New HomeWord Page..

On the church website, we've recently added a page devoted to HomeWord with all the audio of each one so far. Here is a summary:

05/2007 God-Glorifying Marriage mp3
06/2007 Introduction to Roles mp3
07/2007 Husband's Role mp3
08/2007 Wife's Role mp3
10/2007 Communication mp3
11/2007 Communication (2) mp3
01/2008 Communication (3) mp3
02/2008 Sex mp3
03/2008 Money mp3

"Hosanna"

On Hillsong United's CD - "All of The Above", there is track called "Hosanna" written by Brooke Fraser. I love the bridge of this song. We are going to be doing it at HomeWord next month. Here are the lyrics:

Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from into eternity

May this be your prayer as well.

Stewing.

Yesterday, I was visiting with a gentleman at Starbucks (enjoying a Vanilla Skinny Latte) and we were discussing methods I employ in studying the Scriptures, so, with pleasure, I reiterated my stew method.

I find it helpful to relate to something as basic as, um, food. Take stew for example. Yeah, you can use ground beef for a quick fix, but stew meat usually takes time to get tender. Then you add in all those flavors and veggies for a rich, full-bodied stew. The longer it cooks, the better it seems to get. Let it cool and reheat it, and you will get a bigger surprise at how good it tastes.

This is the method I use in Bible study. (By the way, I love my new Personal Size Reference ESV.) Anyway, I take a passage and read over it day after day, looking for new gems, asking God to reveal truth to me. I am trying to "throw it on the back burner" for a while. Then I start adding some touches. I will ask questions, like "Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, or what are some questions I have, what are some obvious applications, what does God want me to live by, what does this reveal about God, how does the Gospel square with this?" In the course of this, I am looking at the Greek/Hebrew text to see what nuances emerge. So, things are just coming together on that "back burner." Then I look at commentaries and think about what they see. (This is much like consulting a cookbook. Oh, that's interesting, they used this seasoning or that flavoring in the stew.) Then I let all this steep and stew for a while and what emerges is a text I understand with several directions for living this text. This is the STEW method. It is effective in my life.

SOW - Cravings and Conflict by C.J.

For this week's free audio of the week, I want to keep going on the "conflict" theme and recommend to you C.J. Mahaney's excellent sermon "Cravings and Conflict."

Here's a description from the website:

Are you ready for marriage? If you are already married, is your relationship with your spouse free from strife? There is a relational conflict awaiting you in your immediate future.

C.J. Mahaney opens this session sharing stories about the courtships and engagements of all three of his daughters. Speaking to single adults, C.J. offers some of the premarital counseling he gave to each of his daughters and their fiancés. With James 4:1-2 as his text, he explores the cravings that cause conflict, especially within the context of marriage. Conflict is worse than we think: it reveals the sin in our hearts. In order to end the conflict, we must address our sin and deal with our wrong heart attitudes.

This edition of the message was delivered at New Attitude 2004.

This message had a profound effect on me when I first heard it. We need new eyes to see what exactly causes conflict. We consistently think the problem is others, but this is merely pridefully failing to see the problems that lie within. Listen and be convicted and encouraged.

Conflict an Opportunity?

Here's is a follow up article to Part 1 of my Conflict Marriage Monday series. The article is entitled, "Conflict an Opportunity? I Hate Conflict!" This article, by Ted Kober, highlights how the 4 G's can make all the difference in the world in resolving conflict. Plus, I think many of us don't view conflict as a way of growing in our sanctification. We view it as sin spiraling out of control. God has bigger plans for your conflicts, though. Check out this article.

MM - Conflict (1)

For the next few weeks on Mondays, as part of my Marriage Monday segment, I am going to be addressing the subject of conflict. For many of my posts, I will be quoting from Ken Sande's excellent book, The Peacemaker. Ken serves in a ministry called Peacemaker Ministries. This ministry also blogs at the Route 5:9 Blog.

In introducing us to the subject of peacemaking, Ken writes:

This book is designed to help you become this kind of peacemaker. It provides a simple yet comprehensive approach to resovling conflict. Because this approach is based solidly on God's Word, it is effective in every type of conflict. It has been used not only to resolve the normal differences of daily life, but also to stop divorces, prevent church splits, and settle multimillion dollar lawsuits. This approach to resolving conflict may be summarized in four basic principles, which I refer to as the "Four G's."

Glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31). Biblical peacemaking is motivated and guided by a deep desire to bring honor to God by revealing the reconciling love and power of Jesus Christ. As we draw on His grace, follow His example, and put His teachings into practice, we can find freedom from the impulsive, self-centered decisions that make conflict worse, and bring praise to God by displaying the power of the Gospel in our lives.

Get the log out of your eye (Matt. 7:5). Attacking others only invites counterattacks. This is why Jesus teaches us to face up to our own contributions to a conflict before we focus on what others have done. When we overlook others' minor offenses and honestly admit our own faults, our opponents will often respond in kind. As tensions decrease, the way may be opened for sincere discussion, negotiation, and reconciliation.

Gently restore (Gal. 6:1). When others fail to see their contributions to a conflict, we sometimes need to graciously show them their fault. If they refuse to respond appropriately, Jesus calls us to involve respected friends, church leaders, or other objective individuals who can help us encourage repentance and restore peace.

Go and be reconciled(Matt. 5:24). Finally, peacemaking involves a commitment to restoring damaged relationships and negotiating just agreements. When we forgive others as Jesus has forgiven us and seek solutions that satisfy others' interests as well as our own, the debris of conflict is cleared away and the door is opened for genuine peace.

Isn't this material already a breath of fresh air for what many of us experience in conflict or disagreement. Someone upsets us, so we feel like it is our God-given right to let them know why we are upset. Here, we are given an orientation that is explicitly God-centered and suspicious of our own selfish hearts. We may feel compelled to go to someone, but do we do that gently. And finally, what is needed to achieve reconciliation. I can honestly see that I have both failed to give correction in a way that was motivated by the glory of God and suspicious of my own heart. I have failed to do this gently. And I haven't worked out good reconciliation. Therefore, I need reminded of this material. I hope in these coming weeks, it will be helpful to you as well.

Keller @ Google...

In case you haven't seen it, there is also this video of Tim Keller recently speaking at Google. In it, Keller explains much of his new book and fields some Q & A time.

Sin Lost?

USA Today has an article asking, "Has the 'notion of sin' been lost?" Among those weighing in are: the Pope, Al Mohler, Joel Osteen, Michael Horton, Mark Driscoll and Tim Keller. Check it out.

(HT: JT)

Wrestling Within...

God has been so gracious to turn the light on in my soul spiritually today. I was stirred by Lloyd-Jones chapter "The Mortification of Sin" in Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. It is so easy to just coast spiritually. What I mean by that is that we settle into the groove that discipline can so easily create. I am reading the Bible, praying and doing good reading and sermon work, but my heart isn't necessarily engaged into the deep, holy, heart-stirring truth I am encountering. Lloyd-Jones urges a vigilance, a fight with this kind of thinking.

I was also hearing the audio I recommended yesterday and how C.J., Jeff, and Josh were speaking of the pastor's care for his soul. C.J. came right out and said that the best way we as pastors can lead and care for the flocks entrusted to us is by keeping our hearts with all diligence. We have to guard our hearts against both sin and weak affections. I was really encouraged, for instance, to be more diligent in prayer. I go through so much of my ministerial day just coasting. I am not casting my cares on God. I am seeking to solve problems and diagnose heart problems with my own finite understanding. When I do this, I am forgetting that I am an undershepherd under THE SHEPHERD. Again, C.J. said it is only on HIS shoulders that the government rests. I wasn't called to shoulder the burden primarily. I was called to take burdens and cast them on the Lord. I do have a role, but must keep it in its proper perspective.

The cumulative effect of these things in my life today is much spiritual encouragement. I feel the fire returning deep within. (I have also been able to catch up on sleep after an tremendously busy season.) I am thankful to God for His grace and wanted to encourage those of you who might go through seasons like this (because we all do). God hasn't abandoned you. Receive the struggle He is allowing in your life as a means of grace to draw you back to Him. You'll find Him there waiting to bring the prodigal home.

Keller's Reason for God...

Just finished Tim Keller's Reason for God today. I thought it was a very helpful piece and really gets to the heart of some presuppositions that we have all brought to the table at times when we doubt or don't completely understand the claims of Christianity. This is the real strength of Keller's work. He seems to know the pulse and questions that those who distrust certain elements of Christianity find difficult. I would commend the book as one worthy of attention.

Audio - New Sov Grace Leadership Podcast...

We've been given some teasers (here and here) about the release of this. Now, it is finally available for download. This interview's theme is "The Pastor and His Soul" and is going to be well worthy your time.

Easter Teaser...

If you want something to whet your appetite for this Sunday, my good friend, Brad Russell, recommends checking out Piper's 8 Reasons Why I Believe That Jesus Rose From the Dead.

MM - Heart Strings...

As we think today, again, about our marriages, I have been reminded this weekend about my heart and the way it plays with my emotions and physical well-being. The heart responds to conflict (whether "good" or "bad" conflict) by interpreting the circumstances and reacting according. In their book, How People Change, Paul Tripp and Timothy Lane describe this stage as thorns or how do you react?/what do you want and believe? In commenting on this, they write:

You and I are never passive. We always respond to the Heat (or Rain) in our lives. Maybe it's a tough boss or a crazy extended family, a rebellious child or a chronic sickness. Maybe it's a new career opportunity or a newly acquired inheritance. Whatever it is; the Bible helps us see how we react to the Heat in our hearts and our outward behavior. It reminds us that sinners respond to the fallen world sinfully, and each reaction yields a harvest of consequences.

Thorns are about the Biblical category of "fleshly wisdom," those foolish responses that come all too naturally to us when hard things happen. Someone speaks unkindly to us, so we let our bitterness grow. Something unexpected happens and we respond by denying, avoiding, blaming, or seeking to take control. Negative things come our way and we allow ourselves to doubt God and let our participation in worship and ministry wane. We are blessed with unexpected money and we spend it on ourselves. We don't get the raise we thought we deserve, so we work halfheartedly.

Scripture makes it clear thse responses are not forced upon us by the pressures of the situation. What I do comes from inside me. The things that happen to me will influence my responses but never determine them. Rather, these responses flow out of the thoughts and motives of my heart. This is why you can have five people in the same situation with five different responses!

There is so much wisdom in these words. Our hearts are revealed in how we respond and handle difficult situations. In marriage then (or any interpersonal relationship for that matter) we need to be concerned about our own hearts and how events coming our way are being interpreted and actions are happening accordingly. Our hearts are at the center of this. Labor to have a heart, then, that glorifies God.

Gospel & Ministry...

A recent article by Rich Richardson at the NA Blog asks some great questions about the Gospel's influence into the everyday facets of life. It's entitled Gospel & Ministry.

(HT: Thabiti)

Success Is Faithfulness...

I'm slowly reading through Kent and Barbara Hughes' book Liberating Ministry From the Success Syndrome. In chapter 3, Success Is Faithfulness, they are talking about how Moses effectively "ministered" by providing water from the rock. All of earth seemed to suggest that this ministry was effective. The problem came in that God had commanded Moses to speak to the rock, not strike it. Moses had disobeyed. After relaying this narrative, Kent and Barbara write:

This tremendous lesson from the life of Moses teaches us that one can be regarded as hugely successful in the ministry and yet be a failure. It is possible to give people exactly what they need--the practical exposition of God's Word, inspiring worship, programs that wonderfully meet human needs--and yet be a failure. It is possible to be held up as a paragon of success and to receive the ardent accolades of one's people and be a failure.

I wonder how much of our ministries are successful not because of faithfulness to God and what He's called us to do, but because we have pragmatic success. It is easy to be driven by pragmatism and think that because good things are happening, we are successful. God, however, has a different standard. May God make us faithful.

Money Help...

Tomorrow night at HomeWord, we are going to be looking at issues that relate to money in marriage. One resource I will be highlighting is Randy Alcorn's excellent work, Money, Possessions and Eternity.

You can read more information about Randy Alcorn, his ministry, and some good free online resources at his website: Eternal Perspective Ministries.

ESV Bibles...

Since making a transition in my pulpit ministry to the English Standard Version, I have had numerous people come to me looking for study Bibles or other versions of the ESV. Most stores don't carry this version and some wonder why. Well, if you are considering purchasing an ESV, you may hustle over to Westminster Books, where you can get a 45% off discount on ESVs. (Oh, and they have consistent $5 shipping no matter what you buy, delivered to your doorstep by UPS.)

Blog Readability....

Chris Elrod recommendeded taking the blog readability test. Evidently, my posts are at this level:

I really don't know what this means. Maybe I need to write in a different fashion. Oh, well, I hope I'm being of service.

New Blog To Check Out...

My good friend, Conor Eastman, has a new blog called simplify. glorify. Check it out and expect good things from him.

MM / SOW: Fighting the Fear of Man...

For today's Marriage Monday post, I am also combining with my free audio recommendation to commend to you a sermon by C.J. Mahaney entitled Overcoming the Fear of Rejection. This sermon is a free download from Sovereign Grace Ministries. This sermon is also part of a larger series entitled Overcoming the Fear of Man.

The Sov Grace website gives the following description:

Does a fear of rejection dictate your life and bind you? It can be overcome. The Bible says that fear of man is a snare--one you don’t want constraining you.

Beginning with examples from his own life, C.J. Mahaney shares what the fear of man looks like. He defines it as an “excessive, sinful concern about what others think of us--an inordinate desire for human approval or an intense feeling of being rejected.” He leads his listeners in discerning if the fear of man rules in their lives.

What I found especially convicting and provoking was about the 20 minute mark when C.J. asked something to the effect of "Do you children see in you a passion for God, family and the local church? or do they see passion for other things?" This sermon, then, has some great application for our parenting. I think, also, though, even if you don't have children, your marriage could benefit by learning the harmful excesses in which the fear of man can raise its head.

Fight the fear of man by availing yourself to God's grace in this sermon.

Love & Marriage a la Luther...

Justin Taylor has written an article for Boundless.org entitled "Love & Marriage: Luther Style".

Memoirs of An Ordinary Pastor

I read Memoirs of An Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson (visit this link to read the intro and chapter 1) in 2 days and couldn't hardly put it down. (C.J.'s review is online as well.) This book is the biography of D.A. Carson's father, Tom Carson, who was a pastor in Quebec. This fascinating story had at least 3 effects upon me:

1) I was encouraged in my pastoral labor. This book is filled with the details of how Tom Carson visited and cared for the people to whom God had entrusted him. It also outlines some ways in which Tom sought to care for his family in family worship and encourage them in ministry.

2) I was encouraged in my current calling. While many in modern evangelicalism feel the need to flee to other and better things once the greener pastures call, Tom Carson's faithfulness for the rather small (numerically) field to which God had called him is a good picture of what God normally does in the lives of pastors. God calls us to faithfulness. He calls us and isn't luring us away with more money, more people, or more opportunity (those are worldly things). Christ calls us to follow Him, not the world, as we do that, we can achieve faithfulness in our calling no matter the size of the congregation, the pay they offer, or the opportunity it affords.

3) I was encouraged to faithfulness through thick and thin. Tom Carson had his measure of trials. I was amazed, though, that during one especially critical season, he maintained godliness to such a degree that D.A. didn't learn of his father's involvement in a specific spat until he was in seminary in a history course. This just floors me. This is amazing faithfulness.

I would encourage this read, not only for pastors, but for anyone longing to drawn closer to God Himself. You will be encouraged in faithfulness. And, with only 160 or so pages, this book moves quickly. Enjoy!

The Church at its strongest...

Tim Challies recently blogged on some discussion (including audio) of how Mark Driscoll was sharpened by the friendship, accountability, and encouragement of C.J. Mahaney and John Piper at the recent Resurgence conference.

This brought back a lot of thoughts as to how a healthy view of the local church is so helpful. We often think that people are just being nosy when they give us a good word, but we need to learn to embrace criticism as a gift from God to strengthen us spiritually. A new resource available in blogdom is the blog of Peacemaker Ministries entitled Route 5:9 as in Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers). These helpful posts can encourage your view of the church to be what God intends for it to be.

Free Audio: Shepherd's Conference...

The Shepherd's Conference begins today and main sessions are live-streamed online for free. John MacArthur is the first speaker. The Shepherd's Fellowship has more info, including the link to the stream.

Destroying Women's Ministry?

Over at the Resurgence, Wendy Alsup writes about how to ruin a women's ministry. Among other things, if you would like to have a negative impact on effective ministry building, she cites:

1) Make women's ministry your first priority.
2) Become territorial.
3) Resent your God-given authority structure.
4) Ignore the issues or stages of life that you haven't experienced personally.

(HT: Challies)

9 Marks EJournal - March/April 08

The new 9Marks EJournal for March/April 08 is online. It includes some helpful articles on cooperation in preparation for T4G.

Founders MW Wrap Up...

Sorry, but I never posted anything from the conference last week.

Said at Southern had a summary of the conference. They also linked to a live blog of each session by Terry Delaney, which would provide a good overview of each session:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Terry's Reflections

Some things that stuck out to me which I'll remember:
- Seeing my professors from MoBap. Curtis McClain and Terry Chrisope had such a huge impact on me during my college days. It was great to get to see them again.
- Fellowshipping with men. Along with the men from my group (which I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with and appreciated their patience in going to so many bookstores with me) I got to fellowship with old friends (I was on staff at FBC St. Peters, the host church, from 94-96) and new ones.
- Tony Mattia's bio of Christmas Evans and warning against Sandemanianism. I love biographies and was so encouraged to be introduced to Christmas Evans. Sandemanianism is a heresy alive and well today. I need to beware of it.
- The atonement drives me to humility.
- The atonement should be proclaimed to all.

This was a great conference and very encouraging.

Piper on the Christian and Sin...

I was listening this morning to Piper's sermon from February 24th entitled, Everyone Who Is Born of God Overcomes the World. This sermon was especially moving at one part as Piper exposed with detail how a Christian views sin after Christ saves them. He said:

He says in 1 John 1:8-10, “If we say we have no sin [present tense], we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins [present tense], he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” So John is at pains to say that “walking in the light” (1:7) does not mean walking flawlessly. It means that, when you stumble, the light of Christ causes you to see it and hate it and confess it and move forward with Christ.

This isn't in his manuscript, but in the audio version Piper compared this to holding something nice and cozy in the dark, only to have the light turn on and see that its a roach or a scorpion or a tarantula. The light of the Gospel helps us see sin for what it really is. Are you fighting sin because Jesus lights the way?

Post #500!

Well, after some time blogging, I have finally reached post #500. It is some sort of milestone I suppose, but I am just happy to have the privelage of allowing my life to surface and be stored. May all that you read here continue to edify you to God's glory.

MM - Jesus On Marriage's Permanence...

Here is Jesus (for today's Marriage Monday segment) from Mark 10:1-12 (ESV):

Teaching About Divorce
10:1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” 5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus wants you to pursue marriage for life. He doesn't want you opting out if it doesn't work. He wants you to embrace the Gospel as a means for strengthening your marriage and deepening your walk with Him. This text was the text for my sermon yesterday, entitled Marriage Is For Life. Let the truth of Jesus' words settle on you and embrace marriage for life.