tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237776302024-03-18T22:21:50.065-06:00Happy in Grace<i>Comments on Biblical Fidelity and Life from a Happy Recipient of Grace.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-42565062914983118252018-08-04T22:34:00.001-06:002018-08-04T22:34:14.428-06:00The Greatest News <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lPmY7JRM6mA" width="459"></iframe><br /><br />
Without a doubt. this is the greatest news in all the world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-46036708038043875982014-12-28T13:18:00.001-06:002014-12-28T13:18:01.054-06:00Don't Rip Off the Young People in Your Church!I once heard the testimony of a man who had grown up in a church that was very contemporary in its music style. After graduating and gowing away to college he visited a church that sang more of the old hymns. It angered him, but he wasn't angry that the music was old. He was angry because until then he had no idea that the Church had such a rich tradition of hymns. He felt that his home church had ripped him off because all they ever sang were the new choruses. <div><br></div><div>I'm NOT arguing that we ought to sing only hymns, nor am I arguing that we should sing hymns in the same style as in the 1950's. What I'm saying is that we shouldn't cut ourselves off from the past as if somehow we finally learned how to worship when Matt Redman or Hillsong started writing music. We have an ancient tradition of hymns that goes back for literally millennia! The richness of these song connects the ages of the Church. We can sing the old songs and know we are a part of something that goes back long before we were born. Something that will still be around long after we're gone. The most important thing about our time of worship is not what makes a church unique, but what makes faithful churches the same across ages of time and diverse cultures. </div><div><br></div><div>What I'm advocating is singing the old songs in a new way. There are many today who endeavor to do this very thing. I'm not able to list them all here, but I will share one of my favorites--Indellible Grace. http://www.igracemusic.com </div><div><br></div><div>In the 90's there seemed to be much more talk about "worship wars" where people divides over the labels of traditional and contemporary. I don't think "either or" is a healthy way to think about the issue. The music of the church MUST always be contemporary. It must be music that connects with the congregation. The music of the church MUST also be traditional--not in style, but in substance. Christianity is a faith that is defined by the passing on of a body of doctrine from one generation to the next. We are fools if we think we can divorce ourselves from the ancient hymns and not be missing out. The worship wheel does not have to be reinvented in every generation. In fact, to think it does is a recipe for idolatry. </div><div><br></div><div>I urge you, if you are reading this, to take the time to connect with the old hymns of church history. Don't sing them in a dry and boring manner. Sing them in your own style and in the language of your own culture.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-33870314382773777282014-12-23T09:59:00.001-06:002014-12-24T21:57:54.649-06:00My Life: A Hallmark Movie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bO4QhCM3cbMWpm0Se9foLIRHh1PmV_lExR-OAXn6JtTl8EgOOeqQ3etzwWUZNqLnka3ohvPM8bALAf2MdRHqV_Mph8EGMeGWdeE1ySd1P0YdBi4O6WZOnlBy462oYQHsr5cMpA/s640/blogger-image--1677042568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bO4QhCM3cbMWpm0Se9foLIRHh1PmV_lExR-OAXn6JtTl8EgOOeqQ3etzwWUZNqLnka3ohvPM8bALAf2MdRHqV_Mph8EGMeGWdeE1ySd1P0YdBi4O6WZOnlBy462oYQHsr5cMpA/s640/blogger-image--1677042568.jpg"></a></div>With the timing of my move home, I can't shake the feeling that I've seen a Hallmark holiday movie with some parallels. A man hits hard times and moves to his hometown just before Christmas. He reunites with old friends or has some breakthrough of self discovery. Maybe you've seen a story like this too. <div><br></div><div>While I cannot predict what may happen in the coming year, I can't help but face it with optimistic expectation that something good will come, and not just because it always does in the Hallmark movies. I have eager hope because of the gospel. I have hope because of Christmas and the incarnation. Because God became an infant human child, I have hope. A light has shown in the darkness! I must trust that God is good and is working my life together for my good and His glory. I may not necessarily see the physical blessings I hope for this year, but I wait with an eager hope that I will know Jesus better in the coming year whether it be through tangible blessing or identifying with his suffering. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-27398721008191911732014-12-20T17:57:00.001-06:002014-12-22T21:46:36.856-06:00Thankful to Be WorkingWell, we are pretty well moved in. On December 1, my family of 5 moved in with my parents in Pocahontas, IL. For the last 2 1/2 years we've been in Kansas City, MO, and I've been working on a PhD. How did we get where we are? I have to admit that is because I've made decisions based on fear. In 2012, I came to realize that teaching middle school was not what I was cut out for, so my last good job came to an end. I was at a loss of what to do. I was frantically looking for any job I could find that could replace my income, but could find nothing. On a friends suggestion I looked into Midwestern's PhD program and got accepted. Though it probably wasn't a good financial move, we went--largely because I was fearful. Jobs were provided, but nothing EVER materialized that would provide sufficiently for our family. After 2 1/2 years in the program I took a semester off to seriously look for better work and still nothing. A good friend finally spoke the truth to me in love and said it looked like we were probably going to have to move in with my parents--which we now have. <div><br></div><div>I'm 36 years old, and I'm finding out that life just hasn't worked out like I've planned. I trust that God is good. In spite of the difficulty we have faced we have also experienced many blessings. </div><div><br></div><div>In Kansas City, Amy has developed one of the closest friendships she has had since we've been married. I've also made many friends and I have grown further on my journey of self discovery. </div><div><br></div><div>Employment has been a major struggle for me. I always get lots of recognition for a job well done. Last Christmas I even got a thank you card sent to my home from my team leadership to recognize my good work. But all that verbal affirmation would never translate to career advancement! </div><div><br></div><div>I made my interest known, that I desired to advance into management, but it never went anywhere. I've been given other explanations, but I'm convinced that they stem from the root of the fact that I'm seriously over qualified! </div><div><br></div><div>Just consider, like I've said, I have two master's degrees and some post graduate study. So why would my employee want to risk the expense of training me for management? They know they can't pay me what I'm worth, and that I'll be gone as soon as I have a better opportunity comes. The tough part is that NO BETTER OPPORTUNITIES HAVE COME! I'm still hanging from a ledge hoping I can improve my situation and I'm stuck doing jobs that don't even require a high school degree! Oh well, as the title of this post says. I'm thankful to be working. I'd rather work for $9 and something than be unemployed. God is good. At least we have somewhere to go. We have a great relationship with our families. Many who suffer homelessness are there because they literally don't have any family to take them in or their relationships are strained to the point that they would not be welcome. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm trying to keep hope. I believe I am worth a salary that I can support my family with. I just have to find an employer in can convince of that too.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Edwardsville Edwardsville38.783243 -89.948826tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-76996217349983846132014-12-19T11:37:00.001-06:002014-12-19T11:37:56.940-06:00I'm a Free AgentI hereby declare that I am a free agent. In sports this term refers to an athlete who's contract has expired with a team and is available for negotiations with other teams. I have no contract to expire, but I want to take a different approach in my employment negotiations. Typically I've approached employers with the attitude that I'm powerless and my only option is to take what they are willing to give--but I think I can do better. I graduated magna cum laude with my BA. I have two masters degrees and some post graduate study. I have a strong work ethic. I'm dependable, teachable, and a quick learner. I think I'm worth more than barely above minimum wage, and at the mercy of my employer for the few hours I can get! So if there is anyone reading this out there who is looking to hire and think they can make me an offer good enough that I can put food on my table, please message me. I'll make it worth your while if you make it worth mine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-31978770444257634392014-11-22T23:16:00.000-06:002018-08-04T21:10:33.701-06:00A Brief Review of Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My whole family went to see Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas on the night the movie was released. It was the first time we had all gone together to the movies since our son Josh, who had just turned four, was born.<br />
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As a whole, I liked the movie. I found it to be a good positive argument for why Christians should embrace the celebration of Christmas. However, that very thing may be the movie's downfall. In this review I'll share two of the weaknesses to the film, and I will end with stating what I appreciate about it.<br />
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<b>Weaknesses:</b><br />
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1. <b>There wasn't a story.</b> Good movies are driven by a good story. Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous were all movies that were driven by stories. They connected with audiences on an emotional level in so far as they told a believable story. Saving Christmas was not driven by a story. Rather, it was driven by a theological argument--with a story as window dressing.<br />
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2. <b>It is an insider's Movie. </b>As noted above, the movie was explicitly aimed at Christians. It seems that there was no attempt to hide this within the movie itself. One of the examples of this is the fact that the character of Kirk's brother-in-law is named Christian. I think this must have been very intentional. At one point, Kirk was making a statement to Christian about why all the modern trappings of Christmas are really about Jesus. His argument was addressed to "Christian," his brother-in-law; it's not too much to say that Cameron was really addressing his audience with the argument. The insider's feeling to the movie is understandable and to be expected with Christians as the target audience; however, I can imagine that this tone could be perceived as quite offensive to anyone who watches it from the outside of the faith. This is probably the reason why critics have been so merciless to the film. If you don't share the assumed worldview of the target audience, you probably won't like the movie at all.<br />
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<b>Appreciation:</b><br />
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1. <b>The film maintains an authentic Christian worldview.</b> While this is very close to what I stated as a weakness. As one who shares the worldview, I appreciate what Cameron was doing.<br />
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2. <b>The film was informative</b>. The story of Saint Nicolas is one that is probably unfamiliar to most Christians; however, it was one I had been familiar with for some time now. I really appreciate his attempt to redeem the image of Santa Claus, and to show that the real Nicolas was a Christian pastor who was passionate about orthodox Christology and who was known for his generosity--not to mention his concern for the purity of marriage.<br />
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3. <b>The film was positive.</b> It can be the temptation of many Christians making a film like this to get very negative and point to all the things wrong with how we celebrate Christmas. Cameron's film was anything but that. This movie about saving Christmas took a very different approach.<br />
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4. <b>The film was prophetic</b>. I don't mean this in the sense that it tells of future events (like another of Cameron's earlier movies). The finger of correction was not pointed to those on the outside of the faith, it was pointed at Christians themselves. It was an in-house corrective argument. Cameron was clearly communicating a message to Christians that we should embrace and enjoy the Christmas season, and to focus on how each aspect of Christmas can help us to worship Jesus. In this sense, I think the film is right on the money.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b>:<br />
While the film seems to be taking a beating by many critics, I don't think that this is because they are somehow persecuting Kirk Cameron or Christians in general. Rather, I really don't think the film has what it takes to merit good reviews based on the standard that we normally use when we choose what movies we like. The fact that the movie was strictly driven by a theological argument and it has such an insider's feel to it will probably alienate many who go to see it who do not share the Christian world view.<br />
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One other thing: I also wouldn't recommend bringing an active 4 year old boy. It was good for our family to be together and enjoy a night out at the movies, but Josh really didn't have the attention span to sit through it.<br />
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All in all, I recommend the movie for Christians, but I think that any attempt to convince our unbelieving neighbors to go see the film might be frustrated by the weaknesses I've mentioned above.<br />
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Thank you to Kirk Cameron for making this movie!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-71040017388077704122014-10-02T21:20:00.002-06:002014-11-06T22:11:23.548-06:00What is the Gospel?This is an audio file of <a href="http://gillites.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/jerad1cor15whatisthegospel.m4a" target="_blank">a sermon I preached</a> some time around Easter of 2012. The volume is not that loud on the file, so you may have to turn it up pretty loud to hear. In it I examined 1 Corinthians 15 and state that it is Paul's definition of the Gospel.<br />
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UPDATE:<br />
Here are two more recordings. One is a thematic message from biblical theology on the concept of "<a href="https://gillites.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/sheep-without-a-shepherd.m4a" target="_blank">sheep without a shepherd</a>." I trace the development of the phrase from it's first occurrence in the book of Numbers into the New Testament. The other recording is a later recording of the same message that I posted above. <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/a5grdlfjla6ng0o/8-6-12.wma?dl=0" target="_blank">This one</a> I preached at Colbern Road Baptist Church in Lee's Summit in August, 2012. The sound quality is much better. It includes the music portion of the service, so the sermon starts around 18:50 minutes in.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-64259084763983173032013-01-11T00:11:00.000-06:002013-01-11T00:26:14.831-06:00Christian Bashing and an Anti-Religious Bigot's House of Mirror'sAfter the recent uproar concerning Louie Gigliio, many have already commented on the impression given that Christians are now unwelcome in the public square--<a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/2013/01/10/the-giglio-imbroglio-the-public-inauguration-of-a-new-moral-mccarthyism/">Albert Mohler</a>, <a href="http://www.russellmoore.com/2013/01/10/louie-giglio-and-the-new-state-church/">Russell Moore</a>,<a href="http://www.dennyburk.com/louie-giglio-issues-a-statement-to-his-church-about-his-disinvitation-to-the-inauguration/"> Denny Burk</a>, and<a href="http://www.edstetzer.com/2013/01/evangelicals-and-44-of-america.html"> Ed Stetzer</a> to name a few. <br />
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On the other end of the spectrum, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-shore/gay-condemning-christians-and-their-house-of-mirrors_b_2425536.html">John Shore</a> has written over at the Huffington Post an article claiming that Christians have no support for their position on homosexuality outside the Bible, and that Christians have looked at Jesus as a mirror and seen their own views in the reflection. As a conservative Christian who holds to the view of marriage held by Christians of all traditions from the time of Christ until very recently, I felt an inclination to respond to his argument.<br />
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1. His first line of argument is a claim that apart from the Bible, Christians have nothing to say about why homosexuality is wrong. He states:<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Challenge a Christian to make one single argument for homosexuality
being wrong that doesn't quote or reference the Bible, and suddenly
they're in a house of mirrors; suddenly the only thing they can only
point to is themselves."</blockquote>
Basically he's arguing (according to his view) that apart from the Bible, Christians are just harboring bigotry and they really just don't like gay people. <br />
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I object to this claim on two counts. First, Mr. Shore demands a test that is impossible for a Christian to submit to. A Christian's entire view of the world is (or ought to be) shaped by Scripture. The authority of the Bible is fundamental Christian belief. To require Christians to exclude our sacred text in order to speak intelligently about any issue, is to require us to stop thinking like Christians. Second, there are arguments being made by Christians that are not entirely dependent on Biblical texts. Justin Taylor draws attention to such a discussion <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2013/01/09/what-is-marriage-man-and-woman-a-defense/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+between2worlds+%28Between+Two+Worlds%29">here</a>.<br />
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2. Shore then makes the claim that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality. Now, I'm not exactly sure what he's reading, but the Bible I read says things like:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. (1Co 6:9-10)</blockquote>
(One of Giglio's controversial quotations was almost a direct quote from this one.)<br />
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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. (1Ti 1:8-11)</blockquote>
(Notice that right next to the word "homosexuality" is the word "enslavers. Giglio is praised by the president for his condemnation of the one, and pushed out for his condemnation of the other)<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. (Lev 18:22)</blockquote>
Yes, I know that one's in the Old Testament. Why should that matter? Both Old and New Testaments are together accepted by Christians as the word of God. Marcion was condemned as a heretic for his rejection of the Old Testament. The New Testament is organically connected to the Old Testament. It assumes everything in the Old Testament. If you come to the New Testament without the Hebrew Scriptures, you are bound to misunderstand it because you have cut yourself off from the context within which it was written.<br />
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3. Shore then turns to Jesus. He makes the claim that what Jesus was concerned about was compassion. He claims that Jesus didn't care about the 10 commandments; all he cared about was love and compassion. Shore then turns to a biblical story (something he tries to exclude Christians from being able to do). He tells of how in John 5 Jesus heals a man who was lame from birth and is then criticized by the legalists because it was done on the Sabbath. Shore states:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Also on the scene are some Jewish leaders. They <i>object</i> to what Jesus has done. And why? Have they so little compassion that they actually prefer the poor man <i>remain</i> a cripple?<br />
Of course not. They're outraged because Jesus <i>disobeyed the Bible</i>.
And not in any small way, either. In healing the man Jesus brazenly
violated number eight of the Ten Commandments: He worked on the Sabbath.
(<i>"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy ... on it you shall not do any work."</i>)</blockquote>
Now, to someone who's cherry picking which teachings of Jesus to listen to, this is a reasonable argument to make. However, Jesus explains in Matthew 12 that his detractors actually misunderstood the Bible's teaching on the Sabbath.<br />
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He said to them, "<b>Have you not read</b> what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? <b>Or have you not read in the Law</b> how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. <b>And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,'</b> you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath." (Mat 12:3-8)</blockquote>
Jesus didn't break the Sabbath. Those who objected misunderstood the Bible's teaching, and Jesus' own explanation makes this clear.<br />
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Those who argue that Jesus never mentioned homosexuality may be "technically" right, only in the sense that he didn't use the word. However, Jesus accepted the authority of the Old Testament. He had Leviticus 18:22 in his Bible too. He was fully aware of that when he said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Mat 5:17)</blockquote>
Jesus accepted the sexual morality that was given in the Old Testament. If he wanted to change something he could have said so. Rather than loosen the biblical teaching of sexual morality, if anything Jesus made sexual ethics even more strict.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Mat 5:27-28)</blockquote>
4. Shore then makes the argument:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The response of the dedicatedly legalistic Christian to this clear
and simple reasoning is as predictable as it is inevitable. He or she
will say that just like the lame man was physically sick so the gay
person is spiritually sick.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"See?" they will say, "Both need Jesus to heal them!" </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Which sounds reasonable. Except it ignores the fact that there is
something objectively wrong with the lame man, whereas there's nothing
whatsoever objectively wrong with the gay person beyond what the
Christian uses his Bible to claim there is.</blockquote>
Objective is not the right word here. Physical would fit better. Shore seems to think that in order for something to be "objective" it has to be scientifically verifiable. Moral categories are not scientifically verifiable. In fact, without a claim to revelation, moral categories are impossible to justify in the first place.<br />
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Homosexuality is a moral sickness. It is a deadly sin, along with all other sins like lying, stealing, and not loving God with your whole heart mind soul and strength. It is a sin that along with the others will one day be lain bare before a holy God who is coming in judgement, whom we all must answer to--both homosexual and heterosexual alike. <br />
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5. By stating that that Jesus only cared about compassion and not about keeping commandments, Shore falls into the same trap that he is accusing Christians of. He concludes his argument:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But when we turn to our legalistic Christian in hopes of a response to
that we will find that he or she, having made their point, has
disappeared back inside their hall of mirrors, there to spend their
hours rapturously gazing at distorted images of themselves, and always
mistaking them for God.</blockquote>
Shore is doing what Albert Schweitzer famously pointed out about 19th century liberals. In their quest for the historical Jesus they looked down into the well of history and saw the reflection 19th century liberal values. Shore is doing what we are all sometimes tempted to do. David Platt, in his book Radical, admits that conservative evangelical Christians have a tendency to reinvent Jesus into our own image as a nice middle class God who is cool with us having our stuff and our sin and wouldn't say a word about whatever sin that we deem acceptable. <br />
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I don't think that Shore is right about evangelical's simply reading into the Bible the teaching that they want to find about homosexuality. In fact, I think there are probably some who would likely abandon this issue if it didn't mean giving up the clear teaching of Scripture. However, it is without question that remaking Jesus is always the temptation for us all. It is much easier to deal with a Jesus of our own making than the Jesus of the Bible. If we shape and mold our Jesus into own image we can justify pretty much anything we want to, but then again, if we do that, what we are left with isn't really Jesus at all is it?<br />
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</blockquote>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-14362873685038387962012-12-21T22:59:00.000-06:002012-12-21T22:59:16.991-06:00To Blog or Not to BlogIt's been two and a half years since my last blog post. I'm mainly putting this post up simply for that reason. A lot has changed. I'm no longer in West Plains, teaching at Ozarks Christian Academy. We made lots of friends. Loved the kids both at school and at church, but circumstances led us in another direction.<br />
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Now I'm at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, MO, working on a PhD in Old Testament. I've got one semester down of a 5-8 year program. It's been really hard to manage school and work and family, but I believe I've survived my first semester. Though I'll find out for sure when I get my grades.<br />
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Well, that will be all for now. Hopefully it won't be another 2 1/2 years till my next post. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-66303288681238907562010-07-30T11:46:00.003-06:002010-07-30T11:59:16.625-06:00Some Words From Ted Tripp on Unbiblical Parenting GoalsI’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> been doing a lot of thinking about parenting lately. Having two children is hard enough, and now we are getting ready to have a third. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">Child rearing</span> has been an experience of great challenges. One of the books I’<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">ve</span> read in order to gain a biblical perspective on this duty is <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shepherding-Childs-Heart-Tedd-Tripp/dp/0966378601/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1280512703&sr=8-1">Shepherding a Child’s Heart</a></em> by Ted Tripp. One passage I have found particularly challenging and relevant is his section on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">unbiblical</span> goals in parenting. I want to mention two of them here in particular:<br /><br /><strong>Well Behaved Children</strong><br /><strong><br /><br /></strong><blockquote><p>“Some succumb to the pressure to raise well-behaved kids. We help them develop<br />poise. We teach them to converse. We want children who possess social graces. We<br />want them to be able to make guests comfortable. We want them to be able to<br />respond with grace under pressure. We know that these skills are necessary to be<br />successful in our world. It pleases us to see these social graces in our<br />children.<br /> <br />I’m A Pastor who has raised three children. I’m certainly not down on<br />well-behaved children. Yet, having well-behaved children is not a worthy goal.<br />It is a great secondary benefit of biblical <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">child rearing</span>, but an unworthy goal<br />in itself.<br /> <br />You cannot respond to your children to please someone else. The temptations to<br />do so are numerous. Every parent has faced the pressure to correct a son or<br />daughter because others deemed it appropriate. Perhaps you were with a group<br />when Junior did or said something that you understood and were comfortable with,<br />but that was unquestionably misread by others in the room. Stabbed by their<br />daggers of disapproval, you felt the need to correct him for the sake of others.<br />If you acquiesce, your parenting focus becomes behavior. This obscures dealing<br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">biblically</span> with Junior’s heart. The burning issue becomes what others think<br />rather than what God thinks. Patient, godly correction is precluded by the<br />urgent pressure to change behavior. If your goal is well behaved kids, you are<br />open to hundreds of temptations to expediency. </p><p>What happens to the child who is trained to do all the appropriate things? When being well-mannered is severed from biblical roots in servant hood, manners becomes (sic) a classy tool of manipulation. Your children learn how to work others in a subtle but profoundly self-serving way. Some children become crass manipulators<br />of others and disdainful of people with less polish. Others, seeing through the<br />sham and hypocrisy, become brash and crass <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">rejecters</span> of the conventions of<br />culture. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, scores of young adults rejected<br />etiquette in an attempt to be real and unpretending. Either reaction is a<br />casualty of manners detached from the biblical moorings of being a servant”<br />(Tripp, 45-46).<br /> </p>Another <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">unbiblical</span> goal that I think is worth mentioning is “control.” <blockquote><br /></blockquote><p><strong><br />Control</strong></p></blockquote><strong></strong><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>“Some parents have no noble goal at all; they simply want to control their<br />children. These parents want their children to mind, to behave, to be good,<br />to be nice. They remind their children of how things were when they were<br />youngsters. Frequently they employ the “tried and true” methods of<br />discipline—whatever their parents did that seemed to work. They want<br />children who are manageable. They want them to do the right thing whatever that is at the moment). The bottom line is to control their kids. But, the control is not directed toward specific character development objectives. The concern is personal convenience and public appearance” (Tripp, 46-47).</blockquote><br /><br /><br />In any position of leadership, especially in the ministry, I think these <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">unbiblical</span> goals become easy temptations. People look at us and think that our kids ought to be perfect, since after all “if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?” (1 Timothy 3:5). Ministers don’t want people to get the idea that they cannot “control” their own household, so it’s easy to feel tempted to bow to the pressure of other people’s expectations. At times it might even feel that the ability to "control" your kids is a condition of employment! This kind of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">unbiblical</span> pressure can be excruciating, and it can be very difficult to keep one's parenting focus where it should be.<br /><br />I have felt this pressure numerous times since the first day that I became a father. Even though I recognize that temptation is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">unbiblical</span>, it rears its ugly head quite often so that I must cry out, “Lord, deliver me from the fear of man, and help me to patiently shepherd my child according to your expectations and not the expectations of others.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-34644807947489777512010-07-10T08:47:00.003-06:002010-07-10T09:16:53.539-06:00Theological Liberalism in the Local Newspaper<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJd6k0DsWL2ybTsS7qcO38YVANbuaw3PbsXe5Ol4UME8WGg6z6epXNk6XRO2B71eb6PFf45EnjvlExxve8wn2KQyYpHNNghl96OTOQio5cwcopSz-6NzceZQE34TJDd75P2hEqA/s1600/godtoobig.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 273px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492289364369295634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyJd6k0DsWL2ybTsS7qcO38YVANbuaw3PbsXe5Ol4UME8WGg6z6epXNk6XRO2B71eb6PFf45EnjvlExxve8wn2KQyYpHNNghl96OTOQio5cwcopSz-6NzceZQE34TJDd75P2hEqA/s320/godtoobig.JPG" /></a> I saw this sign driving by one day, but I didn't expect to see it show up in the local newspaper. The person submitting this pictorial found it refreshing. I find it absurd, but I'll leave the spelling error alone.<br /><br />First, you might say that God is too big to fit in any "religion," if you use technical distinction. By this I mean, "religion" is man's attempt to get to God on his own. Taking this definition, I would say that all human attempts at reaching God fail. No "religion" can do it because God is too big, mysterious, an holy that we cannot reach Him in our own efforts. This leaves human beings with a real problem. If all man's attempts at reaching God ultimately fail, how are we to know anything about him at all? The good news here is that God has made himself known; he has revealed himself, and he has spoken to man in the Bible.<br /><br />Of course the likely response to this is that my argument doesn't hold any weight because you may not believe the Bible. However, it still doesn't keep the sign in the picture above from being absurd. This sign is on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">marquee</span> of a Congregational Methodist church. I don't know much about this particular denomination, but the name at least sounds like it belongs to a Christian congregation. Christianity has 66 book of sacred scripture collected in what we call the Bible. Christian congregations ought to be defined by the Bible, and the Bible is an exclusive book. In Genesis you see a God who created the universe and created all human beings from a single originating pair. In Exodus you see a God who reveals himself to Moses as a jealous God who condemns 1)the worship of any other gods, or 2) the creating of images to worship which implies that God regulates how he is to be worshiped, or 3) taking the Lord's name in vain which implies an empty claim to follow him. Later on in the Old Testament the people are told that they worship God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. In the Gospels, Jesus claims to be the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to God but through him. Jesus also claims that a rejection of him, that is Jesus, is essentially a rejection of the Father. If we take Jesus words seriously, we cannot reject Jesus and still claim to be following Christian God.<br /><br />The absurd thing about the statement, on that marquee is that it claims to come from a Christian church. If they would just take the sign off and call themselves universalists at least it would be honest, but how can anyone who claims to be a Christian so easily abandon the words of Christ?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-66598360674027999972010-06-21T11:30:00.003-06:002010-06-21T11:33:51.542-06:00My Thesis....For the last two years I've been trying to write a thesis on John Gill (between working at a homeless shelter, moving to another state, teaching school full time, serving as a part time youth minister, and trying to be a good husband and father). Now, I've finally finished a draft of the whole thing. I still have some work to do on editing and refining, but it appears that I should be finished by my deadline--this time.<br /><br />When I'm finally finished, I wonder what I'm going to do with myself? Ha. Ha.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-15295479545415107562009-09-12T20:52:00.004-06:002009-09-12T21:22:37.465-06:00Three Weeks DownWell, I've made it through the first three weeks. The first day was rough. I was so nervous and I think the kids in my class were even more nervous that I was. We broke the ice well, but when I went home that first night I felt totally overwhelmed. I felt so incompetent. However, I went in for another day and things went a little better. I enjoyed a weekend to recover, and every day since then has been better. I have found that I really love teaching, and I love my class too.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ykNZXttYBLBN9M:http://www.constitutioncenter.org/timeline/flash/assets/asset_upload_file188_12278.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 118px;" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ykNZXttYBLBN9M:http://www.constitutioncenter.org/timeline/flash/assets/asset_upload_file188_12278.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I've had a few surprises about the generation gap that exists between myself and my students. I was talking to them about a book that we were reading together and we were just looking at the publication information. I noticed that the book was published in Wheaton, IL, and I said, "Do you know what's in that city? Wheaton College. That's where Billy Graham went to school." Do my surprise, I heard one of my students say, "Who is Billy Graham?" The sad thing is that he wasn't alone. I don't think any of them knew who he was, but a few started to have a light come on when I told them about Franklin Graham and mentioned Samaritan's Purse.<br /><br />The other surprise came when I brought in a donation of a set of encyclopedias. Before telling the class I asked, "Do you know what an encyclopedia is?" and I actually had several who said they did not. I guess when you can look up anything that you want to on the Internet in a matter of seconds, a bulky set of encyclopedias is just not that practical. I did try to convince them, though, that what they would find in print in that set of books in our class is more reliable than what they would find in a google search.<br /><br />During the second week of class I had to take a quick trip home to Illinois. My great grandmother passed away and her funeral was on Wednesday morning. We left after school on Tuesday and I was back in time to teach Thursday. By that time I felt comfortable enough as a teacher that I don't think I missed a beat when it came to the classroom for the remainder of the week.<br /><br />The first few days I was mostly nervous because I didn't know how I was going to fill up a whole day with what little I had to say. Now, only three weeks in, I realize that the day is so short I can barely cover the things I need to in the short time I have with the students.<br /><br />The first week or two I was probably too much of a push over when it came to keeping an orderly classroom. They all had so many questions and many of them were not pertinent to what we were talking about in class but I let them ask anyway and I did my best to answer. I've discovered that much of this was a waste of class time and I've started to be a bit more strict about how the classroom time is run. I'm sure it won't be long and we will have a good routine established and they will know what I expect.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VrSiJd35L._SL500_AA240_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 148px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VrSiJd35L._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />My favorite part of the class is my time reading with them. We've started out the year reading Bruce Ware's book <span style="font-style: italic;">Big Truths for Young Hearts</span>. It has been a great and fruitful time. We have already finished the chapters on the doctrine of Scripture and the Trinity and we're now beginning creation. The kids are enjoying it and it is probably the material where I feel most at home.<br /><br />Three weeks in is pretty small considering I've got to keep this up till May, but I'm feeling pretty good about things so far and I'm looking forward to more surprises and more things that I can teach the wonderful kids that I have now come to know and love.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-41430517922027909282009-08-14T22:27:00.004-06:002009-08-14T22:43:54.504-06:00Back to School: A New Seat<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxb8LrIdWp6PWhQCLL6EBFfSGbSK50TIbASGZ3nqZgR3C4YsHZD1FdKX6QnMp1WmXso-0n_ay5ehroZMiaI6lDph50FBE8wYI5H3AyjrALvfgmZ7upDycXZQl7REFks6DqYjmzg/s1600-h/paul9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxb8LrIdWp6PWhQCLL6EBFfSGbSK50TIbASGZ3nqZgR3C4YsHZD1FdKX6QnMp1WmXso-0n_ay5ehroZMiaI6lDph50FBE8wYI5H3AyjrALvfgmZ7upDycXZQl7REFks6DqYjmzg/s320/paul9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370046261051344162" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII-jGBAi5cdNizxB6kwZF3-GuxpmV3hI3UdJwSBNipRzRSpTFhpZhtfTmVsUDyCnTRpF4YtYovjpGhfjF2vwi7Swuij3X9E9jifoY5A5iokSQPmv3M95GeN3hXubE-xWIECjoxQ/s1600-h/abraham_lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhII-jGBAi5cdNizxB6kwZF3-GuxpmV3hI3UdJwSBNipRzRSpTFhpZhtfTmVsUDyCnTRpF4YtYovjpGhfjF2vwi7Swuij3X9E9jifoY5A5iokSQPmv3M95GeN3hXubE-xWIECjoxQ/s320/abraham_lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370045124880354482" border="0" /></a><br />In less than one week I will begin my first school year--as a teacher. I'll be teaching 5th and 6th grade and I have a total of 10 students. I'll be teaching a Bible class on Acts-Revelation (in chronological order), History of the US (1815-present), Grammar and Spelling, and 5th grade Math and Science.<br /><br />This will be a very busy semester for me. Not only am I teaching all these classes, but I have a deadline to complete my thesis for the Master of Theology that I am enrolled in at Southwestern.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-19988309018900504632009-04-29T12:15:00.004-06:002009-04-29T12:28:17.337-06:00Classical Christian Education: My New CallingEducation has been my life. I have known nothing but school for as long as I can remember. After high school I immediately went to SBU. After SBU I went to Southern Seminary. After SBTS there was a year and a half break followed by returning to continue my theological education at Southwestern Seminary. I am now moving into a role on the other side of the classroom. I'll be a teacher. You can read about how this transpired <a href="http://jeradamyfile.blogspot.com/">here</a>.<br /><br />I have been preparing for the gospel ministry since I was 15 years old. I have had the desire to be a pastor for over half my life. Yet, through God's providence, that desire has been left mostly unfulfilled. I have been following what I believed God was calling me to, and I will continue to do so. In making this change of direction I do not believe for a minute that I will be leaving behind my calling. In short, God has called me to teach and preach the Bible, and in this new role I will be teaching the Bible daily. I hope that as time goes on and we get plugged in to a local church that opportunities for preaching will also come. I will keep busy with what God is giving me to do in the meantime.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-87850308773838343222009-04-17T12:25:00.004-06:002009-05-01T12:18:43.256-06:00Axioms for a Great Commission ResurgenceI got to listen to Dr. Danny Akin's chapel message at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary yesterday and he has some very important things to say about the Southern Baptist Convention. You can listen <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://apps.sebts.edu/chapel/listenNow.cfm?FileID=821">here</a>, or read the manuscript <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://betweenthetimes.com/2009/04/16/akin-axioms-for-a-great-commission-resurgence/">here</a>.<br /><br />Update: 5/1/09<br /><br />There has also been a website launched where you can <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.greatcommissionresurgence.com/">sign up</a> to show your support for a Great Commission Resurgence.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-14262519712189008332009-04-11T09:53:00.005-06:002009-04-11T09:57:46.784-06:00So I Will Come<p style="text-align: center;"> Come, sinners, view the Lamb of God,<br />Wounded and dying, bathed in blood!<br />Behold His side, and venture near,<br />The well of endless life is here.<br />Here I forget my cares and pains<br />And find a drink whose pow’r remains;<br />Only the fountain-head above<br />Can satisfy the thirst of love.</p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><p style="text-align: center;">So I will come and view the cross<br />Where mercy answered righteousness;<br />The spotless Lamb of God was slain<br />For this unworthy, helpless sinner’s gain!</p><div style="text-align: center;"> His thorns and nails pierce through my heart,<br />In ev’ry groan I bear a part;<br />I view His wounds with streaming eyes:<br />But see! He bows His head and dies!<br />Oh that I thus could always feel!<br />Lord, more and more Your love reveal!<br />Then my glad tongue shall loud proclaim<br />The grace and glory of Your name.<br /><br />John Newton (1725-1807) / David L. Ward<br /><a href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/index.php?page_id=40">© 2008 ReformedPraise.org</a><br /><br />Listen <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.reformedpraise.org/getfile.php?ID=686&action=D">Here</a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-57560593710660706512009-04-10T17:30:00.001-06:002009-04-10T17:32:33.398-06:00How to Do Family Devotions With Small ChildrenI'm thankful to a friend from Southern Seminary who shared this on his blog. Check <span style="color:#000099;"><a href="http://sojournkids.com/2009/04/piper-how-did-you-do-family-devotions-when-your-kids-were-really-little/">this </a></span>out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-56763349604190191342009-04-08T11:53:00.002-06:002009-04-08T11:58:38.149-06:00Founders Ministries Blog: How to stay out of debtTom Ascol has posted a video with a little known secret for <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.founders.org/blog/2009/04/how-to-stay-out-of-debt.html">how to stay out of debt</a> and stay there. Check it out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-14720561003886228412009-03-30T15:43:00.001-06:002009-03-30T15:46:55.738-06:00John Gill Give Away!!!I'm giving away a free copy of John Gill's collected works on CD Rom on my other blog. You can sign up <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://gillites.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/john-gills-collected-writings-give-away/">here</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-26972605530548269712009-03-23T14:20:00.002-06:002009-03-23T14:43:48.542-06:00Why I Believe in Closed (Close, or Strict) CommunionThe first thing that I must address here is terminology. Not all people mean the same thing by "closed communion." Some, when they hear the term assume that it means that only those who are members of a particular church are admitted to partake of communion. I don't believe in this, and I don't think that this is historically what is meant by the term "closed communion." What I believe this historically meant is that baptism is a prerequisite for communion. It's also called "strict communion." It is a practice that Baptists have historically been maligned for because we do not permit those who were so called "baptized" as infants to participate in communion in our churches--though we recognize that they may be genuine Christians. Baptists have been called bigoted for this practice. Even some Baptists have shied away from this practice because we don't want to offend our gospel believing friends. However, I think that if one is convinced that the Bible teaches believer baptism and wants to be consistent in practice, closed communion is the logical position to hold. There are more reasons for this than I care to go into here; however, I will list a few:<br /><br />1) Everyone practices some type of closed communion. No one would admit unbelievers to the Lord's Table. One has to draw a line at some point, or communion would be a meaningless event.<br /><br />2) All other denominations have historically seen baptism as a prerequisite for membership. Baptists are actually in agreement with the majority of the Christian tradition in maintaining that Baptism is a prerequisite for communion. I once went to visit an Episcopal church, just to observe, and when it was time for the "Eucharist," the rector invited "all baptized Christians" to partake. In practicing closed communion, Baptists do not practice anything different regarding communion than other denominations--we just disagree about what baptism is.<br /><br />3) Baptists, by definition, believe that baptism is an ordinance for believers only. This means that when an infant is sprinkled it is NOT baptized at all. If a Baptist is consistent, he will not recognize an infant baptism, or even a sprinkling, a legitimate baptism at all. With this being the case it is not that Baptists are making a judgment about the salvation of those who are so called "baptized" as infants. We are making a judgment about the legitimacy of their baptism. If they are not baptized at all, then according to my reason #2 above, they ought not be admitted to communion in any church.<br /><br />These are just a few arguments for why I believe in closed communion. This is not an exhaustive list, and I admit that I haven't even begun to make a Scriptural argument yet. The case that I make here is based on history and logic. I admit this, and I am prepared to use Scripture to defend the case that I am making here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-28739791549118881402009-03-08T22:30:00.006-06:002009-03-10T17:47:53.242-06:00New Audio: Does Jesus Scare You More than the Storm?I got a chance to preach tonight at <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.lebanonbaptistcleburne.org/">Lebanon Baptist</a> Church in Cleburne, TX. My friend, <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://passion4logos.blogspot.com/">Todd Peebles</a>, is the pastor there, and he allowed me to come and share. I am very happy that we were able to record it and now I am able to share it. Click <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://gillites.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/01-does-jesus-scare-you.m4a">here to listen</a>.<br /><br />This is a message on the story of when Jesus calmed the storm from the account in Matthew 4:35-41. I believe this text teaches that Jesus is one and the same with the God of the Old Testament and that as such he exercises sovereignty over his creation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-72546955889815723002009-03-05T11:04:00.009-06:002009-03-10T12:21:31.291-06:00New Recording of My PreachingI recently had a friend (Todd Peebles) here at the seminary record <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://gillites.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/file-psalm-15-am.mp3">one of my old sermons</a> to an mp3 file that I had previously only had on tape. The text is Psalm 15, and it was preached back in November or December of 2004. Right click on the phrase "one of my old sermons" above, and click "save target as" to download it. Or just click on it and you can listen to it stream.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-67030007383807954452009-03-01T17:47:00.005-06:002009-03-01T18:05:53.503-06:00Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life: Free AudioChristianaudio.com gives away a free audio book every month. I've been downloading them for a year now and have simply never thought to share it on my blog. I've benefited from several classics, and this month they are giving away Donald Whitney's book <span style="font-style: italic;">Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life. </span>I read this book during my first year at Southern Seminary and it is a great overview of practical discipleship. I cannot recommend it highly enough. <a href="http://christianaudio.com/free_download.php">Here</a> is a link to their site. You will also need to use the coupon code for this month: MAR2009.<br /><a href="http://christianaudio.com/download.php?order=110847&id=156524"></a><a href="http://sharethis.com/"><br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23777630.post-54432667279648362562009-02-27T13:09:00.002-06:002009-02-27T13:11:58.878-06:00Win a Premium Calf Leather ESV Study BibleSeveral of my friends have already linked to <a href="http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2009/02/win-a-calfskin-version-of-the-esv-study-bible.html">this blog</a> which is giving away a "Premium Calf Leather ESV Study Bible. Go to <a href="http://www.boomerinthepew.com/2009/02/win-a-calfskin-version-of-the-esv-study-bible.html">the site</a> and register for your own chance to win.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1