A Father’s Love

Tullian Tchividjian:

When I was 16, my parents kicked me out of the house. They had tried everything. Nothing worked. And it got to the point where my lifestyle had become so disruptive to the rest of the household, that they were left with no choice but to painfully say, “We love you but you can’t continue to live this way and live under our roof.”

Kindle deals for the Christian reader

Here are a number of new(er) great deals for the Kindle:

• Faith on Trial by Martyn Lloyd-Jones—$2.99
• Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll—$3.99
• Barefoot Church: Serving the Least in a Consumer Culture by Brandon Hatmaker—$4.49
• Jesus in the Present Tense: The I AM Statements of Christ by Warren W. Wiersbe—$2.94
• Historical Theology by Gregg R. Allison—$5.99
• Closing the Window by Tim Chester—$2.99
• Dallas and the Spitfire by Ted Kluck and Dallas Jahncke—$1.99

And in case you missed them, here are a number of deals I shared this past weekend:

• What Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert—$2.99
• Redemption by Mike Wilkerson—$2.99
• Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper—$2.99
• Be Hopeful by Warren Wiersbe—free
• Courageous by Randy Alcorn—$1.99
• What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper—$3.99
• Doctrine by Driscoll and Breshears—$3.99
• Counsel From The Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson—$3.99
• Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Chandler, Patterson and Geiger—$3.95
• Call to Spiritual Reformation, A: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson—$1.94
• Journey to Joy by Josh Moody—96¢
• Bound Together: How We are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns—$3.99
• Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones—$3.99

Church Identity: How Your Church Must Not Be Unique

Eric Geiger:

In our individualized culture, we (church leaders included) often want an identity that is highly unique, one that is just for us, one that shows no one else is quite like us. But we must be careful. Our doctrine must not be unique. The foundation of our faith is something we have received. It is not something that we develop, create, or improve. It is the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Longing to teach something or say something that no one else has ever said will inevitably lead to bad theology.

The Tuning Fork of the Soul

Tony Reinke:

Successful Christian living is very much about steadiness and consistency, about firm resolve and steadfast endurance. There’s more to the Christian life, but these remain certain marks of God’s Spirit at work. And yet we feel the circumstances of life trying to swing us from despair to delight. When circumstances grow dark and we take our eyes off the Savior, we lose our balance and swing toward despair. When life seems to be going well and we take our eyes off Christ, we swing towards blissful God-forgetfulness certain to end in sorrow.

A Commitment to Holiness and Humility

Daniel Darling:

I had the privilege of interviewing Rev. Samuel Rodriquez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Rodriquez is a well-known speaker who represents the growing Hispanic evangelical population. I asked him about a recent honor he received.

Are There Contradictions in the Bible?

R.C. Sproul:

Much of the debate on the integrity of the Scriptures focuses specifically on the four Gospels. When you have parallel accounts of something, you expect them to be consistent, particularly if you’re maintaining that these accounts are inspired by God the Holy Spirit. We know that God may use different authors to record the same or similar events, and the authors can describe the event from their perspective, with their respective languages and literary styles. But still we would expect agreement in the substance of what is being taught if all accounts are speaking under the superintendence of God the Holy Spirit. That’s why it’s interesting to me that very early in church history there were attempts to write harmonies of the Gospels.

Cheap eBooks for the Christian reader

A few new eBook deals:

• What Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert—$2.99
• Redemption by Mike Wilkerson—$2.99
• Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper—$2.99
• Be Hopeful by Warren Wiersbe—free
• Courageous by Randy Alcorn—$1.99
• What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper—$3.99
• Doctrine by Driscoll and Breshears—$3.99
• Counsel From The Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson—$3.99
• Creature of the Word: The Jesus-Centered Church by Chandler, Patterson and Geiger—$3.95
• Call to Spiritual Reformation, A: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D.A. Carson—$1.94
• Journey to Joy by Josh Moody—96¢
• Bound Together: How We are Tied to Others in Good and Bad Choices by Chris Brauns—$3.99
• Preaching and Preachers by Martyn Lloyd-Jones—$3.99

George W. Bush is smarter than you

Keith Hennessey:

I teach a class at Stanford Business School titled “Financial Crises in the U.S. and Europe.” During one class session while explaining the events of September 2008, I kept referring to the efforts of the threesome of Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke, and Tim Geithner, who were joined at the hip in dealing with firm-specific problems as they arose.

One of my students asked “How involved was President Bush with what was going on?” I smiled and responded, “What you really mean is, ‘Was President Bush smart enough to understand what was going on,’ right?”

Evangelism: Prime the Pump

Steve McCoy:

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.

Homeschool Versus Public School: A Few Thoughts

Staci Eastin:

Since I have kids in both schooling situations, I sometimes feel like a woman without a country. I get frustrated when homeschool proponents act as if nothing good can come out of public schools, but I get angry when public school proponents act so surprised that my previously homeschooled kids can function so well, both academically and socially, in the public school setting (I’m looking at you, homeroom teacher). In other words, I’ve heard both sides trash talk the other, and I think both sides are wrong. Having a foot in each world has given me a few opinions.

Thoughts on the Trip to South Africa

Kevin DeYoung:

Bad theology destroys and keeps the gospel from people. South Africa, like most of sub-Saharan Africa, is overwhelmingly Christian. The state of the church can seem impressive, but mature Christians in South Africa will tell you a different story. The Dutch Reformed Church is weak and getting weaker, awash in theological liberalism and secular agendas. The black church is beholden to the false gospel of health, wealth, and prosperity and the worst kinds of syncretistic charismania. South Africa is “reached” with the gospel in a technical sense, but the need for good teaching and sound doctrine is tremendous. If you want to serve the Lord in a Bible-starved location in the English speaking world, there are many places in South Africa for you to go.

Get The Christian Mind for $5 at Ligonier.org

The Christian Mind, Ligonier’s 2012 National Conference, is available for download in today’s $5 Friday sale at Ligonier.org. Also on sale:

• John (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary series) by R.C. Sproul (hardcover)

• Anne Bradstreet: A Guided Tour of the Life and Thought of a Puritan Poet

  by Heidi L. Nichols (paperback)

• Sammy and His Shepherd by Susan Hunt (ePub download)

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

Book giveaway: Kingdom Come by Sam Storms

Over at the Christian Focus blog, they’re giving away Sam Storms’ latest book, Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative. Here’s a bit of info about the book:

The second coming of Christ is a matter of significant disagreement amongst Christians. Many hold to premillennialism: that Christ’s return will be followed by 1,000 years before the final judgement, a belief popularised in the popular Left Behind novels. However, premillennialism is not the only option for Christians. Sam Storms provides a biblical rationale for amillennialism, the belief that 1,000 years mentioned in the book of Revelation is symbolic with the emphasis being the King and his Kingdom.

Aborted Babies and the Risk of Doing Nothing

Michael Spielman:

For the first 10 years of my Christian life, I was internally pro-life but externally pro-choice. I believed abortion was wrong, I voted like abortion was wrong, but I lived as if it were no big deal. At the heart of my indifference was the idea that combating abortion isn’t a kingdom priority. Abortion is a political issue. It’s not my calling. Why should I waste my time trying to moralize unbelievers?

Dear Church Kid

Tricia Oaks:

Dear Church Kid, I’m writing you this because I love you and because I relate deeply to your situation. I have to tell you something awful and wonderful that will likely rock your cozy little world:

You are not doing Jesus any favors by pretending you have it all together. You are failing your brothers and sisters in Christ and worse, those outside of Christ, by being a good person. You are actually a bad person, just like the rest of us (see Romans 3:10-11, 23, & Ephesians 2:3).

When My Children Act Out in Public

Christina Fox:

When my children do something childish, without thinking, and even out of ignorance, I am often embarrassed. Even when they are flat-out disobedient in public, doing something they know they shouldn’t do, I am embarrassed. I’ve come to realize that too often I respond to them out of that embarrassment. In those situations, I care more about what other people think of me than about responding to my children’s heart. While their behavior often requires correction and even consequences, I also need to pay attention to what is going on in my own heart. When their behavior becomes about me and how it makes me look to others, I need to do a heart check.

New eBook: How To Use A Capo

My friend Chris Vacher has just released a new eBook for worship leaders, How To Use A Capo. A few things he covers in the eBook:

• Basics of using a capo
• Different types of capos
• How to buy the right capo
• How to use a cut capo
• Using a cut capo for alternate tunings
• Advanced capo ideas
• Next level suggestions and creative capo uses

Download a copy at Chris’ blog.

Is it ‘Unspiritual’ to be Discouraged?

Sinclair Ferguson:

From time to time over the centuries some Christians have taught, sometimes with tragic consequences, that a truly spiritual person never gets discouraged. To be cast down is, by definition, to be ‘unspiritual.’ Unless we are well-grounded in Scripture, it is very easy for us to be overwhelmed, confused, and even more discouraged by such teaching.

This teaching certainly seems logical: if the gospel saves us, it must save us from discouragement! It also appears to be wonderfully spiritual. After all, are we not ‘more than conquerors through him who loved us’ (Rom. 8:37)?

But this is not biblical logic, nor is it true spirituality.

Envy Hunts in a Pack

Joe Rigney:

Envy inevitably tears people apart. It is corrosive to genuine fellowship and camaraderie. It makes friendship and unity impossible. It undermines all of the glorious “one-anothering” that the gospel calls us to: love one another, encourage one another, accept one another, honor one another, serve one another, be kind to one another, bear with one another, and so on. The wolf-pack of envy is the death of gospel-shaped community.

I’m Just Not Wired That Way

Marc Cortez:

I spend a lot of time alone. And I like it. Working on my laptop, reading a book, or just listening to the birds outside my window, I cherish any time I get to myself. As an introvert, I’m wired that way. I enjoy (some) people, but I need my time alone.

I worry, though, about the possibility that embracing how I’m “wired” can become an excuse, a temptation to avoid opportunities/responsibilities simply because I don’t enjoy them or because they’re hard for me. When that happens, my strengths turn into weaknesses and I become my own enemy.

Preach the Old Testament as if Jesus Is Risen

Mitch Chase:

Some Christians read the Old Testament only in dim light. They enter one chapter after another like exploring a cavern, yet they squint and strain their eyes to answer questions. Why is this episode here? Why has the narrator told the scene from this angle? Where is this storyline heading? Why should I care about this long genealogy? How does this prophecy reach fulfillment? How do this character’s actions contribute to the plot, to the book, to the canon? Is this text built on earlier ones?

Such interpretive questions (and more) arise for every text, but after certain first-century events something became crystal clear: Jesus is the blazing torch for these caverns. The gospel message, the New Testament from beginning to end, is the light needed to see the glories of what has been there all along in ancient words.

Why This Odd Fella Can Be Hard to Love

Aimee Byrd:

ave you ever learned or taught a spiritual truth, only to then be challenged by it and fail? Just this weekend, I was deeply moved as I was typing these words for something else I am working on, “Sanctification is not about becoming a so-called better Christian; it is about knowing Christ better.”

The Rhythm of Forgiveness and Repentance

Daniel Darling:

This past Sunday, in our sermon series Teach us to Pray, we looked at this phrase in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Now this phrase of this prayer would be really wonderful if it stopped at “Forgive us our debts.” That’s how most of us pray, if we’re honest. The Bible tells us we enter life with a debt–a massive gap between us and God (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12, among others). Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection erased paid that debt and offers reconciliation with God. Anyone who has put their faith in Christ can pray this prayer with hope, knowing his debt has been forgiven.

But the prayer doesn’t stop there.

Greg Thornbury and classic evangelicalism

John Wilson interviews Greg Thornbury about his new book, Recovering Classic Evangelicalism: Applying the Wisdom and Vision of Carl F. H. Henry:

HT: Joe Thorn

The preacher’s vocal hygiene

Jeremy Walker:

The voice is the preacher’s primary tool, and we need to keep it in good condition. Reminded of and freshly and uncomfortably impressed with some of the elements of vocal hygiene, and being very willing to help other preachers keep their voices healthy, and equally to spare anyone the experience of a doctor inserting what looks and feels like a car aerial into your nasal cavities, or worse, herewith some counsels (garnered over many years) on vocal hygiene tailored to the preacher, arranged topically, some or all of which may be helpful to some. A lot of it is sanctified common-sense, and I should imagine that most preachers do most of it almost naturally.