Santa: Reject Him, Receive Him, or Redeem Him?

'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 Resurgence

Mark Driscoll's Counseling Style?

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

Santa Christ: The Problem with Creating Worship Experiences

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, co-workers, and others, and go through religious rituals mostly so that we can obtain a desired experience to coincide with the contemporary Christmas holiday.  Much in the way we dig out an old Christmas sweater, we also temporarily pull on Christ to "celebrate" his birth.

Much in the way we dig out an old Christmas sweater, we temporarily pull on Christ to "celebrate" his birth.

How?  By attending an experientially rich worship service, complete with mood lighting, lit candles, familiar and perfectly performed music, and even sweet dear grandma whose heart is warmed by the presence of your butt in the pew next to her.  Most are there to simply hear a story told, to hold a candle, and to arrive at an emotional state that culturally defines our modern Christmas.  But in the heart, this has little or nothing to do with Christ - in fact Jesus is held in the same regard as Santa Claus.  He's a means to an end.  He's an aspect of an cultural experience.  But in our hearts, He's not real, his birth, the most miraculous event in all of human history, does not move as to motivate genuine worship or even life change. 

I pray that I do not approach the Christmas service at my church with this kind of attitude.  I pray that I am focused more on Christ than on the how well the music was performed or the other aesthetic features bound to be present.  And I pray that the local church will be focused on presenting Christ, the whole messy Christmas story, in a way that pleases Him more than it pleases first time visitors who are after the sentimental feeling of the modern"Christmas" experience.

HT: Ligonier

What is Arcing, Why is it Important, & How Can You Learn How to Do It?

Learn how to arc via a free, online, video-based tutorial called ARCING 101.

HT: Bible Arc via Desiring God

A Consice Theology of Role Models

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 live like him, "for many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ."



Paul says that apostasy is the basis for why we should imitate him and those who live like him. Paul does not suggest the benefits of having a role model, he narrows the profile of who a role model should be and he declares its essential place in Christian discipleship. I think these two points from Philippians 3:17-18 make up a concise theology of role models.

Read more here.

HT: Desiring God

How You Can Easily Slip Away From a Biblical Worldview

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, it's fun, and it's been produced very well. In other words, it's attractive. Even without hearing the content, one would be easily drawn into the message being delivered simply because of the visual narration.

Secondly, nearly everything the lecturer states sounds right if you're not listening closely. Even from a Christian perspective, it seems perfectly reasonable that God would have wired us to empathize with each other, share in each others struggles, and intend for empathy to be a foundational element of doing life together amongst believers and non-believers alike. But if you accept that premise, what else have you accepted? Or more to the point, what have you rejected? Only that at man's core is a sinful nature, and thus man's need for a Savior, as well as God Himself. That's quite a lot to cast aside, but that exactly what you're doing the moment you start buying into the message that this video is delivering.

There's nothing new here. It's an old message wrapped in a shiny, contemporary package. The message is - there's nothing that exists outside of what has evolved, we are in control of our own fate, we can be own savior or we can destroy ourselves, etc. It all sounds wonderful, but it's not Biblical.

Social Media and Discernment

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 earlier criticisms raise an interesting question about these current trends: If TV put our culture in the casket, has social media nailed the coffin shut?

Read more here as Pastor John MacArthur encourages all to take a careful look at social networking and encourages believers to exercise discernment.

HT: Light and Heat

Why Did He Come?

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 that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him."

He came to Redeem!!

HT: The Austin Stone

Paul's Plans and God's Plans

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 gospel (Ephesians 6:15). And once we are moving with a heart for lost people, there will be many interruptions and surprises—but none of them without evangelistic purpose.

"They will deliver you up to prisons and take you before governors and kings. That will be a time for witness." In other words, always and in every circumstance—especially the unexpected ones, and the frustrating ones—be ready to bear witness to Christ.

HT: Desiring God

The Action Bible: God's Redemptive Story

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!

Journey to the Manger Day 2 // Isaiah 1:10-20

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 painstaking detail the extent of Israel’s waywardness. Yet amidst this backdrop of darkness and faithlessness described so poignantly by Isaiah in the opening chapters, this same prophet a few chapters later speaks of a time when those who walk in darkness will see a great light. This light will shine forth in the darkness. Those who are in anguish will be filled with gladness and rejoicing. Hope for this glorious restoration is to be found most profoundly in a child who will be born. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The son to be born will reign on the throne of David. This king will establish righteousness and justice–precisely what is needed in a dark land. Let us rejoice this Advent season–for the child promised by Isaiah has been born. His light has come and shone into the darkness. This child born to us according to God’s plan of old is indeed our hope. He is the one who turns our gloom into rejoicing. Let us give thanks to God for the gift of his beloved Son.

Sign up to receive Advent devotions from the faculty at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary here.

Journey to the Manger: Day 1 // Psalm 146

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 and earth.”

But the heart of Psalm 146 is what flows out of this prayerful confession. “Do not trust human leaders,” he says, “for there is no deliverance from them.” The shock we receive from this harsh exhortation is matched only by the fact that it applies to all human authorities. The psalmist does not have in mind only pagan rulers, but his own kin as well. The limitations of human authority are a result of their being finite, human, frail–they offer hope for a brief moment and then crumble. Even those rulers who shroud themselves in an aura of godliness are unable to bring deliverance, for their “breath” (ruah) will soon stop and the powerful will return to the dust of the earth.
Our hopes, our prayers, our longings for the Lord to fix this broken and sinful world must rest in the “one who keeps faith forever.”

Sign up to receive Advent devotions from the faculty at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary here.

Gospel Coach By Scott Thomas & Tom Wood

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 complaint, and all of their attention - not necessarily good attention.   Looking forward to digging in deeper and reviewing this here in a few weeks.

Time for Action on Behalf of the Persecuted Church

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.

Read more.

HT: JD Greer

Giving Thanks for God's Crowning Mercies

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 our God never ceases to shine upon His children with beams of love. Like a river, His lovingkindness is always flowing, with a fulness inexhaustible as His own nature. Like the atmosphere which constantly surrounds the earth, and is always ready to support the life of man, the benevolence of God surrounds all His creatures; in it, as in their element, they live, and move, and have their being.

Yet as the sun on summer days gladdens us with beams more warm and bright than at other times, and as rivers are at certain seasons swollen by the rain, and as the atmosphere itself is sometimes fraught with more fresh, more bracing, or more balmy influences than heretofore, so is it with the mercy of God; it hath its golden hours; its days of overflow, when the Lord magnifieth His grace before the sons of men.

Desiring God & Darrin Patrick Live Next Tuesday

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). It hit shelves less than three months ago and was accompanied by a powerful trailer.

Darrin is a fitting person to talk about church planting: he pastors The Journey, a church he founded in St. Louis in 2002 which has seen remarkable growth, and he serves as Vice President of the Acts 29 Church Planting Network.

We'd love to have some questions ready in advance for him. If there's one you'd like us to ask, please email it to dglive@desiringgod.org, or Tweet it using #dglive. And as always, we want to hear any more that come to you during the broadcast as well.

HT: Desiring God

The Jesus Juke

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." 

Why do we do that? Why do we Christians throw tiny, little shame grenades at each other?  Read John's post about the "Jesus Juke" and then don't do that.  As John points out, "I’ve never met someone who was “juked to Jesus.”

HT: SCL

Hit 'em With the Rock of Ages

“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 the rest of this blog post, remember that.

Read more here.

HT: Bob Kauflin

Are We Amusing Ourselves to Death?

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.

Five Ways to Get the Most Out of a Sermon

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 you grow mature through hearing (Matt. 13:23).

The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord (1 Sam 3:21).

Do you get it? Seeing God happens through hearing. Our vision is through our ears. My friend, if you have either not yet come to Christ, or you have but are frustrated, confused, and not really growing, then I would bet big money that your problem revolves around not listening as you should. Here are some tips on listening well to a preacher, or to the Word of God in any context:

1. Get in range regularly

The reason Zacchaeus collided with Jesus was because he climbed the tree. If the soil is not in range of the sower then it isn't going to receive any seed. This first point isn't rocket science: you need to be regularly exposed to God's word. Try to do a few minutes of personal time each day with the Bible, and obviously ensure you are at church each Sunday. Get in range.

Read the rest here.

HT: The Resurgence

Male and Female He Created Them

"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 have made a mess of gender & sex in our culture, but no one can blame God for this one.  No one can say, "Why would God make me a man on the outside and a woman on the inside?" God doesn't do that, in fact He couldn't be any more clear.

Ed Young Wants You(r Bank Account Information)

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

Five Ways the Early Church Practiced Discipleship

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 experience the risen Christ and feel his presence in their lives.  How?  Through baptism, the Lord's Supper, loving, and prayer ... prayer for healing.

Christians "Exterminated" in Iraq

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, they appear to have covered the killings in an honest and fair manner, saying "Islamic militants have systematically attacked Christians in Iraq since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime."

Piper's Confession of Having No Merit

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 became a believer in Christ through no merit of my own at all.

And so I am an heir of God with Christ through no merit of my own at all.

Life Without Limits

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

What Makes the Great Commission Great

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 Montgomery and C.J. Mahaney.

Preparing Students for College

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 to help you navigate the college maze, recognize the key areas where you'll need to succeed, and craft your own plan and personal vision. You'll be able to start right and finish well.

No one wants to stumble blindly through some of the biggest adventures and opportunities in front of them. You want to be clear. Confident. Prepared. And College Ready can help. It offers sound wisdom, eye-opening insight, and practical advice for what's ahead—and winning there.

College can, and should be, one of the best experiences of your life—a launch pad to your future. But for that to happen, be ready. College Ready!"


HT: College Ready

Rethinking the Mission of the Church

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

Francis Chan on the Wierdness of Our Generation

Catalyst East 2010: Francis Chan from Catalyst on Vimeo.

The Evolution of the Geek

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

Make Room at the Leadership Table for Young Leaders

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 start to marginalize the next batch of young eagles, asking them to sit at the kid’s table and wait for their turn at middle-aged leadership.


To counteract that natural tendency, I’ve made it a personal priority to make sure that our young eagles have a place at our leadership table. I see it as my role to enhance their influence within our church, making sure that they are supported, protected, and listened to.

But I have to admit, it’s not always appreciated, especially by middle-aged eagles who think that tenure should be the primary determiner of influence.  Read more. 


I think what he's saying makes a lot of sense.  It takes real leaders to go against the grain and make sure that everyone is represented at the leadership table, but it's an absolute must if you want to keep growing as a church and remain relevant.  But this is just a snapshot of what Larry has to say, so read more here.

HT: Larry Osborne

Ty Cobb: What I Would Do If I Could Do Life Over Again

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. I always had to be right in any argument I was in. I always had to be first in everything. I do indeed think I would have done some things different. And if I had I believe I would have had more friends.”

Ty Cobb ended his career with the highest batting average in the history of Major League Baseball, a record he still holds, but it's rumored and his rivals and teammates alike despised him as a person.  Perhaps Cobb would have lowered his batting average a few percentage points in exchange for a more community?  I think we all might feel similar at the end of our lives.  Let's learn from Ty Cobb and pursue what matters - Christ above all else, family, friends, and living a life that leads others to worship Christ!!

What Does It Mean to Live by Faith in the Service of the Fatherless?

HT: Desiring God

Most and Least Unchurched Cities

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 (37%),  among 85 major cities studied by Barna Research Group based on 40,000 interviews conducted over the last 7 years.

By contrast weekly church attendance was highest among residents of Birmingham (67%), followed by Baton Rouge (62%), Salt Lake City (62%), and Huntsville (60%). In another approach to the same questions, cities with lowest share of self-identified Christians inhabited the following markets: San Francisco (68%), Portland, Oregon (71%), Portland, Maine (72%), Seattle (73%), Sacramento (73%), New York (73%), San Diego (75%), Los Angeles (75%), Boston (76%), Phoenix (78%), Miami (78%), Las Vegas (78%), and Denver (78%). Even in these cities, however, roughly three out of every four residents align with Christianity.

The cities with the highest proportion of residents who describe themselves as Christian are typically in the South, including: Shreveport (98%), Birmingham (96%), Charlotte (96%), Nashville (95%), Greenville, SC / Asheville, NC (94%), New Orleans (94%), Indianapolis (93%), Lexington (93%), Roanoke-Lynchburg (93%), Little Rock (92%), and Memphis (92%).

The research also pointed out some other interesting church engagement patterns.  Read more here.

The Sins of a Backbiter

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’s life or to circulate reports unfavorable to others by low and petty remarks as well as those which may be malicious and slanderous. It is conveyed in the New Testament by the word “evil speaking” (James 4:11; 1 Peter 3:16). How is your neighbor’s back today?

What is the Gospel?

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.” I’m reprinting below a substantial section where he interacts with and builds upon a Greg’s analysis.  Click here for more.  Really great stuff.  Thanks for sharing Justin!!

HT: Between Two Worlds

How Old Were the Disciples?

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 disciples were at the end of Jesus' life, but there are some hints in the Bible.  For example:

In Matthew 17:24-27 Jesus and Peter are subjected to a tax that the other disciples are considered exempt from and in Exodus 30:11-16 that only those 20 years old and older are required to pay the tax.  These seems like pretty good evidence that the majority of the disciples were under 20 years old.

In addition, in Matthew 10:42, Jesus refers to his disciples as "little ones."  If the disciples were adults I don't think he would refer to them in this way.  The logical explanation is that the disciples were in fact "little ones," or children.

The new trend in conservative churches is to throw youth ministry out because they've deemed it ineffective (see previous post), but that's a mistake from my point of view.  In reality there's a good argument to be made that youth are actually doing much better in churches than adults in terms of growing in their faith and living it, and that's probably because there is at least one adult, i.e., youth pastor, in their churches who is completely devoted to walking with them in life and ministry. 

Rather than throw the baby out with that bath water, we should rather reconsider the elements of youth ministry that aren't working and seek to improve them.  We also need to get more adults involved in discipling young people.  And, in my opinion, we need to move toward a model of more characteristic of the model of ministry that Jesus demonstrated, i.e., ministry with youth, rather than traditional youth ministry.

Is Age Segregation Biblical?

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, female elders, debt ... the list of things that the current church embraces that is not mentioned in the Bible is actually quiet long, but we'll leave those sacred cows alone for the moment).

The fact of the matter is that age segregation is NOT in the Bible and there's a good reason for that - the Bible is about discipleship and very little discipleship can take place when you separate the young and inexperienced from those who are older and wiser.  It really is that simple.  So I'm looking forward to the conference and hope to learn about how I, as a youth pastor, can work toward connecting youth with the rest of our congregation in more meaningful ways.

However, I also have some apprehensions:

1)  I fear that I'm going to hear something like: "Age segregation is the main reason why teens leave the church after they graduate from high school."  Anyone who has looked at any of the research on this matter knows that that claim is complete and utter bunk.  Do you want to know the #1 reason teens leave their (parents') church?  It's because their parents live like hypocrites (call me if you ever hear that in a sermon).  If the church wants to be serious about passing the faith on to teens, then they'll shine the light bright on adult hypocrisy.  Here's the deal, the church may think that the nice guy on the deacon board that prays neat prayers is a mature Christian, but his kids actually live with him and they know that Christ is way down on his list of priorities.  They know he doesn't help anyone in need.  They know he doesn't pray with them (or his wife).  They know he complains about tithing.  They know he curses like a sailor when working on the car or when balancing the check book.  They know his Bible sits on the bookshelf six days a week.  They know that when they mess up, they don't receive anything resembling the kind of grace that they learned about in Children's Church.  And since they know all of that, they also know that when they leave home, they're leaving fake religion behind too.  I don't care if you surround a teen with fifty mature Christians, if a kid has a dad like that, more often than not he's not coming back to church when he moves out of mommy and daddy's house.

2)  I fear that Kara will say "age segregation," but people will hear "youth ministry."  It's become trendy to drop youth ministry because it's not working (see fear #1 above), but Children's Church is working?  If so, why aren't fifth and sixth graders in the pew with parents during the sermon?  Shouldn't older children eventually grow beyond what Children's Church has to offer?  How about Senior Adult Ministry, that's working right?  If so, why then do so many seniors look at retirement as their time to spiritually coast into the finish line?  Few seem to know how to finish strong and even fewer demonstrate even the slightest interest in discipling the younger generation.  Does the Great Commission not apply to 55 year olds?

Maybe the truth is it's okay to segregate children because they make more noise than teens, i.e., they disrupt the giving customers (I chose that last word intentionally)?  But here's the deal, I don't see any kind of age segregation in the Bible.  Adults, young adults, children, and even nursing babies were all together, I assume disruptions and all, but I don't expect that arrangement is going fly in the suburban, we're here to serve you so just sit back and relax, church near you.  In most churches in America today children and youth are considered to be better seen and not heard.  They're welcome to join the adults if they can stay quiet and agree to worship according to the preferences of adults (more on this below) - otherwise it's back to the basement with the children and youths!!

3) I fear that the real reason that segregating teens from adults has become so popular in the church won't be addressed.  You may hear people say that this practice is done to help teens, but that's bunk too.  The real reason is because adults don't want teens messing with their church.  Adults don't to hear about what young people prefer (since their preferences clearly aren't as sophisticated and certainly not spiritually mature).  For example, some adults love organ music.  Why?  They'll tell you it's because the hymns are based on Scripture, to which I respond, "Great, I know a church that's reaching young people by belt out 'What Wondrous Love is This' with drums and electric guitars - let's do that and we'll all be happy."  The truth is organ music is their preferred style of worship music and teens are welcome to join in as long as they are willing to worship like everyone else.  I call that robot-discipleship, e.g., I'm sharing the gospel with you so you can be just like me.  By the way, those who think otherwise about organ music being just a preferred music style, you might want to read up on what John Calvin thought of your pipe organ.

So I'm looking forward to the conference, but I'm also apprehensive.  I pray that it's a good presentation of Biblical discipleship and is used to change churches into places that are about sharing the gospel with young people - even if they don't prefer to conform to adult preferences.

Listen to A29 Bootcamp Live

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 is "not a good way to do theology."  I dig that.  He also mentioned that many call Calvinism "God-centerd" theology, but that, in his view, it's not God-centered because it starts with our total depravity rather than the glory of God, e.g., it starts with Genesis 3 rather than Genesis 1.

"I'm not against the five points of Calvinism, but I'm not for them either." - Mark Driscoll

Obama Explains Why He Is a Christian

Increase Your Gospel Fluency

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 Collective

Always Get to the Gospel

Knowing, Showing, Growing: Helping Children Know and Understand the Gospel

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 witnessing). Fun, illustrated short stories with colorful characters like Mary Motley, Herman Hackler, and Lola Nola Mazola easily connect to highlight the exciting message of John 3:16, and meaningful discussion between parent and child. With its prayer suggestions, memory verses, and well-arranged content (ten chapters that require no more than thirty minutes each), the book is even suitable for Sunday school and small group settings.

Order here.

C.S. Lewis on Calvinism and the Question of Free Will

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. The controversy is one I can’t join on either side for I think that in the real (Timeless) world it is meaningless." (pp. 117-8)  

"All that Calvinist question—Free-Will and Predestination, is to my mind undiscussable, insoluble. Of course (say us) if a man repents God will accept him. Ah yes, (say they) but the fact of his repenting shows that God has already moved him to do so. This at any rate leaves us with the fact that in any concrete case the question never arrives as a practical one. But I suspect it is really a meaningless question. The difference between Freedom and Necessity is fairly clear on the bodily level: we know the difference between making our teeth chatter on purpose and just finding them chattering with cold. It begins to be less clear when we talk of human love (leaving out the erotic kind). ‘Do I like him because I choose or because I must?’—there are cases where this has an answer, but others where it seems to me to mean nothing. When we carry it up to relations between God and Man, has the distinction perhaps become nonsensical? After all, when we are most free, it is only with a freedom God has given us: and when our will is most influenced by Grace, it is still our will. And if what our will does is not ‘voluntary’, and if ‘voluntary’ does not mean ‘free’, what are we talking about? I’d leave it all alone." (p. 186)

Red Flags of Discipleship

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 pride when thinking we are the finish line instead of Jesus.

Read the rest.

Your House is a Church, You are a Priest

"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

Worshipping One God in Three Ways

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 with His Word.

Corporate Worship
Because God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always existed within the perfect community of the Trinity, we too are to live in a loving community: the Church. We’re to live as a community of believers who depend on one another. The book of Acts tells us that the early Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” We want to encourage you to be active in your local church and to live in relationship with other Christians.

Acts of Worship
The apostle Paul wrote “…whether you eat or drink … whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” This means that everything we do should ultimately be pointing to Jesus; living out the love He showed us on the cross by loving others in word and deed. As James tells us, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” We want to encourage you to live out your faith in every area of their life while caring for “the least of these.”

More Teens Becoming Fake Christians

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.

Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.

HT: Pure Church

The Gospel of Everyday Life

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 “holiness” is attractive, in a way.  It’s serious.  But it’s also fraudulent.  It tells an audacious lie about God and about us.

The truth is, everything created by God is good and is to be received by us gratefully.  This beautiful truth includes marriage and sex and food and mowing the lawn and flying a kite and paying the bills and sharpening a pencil and sitting on the porch in the evening and playing Monopoly with the kids and laughing at hilarious jokes and setting up chairs at church, and so forth.  There is so much divine goodness all around.  To push it away, to be above it, would insult our gracious Creator.

Our very earthly human existence is where true holiness can thrive.  How?  By thanking the Lord for it moment by moment, and by applying the word of God to it moment by moment.  It is written, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Not ultimate, but good.  Good enough for God.  Good enough for us too.

Mark Driscoll, Joshua Harris, and Francis Chan Dig Deep

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

HT: Pure Church

Francis Chan on Half-Hearted Devotion to Christ

Read Your Bible As Though You've Never Heard of God Before

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 yourself and had never heard about God before.  ... what would be your natural conclusion if the American church world hadn't given you your theology.  What conclusions would you come to?"

I really dig what he's saying here.  It's a simple idea, which is the point.  We often come to the Bible with an attitude that we already have it all figured out.  Especially in Reformed circles, where an intellectual Christianity is fashionable,  everything about God is presumed to be known and neatly organized into predefined categories offered by the American church, i.e. T.U.L.I.P.

I think it would do us a great amount of good to step away for our American, intellectualized conceptions of who God is, and read His word like it's our first time ever hearing about God, allowing the Holy Spirit (not tradition or social influences) to guide us to our conclusions.  We might be surprised to learn that we don't know as much about God as we think we do.  We might even learn something new.

Stethoscope: What's Living in Your Heart?

It Is About You!

"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 you."  I'm not here to say that Rick Warren has lied to anyone, but he is wrong.  It's all about you and the verses above prove it!  Because of Jesus, Matthew 3:16-17 is all about you!  Jesus died because of you, and because He did, the favor that was upon Him, is now upon you.  And now, God the Father looks at you and says, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased."  "This is my beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased."  This is my beloved child, for whom I forsake my own Son, and with whom I am well pleased. 

It is about you.  It's all about you.  Everything Jesus did was because of you.  God's divine plans have you in mind.  He longs for you.  He desires a relationship with you.  He loves you.  He turned His back on His own Son for you.  And now, because of Jesus, He favors you.  His favor, God's favor, if you are one of His children, is upon you!  It's unbelievable.

It's not because of you, but it is all about you! 

Stuff Christians Like: Being Jerks Online

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 to live up to their namesake with the name-calling so commonplace in online forums.

Much like “Christian hate mail,” being a “Jerk Christian” defies logic. We serve a loving God. We follow a Christ who very plainly told us what to do. In Matthew 22 someone asks Jesus, “What is the most important commandment?” The answer is simple:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

Acuff suggests two reasons Christians are tempted to act this way. First, anonymity allows us to hide behind our computer screens and offer harsh words without seeing their effect. Even if kind and loving in person, we may morph into jerks online. Second, when faced with life-long challenges like learning to love our neighbors, Christians may find it easier to sweat the small things. We lose all sense of proportion and our cool.

Any of us who write and read on the Internet can attest to Acuff’s observation about the tone of much Christian debate online. I have no reason to think Christians are actually worse than others on the Web. Visit a political blog or even your local newspaper’s site, and you’ll see some pretty nasty stuff. Yet we have a different standard, a higher calling, and a better example to follow in Jesus Christ. To be sure, Jesus spoke with utmost clarify and color when opposing the Pharisees. Defending the faith requires vigilance. But it also requires trust in God that we don’t have to be jerks in order to make our points.

HT: GC

The Responsiblity of Parents Toward Their Children

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 charged with the primary responsibility for the training of their children. The great command of the Bible is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5; see also Matthew 22:37). These words “shall be on your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:6). Then Moses tells us, “and you shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:7; see also Deuteronomy 11:18-21).

There are at least two implications from these verses. First, Moses teaches adults the Word of God, and the adults are then expected to pass it on to their children. Second, adults will only be effective teachers if these words are “on their heart.” If these words are on their hearts, adults will be able to teach their children in every situation of life, whether they are sitting, walking, or lying down. This point is utterly crucial. What parents end up teaching children is what they (parents) treasure and love. If they love God with all their hearts, they will seek to instill that love to their children in every situation which arises. Therefore, the most important thing the church can do for children is to trumpet a vision of God and nurture adults in the wisdom of the Scriptures.

But then, the question must be asked of parents, "Parents, what's on your heart?"  What are your actions, habits, and priorities teaching your children?  Does the way you live your life lead your children to an understanding of what it means to pick up your cross daily and deny your-self?  Does your life tell your children that God is everything to you?  Or does your life say to your children that God is an afterthought - He's who you go to when you have time?  Maybe it's time that you ask yourself, "Could it be that I'm more SELF-conscious than God-conscious?"

Or better yet, maybe it's time for church leaders to start asking that question to the members of their own congregations.  The church does a great disservice to families when they don't call out parents, in a loving way, about the way they're living their lives.  It's a sad fact that the church today fears offending people more than anything, and so church leaders make excuses for parents like, "They would come to Sunday School, but they're really busy" or "They used to serve, but they're going through a lot right now."  Both statements may be true, but if those patterns go on year after year, then maybe it's not a busyness issue, maybe it's a spiritual issue.  Churches all over the country are sending people to Hell with a smile and a cup of coffee simply because the leaders don't want to offend anyone - and that may be greatest offense of all.

Parents search your hearts.  Evaluate your lives.  Try to discern what lessons you are implicitly teaching your children each and everyday by the choices you make and the words you use.  Strive to live for Christ.  Teach your children the gospel not only from God's Word, but also from the way you live.  And make no mistake, your children are watching you.  Be a model of Christ's love to them.  Take up your cross in your home daily, deny your SELF, and lead your kids to Christ.

Are Young Evangelicals Inconsistent on Abortion?

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 question.  Evangelicals have been inconsistent on abortion for several decades, starting in the 1960s and the Baby Boomer generation (like so much of our cultural decay).

I think I understand why they inserted "young evangelicals" into the discussion: (1) young, reformed evangelicals are the primary audience here and (2) they are the ones in the position to turn away from this inconsistency.  Abortion, gay marriage, the decline of the family, promiscuity, etc., that is the legacy that Baby Boomers have left us in this country.  This fact shouldn't be pushed aside.  Baby Boomers ought to be held up as an example of a generation that has, as a group, lived wasted lives - and they ought to be the first to tell the younger generations, "Don't follow our lead."

But the origin of the inconsistency isn't of primary importance.  What is important is that, as Boomers lose political power, we recognize that it's our moral imperative is to turn from the folly and sin that has all but ruined our culture, and strive for, at the very least, consistency, including in the voting booth.  Where they spoke of the value of life and either did nothing or acted with inconsistency, we (the younger generations) need to speak and act Biblically in order to bring about cultural change.  Those in power now are counting on us to carry on their bankrupt, life-stealing legacy, so the question before us is, "Will we?"

HT: The Resurgence

The Gospel is NOT about Behavior

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 full strength again.  Amen!

HT: Dwell Deep

Discerning Bad Pastors

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 weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. 6 My sheep were scattered; they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them.

7 “Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, declares the Lord God, surely because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild beasts, since there was no shepherd, and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep, 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require my sheep at their hand and put a stop to their feeding the sheep. No longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, that they may not be food for them.

Beware if your pastor ...

1. Is overly concerned about remuneration and his own life style instead of his preaching (Ezekiel 34:2).
2. Hurts more people than he helps (Ezekiel 34:2).
3. Drives away people instead of gathering them (Ezekiel 34:4).
4. Has a leadership style marked with cruelty and force (Ezekiel 34:4).
5. Decides not to give pastoral counseling and get involved in correcting people's lives (Ezekiel 34:5).

Preaching the Gospel to Yourself Daily

"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 of sitting down, grabbing your own attention, and telling yourself, “Hey, listen up! This is what matters most: You’re forgiven! You have hope! Your hope is based on the sacrifice of Jesus. So lets’ not view this day any other way. Let today be governed by this one defining truth.”

-Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney pg. 132‐133.

Worship on iPhone

Why You Need to Know Your Enemy

HT: Mars Hill

Prayers Do Not Die

"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 Harris

iPhone Bumper Test ... Ouch!

Training the Next Generation to Hope in God, Not Us

"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, because it's the opposite message from what we normally hear. The message older generations communication, mostly implicitly, is that what we prefer is most important; what we like, what we do, what we know, the way we worship, the music we enjoy, that's what's important and your role is to learn to appreciate what we like so that it will live on when we're gone. All of those messages tell younger generations to hope in the older generations - they will lead us and show us the way, but only as long as we do it their way. That's not Jesus and that's not the gospel.

I'm amazed when I hear some talking of "traditional worship music" has if it is anything but preference - it's not. And I'm often tempted to point out to those folks that John Calvin, whose theology they love, was appalled by the pipe organ being used in worship services. In fact he called it an idol. But fortunately they don't have to worship God in the same way that John Calvin did, and future generations don't need to worship God the same way they do. It's the gospel that matters - not us, not our likes and dislikes, and that's the message we need to communicate to the children and youth we are mentoring and teaching.

HT: Worship Matters

Implementing Family Worship

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 because the ideal seems so out of reach."

As many families know, family worship is a difficult task. Though many reformed families know its importance, being disciplined enough to have family worship every day (let alone twice a day) is very challenging. Beeke’s article can help families to begin or renew the practice of family worship without becoming too intimidated or unrealistic.

Read the article.

Cinematic Stories of the Modern Day Christian Journey

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 short films are "true stories of how everyday people are being used by God in the world today. ... Put simply, Deidox are cinematic stories of the modern day Christian journey." Check out the video above and more at the Deidox website.

HT: Desiring God

The Key to Discipleship - Catechism

"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 identity as the church of Jesus Christ. We can certainly add other training programs, but I think the catechism should be central to any training of disciples." - Simon Chan

Few people realize that Sunday School was first intended to reach out to non-Christians and was never meant to be utilized as the educational ministry for discipling those who have already committed their lives to Christ.  The church already had something for that purpose - it's called catechism.  Unfortunately the church as a whole has largely replaced Catechism with Sunday School, but we'd do well to get back to the creeds, the great commandment, and the Lord's Prayer as the foundation of our discipleship efforts.