Mark Driscoll on Nightline

VIDEO

I LOVE THIS GUY! The interview is average. I don't think it completely covers who he is and what he believes. Again they treat it as if the only thing he talks about is sex. He did one 8 week series on Song of Solomon last year and that's the one they don't seem to be able to let go of. He is currently exegeting 1 and 2 Peter and has dealt with predestination, doctrine (a TERRIFIC 10 week series last year) and many more issues.

Mark is just a dude. He's just like myself in that he's just a human answering the call of God. I have a high amount of admiration for him even if I don't see eye to eye on all issues (Calvinism). He isn't afraid to deal with doctrinal issues with his congregation and I very much appreciate that. I'm sick of surface self-help church that is plaguing our nation. It ain't about us!

Sermon for My One Year Anniversary

It's been a year since I've been in Lynchburg. This sermon has been hard to swallow for me. But it's haunted me. Mark Driscoll has had a major impact on my life and this is why. Rejoice...

5 Questions at the Beginning of Obamalot

A few thoughts after the last 8 years with the new president:

1. Will I be allowed to criticize, heckle, make fun of, disagree with our new president without fear of being called names?
2. Will Lord Barry keep staying to the center as he has been displaying, or will he finally cave to his liberal roots?
3. Will Oliver Stone or Michael Moore make a movie ridiculing him? Will they get away with it?
4. Will the church of Obama officially open? With the amount of worship and idolatry that has been displayed over this man, there needs to be a church building built.
5. Will Obama singlehandedly turn this country into France? Will he destroy capitalism and socialize health care? Will he pay for my mortgage? Will he bail ME out?
   

Things I Learned From Dubya (W)

As the Obamessiah regime takes over the White House, I am continued to be struck at the character we have experienced over the last few years. He's been called a liar, stupid, right-wing (far from it!), cowboy and ignorant. What continually sticks out is how strong this man was with the attacks that were daily hurled at him. Protests, Cindy Sheehan, Michael Fatboy Moore, the Baldwins, Jimmy "One-term" Carter, Eminem...all of them hounded him for who he was. And there he stood...never reacting...never changing course to appease weak-minded people.

I voted Bush but will admit many let-downs in immigration, a bloated government and the economy (especially the housing market which is personally affecting me). As with Clinton, Carter and now Obama, you can always learn things from leadership, whether good or bad.

What I learned most from Bush is sticking to your decisions in the face of intense scrutiny. Iraq, whether right or wrong, was a decision he refused to back down on even when the media said we were losing. Instead of backing down, he only intensified his efforts. Several of my friends served in Iraq and respected the firm and confident leadership given by W.

W kept things simple. He was ridiculed for suggesting there was something called "evil" in the world. Some would mock his simplistic answers as stupidity on his part. In a country who has a short-attention span (remember 9-11?) and has dropping educational standards (and stupid kids), I can understand why he might try and simplify. The president before tried to make words confusing (it depends on what the meaning of "is" is). George tried to simplify them to give them substance. His main points of interest were clear.

He was a man of faith. Whether or not we would agree on every point isn't the point. He never backed down from his faith at any opportunity. In a country growing more and more atheistic, that says a lot. Even Obamessiah has to play the Christian card. His attendance under Jeremiah Wright and not being effected by it tells you the level of respect for the teachings of a pastor.

Graciousness to his enemies. Even yesterday in the midst of the planets aligning, the lion laying down by the lamb, and the inauguration of Obamessiah, people had the chutzpa to boo and heckle the president who kept us from terrorist attacks for the last 7 years. And how did he respond? He smiled, waved, was gracious even when his replacement, the Lord Obama, blatantly tore apart his policies in front of a crowd. And W took it.

W kept the office of president and the country before himself. After Obamessiah had been voted in, after all that had been said to bash W, Bush still graciously reached out and opened the doors for the Lord Barry and Michelle. Bush knew that fights were less important than a smooth transition in power. Even Barry had to acknowledge this. Laura was fantastic in spending time with Michelle to prepare her for being first lady. These are by all rights- their ENEMIES...and yet with graciousness and respect for the office, they took the high road. Bush also promised to step out of the light when his time had passed. Unlike Carter and Clinton who lust after the spotlight, he said he would disappear...

And that's what I'll miss. Imperfect? Yes. Bad calls? Yes. Humble? YES! Patriot? Yes.

Good luck Barry...you have big character shoes to fill.

Essay for Church Planting Class

This is my initial essay on my reading. The author has hitting some key factors that I think aren't being taken seriously in the modern church:

In his book Planting Churches Cross Culturally: North America and Beyond, David Hesselgrave presents what he calls the Pauline Cycle of church planting. This cycle is as follows: Missionaries Commissioned, Audience Contacted, Gospel Communicated, Hearers Converted, Believers Congregated, Faith Confirmed, Leadership Consecrated, Believers Commended, Relationships Continued, and Sending Churches Convened. According to the author, this cycle is repeated numerous times in the book of Acts when Paul would go to a town and establish a church. His purpose in writing the book is not only to present these steps, but also to develop them in our modern context and build on them. It presents a method to church planting and growth.

The author describes the broader debate on Pauline church planting being between the view that Paul had no plan and relied entirely on the Lord doing the work wherever he went, and the position that Paul had a method and strategy with his church planting. The reality is that as you view Scripture, it appears Paul kept these in balance. Paul did have a set plan whenever he would go to a new town. Repeatedly you see him go through most or all of the steps previously mentioned. However, this was all under the understanding that God was the one who makes the seed grow (1 Corinthians 3:7). We all would be foolish to aim at nothing. At the same time, many modern churches (business model churches) have made the method just as important as the Spirit. As Hesselgrave states, they have “organized Christ out of the picture.” As with everything, there must be a balance.

This tendency to simplify everything to a method or science is something Hesselgrave focuses on a good bit in the section of reading. He says, “If our dependence is on the overall strategy and method of its implementation rather than on the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot claim to be true to the New Testament church.” There are many who have simplified church to a plan that has become more holy than the Word of God itself. A plan is important, but if we hold more tightly to that method and leave no room for adjustment, it has become more important than the Spirit’s working in our church. Some plans, such as the Purpose Driven Model, were developed to give a Biblically based structure to doing church. Unfortunately, some can take this model and turn it into an “evangelical production line (that) will inevitably produce results.”

Other important observations by Hesselgrave were pointed out later in the chapter. One key thought is that the Pauline method should be done both synchronically and diachronically. In other words, while the cycle is in the process of the latter steps (Believers commended and sending churches convened), it should at the same time be introducing the first steps of audience contact and missionary commissioning. The cycle must not stop because the cycle never truly ends. The beginning is more visible through mission work and church plants, yet once that cycle begins, there is never a time when in our era when we can stop reaching out (until the Lord comes that is!). In a sense, the book promises a level of sustaining a healthy, vibrant and contagious church body if we abide and adjust to the Pauline cycle.

The Pre-"Oh My Goodness Why Did I Take This Many Credit Hours This Semester" Update

Classes Start:
This semester, I will have a total of 15 hours. Classes are Church History 2 (Reformation Baby!!!), Hebrew Syntax (boker tov cuz), Apologetics to Middle Eastern Religions (Ergun Caner should be interesting), Church Planting (I need Pepto Bismol every time the numbers thing comes up), and Christian Leadership. I am determined to blow through the remaining 50 hours I have left. I am hoping to nail Greek through Gordon Conwell Seminary this summer.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!
Eagles v Giants this Sunday. Normally I'm loud and proud about my Eagles. We are on borrowed time right now. For Brian Dawkins sake, I hope we go far and maybe win it all. I am excited to see what they are doing, but it is always bitter sweet with Andy at the helm and Donovan throwing ducks for passes. Yes they have done great things for the team. But they fall short. They will only be good, not great, until they win it all. I don't know if that will ever happen.

Lord Of All?
I was reminded of the Lordship Debate. A great definition is:

"Lordship salvation is a teaching in Christian theology that maintains good works are a necessary consequence of being declared righteous before God. In other words, Jesus cannot be considered a person's savior (that is, bringer of salvation) without simultaneously being lord of the person's life, which is demonstrated by the gradual purification from sin and the exercising of good works."

In other words, if one is truly saved, we should expect to see change in their lives. It’s in the form of a desire for God and naturally good works will pour out of their lives. This is controversial because many say it makes salvation legalistic. I say it makes it expectant. If I say I love someone, my actions will show it. The opposition is very typical of the modern church that has boiled salvation to a simple prayer and little expectancy of a life change. That is NOT the gospel I read of. Disciples- not converts. It isn’t enough to just take someone’s words for it. Give it time and watch for the fruits of repentance to show.

Reading Frenzy
I gotta stop starting to read books. I have about 8 that I started and haven't finished. I have about 6 more I want to start.

My Current Music Playlist:

• Shiver- Coldplay
• Rise – Flobots
• LES Artistes – Santogold
• 3’s and 7’s – Queens of the Stone Age
• Mississippi Queen – Mountain
• 15 Step – Radiohead
• To Defy the Laws of Tradition – Primus
• That’s Not My Name – The Ting Tings
• Losing Touch – The Killers
• Strange Times – The Black Keys
• Still – Kirk Franklin
• I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab For Cutie

Why I Can't Teach Students An Easy Gospel

The best article I've seen on Lordship and how visible it is in a youth group experience. Article

Fact: most youth pastors and sadly many Bible colleges run off the idea that students need entertainment to be saved. Bible colleges train youth pastors how to get big numbers and attract crowds. It would be unheard of in many of these circle to be able to ministry without fancy lights and a band that can play Zeppelin.

This past week at a big winter bash at my place of employment, I saw 500 students respond to a loaded gospel presentation. With most of these altar calls, they base salvation on Jesus healing hurts, fear tactics using hell, Jesus is cool, or using Christianity as a solution to all your problems. How offensive! This easy gospel is the same one many laid their lives down for simply because they were committed to a belief that was and is still offensive in this world.

In previous ministries, I've been guilty every once in a while of not teaching the true gospel...the one that is a life commitment...the one in the Bible. I would rather have 5 students baptized in one year of who understood the depth and seriousness of what they were saying and committing to, then to have 12 dozen baptisms of students who were sold on an easy gospel.

Expect more of students. We're talking about the gospel...we're talking about the next generation.