By PastorJohn on
6/26/2009 8:48 AM
As some of you know, Christine and I don't have cable and only watch videos on our television. Given my natural propensity for watching mindless shows in large doses, this has been a very important decision for our family. And when I'm away on vacation and suddenly have access to TV, I'm reminded over again why we have forsaken the Tube, and why many believers should seriously consider doing the same. (NOTE: I would never say must since there is nothing inherently evil about television...and TV is not a stumbling block for everyone....though it most certainly is for me). Still, how wonderful it would be to pull the plug and use our time and money in much more profitable ways. To help further this case, may I recommend two articles that I came across the other day:
John Piper: Why I dont' have a television and r
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By PastorJohn on
6/25/2009 9:14 PM
You may not even have been aware of this, but our Southern Baptist Convention just finished up their annual meeting down in Louisville, Kentucky. The most significant and potentially transformative measure was the adoption of the Great Commission Resurgence. This is a Ten-article document that challenges SBC churches and agencies to make the following commitments:
- A Commitment to Christ’s Lordship. We call upon all Southern Baptists to submit to the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ in all things at the personal, local church, and denominational levels. (Col. 1:18; 3:16-17, 23-24)
- A Commitment to Gospel-Centeredness. We call upon all Southern Baptists to make the gospel of Jesus Christ central in our lives, our churches, and our convention ministries. (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:17-21)
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By PastorJohn on
6/19/2009 8:33 PM
Bob Kauflin, one of my favorite songwriters, gives three answers in this video. To sum up:
- Singing helps us remember important truths about God.
- Singing stirs up our affections for God.
- Singing on earth anticipates the singing in Heaven.
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By PastorJohn on
6/18/2009 3:22 PM
Just finished listening to a very insightful and helpful broadcast on the great difference between sharing the Gospel with people and sharing our personal testimonies. If you get a chance, take a listen over at the White Horse Inn.
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By PastorJohn on
6/16/2009 10:00 PM
As Christians, we talk much about faith...or at least, we ought to talk much about faith. But sometimes, we are not always clear about what we mean by "faith". This is where the Saints of old can help us greatly. One of my favorite descriptions is from Martin Luther in his preface to the Romans. In fact, this is a text I have quoted several times from the pulpit:
Faith is not that human illusion and dream that some people think it is. When they hear and talk a lot about faith and yet see that no moral improvement and no good works result from it, they fall into error and say, "Faith is not enough. You must do works if you want to be virtuous and get to heaven." The result is that, when they hear the Gospel, they stumble and make for themselves with their own powers a concept in their hearts which says, "I believe." This concept they hold to be true faith. But since it is a human fabrication and thought a
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By PastorJohn on
6/11/2009 10:38 AM
I’ve been hearing (and at times feeling) a lot of concern lately about the many internal and external threats to Western Civilization and Christianity. According to some reports, Muslims have a birthrate that is four times as high as Westerners and they are flooding into Europe and North America. The homosexual movement is gaining traction across the country and influencing large segments of our population (especially our young people). Add to this, a few extremely vocal and well-publicized atheists like Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins and throw in politicians and a secular media for good measure, and it feels like a full scale attack on the Church. It’s at this moment that I’m so thankful for Saint Augustine.
In 410 AD, the Great City of Rome was sacked by the Visigoths (an East Germanic tribe). Fear swept across the Empire. The security of every Roman citizen was shaken, and Christians began to wonder what would become o
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By PastorJohn on
6/8/2009 6:01 PM
Congratulations to our Associate Pastor Doug Dobbins, who after nearly two hours of questioning from our congregation, emerged unscathed and officially ordained for Gospel Ministry! Doug handled himself with grace and a keen understanding of the Scriptures, answering questions on the role and worth of women, the meaning of "tongues" as a spiritual gift, the eternal security of believers, the method and meaning of baptism and even the place of "dark matter" in the universe...Though he feared being too "convoluted", Doug was actually quite clear and helpful in his answers.
About 8:00 pm, we dismissed the candidate and the members of MSBC were finally ready to cast their ballots. There was no controversy and the final tally was 27 Yea and 0 Nay. What remains is an official presentation of the good Reverend Dobbins on Father's Day (June 21st) during the morning worship. Doug's parents will be flying in from Texas to join in the celeb
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By PastorJohn on
6/6/2009 8:30 PM
I had a chance to take Christine and Daniel to see "Up" the other day. This is the latest Disney Pixar film and like its predecessers it is a great movie. But not for the reasons you might expect.
The movie was funny and had some exciting sequences, but not nearly as many as other Disney classics. What made "Up" so memorable was the relationship that developed between Carl (an 80-year-old widower) and Russell (a child from a broken home). It is a moving depiction of the difference a man (of any age) can make in the life of a boy. And this theme comes through loud and clear even amongst the talking dogs, flying houses and fight-scenes involving walkers and false teeth!
So, let me just say that this movie is definitely worth your time and money (though don't bother spending extra on 3-D). Kids will enjoy it, but I think this should be required viewing for every retired man in the church, especially for those tryi
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By PastorJohn on
6/4/2009 7:00 PM
For anyone interested in the great works of the Puritan writers, check out puritanlibrary.com. This site contains many free downloadable books. Nourish your soul and save some cash... truly, the best of both worlds!
Two of my all-time favorite works are available: The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes and The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by Walter Marshall. Take a look and please let us know your favorites.
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By PastorJohn on
6/3/2009 12:35 PM
For those of you keeping track (or trying to keep up) with the Book of the Month Challenge, we should have finished Pleasures of God, The Cross of Christ, Turning Points, and City of God. Unfortunately, I find myself one month behind schedule. As it stands, I just opened Augustine’s City of God yesterday and I have a feeling (given that it’s 1100 pages long!) that I won’t be able to catch up this month. What will make the reading that much slower is that Augustine’s insight are brilliant and worthy of reflection.
Take for example, his description of the sufferings of the good and the wicked. In this first section of City of God, he’s trying to explain that the sack of Rome by the barbarians in 410 a.d. was not because the Roman Empire had turned away from their pagan roots and embraced Christianity (as some of the leaders in Rome were declaring). In fact, suffering c
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By PastorJohn on
6/1/2009 10:23 PM
Grover just sent me this link to what looks like a very helpful 5-part series on doing short-term missions. Here are the titles to the blogposts from Desiring God:
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