New Attitude - Blend

Blog: Free Registration Anyone?

2008-12-05T05:19:00-05:00

Ten years ago New Attitude began. This year we’re looking back at God’s kindness and forward to what’s next. And we need your help.

We’d love to hear your own story of what God did through an Na conference in your life. We also want to help our Na faithful make it to the next conference. So we’re offering one free registration until the beginning of registration (mid to late January). Every week we’ll throw all the names of people that have submitted registration testimonies into a big hat and pick a winner. It’s that simple.

Here’s what to submit: We’re looking for short testimony/stories from New Attitude attendees about how God met you, touched you, helped you, changed you at the conference. Obviously, we’re looking for more than, “I liked the worship and so and so gave a good message.” We’re looking for unique stories and examples of God’s grace. How he blessed you through his word, through a friend, through an experience.

So please write and share your New Attitude moment with us. We need your picture and somewhere around 300 words (although you can do more if you need it). It doesn’t matter which year you came, but note the year and tell your story. And you don’t need to be single to participate. If you came the first year and now you’ve got three kids (like Josh Harris) we still want your story. Email your story and picture to our editor Ricky Alcantar (ricky-at-newattitude.org).

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: Calling All New Attitude Attendees

2008-11-04T14:35:00-05:00

If you’ve ever been to the New Attitude conference, I need your help.

Starting later this month on the New Attitude blog we’re going to begin featuring stories of what God has done at the conference in years past. It’s been ten years since we started and we want to reflect on God’s grace before we unveil some exciting, big changes for the future.

So here’s what I need from you. We’re looking for short testimony/stories from New Attitude attendees about how God met you, touched you, helped you, changed you at the conference. Obviously, we’re looking for more than, “I liked the worship and so and so gave a good message.” We’re looking for unique stories and examples of God’s grace. How he blessed you through his word, through a friend, through an experience.

So please write and share your New Attitude moment with us. We need your picture and somewhere around 300 words (although you can do more if you need it). It doesn’t matter which year you came, but note the year and tell your story. And you don’t need to be single to participate. If you came the first year and now you’ve got three kids (like me) we still want your story. Email it to me at jharris-at-covlife-dot-org

And if you can, please help spread the word to friends you know who have been to New Attitude. I tried to spread the word on some of the New Attitude Facebook pages. Any help you can give would be appreciated.

And please be praying for us as we work on next year’s event. There’s a lot going on right now and a lot to do.

-Joshua Harris

Posted by Josh Harris

Blog: An Announcement from Joshua Harris

2008-10-16T16:56:00-05:00

Recently I made an important announcement to our church. Next spring our congregation in Gaithersburg, Maryland, will be planting a brand new church in Arlington, Virginia.

The reason I’m sharing this news here is because the man who will be leading this new church is none other than Eric Simmons, the man who has led the New Attitude conference for the past three years.

Eric has led our church’s singles ministry for the past ten years. And in 2006, after I’d ended the New Attitude conference to focus on my new role as senior pastor of Covenant Life Church, Eric stepped up and led a team to restart the event. He and the New Attitude creative team have done a great job. If you’ve attended the conference in the past three years, you’ve benefited from Eric’s creativity, leadership, and servant’s heart.

But now God has called Eric to a different and very exciting new journey. The desire to start a new church in the Arlington/Washington DC area is something that has been growing in Eric’s heart for the past year. Arlington has a large population of single and highly unchurched young professionals who need to hear the gospel. And Eric has a passion to reach them.

In the coming months, Eric will be dedicating himself to building a church-planting team and attending to all the details of moving, finding a facility, and studying the community in Arlington. Obviously, this means he has to stop leading New Attitude.

But I’m happy to be able to say that New Attitude isn’t going anywhere. I’ll be stepping back in to take an active role in leading the conference, assisted by my dear friend and fellow pastor, Grant Layman.

Plans for next May are in full swing. Two incredible speakers (who will be making their first appearance at Na) have already agreed to come. We’ll be back in Baltimore where it all began. In the days to come, we’ll be filling you in on some exciting plans for next year. By God’s grace, I believe 2009—our ten-year anniversary—will be our best yet. We need your help to make it happen. Please pray, and please check back for more details and info on how you can help us promote the conference.

Finally, please pray for Eric and the new church in Arlington. We’ve always said that New Attitude is just a conference and it exists to serve what is truly important—local churches. Now Eric is proving that value by starting a new church himself. Let’s ask God to use it mightily for his glory.

And please leave a comment on this post to thank Eric and express your gratitude for the way he’s served us all these past three years.

-Josh

Posted by Josh Harris

Blog: Meet The ESV Study Bible

2008-09-12T13:46:01-05:00

Many people have heard of the upcoming ESV Study Bible, but we’re going to tell you about it again here too. That way you won’t be able to say we didn’t warn you.

The ESV Study Bible has pages of endorsements from guys we respect like John Piper, Al Mohler, Jerry Bridges, C.J. Mahaney, Mark Dever, Phil Ryken, Graem Goldsworthy, and on and on. It has contributors like Wayne Grudem and J.I. Packer. And it was project managed by one of our favorite guys--Justin Taylor. But all that isn’t why we’re excited about it.

Really, we’re excited about the ESV Study Bible for a really simple reason: We think it will help us read our Bibles better.

Having a good study Bible helps focus the words of God right in front of you instead of wondering which king was after which other king in the Old Testament (it will tell you!). A good study Bible helps point out connections between parts of the text you may have missed so that you can dig deeper. Its not a substitute for the Bible--it just helps get rid of some confusion and guesswork so that you read God’s words for everything they’re worth.

But don’t just listen to us. Check out all the free stuff from the ESV Study Bible you can get for free online:

_Read sample chapters from Jonah, Psalms, Revelation, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Ephesians, and Colossians.
_Read some of the dozens of articles in the ESV Study Bible like this one on Reading The Bible (with contributions by Packer, Ryken, Powlison, Piper, and Hughes) or this one on an Overview of the Bible: A Survey of the History of Salvation (by Vern Poythress).
_If you grew up on a picture Bible and you like your pictures in beautiful full color the ESV Study Bible has got you covered. Check out this sweet city plan of Ancient Rome.

And here’s a 5-minute video explaining the study Bible.

So check out the ESV Study Bible. If you want to get one, you can still save 20% by ordering it before Sept 15.

[End Public Service Announcement]

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: How Could God Command Genocide?

2008-09-01T06:00:00-05:00

How could God command Genocide in the Old Testament?

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You asked Bible questions. You voted on your favorites. Now, we answer them.
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This is a good, hard question. The way we answer it will both reflect and inform our understanding of justice and mercy.

The question is about what happens in the book of Joshua when God commands Israel to slaughter the Canaanites in order to occupy the Promised Land. It was a bloody war of total destruction where God used his people to execute his moral judgment against his wicked enemies. In moving toward an answer it will be helpful to think carefully about the building blocks of a Christian worldview related to God’s justice and mercy.

1. As the maker of all things and the ruler of all people, God has absolute rights of ownership over all people and places.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) “and the sea and all that is in them” (Act 14:15). This means that “The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Ps. 24:1). As God says, “All the earth is mine” (Ex. 19:5) and “every beast of the forest is mine” (Ps. 50:10). God’s ownership of all means that he is also free to do as he wishes over all things. “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Ps. 115:3). Within this free sovereignty God “determined allotted periods and the boundaries of [each nation’s] dwelling place” (Acts 17:26). God has Creator rights, and no one can say to him, “What are you doing?” (Job 9:12).

2. God is not only the ultimate maker, ruler, and owner, but he is just and righteous in all that he does.

Abraham asks God the same question that we are asking, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen. 18:25). The implied answer is, “By all means!” This is the flip side of Paul’s question in Romans 9:14: “Is there injustice on God’s part?” Paul’s answer: “By no means!” Moses will later proclaim, “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he” (Deut. 32:4).

It is commonplace in our culture to ask whether this or that was fair or just for God to do. But if you stop to think about it, the question itself is actually illegitimate. Merely asking it presupposes that we are the judge; we will put “God in the dock” and examine him; God must conform to our sense of fairness and rightness and justice—if God passes the test, well and good, but if he doesn’t, we’ll be upset and become the accuser. Perish the thought. As Deut. 32:4 says, “all God’s ways are justice”—by definition. If God does it, it is just. To think otherwise is the ultimate act of arrogance, putting your own mind and opinions and conceptions as the ultimate standard of the universe.

This does not, however, preclude humble questioning and seeking in order to gain greater understanding. While it is ultimately illegitimate to ask if God’s ways are just in securing the Promised Land, it is perfectly appropriate and edifying to seek understanding on how God’s ways are just—whether in commissioning the destruction of the Canaanites or in any other action. This is the task of theology—seeing how various aspects of God’s truth and revelation cohere.

3. All of us deserve God’s justice; none of us deserve God’s mercy.

As noted above, God is absolutely just in all that he does. The only thing that any of us deserve from God is his justice. We have broken his law, rebelling against him and his ways, and divine justice demands that we receive divine punishment in proportion to our traitorous, treasonous rebellion. It is fully within God’s rights to give mercy, but he need not give it to all—or to any. It is also helpful to note that in biblical history, an act of judgment on one is often an act of mercy for another (e.g., the flood was judgment on the world but a means of saving Noah; the plagues were judgment on the Pharaoh but a means of liberating Israel). Likewise, the destruction of the Canaanites was an act of mercy for Israel.

4. The Canaanites were enemies of God who deserved to be punished.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”—“None is righteous, no, not one”—and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 3:23; 3:10; 6:23). Therefore if God destroyed Adam and Eve after the fall he would have been entirely just. When he wiped out over 99.99% of the human race during the time of Noah, he was being just.

Sometimes we can mistakenly think that God just wanted to give his people land and kicked out the innocent people who were already there. But in reality, the Canaanites were full of iniquity and wickedness, and God speaks of the land vomiting them out for this reason (cf. Gen. 15:6; Lev. 18:24-30; Deut. 9:5). All of this is consistent with the fact that God “avenges the blood of his children and takes vengeance on his adversaries. He repays those who hate him and cleanses his people’s land” (Deut. 32:43).

It’s also important to note Deut. 9:5, which says that Israel’s possession of the land and the Canaanites’ being kicked out would not be due to Israel’s righteousness, but would rather be on account of the Canaanites’ wickedness. God very pointedly tells Israel that if they do not follow the Lord and his law, then they will suffer the same fate as the nations being vomited out of their land (cf. Lev. 18:28; Deut. 28:25-68; cf. also Ex. 22:20; Josh. 7:11-12; Mal. 4:6). God gave his special electing love to Israel (cf. Deut. 7:6-9), but his threats and promises of punishment for unfaithfulness show his fairness and his commitment to justice.

5. God’s actions were not an example of ethnic cleansing.

The Pentateuch (Genesis–Deuteronomy) provides laws for two types of warfare: (1) battles fought against cities outside the Promise Land (see Deut. 20:10–15), and (2) battles fought against cities within the Promised Land (Deut. 20:16–18). The first type allowed for Israel to spare people; the second type did not. This herem practice (the second type of warfare) meant “devotion/consecration to destruction.” As a sacred act fulfilling divine judgment, it is outside our own categories for thinking about warfare. Even though the destruction is commanded in terms of totality, there seems to have been an exception for those who repented, turning to the one true and living God (e.g., Rahab and her family [Josh. 2:9], and the Gibeonites [Josh. 11:19]). What this means is that the reason for the destruction of God’s wicked enemies was precisely because of their rebellion and according to God’s special purposes—not because of their ethnicity. “Ethnic cleansing” and genocide refer to destruction of a people due to their ethnicity, and therefore this would be an inappropriate category for the destruction of the Canaanites.

6. Why was it necessary to remove the Canaanites from the land?

In America we talk about the separation of “church” and “state.” But Israel was a “theocracy,” where church and state were inseparably joined and indistinguishable, such that members of God’s people had both political and religious obligations. To be a citizen of Israel required being faithful to God’s covenant and vice-versa.

The covenant community demanded purity, and egregious violations meant removal (e.g., see Deut. 13:5; 17:7, etc). This also entailed the purity of the land in which they were living as God’s people, and failure to remove the unrepentant from the land meant that the entire nation would be pulled down with the rebellious, resulting in idolatry, injustice, and evil (e.g., Deut. 7:4; 12:29-31)—which sadly proved to be the case all too often under the old covenant.

Christians today are not in a theocracy. We are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11) with no sacred land in this age. We live in the overlap of the old age and the age to come—“between two places” (in the creation that groans—after the holy-but-temporary Promised Land and awaiting the holy-and-permanent New Heavens and the New Earth). In this age and place we are to respect and submit to the governing authorities placed over us by God (Rom. 13:1–5)—but they are not, and should not be, a part of the church (God’s people called and gathered for Word and sacrament). Furthermore, God’s gift of specific, special revelation to the whole church has now ended (cf. Heb. 1:1–2: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son”). These factors combine to ensure that nothing like the destruction of the Canaanites—required for the theocracy of Israel to possess the physical land—is commissioned by God or is permissible for his people today.

7. The destruction of the Canaanites is a picture of the final judgment.

At the end of the age, Christ will come to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:5), expelling them from the land (the whole earth). That judgment will be just, and it will be complete. That is the day “the Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might (2 Thess. 1:8–9). Amazingly enough, Paul asks the Corinthians something they seem to have forgotten, if they once knew it: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? (1 Cor. 6:2).

How does this work? What will it look like? I really don’t know. But God’s Word tells us that God’s people will be part of God’s judgment against God’s enemies. In that way, God’s command of the Israelites to carry out his moral judgment against the Canaanites becomes a foreshadowing—a preview, if you will—of the final judgment.

Read in this light, the terrible destruction recorded on the pages of Joshua in God’s Holy Word become not a “problem to solve,” but a wake-up call to all of us—to remain “pure and undefiled before God” (James 1:27), seeking him and his ways, and to faithfully share the gospel with our unbelieving neighbors and the unreached nations. Like Job, we must ultimately refrain from calling God’s goodness and justice into question, putting a hand over our mouth (Job 40:4) and marveling instead at the richness and the mystery of God’s great inscrutable mercy (Eph. 2:4). At the end of the day we will join Moses and the Lamb in singing this song of praise:

“Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
Who will not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3-4)

Author’s Note: Thanks to David Reimer, James Grant, Andy Naselli, and Jim Hamilton for reading a draft of this answer and offering counsel and encouragement. I also want to acknowledge the discussion of this issue in the Introduction to the book of Joshua in the ESV Study Bible, which was very helpful in thinking through this issue.

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The Author
Justin Taylor serves at Crossway Books in Wheaton, where he is the ESV Study Bible project director and an associate publisher. Learn more about the ESV Study Bible at ESVstudybible.org.

Posted by Justin Taylor

Articles: The Christian and Old Testament Law

2008-08-19T04:14:01-05:00

“How should a Christian relate to Old Testament laws?”

You asked Bible questions. You voted on your favorites. Now, we answer them.

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We should relate to Old Testament laws like Christians! That is to say, we relate to the Law in a few ways:

1. Acknowledging that Christ has fulfilled the Law for us.
That’s the Lord’s own teaching in Matt. 5:17-20. Jesus has satisfied all that God demands, and through faith in Him He has become the perfect righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees and satisfies the Father (v. 20; 1 Cor. 1:30). Christ is the end of the Law for those who believe (Rom. 10:4).

2. Remembering we are not antinomians (lawless people with no moral code).
We may still draw ethical instruction and force from the law. So, we are told that we fulfill the law when we love one another (Rom. 13:8-10). We don’t pursue the law for legalistic righteousness’ sake, but we don’t treat the law as though it were unholy (Rom. 7:12). It still points out sin in our lives, and our awareness of sin and fight against sin in the grace and power of God’s Spirit sanctifies us.

3. Using the Law evangelistically.
In Paul’s words, we may use the law lawfully. The law points out what is contrary to the gospel in the lives of lawbreakers, and therefore gives opportunity to share with them the sound
doctrine of the gospel that saves (1 Tim. 1:8-10). In this sense, the condemning power of the Law is an aide that helps us point people to Christ the Savior. “The Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:22-24). We may use the Law, as those who are free from the Law, to help those under the condemnation of the Law, escape to the same freedom we have in Christ.

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The Author
Thabiti Anyabwile is Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman and a regular blogger at Pure Church.

Posted by Thabiti Anyabwile

Blog: Every Member a Theologian

2008-08-19T04:04:00-05:00

Part two of our interview with Thabiti Anyabwile on themes from his book What is a Healthy Church?

[Download a chapter.]
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What would you say to someone who sees where their local church is weak and needs to change and is frustrated that it’s not changing fast enough?

Ephesians 4:1-3 is critical. “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Whatever the person sees that may need to be changed, they should not forget their calling and the manner in which they should walk: humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, and eagerly maintaining unity.

If the church is preaching the gospel, then I think most other aspects of church growth and change should be viewed with both eyes toward grace and love--which means the speed of the change isn’t the main criteria for progress or joy in the church. There are no perfect churches, and becoming frustrated with the pace of change suggests at least one of three things:
pride; ignorance about what it takes to change a church and Who actually changes it; and/or an approach to the church that views the church mechanically, almost like a model car project/hobby requiring a little glue and finesse to put all the pieces together.

The church is not a project to be “fixed,” but a people to be loved (Eph. 5:1-2). We need to keep that in view as we look out on our various imperfections. And we need to keep the evidence of God’s plentiful grace in view as well. The frustrated person might be helped to find a couple friends in the church who are doing well spiritually, who seem to be pleased with the church, and sit with them listening to all the evidence of grace they see and are encouraged by. A little more perspective is probably in order in most cases.

Why is being a theologian important for the average church member? Don’t we have seminary professors for that stuff?

We love seminary professors, and are thankful for the gift that they are to the body of Christ. But theology is knowledge of God, and no professor can or should be asked to take our place in the privilege of knowing and savoring God! The great joy of Christianity is that we are actually brought into saving and everlasting knowledge of the marvelous Creator of all things. That knowledge of Him is “theology.”

We’re all theologians. We’re either good or bad, hungry or lazy, grudging or joyful, accurate or sloppy theologians. But we are theologians. And I hope Healthy Member encourages the average Christian to not be afraid of the word “theologian,” to embrace it as their new birthright, and to take some practical steps in deepening their knowledge of God. For it’s as we know God more deeply, that our daily lives are changed more radically.

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Get the book . Or download a chapter.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Updates: Al Mohler Q&A Videos Online

2008-08-14T15:24:00-05:00

Al Mohler is now available in bite-sized pieces. We’ve just posted individual videos for each of the questions Al Mohler answered at Na 2008.

SEE THE VIDEOS

We’ve also listed (generally) what each video covers in case you’re looking for help with a specific topics like Bible vs. other “holy books”, postmodernism’s effects, etc. [And shout out to Dr. Mohler for that sweet pink shirt]

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: Na Interviews Voice

2008-08-14T15:00:00-05:00

Voice talks about his new album The Process of Pardon, his year at Pastors College, rhyme schemes, and theology

What is your burden for this album? What do you hope this album does in people’s lives?

The goal for “The process of The Pardon” was more didactic (teaching) then it was application. On the first two albums I felt like I was given to talk application than doctrine. While doctrine was a part of all that I did, it was more practical in its content. My burden was to do an album that was more theological than what I had done in the past. The main reason is because I, by the grace of God, am known outside of Sovereign Grace circles and I wanted to do a project that communicated our theological values not just the practice of them.

What I hope this album does is bring some doctrinal discernment to some key issues of the faith as well help people in their process of growth as they are Lord willing encouraged to press on.

How is this album different from your previous work?

Some of the differences I listed in that first question, but I think sonically people will notice a big difference. For one thing, I really believe from a production standpoint this is easily the best album I have put together. Not that the other two projects weren’t good musically, they were just limited. On “The Pardon” I had most of the beats laid out early, as well as the concept. While I made some changes along the way I really felt like I knew where I was going on this album. It was better planned than the previous ones. Another difference is the lyrical complexity. Initially, on Progression, I wanted to do an album that was lyrically simple so that anyone could follow it. Even the sound of that album was more conducive to Sovereign Grace and helping introduce them to a genre that was unfamiliar to them. On “The Crucible” I wanted to move to more of the East Coast rap sound that I grew up on but I still wanted to keep the rhyme schemes (the way words are delivered over a beat) somewhat simple knowing that Sovereign Grace was still listening. As God gave me opportunities to travel and perform across the country I would get people that would say they liked my music but it was a little too simple. Or people would ask if I rapped simple on purpose. Most people understood my method but there were some that dismissed me for not being lyrical enough. So now we are at “The Pardon” and I felt like I wanted to take all that feedback and apply it. The challenge was not forgetting my core audience. So basically what I did was rap the way I always had prior to all of this. The first half of the album is more complicated and clever lyrically. I don’t just say what I mean. You may have to listen to decipher some of the meaning. The second half (from Ordo Salutis on) of the album, apart from one song, is a bit slower lyrically and is closer to what people would expect from Voice. Although both sides of the album are accessible to anyone I have a feeling that people will want the lyrics for this album.

You just graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. How did that experience shape your work here?

That played a huge part in the content of the album. I think it will be clear after just a few songs that this album has much more meat than anything I have ever done to date. There is a lot of depth on this album and it really was unintentional. I just spoke what I had been breathing in and put into lyrical form. Some of these songs I could’ve done without going to the Pastor’s College but the majority of this album flows from being in an environment for 10 months of solid theology. How can you not take that level of doctrinal discernment and not give it to others? That is where the desire to do an album of teaching came out of. I just hope that some of the concepts on the album are noteworthy and equipping to the saints. That more than anything is what I hope is the response.

What did the production process for the album look like?

Over the years I have met and been exposed to a lot of guys who make beats. From that came hundreds of different beats and styles form producers to choose from. Along with my own ear for beats I put together an album of a lot of sounds. One thing I always try to do is make an album where no two beats sound the same. I think that is a lost element particularly in rap music, but it really serves the listener to have a variety of sounds to explore. So the production is definitely a step up form what I have done in the past and I think people will enjoy the album.

So what exactly is The Process of The Pardon?

The process is the steps taken to get us to a place of being not guilty to a God who knows that we are indeed guilty. The process which on this album is a five step process. On the album it is spread out and labeled #’s 1-5 but it basically...The first process is that sin and judgment come into the world. The second is Christ is born to redeem the lost. The third is His death on the cross for our sin. The fourth is the Resurrection and the fifth is our belief in the Lord for all that he did. The pardon is the legal declaration of “not guilty” in the sense that no punishment is required for for the sins committed by us. If you combine the two then you will have the 5 step process to be Pardoned.

What’s next for voice?

Not exactly sure. Right now I am serving as a pastor at Solid Rock Church in Bowie Maryland. This CD is just coming out so I will evaluate opportunities to perform on a case by case basis. As far as music, I have a strong suspicion a few more projects are in the works. Jeremy white and I are toying around with an idea that if it goes will be crazy! Could be something that is ready by Na ‘09. Apart from that I am gratefully enjoying the initial feed back to this album and I hope others will enjoy it as well!

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Get, or listen to, the new album The Process of the Pardon here.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: Expositional Listening for Church Members

2008-08-12T14:00:00-05:00

What is “expositional listening”?

The following is an excerpt from Thabiti Anyabwile’s new book “What Is a Healthy Church Member?”, the latest in a series of books from 9Marks. We love the book, its author, and its message. Here’s a taste of why.

[This excerpt is from Chapter 1 of “What Is a Healthy Church Member?” which is available here.]

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What is expositional listening? Before answering that question, we need to define “expositional preaching.” The first and most important mark of a healthy church is expositional preaching. “Expositional preaching is not simply producing a verbal commentary on some passage of Scripture. Rather, expositional preaching is that reaching which takes for the main point of a sermon the point of a particular passage of Scripture.”1 If churches are to be healthy, then pastors and teachers must be committed to discovering the meaning of Scripture and allowing that meaning to drive the agenda with their congregations.

There is an important corollary for every member of a local church. Just as the pastor’s preaching agenda should be determined by the meaning of Scripture, so too should the Christian’s listening agenda be driven by the meaning of Scripture. When we listen to the preaching of the Word, we should not listen primarily for “practical how-to advice,”
though Scripture teaches us much about everyday matters. Nor should we listen for messages that bolster our self-esteem or that rouse us to political and social causes. Rather, as mem- bers of Christian churches we should listen primarily for the voice and message of God as revealed in his Word. We should listen to hear what he has written, in his omniscient love, for his glory and for our blessing.

So what exactly do I mean by “expositional listening”? Expositional listening is listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians.

What Are the Benefits of Expositional Listening?
Expositional listening benefits us, first, by cultivating a hunger for God’s Word. As we tune our ears to the kind of preaching that makes the primary point of the sermon the primary point of a particular passage of Scripture, we grow accustomed to listening to God. We become fluent in the language of Zion and conversant with its themes. His Word, his voice, becomes sweet to us (Ps. 119:103–4); and as it does, we are better able to push to the background the many voices that rival God’s voice for control over our lives. Expositional listening gives us a clear ear with which to hear God.

The second benefit follows from the first. Expositional listening helps us to focus on God’s will and to follow him. Our agenda becomes secondary. The preacher’s agenda becomes secondary. God’s agenda for his people takes center stage, reorders our priorities, and directs us in the course that most honors him. The Lord himself proclaimed, “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). Listening to the voice of Jesus as it is heard in his Word is critical to following him.

Third, expositional listening protects the gospel and our lives from corruption. The Scripture tells us “the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3–4). The failure to listen expositionally has disastrous effects. False teachers enter the church and hinder the gospel. Ultimately, the truth is displaced by myths and falsehoods. Where members cultivate the habit of expositional listening they guard themselves against “itching ears” and protect the gospel from corruption.

The fourth benefit, then, is that expositional listening encourages faithful pastors. Those men who serve faithfully in the ministry of the Word are worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17). Few things are more discouraging or dishonoring to such men than a congregation inattentive to the Word of God. Faithful men flourish at the fertile reception of the preached Word. They’re made all the more bold when their people give ear to the Lord’s voice and give evidence of being shaped by it. As church members, we can care for our pastors and teachers and help to prevent unnecessary discouragement and fatigue by cultivating the habit of expositional listening.

Fifth, expositional listening benefits the gathered congregation. Repeatedly, the New Testament writers exhort local churches to be unified—to be of one mind. Paul writes to one local church, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there may be no divisions among you, but that you may be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10; see also Rom. 12:16; 2 Cor. 13:11; 1 Pet. 3:8). As we gather together in our local churches and give ourselves to hearing the voice of God through his preached Word, we’re shaped into one body. We are united in understanding and purpose. And that unity testifies to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ (John 17:21). But if we listen with our own interests and agendas in mind, if we develop “private interpretations” and idiosyncratic views, we risk shattering that unity, provoking disputes over doubtful matters, and weakening our corporate gospel witness.

How Can Church Members Cultivate the Habit of Expositional Listening?
Well, if expositional listening is so vital to the health of individual church members and the church as a whole, how does a person form such a habit? At least six practical ideas can foster more attentive listening to God’s word.

1) Meditate on the Sermon Passage During Your Quiet Time
Several days before the sermon is preached, ask the pastor what passage of Scripture he plans to preach the following Sunday. Encourage him by letting him know that you’ll be praying for his preparation and preparing to listen to the sermon. Outline the text in your own daily devotions and use it to inform your prayer life. Learning to outline Scripture is a wonderful way of digging out and exposing the meaning of a passage. You can then use your outline as a listening aid; compare it to the preacher’s outline for new insights you missed in your own study.

2) invest in a Good Set of Commentaries
Add to your quiet times some of the greatest minds in Christian history. Study the Bible with John Calvin or Martin Lloyd-Jones by purchasing commentaries on books of the Bible as you read and study through them. If your pastor is preaching through John’s Gospel, pick up D. A. Carson’s or James Montgomery Boice’s commentary on John. Let these scholars and pastors help you hear God’s Word with a clear ear and discover its rich meaning. The Bible Speaks Today commentary series is an excellent starting place for those wanting to build a library of good commentaries. Also, you might want to purchase an Old Testament and New Testament commentary survey to
help you sort through the range of commentary options available. Tremper Longman’s Old Testament Commentary Survey and D. A. Carson’s New Testament Commentary Survey are excellent resources.

3) Talk and Pray With Friends About the Sermon After Church
Instead of rushing off after the service is over, or talking about the latest news, develop the habit of talking about the sermon with people after church. Start spiritual conversations by asking, “How did the Scripture challenge or speak to you today?” Or, “What about God’s character most surprised or encouraged you?” Encourage others by sharing things you learned about God and his Word during the sermon. Make particular note of how your thinking has changed because of the meaning of Scripture itself. And pray with others that God would keep the congregation from becoming “dull of hearing” and that he would bless the congregation with an increasingly strong desire for the “solid food” of his Word (Isa. 6:9–10; Heb. 5:11–14).

4) Listen to and Act on the Sermon Throughout The Week
We can cultivate the habit of expositional listening by listening to the sermon throughout the week and then acting upon it. Don’t let the Sunday sermon become a one-time event that fades from memory as soon as it is over (James 1:22–25). Choose one or two particular applications from the Scripture and prayerfully put them into practice over the coming week. If your church has an audio ministry or a website that posts recent summaries, take advantage of these opportunities to feed your soul with the click of a mouse. With your pastor’s support, establish small groups that review and apply the sermons. Or, use the sermons and your notes as a resource in one-on-one discipleship relationships. I know of several families that have a regular sermon-review time as their Sunday evening family devotional. There are a hundred ways to keep the sermon alive in your spiritual life by reviewing God’s Word throughout the week. Be creative. It’s well worth the planning.

5) Develop the Habit of Addressing any Questions About the Text Itself
Jonathan Edwards resolved that he would never let a day end before he had answered any questions that troubled him or sprang to mind while he was studying the Scripture.2 How healthy would our churches be if members dedicated themselves to studying the Scripture with that kind of intentional effort and resolve? One way to begin is to follow up with your pastor, elders, or other teachers in the church about questions triggered by the text. Moreover, don’t be passive in your private study; seek answers by searching the Scripture yourself and by talking with accountability partners or small groups. But don’t forget that the pastor has likely spent more time than most in thinking about that passage and is there to feed you God’s Word. Follow up the sermon with questions and comments that would be an encouragement to your pastor and a blessing to your soul.

6) Cultivate Humility
As you dig into God’s Word, listening for his voice, you will no doubt begin to grow and discover many wonderful treasures. But as you grow, do not become a “professional sermon listener” who is always hearing but never learning. Beware of false knowledge that “puffs up” (1 Cor. 1:8; Col. 2:18) and tends to cause strife and dissension. Mortify any tendencies toward pride, the condemnation of others, and critical nit-picking. Instead, seek to meet Jesus each time you come to the Scripture; gather from the Word fuel for all-of-life worship. Instead of exalting ourselves, let us remember the apostle Peter’s words: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that
he may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6).

Conclusion
It is hearing the message and the Word of God that leads to saving faith (Rom.10:17). Church members are healthy when they give themselves to hearing this message as a regular discipline. Expositional listening promotes such health for individual members and entire churches.

For Further Reflection
1. How would you rate your ability to listen for the meaning of the Word during private devotions? During sermons?
2. How do you plan to strengthen your listening ability?

_________

This excerpt is from Chapter 1 of “What Is a Healthy Church Member?” which is available here.

Thabiti Anyabwile is senior pastor of Thabiti Anyabwile, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman, the author of several books, and a regular blogger at Pure Church.

_________

The Important Legal Info
What Is a Healthy Church Member?
Copyright © 2008 by Thabiti M. Anyabwile
Published by Crossway Books
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.
Cover design: Josh Dennis
Cover illustration: iStock
First printing 2008
Printed in the United States of America
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Mobipocket ISBN 978-1-4335-0457-0
PDF ISBN 978-1-4335-0456-3

Posted by Thabiti Anyabwile

Blog: Privatized Faith. Computerized Church.

2008-08-12T13:00:00-05:00

Isn’t even the idea of church membership outdated? Why would anyone join a church in an age of online sermons and Christian conferences?

Thabiti Anyabwile’s latest book What Is a Healthy Church Member? answers questions like these. Helpful for the uncommitted, the marginally committed, and the at-church-every-day member, the book lays out what it means to be a healthy member of a local church body.

We talked to Thabiti about the book and some of its themes. Here’s part one of the interview.

[Read an excerpt. Download a chapter.]
______

What was your burden in writing this book?

I wanted to do a couple of things. I wanted to see some of the excellent 9Marks material written for pastors developed for the average person in the pew. As the Lord granted me opportunity to labor with the 9Marks team, I increasingly felt that pastors would be helped in strengthening their local churches if their members had a similar framework suitable for their part in the life of a local church. In other words, every Christian I know wants to be in a great local church, but not many average Christians have a concrete sense of what that means or what part they should play in making their local church family a great family. So, I wanted to contribute something useful for those Christian brothers and sisters.

That goal also means that Christians need to be encouraged to see their individual spiritual lives as essentially and meaningfully connected with the spiritual life of their churches. Most Christians have what one author calls a “devotional theology” that fails to see the relevance of the local church. But the New Testament places greatest emphasis not on our private, personal lives but on our public, corporate lives. God’s plan for disciplining His people is the local church. So I wanted the book to hopefully help people make the shift from a privatized faith to a more corporate faith, benefiting from the love, grace, mercy, and comfort of God through the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-17; 1 Peter 4:10-11; 1 John 3-4).

How did you personally come to a conviction of the importance and priority of the local church?

Three factors really settled that conviction for me: the Bible, good Christian books, and a living example.

Like a lot of people, I had grown pretty rapidly as a new Christian and then began to languish in a church that did not make the corporate life a priority. I knew there was more to Christianity when I read my Bible, but I didn’t see many churches that seemed to live it out all that well.

Around that time, still as a pretty new Christian, I read a couple of books edited by John Armstrong, The Coming Evangelical Crisis and The Compromised Church. It was a special act of God’s grace that I read those books so early on in my Christian walk because they gave me a very high view of the local church and the importance of faithful congregational living. One of the author’s contributing to those volumes was Mark Dever. I didn’t know him from Adam, but several years later the Lord led my wife and I to Capitol Hill Baptist Church where Mark serves as senior pastor.

At Capitol Hill Baptist, the Lord in flesh and blood demonstrated to me the joy of a vibrant church family. When the Lord brought me to Capitol Hill Baptist--which was not a perfect church by any means--I saw more of church-centered, joyful community, vibrant faith than anywhere else I’d been. So, I was convinced from Scripture, some important early books, and the example of a healthy congregation that makes its life together a priority.

What would you say to a twentysomething who is convinced that her routine of watching online sermons and occasionally attending area church bible studies is her “church”?

There is a lot that could and should be said only after talking with her and listening to her story about how and why she came to sit before that computer screen. I would want to respond differently depending on whether the young woman was hurt by a previous church, or whether she sinfully acts as though she doesn’t need other Christians. I’d want to discern whether
the issue is weakness or wickedness, and then respond hopefully gently and appropriately (Gal. 6:1-5).

But in general, the person who thinks the computer screen is their “church” is missing out on the rich wonders and glories of Christ which are specifically contained in His body. For example, 1 John 4:17 tells us that the love of God is “perfected with us” (ESV) or “completed among us” (NIV) in the body of Christ. Peter says that in the body as our gifts are used the “various administrations of God’s grace” take place (1Peter 4:11). In the body of Christ, the sufferings and the comforts of Christ overflow into our lives (2 Cor. 1:5). There is mutual rejoicing and suffering (1 Cor. 12:26). Maturity and growth occur inside the body of Christ--and that’s as God designed it (Eph. 4:11-16). The full range of Christian experience is
found inside the living, breathing body of Christ, the local church. The Christian who neglects the church, neglects a deep, rich immersion into the fullness of Christ.

Also, I’d want to say that the person before the computer screen may by their refusal to join a local church be saying to God, “You don’t know what you’re doing.” That’s really one of the attitudes Paul addresses in 1 Cor. 12:12-27. That attitude takes two forms: “I’m not necessary to the body” and “I don’t need others”. And in both cases, the apostle makes it clear that the church is God’s intentional work and every member is absolutely essential to it. Each member of the Godhead has a part in making the body of Christ what it is. The Spirit baptizes each member into the body (1 Cor. 12:13). Christ incorporates each member into His body (v. 12). And the Father “arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (v. 18). The church is a wondrously Trinitarian creation of God, and to refuse membership in it is to oppose the plans and purposes of God for our spiritual lives.

What would you say to someone who sees where their local church is weak and needs to change and is frustrated that it’s not changing fast enough?

What mark or marks do you think the rising generation needs to grow in most?

If they’re like me, they can benefit from growth in them all. But if I were narrowing to a couple, certainly expositional listening would be critical. Unless we learn to listen to God carefully, we won’t know Him well and we won’t serve Him well. Listening to the word shapes our lives. And that’s what we want--to have the mind of Christ and to live for Him.

Also, we want to be faithful with the gospel--both in spreading it and applying it. So, every generation needs to have a thoroughly biblical understanding of the Good News. Without it, the church is lost in a sea of false gospels and philosophies that can not save.

______

Read an excerpt from the book here (or download the excerpt here). Get the book.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: New Voice: The Process of the Pardon

2008-08-11T20:09:00-05:00

Curtis Allen, aka “Voice”, has just released a new album that’s theologically deeper, lyrically smarter, and musically sweeter and we think you should check it out.

The Process of the Pardon is Voice’s third release and grew out of his experience as a student at the Sovereign Grace Pastors College. “On this album I wanted to have a clear theme and be much more theological”, says Voice. “I felt like on the first two projects I held back some lyrically, and theologically I wasn’t as prepared, but having gone through the Pastor’s College, I felt like I could add more depth.” The album contains songs built around the theme of humanity’s trial and God’s pardon--especially meaningful for Voice, who before becoming a Christian was involved in lifestyle of guns and drugs. “I’d say the first half of the album is more complicated lyrically and theologically and the second half is more what people are used to from Voice,” says Curt.

Here are seven reasons why we at Na like the album:

1) It’s humble orthodoxy rapped: same truth, new sound.
2) Curt interviews two of our favorite theologians: Wayne Grudem and Ligon Duncan (who we hear is a part-time rapper himself)
3) The beats are better. Curt’s raps are better.
4) The first half of the album is a mini concept album with humanity on trial and we’re suckers for concept albums. Or rap operas. Or whatever this is.
5) Fellow artists Evangel and Israel Felix make appearances on the album. So does Devon Kauflin--the guy who heads up the Na Band.
6) The album’s packed with no less than 20 sweet tracks. And its $10. (Hey, it matters when you’re a college student buying Ramen Noodles.)
7) You’ll learn about theological concepts like “Imago Dei” and “Visible Words” without realizing it (or feeling like Voice is compromising his music to get them in).

So check it out:
_Watch a video interview with Curt on the album.
_Buy the album or listen to song samples at the Sovereign Grace Store.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: Al Mohler Q&A Videos

2008-08-08T15:16:00-05:00

Al Mohler is now available in bite-sized pieces. We’ve just posted individual videos for each of the questions Al Mohler answered at Na 2008.

SEE THE VIDEOS

We’ve also listed (generally) what each video covers in case you’re looking for help with a specific topic (ex: Bible vs. other “holy books”, postmodernism’s effects, art and culture).

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: When Theologians Disagree

2008-07-30T19:13:00-05:00

What if two theologians I respect disagree about Scripture’s meaning?

You asked Bible questions. You voted on your favorites. Now, we answer them.
_________

The answer to this is virtually the same as if the question had been, “What if two theologians I respect agree about Scripture’s meaning?” In either scenario, the proper response is to imitate the “noble Bereans” of Acts 17. These were Jews who listened to Paul and Silas proclaim God’s Word in their synagogue. We are told that “they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” In other words, they combined eager reception of teaching along with daily inspection to see if they were hearing was true.

The fact that godly theologians, whom we admire, disagree on certain issues is not something that we should receive as a threat to our confidence, but rather we should view it as an invitation to carefully and prayerfully think. Take time to ask questions about what you are hearing or readings: What are the claims being made? What are the arguments? What are the assumptions? What are the implications? What are the relevant Bible passages?

In 2 Timothy 2:7, Paul gives Timothy a command (“Think over what I say”), followed by a reason that is also a promise (“for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”). And James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom [if you have a pulse, then you fit in this category!], let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” So whether your favorite theologians agree or disagree, if you want to decide what you believe and to have wise understanding, then the biblical pattern is to ask, to think, and to believe. God will hear your prayer, bless your efforts, and give you help.

_________

The Author
Justin Taylor serves at Crossway Books in Wheaton, where he is the Study Bible project director and an associate publisher. Justin also blogs at Between Two Worlds, and contributes to the Reformation 21 blog. Justin and his wife Lea live in Chicagoland and have two children.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: The Church, The State, & The Christian

2008-07-28T19:51:00-05:00

Taxes. Civil disobedience. The use of force. War. The Church-State relationship.

Take a second look at what Scripture says about government in the often quoted and often misunderstood section of Romans 13:1-7

Rachmeil Frydland had become a believer in Jesus a few years before the beginning of World War II. For a young Polish Jew who had even studied to be a rabbi, this was a remarkable occurrence. Of course, there had been many significant events leading up to his conversion. Interactions with sincere Gentile Christians, especially those of the German Baptist Church in Warsaw, had helped persuade him of the truth of Christianity. The joy and fulfillment of his newfound faith revolutionized his life.

But with the outbreak of the war, everything changed. It had taken little time for the armored “blitzkrieg” of Nazi Germany to overrun Poland. What followed was a long and cruel occupation for the Polish people. But for those who were Jews, the coming horrors could hardly have been imagined. Not only was it now a crime to be a Jew, but the Nazis had made it a capital offense for anyone even to offer food or shelter to a Jew. For six years Frydland’s life became like that of a hunted animal. Amazingly, he managed to survive while all the Jews from his district, including his parents, sister and wife were exterminated. Reading his life story(*1) is a testimony to God’s providential grace and His ability to enable a man to overcome bitterness and resentment.

While the war was still raging, Frydland managed to get back to Warsaw and visit his pastor at the German Baptist Church. “He gave me food and then informed me that I was no longer a member of his church, as they had decided to transfer all the Jewish members to the Polish Church.”(*2) This had been done, Frydland was told, in order to comply with the governing authorities. He was then instructed to leave and sternly forbidden ever to return.

With the end of the war came an opportunity for reflection. In evaluating his experience, Frydland observed that Christians had been ill taught concerning their obligations to the state. He generously allows, “The pastor and members of the German Baptist Church were probably born-again Christians. However, their government made these laws and therefore, they reasoned, they must obey them. When they were ordered to expel all Hebrew-Christian members, they obeyed, thinking that they were fulfilling the Scriptures… This was not only true of the German Christians. I can still see in my mind the puzzled face of the deacon of the Polish Evangelical Christian Church as he said, ‘You come to me to help you, to give you food or shelter, but I will transgressing the laws of my country which I am commanded in the Word of God to obey.’ Upon this, he showed me the Scripture from ... Romans 13.1-7.” (*3)

Before we too quickly condemn such men, we ought to recognize the extremely trying circumstances they lived under. Frydland’s words are humble and sobering, “Only by the grace of God was I born a Jew, to be persecuted and not to have had the opportunity to persecute others. Who can know the heart of man, even my own heart? He that stands let him watch lest he falls. I have not written this to condemn but to warn others as well as myself.” (*4)

And his warning is not only to keep watch over our hearts. It is also a warning that we carefully consider the proper relationship of the church to the state. The sad performance of many evangelical Christians in Europe during World War II provides a vivid example of why this question is so important. It is not too much to say that in the history of western civilization there has not been a more crucial issue than the relationship of church to state.

By “state,” I am referring to the governing authorities, whether president or policeman, judge or legislator. Is is the state that wields political power, sometimes referred to as “the power of the sword.”

The state may appear in different forms. From the time that He ordained the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night (Genesis 1.16). God has delegated authority to what He has created.(*5) He remains sovereign, ruling over all, but at different points in human history He has delegated governmental responsibility to the heads of families (patriarchs like Abraham), to judges, kings, assemblies, etc. “They were created for specific and limited purposes by the Sovereign God. As long as they conform to those purposes, they are gifts and to be honored...They are useful servants.”(*6) But there are times when the state defies God. The church leaders Frydland encountered appealed to Romans 13.1-7 as the basis for obeying the Nazis. Where did these leaders go wrong? To answer this question, let’s look at some of the statements of Jesus and Paul.

Render to Caesar
Jesus’ perspective on the state might be summed up by his famous words, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and to God those things are God’s.”(*7) The Christian must render to the state what is needed for its existence, but he may not give the state anything that belongs to God--worship, for instance. There came a time in the early history of the church when the Roman emperor demanded worship from all, including Christians. Many refused at the cost of the their lives. Jesus, too, would have resisted this, just as He did Satan’s temptation to bow down to him in the wilderness.(*8). Such resistance is also consistent with the examples of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.(*9) In other words, totalitarianism is a positive evil. The 20th Century has witnessed examples of this on the political right (Nazism in Germany) and the left (Communism in the former Soviet Union). Whatever the state or its representative demands what is God’s, it ought to be resisted. Jesus doesn’t give a detailed definition of what rightfully belongs to the state, but Mark 12:13-17 indicates that money (taxes) at least is involved. Tax revolts are clearly wrong. (There is nothing wrong with working through the valid processes of government to lower taxes, however.)

When governing authorities demand that Christians disobey God in order to obey them, they have gone too far and must be resisted. What form may this resistance take? Jesus specifically refrained from the sue of force when it was in His power to use it at the critical point of His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide me with more than twelve legions of angels?”(*10) Later He said to Pilate, “If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight,...”(*11) If Jesus had wanted to support armed resistance against the Roman overlords, He could have given some indication that He agreed with the Zealots, a Jewish political party dedicated to the overthrow of Rome by any means. There is no evidence that He ever did so.

In Acts 4.18, when the apostles were commanded not to preach Christ, they resisted. But their focus was on obedience to God, no animosity toward authority. It could be said that they disobeyed submissively, with hands open and outstretched toward God in prayer, not with fists clenched in defiance of government.

Paul and the State
Throughout Jesus’ ministry, there is no indication that He was anything but a “good citizen” of the Empire. And when we come to Paul the evidence is similar. He held Roman citizenship and even appealed to it when it would be in the best interests of the church. He made no attempt to escape when he had the chance to do so (on more than one occasion). He used his opportunities before the governmental leaders, whether Jewish or Roman, to witness to the kingdom of God and win the souls of men. When unjustly accused by the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem, he used his right as a Roman citizen to appeal to Caesar.

Do such facts point to a servile Paul, who would encourage unqualified submission to rulers and authorities? This is what some have thought based on a surface reading of Romans13.1-7. This is certainly what collaborationist theologians taught and urged during the dark days of World War II.

Different Roles
Romans 13.1-7 is the most significant passage in the New Testament on civil government. Just before this passage, in Chapter 12, believers are urged to live lives of love toward other Christians and toward those outside the church, even enemies who cause harm. In such situations the Christian is expected to shun vengeance and return kindness for evil. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12.21). Note the contrast between this and Romans 13.4 “He [the governing authority] is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

Paul wanted the Christians at Rome to understand that the state may have the same discernment of good and evil as the church, but their ways of responding to it are totally different. The church is mainly concerned with mercy. Her role is to act as God’s ambassador of reconciliation through the gospel, to overcome evil with good. But the state is mainly concerned with justice and the punishment of wrongdoers. The church needs to see such activity as the state’s legitimate function. So church and state have different roles.

A Brief Analysis of Romans 13.1-7
Verse 1 - Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has been established by God.

Verse 2 - Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

Each person is to be subject to the governing authorities as they act within their proper jurisdiction. The reason given is that civil authority owes its existence to God, having been ordained by His providence. Because of this, opposing the authority is tantamount to opposing God, and those who do so actively bring judgment on themselves.

It is well to stop here and remind ourselves that Paul would have been familiar with the Scriptural accounts noted above in Daniel and would not sanction unqualified obedience. He is simply not here dealing with every situation. If he was facing a predicament similar to Daniel, we can safely assume Paul would have disobeyed - but in a submissive manner. Paul is not giving us a complete treatise on the respective rights of church and state. This sort of failure to compare Scripture with Scripture has been the cause of many errors. If the leaders Frydland encountered had realized this, his story would have been quite different.

Verse 3 - For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from the fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

“Paul refutes the exclusively negative attitude toward civil authorities as if they were always intent on doing evil, as if one should be afraid of them.”(*12) In many societies there is often a negative attitude towards authority. This should not be the case for the Christian.

Verse 4 - For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Here, the reason Paul gives for obedience is that the authority is actually God’s servant, but in quite a different way than we are normally accustomed to think of God’s servants. He is an agent of God’s wrath bringing retributive judgment on evildoers. To fulfill this service/ministry, he is given a sword which is more than a symbol of authority. The state has coercive power and the authority to use it.

The wrongdoer is told to fear. Such fear is intended to restrain evil. And this leads us to the key blessing for the church in civil authority. It is an important aspect of God’s common grace. To the extent that civil government restrains evil, it serves God’s purpose and aids the progress of the gospel.

Verse 5 - Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment also because of conscience.

Here, Paul, adds to the motive for obedience. Not only is the fear of punishment to influence our willing subjection to civil authority in its proper sphere, but our conscience before God is also given as a reason. This tells us that our attitude toward civil government has an effect on our relationship to God!

Verse 6 - This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Verse 7 - Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Paying taxes has biblical warrant. Not to do so is to go against conscience, the nearest antecedent to “this” in verse 6. In verse 7, Paul generalizes to include other obligations different from money. Adopting an adversarial posture toward civil authorities is likely to make matters worse. Anyone who has tried to argue about a traffic violation would agree with this. A respectful, cooperative attitude, even in the face of an officious expression of authority, usually produces positive results. But whether or not this happens, Paul tells us we owe this to authorities.

The Temporal and the Eternal
The state is God’s servant and is willed by God, but it is not of the same divine nature as the church. It is a temporal, not an eternal, institution, supremely concerned with this world. Its interests lie in the here and now, not the hereafter. The church, on the other hand, while certainly concerned with this world, deals also with ultimate issues taking her above and beyond this present world order. She is of an eternal order. Both church and state have been ordained by God. Both act as his servants in their proper spheres. But a time will come when the state will no longer be necessary.

The Christian’s basic stance should be one of submission to the state in its proper sphere. Ideally, the church and the state ought to have the same understanding of good and evil, but they will have different ways of dealing with it. Each is appropriate in its God-given sphere.(*13) The church is God’s agent of mercy, every Christian an ambassador declaring the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. The state is His agent of wrath, who does not bear the sword in vain. The state performs is most important function when it punishes evildoers. In this it acts to restrain the innate evil in man and preserve order in society. This is an expression of God’s common grace.

But the state is incompetent to deal in matters of faith and is out of its element when it attempts to dictate to the church how she ought to minister the grace of God. It would not have been easy for Rachmeil Frydland’s pastor to face down the Nazis over this issue. But it would have been the right thing to do.

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The Author
Robin Boisvert is a pastor at Covenant Life Church.
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You can download the article as a .pdf here.

*1. Rachmeil Frydland, Joy Cometh in the Morning. Kehilat Maschiach, P.O. 37062, Cincinnati, OH 45222.
*2. Ibid, p 38
*3. Ibid, p 45
*4. Ibid, p 46
*5. David Hall, Savior or Servant, Kuyper Institute, Oak Ridge, TN, 1996, p. 17.
*6. Ibid, p 38
*7. Mark 12.17
*8. Luke 4.7 ff
*9. Daniel 3, 6
*10. Matthew 26.53
*11. John 16.36
*12. William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary - Romans, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1981, p 434.
*13. Oscar Cullman, The State in the New Testament, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1956, pps. 50-70

Posted by Na

Articles: Prophetic Lit: Seeing Jesus

2008-07-21T23:39:00-05:00

Turns out that Jesus is a major Old Testament character. See ‘Jesus needs’ in passages that point out our need for a savior. See ‘Jesus types’ in passages that give us pictures of a future savior.

Americans don’t like old things (unless they are ‘vintage’ but that’s a different article). Old things are usually worn out and dusty and out of style.

But Old Testament should be different. It may be old, it may be less understood, but it was breathed out by God just as the New Testament was. With the principles I mentioned in the first article and the principles I mention here I want to help you dig into the Old Testament.

Last time I mentioned that Jesus was most important ‘interpretative consideration’ in understanding the Old Testament. This is not something I’m making up, it is something that Luke reported to us from a well known gospel scene with Jesus and a couple of disciples,

“And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:25-27 (ESV)

Jesus rebuked the two disciples bound for Emmaus precisely because they didn’t understand the Old Testament and couldn’t see the risen savior in its pages. As you walk with the Savior, can you see him in the prophets or are you ‘slow of heart’ too?

Dr. Bryan Chapell gives us some very helpful handles when he writes about the Bible:

“In its context, every passage possesses one or more of four redemptive foci. Every text is predictive of the work of Christ, preparatory for the work of Christ, reflective of the work of Christ, and/or resultant of the work of Christ.”

Jesus Needs
The Prophets then are either directly predicting Christ or preparing for the coming of Christ. Prediction is much easier to see. We don’t have to wonder much about Malachi’s (3:1) “Messenger” or Isaiah’s (7:14) “Immanuel” or Zechariah’s (9:9) “King.” The prophets are about more than straight prediction—much more. It is a mistake to read them without a basic grasp of the context. So how do the prophets prepare for the coming of Christ as they deliver prophetic oracles that seem to have nothing to do with the Savior?

That is a question quite a bit more complex and harder to tackle in a short article. The Prophet’s role was to call the people back to a faithful relationship with their loving God. The Messiah was to be the protypical responder and fulfiller—he both spoke for God and took the place for fallen humanity. So, when reading OT prophets you can ask questions like:

_How does this passage show mankind’s need for a substitute?
_In what ways did Jesus obey in his life that the original recipients did not?
_How would the promise of the coming Christ solve this problem?

Jesus Types
Another way to see Christ in Old Testament prophets is through typology. “Types” are people or symbols that foreshadow the future coming of Jesus Christ. Two important ‘types’ of Christ in the Old Testament Prophets are David and the temple. For example, when we see the presence of the Lord leaving the temple (and the nation) in Ezekiel we can ask the question: How is the work of Christ the answer here? We could say that because Christ has taken the place of the temple and now by his spirit takes up residence in our hearts we know that he will ‘never leave us or forsake us.’ Proceed with caution! Interpreting the prophets can be complex and will take a lifetime of study. Check your interpretations with good books, other Christians you respect and your pastors. Biblical interpretation is not meant to be a solo act.

So you read, you’ll find that the prophets speak to us even today. Properly interpreted you’ll find that their voices anticipate and point to God’s great prophet, Jesus Christ. Listen close enough and you’ll hear him in the prophets too.  
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This article is part two of a two part series on reading Prophetic Literature. Read part one.
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The Author
Rich Richardson is senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, Arizona.

Posted by Rich Richardson

Articles: Prophetic Lit: More Than Predictions

2008-07-07T05:43:00-05:00

Prophetic literature is more than just a bunch of predictions. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge about God’s character and how God’s people should act. Here are four simple things to keep in mind as you read. Dig in.

Obadiah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Names that strike fear into many Christian.

Questions swirl. Who in the world is that? How in the world can I understand a prophet if I can’t even pronounce his name?

Take a deep breath and remember that what Paul told his protégé right before he died:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

All Scripture—even the obscure not often quoted parts—is breathed out by God. Our job is to work at interpretation so that we can get close enough to the text that we can feel the breath of God in our hearts. How is that possible with Old Testament prophecy? Here are some things to think about when reading the Old Testament prophets:

First, understanding what the prophet is saying does take more work because he was writing during a long ago time, to a people you have never met about issues you may know nothing about. Comprehension is not impossible; in fact it is amazing how even a little bit of background knowledge aids in understanding. For example, take the books of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. In many ways they are very similar. They are contemporaries. They are both from priestly families. They even have a very similar message—both speak to Judah and Jerusalem—about impending doom and future hope. The key difference is where they prophesy from. Ezekiel is an exile in Babylon and Jeremiah is a citizen in Judah. Even just a smattering of background information will help you read the book better. So get a study Bible out or a resource like Dillard and Longman’s An Introduction to the Old Testament when you read prophetic literature.

Secondly, prophets were commissioned to deliver a message from God to others. Prophesying was serious business not something people took lightly as Moses tell us in Deuteronomy 18:20: “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” True prophets (and all those in scripture are true prophets) spoke the very words of God, because if they didn’t they risked being killed. They were specially commissioned spokesmen. Speaking for God was serious business. Many of the prophetic books tell the story of how God called the prophet (Jeremiah 1, Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 2) so that the people knew that this man was serving as God’s mouthpiece.

Thirdly, it might be helpful to change the way you think about the word ‘prophecy.’ Most of us can think of prophecy as purely predictive. While there is predictive element to Old Testament prophecy that is usually not the primary goal. In fact, as you read the prophets you will find they are often calling Israel (or Judah) to repent from their worship of false gods.

Lastly, interpretation will be most natural when you read the prophetic book in the most natural way. Don’t allegorize or over-spiritualize.

Keep those four principles in mind as you read prophetic literature. Though, there is one interpretive consideration that we must grasp to really understand the prophets. What do you think that is? It isn’t an ‘it’ at all, but a ‘he’, none other than Jesus Christ. Next time we will tackle a bit of prophecy and see what difference Jesus makes.

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This is part one of a two part article on understanding prophetic literature.

The Author
Rich Richardson is senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Gilbert, Arizona.

Posted by Rich Richardson

Articles: Wisdom Lit: Understanding Proverbs

2008-06-27T19:01:00-05:00

A whole unit or a loose collection of pithy phrases? Proverbs is a unique book and requires a unique approach. Read the whole thing is one sitting, ask the book questions, and look for common themes. Here’s how.
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“Often quoted and often misunderstood. “

That’s been my personal experience with the book of Proverbs. If you’re like me you’ve probably found a few, choice nuggets of wisdom that you have memorized and drop into conversations to make a point. How can you not love Proverbs 12:1? “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” Nothing like being able to call someone stupid and still be loving them! (Unfortunately, I’ve been on the receiving end of this proverb more than I’ve given it.)

Proverbs is an amazingly rich book that deserves our attention, our study, and our best efforts in understanding and applying. But how? How should we read it? Can it really be understood as a whole unit or is it simply a loose collection of pithy phrases? Does it have an organizing theme and if so what is it? All good questions for sure and ones that I’ve wrestled with over my Christian life. Thankfully these are questions that have answers. I hope what follows will assist you benefit from the treasury of wisdom that Proverbs is.

Some suggestion for understanding and applying Proverbs:

Read the whole book through in one sitting.
Proverbs will never seem more than a loose collection of wisdom phrases if you always read it that way. Dipping into one proverb here and another one there will guarantee that you miss the overall theme that is emphasized loudly throughout the book. It isn’t just a book of proverbs…it’s the Book of Proverbs. It’s inspired, it’s authoritative and it’s given to us by God to accomplish a particular purpose. We should know that purpose so we can more fully benefit from the book. So read it like a book. Do it more than once and what will begin to emerge for you is the overall theme of the book: obtaining wisdom so we can know how to live in the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).

Ask questions of the text to help you grasp it’s meaning.
A proverb is defined in basic terms as, “a short, memorable statement which crystallizes reality and exposes illusion that then compels the hearer to choose reality.” A proverb is meant to provoke thinking on your part, to get under your skin in a way that confronts your thinking, your understanding of reality, of what is good, wise, foolish, or evil. Asking questions of a particular section of proverbs will help you discern what the author is trying to provoke you to think about or see.

Let’s look a specific proverb to see what I’m talking about: “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” (Proverbs 18:1)

1. Is there action or thinking that is expressed positively or negatively in this proverb?

It would appear that the person in this proverb is removing himself from his community for selfish reasons. He has a personal and self-focused desire that has led him to separate himself from the blessing and the wisdom of his community. He has become an isolated loner in order to seek out his own desires.

2. Are there any consequences that can be discerned in this proverb?

This man, due to his selfishness, finds himself in a position of rejecting or “breaking out” from sound judgment or wisdom. He is in the position of a rebel now who opposes the wisdom of his community for selfish reasons.

3. What are the dangers I’m being warned about?

The danger or warning in this text would seem to be the rejection of wisdom. Inherent in this rebellion against wisdom is that we become fools who are deceived into believing we are wise. A wise man listens to counsel but a fool rejects it. (Proverbs 12:15).

4. Or conversely, what are the benefits held out in this proverb?

If we listen to the counsel our community provides we will possess wisdom and understanding and be protected from the deception of our own desires.

5. How does this proverb connect with the rest of the book?

Within this proverb we can see themes that are evident throughout the book. Humility, embracing instruction, community, the seeking out of wisdom, and the juxtaposition of the wise and the fool (study the context in Proverbs 18:1-21 to see this more clearly) is thread throughout this book. Making connections like this help you see the major thematic elements of the book which will, in turn, help you understand the message of Proverbs more clearly.

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This is part two of a two part series on reading and understanding wisdom literature. Read part one.

The Author
Isaac Hydoski is a pastor in the singles ministry at Covenant Life Church.

Posted by Isaac Hydoski

Articles: Wisdom Lit: Godliness in Work Clothes

2008-06-25T06:00:00-05:00

Wisdom literature (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job) doesn’t so much tell us what to do as it teaches us how to do it. It’s putting godliness into work clothes. Simply put: It makes us think--to think hard about our lives in light of the wisdom contained in this book. Three simple questions to help you dig into wisdom lit.
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“Putting godliness into work clothes” is an apt description of wisdom literature, as it doesn’t so much tell us what to do but rather teaches us how to do it.

Wisdom literature in the Bible (commonly accepted as Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and a handful of Psalms) is intended to teach us how to live in a manner that reflects our trust in & fear of God. It is immensely practical for the believer as it helps us think, believe, and behave in a way that helps us please God while navigating tough issues in our lives along the way. It gives us a roadmap to discern wisdom from folly and as a result helps us understand the will of God in the practicalities of life. As we think about and then apply the wisdom contained in these books we are learning to fear the Lord and to live righteously in this life.

Proverbs, in particular, is a book that puts us to work. It makes us think hard about our life and teaches us discernment, understanding, and gives insight into our natures and how God calls us to live. Proverbs cuts against the grain of our lazy, modern sensibilities where we resist the hard work of discerning the will of God in our lives.

Often we prefer the law, or more didactic portions of Scripture which gives us clear “dos or don’ts.” But those parts of Scripture don’t provide all the help we need with less clear-cut issues like:

_whether to take that job
_whether to pursue that relationship
_how we should think about correction from others
_what kind of friends we should have.

Proverbs doesn’t tell us what to do; it gives us insight about the nature of wisdom, the will of God, the nature of sin, and folly’s consequences. Simply put: Proverbs makes us think. To think hard about our lives in light of the wisdom contained in this book.

So, if you’re like me you’re probably wondering, “Where do I begin in studying and learning from this wisdom?” I’ve found considering three basic questions helps me to begin to plumb the depths of the wisdom of God in Proverbs.

1) What is wisdom?
Proverbs tells us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10). The “fear of the Lord” is a multi-faceted idea that involves holding God in the deepest reverence, a sincere worship of God and love of God for who He is in, and a fear of the awesome and majestic holiness of God. Wisdom obtained and lived out then helps us “do” the fear of the Lord. True wisdom always has God in view and thus helps us to know the truth about God, us, sin, the world and then act on it in ways that accord with the will of God. At the risk of oversimplification, wisdom helps us know what is right and how do what is right.

2) Where does wisdom come from?
True wisdom comes from God. Proverbs 2:6 says: “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” This is not the “wisdom” that we can fool ourselves into thinking is wise (Proverbs 3:7) but it is wisdom that comes to us as a revelation from God that teaches us to turn away from evil. The wisdom of God is eternal, unchanging, and brings great rewards to those who pursue it (Proverbs 3:1-18).

The wisdom of God as revelation finds its ultimate fulfillment in our Savior Jesus Christ. We are told that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ” (Colossians 2:3) and that “God has made Christ Jesus our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1Corinthians 1:30). Jesus is the ultimate revelation of the wisdom of God whom God has sent into the world a revelation of His eternal will to redeem sinners and glorify His name. To seek the treasures of wisdom then is to seek the risen Christ who, in the wisdom of God, was crucified for our sins.

3) How do I get wisdom?
Proverbs gives us two simple directions to finding wisdom: turning away from evil and then be devoted to seeking wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 & 8:13 seen together tells us the fear of the Lord is wisdom and turning away from evil. This would include a clear, systematic rejection of all behaviors contrary to the clear will of God but also a rejection of the evil of “being wise in our own eyes” (Proverbs 3:7). If you want wisdom from God you must turn away from evil and false wisdom that keeps us from trusting in and living for God.

Secondly, wisdom is obtained by seeking it! I love the simplicity of Proverbs 4:7: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” Do you want wisdom? Then go seek it! Whatever you do go get wisdom by seeking earnestly with the kind of devotion we display when we are desparate for it. Wisdom isn’t for the fool or for those who are wise in their own eyes. Wisdom is for those who seek wisdom from God, ask for it (James 1:5), fear God and turn away from evil. Proverbs 7:4 encourages us to make wisdom our close friend. If we do this we will find the wisdom of God to help us navigate life and live for God.

We’ll look at how to read individual proverbs later this week.
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This is part one of a two part series on understanding wisdom literature. Read part two.

The Author
Isaac Hydoski is a pastor in the singles ministry at Covenant Life Church.

Posted by Isaac Hydoski

Blog: Bibles & Wells in Uganda Update

2008-06-24T15:50:01-05:00

This year at Na we gave all the shirt profits to build wells in Uganda and then sold $10 bookmarks and gave the profits to send Bible to Uganda. Your response was amazing. We raised $3,000 to build wells in Uganda and, get this, $19,000 to send Bibles to Uganda.

Doug Hayes leads the ministry, Covenant Mercies, that will be building the wells and getting the Bibles to Uganda. We asked him to give you a better idea of what these funds will mean to the people receiving clean water and Bibles.

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As I was thinking about well-drilling recently (what, doesn’t everyone?), I was reminded of Jesus’ conversation with a Samaritan woman who came to draw water from a well where he was resting (John 4). As they talked about their need for water, Jesus correlated this physical thirst with a spiritual thirst that was not so apparent to her on the surface: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

In the world where we live, our acute spiritual need is frequently veiled and overshadowed by our more obvious physical needs and material desires. Even those of us who passionately proclaim that our greatest need is for God must come to grips with the fact that we live in a material world, with material needs that demand attention. If faced with the decision to buy food for our families or buy a Bible, most of us would buy the food. This isn’t necessarily because we consider spiritual food less important, but simply because our need for physical food is more apparent and seemingly more urgent.

This is the situation in which many of our brothers and sisters in the developing world find themselves. Many Christian households are without a Bible, simply because of the intense struggle to provide for physical needs that cry out for attention with the loudest voice.

When I learned that the New Attitude conference had raised over $3,000 for well-drilling projects and over $19,000 for Bibles, I was overjoyed at the generosity of folks who lined up to buy T-shirts and bookmarks as if they were vying for the hottest concert ticket in town. What a joy it will be for Covenant Mercies to present Bibles to Christian households (and to churches for use in outreach) in Uganda on behalf of Na, even as we continue to meet material needs in the name of Jesus. As we provide water to meet intense physical needs, we will also provide living water – the words of life – to minister to the soul as well as the body.

Covenant Mercies has launched a new program this year in a little rural town called Kiburara, in Uganda. Kiburara has no working water wells. Thousands of people living in this area flock to a murky spring as their only available water source (see photo to right). While their thirst requires them to partake, their use of this water puts them in grave danger. With every mouthful they are exposed to countless contaminants and waterborne diseases that could be present at any time. Thanks to funds raised by the Singles Community at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, we are planning to drill three clean water wells for this community in July. The funds raised at the Na conference will help us continue to meet similar needs in other communities we’re working in.

In meeting the need for safe, clean water, we gain a unique opportunity to speak of the living water found only in Christ. This is the primary reason that Covenant Mercies always collaborates with indigenous local churches in the communities where we work. As physical needs are met, our indigenous partners on the ground have an occasion to address spiritual needs as well – an occasion made all the more compelling by the fact that physical suffering is alleviated and no longer perceived as the most urgent problem. And since God is the source of all our provision, each blessing is an opportunity to magnify his mercy and kindness, and make a connection to his mercy in the cross. The same One who gives us bread is Himself the bread of life. The same One who gives us water is Himself the source of living water, from which we can drink and never thirst again.

When Jesus fed the four thousand (Matt. 15), Scripture tells us he had compassion on the crowd because they’d been with him for three days and had nothing to eat. He was unwilling to let them go away hungry, and he met their physical need. When he fed the five thousand (Mark 6), we’re told that Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were “like sheep without a shepherd” – they were spiritually lost – so he taught them many things. In both cases, it’s the physical and the spiritual need of the people that evokes the compassion of Christ. And in both cases, he ministers to them on both levels.

I’m so grateful to the New Attitude leadership, and to everyone who bought a bookmark or T-shirt at the conference, for helping Covenant Mercies to follow Jesus in this regard. We are committed to meeting people “where they live,” addressing their needs in the material world in which God has placed them. And though they may be more aware of their physical thirst, we will remind them that they have been created to thirst after God and worship him in spirit and in truth. We will drill them wells. But we will also give them living water, and pray that they will drink deeply and never thirst again.

-Doug Hayes

Posted by Eric Simmons

Blog: Check out Resolved 2008

2008-06-20T02:56:00-05:00

Last week two guys from our team--Scott Schefferstein and Matt Wahl--went to check out the Resolved conference in California. They loved it.

Scott says: “The Resolved team did an outstanding job orchestrating a great conference on Heaven and Hell. Both Matt and I received much truth and encouragement from the sessions & worship. We were blown away as the admin team blessed us in many ways and engagedus in lengthy dialogues about conferences.

“Specific highlights for us:
_Worship, led by ENFIELD (album available on iTunes)
_T-Shirts, lots of them
_Rick Holland figuring out what an iPod Touch is
_Hearing teaching and contemplating Heaven and Hell
_Swimming in a pool in 110 degree weather
_Seeing others work so hard to equip the next generation”

Resolved gets its name from 19 year old Jonathan Edward’s ”resolutions." This year the conference was on Heaven & Hell.

Here’s some of the great stuff from this year’s conference you should check out:

_mp3 messages from John Piper, John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn, Rick Holland, Steve Lawson, and C.J. Mahaney (look for them on the right side of the page)
_buy video messages (and get them in Quicktime and iPod ready .m4v format)
_photos and photos and more photos from each day of the conference
_Resolved Music’s first album ”O For That Day,” an indie rock album with new songs and new arrangements of some great hymns.

We know how much hard work goes into conferences so major props to the Resolved team over in California. Thanks for serving the Body of Christ guys.

Posted by Eric Simmons

Updates: Bible Questions? Vote. Get Answers.

2008-06-19T18:09:00-05:00

We asked for your questions about the Bible, sifted through the submissions to find the most common (or interesting), and now we’re giving you the final call.

~~VOTE NOW~~ SEE POLL RESULTS

The top five will get answered by three of our favorite guys: Justin Taylor, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Eric Simmons.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: Feeding on God

2008-06-16T12:00:00-05:00

One of the best resources I can recommend to people after Na to supplement what they learned is Mike Bullmore’s message “Feeding on God: Cultivating a Fruitful Life in the Word.” In the message Bullmore goes through four convictions we need to have about scripture, what our appropriate posture toward scripture should be, and gives some simple recommendations for spending time in God’s Word.

Here’s the mp3

Here’s the outline

In the message Bulltmore says, “God’s Word is powerful in our lives. It’s a very active thing...It’s designed to get stuff done.”

Let’s allow God’s Word to get stuff done in our lives.

Posted by Eric Simmons

Articles: Three Guys and a Bible

2008-06-12T12:00:00-05:00

Our interview on how to read the Bible well continues with pastors Isaac Hydoski, Jon Smith, and Joseph Stigora. Our editor, Ricky Alcantar, does the question asking.

In this interview you’ll find helpful information (and completely random comments) like:
_How to read the Bible if you’re new to the Bible
_How to read the Bible if it seems boring or lifeless
_How to read the Bible if you want to tackle the Old Testament
_Household mildew
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Ricky: Okay now I want to throw some scenarios out for you guys to talk about. What would you counsel a new believer to do as they start a daily time of reading the Bible?

Joseph: There’s a lot of good plans and sometimes just finding something like an initial 30-day plan or devotional can be helpful--something like Piper’s “Pierced by the Word” or “Life as a Vapor.”

I’d also recommend you start with one of the gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John--and just start in on that, learning about Jesus. I like what Dever said in his message on the authority of Scripture: “Don’t start with the Old Testament. Open the gospels, read the gospels and determine if what they say is true and they’ll bring proof of the rest of Scripture into focus. So learning about Christ and the gospel is a great place to start.

Ricky: Any specifics new believers should keep in mind?

Joseph: I think they can employ a lot of what we did in community groups [get the devotional sheets for Sunday morning and Monday morning]. As far as meditating on God’s word it can be as simple as reading through a short passage, thinking through those verses, and asking those three questions: 1) What does this teach us about God? 2) What does it teach us about his Word? 3) How do i apply this to my life?

Isaac: Can I share what was helpful for me as a new believer? When I got saved I was coming from a background where I’d never picked up a Bible in my life and literally knew nothing about it. Everything was like a foreign language to me. So someone suggested picking out one of the shorter epistles in the New Testament and just reading that over and over again. They directed me to Ephesians and I think I spent the first six months of my Christian life reading only Ephesians.

During that time I can still remember opening the Bible up and feeling completely overwhelmed and just being really discouraged by all that I didn’t understand. But over those months I gradually began to learn Ephesians, and God just really met me in that book. There was a lot that I didn’t understand but at least I understood that one book as I read it, re-read it, and began to ask questions of older, mature believers. That just really served me initially as a new believer.

Ricky: Okay, different scenario. What would you say to someone who has been a believer for some time but is cold in their affections for God and the Bible appears boring to them?

Jon: I would counsel them to listen to Eric’s message again. I’d make sure they listen to it at least one more time because I think he addresses that very specifically.

At one point Dever referenced Hebrews where it says that the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart [Heb. 4:12]. Dever said that it doesn’t matter what you feel when you read the Bible. Whether you come away with a spiritual high or whether you come away and feel like nothing happened doesn’t ultimately matter. Something happened when you read. That word penetrated your heart. You may not see the fruit in that moment but you’ll experience it in the future.

Then I would just encourage new believers to read the gospels--and start with John. When you read the life of Jesus you’re immediately confronted with how absolutely unique he is. His life was amazing. He is the image of the invisible. You’re confronted with greatness every day as you read.

And the last thing I would say is to read books and listen to sermons by guys who are absolutely dominated by a vision of how awesome God is and how crucial his word is. C.J. is a great guy to listen to. Piper is a great guy to listen to. These men know God in a very deep way and they have an insight into the greatness and the riches of God that you can learn from. When I listen to them there’s just something that happens in my heart that says, “I want to know God like they do and I want to have affections like they do.” So I would just go sit in front of those guys.

Joseph: When C.J. was talking about Psalm 42 he pointed out that the Psalmist is not dispassionate--he is thirsting for God--but he’s downcast. So people can find themselves there, where they want it but they’re not feeling it or experiencing it. So his reminder of repetition and calling our souls to remember the truth of God repeatedly is very helpful.

I was talking to a guy in my ministry earlier today about Eric’s message. This guy said that it really struck him when Eric said that if you say the Bible is boring is essentially saying that Jesus is boring. He said that began to turn his heart. So there may be a point where you need to repent and where you need to confess to God that your heart is cold.

Isaac: Usually there’s a cycle where there’s a waning of affection for reading the word of God and as a result you stop reading the word of God and that just deepens your coldness toward the word of God. So simple direction is just to engage the word of God on a daily, consistent basis. I’m just thinking of verses like Romans 10 that say faith comes by hearing. So if they need affections you’ll find them as they read God’s Word.

And Psalm 19 says that the law of the Lord is perfect, it revives the soul, it rejoices the heart, it enlightens the eyes. If your hearts are cold, if your soul needs to be revived, what you need isn’t a plan as much as you need the word. God will speak through the word. So you need to be pressing through your cold affection for God’s word, trusting that he’s going to speak to you through it.

Joseph: Psalms is a great place to go too. There’s so much emotion in the Psalms that’s connected to truth and proclamations about God. So as they read, people can begin to see, “I know this about God and this is how I should respond. I know this about God and it affects the way I feel.”

Jon: Often I find that when I’m lacking faith for my devotions based on how I’ve experienced him--or how I haven’t experienced him--in the past. In times like this my faith is not based on who God is in and of himself. I forget God’s radical commitment to do me nothing but good, and his love for drawing near to me through his word. And I find that when my faith is on God himself I have much more of an expectation and anticipation to meet with God.

That’s where C.J.’s message can be so helpful. Talk to your soul: “What I’m about to experience right now as I read God’s word is not based on my experience first, it’s based on who God is.” Then remind yourself of who God is. He loves to meet with you. He loves to draw near to you. He loves to reveal himself through his word.

Ricky: So say someone come back from the conference convinced that God’s Word is amazing and that they need to read all of it....How would you guys counsel people to tackle the Old Testament?

[Silence.]

Ricky: Have you guys read the Old Testament?

Isaac: I’d personally start with the sections on dealing with household mildew.

Jon: Unbelievable. I’d start with Vaugh Roberts’ book “God’s Big Picture.” That book is outstanding. Really helpful. He creates this map as he walks you through scripture to help you find your way, looking at things from a big picture view. The way he does it makes it very easy to see Christ in the Old Testament. That big picture mindset is going to help you make sense of the Old Testament. So I’d start with that book.

Other than that, I’d just start with Genesis and go through it.

Joseph: Use Robert Murray McCheyne’s reading schedule, which D.A. Carson’s uses in his devotional “For the Love of God.”

Isaac: That’s what I use, it’s great.

Joseph: In Carson’s book he takes you day by day and he’ll comment on different passages. Last year when I read Job and Isaiah I just pulled down “For the Love of God” and I used that almost like a commentary. Dever’s book on the Old Testament is great to get an overview.

Isaac: I’d just echo what Jon said about starting in Genesis and in a grace-filled way decide to read through the Old Testament. There are vast portions of it--especially in the first five books--that only make sense chronologically. And if you can get in your mind where you are in the Old Testament, where that book is happening in the scope of redemptive history, it’s really helpful.

Something else simple to do is just getting a good study Bible and reading the introductory notes in the study bible for each book you read. It usually gives you some details about the author. It usually gives you in a sentence or two what the main message of the book is. Just keep those things in mind as you read it. When you get distracted or discouraged by the eighth reciting of the whole book of the law, remember what the purpose of the book is and why they’re reciting it again.

Joseph: One of the keys to the Old Testament is repitition. That’s one of the things I find helpful about reading the Old Testament. The first or second time you read the historys of the kings you’re mixing them up and you’re not sure what to focus on. But the more familiar you become with it and recognize what’s going on in Judah or Israel the more you’re able to see God’s hand at work. Just don’t get discouraged. And don’t get to the end of the Old Testament and think you’re done. Go back and read it again. Every time you’re going to get more out of it.
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Read the first half of the interview where the pastors discuss how to keep yourself from wasting your conference when you get back home.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: Don’t Waste Na 2008

2008-06-09T16:07:00-05:00

During New Attitude our editor, Ricky Alcantar, sat down with three singles pastors we like--Isaac Hydoski, Jon Smith, and Joseph Stigora--to talk about how to apply what we learned at the Na 08 conference.

In this interview they cover how to make powerful moments you experienced at a conference last, how to not be overwhelmed in application, and how to make weighty talks (like Mohler’s and Dever’s) count in real life.

Read this interview if you really meant to start applying stuff from the conference but...just haven’t had time. It’s never too late.

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Ricky: Okay, say you’re on a plane back home from the conference and you sit next to someone from your ministry. They tell you, “Man, I just heard a ton of messages at Na and I’m kind of overwhelmed. What do I do?” How would you counsel them?

Joseph: Wow, is this like a word problem?

Isaac: I’d just begin by acknowledging that a conference like this can feel like drinking from a firehose.That’s why that phrase from Powlison is so helpful: “One bit of truth to one bit of life.” So I’d just encourage them to ask God what one bit of life God is particularly putting his finger on and then to take one bit truth from of the messages, and in a clear, specific, consistent way apply that bit of truth to that bit of life.

Joseph: The benefit of that is that the way God grows us, the way sanctification works, is that when we do work in one area of our lives our work doesn’t just affect one area. If we work on growing in something like loving God’s word or meditating on God’s Word we’ll find that our progress in that one area begins to affect our whole character. We begin to grow in other aspects of godly character--loving kindness, patience, joy. So by changing one area it’s almost like you’re changing one corner of a triangle. By changing one thing it has a broad effect on the rest of your life.

Ricky: So Jon, what would be an example of what you would do with that principle coming back from this conference?

Jon: Something that C.J. has said in the past on numerous occasions is that we’re a simple people. In my heart I want to think that I’m better that I’m really am and can actually apply all the content from all the messages at the conference at once. But over time I’ve just found that when I come away from conferences and I keep in mind that I’m a simple person and approach application that way, I position myself in humility and for maximum growth.

So for me here’s what that would look like: During the conference I’m just trying to be as sensitive as I can to the Spirit of God and his movement on my life as I listen to all these messages. I know that God is going to speak to me and that he’s going to speak to me on a number of occasions and I just want to be sensitive to his voice. It might come through a sermon and it might come through worship. I’ve just had two incredible encounters with God through worship that literally just left me undone, I almost had to sit down I just couldn’t keep going. I felt his presence and felt like I heard him speaking to me. So I’m going to go away from the conference with that in my mind. But I’m also going to listen for where God might be speaking to me through the rest of the messages we hear. That’s the question I’m going to be asking when I leave the conference, “Where did I feel God’s finger press into my heart?” Then I’ll seek to grow in those specific areas I felt God speaking to me.

Ricky: That’s very helpful Jon. I hadn’t thought about the fact that when I come back from the conference I need to think about those moments that are already on my mind and remember why they were powerful and what I realized in those moments.

Joseph: Yeah, I’m thinking as I flip through my notebook here that if we all just took one quiet time a week for the next eight weeks and just reviewed the notes from one message it would be a good way to review and to be reminded of where God hit you during the conference.

Ricky: That’s helpful. So how would you encourage people to come up with their own plan for how to review and apply?

Jon: Listen to Mohler’s talk about six times. I’ll need to listen to it about twelve.

Isaac: I don’t think there’s any substitute for coming up with a simple plan for deciding when you’ll sit down and review the messages, when you’ll listen to that one message again, when you’ll spend time in prayer. I think it’s as simple as looking at your month on a calendar and deciding, “This day I’m going to set aside three hours to review what God did at New Attitude. Pray about it. Re-read my notes.” And then from there decide where you’ll go and what you’ll do.

I love that at Na this year there’s been this regular emphasis on, “Talk to your friends about what God is showing you.” That’s just another really simple thing to do--just talk about what God was speaking to you with another believer. I think God can also use that to give you more direction for where you should go. Talking to others invites accountability into your life if you’re aware of a step you need to be taking. I know in my life it always helps me remember more if I’m discussing something with a good friend of mine and he’s asking me questions and going over it.

Ricky: So Jon you mentioned how intense Mohler’s Q&A was. How should people deal with some of those information heavy messages? What should be the effect of those messages?

Jon: Well here’s what I would say with the Mohler and Dever talks...I think those are really important for college students and college pastors. I’m a college pastor and I’m going to listen to those a number of times and make them available for all my campus leaders because those guys (Mohler and Dever) answer some crucial questions that my students get on a weekly and daily basis. So I want to burn those talks and have them in people’s dorm rooms so they can give them to people on campus that have questions.

Isaac: Another simple suggestion is to look at what books those guys recommended as they were talking. Go buy the books and actually read them to get a deeper understanding of that subject.

Also, those guys are pastors and they’re taking moments out of all that information to pastor us. So as an example, at the beginning of his message Dever said that, “Our generation is increasingly concerned with this life to the neglect of the the next,” and, “The problem of authority is the biggest issue concerning the church today. It affects everything we do and say.” So as a pastor Dever is clueing us into what the issue is and how we need to think about and interpret the information he’s giving to us. I understand things so much more clearly when I know why someone is telling me something. Re-listen for those moments. They’re already telling you how to apply what they’re saying.

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Look for our interview with singles pastors Isaac Hydoski, Jon Smith, and Joseph Stigora to continue. The pastors will get specific about Bible reading tips for new believers, bored believers, or people seeking to read the Old Testament.

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Articles: Al Mohler on Personal Bible Reading

2008-06-05T14:00:00-05:00

At the New Attitude 2008 conference we sat down with speaker Al Mohler for a few minutes and asked him how he reads the Bible and what principles he’d encourage others to follow as they read. Dr. Mohler talked to us about why the Bible is like coffee, why getting the big picture matters, and how to have a good devotional time reading about the size of the laver.

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What is your personal practice of reading God’s Word?

I never let the day go by without reading God’s Word and I generally try to get there early and end there late. I’m a night person rather than a morning person so my best reading comes at night.

I would just encourage opening it up, reading it and studying it seriously. See the big picture of the unfolding God’s story. See the individual passages and texts as they begin to open all new windows into understanding who God is and what God does and he expects of us and has done for us. The Bible can’t be boring, not if you understand it. I was reading something the other day--it was an inventory list of things for the temple--and thinking this is the most minute stuff. The laver has to be this size and all the rest. Then you realize that this is a God of such specificity that he’s going to give us everything we need not to get this wrong. I found it fascinating and don’t even know how many times I’ve read it over before. There’s a theology in a inventory list right here. This is a part of the story. And it’s also a part of the story that we don’t have to worry about that anymore--that now that Christ has perfectly fulfilled all that we don’t have to make sure in church we perfectly fulfill all that we just have to take a BIble and a pulpit and teach.

How would counsel either a new Christian or a Christian newly committed to reading the Bible? How would you counsel them to build a practice of reading God’s Word?

I would say that the Word of God is a pedative--which means you grow in appetite for it. When I first took a sip of coffee I didn’t like coffee. I didn’t know much about coffee and it didn’t taste the way it smelled. It smelled great and it tasted kinda bitter. But I thought I’d keep drinking it and see if I liked it. Well, I drank more of it and now I’m a connoisseur I could tell you different blends of coffee and different brands of coffee. I’m willing to expend considerable time and resources to have the kind of coffee I want and enjoy. It’s the same with the Word of God. You start out and it feels strange. It’s a very strange world. It’s like going into a world that is connected to ours but isn’t. It doesn’t tell us what we already know, otherwise we wouldn’t need it. It’s rearranging our categories, changing the fundamentals, and bringing us into a story.

So I would say, start out by always keeping some reading in the gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And do a bit of that so that you’re always connected with the story by which you came to know Christ. And then read in the Old Testament, read the prophets, but I would say don’t start out trying to read the entire Bible in terms of a study. Read the Bible in terms of a story first. Just start with Genesis, start reading through, and if you get to parts that bog you down and you’re not sure exactly who’s what tribe, then just read on faster and keep going because by God’s grace you’ll have an opportunity to go back later. What you need first is the big story. When you read the Old Testament every time you stop reading the Old Testament you should go, “I want something more, there’s not enough here.” Well that’s why we needed Christ, and just exult in that. You’re supposed to read an Old Testament text and say, “There’s got to be more than this.” And there is. That’s Christ.

Then when you read the latter parts of the New Testament that’s the apostles coming back and saying, “Here’s what the gospel really is. Here’s what the church is supposed to be.” And some of that stuff is really deep because it was meant for a maturing church. If you’re not there yet the Bible uses this metaphor; it says that there are those who start out with a diet of milk and then they get to a diet of meat. That’s alright. There’s no embarrassment there. Start out with milk and you’ll discover an appetite growing for meat. And then next thing you know you’ll say, “Hey this verse connects with something I read over here. This is where this fits in the story. Now I understand this doctrine.” I discover find themselves into the appetite rather than trying to will themselves into the appetite.

What’s one thing you’ve learned after reading the Bible for many years that you wish you’d known when you began?

I think it would be the important of understanding the big overarching story. For those of us that grew up in the church we got taught Bible stories, or we had christian parents and we sat on their lap and heard Bible stories. And you can begin to think that this is a collection of stories. Well, it is, but the bigger issues is that it’s one big story of creation and fall and redemption and consumation, of what God was doing and is doing in Christ for us. You’ve got to put the little stories in the big story. That’s the way I’d say I would’ve wanted to read the Bible differently as a 13 year old, as a 23 year old, as a 33 year old had I seen how this individual story fits into the big story.

Any particular books or resources that would help people do that?

I would recommend the author Graeme Goldsworthy I think he helps to do that. I think you get a taste of that in John Piper’s work. Mark Dever’s volumes on the Old and New Testament where he takes each book of the Bible because he keeps putting it into the context of the big story.

Posted by Na

Articles: Mark Dever on Personal Bible Reading

2008-06-04T06:00:00-05:00

At the New Attitude 2008 conference we sat down with speaker Mark Dever for a few minutes and interviewed him about how he reads the Bible and what he’s learned about reading the Bible over the years. Mark talked to us about how he decides what to read each week, how to get through an uninspiring devotional day (or week), and how he’d use dead people to encourage people to read every day.

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What is your personal practice of reading God’s Word?

What I always do is read what’s going to be preached on the coming Sunday wherever I’ll be in church. So this week I’ll be reading Psalm 16 because Kevin is going to be preaching on Psalm 16 at our church. And then I’ll also read anything else I’ve been thinking about or I’ve been interested in, or anything that’s been on my mind.

So what would a typical devotional time for you look like?

Well it can be a lot of different things but I’ll just pick one example. I get up, pray through my family, pray through my schedule, pray about other things on my mind, read the text of scripture and meditate on that, confess sin that comes out of meditating on that passage, pray for other people that come to mind, and then go to the membership directory for our church and pray through people in that.

How would you counsel someone--maybe a new christian or someone that hasn’t read the Bible much--to start a daily practice of reading Gods Word?

I think a great thing to do is use McCheyne’s reading through the Bible in a year plan where he gets you through the New Testament and the Pslams twice and the Old Testament. And there are several books keyed in with that (like D.A. Carson’s For the Love of God volumes) and that’s a great way to do it.

What’s your goal going into your devotional time? What are you trying to get out of your time or accomplish during that time?

I want to personally relate to God. I want to be freshly confronted, encouraged, challenged, changed. I want to intercede for those I love. I want to plead for God’s favor and mercy in people’s lives. And I certainly want to be reformed in my own thinking and resolve to live as I read his word.

What’s one thing you’ve learned after years of reading the BIble about how to read the Bible well?

That’s it’s more important that I keep doing it than what I get out of it at any particular time.

A lot of young Christians will have an exciting quiet time on Monday and a really exciting one on Tuesday and an awesome one on Wednesday but then something happens on Thursday and they actually don’t even do it and Friday they do it and they feel guilty and it isn’t that good and Saturday they do it but it’s late and they were discouraged...and then they just get discouraged because they’re not always having a super experience. That’s where I would look at them and say, “Just keep going. Aim at obedience in a long direction set in a pattern for decades. If you just keep going you’ll gain so much by consistency and and faithfulness that there’s no way you can gain just by sudden experience.”

How would you make the case from Scripture for a daily time of Bible reading to someone that’s not convinced they need it or who even opposes it?

I’ve certainly had that conversation before. I certainly can’t prove that there’s such a thing as a “quiet time” in the New Testament. But the very fact that the Psalmist tells us we’re to hide God’s word in our heart implies that unless that’s going to happen by osmosis, we’re going to have to get near the text with our eyes open and get it into our brains and your hearts.

So, I don’t know that you’re in sin because you didn’t have a quiet time today but I can’t imagine having the opportunity to meditate on God’s Word and not doing it. We don’t have a scroll that’s kept away somewhere with only limited chances to memorize it and carry it around with us, we actually have it available in our culture all the time. So we are able to be faithful and to do things that previous generations quite literally died for.

Posted by Na

Blog: Application 101 & Hermeneutics 101

2008-06-03T16:34:00-05:00

We just uploaded two short and sweet guides on how to apply what you learned at Na 2008 and how to read your Bible better. Check them out.

Application 101
After hearing several messages it’s not hard to get lost trying to figure out what to do now that you’re back home. This guide is here to help. It helps you dig into a particular message you want to apply and has five principles to keep in mind as you change your Bible reading: Time, Place, Plan, Memorization, Involving Others.

Hermeneutics 101
hur-muh-noo-tiks is the scholar’s way of saying “the craft of interpreting Scripture.” You’ll find seven questions to ask every Bible passage you come across in order to help you better interpret the passage and a short bibliography of other Hermeneutics resources. All this on just one page you can print out and keep in your Bible.

So use them. Pass them around. Let God’s Word become your joy and delight.

[A Word to Pastors and Small Group Leaders: These two documents are meant to serve you as your serve your people. They’re great to hand out to those from your group that came to the conference to encourage them to apply what they learned, and they’re short enough not to be intimidating (did we mention that they’re only one page long?).]

Posted by Ricky Alcantar

Blog: Get in the GAP

2008-06-02T15:57:00-05:00

I wanted to let you all know about a great opportunity to participate in worldwide mission in the UK by going over for 11 months and serving a church there.

To learn more check out the below info about GAP (Grow and Proclaim) from the GAP website or skip all that text and watch this video where Pete Greaseley, the Sr. Pastor at Christchurch, explains the program.
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GROW AND PROCLAIM (GAP)

The GAP Team year is a full-time placement year given over to taking the glorious message of Jesus Christ out into the communities around us, as well as to growing more in understanding, learning and love for God. Throughout the year the team is fully immersed in Christchurch, in both training and evangelism. They also have the opportunity to go on an overseas mission trip to see how the gospel is going forward in other nations. The GAP Team is for anyone over eighteen who is eager to devote a year of their lives to growing in understanding and character, and who is passionate about serving God through the proclamation of the glorious gospel.

WHEN IS IT?

11 months full time, from September 2008 – July 2009

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

The GAP Team fee is £1000. Christchurch is subsidizing the year for the folk on the team, providing the rest of the money needed for housing costs, traveling expenses and the overseas missions trip. The only additional cost for you will be food and general spending money.

WHAT WILL I BE DOING?

_Training & Studying
_Student & University Work
_Children’s & Youth Work
_Getting Involved at Christchurch

WHERE WILL I BE BASED?

In single-gender GAP Team houses in Newport, close to the Christchurch Centre.

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED

If you are interested, please fill in and send the application form you can find at the bottom of the page on the GAP website.

Christchurch will then organize an initial conversation with you to discuss your hopes for the year and your suitability for this team. We will also contact your pastor asking him to fill out a reference for you.

If you’re interested e-mail Dan Gaweda .

Posted by Eric Simmons

Blog: Comm Group Devos

2008-05-30T20:40:01-05:00

If you wanted an extra copy of the devotional handouts we distributed during the community groups this year...here you go.

Sunday Morning--Ps 119

Monday Morning--2 Tim 3

(To download right-click the file and select “save as")

Posted by Ricky Alcantar