The Beauty, Dignity, and Comfort of Formality

This is a helpful meditation on the funeral deportment of a casual pastor as compared with the dignity of the Marines who also had a part.

HT: Ray Van Neste

Why Preach?

Here’s a great question that beatifully describes the Word given us to proclaim:

What if you were led to believe, as profoundly as you believe yourself to exist, that God has spoken . . . that within the covers of the Bible there on your table, incarnate in the syllables of our own language, throbs the living Word of God?

From Lester De Koster’s Light for the City: Calvin’s Preaching, Source of Life and Liberty, 11.

Sexual Purity

Here’s a great word from NT Prof. Dr.  Rob Plummer of SBTS on the dangers of sexual sin.

Baptist Identity Audio

Union University recently hosted a Baptist Identity conference, and the audio is here.

Here’s the lineup:

Session X – Timothy George
Session IX – Ed Stetzer
Session VIII – Jim Shaddix
Session VII – Gregory A. Thornbury
Session VI – David S. Dockery
Session IV – Paige Patterson
Session III – Mike Day
Session II – Thom Rainer
Session I – Frank Page 

Chosen for Life, by Sam Storms

One evening during my freshman year in college at the University of Arkansas, I asked my wise Sunday School teacher, “Do you believe in predestination?” He responded simply, “The word is in the Bible.”

The word is in the Bible, but what does it mean and how does it work? If you or someone you know is wrestling with such questions, Sam Storms has done you a great service. If you have some ideas about this but would like to have a fellow traveler who has been down the path, studied the map, knows the landmarks, and can tell you the history of the great sites in a winsome, envigorating, even devotional way, Sam Storms has done you a great service.

If you know people struggling with what the Bible says about these topics, this would be a great book to give them. If you are a pastor thinking about reading a book with some guys you would like to invest in, this would be a great book to work through together.

If you have heard the buzz about the whole debate between calvinists and arminians and want a fair treatment that will rightly divide the word of truth, Sam Storms has done the hard work for you. Now you get the fun part of reading his book!

You can read the introduction and first chapter here,  and note the impressive commendations from the likes of John Piper, J. I. Packer, Tom Schreiner, C. J. Mahaney, and D. A. Carson.

I recommend that you buy and read this book.

5 Paths to the Love of your Life

I am so glad to be married. That was the sentence resounding in my head as I looked through 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life, edited by Alex Chediak.

In God’s kindness and providence he gave me a wife even though I didn’t have the benefit of a book such as this.

If you’re a parent sorting through what you’re going to do with your teenager, thinking through the positions articulated in this volume would be a helpful exercise.

If you find yourself caught in the crossfire between those who have kissed dating goodbye and advocate arranged marriages, betrothal, or courtship on the one side, versus those who kiss on the first date, those who date if it’s purposeful, and those who just wish they could get a date on the other, this is the book for you.

UPDATE: A friend of mine who is a singles pastor at a large church asked me to elaborate on this book, so here goes: it’s sort of a “5 views” on how to handle one’s self as a single person. The editor has each of the authors address three situations: a high school couple being encouraged to date one another, a college couple—each new believers with unbelieving parents, and a 30 year old single female looking for a husband. The authors comment on how, in their view, each of these situations should be dealt with. I think this would be an excellent resource for you and the folks in your ministry.

Interview on God’s Indwelling Presence

You can download last night’s interview about God’s Indwelling Presence  on the Converse with Scholars program from this page (or you can right click the words “The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments” and hit “save as”).

HT: Travis Cardwell

Discuss God’s Indwelling Presence Thursday Night

Tomorrow night, Thursday, February 8, 2007, at 8pm CST, 9pm EST, I will be participating in the Converse With Scholars program put on by Reclaiming the Mind Ministries.

I’m honored to be a part of this. Here’s their schedule for this spring:

Upcoming CWS Guest Schedule

Feb. 8th, 2007 9pm Eastern – James Hamilton
The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments
Join the conversation with James Hamilton as he discusses his book, “God’s Indwelling Presence.”

Feb. 15th, 2007 9pm Eastern – Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor
Overcoming Sin and Temptation
Join the conversation with both Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor as they discuss their book, “John Owen’s: Overcoming Sin and Temptation.”

Feb. 22nd, 2007 9pm Eastern- M. James Sawyer and Daniel B. Wallace
Who’s Afraid of The Holy Spirit?
Join the conversation with both Jim Sawyer and Dan Wallace as they discuss their book, “Who’s Afraid of The Holy Spirit?”

March 1st, 2007 9pm Eastern- Sean McDowell
Truth, Relativism, and the Postmodern Generation
Join the conversation with Sean McDowell as he discusses his latest book, “EthiX,” and shares strategies for reaching the younger postmodern generation with biblical truth.

March 8th, 2007 9pm Eastern- Doug Groothius
Christianity and the Challenges of Postmodernism
Join the conversation with Doug Groothius as he discusses his book, “Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism.”

March 15th, 2007 10pm Eastern- Timothy Paul Jones
Finding God in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Join the conversation with Timothy Paul Jones as he discusses his book, “Finding God in a Galaxy Far, Far Away: A Spiritual Exploration of the Star Wars Saga.”

March 22nd, 2007 10pm Eastern - Roger Olson
Arminian Theology
Join the conversation with Roger Olson as he discusses his book, “Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities.”

March 29th, 2007 10 pm Eastern – Sam Storms
Calvinist Theology
Join the conversation with Sam Storms as he discusses his book, “Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election”

April 19th, 2007 9pm Eastern- Ben Witherington
The Historical Jesus
Join the conversation with Ben Witherington as he discusses his book, “What Have They Done With Jesus?”

The Case for Formal, Active Church Membership

A week ago Eric Schumacher preached a great sermon defending the idea of formal, active church membership. This is a great presentation of the biblical evidence for “church membership,” even though the Bible doesn’t explicitly say: “Make a list of all the members of the church and have new people formally join the church.” I commend Eric’s presentation to you: you can read it here.

9News on Elders

The February edition of 9News is now available. Here is the table of contents:

SELECTING ELDERS

A Pastors’ and Theologians’ Forum
We asked a roundtable of pastors and theologians one question:

“What lessons have you learned the hard way in selecting elders?”

Answers from John MacArthur, Michael Lawrence, Phil Newton, “Ed Roberts,” Sinclair Ferguson, Bruce Keisling, Philip Pedley, Sir Fred Catherwood, Thomas Schreiner, and Alexander Strauch

Looking For A Few Good Men (from The Deliberate Church)
How do you go about looking for elders, and what exactly is it that you’re looking for?
By Mark Dever and Paul Alexander

Unbelief in an Elder’s Children—Exegesis
What if a man’s children are “unbelieving”? Does Titus 1:6 bar him from serving as an elder?
By Justin Taylor

Unbelief in an Elder’s Children—Practice
Following up on Justin Taylor’s exegetical discussion, Matt Schmucker answers some practical questions about putting this exegesis to work.
An Interview with Matt Schmucker

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INSTALLING ELDERS

Electing Elders
Who should do the nominating? Who should be nominated?
By Burk Parsons

Should Elders Be Ordained?
You’ve heard the language of “ordination.” Is it biblical?
By Benjamin Merkle

Elder Vows Sample
Here’s a list of vows one church uses to install an elder.

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CHURCH OR McCHURCH?

Book Review:
The Multi-Site Church Revolution
by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird
Reviewed by John Hammett

Book Review:
This Little Church Went to Market
&
This Little Church Stayed Home
by Gary Gilley
Reviewed by Flynn Cratty