Theology
More Tim Keller stuff is up at the Christian Life Conference site.
How the Cross Converts Us
How the Cross Changes Us
How the Cross Unites Us
I linked yesterday to The Cross and Suffering
FYI, the DA Carson and Walt Kaiser audio is from the conference last year, as the dates show.
Hear Tim Keller's message "The Cross and Suffering," just fresh up on the web. The Christian Life Conference is going on there as I type. They will put up other audio here.
Find more Keller stuff on my Tim Keller Resource page.
As I was listening to a sermon by one of my favorite living preachers tonight, I thought I should give a short list of my favorite preachers of 2006. As a preacher I get great reward from hearing the preaching of others. Not only because it helps me learn what good preachers do and say, but because I get the Gospel over and over again.
These five preachers have been my Gospel teachers over the past year more than anyone else. I subscribe to their sermons and/or podcasts. They are in no particular order (except for the first one).
Tim Keller
The sermons of Dr. Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC, have haunted me for a couple of years now, but never so much as in 2006. He has a number of free sermons on the web that I link to on my Tim Keller Resources page. I also have a paid subscription to the weekly preaching at Redeemer, which includes mostly Keller sermons but others as well at Redeemer.
Keller's sermons are intellectual, a little more sedated than I normally like, and very reasonable. What is best about Keller's preaching is his simple explanation of the Gospel and truth. My Gospel vernacular is forever changed because of his sermons.
Bottom line: there is no other sermon resource that has so deeply challenged and changed me. Get on board.
Rick McKinley
Rick McKinley is the pastor of Imago Dei in Portland. On the surface Rick awakens my inner surfer. Is that an accent? Whatever it is, it works. McKinley is great on Kingdom and Gospel issues. He also speaks both practically and pastorally about simple and difficult issues alike. I rarely hear him preach without feeling compelled to get up and love my neighbor.
You can grab his podcast or find his stuff at Sermon Cloud or Imago Dei.
Matt Chandler
Matt Chandler is pastor of The Village Church near Dallas. He is a passionate guy with a solid handle on Scripture, quick wit, and compelling application. His sermon, "Gravity," is easily the most important message I heard in 2006 (video here). Matt is my wife's second favorite preacher next to me (I have to say that, don't I?).
Check out the sermon database for Chandler's sermons or find his podcast at iTunes.
Mark Driscoll
Mark Driscoll, a little known pastor in Seattle (Mars Hill Church), has been a life-changer for me. Mark preached to my wife and me at least once a week in the first half of 2006. We would put on one of his sermons while doing "sabbath" on Mondays in my home.
Driscoll keeps you listening though his humor (which is sometimes over the top), but his content and theology are what feeds. What he often does best is kick your butt with the truth and open your eyes to the grace of Christ. We have been so thankful for what we have learned through Mark.
Find his sermons at the MHC site, get his podcast, watch his sermons.
Rob Bell
Rob Bell is pastor of Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids. Bell is a great communicator and may be better known for his Nooma videos.
I'm sure a few people will gasp at my listing of Bell in my favorite preachers of 2006. Doesn't he have theological issues? Doesn't he waver on hell and love McLaren (which for some is essentially the same as wavering on hell)?
I don't agree with everything I've heard in Rob Bell's sermons (same goes for any preacher). But I've listened enough to know this guy loves Jesus, strives for Scripturally accurate sermons, and aches to see lives changed by the Gospel. So even if Bell hiccups on occasion, I can't help but be challenged and compelled to faithfulness through his preaching.
Find his sermons and podcast feed at the MHC site.
Joe Thorn has an excellent article up on Relevant Magazine's website: "Stories and an American Christmas." A blurb...
I hear from quite a few people that all of this amounts to us pretending to like each other for a few days of the year. That the smiles, acts of kindness and all the holiday cheer is a superficial facade that is dishonest. But I disagree. I think it is less of a lie and more of the recognition that this is the way it is supposed to be. It is a yearning to be and experience what is right—what is best. It is a recognition of the imago dei, and seeing that, even in literature, is exciting. It resonates with fallen humanity.
Understanding this helps me to better connect with the culture redemptively. I do not feel the need to fight with the world about the true meaning of Christmas. Instead, I can find common ground from which we can talk, really talk, about Jesus...
It will cost you a few bucks, but if you want to understand art and "cultural creatives" you should get Tim Keller's message "Christianity and the Creative Age." This is a lecture given for the Redeemer InterArts Fellowship in September 2006. The Redeemer InterArts Fellowship is "for anyone working in (or interested in) the
fine or performing arts, design, media, or entertainment."
This lecture is helpful on consumerism, art & artists, the city, creativity and relationships. It's particularly helpful for pastors desiring to encourage a biblical view of the arts and, obviously, artists.
Justin Taylor believes he's located some inconsistency in Tony Jones' reaction to Driscoll vs. McLaren. Follow the comments.
UPDATE: JT has added an email exchange with Tony to his post. Good stuff.
Joe Thorn mentions a great podcast on his blog, This American Life (an NPR show). The most recent one, "Heretics," is fantastic. Joe turned me onto the podcast a few weeks back, and this is one of the most interesting. Download it quick or you will miss the free download of this particular episode. But also make it a regular part of your podcast diet. Every episode has been great so far.
I finally got around to reading Scot McKnight's 30 page paper on the Emerging Church, "What is the Emerging Church?," that he presented at WTS. It once again proves that McKnight is one of the most important voices speaking about (and within) the Emerging Church. I highly recommend you read it if you any interest in understanding the EC.
I'm getting a lot of hits from Spero News.
Have you been listening to Ken Myers' podcast from Mars Hill Audio? It's called Audition, and it's a great free resource for provoking thoughts on theology & culture. And if you don't subscribe to Mars Hill Audio, I recommend it. At least get a free sample issue to try. It's a key resource for stretching me beyond my current intellectual boundaries.
I've gotten through part of the Book TV discussion with Andrew Sullivan and David Brooks. The conversation focused on Sullivan's new book The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It, How We Can Get It Back. I originally caught some of the end of the show on TV. It is intriguing concerning political conservatives and evangelicals. You can also get at least some (maybe all?) of the video at YouTube, which has worked better for me than the Book TV video. Al Mohler just had Sullivan on his radio show as well.
Speaking of evangelicals and the political world, I'm very interested in the recent comments of David Kuo, who is currently a columnist at Beliefnet. Kuo served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush and Deputy Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and has written the new book Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction. I just bought the book and look forward to reading it in the next couple of weeks. I was introduced to Kuo by watching Charlie Rose's interview a couple of nights ago. Here's the Google Video of the program, and the Kuo interview begins at around the 35 minute mark. Justin Taylor points to the Books & Culture review of Tempting Faith.
I'm already tired of the online discussion about Ted Haggard, and find Stephen Shield's post on the matter very helpful. Mark Driscoll's good advice in his post on the subject are must reading, though nothing profoundly new (a typical sign of most good advice).
The late Mitch Hedberg has some important thoughts for us as Thanksgiving approaches.
I don't listen to country music, but the new CD by Alan Jackson is really good. It's called Like Red On A Rose.
I'm finishing up preaching Colossians this Sunday. I've enjoyed N.T. Wright's commentary (TNTC) the most. Then I'm taking two Sundays off for vacation and a planning retreat. Tim Etherington will be preaching for me from Jude.
I'm preaching a series of sermons on generosity in January, and this post on "Astonishing Generosity" by Tod Bolsinger caught my eye. A blurb...
• This is not just a strategy for adding some kindness to the world. It’s a strategy for changing the world. (It's a revolution strategy!)
• It’s not just about making the world better, it’s about making the world new.
•Generosity is not just about making people think we are good nice and kind, it is about helping people see that God is good, compassionate and responsive to their cries.It is a central activity of the followers of Christ to reveal God to the world.
Our generosity is to remind people of God’s generosity. Our generous forgiveness of those who fail us, giving to those in need, of openhandedness to those who were clinging so hard to the scraps of life, and welcome to those who are without a place in this world would be nothing more (and nothing less!) than a reflection of the “generous love of God into the whole world.”
I received the new edition of Wired in the mail today. The lead article is called "The Church of the Non-Believers" on what they call "the new atheism." Much is focused on Richard Dawkins (Mohler commented on Dawkins yesterday). It's a thought-provoking article.
Don't miss the "Faces of the New Atheism," including a few paragraphs on Penn and Teller.
If you haven't read Tim Keller's All of Life is Repentance, please do. Read it even if the topic doesn't tickle your toes at the moment. Very helpful on the Gospel, "religion," and repentance.
Find more Keller stuff at my Tim Keller Resource page.
Faith brings and gives Christ to you with all his possessions. Love gives you to your neighbor with all your possessions.
Martin Luther, in Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol 1, pg 34.
One of the many conferences I wanted to attend this year was Catalyst. Rick McKinley, pastor of Imago Dei in Portland, is one of the speakers I wanted to see. Out of Ur has some thoughts on the "lab" McKinley led at Catalyst...
"As pastors, we are tempted to build the church," [McKinley] said. "So wesend out postcards to targeted Zip codes and we promote church programs." But that misses the point, he argued. "Our job isn’t to build the church. We’re supposed to BE the church, and build the kingdom." He emphasized that the kingdom is to be experienced NOW, on earth, as Christians exemplify godly living, but he also pointed out, as the recent school shootings demonstrate, that the kingdom is also "not yet." God’s kingdom won’t be realized in its fullness as long as such sin characterizes our world.
[...]
"The best expression of the church is NOT what happens on Sunday morning. It’s what happens in the world during the week. And that’s not something you can market."
His most provocative statements focused on the Christian’s calling to love their neighbors, even if those neighbors don’t respond to Christ or clean up their act. He told of his church’s messy efforts to love those with addictions, mental illnesses, and other conditions that aren’t easily cleaned up.
"We’re not called to change people’s behavior; we’re called to love them whether they change or not. It’s up to God to change them."
Mark Driscoll posts (with permission) his email exchange with John Piper after speaking at the Desiring God conference. It puts to rest the idea that Piper and Driscoll are at odds, as has been the discussion on the web. From Piper's last email to Driscoll, after Driscoll asked if he could post their email exchange online...
...tell the world that, I wouldnot have .001 seconds hesitation in having Mark Driscoll come back tomorrow to our church or our conference. I LOVE being on the same team and consider my self a learner in your presence more than a counselor.
9Marks Ministries (Mark Dever) has a new set of articles up about the "missional" church (see left side of their homepage). Jonathan Leeman's article, "What in the World is the Missional Church?," is most prominent and includes history, quotes and thoughts from Guder to Stetzer. You may find his article and others at 9Marks worth reading, and at least an honest attempt of baptist reformed types who desire to understand "missional."
An obvious problem with Leeman's article is that he didn't even mention Tim Keller. Keller is a reformed conservative (as is 9Marks & Dever) and so discussing Keller should have been essential, and maybe even central to this article. On top of that, missional thinkers admit they owe much to Keller's writings, sermons, conference messages and local church example. So in my mind, regardless of some of the thoughtful things Leeman says, missing Keller is missing "missional." It's disappointing.
The English Standard Version of the Bible (my Bible of choice) turns 5 years old in a few days. Congrats!
Today, the ESV is available in more than one hundred formats, has seen nearly 3 million copies distributed worldwide, and is reaching the world in creative and strategic ways. ESV General Editor J. I. Packer recently stated, “I find myself suspecting very strongly that my work on the translation of the ESV Bible was the most important thing that I have done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in the past fifty years or more.”
[...]
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is an essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and readability. Believing that every word of the Bible is inspired by God, the translators of the ESV sought to be transparent to the original text so that the reader could see the structure and meaning of the original as clearly as possible. For more information on the ESV Bible, visit www.esv.org.
Ugh. I'm sick of the same regurgitated, unsubstantiated arguments against the "consumption of beverage alcohol." But I'm not surprised. Here's an article by the Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, David Clippard. My favorite part...
All of the new church starts that the Missouri Baptist Convention hasany part of supporting are required to sign and agree to a no-alcohol covenant. This covenant has been fully supported by all our church planter pastors. For this we are grateful.
D.J. Chuang puts his life in danger when he posts "Why I Like Keller More Than Piper." Okay, not really. It has little to do with comparing the two. But it's a good post on the reasons why D.J. (I think he speaks for many) likes Keller a lot. Here's his points, but please read his whole post for his quotes and explanations.
