tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72858135041551329392011-10-04T19:25:51.813-05:00Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-60224143358376665372011-02-28T16:59:00.001-06:002011-02-28T17:01:12.753-06:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-79525508828949187062010-12-20T07:53:00.003-06:002010-12-20T07:54:25.089-06:00

'Tis the season ... for parents to decide if they will tell the truth about Santa.  Read here an article by Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, where he provides parents with a Biblical approach for redeeming the story of Saint Nicholas.   For more information about rejecting, receiving, or redeeming cultural in general, check out this blog post by Pastor Mark. HT: The

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-58332724873442755112010-12-20T07:41:00.000-06:002010-12-20T07:41:57.135-06:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-22500908204288704402010-12-16T00:15:00.005-06:002010-12-16T00:18:52.657-06:00

I tried to come with a title for this post - I really did. But I can't. I'm speechless.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-32625413436048530392010-12-04T00:36:00.003-06:002010-12-04T00:42:53.835-06:00

R.C. Sproul wrote, "For one thing, in our worship at Christmas we may varnish the staggering truth of the incarnation with what is visually, audibly, and aesthetically pleasing. We confuse emotional pleasure — or worse, sentiment — with true adoration."  For many, Christmas is nothing more than sentiment.  We seek after temporal happiness, briefly cast aside differences with family, friends,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-37445161249890045542010-12-04T00:04:00.001-06:002010-12-04T00:05:25.475-06:00

Learn how to arc via a free, online, video-based tutorial called ARCING 101. HT: Bible Arc via Desiring God

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-29375501444173603112010-12-03T23:52:00.002-06:002010-12-03T23:53:35.520-06:00

Paul gives a two-part command in Philippians 3:17—join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who live like us. This idea of imitating Paul and leaders like him is not unique to this passage (2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:13; Hebrews 13:7). However, the Philippians 3:18 ground to the command carries a particular weightiness. Paul tells us to imitate him and those who

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-34330373693035727822010-12-03T00:10:00.010-06:002010-12-03T07:50:13.486-06:00

The message in the video above will sound right to most of us, even many Christians, but it is, at it's root, a humanist, evolutionary, anti-Christian message that promotes self-salvation. This video wonderfully depicts just how easy it is to slip from a Biblical worldview to a faith perspective promoted by the world to glorify the world. First off, the video is terrific. It's interesting,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-36169843888694240872010-12-01T08:13:00.006-06:002010-12-01T08:23:10.739-06:00

John MacArthur writes: Twenty-five years ago Neil Postman observed that television had become an American “necessity” and lamented its effects on society. He correctly described the culture of the 1980s as one that was amusing itself to death. If he were alive today, Postman would be astonished at how quickly Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media have gripped our society. His

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-78406846184264580852010-12-01T00:01:00.000-06:002010-11-30T22:17:14.044-06:00

Cardboard Stories from The Austin Stone on Vimeo. Genesis 6:5: "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Hebrews 9:26–28:  "Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-68309342111571079632010-11-30T21:27:00.000-06:002010-11-30T21:27:51.196-06:00

Have you ever stopped to think how much of Paul's witness to Christ was given in circumstances he did not plan? I'm not debunking planning. It's essential. Paul had very clear evangelistic plans. That's obvious from Romans 15 and from the book of Acts. The point I'm making is that God is the master evangelistic planner. What he wants is people who wear the shoes of readiness to move with the

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-36762422487840786042010-11-30T20:47:00.001-06:002010-11-30T20:51:05.236-06:00

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story from David C. Cook (Lifeway) publishing looks like a really neat Bible for young boys.  It's fully illustrated, comic book style, and includes over 200 Bible narratives in chronological order.  You can learn more about it at www.TheActionBible.com.  I think everyone might like taking a peek at this one, but especially young boys.  Pretty neat!

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-72325969334208692052010-11-29T08:16:00.005-06:002010-11-29T19:09:34.738-06:00

Eight hundred years before the Advent of the Messiah, the prophet Isaiah is called to live among God’s people, whom he describes as rebellious and stubborn. They are a sinful nation; a people weighed down by iniquity; they are an offspring of evildoers. The prophet even likens God’s people to Sodom and Gomorrah. These are dark days indeed–full of gloom and despair as the prophet exposes in

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-83820580859888519262010-11-28T11:27:00.005-06:002010-12-01T14:06:57.978-06:00

The Christian life is summed up in this short psalm. 5 Praise, confession, conviction, comfort, exhortation – 6 all of these sprout up from the soil of Psalm 146. 7 The author begins in a posture of praise and worship, a 8 worship that includes creating melodies and spiritual songs 9 to the Lord. He then moves to the confession that God is, 10 as our Christian creeds echo, “Maker of heaven

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-82235997484591807392010-11-27T20:46:00.000-06:002010-11-27T20:46:27.288-06:00

Just received my copy. Here's a quote that I can relate with, "Ministry leaders tend to be the most under-resourced members of the church, usually getting the least amount of support and attention."  Most pastors would probably say give me the support, but give Him the attention."  Unfortunately that's not how it usually works out.  The Church typically gives its leaders little support, much

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-79069452837163622432010-11-27T20:33:00.001-06:002010-11-27T20:34:42.979-06:00

Sayed Mossa is a new believer in Afghanistan who is in jail in Afghanistan because he decided, of his own free choice, to follow Jesus. In this letter he managed to smuggle out through the hands of a Westerner, he describes daily beatings, torture, and sexual molestation. He stands to be executed for his decision to follow Jesus next week. He has a wife and 6 children, one of whom is disabled.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-13250853551546953172010-11-19T08:39:00.007-06:002010-11-19T08:44:33.799-06:00

All year long God blesses us by the grace extended to us through Jesus.  In his book Morning and Evening Charles H Spurgeon reminds us of the mind-bending reality of the graciousness of God's blessings upon our lives: All the year round, every hour of every day, God is richly blessing us; both when we sleep and when we wake His mercy waits upon us. The sun may leave us a legacy of darkness, but

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-54124974750299609832010-11-19T07:56:00.000-06:002010-11-19T07:56:10.870-06:00

Join Desiring God online next Tuesday, November 23rd, from 9-11AM (CST) as Darrin Patrick answers questions about all things church planting and pastoring. They will broadcast live that morning from Patrick's church in St. Louis, MO. Desiring God writes: Darrin is most recently known for his book, Church Planter: The Man, the Message, the Mission (which you can now purchase in our online store)

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-34305349976664484522010-11-19T00:12:00.000-06:002010-11-19T00:12:17.051-06:00

Ever been the recipient of a shame grenade from a Christian brother or sister? You know, when you're talking about something, even probably in a joking manner, and then someone turns the conversation in the opposite direction with a serious and holy comment. John Acuff, the funny and spot-on commentator and blogger (Stuff Christians Like) about Christian culture, calls this the "Jesus Juke." 

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-20208372728116289352010-11-12T21:32:00.000-06:002010-11-12T21:32:35.653-06:00

“Rock of Ages” is a great hymn, one of the best. Here is the bad news: It was written out of spite, by a bitter and narrow-minded young man who couldn’t keep his personal hatred from over-flowing into his prayers and songs. Here is the good news: God rescued the hymn from the defects of its author and his worst intentions, and Rock of Ages is every bit as good as you think it is. If you skip

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-21869448595565679782010-11-11T22:27:00.007-06:002010-11-11T22:33:28.921-06:00

Click here for video: Albert Mohler, Mark Coppenger, Timothy Paul Jones, Bruce Keisling, and Owen Strachan talk about the classic Amusing Ourselves to Death Albert Mohler, Mark Coppenger, Timothy Paul Jones, Bruce Keisling, and Owen Strachan talk about the classic Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman. Download the audio here. In the

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-86863893592160331292010-11-11T22:11:00.000-06:002010-11-11T22:11:20.231-06:00

The Art of Listening might well be the most the important skill a Christian must develop, because Christianity is at its essence all about the Word of God. In fact, God himself is the Word (John 1:1) and the Word became flesh (John 1:2)—safe to say that if God is the Word then how we use our ears is pretty important. Furthermore, you can only come to faith through hearing (Rom. 10:14) and then

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-81563625416498121832010-11-09T10:30:00.001-06:002010-11-09T10:30:57.078-06:00

"When Kevin Murphy entered as a freshman at Mount Holyoke, a Massachusetts women's college, in 2003, he was female. By the time he received his diploma, he was male."  That quote is from a recent CNN story, "Male, Female, or Neither?  Debating Gender-Identity at Same-Sex Colleges," covering the dilemma our culture increasingly finds itself in over issues of gender. There's no question that we

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-82701091030494455722010-11-09T08:37:00.004-06:002010-11-09T08:38:52.136-06:00

Ed Young Goes After Access to Bank Accounts of Church Members from FBCJax Watchdog on Vimeo. Too often, the church treats its members more like customers than co-laborers and the video above is a prime example. HT: Timmy Brister

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-6514788050896103622010-11-08T08:18:00.003-06:002010-11-08T08:21:17.072-06:00

At the 2010 Verge Conference, George Patterson boldly announced that "discipleship is easy if we make disciples like the early church."  How? He said they did five things: 1. They presented the living, risen Christ, not just facts about Him.  Look at the Book of Acts for example;  over and over you hear the reality of the living, risen Christ proclaimed.  Patterson said that people today must

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-68488884306956128962010-11-08T08:16:00.002-06:002010-11-08T08:22:06.059-06:00

Chuck Colson writes an eye-opening article about the recent murder of at least 58 Christians at Our Lady of Salvation Catholic Church in Baghdad at the hands of Muslim extremists. He also exposes the Western media's inattention to the persecution of Christians throughout the world, especially when that persecution comes at the hands of Muslims. Read Colson's article here.  To MSNBC's credit,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-73570810205474086632010-11-07T22:23:00.003-06:002010-11-08T08:22:37.679-06:00

This is my confession: I was born into a believing family through no merit of my own at all. I was given a mind to think and a heart to feel through no merit of my own at all. I was brought into the hearing of the gospel through no merit of my own at all. My rebellion was subdued, my hardness removed, my blindness overcome, and my deadness awakened through no merit of my own at all. Thus I

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-66208912498597166182010-11-07T21:56:00.000-06:002010-11-07T21:56:35.664-06:00

Amazing life being lived to the glory of God!! Check his website & new book at http://bit.ly/bErvPw

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-11329367926075042662010-11-05T22:59:00.002-05:002010-11-05T23:00:29.956-05:00

The Pastor's Mission from Sovereign Grace Ministries on Vimeo.Dave Harvey will be speaking at the upcoming Plant! Conference. If you are a church planter or on a pastoral team that is considering church planting, you should look into the Sovereign Grace Ministries Plant! Conference. It's being held on March 24-26 in Glen Mills, PA, and will feature Dave Harvey, Mark Dever, Darrin Patrick, Daniel

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-64403445409627579582010-11-05T16:30:00.003-05:002010-11-05T16:34:37.002-05:00

College Ready is a good resource for pastors, parents and youth workers interested in helping prepare students for the worldly culture they will likely be immersed in on a college campus after they graduate from high school. Here's a description of the curriculum: "College Ready can help you make the most of your college years. The six sessions of this high impact, DVD-guided series are designed

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-62101393319413845622010-11-05T16:15:00.004-05:002010-11-05T16:21:35.945-05:00

Kevin DeYoung's message from the fifth session of our 2010 Pastors Conference is now available for listening or download.“Rethinking the Mission of the Church”Download (right-click and select “Save link as” or “Save target as”) HT: Sovereign Grace

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-78433548408344558272010-10-25T13:49:00.006-05:002010-10-28T21:33:22.053-05:00

Catalyst East 2010: Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-49813035414539410592010-10-25T08:51:00.005-05:002010-10-25T08:58:17.689-05:00

The original geek is the "Glee Geek"?  That sounds about right; I think every boy-band in history started in a glee club somewhere.  And I thought Urkel was the pinnacle of all things geek.  Shows what I know. One important thing to note: we're all geeks!! Embrace your geekiness!! HT: Joe Thorn

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-13346366685538265462010-10-23T22:54:00.001-05:002010-10-23T22:56:48.560-05:00

Larry Osborne, pastor of North Coast Church and author of Sticky Teams and Sticky Church, has posted some very helpful thoughts for church leaders seeking to make sure that the younger generation has a place at the leadership table in their church.  He writes: ... most churches are started by young eagles. But soon after getting their nest built, nicely appointed, and fully furnished, they

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-8889526984668993112010-10-22T00:20:00.005-05:002010-10-22T00:27:38.197-05:00

In honor of the baseball playoffs, which are currently underway and have been exciting to watch, I thought it would be interesting to look at one of the greatest baseball players of all time, particularly his comments about what he would do if he could do life over - his comments are something we all can learn from today. He said: "I was aggressive, perhaps too aggressive. Maybe I went too far.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-17061402585825578922010-10-22T00:06:00.001-05:002010-10-22T00:07:11.844-05:00

HT: Desiring God

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-35320609984188562242010-10-15T13:54:00.002-05:002010-10-15T14:01:05.851-05:00

Many people wonder what U.S. city is least churched. Areas with the largest share of unchurched adults included San Francisco (44% of whom had not been to a religious worship service in the last six months), Portland, Maine (43%), Portland, Oregon (42%), Albany (42%), Boston (40%), Sacramento (40%), Seattle (40%), Spokane (39%), New York (38%), Phoenix (38%), Tucson (37%), and West Palm Beach (

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-59945465539886269542010-10-12T23:24:00.000-05:002010-10-12T23:24:28.974-05:00

A backbiter is a person with back trouble—not his own, but someone else’s. He is a pain in another person’s back. The word “backbite,” according to Webster, means “to say mean or spiteful things about (one absent): slander.” The word in the Hebrew from which backbite comes suggests the idea of “to play the spy.” That is, the backbiter attempts to spy out the faults and defects of another person

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-72082395116183947102010-10-07T21:35:00.002-05:002010-10-07T21:39:15.348-05:00

Between Two Worlds revisits the question, "What is the Gospel?" by looking at a section of D.A. Carson's chapter in the new book For the Fame of God's Name: Essays in Honor of John Piper, in which Carson builds on the ideas presented in Greg Gilbert's book, What is the Gospel? Justin writes: Don Carson’s lengthy chapter in For the Fame of God’s Name is entitled, “What Is the Gospel?—Revisited.”

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-26418035272779527882010-10-05T17:19:00.000-05:002010-10-05T17:19:18.706-05:00

I mentioned in my previous post that there are no examples of "youth ministry," in the traditional sense of games with Twinkies and shallow Bible messages, to be found in the Bible.  And that's true.  But, depending on the age that you attribute to the disciples, you could say that the entire ministry of Jesus is an example of ministry with youth. Of course no one knows for sure how old the

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-4787608055765948022010-10-01T23:37:00.005-05:002010-10-03T00:14:59.991-05:00

I'm looking forward to Dr. Kara Powell coming to town in a few days and in preparation for her visit I decided to look for examples of age segregation in the Bible. Guess what? You can't find any (however, I'd also like to point out that you'll have a difficult time finding these other things in the scripture as well: pipe organs, choirs & choir directors, worship leaders, Children's Church,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-49203527490159686702010-09-30T16:07:00.001-05:002010-09-30T16:08:17.127-05:00

I've been listening to the A29 Bootcamp live while working this afternoon.  Right now they have a Q & A session going and one of the questions asked was "What does it mean that A29 is a reformed network?"  This led into a discussion of Calvinism where Driscoll pointed out that he's not a fan of the Five Points because they are "negative theology," or were written in response to Arminianism, which

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-52917921446260395432010-09-28T22:39:00.003-05:002010-09-28T22:40:07.866-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-51494356204461429972010-09-28T17:46:00.000-05:002010-09-28T17:46:16.856-05:00

Do you know the Gospel? Could you articulate it? Can you address everyday issues with the Gospel? If you know it and can articulate it, the next question is: Are you experiencing ongoing repentance and growing faith in the Gospel? How can you increase your gospel fluency and live out the gospel on a daily basis? Answering this question is what Jeff Vanderstelt tackles in this article. HT: GCM

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-43221665118595453452010-09-22T00:14:00.004-05:002010-09-22T00:16:05.373-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-90953595757465195062010-09-21T00:23:00.001-05:002010-09-22T00:26:39.119-05:00

A new book for parents to use to communicate the gospel to their children. Here's a description of what readers are in for: This new book by Robert J. Morgan helps parents of elementary school-age children clearly explain to their kids what it means to receive Christ as Savior, follow Him in baptism, and begin the basic habits of the Christian life (Bible reading, prayer, obedience, and

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-79816961879849151952010-09-11T00:23:00.001-05:002010-09-11T00:23:44.130-05:00

In Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C. S. Lewis, a selection from among his many letters, there is a short description of Lewis' take on Calvinism and the question of free will: "On Calvinism. Both the statement that our final destination is already settled and the view that it still may be either Heaven or Hell, seem to me to imply the ultimate reality of Time, which I don't believe in

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-50304875501548380322010-09-11T00:05:00.000-05:002010-09-11T00:28:09.569-05:00

Great post over at Acts 29 entitled, "The Red Flags of Discipleship." I particularly like the first "red flag" listed: Flag # 1 What: The goal is to make a copy of your self. “Yes the world needs more me. I need to make copies of me that are making copies of me.” Truth # 1 What: The goal is to make copies of Jesus. I am not Jesus. I need Jesus. We need to repent of our self-righteousness and

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-45032549851325309622010-09-09T22:32:00.000-05:002010-09-09T22:32:14.289-05:00

"Abraham had in his tent a house of God and a church, just as today any godly and pious head of a household instructs his children ... in godliness. Therefore such a house is actually a school and church, and the head of the household is a bishop and priest in his house." - Martin Luther

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-7090088806038864812010-09-02T13:38:00.000-05:002010-09-02T13:38:17.433-05:00

Vertical Worship The Bible tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places” where he would spend time alone with his Father, and in the book of Matthew Jesus himself tells us: “…when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” We want to encourage you in daily, personal quiet time with God and

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-55287741398277955042010-09-02T00:32:00.000-05:002010-09-02T00:32:57.504-05:00

If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning: Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible. Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-85444241350388108752010-08-31T01:30:00.001-05:002010-08-31T01:31:22.422-05:00

Ray Ortlund writes at his blog:Today we fight against materialism, especially the so-called Prosperity Gospel.  But there is also the danger of asceticism, the super-spirituality that denies the goodness of God in all things.  An almost endearingly absurd instance was Simeon the Stylite (c. 390-459), who lived in austerity for 36 years on top of a pillar, elevated above ordinary life.  This “

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-72485216145911848652010-08-31T01:20:00.002-05:002010-08-31T01:21:01.169-05:00

What's Next for Francis Chan? Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.HT: Pure Church

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-11278442034388551482010-08-27T16:26:00.003-05:002010-08-27T16:27:03.878-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-45911765021466446632010-08-27T15:37:00.007-05:002010-08-28T10:09:48.834-05:00

Tonight I had the opportunity to listen to the sermons Francis Chan shared on the topic of Faith and Family over at Focus on the Family.  Click here to listen, you'll be glad you did.  In one of the sermons he something on the side that is so important, I think, for the church today to hear.  He said:  "Read (the Scriptures) simply.  Read them like you would if you were on an island by

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-17844777830237984662010-08-27T15:03:00.005-05:002010-08-27T15:04:47.283-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-43969350151156235452010-08-26T23:13:00.000-05:002010-08-26T23:13:53.543-05:00

"And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'" - Matthew 3:16-17 Rick Warren's now famous book, The Purpose Driven Life, begins with the words, "It's not about

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-70293379924318930042010-08-26T20:22:00.000-05:002010-08-26T20:22:12.569-05:00

Jonathan Acuff, the man behind the popular site Stuff Christians Like and author of a book with the same title, wrote this week for CNN about why Christians sometimes act like jerks online (I have to admit, I find myself guilty of this from time to time). He cites debates over beer and Bono as examples that draw out the worst in Christians on the Web. Acuff rightly observes that Christians fail

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-3254592579204139782010-08-25T23:53:00.002-05:002010-08-26T23:42:21.366-05:00

The Bible consistently and explicitly lays upon parents the primary responsibility for teaching and modeling God's truths to children. It is crucial that there be a clear understanding of the primary role parents have in the training of children, so that the biblical responsibility given to parents is not ignored and laid on the church. The most striking thing is that parents are constantly

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-82489921649067466292010-08-20T10:53:00.009-05:002010-08-20T11:17:30.500-05:00

Mark Driscoll and Randy Alcorn recently sat down for an interview (click on image above to view the interview), in which they discussed, among other issues, whether or not young evangelicals are inconsistent on the issue of abortion when they vote for or support political candidates who are pro-choice.  They say that we are, and I agree, but it seems unfair to add the word "young" to their

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-654657911662928592010-08-13T23:31:00.003-05:002010-08-13T23:33:57.691-05:00

Many grow up hearing from their pastors, "Christians behave this way, and they don't behave that way."  That's not the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's a false gospel.  Recently Matt Chandler, at the Southern Baptist Convention, was bold enough to preach the gospel to a bunch of pastors, arguing that we all, including pastors, need to be reminded of the gospel of Jesus.  It's great to see Matt at

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-39446999198803727572010-08-13T23:04:00.001-05:002010-08-13T23:08:51.878-05:00

Ezekiel 34:1-12: The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-82315097798563672072010-08-13T22:40:00.002-05:002010-08-13T22:40:32.653-05:00

"Reminding ourselves of the Gospel is the most important daily habit we can establish. If the Gospel is the most vital news in the world, and if salvation by grace is the defining truth of our existence, we should create ways to immerse ourselves in these truths every day. No days off allowed. . .Your audience is your own heart. And the message is simple: Christ died for you sins. It’s a matter

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-62011608609143242452010-08-05T00:25:00.001-05:002010-08-05T00:26:23.940-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-61764869584870371682010-07-15T20:56:00.003-05:002010-07-15T20:57:25.281-05:00

HT: Mars Hill

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-89611575548669392802010-07-15T20:01:00.000-05:002010-07-15T21:01:44.676-05:00

"The [woman] who has done the most and the best praying is the most immortal, because prayers do not die. Perhaps the lips that uttered them closed in death, or the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God's heart is set on them. Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them-outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world." HT: Joshua

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-36723044408755659352010-07-10T20:07:00.000-05:002010-07-10T20:07:32.331-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-81578340750432006992010-07-09T12:23:00.001-05:002010-07-09T12:25:40.314-05:00

"We don't want the future generations to put their hope in our musical preferences or our way of doing things. Or our structures. Or our band arrangements. Or our communications methods. We want them to hope in God. We want them to hope in Jesus Christ. It's important that we're not the object of someone's hope." I love hearing that from someone who's in the generation ahead of me,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-53217055387675609712010-07-09T09:55:00.000-05:002010-07-09T09:55:48.327-05:00

In his article Implementing Family Worship Joel Beeke offers a veritable soup-to-nuts approach to family worship. He offers several suggestions: "to help you establish God-honoring Family Worship in your homes. We trust this avoids two extremes: an idealistic approach that is beyond the reach of even the most God-fearing home, and a minimalist approach that abandons daily Family Worship

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-48320295407504207112010-07-09T08:14:00.006-05:002010-07-09T08:19:46.122-05:00

Deidox | Lindsay from Deidox on Vimeo. Deidox (Dei for "God" and Dox for "documentaries") is a growing series of videos made to document what God is doing in and through the lives of ordinary believers. Each video is narrated by one person who shares about the calling God has put on them and how they are striving to live it out in obedience to Christ. In the production team's own words, these

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-1165009892075432542010-07-08T20:32:00.001-05:002010-07-08T20:33:06.102-05:00

"We need to rediscover this ancient word, catechism. In a way, it is very straightforward. Its purpose is to help people become the body of Christ and be incorporated into the church. And I don't think that the modern church can improve very much on what has already been given: the creeds, the great commandments, the Lord's Prayer. Those are the basic things that help the church develop its

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-35713694115545387212010-07-07T23:49:00.001-05:002010-07-07T23:49:45.491-05:00

HT: Resurgence

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-15068646172601808062010-07-07T13:12:00.003-05:002010-07-07T13:28:01.896-05:00

  Maybe it's just me, but holding a news conference to announce which girl you'll be taking to the prom doesn't exactly fit my definition of class ... or team player.  Are you planning to watch the Le Bron circus tomorrow night?  Not me.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-21144859165260895882010-07-06T00:11:00.000-05:002010-07-06T00:11:35.552-05:00

Becoming a discerning consumer of entertainment and culture is one of the top goals parents and youth pastors have for the young people they love.  Justin Taylor points us toward a helpful resource toward that end: From Grant Horner’s new book, Meaning at the Movies (Crossway, 2010): Perhaps the single most important philosophical question to ask when watching a film is, “What is the nature

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-68962995084299360132010-07-05T23:58:00.001-05:002010-07-07T16:53:34.043-05:00

Staff meetings. We all have them. We all hate them (at least from time to time). Occasionally I'm part of a terrific meeting and come away thinking that something was really accomplished and that our ministry was advanced. But then there are other times when my mind drifts from the discussion about the menu for the deacon's breakfast to thoughts like, "I have so much work to do, couldn't we

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-21909020040972092082010-07-05T12:53:00.001-05:002010-07-05T12:54:00.037-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-73595202605506675372010-07-05T12:38:00.000-05:002010-07-05T12:38:33.404-05:00

Community isn’t optional. Friendship is. Community is a command (Col 3:12-17); friendship is a choice (Prov 18:24). We are saved into a new community; we select our friends. How can we cultivate community? Read more at Gospel-Centered Discipleship.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-86077041746807763702010-07-05T12:34:00.001-05:002010-07-05T12:55:34.341-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-48669963083990711052010-07-02T00:02:00.002-05:002010-07-02T00:03:01.878-05:00

Jonathan Rourke as CJ Mahaney from Resolved on Vimeo. Honestly, if you closed your eyes you would think you were listening to CJ himself. This is hilarious. HT: Joshua Harris

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-9901515093382948752010-07-01T14:59:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:59:05.082-05:00

The town of Quincy, Massachusetts thinks they've come up with a way to stop people from looking at pornography on public library computers — name them and shame them. Quincy Councilor Daniel Raymondi has suggested that the town make public a list of people who have viewed pornography on library computers within the past year. The council unanimously approved a resolution on the idea last week.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-88178328698715812902010-07-01T14:30:00.000-05:002010-07-01T14:46:57.612-05:00

HT: Desiring God

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-2723709865976150772010-07-01T14:01:00.001-05:002010-07-01T14:51:41.424-05:00

John 4:23-24 says this of worship: " ... the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Do you think the principle of worship found in John 4 applies to wearing a Christian tattoos?

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-65722370357904615992010-06-28T12:03:00.006-05:002010-06-28T13:46:17.808-05:00

Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo.HT: Ed Stetzer

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-3077522955003396532010-06-27T15:02:00.003-05:002010-06-27T15:09:17.699-05:00

I'm leading a film and theology series with the youth at my church this summer and today we reviewed the movie What Dreams May Come and discussed issues of Heaven and Hell. If you haven't seen the movie, don't, it's terrible, but it does raise several topics of discussion, i.e., suicide, heaven, hell.  The discussion reminded me of this great episode from Seinfeld, truly one of my favorites.

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-17284449107838891872010-06-26T10:39:00.001-05:002010-06-26T17:07:28.375-05:00

A Brooklyn middle school has asked its students to consider whether God should be treated as poetry, considered to be neither true nor false (read the article).  I wonder if they mean that?  Do the educators at this school consider this poem by Langston Hughes to lack truth: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run?

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-18620687470859651372010-06-25T00:39:00.003-05:002010-06-25T00:50:39.498-05:00

"Self-righteousness is being more aware of and irritated by the sins of others than you are conscious of and grieved by your own." Thank you Paul Tripp, that hit me right between the eyes - and I needed it!  By the way, my favorite quote about Tripp is, "Behind that mustache is a third fist."  - Unknown

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-8988644453147900212010-06-25T00:00:00.002-05:002010-06-25T00:02:13.455-05:00

HT: TrueFaced

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-90435591129059958952010-06-24T23:51:00.000-05:002010-06-24T23:51:36.012-05:00

"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent." - John Calvin

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-52733245069974518822010-06-23T00:17:00.000-05:002010-06-23T00:17:32.066-05:00

Walt Mueller: An article that someone passed on to me just a couple of days before Jenn and Grant's wedding pounds this reality home. It seems that lawyers in the U.K. are reporting that the growth and popularity of social networking sites like Facebook are being used by people to make online connections (new friends, former classmates, old romances) that oftentimes lead to cheating,

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-2191749129111456952010-06-23T00:05:00.003-05:002010-06-23T00:09:19.794-05:00

The Book of Awesome was recently published, highlighting things like, "snowy days," "that moment that the lights go out at a concert, right before the band comes out," "the small of crayons," and "high fiving babies."  No doubt, all of these things are really cool, but are they awesome?  Awe·somePronunciation: \ˈȯ-səm\Function: adjective 1 : expressive of awe 2 a : inspiring awe b :

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-15334968855560060592010-06-21T08:29:00.005-05:002010-06-24T23:43:09.328-05:00

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-67257152168883158702010-06-09T00:24:00.004-05:002010-06-24T14:00:54.716-05:00

I found this post by Jamie Munson, Lead Pastor at Mars Hill Church (Seattle), helpful today.  I hope you do too: When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? – Proverbs 8:3–4 We often care about other people’s opinion more than we care about God’s

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-87703141011166955482010-06-08T22:41:00.002-05:002010-06-09T00:07:12.644-05:00

Philip Ryken, in his commentary on Galatians, says this: "For two glorious summers, the Chicago Cubs taught fans the fundamentals of Reformation Theology. First the Cubbies made a trade for Vance Law and started him at third base. Then a few months later, marvelous to say, they brought first baseman Mark Grace from the minor leagues. There they were, right next to each other in the batting

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-31267811434903080592010-04-01T07:58:00.002-05:002010-04-01T08:00:05.861-05:00

HT: Desiring God

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-69812198862282910572010-04-01T07:42:00.000-05:002010-04-01T07:42:10.945-05:00

Kevin DeYoung explains the what and why of Maundy Thursday ... nope, it's not Monday-Thursday. Click here for a little explanation of why millions of Christians today will attend a Maundy Thursday service.  HT: Kevin DeYoung

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-68623397493163415082010-03-30T22:33:00.000-05:002010-03-30T22:33:43.979-05:00

Gospel 101 from Sojourn Community Church on Vimeo. HT: Ed Stetzer

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-14247921131868419162010-03-30T22:31:00.003-05:002010-03-30T22:32:15.273-05:00

Are Easter eggs and hunts “too commercial,” and do they obscure the meaning of Easter?  Why should the church sponsor something that has pagan origins? Could we be playing into Satan’s hands? Listen to this 7-minute interview in which this topic is discussed right here with the Audio Acrobat media player, or download it through iTunes or RSS at Inside Sojourn podcast. HT: Sojourn Church

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-25343282156216962012010-03-29T23:19:00.004-05:002010-03-29T23:24:48.252-05:00

Paul Tripp- What he has learned through marriage from Crossway on Vimeo. HT: Vitamin Z

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-44410180936065735452010-03-29T22:54:00.007-05:002010-03-30T00:09:18.590-05:00

Justin Taylor is going to be posting the chronology of the events of Holy Week from the four gospels.  I would commend working your way towards the cross and the empty tomb this week to prepare for this upcoming Easter Sunday.  Here's a sample from his post for today:  On Monday morning Jesus and the Twelve leave Bethany to return to Jerusalem, and along the way Jesus curses the fig tree. In

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7285813504155132939.post-45672060574011285792010-03-29T22:23:00.007-05:002010-03-29T22:32:15.335-05:00

Why do we need John Piper in the church today?  This video demonstrates the answer perfectly.  Because he's willing to do what so many today are not.  That is, he's willing to put Christ above all else (i.e., relationships, feelings, political correctness, politics, status), he's willing to call out false teachers by name, and he does it all for the glory of Christ (so much so that he's willing

Steve Randallnoreply@blogger.com0