sizes in the SBC. The study, "Critical Ministries and Their Leadership," surveyed 801 Southern Baptist pastors about what they believed were the most critical ministries in their churches, whether those ministries have effective leadership in place and how they relate to those ministry leaders. Mark Kelly unpacks some of the data in an article written for Lifeway news.

You can obviously go and read this article for yourself... however, I thought the charts were interesting to simply consider...

Based on the stats alone... what concerns you and encourages you about what these leaders consider critical ministries?



Let's discuss this in the comment section of this post...

Wayne Grudem Weighs In

Dr. Wayne Grudem, editor of the ESV Study Bible and one of the top evangelical theologians of our day, explains why theology is so important for the local church....


Dr. Wayne Grudem Addresses the Advance 09 Crowd from The Resurgence on Vimeo.

The End of a Christian America?

Newsweek has an article discussing America being a post-Christian nation. I thought this piece was interesting... "the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation has nearly doubled since 1990, rising from 8 to 15 percent." I also found the the comments as equally intriguing. I would suggest you take a few minutes and read it... then if you want... come back and discuss the implications of this article in the comment section of this post.

CLICK HERE for the story.

Should Christians Concern Themselves with Theology?

When presented with the question... "Should the average Christian care about Theology?" ... J.I. Packer responded with these words...

"A fair question! - but there is, I think, a convincing answer to it. The questioner clearly assumes that a study of the nature and character of God will be unpractical and irrelevant for life. In fact, however, it is the most practical project anyone can engage in. Knowing about God is crucially important for the living of our lives.

As it would be cruel to an Amazonian tribesman to fly him to London, put him down without explanation in Trafalgar Square and leave him, as one who knew nothing of English or England, to fend for himself, so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and who runs it.

The world becomes a strange, mad, painful place, and life in it a disappointing and unpleasant business, for those who do not know about God. Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul."

J.I. Packer, Knowing God, p.18-19.

Driscoll Talks Straight to Men

I love listening to Mark Driscoll preach. I know some people think he is too harsh... however, I would simply disagree. For the longest time the pulpit has been filled with pastors who are afraid to offend anyone. Driscoll knows how to tell it like it is... in the sermon below he addresses marriage and men... pulling no punches. If you are a man.... I would suggest you listen...

Driscoll will have you laughing.... and before you know it he will be yelling at you...

Enjoy...

A Pastor Acting Like Jesus? What?

Apparently in Chichester NH there is a pastor of an Acts 29 church who is letting a convicted child murderer live with his family. David Pinckney decided that when Raymond Guay was told he would serve three years of parole in NH that he would invite him to stay with him. However, I don't need to say much more for you to realize this has caused some serious uproar in a little town where not much happens on a daily basis.

I feel like pastors can never get a break. Either people are calling them hypocrites (which is deserved at times) or they are getting mad at them for actually acting like Jesus. This man has taken a sinner into his house and people are flipping out. So... should Christians really act like Christ? or just say they do?

Read the article about this situation here. Then come back and lets discuss the role of acting like Jesus in our daily lives.

Saint Patrick's Day

Well... I am in the middle of midterms and stressed out. However, spring break is right around the corner. Since I am slammed with papers and tests I have not been writing many posts. My goal is to not simply post random ideas or thoughts. I typically like to spend time researching and putting a lot of thought and time into my entries. However, being in Seminary typically limits the amount of time I get to spend on outside (non-Seminary) work.

So... because it is Saint Patrick's Day... I thought I would RE-post a blog entry done by Mark Driscoll that I thought was insightful and interesting. If you don't know who Driscoll is visit his blog.

This is a little about the history of Saint Patrick.... that most people really don't know or take the time to learn.... enjoy...

Vintage Saints: Saint Patrick

from TheResurgence by Mark Driscoll

“I am a servant of Christ to a foreign nation for the unspeakable glory of life everlasting which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Patrick

My family name was originally O’Driscoll until it was changed a few generations ago by relatives hoping to more fully assimilate into American culture after immigrating from Ireland. Though I was raised Irish Catholic, I knew virtually nothing about Saint Patrick other than the green beer, parades, shamrocks, leprechauns, and drunken Red Sox fans that celebrated in his honor every March 17th.

Technically, Saint Patrick is not even a saint, as he was never canonized by the Roman Catholic Church. Additionally, Patrick was not even Irish. Rather, he was an Englishman who was a Roman citizen that spoke Latin and a bit of Welsh.

Patrick was born around 390 A.D. When he was roughly 16 years of age he was captured by pirates and taken to Ireland on a ship where he was sold into slavery. He spent the next six years alone in the wilderness as a shepherd for his masters’ cattle and sheep.

Isolation

Patrick was a rebellious non-Christian teenager who had come from a Christian family. His grandfather was a pastor, and his father was a deacon. However, during his extended periods of isolation without any human contact, Patrick began praying and was eventually born again into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. Patrick endured the years of isolation in rain and snow by praying up to 100 prayers each day and another 100 each night.

In his early twenties God spoke to Patrick in a dream, telling him to flee from his master for a ship that was waiting for him. Amazingly, Patrick made the 200-mile walk without being caught or harmed to find a ship setting sail for his home, just as God had promised. The sailors were out of food for the journey, and after Patrick prayed a herd of pigs miraculously ran toward the ship, providing a bountiful feast for the long voyage home.

God Speaks to Patrick

Upon returning home, Patrick enrolled in seminary and was eventually commissioned as a pastor. Some years later God spoke to Patrick in a dream, commanding him to return to Ireland to preach the gospel and plant churches for the pagans who lived there.

The Roman Catholic Church had given up on converting such “barbarians” deemed beyond hope. The Celtic peoples, of which the Irish were part, were an illiterate bunch of drunken, fighting, perverted pagans who basically had sex with anyone and worshipped anything. They were such a violent and lawless people, numbering anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000, that they had no city centers or national government and were spread out among some 150 warring clans. Their enemies were terrified of them because they were known to show up for battles and partake in wild orgies before running into battle naked and drunk while screaming as if they were demon-possessed. One clan was so debased that it was customary for each of their new kings to copulate with a white mare as part of his inauguration.

Unique Missionary Strategy

In faith, the forty-something year-old Patrick sold all of his possessions, including the land he had inherited from his father, to fund his missionary journey to Ireland. He worked as an itinerant preacher and paid large sums of money to various tribal chiefs to ensure he could travel safely through their lands and preach the gospel. His strategy was completely unique, and he functioned like a missionary trying to relate to the Irish people and communicate the gospel in their culture by using such things as three-leaf clovers to explain the gospel. Upon entering a pagan clan, Patrick would seek to first convert the tribal leaders and other people of influence. He would then pray for the sick, cast demons out of the possessed, preach the Bible, and use both musical and visual arts to compel people to put their faith in Jesus. If enough converts were present he would build a simple church that did not resemble ornate Roman architecture, baptize the converts, and hand over the church to a convert he had trained to be the pastor so that he could move on to repeat the process with another clan.

Patrick gave his life to the people who had enslaved him until he died at 77 years of age. He had seen untold thousands of people convert as between 30-40 of the 150 tribes had become substantially Christian. He had trained 1000 pastors, planted 700 churches, and was the first noted person in history to take a strong public stand against slavery.

Roman Opposition

Curiously, Patrick’s unorthodox ministry methods, which had brought so much fruit among the Irish, also brought much opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. Because Patrick was so far removed from Roman civilization and church polity he was seen by some as an instigator of unwelcome changes. This lead to great conflicts between the Roman and Celtic Christians. The Celtic Christians had their own calendar and celebrated Easter a week earlier than their Roman counterparts. Additionally, the Roman monks shaved only the hair on the top of their head, whereas the Celtic monks shaved all of their hair except their long locks which began around the bottom of their head as a funky monk mullet. The Romans considered these and other variations by the Celtic Christian leaders to be acts of insubordination.

In the end, the Roman Church should have learned from Patrick, who is one of the greatest missionaries who has ever lived. Though Patrick’s pastors and churches looked different in method, they were very orthodox in their theology and radically committed to such things as Scripture and the Trinity. Additionally, they were some of the most gifted Christian artists the world has ever known, and their prayers and songs endure to this day around the world, including at Mars Hill where we occasionally sing the “Prayer of Saint Patrick” and the Celtic hymn “Be Thou My Vision.”

Theologia Viatorum

My buddy Steve Duby is the kind of guy that reads Systematic Theology for breakfast. He is extremely smart... and would never say that himself. He loves theology and is planning on teaching it after getting his PhD. We have had numerous conversations about theology and I always leave knowing more than I did when I entered the discourse.

It would be worth your time to SUBSCRIBE to Theologia Viatorum ... Steve has been studying theology for years and is in the middle of doing lots of research and writing for independent studies.

Trust me... you will be happy you took the time to read his stuff!

ESV Giveaway!!

If you go to Boomer in the Pew Blog ... you will find a giveaway of a Calfskin ESV Bible. This fits perfectly with my last post about Bible translations. If you blog you should definitely go to this site and register to win... well worth your time.

What Translatioin Do You Use?

I have had a couple people ask me why I use the ESV (English Standard Version) translation of the Bible. So I decided to write a post defending why I believe this is the best translation for everyday use.

I believe that the Scriptures are the authoritative, inspired and inerrant Word of God to mankind as revealed in 2 Timothy 3:16, and 2 Peter 1:21. They are altogether lovely, true, precious and unfailing. The Word points to Christ, Who is truth itself, the living Word, and is therefore to be diligently embraced, read, and studied.

There are numerous English translations out there today. These translations are based upon the underlying philosophies and guiding principles of the translators of that particular work. On one end of the translation spectrum are the versions which adopt a “word-for-word” approach while the other end contains those which follow a “thought-for-thought.” For an example of where some common versions fit on this spectrum, please see chart below…



The word-for-word process attempts to render a literal reading of the original languages (Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic), relying on interpretation only when the text demands clarification. The philosophy which drives this approach is that interpretation is the cooperative work of the preacher/teacher and the believer and not necessarily that of the translator. On the other hand, the thought-for-thought process follows a highly interpretive translation procedure, driven by a philosophy of textual simplicity. With this tendency comes a decreased accuracy and faithfulness to the original text and a subsequent loss of many of the rich nuances therein. While the thought-for-thought method retains a high degree of readability, it also carries with it an inherent reliance upon the translator to interpret scripture for the reader.

When I was at Toccoa Falls College, they made us use the NASB in class, which was completely fine. I still typically use the NASB for thorough Biblical study. However, while the NASB served well for serious study, contextual flow was slightly altered, thus rendering it less ideal for the purpose of reading and preaching. Given that the ESV retains the precision and accuracy of the “word-for-word” approach while allowing for a greater degree of clarity of expression, it became the primary teaching/ preaching, and reading text for me.

Therefore, I use the ESV on a daily basis with some reference to the NASB when dealing with the original language or pursing a more in-depth study of the Scriptures.

Though I use the ESV, I do see the value in the thought-for-thought translations and like reading the Message on occasion. However, I would discourage using it to do detailed studies.

6 Year Old Soccer Prodigy

I saw this and thought this kid was ridiculously skilled @ soccer... not to mention the video has a sweet Spanish rap song in the background. Best of both worlds right there!

War ... Should Christians Support It?

I am currently in the middle of writing a review of the book War in the Bible and Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century for my Old Testament class. This particular book has a lot of differing opinions on the subject of war, from a pacifist view to a just war approach. I am finding the different essays (chapters) to be very interesting, causing me to ponder my own position.

So... What is your stance on war? Should Christians be involved in war? I would really like to hear your opinion on the subject. Feel free to leave a comment and get this conversation started.

Proper Perspective

My friend Nate Hoag pointed out that Chris Sharma (pictured below) NEVER encounters difficult circumstances... therefore, to grasp a proper perspective on "difficult circumstances" you need to look at a picture of Nate climbing.

So here it is...

Difficulties In Life

“You know, don’t you, that I’m the One who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards, who left you hungry and standing in bread lines? But you never got hungry for Me. You continued to ignore Me.”
Amos 4:6 – The Message

I was reading Amos the other day and came across this passage. God is speaking through Amos to Israel, His chosen people. It is obvious that He has been trying to get their attention, however, they continue to ignore Him. While I read these words, I felt a deep conviction within my soul.

How many times has the Lord been trying to get my attention through circumstances in my life? See… the problem is my pride. I truly believe that I can handle everything that comes my way… on my own. It is hard for me to admit that I need Him on a daily basis.

If you think about it… when “bad” things happen to you… the first person we think is abandoning us is God. However, what if the reason for these difficult situations is that the Lord is really trying to draw us back to complete reliance and dependence on Him? This would absolutely change the way we handle circumstances that seem hard.

Moreover, on a personal note, I tend to find myself caught in a never-ending cycle. I will come across difficult times and (like I mentioned) I will think God is withdrawing from my life. Then I will try to handle these incidents on my own… thinking that God doesn’t want me to draw near to Him anyways. Inevitably, I will draw back to the Lord and things will seem great for a while… then the cycle starts all over again.

However, when I read this passage I felt the Spirit speaking directly to my soul. What if God was the director or initiator of these issues in my life? This idea completely changed the way I view difficulties. When they arise, I must turn and find refuge and strength in the Lord not in my own abilities.

Don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I am not contending that ALL your bad circumstances are caused by God to get your attention, although it might be a possibility. Either way, my point is that in all our difficult times (caused by God or not) turning to the Lord for strength and perseverance should be our primary response.

So the next time it feels like the Lord is pulling away…. Intentionally draw near to Him with everything you have.

I would love to hear your stories of how God caused difficult circumstances in your life to grasp your attention… the comment section is wide open… take advantage of it…

Slow Down!

We live in a society that is obsessed with busyness. If you ask anyone how they are doing... I am positive that within their answer the word "busy" will arise. Why are we so busy? I think we are scared of what we will find if we slow down... if we take a minute and simply breathe.

Even while I was watching this video I found myself being impatient. My encouragement would be to just slow down.... sit... be still....

STOP giving into the mentality that being busy is being productive... One of the most productive things you can do today is simply be....

Watch for the things that happen around you everyday that you never notice... they are there... just take a second and enjoy them.

Five Reasons You Should Get A Feed Reader

I know it has been a long time since I posted any entries. I just got done writing an 18 page paper on Colossians 1:15-20 and it consumed this past week. However, I was reading through my google reader and came across a post that discussed the benefits of having your own reader for blogs. I thought it was good stuff and decided to share with those who read my blog. Check it out...


1. You never miss a blog post from your favorite sites.

Once you subscribe to a feed, your feed reader will make sure that you see every new post from that feed. Whether you want to read your websites once a week, once a day, or every ten minutes, any unread items will be saved for you.

2. You can scan a ton of articles quickly.

When using a feed reader, you can quickly filter through the articles that you don't want to read. When surfing the web, you have to shuffle through different interfaces, type in web addresses, and surf bookmarks. This takes a ton of time. It’s much better to have the content you want delivered to you than to have to go find it every time you get online.

3. Melting-pot learning.

One of the great side-effects of using a feed reader is that you begin to learn about various memes in a melting-pot fashion, where ideas flavor each other. You'll learn new ideas over time, and understand the relationships between them.

4. You can save articles for later.

Feed readers allow you to save articles to read for later. In Google Reader, you can put a star next to items you like and come back later to read them in full. You can also tag articles and search for them later.

5. You can always be up to date with Engage.

You can always be updated when I post a blog... Now that is a great reason to get a reader huh?

What is an RSS Feed?

John Piper Directly Addresses Obama's Abortion Statement

Mark Driscoll on Nightline

Who Am I ?

I remember sitting in an auditorium at the University of Central Florida my freshmen year of college, looking around at hundreds of people making their way to a seat before our Statistics class began. In that moment I realized that I was only a number to the professor who was down in front. Being a number is somewhat frustrating. No one cares who you are they just want your money and tests turned in promptly. It was a feeling that I did not particularly care for, however, many individuals walk around every day with this same sense of worthlessness.

As Christians the Bible is clear who we are in Christ. Although people throughout society might be asking themselves, "Who am I?" ... Christians can turn to Scripture to answer that inevitable question. The following is a list of verses that discuss who we are in Christ. Although there are millions of Christians all over the world... we are definitely not just another number to Jesus.

Eph. 1:1 - I am a saint.

Eph. 1:3-4 - I am chosen in Christ to be holy and blameless.

1 Thess. 1:4 - I am a chosen son/daughter, and dearly loved by God.

1 John 5:18 - I am born of God.

John 1:12 - I am a child of God.

Rom. 8:14,15 - I am a son/daughter of God.

Eph. 3:12 - I may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Heb. 4:16 - I may approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gal. 4:6-7 - I am an heir of God.

Rom. 8:16-17 - I am a joint heir with Christ, sharing His righteousness with Him.

Rom. 5:1 - I have been justified, fully forgiven and made completely righteous in Christ.

Col. 2:13-14 - I have been made alive with Christ who has forgiven all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled.

Rom. 8:1 - I am forever free from condemnation.

1 Cor. 6:15-17 - I am joined to the Lord.

2 Cor. 5:18 - I am reconciled to God.

1 Cor. 6:20 - I am not my own. I have been bought with a price. I belong to God.

John 15:1,5 - I am a part of the true vine, sharing in its life.

Heb. 3:14 - I am a partaker of Christ, sharing His life.

1 Cor. 12:13 - I am a member of Christ's body.

1 Pet. 2:9,10 - I am a member of God's own people, a royal priesthood, a people for God's own possession.

1 Cor. 3:16 - I am a temple of the Spirit. His life dwells in me.

1 Cor. 2:12 - I have received the Spirit of God into my life so I can understand what God has freely given me.

Col. 1:13-14 - I have been rescued from the dominion of darkness, transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son.

Acts 26:18 - I have been taken from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.

2 Pet. 1:4 - I have been given His exceedingly great and precious promises so I may participate in His holy nature and escape the corruption in the world.

Phil. 3:20 - I am a citizen of heaven.

Eph. 2:19 - I am a fellow citizen of God's household with the rest of God's family.

1 Thess. 5:5 - I am a son/daughter of light. I am of the day.
Eph. 5:8 - I am light in the Lord.

Eph. 2:10 - I am God's workmanship, born anew to do His work.

2 Cor. 5:19 - I am a minister of reconciliation.

Matt. 5:13 - I am the salt of the earth.

Matt. 5:14 - I am the light of the world.

2 Cor. 2:14 - I spread the sweet aroma of the fragrance of Christ.

Rom. 8:29 - I am going to be fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. God has already decided that.

Rom. 8:39-40 - I am secure in Christ. Nothing will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.

These passages should fill us with joy, knowing that we are cherished by the Lord through Christ.