Lots-o-Links 7.19.13

5 Evangelism Tips at We Are Soma

Earlier this year God woke me up from my sleep and asked me questions about evangelism. Questions like, “How many people did you share the gospel with this past year? How many people did you invite to gatherings? Why?” It was one of those gracious conversations that made me realize I was not evangelizing primarily because of my selfishness. I am too selfish to regularly tell people the best news in the world. I felt relieved that this could change and I am growing in evangelism. Here are 5 things God is teaching me about evangelism

Stop Hate-Watching The Church

But these Internet communities too often aren’t about healing. Not really. They funnel all of these triggers into one place, providing an opportunity for us to direct all of our rage, anger, and malice at what we have deemed to be rightful and deserving targets. These places of supposed healing become places of malice and mockery.

A Public Statement Concerning Sexual Abuse in the Church of Jesus Christ

In the hope that a time is coming when Christian leaders respond to all sexual abuse with outrage and courage, we offer this confession and declare the Good News of Jesus on behalf of the abused, ignored and forgotten.

16 Ways I Blew My Marriage | When my wife tells me I should read something like this, I listen. We don't agree with everything, but it's pretty good.

I don’t have marriage advice to give, but I have plenty of “keep your marriage from ending” advice (two equivocally different things), and that might be almost as good.

Thornbury's Mission to Revive Carl F.H. Henry

“I want to make Carl Henry cool again,” Thornbury exclaims in the introduction. Given that we can recognize Henry’s thoughts almost everywhere we look these days, such an aspiration is not terribly ridiculous. I would love to see the book cover in many a coffeehouse in the coming days, and would love even more to see Henry himself return as a staple of theological conversations. He was a giant whose legacy deserves to be recovered. As the new president of the King’s College, Thornbury is well positioned to do just that.

Related articles

Engage The South Conference

Gregory Thornbury Named President of The King's College

Lots-o-Links 6.12.13

10 Reasons To Get Married & Have Kids Young

My list would look a little different than this, but Molly and I got married young, had kids young, and we love to encourage others to do the same. 

Tim Keller On How To Get Into Gospel Conversations

A video, but more importantly a nice outline of what Keller says.

Justin Taylor - On Writing Well

Go read more on Justin's four points:

1. Read Slowly
2. Read a lot
3. Write to think
4. Write and rewrite

Stephen Um & City Mission

Stephen Um, coauthor with Justin Buzzard of the new book Why Cities Matter: To God, The Culture, & The Church (Amazon | WTS), writes on Resurgence about how to be on mission in the city. Here are his 5 points.

1. Get Grounded In The Gospel
2. Learn Your City's Story
3. Engage In The Life Of Your City
4. Discern Your City's Idols
5. Retell Your City's Story With The Gospel

Go read the rest of the post.

Joshua Elsom | Open-Air Preaching

Joshua Elsom wrote a nice piece that you need to read: "Open-Air Preaching and the Missional Church." A blurb from the beginning...

The combining of the words ‘open-air’ with the word ‘preaching’ is likely to elicit a wide range of images and opinions in the mind of the person reading them. For some they bring to mind the great evangelists of the explosive revivals of the eighteenth century — Wesley, Whitefield, Tennent, and Edwards; or the prophets of the Old and New Testaments — Jeremiah, Isaiah, Peter, and Paul. While for others, these words conjure up negative images of angry street heralds, with sandwich boards strung over their shoulders, thundering down threatenings of heaven upon all who would wander unawares into their field of preaching. Whatever one happens to think about, few typically associate the practice of preaching in the public square with the missional church movement. Because the missional church places such a high priority on practicing evangelism in the context of ongoing discipleship — on mission and in community — the thought of preaching to strangers who are dissociated from church or discipling relationships may seem at first to be counterintuitive. It should not be.

Check out all my open-air preaching posts and quotes.

Evangelism: Prime the Pump

When I was in high school I worked in landscaping: trimming hedges, mowing lawns, planting trees, hooking up decorative fountains and surrounding it with decorative rock. It was hard work, but something I enjoyed as a young man. And it provided me with a killer tan.

The owner of the business lived on a farm that had a well. This wasn’t a bucket on a rope well; it was equipped with a pump. And if you’ve ever pumped water from a well you know that the pump never works right away. You have to “prime the pump” by cranking the lever a few times. A pump that hasn’t been used for a while is full of air from the pump down closer to water level. It takes a couple of pumps on the handle for the water to fill the tube that delivers it above ground. It’s those first couple of pumps that bring the water to ground level and to usefulness. 

As missionaries and evangelists for the supplier of living water, we have to prime the pump in our own hearts so that we are ready to tell all of our King. We need Gospel-readiness and Spirit-reliance right there at ground level. We need to battle with sin and push back against apathy. Evangelism is one of those things that takes God-confidence, courage, and risk. We need a heart that has been primed through dying to self, a reoriented life, a renewed mind, fixing our eyes on Jesus, filled with His Spirit, meditating on His Word, loving Him with all our strength. 

Too often we haven’t prayed as we should and wrestled with our fleeting emotions, doubts, and timidity. We haven’t developed a state of readiness and anticipation. We won’t dispense living water efficiently and effectively unless we prime the pump of our hearts, remembering who God is, what God has done, who we are, and what God has called us to do. We need daily motivation for Gospel-readiness.

When we drink from the stream of living water at the outset of our day, and throughout our day, we’ve already brought it to ground level and are ready to point others to it. We will not only find our thirst quenched, but we will be motivated by our own satisfaction in Jesus Christ to help others to quench their thirst. 

What do you do to prime the pump for evangelism? What resources do you use other than Scripture?

Creature of the Word | The Mission Chasm

If the church leaders say to people, "Living on mission in our city is vital," yet they rarely if ever offer opportunities for people to serve the city, then a chasm exists between how the leaders see the church and how others see her.

Creature of the Word (Kindle, WTS Bookstore), by Chandler, Patterson, & Geiger, pg 97.

Keller | Questions for Sleepy or Nominal Christians

Helpful post today from Tim Keller on revival and the Spirit's work on sleepy and nominal Christians. Here's a teaser...

So how do you wake up sleepy Christians and convert nominal Christians? Let me give you what I would call my modernized American versions of the kinds of questions I would ask people if I was trying to get them to really think about whether or not they know Christ. These questions are adapted from The Experience Meeting by William Williams, based on the Welsh revivals during the Great Awakening. He would ask people to share about these types of questions in small group settings each week...

[...]

Have you been finding Scripture to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, do you feel like Scripture is coming after you?

You are going to have to go to Tim Keller's blog to read the rest of the questions. This is an issue near and dear to me as I think there are few things more important for the American church than to work for the conversion of "Christians." You have to ask questions that will show them who they are, and who they aren't.

Tim Keller | The Insider & The Outcast

Dr. Timothy Keller's second installment in the eBook series, Encounters With Jesus, is out. Go download The Insider & The Outcast for $1.99. I just did. Also pick up the first installment: The Skeptical Student. These are coming out monthly.

About the Encounters With Jesus Series | "Those who met Jesus were often profoundly affected by their conversations with him. In his Encounters with Jesus series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, explores these conversations to show how they can still change our lives today." 

If you don't have it, I highly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. Or you can download the book and read it for free on various Kindle apps for your computer, phone, or tablet.

Books | Ministry to the Poor

I asked on Facebook, Twitter, and to one particular friend through email which books would be most helpful in thinking about/doing ministry to the poor. Here's what I got (with an attempt to put them in order of those most mentioned). I can't comment on most of them because I haven't read them, so don't see this as my recommendation. But you might want to look into these. I am. Also feel free to add more recommendations in the comments.

Most Recommended

• When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert
• Walking With The Poor by Bryant Myers
• Toxic Charity: How Churches & Charities Hurt Those They Help by Robert Lupton 
• Ministries of Mercy by Timothy Keller
• Awaiting a Savior: The Gospel, the New Creation and the End of Poverty by Aaron Armstrong
• Barefoot Church by Brandon Hatmaker ($3.79 on Kindle)

Other Recommendations

• Cry of the Urban Poor by Viv Grigg
• Companion to the Poor by Viv Grigg
• Compassion, Justice, & the Christian Life by Robert Lupton
• There's Is The Kingdom by Robert Lupton
• A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne
• Good News To The Poor by Tim Chester
• What Every Church Member Should Know About Poverty by Bill Ehlig and Ruby Payne
• Bridges Out Of Poverty by Ruby Payne, et al
• A Theology As Big As The City by Ray Bakke
• Serving With Eyes Wide Open by David Livermore 
• In The River They Swim by Michael Fairbanks, et al 
• The Poor Will Be Glad by Peter Greer & Phil Smith
• An Eye For An Eye by Christopher Wright
• Bringing in the Sheaves by George Grant
• The Missional Entrepreneur by Mark Russell
• If Jesus Were Mayor by Bob Moffitt
• Restorers of Hope by Amy Sherman

Related Resources I'm Checking Out

• Quest for Hope in the Slum Community by Scott Bessenecker
• Justice, Mercy & Humility by Tim Chester, Ed
• Neither Poverty Nor Riches by Craig Blomberg
• What If You Got Involved by Graham Gordon
• God's Neighborhood by Scott Roley & James Isaac Elliott
• Transforming Power by Robert Linthicum
• MoveIn.to

9Marks | Contact Evangelism

I listened to Mark Dever's 9 Marks interview with Mack Stiles (& others) on Contact Evangelism last night. I was provoked to good thoughts on evangelism as well as some questions about my approach. I just realized I'm still holding a bit of inner dialogue on some of the things they said, so I thought it would be good to share. Books that were mentioned in/influenced the conversation included...

Mack Stiles | Speaking of Jesus & Marks of the Messenger (just got this one)
Mark Dever | The Gospel & Personal Evangelism
J.I. Packer | Evangelism & The Sovereignty of God

Tim Keller | The Skeptical Student

Dr. Timothy Keller continues to add to his library helpful books, now in a new format. Check this announcement from the publisher, Dutton...

On December 4th, Dutton will release the first essay in a new e-book series by renowned pastor and New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller. The series, entitled ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS (December 4, 2012; $1.99), will feature ten installments, launching with The Skeptical Student.

The Skeptical Student is based on a series of talks Keller gave in Oxford, England to a campus group – most of them skeptics – earlier this year. During these talks, Keller explored the inspiring story of Nathaniel’s life-changing encounter in the Gospel of John. It has lessons for those who are skeptical themselves about Christianity and also for Christians who encounter skepticism from those who do not believe.

Timothy Keller is the pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and the author of The Reason for God and the recently published Every Good Endeavor. The other titles in the ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS series include:

• The Insider and the Outcast
• The Grieving Sisters
• The Wedding Party
• The First Christian

I doubt I'm the only one excited about this project. I've just received the first installment look forward to the rest. It should be a valuable resource for pastors, apologists & evangelists, and probably most of all to the everyday witness to Christ...those who love their neighbors.

Kindle Books on Sale 11.26.12

Don't miss these Kindle books on sale right now. I think I heard some may not be on sale after today, so if you're going to pull the trigger on these, do it now. And if you don't have the Kindle Paperwhite, I highly recommend it. It was difficult for me to start reading consistently on a Kindle, and I still buy hard copies of all books I consider worthy of reading more than once and/or using for reference, but the Paperwhite is a game-changer for me because of the screen, nighttime reading, ease of use, etc. Grab a 3G or Wifi Kindle Paperwhite. 

• A Puritan Theology by Joel Beeke ($9.99 for a book that's $30-$40 hardcover)
• Puritan Evangelism by Joel Beeke ($2.99)
• Simple Church by Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger ($2.99)
• Vertical Church by James MacDonald ($4.99)

UPDATE - Now also on sale...

• Evangelism & The Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer ($2.99)

How We Appeal To Unbelievers To Believe The Gospel

Tim Keller discusses biblical contextualization in his book Center Church (Kindle version). In one section he talks about how to persuade unbelievers, and specifically that you can't only persuade in one way only since "people of different temperaments and from different cultures reason differently." (p 114) We can't take one biblical story and draw out a one-size-fits-all appeal to believe the Gospel. Here's Keller's list of the different ways we appeal to unbelievers to believe the Gospel. He explains them further in the book with Scripture, so please go read more on pages 114-115.

1. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of fear of judgment and death.
2. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of a desire for release from the burdens of guilt and shame.
3. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God out of appreciation for the “attractiveness of truth.”
4. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God to satisfy unfulfilled existential longings.
5. Sometimes the appeal is to come to God for help with a problem.
6. Lastly, the appeal is to come to God simply out of a desire to be loved.

Lots-o-Links 9.17.12

AuthenticManhood.com

"This website exists as the on-line presence of Authentic Manhood, a bold movement to lead men to live the life of truth, passion, and purpose they were created to live." Contributors include Justin Buzzard, Eric Geiger, and others. 

Joe Thorn: Praying for Your Pastor

There are a number of pastors I pray for regularly, and these are some of they ways I lift them up. I hope you will join me as you pray for the leaders God has given you.

9 Writing Books That Will Inspire You To Write -- Today (Check the whole list. I really like the top 3.)

1. On Writing by Stephen King
2. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
3. Writing Down The Bones by Natalie Goldberg

Street Pastors --> What Is A Street Pastor? (Interesting idea)

A Street Pastor is a Church leader/minister or member with a concern for society - in particular young people who feel themselves to be excluded and marginalised - and who is willing to engage people where they are, in terms of their thinking (i.e. their perspective of life) and location (i.e. where they hang out - be it on the streets, in the pubs and clubs or at parties etc). 

Street Pastors will also be willing to work with fellow activists, church and community leaders, and with agencies and projects, both statutory and voluntary, to look at collaborative ways of working on issues affecting youth, and initiatives that will build trust between them and the Street Pastors.

I'm Buying This Book -- check this interview, reviews & responses by Moo, Bock, Horton

Crosetto: What Evangelists Do

From "Empowering Evangelists: InterVarsity's Ignite Conference," Beau Crosetto taught a seminar about turning everyday conversations into spiritual ones. He discussed five things evangelists do (using Philip in Acts 8)...

1. They listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Him no matter the cost
2. They are willing to be put in awkward situations for the Lord
3. They are good listeners and find places of conversation
4. They are bold and speak up inside that awkward moment
5. People come to faith when they get involved.

Go read the rest of the post for more.

New *George Whitefield Resources* Page

I just launched a George Whitefield Resources page. As I searched the internet I found various, helpful resources in various places. I hope this page will serve you well by trying to bring all the links and books and journals and letters to one place. Check it out and let me know what you think.

$2 Tuesdays | Good Book Company

More great $2 Tuesday deals from The Good Book Company this week. A couple gems...

• Christianity Explored Evangelistic Book
• The Cry of My Heart
• Ephesians: God's Big Plan for Christ's New People | Thabiti Anyabwile
• Preparing for Marriage (Leader's Guide)

Emotions That Correspond With the Weight of Reality

John Piper on George Whitefield again, on the acting of preaching as "real acting" (bold is mine)...

If a woman has a role in a movie, say, the mother of child in a burning house, and as the cameras are focused on her, she is screaming to the firemen and pointing to the window in the second floor, we all say she is acting. But if a house is on fire in your neighborhood, and you see a mother screaming to the firemen and pointing to the window in the second floor, nobody says she’s acting. Why not? They look exactly the same.

It’s because there really is a child up there in the fire. This woman really is the child’s mother. There is real danger that the child could die. Everything is real. And that’s the way it was for Whitefield. The new birth had opened his eyes to what was real, and to the magnitude of what was real: God, creation, humanity, sin, Satan, divine justice and wrath, heaven, hell, incarnation, the perfections of Christ, his death, atonement, redemption, propitiation, resurrection, the Holy Spirit, saving grace, forgiveness, justification, reconciliation with God, peace, sanctification, love, the second coming of Christ, the new heavens and the new earth, everlasting joy. These were real. Overwhelmingly real to him. He had been born again. He had eyes to see.

When he warned of wrath, and pleaded for people to escape, and lifted up Christ, he wasn’t play-acting. He was calling down the kind of emotions and actions that correspond with such realities. That’s what preaching does. It seeks to exalt Christ, and describe sin, and offer salvation, and persuade sinners with emotions and words and actions that correspond to the weight of these realities.

If you see these realities with the eyes of your heart, and if you feel the weight of them, you will know that such preaching is not play-acting. The house is burning. There are people trapped on the second floor. We love them. And there is a way of escape.

Read or listen to the rest of Piper's powerful talk on Whitefield. A great example and explanation of what preaching should be like. I don't think we do this well, not nearly well enough. Maybe this kind of preaching would change the face of Christianity in America and the western world today. Maybe it's not just the *how* of preaching but the *where* that would enact this change.

What do you think?

Release the APE Website Is Running

Check out the new website of Beau Crosseto that includes other authors like JR Woodward (he posted on it today), James Choung, and others. What is Release the APE? I'm glad you asked...

Release the APE is all about activating the Apostolic, Prophetic, and Evangelistic vocations into the world. We are committed to telling real time APE stories, sharing thoughts that shape the APE, and encouraging believers to live into APE vocations so that all the potential for God movements can be unleashed everywhere.

You may know A.P.E.S.T. from Alan Hirsch's books & teaching. That's where the APE comes from. Who should read the blog? Here's their list

• If you have a deep passion for ministry but you never saw yourself as a traditional pastor and don’t desire to be one.
• If you are a pastor and love it, but want to engage further material about releasing catalytic leaders in and out of your church.
• If you love challenging the status quo in Jesus name.
• If you love starting things for God
• If you have a deep sense for justice (hello prophetic leaders)
• if you love seeing people come to faith (we will have lots of conversion stories)
• if you feel alone in your mission and need inspiration and community
• if you love the missional church movement
• if you believe that the mission of God should and can be carried out by every day ordinary people.
• if you are crazy about seeing that happen too 
• If you want mentors and friends who will push you to risk, try, and do things in Jesus name you thought you never could do!

I align with several camps: I'm baptist. I'm reformed. I'm missional. Etc. This looks like a good site for the missional camp to engage, so I'll be reading. Would love to know what you think about their site as the first couple of posts have gone up: "Release the Apostolic, Prophetic, Evangelistic" Part 1 & Part 2. Also check them out on Twitter, Facebook.

Tim Keller: "Losing My Religion" Open Forum

If you want to listen to what Tim Keller does when he holds Open Forums for non-Christians, skeptics, seekers, etc...listen to "Losing My Religion: Why Christians Should Drop Their Religion." Redeemer has audio from 44 Open Forums, though I haven't checked if audio for others is offered free like this one. MP3s are typically $2.50, but this one is free.

I listened today. Instructive for us as missionaries and preachers, evangelists and apologists, disciples and strugglers with religiosity. He confronts religion, truths, psychology, philosophy, and truth-claims respectfully, yet still directly. 

How can we as pastors and ministers speak to our city, our culture, with intellect, wisdom, courage, and charity? Keller's example helps me, and I hope it will help you too.