It’s Not Me, It’s You

Tullian Tchividjian:

What’s fascinating to me is that, not only in the story of Jonah, but throughout the Bible, it’s always the immoral person that gets the Gospel before the moral person. It’s the prostitute who understands grace; it’s the Pharisee who doesn’t. It’s the unrighteous younger brother who gets it before the self-righteous older brother.

It’s not about the nail

Jesus Doesn’t Think My Doubt Is Cool

Stephen Altrogge:

When it comes to my Christian faith, there is an appropriate place for doubts and questions. It can be good and helpful to ask questions like, “How do we know the Bible truly is the word of God?”, and, “Is there really evidence for Jesus’ resurrection?” We shouldn’t be afraid of these kinds of questions, and we should do all we can to answer them, both for ourselves and for others.

But when it comes to my daily, step by step (Why one set of footprints?) walk with Jesus, he does not think my perpetual doubting is cool. He doesn’t endorse my faithlessness. He thinks it stinks.

Apple worship?

David Murray:

The world is the theater of God’s glory. But it’s not just beautiful natural landscapes that motivate our worship, but beautiful work as well, even when done by unbelievers.

Who can look at an apple and not worship God? Who can look at an Apple and not worship God?

When Your Sermon is Only a Single

Philip Nation:

Each week, we hope that our sermon will be a homerun. However, I’ve hit a lot more singles and doubles than triples. I’ve hit even fewer homeruns. In all honesty, there are many Sundays my sermon feels like a poorly executed bunt that I have to hustle out to first base. So what are you to do when you just hit a single?

7 Deadly Diseases of Pastoral Ministry

Nicholas McDonald:

Full time ministry is dangerous. The temptation toward spiritual pride is deadly, and it infects the body like nothing else. Pastors suffer uniquely with this temptation. Because people cast their gaze on us, we’re tempted to believe we’re more important, more righteous, or wiser than we are. Spiritual pride is constantly creeping into my heart, and I need to be forced to face my idols squarely on to demolish them. With that in mind, here are 7 dangerous diseases particular to full-time ministers of the gospel.

IRS Audited 69% of Filers Who Claimed Adoption Tax Credit

Joe Carter:

There are valid disagreements to be had about what constitutes incentivizing the good and how such policies should be implemented. But I suspect most Christians would agree that adoption is the type of supererogatory act that should be encouraged. That is why many Christians lobbied the U.S Congress to approve the adoption tax credit, an addition made in 1997 which allows American families to offset the high costs related to the process.

But why should Christians care that the IRS gives special increased scrutiny to those who claim this exemption? Because it provides a disincentive to adopt a child and could potentially leave thousands of children without parents.

Bring our Child Home from Ethiopia & Serve a Widow

Josh Reich and his family need your help:

I blogged yesterday about where we are in our Ethiopian adoption process. As I shared yesterday, we are on the brink of bringing our child home from Ethiopia. We are “on deck” as they call it, meaning that at any moment we can get a phone call telling us who our child is and when we need to be in Ethiopia to meet them and continue the legal process of our adoption. The way it looks now, we will be taking 2 trips to Ethiopia and bringing our child home to our family by the end of 2013. It is hard to believe we are this close since beginning this journey back in February of 2010.

So far, God has provided in incredible ways and allowed us to raise almost $20,000 towards our adoption. For the last leg of the journey, we need to raise $9 – 15 thousand more. The range comes from us not knowing how much travel will be when we make our two trips to Ethiopia.

God Doesn’t Need Your Kick-Butt Worship Band Or Your Flaming Sermon

Stephen Altrogge:

I’m a big fan of excellence (as opposed to those of you who are big fans of awfulness). When we do things with excellence it is a reflection of God, who does all things with excellence. I firmly believe that we should strive for excellence in every area of the church. I’m so grateful for our talented worship team, outstanding children’s ministry team, fantastic sound crew, creative youth team, and all the other folks in my church who work so hard for the glory of God. Coming to church should be a “most excellent adventure” (See Bill & Ted).

You Need Others’ Voices

Josh King:

When God called you to the position you now have, He gifted you with what you need to get that job done. One of those gifts is the experience and perspective that those you are leading bring to the table. Their opinions are instruments for success not barriers or annoyances. With nearly every feedback you receive or comment you overhear there’s at least a grain (and sometimes a mountain) of truth. It is your obligation to receive that truth with grace.

Get Crucial Questions for $5 at Ligonier.org

A three-book set from the Crucial Questions series by R.C. Sproul is on sale in today’s $5 Friday sale at Ligonier.org (the complete set, as you may recall, is available free forever in various eBook formats). Also on sale:

• Recovering the Beauty of the Arts teaching series by R.C. Sproul (audio and video download)
• The Dark Side of Islam by various authors (ePub)
• Listener’s Valley of Vision by Max McLean (audiobook download)

$5 Friday ends tonight at 11:59:59 Eastern.

How does a church decide what to pay a pastor?

Eric Bancroft:

There are often several factors considered: (1) full-time vs. part time, (2) level of education, (3) location of church in the country, i.e. local economy, (4) average income of the membership, (5) level of responsibility, (6) cost of replacement of personnel, i.e. what others in similar roles in the area are being paid with a similar philosophy of ministry, etc.

Fourteen Characteristics of Theological Legalism

Michael Patton:

Theological legalism is nothing new (and such is certainly not limited to the world of theology). Think of the Pharisees who, according to Christ, strained out gnats and swallowed camels (Matt. 23:24). To the theological legalist, there is no such thing as gnats. Christ spoke of the weightier things of the Law (Matt. 23:23). To the doctrinal legalist, all issues are of equal weight. Paul spoke of things of “first importance” (1 Cor. 15:3); to those who are theological Pharisees, everything comes in first place, there is rarely, if ever, a second.

Grace Mobilizes Performance

Tullian Tchividjian:

My friend Steve Brown tells a story about a time his daughter Robin found herself in a very difficult English Literature course that she desperately wanted to get out of.

Those Deleted Tweets

Tony Reinke:

Whatever final conclusion you draw about the tweets is between you and the Lord. But we wanted to take a moment to address misinformation online as you make your own conclusions on the matter. We appreciate those of you who have come to Pastor John’s defense online, but our sense is that this isn’t a matter worth debating. Our purpose in posting here is simply to provide you with more information.

TGC13 Media Now Available

The media for The Gospel Coalition’s 2013 National Conference is now available. Go check it out.

How not to miss the visitation

Ray Ortlund:

Most of the sins we commit are not conscious. It’s natural for us all to cruise along in a mental environment of easy-going benevolence, protected from self-awareness within walls of soft but impenetrable good intentions.

God’s Irony

Mike Leake:

I admit it. I love the various ironies of life especially when it comes to our tendency to think we have charge over our destiny. Consider Pharaoh’s bravado as he issued genocidal orders to destroy a race of people. His command? “Every son this born the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live” (Exodus 1:22). His concern was that there were to be too many Jews and these “immigrant slaves” would take over the land. (Got to watch those immigrants very carefully.)

5 Ways We Grow

Tim Challies:

Just about every Christian has memorized the closing verses of Galatians and Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. This is the character of the man or woman who has been justified by grace through faith.

R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions eBooks Now Free Forever

To further help Christians know what they believe, why they believe it, how to live it, and how to share it, from today the eBook editions of R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series will be free forever.

Hell Awakened Me

Joe Thorn:

I didn’t go to church as a kid, but I did watch a lot of horror movies so I felt pretty educated when it came to the subject of hell. From the The Gates of Hell (1980) to Hellraiser (1987), and everything in-between, Hell was a scary but fictional place. Hell didn’t bother me. It was thrilling. Fun, even. Until 1989.

Pastors: You Should Start a Study Group

Darryl Dash:

I’m convinced that we as pastors have to go a bit deeper than what’s offered at most conferences. We need more intimacy, more depth, and more encouragement than the average conference can afford. Many pastors graduate from seminary and never experience the same level of teaching just about the time that they can really benefit from it. I’m not talking about abstract, theoretical work. I’m talking about digging into the Word of God and thinking in depth how it applies to our lives and ministries.

Parents, Do You Think Before You Post?

Jen Wilkin:

My entire childhood is documented in the space of three photo albums. Two photos stand out in my memory: one, infant-me having my diaper changed from a rather compromising camera angle; the other, 2-year-old me seated triumphantly on a potty chair. I remember them because my parents teased that they would show them to any prospective suitors. Even though I knew they were joking, the possibility that those pictures would ever be viewed outside our family horrified me as an adolescent. The written record of my childhood is fairly small, too—a baby book with notes about my weight gain and first words, a collection of birthday cards and letters from family. How different this is from the record many parents are making of their children’s early years now.

The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil

Albert Mohler:

We dare not speak on God’s behalf to explain why He allowed these particular acts of evil to happen at this time to these persons and in this manner. Yet, at the same time, we dare not be silent when we should testify to the God of righteousness and love and justice who rules over all in omnipotence. Humility requires that we affirm all that the Bible teaches, and go no further. There is much we do not understand. As Charles Spurgeon explained, when we cannot trace God’s hand, we must simply trust His heart.

Sanctification by time travel

David Murray:

…spiritual time travel is not an optional extra, something for high-flying Christians, but this is something for every Christian to try. In fact, you will never make much lasting progress in holiness if you do not travel back in time to Calvary’s cross and the empty tomb.

Let me put this as bluntly and as starkly as possible: The Christian’s holiness depends primarily on his/her ability to time travel by faith.

John Piper Is Not Anti-Seashell

Trevin Wax:

Piper’s sermon on a wasted life is powerful because it exposes the tragedy of living only for this world. But countless other sermons from Piper are powerful because they show the joy and wonder of living in this world and the importance of looking beyond the gift to the Maker of all good things – the Artist who splashes his brilliant colors on the canvas of creation.

Just Do Something: the study guide

Moody’s just released a free study guide to Kevin DeYoung’s excellent little book, Just Do Something. Download it here.

Kindle deals for Christian readers

Two of my friend Stephen Altrogge’s fiction books are free this week (and if they’re not already showing up free, they will be soon): The Chip and The Last Superhero. Both are really fun reads and well worth getting.

Also, on sale are Praying Backwards: Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name by Bryan Chappell ($1.94) and On the Grace of God by Justin Holcomb ($1.99). And in case you missed them over the weekend, here are a few other books still on sale:

• Which Bible Translation Should I Use? by Andreas Köstenberger—$4.99
• How We Got the Bible—$4.06
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke – Acts—$7.59
• Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: John – Acts—$7.59 (USD, price varies in Canada)
• The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon—$4.99
• Taking God Seriously by J.I. Packer—$5.99
• A Passion for Faithfulness by J.I. Packer—$4.99
• Growing in Christ by J.I. Packer—$3.99
• Affirming the Apostle’s Creed by J.I. Packer—$2.99
• James: a 12-Week Study by Greg Gilbert—$2.99
• Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministryby John Piper—$4.99
• Where to Find It in the Bible by Ken Anderson—$4.49
• Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Chandler, Patterson and Geiger—$3.99
• Peace Child by Don Richardson—$3.99
• The White Umbrella by Mary Frances Bowley—$2.99
• Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers and Skeptics Find Faith by Alistair McGrath–$4.94

A Biblical and Scientific Adam

Vern Polythress:

Did Adam and Eve exist? Does science say otherwise? The human genome project has produced voluminous data about the information contained in human DNA. Various news media and scientists tell us that this information demonstrates our ape ancestry. How do we evaluate these claims?

The Unspoken Tension Between (Some) Pastors and (Some) Laity

Thom Rainer:

There is a growing tension between some pastors and some laity in churches across America. It is not pervasive, but it’s growing. Frankly, I don’t even like the seemingly opposing labels of pastors and laity. I just don’t know how to describe the groups otherwise.

This tension is like the family secret that no one mentions explicitly, but many speak around it and near it. And this tension is growing.

Preparing for the Future in the Age of Facebook

Alex Chediak:

Youth is a particularly strategic time to develop healthy study habits. The early years are a season of developing our God-given talents into competencies by which we can meaningfully serve others and live with impact in a broken world. This requires learning to receive, understand, and evaluate arguments conveyed via words, equations, or other means. It requires attentive reading, alert listening, and active engagement.

But an endless assortment of instantly-available media and non-stop social interactions are making uninterrupted study less common for young adults in our day (and for all of us).

Just My Imagination

R.C. Sproul Jr:

It’s the fuzzy stuff around the edges that gets us. When we are aware we are facing a text from God’s Word, we tend to tread carefully. We move slowly, break out our exegetical tools, and get to work. The trouble comes when we’re dealing in broad generalities. We take a vague notion grounded in our private wishes, and turn these into convictions. I had a friend in college who was signed up for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. Two years into the program he wanted out, having adopted a pacifist perspective. I asked him how he came to this conclusion- “I just can’t see Jesus blowing some guy away” was his answer. Now there are some thoughtful, nuanced arguments out there in favor of pacifism. I don’t believe them, but I can respect them. This, however, is some microscopically thin ice.

Why Going to Church on Sunday is An Act of War

Dan Darling:

…the simple act of going to church–I’m assuming here a church who preaches the gospel and declares that Jesus Christ is King–is in and of itself a declaration of war. When your weary legs rise for another verse of the chorus and you offer praise to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you are saying, in effect, that the reigning prince of the power of the air, Satan (Ephesians 2:2) is really not the King He thinks he is. There is another King, another Kingdom and it’s coming one day in it’s fullness and power. When you gather with your fellow believers and worship Christ, you are saying to the rest of the world that man is not ultimate. You are saying that the great movements of this world may have some power, but ultimately they are part of God’s gathering of history to Himself and for His kingdom. When you worship the risen Christ every Sunday at your church, you are telling the world that in your life, for this moment, Christ is ultimate. He is to be worshipped above all else. You’re making a statement that there is Someone deserving of more adulation and worship than the lesser things to which we pledge allegiance. You’re inviting them to ask you, “Why do you think the Kingdom of God is better than the Kingdom of man? What is it about Christ that gets you to roll out of bed, get dressed, get your family dressed, hop in the car, and go to church every single Sunday? 

The Imperfect and Aktionsart

William Mounce:

Meaning is communicated in more ways than time and aspect, and when we see a verb in a certain tense with a certain aspect, there are other factors that determine its meaning. This is Aktionsart.

Kindle deals for Christian readers

Here are a number of (hopefully!) still active deals for the Kindle:

• Which Bible Translation Should I Use? by Andreas Köstenberger—$4.74
• How We Got the Bible—$3.47
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke – Acts—$7.59
• Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: John – Acts—$7.59 (USD, price varies in Canada)
• The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon—$4.99
• The Holman Bible Atlas—$4.99
• The Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical History—$4.99
• Taking God Seriously by J.I. Packer—$5.99
• A Passion for Faithfulness by J.I. Packer—$4.99
• Growing in Christ by J.I. Packer—$3.99
• Affirming the Apostle’s Creed by J.I. Packer—$2.99
• James: a 12-Week Study by Greg Gilbert—$2.99
• Signature in the Cell by Stephen Meyer—$2.99
• The MacArthur Bible Commentary—$5.99
• Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley—$4.99
• Journey to Joy by Josh Moody—$1.00
• Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministryby John Piper—$4.99
• Where to Find It in the Bible by Ken Anderson—$4.49
• Redemption by Mike Wilkerson—$2.99
• Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Chandler, Patterson and Geiger—$3.99
• One Perfect Life by John MacArthur—$3.99
• Peace Child by Don Richardson—$3.99
• The White Umbrella by Mary Frances Bowley—$2.99
• Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers and Skeptics Find Faith by Alistair McGrath–$4.94

On Why We should Love and Hate the Suburbs

Matthew Lee Anderson:

Like most kerfuffles, the recent dispute over Christianity and the suburbs has teetered on engendering far more heat than there has been light.

Some of that was due to our own Keith Miller’s post, which self-consciously provoked and explored questions rather than laid out definitive hypotheses.  (Mission accomplished.  The comments have been wonderful.)  But one gets the sense that the discussion has been fueled by vagueness, that it’s full of heuristic caricatures set up to illuminate more fundamental points.  And heuristic caricatures often breed defensive responses, and around the internet wheel-go-round we spin.  That’s my observation, anyway, which I am happy to be wrong about.

Kingdom Come—50% off at Westminster Books

Sam Storm’s new book, Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative, is on sale at Westminster Books for $15 (a 50 per cent savings). You can read a sample which includes the introduction and first chapter here.

Radical Christianity: A Call to Legalism or a Cause to Live?

Ed Stetzer:

I think we need more missional and more radical role models and resources for the church. I think we need it because the bigger problem is complacency, not an overemphasis on radical missional living. At this time and in most Western cultural contexts, a consumer church is a greater danger than a radical Christianity.

However, that does not mean that all of us need to be David Platt.

Idle of the Heart

Joe Thorn:

I continually run into young men who are frustrated at their stage in life in part because of a lack of clarity about their calling, or a lack of opportunity to do what they really want to do.  This frustration leads many to become idle. Inactive if not aimless.

Gospel Self-Esteem: Imago Dei

Matthew Sims:

He was on his kick. They all had one. Something they had studied and come to the definitive answer on, usually it was related to a cultural issue or the rapture.

This particular evangelist had studied Scripture and found out that it never said anything about self-esteem. Loving yourself was bad. We don’t need more value. We’re disgusting sinners. We just need Jesus.

Get Blood Work for $5 at Ligonier.org

The ePub edition of Blood Work by Anthony Bradley is on sale in today’s $5 Friday sale at Ligonier.org. Also on sale:

• The Consequences of Ideas teaching series by R.C. Sproul (audio and video download)
• Abortion by R.C. Sproul (hardcover)
• Handout Apologetics teaching series by John Gerstner (audio and video download)

$5 Friday ends tonight at 11:59:59 Eastern.

The Litmus Test of Genuine Christianity

Cap Stewart:

In our pluralistic culture, churches have become so varied that they spread confusion about what it really means to be a follower of Christ. When it comes to hot-button issues like gun rights, abortion, and homosexuality, professing Christians line up on opposite ends. Can Christianity legitimately be so divided? Or, to put it another way, can anyone discern the “real deal”? Is it possible to know what functional, practical Christianity truly looks like?

Gosnell is not the only one

Owen Strachan introduces us to an equally dark challenge to the “compassionate choice” rhetoric of pro-choice advocates: Douglas Karpen:

But some clinics–like that of the now-convicted Kermit Gosnell–let us see the true horror of abortion. Another clinic has been exposed by former workers as, apparently, a site of truly mind-bending evil. It is a Houston clinic run by a man named Dr. Douglas Karpen. Karpen has seemingly been slaughtering babies for decades, including many babies that doctors consider “viable,” as they were born alive. The video above discusses Karpen’s practice in great detail.

The Difference Between Original Autographs and Original Texts

Michael Kruger:

In recent years, however, a more foundational challenge has arisen. All of the above critiques are essentially the same; they all argue the words of the Bible are not true. But this newer and more foundational challenge is not about whether the words of the Bible are true, but whether we have the words of the Bible at all.

At the core of this challenge is the fact that we only have handwritten copies of these books we treasure. And, in reality, we only have copies of copies of copies. And given that scribes made mistakes, and that the transmission process was imperfect, how can we be sure that these texts have been preserved? How can we be sure we actually have the words of Scripture?

Reactionary Christianity: Step Off the Pendulum

Logan Gentry:

We are in a reactionary culture and unfortunately Christianity has followed its ways, but God’s call to love Him most and lovingly challenge our societal norms with His ancient truth has not evolved or changed. Modern culture will be different in a decade, but the truth of the gospel will not be. The Scriptures lay out a clear and simple direction for church that will not be different either.

5 apps to help you share the gospel

Steven Kryger shares five smartphone apps to help you with sharing the gospel. There’s some neat stuff!

Writers Don’t Let Go

Barnabas Piper:

One of the characteristics of a good writer is the inability to let go. To let go of something is to give up an opportunity, and idea, or an inspiration. Let go of what, you ask? Nearly anything.

John Piper and Mark Driscoll Talked Me Off the Bridge

Jared Wilson:

I have met John Piper just once, a couple of years ago, when I was in Minneapolis to record some material with Desiring God Ministries in promotion of my book Gospel Wakefulness. On the way to what would be a brief visit to his home, I clutched in my hand a copy of my book to give him. I was told I ought to sign it, because he’d like that. I don’t remember what exactly I wrote inside that front cover but I know it included this line: “God used you to save my life.”

That is not an exaggeration.