What We Want for Our Teenagers

Abraham Piper sums up our culture's low expectations for adolescents in 22 words:

Understanding teenage rebellion only as sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll implies that the goal is celibacy, sobriety, and employment. It’s not.

It’s Jesus.

I was just talking with some dads of teenagers about this at breakfast this morning. Our culture does have “low expectations” for teenagers, but then so do our churches. Too often the highest aim of our churches is “getting kids involved in church and/or service activities” and “getting them saved” rather than showing them what it means to treasure Jesus more than doing good things and going to heaven.

[HT: 22 Words Blog]

Book Review: The Jesus Way

The Jesus Way: A Conversation On The Ways That Jesus Is The Way
By Eugene H. Peterson (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 2007)

In his introduction to The Jesus Way (which in my estimation is worth the price of the book) Eugene Peterson contrasts what he calls the “way of Jesus” with the way of American culture and the way of the American church:

The ways Jesus goes about loving and saving the world are personal: nothing disembodied, nothing abstract, nothing impersonal. Incarnate, flesh and blood, relational, particular, local.

The ways employed in our North American culture are conspicuously impersonal: programs, organizations, techniques, general guidelines, information detached from place…We cannot use impersonal means to do or say a personal thing—and the gospel is personal or it is nothing…

When it comes to persons, these ways of the world are terribly destructive. They are highly effective in getting ahead in a God-indifferent world, but not in the community of Jesus, not in the kingdom of God…the North American church at present is conspicuous for replacing the Jesus way with the American way (pp. 1-5).

Peterson argues that the American church is enamored with the truth of Jesus but ignores the method by which Jesus embodied that truth. But relational, word-made-flesh, life-on-life discipleship does not sell well in a culture that is steeped in mass production. We have found ways to efficiently mass produce almost everything, why not mass produce disciples? Peterson argues that we have come to exchange the way of Jesus for the way of industry:

If we have a nation of consumers, obviously the quickest and most effective way to get them into our congregations is to identify what they want and offer it to them, satisfy their fantasies, promise them the moon, recast the gospel in consumer terms: entertainment, satisfaction, excitement, adventure, problem-solving, whatever. We are the world’s champion consumers, so why shouldn’t we have state-of-the-art consumer churches?...There is only one thing wrong: this is not the way in which God brings us into conformity with the life of Jesus…this is not the way in which we become less and Jesus becomes more…the cultivation of consumer spirituality is the antithesis of a sacrificial, ‘deny yourself’ congregation. A consumer church is an antichrist church (page 6).

The Jesus Way is the third in a series of Peterson’s “conversation” books published by Eerdmans and starts off stomping some of our ecclesiastical toes in the introduction and first chapter before settling into six chapters of what amounts to an Old Testament Bible study. These chapters are rich, albeit long, and are meant to show us that the way of Jesus falls in line with and further illumines the way that God has expected His people to walk throughout history. The final three chapters of the book contrast the way of Jesus with the ways and means of some of His contemporaries. Peterson insightfully explores the answers to three questions:

• Why didn’t Jesus adopt the Donald-Trump-like, bigger-is-better way of Herod or the intense, moral-purist, preserve-God’s-tradition way of the Pharisees?
• Why didn’t Jesus follow the affluent-religious-professional way of Caiaphas or the radical, anti-corrupt-religion ways of the Essenes?
• Why didn’t Jesus buy into the charismatic-celebrity, play-both-sides way of Josephus or the might-makes-right way of the Zealots?

Jesus rejected or just plain ignored all of the popular leadership styles of His day and walked a different path, a path of suffering submission to God that only finds its way in us through the life and language of prayer.

A couple of other thoughts that struck me as I read The Jesus Way:

• I love the rich, colorful way that Peterson writes, but sometimes I think he could be more efficient with his words. Sometimes the middle and latter chapters seemed to drag on. (See, I’m a product of my culture, aren’t I?) In all those words, though, were many nuggets of pure gold wisdom.
• Speaking of nuggets, some of the best thoughts about prayer I’ve read as of late are in the last three chapters of this book.
• This is a nit-picky point, but it caught my attention. After a rather long, but interesting discussion contrasting the non-violent way of Jesus to the violent ways of the Zealots, I was surprised that Peterson never addressed passages like Matthew 11:12 where Jesus said that “the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence and the violent take it by force.”
• After beginning with a rant against the programmatic and impersonal American church, the book surprised me with an interesting thought toward the end. Peterson, who sometimes sounds overly sympathetic to those who want to throw off the ritual and regulation of church, said that “without the protection of ritual and doctrine and authority, Christian spirituality is vulnerable to reduction and desecration.” Comparing the organization of the church to the dead bark of a tree and the organism (people and life) of the church to the tree’s inner life, Peterson wisely points out that “while the bark both hides and protects the cambium, it does not create it. The bark is dead. And neither do religious institutions create life….” (page 232).

All in all I commend Peterson’s latest “conversation” to you. Again, if you get the book for no other reason but to read the introduction (and I would add the first chapter), then picking up a copy of The Jesus Way is the way to go.

I Like "Stuff Christians Like"

We Christians must take Jesus and His Word more seriously and ourselves less so. If you ever need a good laugh, especially a good laugh at yourself and at your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, hop on over to Stuff Christians Like. Careful, you may get your toes stepped on!

Some of my favorites include:

#5 Bootleg Cookies

#13 Adding gymns to your church

#47 Rooting for secret Christians on American Idol

#160 The Bait and Switch

There are so many more to highlight...go get a cup of coffee, connect to somebody's free WiFi and read a few!

Get Real

That's what this guy does.

I came across a new blog called "Altogether Too Much Privacy" today.

I'll describe it in two words: Real. Refreshing.

I was curious about the origin of the blog title, but the author answers that here.

Check it out sometime.

Are We Seeking Disciples or Crowds?

We’ve been seeking crowds, not disciples. We’ve considered every possible means of getting the most people into our buildings and keeping them there, and we’ve attracted people on the basis of mere self-interest, so that what we have are congregations ecstatic to belong to some place that, in the name of the Lord, takes their self-interest as seriously as they do.

Read the entire article "To Follow Jesus: Counting the Cost of Discipleship" by T. M. Moore.

[HT: Breakpoint]

"Am I Enough For You, Thirsty One?"

I'm a church planter. I send out prayer letters. It's tempting in these newsletters to "hype" what's happening at Riverside, trying to put our best foot forward. After all, everybody wants to know they've prayed for something that's successful, right? Well, we're learning that sucess in God's eyes has more to do with how much we grow in Christ-likeness than with how fast we grow our numbers. These lessons don't come without some heart ache and a few soul-searching moments. Here's one I experienced last Fall:

During a recent twenty-four hour silent retreat, I brought the questions of my thirsty soul to God. I took a long walk throughout that mountain retreat center and spent considerable time looking into the crisp, clear October night sky. Without the usual glow of artificial light to conceal what is real, I saw stars and constellations I barely knew existed. “I just want to know what’s going to happen,” I complained. “Is this church plant going to make it? What have I gotten us into?” I whined to God like the people of Israel moaned to Moses in the desert. “Have I invited these people to follow me into the desert to die of thirst? Would you have us start Riverside Church just to see it dry up in a matter of months?” I waited for an answer from heaven, but it seemed there was no reply written on the night sky.

After an awkward silence, God answered me with a picture. All at once my eye was drawn to the Big Dipper constellation, and the Lord turned the questions on me. “Do you see how big this dipper is? If it was full of water, would it be enough for your thirst? Am I enough for you, thirsty one? No matter what the future holds, will I be enough for you?” (When the answers to my questions come in the form of questions, I know I’m probably hearing from Jesus. He was prone to pose questions to those who put questions to Him.) Before I could answer, He continued, “Yes, I am enough for you. I will be your supply.” As I gazed at the stars that night, the Lord reminded me that He would be my Big Dipper, and that no matter what season of drought may come, He would be my supply.

In what dry place are you crying out to God with a thirsty heart? He'd like to know, "Am I enough for you, thirsty one?" He'd like you to know, "I Am."

[If you'd like to subcribe to Riverside's prayer update newsletter, go to the Riverside website and plug your name and email address into the newsletter sign up box in the left side-bar menu.]

Gospel-Saturated Parenting

John Piper knocks one out of the park by casting vision for a gospel-driven generation in a sermon entitled "Let No One Despise You For Your Youth". He closed with this final word to parents:

Parents, successful parenting is more than compliant kids. It is gospel-saturated living and teaching. Show your children how Christ, crucified for our sins, and Christ, raised for our justification, and Christ, showing the Father’s love, and Christ, guaranteeing the Spirit’s daily help—show them how this gospel is not just something that begins the Christian life but empowers it and shapes and sustains it. Pray and love and teach your children until Christbreaks in on their hearts and becomes their Treasure.

May God give us a vision for the next generation that glorifies the gospel of Christ, and leads thousands of young people to the cross where they find forgiveness of sins, and broken-hearted humility, and Christ-exalting courage to rebel against low expectations and “do hard things.”

[HT: Desiring God]

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part Six

[Read Part One]

[Read Part Two]

[Read Part Three]
[Read Part Four]

[Read Part Five]

Standing Firm in Appraising Grace
What matters most when all your teaching and preaching is said and done?

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:3-17


Like Ezra, the Apostle Paul had cream-of-the-crop credentials. Before his conversion Paul knew the advantage of training, talent, and top billing as a leader and teacher in Israel (Philippians 3:4-6). It could be argued that after his conversion Paul possessed more training, talent, and top billing than his apostolic colleagues, but in the spirit of Ezra (more importantly, Jesus) Paul did not rely on his scholarship, skill, or status, but on the appraising grace of God in Christ.

Paul warned Timothy that his people would encounter teachers and preachers who think they know the law they teach, but who have failed to apply that law to themselves, considering themselves righteous (1 Timothy 1:3-11). By contrast, Paul wanted folks to learn from his example as one who knows his law-breaking heart is being transformed into a law-keeping heart by the mercy of God in Jesus, the Savior (1 Timothy 1:12-16). It is interesting to note that teachers and preachers who fail to apply the Law and the Gospel to themselves will fill the ears and hearts of their hearers with empty, speculative talk (vv. 4, 6). If we focus on the proper proclamation and application of the Law and Gospel, we’ll have no time for “vain discussions” which will never engender a “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (vs. 5).

At the end of his life of preaching and teaching, Paul still stands firm in the appraising grace of Jesus. A man who once called himself the “least of all the apostles” and then the “least of all the saints,” now considers himself the worst of sinners, the one most in need of the good news of God’s grace in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:9, Ephesians 3:8, 1 Timothy 1:15-16). Paul gave Timothy an inside look at what kind of preparation led the aged apostle to be the Church’s premiere preacher/teacher. Paul shows us how to properly apply the Law of God to our hearts, setting them on Jesus as He is offered in the Gospel, aiming them at the studied pursuit of loving God and others, and practicing that faith-expressing-itself-in-love as an example to others.

Think over the teaching and preaching you have offered to others: Has it been filled with the proper application of the Law that leads to powerful proclamation of the Gospel? Do you spend too much time on secondary teachings without laying a solid foundation of the Gospel which is “of first importance” (1 Corinthians 15:3)? Think over your preparation for teaching and preaching: Are you regularly applying the truth and grace of Jesus to your own heart? Can your people look to you as an example of how to do this in their own lives?

Confessions of a Home Church Planter

I've launched a series of posts over on our Riverside Church website called "Confessions of a Home Church Planter" in which I confess that "I have been pursuing a worthy end by the wrong means...."

Over the next few days these "confessions" will give you some insight into the development of our vision for "a family of home churches," plus some thoughts on how we sometimes substitute the church's goal of "conforming to Christ" with a driving desire to "make something happen."

I will close comments here so that you may leave your thoughts there instead.

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part Five

[Read Part One]
[Read Part Two]
[Read Part Three]

[Read Part Four]

Present the Word
How will your preparations transform your presentation?

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezra 7:10

As we’ve seen this week, the heart of teaching and preaching begins and flows from the heart of the teacher or preacher set by faith on the grace of Jesus. John Piper once said to a group of ministers, “The main battle of ministry is in you, not in them. The main battle for my people is in me.” Ezra knew this.

Ezra also made sure that his teaching was not all abstract but accessible as well. He taught the statutes of the Law, its content and broader applications, but he also taught the rules, the application of the Law to specific situations. Our teaching and preaching must do the same. Paul was a master at this. Consider the common structure of epistles such as Ephesians: a lengthy discourse on the Gospel and its broader, Kingdom implications (chapters 1-3) followed by more specific commands that illustrated how the Gospel will and must impact our relationships in marriage, family, community, and at work (chapters 4-6).

Ezra was able to see the transcendent truth of God’s Word make an imminent impact on his listeners because he had allowed it to do so in his own life first. The preachers and teachers whose hearts are prepared and altered by the grace and truth of Jesus will more effectively proclaim and apply that grace and truth to their hearers.

Evaluate the progress of your people in their faith in and practice of the Gospel. How might your progress in faith and practice be affecting theirs?

Coming up next:

Part Six: Standing Firm in Appraising Grace

Together for the Gospel '08 Audio

The folks at Together for the Gospel 2008 have begun posting the audio of the main session speakers. You can find them here. Speakers include: John Piper, R. C. Sproul, Mark Dever, C. J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Albert Mohler.

If this year's messages are as good as the 2006 T4G Conference (scroll down past the 2008 links), then we're in for a treat. The panel discussions were my favorite.

Enjoy!

[HT: Justin Taylor]

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part Four

[Read Part One]

[Read Part Two]

[Read Part Three]

Practice the Word
Are you sharing the content of the Law and Gospel in the context of Law-and-Gospel-driven relationships?

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezra 7:10

“Just do it” may have been a fitting bumper sticker on Ezra’s camel. Ezra studied with the intention of practicing before he preached. Before Ezra taught the people to love God and love others as the Law commanded, he purposed to practice these lessons of love as a living illustration from which the people could learn. As we learned yesterday, Jesus warned His disciples to be wary of leaders who do not practice what they preach. No doubt Jesus would have approved of Ezra’s ministry.

The “Apostle’s teaching” that we proclaim (Acts 2:42) reminds us that though the Law lays out a good and holy path for us to follow, only faith in Jesus as He is presented in the Gospel gives us the feet to walk in love for God and others (Romans 3:19-31; Galatians 5:6). Our people need to hear us teach “faith expressing itself in love” for God and others even as they see us learning to live it. Like Paul, we must give our people “not only the Gospel, but our lives as well” (1 Thessalonians 2:8). People don’t need perfect pastors and teachers, but pastors and teachers who practice believing the very Gospel they preach.

Do your people see you pressing on to obey God by repenting and believing the Gospel? How will you let them learn from your life? What do you ultimately want them to learn from your lessons and life: self-dependent, self-improvement or Spirit-dependent, Gospel-transformation? When was the last time your people saw you repent and believe the Gospel?

Coming up next:

Part Five: Present the Word
Part Six: Standing Firm in Appraising Grace

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part Three

[Read Part One]

[Read Part Two]

Pursue the Word
Are you in hot pursuit of what it means to love God and others?

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezra 7:10

After preparing his heart, Ezra then studied the Law of God. Don’t let the word study mislead you. The Hebrew word indicates not merely the gathering of information about God’s Word but a hot pursuit of the Law of Love for the purpose of transformation. Ezra intensely pursued the Word of God with the intention to practice loving God and others. He was not like the teachers of the Law whom Jesus exposed in Matthew 23:2-3: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.”

If we’re willing to linger in their light, Jesus’ words will expose us, too. Preachers and teachers are prone to pursue God’s Word for the purpose of proclaiming it to others more than for the personal practice of loving God and others. Paul said that the “aim of our instruction is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). We, too, must pursue the transformation of the hearts of both preacher and people, not merely the transmission of head-knowledge from preacher to people.

As you study, are your sights set on powerful preaching more than personal practice? Are you aiming for transformation or merely airing information? How will this understanding of study change the way you prepare to preach or teach this week?

Coming up:
Part Four: Practice the Word
Part Five: Present the Word
Part Six: Standing Firm in Appraising Grace

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part Two

[Read Part One]

Prepare Your Heart
What if the heart of teaching/preaching begins with the heart of the teacher/preacher?

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezra 7:10

Before teaching, Ezra took three preliminary courses of action. Before Ezra presented the Word of God to others he prepared his own heart to pursue and practice that which he would then put forward.

Before he sought to share the Word with others, Ezra set his own heart to seek the Lord. This Hebrew concept of setting, establishing, or directing one’s heart in and toward God is commonly commanded in the Old Testament (Proverbs 21:29; 1 Samuel 7:3; 2 Chronicles 19:3). God holds accountable those who do not “set their hearts” and shows us the disastrous legacy left by spiritual leaders whose hearts are not set in faithfulness to Him (Psalm 78:8; 2 Chronicles 12:14, 20:33). Though we are required to participate, this preparation of the heart is not something that we can do in our own power (Jeremiah 10:23). We must plead with God in prayer to establish our hearts in Him and direct our hearts toward Him (1 Chronicles 29:18; Psalm 119:133). Solomon, whose heart was pulled in a thousand directions, learned from experience how crucial it was to “keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23).

Ezra prepared his heart before he prepared his lessons.

Have you neglected the preparation of your heart in your preparation for teaching or preaching? How does prayer permeate your teaching preparations? How will you improve this practice as you prepare for your next preaching or teaching assignment?

Coming up next:
Part Three: Pursue the Word
Part Four: Practice the Word
Part Five: Present the Word
Part Six: Standing Firm in Appraising Grace

Getting Teens to "Do Hard Things"

I can't wait to read a new book that releases this week. Do Hard Things is written by teenagers for teenagers. Authors/brothers, Brett and Alex Harris comment on the book in the first of a five-part interview on The Point:

"We’re calling our peers to rethink the teen years and rebel against the low expectations society has for young people. The book is really the outgrowth of our conviction that God is doing something huge in our generation. We believe there is so much for to the teen years and to life, and it starts with understanding the way God has created us to grow and thrive: by doing hard things."

[HT: The Point blog]

The Heart of Teaching & Preaching :: Part One

Starting with Appraising Grace
What credentials qualify you to teach and preach the Word of God?

This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him…

For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezra 7:6, 9-10

Like many of us, Ezra was blessed with the responsibility of being the primary teacher of God’s Word in his sphere of influence. But what qualified him for this position of leadership? Did his learning license him to teach the holiest of subjects? No doubt a “scribe” like Ezra was blessed with an excellent education. Was it his proficiency in the pulpit or theological prowess? After all, he is described here as not merely schooled but also “skilled in the Law of Moses.” Or maybe he had the advantage of the resources that attend a prominent position? Perhaps Ezra was qualified because he was recognized by human authorities like the king who “granted him all that he asked.”

I propose that Ezra’s education, expertise, and eminence, though helpful, were not the credentials that ultimately qualified him to teach God’s Word to God’s people. The phrase that Ezra most often uses to describe himself is “the good hand of his God was on him/me” (Ezra 7:6, 9; 8:18, 22, 31). The credential that Ezra counted on most was the firm grip of God’s grace on his life. The same is true for us: the cross is the crux of our teaching credentials.

As you consider your teaching role in the church, what credential do you count on most: your training, your talent, your top billing? Or do you lean most on the love of God?

Coming up next:

Part Two: Prepare Your Heart

Part Three: Pursue the Word

Part Four: Practice the Word

Part Five: Present the Word

Part Six: Standing Firm in Appraising Grace

Advice for New Writers

"Read all the time and write all the time and try to get published all the time. So? You thought it was going to be tangos and martinis and the Pulitzer?"

- Ursula Le Guin [in response to 'What suggestions do you have for new writers?']

[HT: Brandywine Books]

Pray for Your Wife

Last summer I came across a little book called How To Pray for Your Wife: A 31-Day Guide and it has become an important part of my daily prayer life. Mark A. Weathers, a Presbyterian pastor, translated his love for biblical Hebrew into this practical prayer guide for his wife based on Proverbs 31. I have found that praying through this guide for my wife each month changes the way I look at her, think of her, talk to her, and talk about her in front of the children and others.

The following sample from the book is especially timely in light of new research that reveals that having a husband creates more housework for women, while having a wife creates less housework for men (HT: the evangelical outpost):

Day 7: Service

Proverbs 31:14 "She is like trade ships; she brings her food from a great distance."

Explanation

What a great analogy to describe the excellent woman! In this verse she is compared to a fleet of merchant ships that have sailed a great distance to bring back supplies.In today's culture we could use the analogy of supply plane, a fleet of eighteen-wheelers, or even a freight train--all of which travel far and wide to carry supplies.

The woman is undaunted in her service of providing for her family. Whether the children are sick or the husband is at work, the woman goes to great lengths to bring them "her bread" (the literal translation). She delights to serve her family.

Regardless of the time or culture, the role of a servant has never been a popular title. Servants have dirty jobs. Servants get no rest. Yet this is how Christ Jesus continually referred to himself: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ranson for many" (Mark 10:45). The whole drama of Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection is a picture of God traveling a great distance to give us heavenly bread. The role of a servant, therefore, is a Christlike occupation. As a woman serves, she has the great opportunity to reflect the Savior.

Suggested Prayer

1. Lord, as my wife serves the family and me, enable her to see that it is a service rendered for you. Let her service be a sweet offering of praise to you.
2. Father, I know that I am not exempt from serving. On the contrary, as the head of this house it is my responsibility to set the example of service. Help me also to serve joyfully so as to reflect you.
3. As I see my wife "travel" to serve me, let me never take it for granted. Remind me to praise her for her selfless service.

[The book then gives the reader space to write his own prayers for his wife as well as a place to record answers to specific prayers.]

Some of my [Jimmy] suggested uses for the book:

1. You might try it yourself for a month first. Don't tell your
wife that you're doing this. See if she notices how your consistent prayer for her changes the way you love, serve, and honor her.

2. Get a small of group of men to commit together to using the prayer guide for a month. Get together weekly, once in the middle or at the end of the month to discuss what God has done in your heart and your relationship with your wife during the process.

3. Use this book to help disicple a younger man or newlywed in the ways of supporting his wife in prayer. (Pastors: require your pre-marital counselees to use this book during the counseling period before the wedding. Perhaps these soon-to-be-husbands will develop a pattern of persistent prayer for their new brides that will continue after the knot has been tied.)

Raised With Christ

“Jesus Christ did not rise alone. He rose as the head of a whole body of people elected to have faith in him, to benefit from him, and to extend his mission in the world.”

- Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Engaging God’s World (Grand Rapids, Mi.: Eerdmans, 2002), 81.

[HT: Of First Importance]

Interviews with Sinclair Ferguson

Sometimes the best nuggets of truth and words of wisdom are found in interviews and Q & A sessions with authors/teachers/preachers rather than in their lectures. C. J. Mahaney of Soveriegn Grace Ministries has recently interviewed Sinclair Ferguson. I've been listening to the audio of these interviews, basking in the Christ-centered truth and ministry wisdom that flows out of Ferguson as he and Mahaney talk together about the gospel, ministry, preaching, sanctification, and about the centrality of Jesus in all things.

You can find links to the text of these interviews, and/or download the audio files here. It will be well worth your time to do so.

[HT: Sovereign Grace Blog]

Cruciform Ministry of Word and Sacrament

"The public ministry of Word and sacrament is first and foremost a vertical, eschatalogical event of the Spirit's disrupting grace that generates a horizontal extension of covenant succession in history while also drawing in outsiders by that same ministry.

Christ is serving us, building his kingdom, drawing people by his Spirit from the dominion of sin and death, leading them in ever-richer understanding of the gospel, extending that message and acts of love outward to the neighbor. The Triune God is the one creating a new world in the midst of this fading evil age, not simply keeping the old one going or dressing it up in perpetual innovation" (italics mine).

- Michael Horton in "All Crossed Up" (Touchstonemag.com)

[HT: Gospel-Driven Church blog]

Piper on "Preaching What You Don't Feel"

Short and sweet words of wisdom about preaching and the preacher's passion.

[HT: Desiring God Blog]