Sunday School Blog

What's New With Tony?

2011-03-15T21:57:00.002-04:00

It's fun to stop by my old blog here from time-to-time. My blogging interests have moved in several directions and taken on more of a business model. Besides my kids ministry site, here is a breakdown of sites I'm currently managing:

Madison Indiana Observer - this is a news and information blog for our town. We're just getting started but hope to add some writers and grow the site into something useful for our community.
Devotional Christian - this is a blog I launched a few years back. I am more of a technical manager helping other writers share their talents with the world.

Personal Update

2008-09-23T07:55:00.006-04:00

I haven't had much time to blog lately, mainly because we welcomed our 4th child in our family. Plus, we're fostering and just enjoying life. Maybe I'll spend more time on the computer this winter.

I've been writing an occasional article for Children's Ministry, but beyond that I've just been laying low.

Thanks for visiting.

Where Can I Find Free Sunday School Lessons Online?

2008-05-05T23:14:00.003-04:00

The internet is a great place to find teaching resources for Sunday school. It takes a little looking and some discernment, but the material is out there. Over on my other blog, I've been building a resource list that points to free Sunday school materials and lesson plans online. I wanted to post a few of the highlights here.

Wycliffe Bible Translator has made several series of bible lessons available on their website. These are top quality studies on prayer, missions and the Bible. They can be downloaded for free to use in your children's Sunday school class.
Calvary Chapel offers kid's Sunday school lessons from the whole Bible on their website. From what I've seen these are well done and include many helpful activities. This is a great resource to find ideas if you need to supplement your Sunday school curriculum.
My children's Ministry website is where I keep the whole list of free resources for children's Sunday school. I've listed eight different places to find free Sunday school lessons, but I would love to make the list longer. If you know of Bible story lessons online for free, leave me a comment below.
You won't want to miss the lesson plans from Christian Answers. Net

Church Nursery Articles

2008-04-29T23:54:00.002-04:00

On my other children's ministry website, I've been getting some great feedback on the posts I've written about the church nursery. It seems like there is a real need for encouraging articles on this topic. Here are some that I've written so far. Feel free to leave me a comment or email me if you find these helpful. TonyKummer@gmail.com

7 Reasons Why Your Church Nursery Service Is Vital To Your Church: This is a post that I originally wrote for our church newsletter. I wanted to communicate to our nursery workers that their service was important.

God Is In The Church Nursery: This has been the most popular article I've ever written. It doesn't get the most traffic, but it constantly gets positive reader feedback. I'm even thinking of submitting it to one of the children's ministry magazines. I've posted a Word document you can download and print too.

Writing A Church Nursery Manuel In A Small Church: After looking into the process of writing a church nursery manual, I was concerned that most of the advice online would be impossible for small churches to carry out. So here are my thoughts about putting together a volunteer handbook for your church nursery.

Church Nursery Volunteer Guidelines: Here are some sample job descriptions I wrote for our church nursery volunteer training. They are not too complicated, but I was trying to make the expectations very clear.

Sunday school lessons

2008-04-01T22:20:00.003-04:00

I've been working slow and steady at my new Children's ministry blog to build resources that help parents, pastors and children's ministry workers. I wanted to post them here for the few stray readers who haven't discovered my new website.

Children's Sunday School Lessons & Ideas

My listing of free Sunday school lessons available on the internet. This is a great way to cover an odd week of Sunday school.
Some ideas for Mother's day Sunday school
My thoughts on Sunday school safety and security.
Here is a resource page to help you find and download Sunday school crafts on the internet.

Links About Vacation Bible School

2008-02-01T13:06:00.000-05:00

On my new Children's Ministry website, I've been busy putting together resources and reviews for this summer's Vacation Bible school. I am posting links here too because I want to get the word out about these resources. Too many churches invest hundreds of dollars in bible school curriculum without really checking out the options. I hope my articles about vacation bible school can help.

Vacation Bible School Information

Web Links December 2007

2007-12-20T13:44:00.002-05:00

Web Links

Christmas Craft, Sunday School and Bible Verse Links

2007-11-27T18:01:00.000-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Check out some posts I've written over at my Children's ministry blog in advance of this season.

Free Christmas Crafts, Sunday school lessons, and Bible Verses

Christmas Bible Verses from Scripture

Free Sunday school crafts for Christmas

Some Links From The New Kummeropolis

2007-10-30T07:26:00.001-04:00

I am building the new Kummeropolis around a directory of Christian web links. Here are the first handful of pages I've built.

Video - Mark Driscoll Is Evil

2007-09-28T00:15:00.000-04:00

Listen to Mark Driscoll explain why he needs Jesus.

Video - Multi-Generational Promise

2007-09-20T11:51:00.000-04:00

"Multi-Generational Promise" is the first part in Dr. Voddie Baucham, Jr.'s two-part series entitled "Legacy." From the cover: "What legacy will you leave your children? Your grandchildren? Will you be remembered for the wealth and possessions you leave behind, or for the example of faith you pass down? While our culture stresses the importance of living for today, God wants us to focus on building a spiritual foundation for the future generations of our families. "In this two-part series, Voddie Baucham emphasizes the importance of leaving a multi-generational legacy. And he provides practical insight into how you can begin investing today in the spiritual future of your family." Uploaded gratefully, with permission from Voddie Baucham Ministries.

Vacation Bible School Preview Page

2007-09-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

On my new website, I've written an extensive guide to VBS 2008 Themes and Curriculum. I have links to all the major VBS 2008 publishers.

Ed Stetzer Rebukes The SBC

2007-09-07T15:02:00.000-04:00

The most talked about sermon from last Summer's SBC convention. Watch Dr. Stetzer offer his take on the Southern Baptist Convention.

Preaching that message was a challenge... Honestly, I was quite nervous. But, I felt that I had a message that God had laid on my heart and tried to be faithful, honest, and encouraging. But, it was a bit intimidating to preach to such a great group of pastors and leaders.

Video - Reading The Bible With Understanding

2007-08-31T22:35:00.000-04:00

Why can't I do this? Because I am too lazy to really saturate myself with God's Word. Watch this guy recite Hebrews 9-10 from memory giving it sense. It's like watching Paul (or Apollos) preach.

HT: barwal1 on Stumble

Authentic Versus Religious

2007-08-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

Here are some funny videos that caught my attention. What do you think?

HT: That Jeremy Guy

One brother doesn't like them and offers this Gospel Rant.

home school curriculum

2007-08-29T23:09:00.000-04:00

I've started looking into Home school curriculum. I want to see what is out there and think more about homeschooling. Any suggestions?

Derek Webb Video - This Too Shall Be Made Right

2007-08-17T23:22:00.000-04:00

Here is my most recent video project. It is based on the song "This Too Shall Be Made Right" by Derek Webb. You can buy the CD at The Ringing Bell website.

On Being A Liar

2007-08-17T08:14:00.000-04:00

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.
-- Mark Twain

Quote On Statistics

2007-08-15T08:22:00.000-04:00

"Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable."
--Mark Twain

Weekend Workload - I wish I had a pressure washer

2007-08-13T23:03:00.000-04:00

I really need to do some work around my house. I've been really busy this summer and have neglected the Kummer ranch. Now that school is back and soccer season is begging it seems a little out of control.

The brink on my house is getting dusty and my newly stained deck is dusty from this heat wave. My care really needs washed. The driveway too. I wish I had a pressure washer around the house.

But school is back in - and that will have to wait. I need to get caught up on my reading and get to bed. So that is all the random thoughts for today.

Homeschool People - please lighten up

2007-08-10T13:12:00.000-04:00

I recently posted on my Children's Ministry blog about our choice not to home school my son this year. I was amazed to hear how vocal some of the homeschooling people were about my "failure" to be a good dad. Is Christian Homeschooling the answer?

So, in honor of the all the "home schooling is always right" people out there. I offer this video response from Rhett and Link. (No home school hate mail please - this is called humor)

Kenya?

2007-08-10T13:09:00.000-04:00

Someone watch this Kenya video and tell me this isn't what Kenya is really about.

MacArthur Versus Emerging Church

2007-08-04T23:40:00.000-04:00

I found this video slide show on YouTube. It is a short interview clip with John MacArthur explaining why humility doesn't always cut it when sharing the Gospel.

I signed up for PPP!

2007-08-02T23:18:00.000-04:00

We here at The Kummeropolis want to keep our readers informed. (Don't ask why I am using "we" and "our" to refer only to myself, I guess it's getting late.) So, I want to let you know a little about the monetization of my blogging empire.

I've been hearing about a blog marketing company called payperpost for several months. Some of the probloggers who I follow swear by this service to make a little side cash on their blog. Recently, I wrote about how AdSense is junk. So I thought you guys would like to hear about Pay Per Post.

But first let me detail some blog $$$ that don't really work:

Amazon Associates. It makes a lot of sense, but the only stuff I ever get commission on is my own purchases.
ad sense: There are so many people shooting low bids and "made for ad sense" pages that most publishers are making pennies on the click.
Text Link Ads: You need a PageRank of 5+ to get anyone interested.
Donation Buttons: Never tried it but I am really skeptical.

How does payperpost work? You sign up your blog and they give you opportunities to get paid for writing reviews of products or services. I was only approved a few days back and haven't seen any compelling offers yet. But if they want to pay me to review something I think it's a good deal. There are also some disclosure requirements, which I think makes for a better service. When I look back at all the hours I've been blogging, I wish I had more $$$ to show for it. Maybe an occasional paid host will improve that.

The user interface for payperpost is very clean and intuitive. Once your a member you can see all the available offers. They even show offers that would have been available if the other "Posties" hadn't grabbed them first. I can see at least a few that would fit in with my blog here. As you prove yourself you get better opportunities. It's kinda like gaining street credit. Looking over the list again, I think I will be able to make some money from this deal.

So, I'll keep you posted on the big money. Although it looks like you need decent traffic and PageRank to get the bigger offers. Most of the stuff I've seen so far is between $5 - $20 per post. I guess that will buy a new book for Fall Semester.

$$$ Affluenza Video Clips $$$

2007-08-02T21:59:00.000-04:00

Joshua Harris (and 2 others) preached a sermon series titled Affluenza in January 2006 at Covenant Life Church. They just posted some video clips with statistics on America's wealth. I was amazed to see how filthy rich we really are.

Affluenza Video Clip #1

Affluenza Video Clip #2

Affluenza Video Clip #3

Video - Where Did CJ Mahaney Come From?

2007-08-02T21:46:00.000-04:00

If you've ever wanted to know the story behind Covenant Life Church and CJ Mahaney - You can watch this short video documentary now on You Tube. I was very encouraged to hear how God used this small church plant and what it has become today. A 2 part documentary on Covenant Life church made for the Church's 25th Anniversary in 2002 by Scott Riddlesberger.

You Linked To What #2

2007-08-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the recent links to The Kummerololis. I really appreciate your links to all my blogs.

Links To Said At Southern

Video - Why Your Preaching Is Weak

2007-07-31T00:15:00.000-04:00

Watch this five minute video interview with John Piper where he talks about "The State of the Pulpit in America Today." He explains how the preachers own heart must be moved by the Glory of God in the Scriptures. A video interview from the Gospel Coalition.

The Jonah Syndrome: # 200

2007-07-31T00:10:00.000-04:00

My friend Marc Brakes (who's name I misspell 80% of the time) has already logged his 200th post!

He has been through some serious transition this year. Read more on his blog.

The Jonah Syndrome: # 200

In God We Trust

2007-07-30T09:15:00.000-04:00

This day in 1956:

"In God We Trust" was adopted as US motto. As the Congressional Record states:

At the present time the United States has no national motto. The committee deems it most appropriate that 'In God we trust' be so designated as our national motto.

Star Wars Fans Only - No One Else Allowed

2007-07-29T12:14:00.000-04:00

HT: Dave at Kid Inspiration

Welcome To ...

2007-07-29T00:08:00.000-04:00

Again ... Kummer can't you leave it alone.

With that inspirational self-talk, welcome to my new personal blog "The Kummeropolis."

If you've been coming here for long you already know that this blog has been around since 2005. And has had no less than 3 different names. I've learned a lot about blogging since then and have found myself stumbling more and more into the dark side of internet marketing.

For the record: I am not trying to bring balance to the Force and have only actually used the force two times (both times to win a corn hole game.)

"The Kummeropolis" is my growing internet empire. Presently, that statement should make you laugh. But I do have three PAGERANK 4 sites under my dominion and several more in the sandbox. Traffic across Kummeropolis is growing exponentially over the past several months.

So, should you be reading this site?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . should I be writing it?

Feel free to question my sanity in the comment box.

You Linked To What? #1

2007-07-28T23:31:00.000-04:00

Thanks for all the recent links to The Kummerololis. I really appreciate your links to all my blogs. With my recent blog name change (again) I am going to make a point to link out to all my friends. So here is my first batch of "THANK YOU" notes.

Links From My Children's Ministry website (notice the intentional keywords as link anchor?) This site is only 2 months old and need all the links it can get. I am struggling to earn street credit with the Googlebot. Words like "Vacation Bible School" and "Sunday School lessons" mean a lot in the topics I cover there.

Kingdom People - thanks Trevin!
Monday Morning Insight - thanks Todd!
Take T.W.O. Family Ministry - thanks (another) Todd!

Links From Said At Southern Seminary (again intentional linking matters). Our seminary site is doing very well. I would love to break into SERPs with "Semianry" and "Theology" but we have a long way to go. All your links are very helpful.

Jesus Creed - thanks Scott
Subversive Influence - thanks ???
Unashamed Workman - thanks David
Information and The Future - thanks Matt
Kingdom People - thanks Trevin
Reformed Geek - thanks Nath
Excogitating Engineer - thanks Jonathan

You may also have noticed a massive spike in Stumble traffic after you linked me. That was my fault too. So keep the links coming . . .

Video - Jerry Bridges On Relationships

2007-07-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

Watch this video from Desiring God. Relationships, Dependence, and Responsibility -Jerry Bridges

Jerry Bridges seems so wise to me. I'm familiar with many of his books but I have rarely heard him speak before these videos.

Does Your Church Sell Sofas?

2007-07-28T01:13:00.000-04:00

I just caught this story over at Monday Morning Insight (I know its Saturday) about a church that changed its name to "The Living Room." It didn't work out so well in the phone book and people begin calling about ...

“We find couples in the foyer looking for the sleeper sofas,” says associate pastor Zach Thompson. “Some of them just won’t believe we’re a church.”

Video - R.C. Sproul cameo for Eternal Rock Show

2007-07-23T23:56:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what to make of this ...

It seems like a YouTube based youth ministry "TV show" that deals with cults, Bible study and Christian music. You can see the YouTube channel Eternal Rock Show.

Video - Southern Baptist Girl Converts To Islam

2007-07-23T23:36:00.001-04:00

Here is a CNN report about one Southern Baptist girl who recently converted to Islam.

Quote from the YouTube description:

Allison Poole was Raised as a Southern Baptist Christian. She became Muslim this Ramadan... Since becoming Muslim, she feels more at peace and finds Islam has made he life much better as she has the right belief in God. Her family is completely behind her decision, but she finds fellow Americans still misunderstand Islam and say bad things.

They also profile a Catholic woman who converted to find a personal relationship with God. Quote:

Barbara Cartabuke is also an American who has found Islam post 911. She was a Catholic who always felt praying to Jesus and reading Hail Mary's was wrong. When she found Islam, it was a breath of fresh air and answered all her questions regarding the reality of her existance and of true belief in God.

What do you make of all this?

Mp3 - Billy Graham Preaching Jonathan Edwards

2007-07-23T23:18:00.000-04:00

Amazing... Billy Graham Preaching Jonathan Edwards

Listen to Billy Graham preaching "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God" from his 1949 Las Angeles Crusade.

HT: Matthew Hall

Peview of VBS 2008 and Vacation Bible School themes!

2007-07-23T21:25:00.000-04:00

Read this guide to VBS 2008 themes - Vacation Bible School 2008 Themes and Curriculum

Here is a review of LifeWay Outrigger Island VBS theme.

Free Sunday School Lesson Plans for Children's Sunday School Lessons

Guide To Baby Dedication and the Baby Dedication service-ceremony

3 Steps For Sunday School Lesson That Motivates Children To Learn

God Is In The Church Nursery

Ways Christians Can Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

Children's Ministry - ideas and resources

Sunday School Lesson On Encouragement

Top 10 Christian Parenting Websites

HT: Gospel Driven Children's Ministry

Tolerance Is Fake

2007-07-23T15:49:00.000-04:00

HT: Widsom from Team Pyro

Top 10 Christian Parenting Websites

2007-07-22T21:39:00.000-04:00

If you read websites about Christian parenting you might be interested in a top ten list I just posted on my Children's Ministry website. The article is titled Top 10 Christian Parenting Website and I list all the best websites for Christian parents.

Blog Bully

2007-07-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

Video - God Is The Gospel

2007-07-21T22:54:00.000-04:00

Here is a short meditation for from John Piper.

Video - The Gospel Is Lost

2007-07-20T07:47:00.000-04:00

Video - The Gospel Is Lost
Here is a 9 minute video slide show with Paul Washer talking about the loss of the Gosopel.

Video - Humanism In Today's Church

2007-07-20T07:43:00.000-04:00

I found this video on YouTube. It makes some good points about what has happened in Christianity. Video - Humanism In Today's Church

Video - Dr. Albert Mohler on Discernment

2007-07-17T23:50:00.001-04:00

Watch this 4 minute interview with Dr. Mohler on discernment in culture.

Video Description:

Everything in culture-from Billboards to T-Shirts to Music and Movies-is sending a message. In this interview Al Mohler helps use God's ... all » word and God's people to practice cultural discernment. What does your iPod say about you?

Video - Dr. Albert Mohler Speaking At New Attitude Conference

2007-07-17T23:45:00.000-04:00

Watch Dr. Mohler without a tie!

Video - Dr. Albert Mohler Speaking At New Attitude Conference

Video Description:

Sex. It's tough to know what to think about it, much less what to say. This video from Al Mohler's breakout session is a beautiful blend ... all » of compassion and truth in addressing the difficult topic of sexuality and culture. Mohler boldly presents God's plan for sex and explains how to respond when culture tries to twist the gift God created into an idol. We think the section on how to respond to homosexuality alone is worth the time it takes to download the message.

Do You Blog For $$$

2007-07-17T15:46:00.001-04:00

Is anyone making money on their blogs?

I have been playing around with Google Adsense to cover some hosting costs associated with my 'real' websites. But the total intake has been very small. For example this site had over 2K page views and less than ten ad clicks - the payoff? It was well under a dollar.

Why so small? I've read some on this and here is what I have concluded:

Most people reading my site are bloggers too. They have been conditioned by many hours no the internet to screen out Google Ads.
My topics are low paying for Adsense. Google Adwords clients are not paying high prices to attract reformed evangelical readers. So, you - the readers - who are attracted to this weird Tony Kummer website are not a lucrative market.

I wrote all that to annoPublish Postunce that I'm taking down my Ads by Google on this site. If I come up with a better scheme to pay for my web hosting - I'll let you know.

Survey - Spiritual Questions For Young Adults

2007-07-16T14:04:00.000-04:00

click the image to enlarge ...

from LifeWay Research

Name your baby what?! ...

2007-07-16T14:01:00.000-04:00

Perhaps some of my expecting friends might benefit from this one.

Video - Is Missional Another Church Fad?

2007-07-14T15:52:00.000-04:00

Dr. John Franke, Author and Professor at Biblical Seminary, Hatfield, PA, gives an overview of the missional church. He argues that God is missional toward humanity and now commands his people to be missional too.

More Dr. John Franke videos here.

Video - Rob Bell Parody OIL

2007-07-13T23:46:00.000-04:00

Video - Rob Bell Parody OIL
HT: MMI

Bible Reading Fressh Start

2007-07-13T23:04:00.000-04:00

By now most of the people I know who started to read through the Bible in a year have rationalized their way to some other plan. Well thanks to the ESV people you can get a fresh start mid-year. Read about it here on the ESV blog.

You can now set up the ESV site (and thus the RSS feeds and API) to treat any day as January 1 by adding a start-date parameter to the URL. For example:

Webpage
RSS
API

These URLs show you the Chronological Reading Plan, with the year starting today, July 11, 2007, and ending next July 9. (Using start-date ignores leap days.)

There’s no user-interface yet to access this time-shifting ability.

(Robert finds a few other plans in a later post.)

John Piper Channel On YouTube

2007-07-13T22:55:00.000-04:00

From the Desiring God blog:

Many of you are aware of our video that is online for free on the website and available in iTunes podcasts. We have also begun to put our video on YouTube. If you use YouTube, you can subscribe to two Desiring God channels we just started this week. We would love to see you over there leaving comments and posting your own videos. There will be more to come over the coming months.

Don’t Waste Your Life YouTube Channel
Desiring God Conferences YouTube Channel

Amazing Sand Art Video

2007-07-13T22:51:00.000-04:00

Watch this Amazing Sand Art Video

HT:Presurfer

Video - It's Your Time For Firefox, plus 4 reasons

2007-07-12T18:39:00.000-04:00

I've had Firefox since its beta version. Hands down this is the best browser in the history of the universe - ok, that was a little strong. Enjoy this video ... then download Firefox. (Look for a link in my sidebar.)

4 Reasons To Get Firefox

Tab Browsing: Nothing multi tasks better than Firefox.
Spell checking on blog comments.
Cool factor: IE is for corporate clogs.
Security: Studies show that 73% of Sith are intimidated by Firefox.

Video - Iphone in the Blender

2007-07-11T09:32:00.000-04:00

iphone in a industrial blender - instant classic
HT: Power of Change

Video -The Dangerous Book For Boys Trailer

2007-07-11T09:25:00.000-04:00

I just found out that the Dangerous Book For Boys has its own trailer. HT: Mark Overstreet

Using Stolen Bandwidth For Evangelism

2007-07-09T18:03:00.000-04:00

Read how Alex Chediak turned the tables on a bandwidth pirate.

Will Your Church Plant Survive?

2007-07-09T17:53:00.000-04:00

From Monday Morning Insight

Church Plant Survivability
According to a study done by the North American Mission Board, the following were some of the factors were found to be associated with higher attendance in church plants:
• meeting in a school in the first year over not meeting in a school in the first year
• meeting in a theater in subsequent years over not meeting in a theater in subsequent years
• meeting in a school in subsequent years over not meeting in a school in subsequent years
• conducting a special children’s event (i.e., Fall Festival, Easter Egg Hunt)
• mailing invitations to services, programs, events
• conducting new member classes
• using a church covenant signed by new members
• starting at least one daughter church within three years of the church plant
• having a proactive stewardship development plan enabling the church to be financially
self-sufficient
• having multiple staff members rather than a single staff members at the beginning of the
church plant
• being financially compensated as the church planter
• receiving health insurance whereby the majority of the premiums were paid for by the
church plant, sponsoring church, or denomination
• conducting a block party as an outreach event
• delegating leadership roles to church members
• conducting leadership training to church members
• working full-time over part- or half-time as the church planter
• being assessed prior to planting the church as the church planter
• having the church planter’s expectations realized

Funny Commercial

2007-07-09T17:37:00.000-04:00

Watch to the end. If you like watching commercials ...

HT:Great Commercial

Sunday School, Children's Ministry, Baby Dedication and Vacation Bible School

2007-07-09T00:20:00.000-04:00

Free Sunday School Lesson Plans for Children's Sunday School Lessons

VBS 2008 Guide - Vacation Bible School 2008 Themes and Curriculum

Guide To Baby Dedication and the Baby Dedication Service

Children's Ministry - Ministry to Children Ideas Resource

My 2 Lego Battle Videos

2007-07-07T23:02:00.000-04:00

Here are two Lego video sideshows I made with my son. Enjoy.

Lego's have been my favorite toy since elementary school. I particularly like Castle Lego as you can see in the movies. We do use a few mega-blocks, but only in moderation.

Cal Thomas' Response to CAIR

2007-07-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

Watch this video response from Cal Thomas to CAIR. Background: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is at it again, waging war on another person who has dared to speak out against radical Islam. This time it's syndicated columnist and friend of the MRC and NewsBusters, Cal Thomas, who, in a WTOP radio commentary compared radical Islam to a "slow-spreading cancer."

HT: Smooth Stone and RCB

I Was Hoping For An "R"

2007-07-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

Mingle²

Are You A Christian Jerk?

2007-07-07T11:33:00.000-04:00

Read this article from the Evangelical Outpost titled The Sanctification of a Jerk. Here is a brief preview:

In almost every one of my relationships there comes a point when the other person—whether acquaintance, friend, or coworker—realizes that I’m kind of a jerk.

It often comes as an epiphany, a sudden realization that, now that they think about it, I was a jerk all this time---they just never realized it before. Perhaps they had chalked up my standoffishness to introversion or my critical nature to an analytic mind. Maybe my gruffness was because I was in the Marines or that my social skills atrophied because of disuse. However they had previously excused my behavior, they now realized that, nice guy that I might appear on the exterior, I am a barely tolerable jerk.

How is this possible? How can I be a Christian for over three decades (since the age of six) and still be such a jerk? The only response I can give is that if I wasn't a Christian I'd be much, much worse. As Evelyn Waugh--another Christian who recognized he was a nasty chap--once said, "If not for my faith I would be barely human."

Keep reading to see how the Gospel helps jerks like Joe.

Top 10 Myths About Martin Luther

2007-07-07T11:28:00.001-04:00

Here is an interesting list from Alpha and Omega Ministries about Martin Luther. I'll just post the headlines here. Go to their website for the full explainations.

Ten Martin Luther Myths
I regularly get e-mail from people I don't know asking questions about Martin Luther. I've even had people contact me in the hopes I will help write their research papers for school (I will not!). Recently, I was sent a few Luther questions, and I was amazed certain myths still circulate. Despite the explosion of cyber-information, here are ten that somehow still survive.

1. Luther Threw an Inkwell at Satan

2. Luther's Evangelical Breakthrough Occurred in the Bathroom

3. Luther Repented and Re-entered the Church on his Deathbed

4. Luther's Hymns Were Originally Tavern Songs

5. Luther Spoke in Tongues

6. Luther Added The Word Alone To Romans 3:28

7. Luther Was an Antinomian and Hated the Law of God

8. Luther Acted Like a Protestant Pope

9. Luther Was a Drunk

10. Luther Said Imputed Righteousness is Like Snow Covered Dung

Watch "The Lost Book of Abraham" on YouTube

2007-07-07T10:56:00.000-04:00

Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism exposed? You decide...

Watch "The Lost Book of Abraham" on YouTube

Found on the web: the folks over at irr.org have put out a video giving the single greatest documented proof that Joseph Smith Jr. was a charlatan, not a prophet of God.

This award-winning documentary film investigates the story behind a volume of Mormon scripture called the Book of Abraham. The story is that Mormon founder Joseph Smith translated it from an ancient Egyptian papyrus scroll he purchased from an antiquities dealer in 1835. The Lost Book of Abraham visits prominent Egyptologists and other scholars – both Mormon and non-Mormon – to learn the truth behind this fascinating episode in Mormon history. The full video is now on YouTube, here . Given the current discussions of Mormonism, this is very useful. Here's the info on how to obtain it in DVD format.

3 Ways Churches Can Fight Violence Against Women

2007-07-07T09:57:00.000-04:00

Dr. Russell Moore has just posted two articles (here and here)that address biblical male headship and violence against women. Here are three action steps he recommended for churches.

Right now, while you're reading this, there is a woman, probably in your neighborhood, who was beaten last night by her husband or, even more likely, live-in boyfriend. And this is an abomination in the sight of a holy God.

1. One crucial step in addressing violence against women would be for pastors to address the issue specifically from the pulpit, identifying abuse of whatever form as satanic and calling with the authority of Christ himself abusive men to repent.

2. Restore meaningful church discipline in our churches, including the excommunication of abusive husbands.

3. Spending some time with that little boy dropped off at Vacation Bible School, and other like him. We need to tell him Jesus loves him. We need to press the claims of the Gospel on his life.

Video - The Gospel In 6 Minutes

2007-07-06T22:35:00.000-04:00

Watch this video from John Piper and Desiring God. Dr. Piper offers a six minute summary of the Gospel.

Controversial Baptism Video

2007-07-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

Watch this weird youth ministry video. It is an orientation for students who will baptized at an upcoming pool party.

One blogger had this to say:

The Orchard Blog, of The Orchard Church Community, posted an ‘instructional’ video for their upcoming BBQ & Baptism. They say "If you are planning to be baptized this next month, we hope this helps put you at ease." Slice of Laodicea awarded this post a Hall of Shame Award for its blasphemous flippancy and rather gross handling of so precious a rite as baptism.

Nearly 20 comments were posted on the original video's comment thread, almost all of them (I'd say all of them but can't go back to check) were calling for the video to be taken down, the pastors to repent of this misbehavior, and generally voicing their saddened outrage at such un-holy antics in the name of Christ.

They have turned the comments off. It is a shame they didn't turn the whole post off.

This video is a perfect example of a modern church that, in an effort to seem relevant and reach modern culture, parades around with inappropriate humor and ridiculous antics to entertain. The purpose of Baptism is barely discernible through the effort to be in touch with their audience.

Christ's followers are supposed to be peculiar. If it looks like the world, there's a pretty good chance that it might be of the world. I pray not, but what fruit is visible doesn't look very peculiar to me.

What do you think?

Is Sunday School A Para-church Parasite?

2007-07-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

In every church growth class or book that I can remember an effective Sunday school program was touted as a key for churches that are reaching people for Christ. The dogma goes something like this: Grow Sunday School and your church will be able to attract and keep families. Assimilation rates will go up - way up. People will learn the Bible. Kids will get the Gospel. Sunday school growth equals church growth.

And all God's people said ... Amen.

Now the 9Marks guys are ruining all the fun. Read this Friday Rant by Michael Mckinley. He raises some theological objections to the Sunday school dogma.

Every two months, a local Baptist organization sends out its "Official News Magazine". Before I throw them in the trash (lest a church member accidentally read one), I always hold a debate with myself about whether I should even bother to peruse the contents. I always give in; it's the ecclesiological equivalent of the car crash you can't help staring at as you go by.

But I thought that I might share a nugget lovingly culled from the most recent issue. I quote:

The growth and sustained ministry of the local church rises and falls on the strength of SUNDAY SCHOOL. (capitalization theirs)

This offends me on at least three levels:

1. Ecclesiologically, this is a statement completely unsupported (and in fact, contradicted) by Scripture. I'm a big fan of Sunday School, but I'd probably have to give the nod to the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in terms of what's most important in the growth and ministry of the church.
2. Pragmatically, this seems to be contraindicated by both common sense and statistics. If we're going to be pragmatists, could we at least be good pragmatists?
3. Ecologically, trees had to die in order for this sentence to appear on my desk this afternoon.

I think he raises a good question. Is Sunday school all that it is claimed to be? Should be blindly follow the programming advise of people who sell Sunday school material?

11 Step Sermon Preparation From John Stott - how to prepare a sermon

2007-07-06T07:35:00.000-04:00

Joshua Harris has posted a short summary of John Stott's 11 steps to sermon preparation. This "how-to" is a helpful summary of John Stott's book on preaching, Between Two Worlds. You can read the whole article on Joshua Harris' website. Here are the steps:

How To Prepare a Sermon
1. Choose your text and meditate on it.

2. Ask questions of the text.

3.Combine diligent study with fervent prayer.

4. Isolate the Dominant Thought of the Text.

5. Arrange Your Material to Serve the Dominant Thought

6. Remember the Power of Imagination--Illustrate!

7. Add Your Introduction

8. Add Your Conclusion

9. Write Down Your Sermon

10. Edit it Again

11. Pray over Your Message

Desiring God On Facebook

2007-07-06T07:24:00.000-04:00

Desiring God, the ministry of John Piper, has set up a communication channel on Facebook:

National Conference Facebook Group
If you'd like to connect with others who will be attending our national conference this September, you can join the Facebook group we set up. In the past some of you have expressed interest in being able to interact and network with others who come to our conferences. This is our attempt to facilitate that.

The better we know each other, the more valuable the conference will become, so come on over and make some virtual friends. Then in September, when you meet them in person, you won't be talking to complete strangers.

"I Know Jesus, But I Don't Have to Go to Church."

2007-07-06T07:21:00.000-04:00

Read this report on nominal Christianity still alive and well in New Orleans. Quote:

I heard this refrain quite a few times while we were down on the Gulf Coast this past week. Everyone believed in God. Everyone. They all pray. They all have some sort of faith. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a heavily Catholic region and there is a pervading sense of spirituality and of faith in God. Yet, so many really do not have a relationship with Christ. They are not sure if they are going to heaven. They hope that God is not wrathful toward them.

Children's Ministry Day

2007-07-06T07:18:00.000-04:00

Updated Thursday, July 05, 2007

WMU plans Children's Ministry Day

By Julie Walters

WMU Communications

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The first National Children's Ministry Day next February is expected to involve children across the country in missions projects.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, all children's groups in churches are encouraged to join with members of Girls in Action (GA) and Children in Action to actively serve in their communities for a one-day, concerted effort to minister and witness together.

Mitzi Eaker, children's ministry consultant for national Woman's Missionary Union (WMU), said children involved in GA and Children in Action actively learn about and do missions throughout the year. The focus on children doing missions across the country on a designated, special day will "be exciting to see," she said.

Hope for the Hungry is the theme for the 2008 day of ministry as children are encouraged to serve those who are in need of food and nourishment. Eaker said a focus on hunger was chosen because it is tangible need and is part of WMU's focus on poverty through its Project HELP ministry. The focus Scripture verse is Isaiah 58:10a (NIrV): Work hard to feed hungry people.

"Participation will help children understand the needs of others and grow in their ability to minister to others as Christ did," Eaker said. "As they serve, children will realize that God can use them in a mighty way, even now while they are young, to share His love and minister to others."

To help plan and implement the event, a complete Children's Ministry Day promotional pack will be available from WMU in November. It includes numerous resources, including project ideas, learning activities for before and after the project, a children's sermon, ideas for involving families, a variety of promotional materials, and more. To order, visit wmu or call WMU customer service toll-free at (800) 968-7301.

Scheduled to coincide with Focus on WMU week each year, Children's Ministry Day will be held annually on the third Saturday of February. For more information on Children's Ministry Day, visit childrensmissions. To help children learn about and experience missions year-round, join the more than 100,000 children involved in missions through Girls in Action (GA) and Children in Action. For more information about GA, visit the GA Web site at gapassport. For more information on Children in Action, visit wmucia.

Source: Biblical Recorder

Entertainment Driven Christianity

2007-07-06T07:14:00.000-04:00

Has the entertainment culture dominated our churches? Christian theology on a popular level seems to revolve around entertainment. Read this quote from Capitulating to entertainment:

"You do not learn about God and learn to know God by being entertained. I taught VBS for three years, and each year I became more and more dissillusioned with the “packaged” entertainment based VBS program that our chruch at that time put on. It wasnt just the entertainment that was so bad, the VBS program also played into the destructive frenetic hyper activity that typifies secular child entertainment today:

Train [teach] a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it Proverbs 22:6

"Today we teach our children that the world is about entertaining them, is it any wonder that adult life in America today is driven by entertainment, and is it any further surprise when those same children who were “trained” by their church via fallen secular entertainment methods then turn to that lifestyle when they reach adulthood and reject the idea of obedience to God on ideological grounds? As obedience to God on ideological grounds means you will not be entertained but frequently humbled."

Video For Missions

2007-07-06T07:13:00.000-04:00

A HistoryMaker is a world-changer. The task? to finish the work of taking the gospel to the entire globe. It begins right where you are; in your family, with your neighbors, among your friends. Maybe it’s to the man in the street. Being a world-changer starts right here. But it could also lead you to the other side of the world, perhaps to the Middle East or maybe to Asia. There are 2.5 billion un-reached people on this planet and most live far away. Either way, you have to Go! You have to play a part. Whether it's praying, sending or going – you can be a world-changer! This video will challenge and encourage you to get involved... 'open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest'

10 Ways To Grow Your Church Without God

2007-07-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

From The Monday Morning Insight blog ...

For the record, here are the ten ways to grow your church WITHOUT God: Ten Ways to Grow Your Church Without God…
Here's an interesting article by Ray Baumann. It seems that God has now gone on record as hating logos, web design, Starbucks, leadership, phone books, theatres, media, school programs, technology, video, dramas, egg hunts, and networking...

1. “Leadership is key.”

2. You want to create an oasis at church; let’s take a few ideas from Starbucks.

3. Next, your church has to offer something others don’t.

4. Spend money on logo and website design.

5. Advertise

6. Be creative with your presentations. Be sure to utilize all of the latest technology for your cool short video illustrations. To get the full effect, you must have video projectors and plasma TVs. Lighting is also essential to set the mood during services.

7. Don’t let anyone come to church and leave without getting their information.

8. Always be planning for your next event, whether it is an Easter egg hunt or Christmas drama. Every two months something big must be occurring to create excitement.

9. Have sermons focused around life issues such as parenting, managing money, eating right, getting along with others and making the best of your life.

10. Network.

Southern Baptists and regenerate church membership

2007-07-05T14:55:00.001-04:00

Tom Ascol continues the conversation about regenerate church membership in the Southern Baptist convention. You can read his whole article here.

Integrity in Church Membership--the conversation continues ... Since the San Antonio convention I have heard from dozens of people who are frustrated, dismayed, puzzled or in some other way disappointed that my resolution on integrity in church membership did not make it out of committee for the second year in a row. My basic attitude and response is that the Lord is firmly in control of this process and will use it to bring about much good for His people.

National Founder's Conference Links

2007-07-05T14:53:00.000-04:00

NFC Summary and Compilation

Read the following Live-Blogging posts from Timmy Brister at the National Founders Ministry conference.

FCON Preview
NFC I: Roy Hargrave on “Man’s Madness and God’s Mercy”
NFC II: David Wells on “Preaching the Truth of Christology for the Modern Age”
NFC III: Tom Ascol on “Founders Ministries, Theology, and the Current SBC”
NFC IV: Raymond Perron on “Preaching the Gospel in a Secular Culture”
NFC V: David Wells on “Preaching the Cross in the Modern World”
NFC VI: Bill Ascol on “Isaac McCoy: Pioneer Baptist Preacher to the Oklahoma Territories”
NFC VII: David Wells on “Preaching Heaven and Hell in the Modern World”
NFC VIII: Leadership Panel Discussion
NFC IX: Roy Hargrave on “Titus 3:1-8: Christian Faith and Conduct in a Godless Culture”
NFC X: Phil Newton on “Our Only Hope Is the Gospel”

Miscellanies:

Dr. David Wells and Me
TeamPyro at FCON
NFC Message Board on P&P

Photography:

NFC Photo Bundle 1
NFC Photo Bundle 2
NFC Photo Bundle 3
NFC Photo Bundle 4
NFC Photo Bundle 5

View all photos from 2007 National Founders Conference (in a slideshow)

Library Lust

2007-07-04T23:20:00.000-04:00

Do you covet books?

Here is an amazing page full of beautiful photographs from libraries of the world. Here is a sample. Go to this page to see much more. There is a link where you can buy these in full poster sizes.

You can almost smell these musty books.

Blogging For Free Books

2007-07-04T22:56:00.000-04:00

One big block quote for a free book.

Free Book Friday: Recalling the Hope of Glory

by Phil Gons on July 2nd, 2007

PastorBookshelf free book giveaway program, Free Book Friday. Nearly every Monday we will pick a book and announce it here on the PastorBookshelf Blog. To enter to win the book, link to the post that announces the week’s free book from your blog and then post the link to your post in the comments section of our post (not necessary if your blog sends out pingbacks automatically). On Friday we will randomly select a winner and mail the book to you free of charge. We’d love for you to review the book for PastorBookshelf Reviews, but this is entirely optional. Our plan is for this to be a nearly weekly occurrence. Spread the word! One qualification: you must be (1) preparing for pastoral ministry, (2) in pastoral ministry, or (3) a trainer of ministers.

This week’s free book is Recalling the Hope of Glory by Allen P. Ross. Find out more about this book at our PastorBookshelf Overviews entry.

Celebrate Your Liberty In Christ

2007-07-04T15:46:00.000-04:00

Philip Johnson sounds a little like Martin Luther in his Independence Day post titled, "Real Liberty." He shows that Christian Liberty is different than Antinomianism.

First, our liberty in Christ is a freedom from the yoke of sin.

Liberty in Christ is not a freedom from spiritual responsibility. It is certainly not any kind of moral autonomy. It is not a release from the divine standard of righteousness. It does not mean we are discharged from our duty to obey the moral law. If you think of liberty in those terms, you need to think again.
...
So our liberty in Christ, paradoxically, involves a positive kind of servitude as well. It's not an absolute freedom or moral autonomy.

Second, true Christian liberty is freedom from the yoke of the law.

Now this is the point at which many people get confused. Didn't I just say that Christian liberty doesn't erase the moral duties set forth in God's law?

Video - Be Your Brother's Keeper

2007-07-04T13:47:00.000-04:00

This video is a little offbeat. IT is trying to say something about Proverbs 27:17, "ESV Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another." But it turns out to be a little dumb and very funny.

Video - Francis Schaeffer: How Should We Then Live - 01/10 The Roman Age

2007-07-04T13:41:00.000-04:00

Francis Schaeffer: How Should We Then Live - 01/10 The Roman Age

How Should We Then Live? is "The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture."

Starting from ancient Roman times, tracing man's ... all » development throughout the Middle Ages, going to the Renaissance, Reformation, and Enlightenment, he shows the steps which led to the modern era.

CHAPTER SUMMARIES

Chapter One-Ancient Rome The finite Graeco-Roman gods were not a sufficient inward base for the Roman society: Rome crumbled from within, and the invasions of the barbarians only completed the breakdown.

Chapter Two-The Middle Ages The Middle Ages were the post-Roman age: a time of uncertainty in which there were great advances of the church but also great distortions of Biblical truth, eventually leading to the Renaissance and the Reformation.

Chapter Three-The Renaissance Although the Renaissance revived the realization that man and nature are important, it went overboard by making man the measure of all things-and by that destroyed the importance of man.

Chapter Four-The Reformation Like the Renaissance, the Reformation sought to bring freedom to man, yet unlike the Renaissance it did not lose sight of the Bible and absolute values.

Chapter Five-The Reformation-Continued The impact of the Reformation on society at large was the opportunity of freedom without chaos.

Chapter Six-The Enlightenment The Enlightenment believed in the perfectibility of society, and sought to bring it about mainly by the means of revolution.

Chapter Seven-The Rise of Modern Science Modern science could only have arisen from a Christian foundation: namely, that man is not part of a closed system but can observe and act into the system.

Chapter Eight-The Breakdown of Philosophy and Science The foundation in Philosophy and Science was changed from antithetical thinking to dialectic thinking-and because of it reason became more and more pessimistic.

Chapter Nine-Modern Philosophy and Modern Theology Due to the pessimistic view on reason, Philosophy and Theology started to seek meaning in the irrational.

Chapter Ten-Modern Art, Music, Literature, and Films What began in Philosophy now made itself felt in the Arts: the abandonment of reason and increased fragmentation.

Chapter Eleven-Our Society We have come full circle, since our society has become like the declining Roman Empire of old: it is marked by the love of affluence, a widening gap between rich and poor, an obsession with sex, freakishness in the arts, and an increased desire to live off the state.

Chapter Twelve-Manipulation and the New Elite Because our society stands on the verge of chaos, we are in danger of coming under an authoritarian elite which will increasingly manipulate our lives.

Chapter Thirteen-The Alternatives The only plausible alternative to authoritarianism is to align ourselves to a Biblical worldview-a worldview which produces freedom without chaos.

CONCLUSION Whether or not one agrees with all of Schaeffer's points, his passion to be a Christian who engages secular culture has laid the foundation stone for much of Christian thinking in the past three decades. «

Declaration of Independence

2007-07-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

From Under The Steeple

On July 4, 1776 the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence marking the official break between Great Britain and the American Colonies. There were 56 men, including two future U. S. Presidents, that signed the original document. The American War for Independence, or American Revolution, would not end until September of 1783 with the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty.

5 Videos - Schoolhouse Rock 4th of July

2007-07-04T09:59:00.001-04:00

I still think the us department of education should have been taken over by the schoolhouse rock people. Here are 4 Schoolhouse Rock videos related to the 4th of July. These are great event if you are not in the field elementary or child education. Enjoy these with your family and forward them to the teachers or education board members you know. Happy independence day.

Schoolhouse Rock Video - Fireworks
Schoolhouse Rock Video - No More Kings
Schoolhouse Rock Video - The Great American Melting Pot
Schoolhouse Rock Video - The Preamble

Schoolhouse Rock Video - Fireworks

Schoolhouse Rock Video - No More Kings

Schoolhouse Rock Video - The Preamble

Schoolhouse Rock Video - The Great American Melting Pot

Schoolhouse Rock Video - The Shot Heard Around The World

HT:Denny Berk

Helping Families Find the True Center

2007-07-04T09:25:00.000-04:00

Visit this website about Christian parenting and family ministry. The regularly provide new podcasts.

Nuclearity – Helping Families Find the True Center

Nuclearity is a radio program operating out of these assumptions:

When couples are inspired to love each other and love their children, God is glorified. We aim to be a source of that inspiration.
The world doesn’t need another radio program offering to solve problems “in three easy steps”; the world always needs more stories.
We appreciate both public radio and Christian radio, but will probably be heard on neither. Our programming may be too honest about Jesus for the one and too honest about life for the other.
Language, voices and music are important parts of God’s good creation. With his help, we aim to combine these into a lovely roller coaster of audio.
Truth and beauty long to embrace each other. We find it natural to approach topics with both reason and imagination.

Photos From The Creation Museum

2007-07-04T00:41:00.000-04:00

Sean Gould posted some great photos from his recent trip to the Creation museum.

A life-like biblical theology was presented that spanned from Creation to Consumation. The rooms were flooded with Scripture as false ideas of evolution and man centered theologies were countered with a biblical worldview. The gospel was presented in full and overall it is a fantastic museum. If you have the opportunity to visit this place, you should definately go. Here are a couple pictures below.

Can This Church Be Saved? 4 Signs It Too Far Gone

2007-07-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

It seems like God is raising up many pastors who are called to reform local congregations. The guys at 9Marks blog have been talking about how church reform glorifies God. Now they are asking what to look for in a church. Can this church be saved? Here are four things that would make church reform impossible. Read the whole article on the 9Marks blog.

1) that has formally rejected the gospel.
2) where I disagreed with a settled statement of faith.
3) that would require me to do things that I believed to be wrong. (baptise infants, or submit to an extra-congregational authority)
4) where my conscience would be otherwise constrained by forbidding me to do things that I would feel is the responsibility of the gospel minister: I would not pastor a church where I was expected NOT to teach on something that the word clearly addresses.

Answers In Genesis MP3 from the National Educators Association

2007-07-03T21:15:00.000-04:00

Tags: answers in genesis, evolution, creation science, intelligent design, NEA, national educators association, creation versus evolution,

The Answers In Genesis people set up a booth at the National Educators Association. They are posting several audio clips from their conversations. It seems like a bold and thoughtful way to start conversations with educators about evolution in the public schools. Answers In Genesis is a leading proponent of creation science. You can read more on their website. They write:

Join us in thanking the Lord for a tremendous day of sharing the truths of God's Word. There were so many good conversations where we presented either the truth of God in creation or the full gospel message. I'm so excited for these opportunities and rest in the fact that God's Word will not return to Him void, it will accomplish what He set it out to do. The new surveys we are doing this year seem to really help folks stay longer at the booth and allow us to get into a nice dialog with them. I count it a success every time I share the gospel, regardless of the reaction of the listener. To me, God's job is to do the convicting and conversion, mine is simply to present.

Break Out Of Your Bible Reading Rut, Read the Old Testament - In Hebrew Order

2007-07-03T21:04:00.000-04:00

Did you realize that the Old Testament is arranged differently in Hebrew Bibles? This is one way to think about your Bible reading in a fresh way. Why not read through the Old Testament in this order next time. It might just break your Bible reading rut.

HT: Darrin Brooker
HT: Generations of Grace

And, borrowing from his comment thread, here is the Hebrew order:

Torah (Instruction)
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

Nebi’im (Prophets)
(Former Prophets)
Joshua
Judges
1-2 Samuel
1-2 Kings
(Latter Prophets)
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Ezekiel
(The Twelve)
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

Ketubim (Writings)
Psalms
Job
Proverbs
Ruth
Songs
Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes)
Lamentations
Esther
Daniel
Ezra-Nehemiah
1-2 Chronicles

Review of Voddie Baucham's New Book On Family Ministry

2007-07-03T20:58:00.000-04:00

Family Integrated church is a big topic in many evangelical circles. What theology should drive our ministry to families? Should pastors encourage more parenting in the pews? Follow the link below for Ray Van Neste's review of this book.

Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God, Voddie T. Baucham, Jr. (Crossway, 2007), hb., 222 pp.

I finished reading this book this weekend and really enjoyed it. My primary overall reaction was, “This book more than any other I have read expresses what my wife and I aspire to for our family.” This book can be of a lot of help to a lot of people.

If you have heard Voddie any time in the last few years you have probably heard some of the material in this book. It is great now to have all of this (and more) in book form. He stresses the role of parents in discipling their own children, the importance of the husband-wife relationship for the children, and the value of children (in contrast to our culture). With these themes he stresses the importance of family worship and the importance of fathers taking the role in teaching their children about God. He powerfully contrasts this with typical priorities among fathers. He encourages having and raising children without being legalistic about how many and how soon we should have them. He talks about how churches fail to help by sustaining the idea that parents need not disciple their own children. There is much of value here and our people (particularly fathers) will gain much in reading this book.

Women Preachers - But Not Elders?

2007-07-03T16:56:00.000-04:00

Read Jim Hamilton's interaction with Craig Blomberg Is Blomberg Right? Does 1 Timothy 2:12 Merely Mean Women Can’t Be Elders?

For all these reasons, I am unconvinced by Blomberg’s discussion. He seeks to be neither egalitarian nor complementarian, but his choices of which scholars he cites and which arguments he discusses seem to lean him definitely to the egalitarian side of things. Further, arguing that women can and should teach Bible and theology to men in church is an egalitarian position.

Paul says that he does not permit women to teach men, then he bases that prohibition on a trans-cultural appeal to the created order. Is it safe to encourage women to do exactly what the Bible says they should not?

Godly Women Love The Bible

2007-07-03T15:22:00.000-04:00

A little meditation on finding a godly wife.

New Interview With Caedmon’s Call About Overdressed, Derek Webb and Christian Music

2007-07-03T09:08:00.000-04:00

Trevin Wax, a student at Southern Seminary and frequent contributor to Said At Southern has just posed a New Interview With Caedmon’s Call About Overdressed, Derek Webb and Christian Music. Trevin’s articles are always high quality and his posting schedule is very consistent. I particularly enjoy his weekly Book Reviews.

Young, Reformed and Clueless?

2007-07-03T09:02:00.001-04:00

Chad Knudson reflects on the danger of defining yourself by a Soteriological label.

As great as it is to see Calvinism make a resurgence among people, it should not define us. At times I fear that people and churches take pride in their Calvinism rather than the gospel. What should define us is the gospel. I realize that the Doctrines of Grace represent the gospel, but even our understanding of the these wonderful truths of God’s grace cannot be divorced from the greater plotline of Scripture.

Real Men Are Meek - Not Wimps

2007-07-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

Our society makes little distinction between humility and weakness. The word meekness has become almost synonymous with powerless, frail and week. This conversation has serious ramifications for male leadership.

Brent Thomas reflects on Meekness is not Weakness.

Though Isaac is clearly the dominant party, Abimelech has already identified his might in v.16, saying: “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we,” Isaac chooses to turn the othe cheek, to let himself be wronged and to rely on God rather than take matters into his own hands, defending his honor and possessions.

These are the Generations of...: Establishing a Multigenerational Vision of Faithfulness, Part II

2007-07-02T22:45:00.000-04:00

These are the Generations of...: Establishing a Multigenerational Vision of Faithfulness, Part II: "Simply stated, we must restore the Biblical family and embrace the attainable goal of multi-generational faithfulness."