Gospel Fluency

This is nearly four hours of material, but I found a wealth of wisdom here that I will probably be referring back to:

Gospel Fluency - Jeff Vanderstelt from Living Stones on Vimeo.

What is the Gospel - Jeff Vanderstelt from Living Stones on Vimeo.

Q & A Part 1- Jeff Vanderstelt from Living Stones on Vimeo.

Q & A Part 2 - Jeff Vanderstelt from Living Stones on Vimeo.

Christians & Public Schools

Tim Challies linked to this article today, about the role of Christians in the public schools.

From my experience, talking about how Christians educate our children can be a volatile subject. I think that's unfortunate, and also unnecessary. When Christians root their identity in their Savior and in the gospel of His grace, I believe there will be civil conversation on this subject, even when there might be strong disagreement.

So give it a read and let me know what you think of it. Even if you're committed to a form of schooling other than the public schools, I think there's some thought-provoking material here.

The 4 G's & Busyness

In Tim Chester's new book, A Meal with Jesus, he applies "the 4 G's" (4 liberating truths about God that Chester unfolds in this book, You Can Change) to the subject of busyness. Chester's conviction is that many Christians fail to engage in Christ's mission because they believe they are too busy. Yet we often fail to examine why were are busy. Chester presses us to consider:

• You may be too busy because you're insecure and need to control life. But God is great and cares for you as a sovereign heavenly Father.

• You may be too busy because you fear other people, and so you can't say no. But God is glorious, and His opinion is the one that matters.

• You may be too busy because you're filling your life with activity in a desperate attempt to find satisfaction. But God is good, and the true source of joy.

• You may be too busy because you're trying to prove yourself through your work or ministry. But God is gracious and justifies you freely through Christ's finished work.

What keeps you busy? Which one of these liberating truths about God can free you from the tyranny of busyness so that you can abandon yourself to the mission of making Christ known?

The Conspiracy

I finished reading Stephen Altrogge's new book on contentment over the weekend, and I highly recommend. Here's the premise of the book:

"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.

There's a ton of wisdom in Stephen's little book. If I could live in these realities 24/7, I'd be an amazingly immovable person.

Psalm 131

This morning I read Psalm 131; I was moved, challenged and encouraged by this little meditation. It reminded me of a reflection I read on this Psalm awhile back from David Powlison. In Powlison's words:

Here’s Anti-Psalm 131:

Self,

my heart is proud (I’m absorbed in myself),
and my eyes are haughty (I look down on other people),
and I chase after things too great and too difficult for me.

So of course I’m noisy and restless inside, it comes naturally,

like a hungry infant fussing on his mother’s lap,
like a hungry infant, I’m restless with my demands and worries.
I scatter my hopes onto anything and everybody all the time.

Contrast that with the real Psalm 131:

O Lord,

my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

So which Psalm describes your heart today?

Being the Church

I love the vision these guys have out in Tacoma, Washington:

Soma Communities - Tacoma, WA from Verge Network on Vimeo.

I long to quit going to church, and to start being the church.

What do you talk about most?

D.A. Carson (source: message, "Is the Culture Shaping Us or Are We Shaping the Culture?"):

If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

Best Basketball Finish Ever

College hoops fans, nothing you'll see tonight in Houston could compare with this ending from a few years back in the Division 2 championship:

Good Question, Good Answer

"Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and He volunteered" - R.C. Sproul, Jr.

Rob Bell's New Book

The blogosphere is blowing up with talk about Rob Bell's new book Love Wins, which releases tomorrow. I'm hoping to find the time to read this review of the book from Kevin DeYoung.

Functional Blindness

Another reflection from A Shelter in the Time of Storm, this one on Psalm 27:4, "...to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord...":

I would like to think
that others are blind,
but I am not.
I would like to think
that I have
clarity of vision,
a penetrating insight
that lights my way.
I am good
at recognizing
the sight problems of others.
I am skilled
at pointing out
the gaps in their vision
and the blind spots
that alter how they
see
and the way they
respond.
I would like to
believe
that I have 20/20 vision,
but the evidence points
to the sad fact that
I don't.
I have the stunning ability
to look around
and not see You.
I see my
busy schedule
tasks to complete
problems to solve
people to see
demands to be met
things to repair
pressures to face
temptations to fight
pleasures to consume
things to build
things to tear down
plans to make
difficulties to survive
huge responsibilities
and short days.
I gaze at my life
every day
and again and again I fail
to see You.
It is a scary
reality,
humbling to admit.
Though this world
is filled with
Your glory,
I exist
so much of the time
glory blind.
In Your love
You created a world
that is a sight and sound
display
of Your magnificent
glory.
No matter from what perspective
we're looking,
no matter what vista
we're taking in,
no matter
where we're standing
and which way
we're gazing,
Your glory is visible
and evident.
Yet, again and again
I fail to see
your beauty.
So I seek Your
healing
one more time.
Please place Your
powerful hands
on my broken eyes
and give me sight again.
Please place Your
powerful hands
on my wayward heart
and make it seek again.
Don't let me be
so blinded
with me and mine,
that I fail to see
You.
For it's only
when my eyes
see Your
beauty,
and my heart
is filled with Your
glory
that I'll quit
seeking
identity
meaning
satisfaction
purpose
fulfillment
and life,
where it can't be found.
So I would pray
this simple prayer,
"Please touch me by
Your grace
so that there'll never
be a day
where I haven't
somehow
someway
gazed upon
Your beauty."

Humbled

In Job 38, God finally addresses Job after 35 chapters of Job and his friends' speculations about God. God's address unfolds in a series of questions: Have you...? Can you...? Do you know...? Were you there when...?

I think the response God is seeking is pretty clear: No God, I have not. No, I cannot. No, I do not know. No, I was not there. You are God; I am not.

So grant me the grace, Father, to have a heart that is humbled and at rest before You. Give me joy in embracing the reality that I am not God.

Church Membership & Love

Some time in the near future I'm hoping to listen to this sermon by Jonathan Leeman on the subject of church membership and love.

The Goodness of God

Paul Tripp:

Being confident of the goodness of the Lord shouldn't be confused with an assumption that because God is good, he will give me the things I've set my heart on. In his grace, God is freeing you from the small confines of your little definition of what is good so that you can experience the huge and satisfying good that he has planned for you...Grace invites me to good that I could never have imagined, deserved or earned.

So what's your definition of "the good life"?

The Bible is Precious

Thankful to JT for this wonderful reminder. Let's strive with all God's strength to never become numb to the gift of the Scriptures: