From the sounds of it, Challies didn’t talk about the positives of technology that don’t necessarily have to do with online gospel proclamation. That’s a shame and may possibly reinforce the “new technology is bad” mindset that many Christians seem to hold.

I agree with Sandy. The best ideas for blog posts come while you’re reading, reflecting, talking with someone about an issue, preparing a Bible study… They come in the midst of life and ministry and then you write them out. And others are encouraged by the things that God has used to encourage you. Often it’s the ones I’m most uncertain about that encourage others the most. God’s way of keeping me humble.

That said, I often find some of the best things I have blogged or shared were not written for the blog. It was a section of a sermon or talk prepared for church. It was an answer to a church member’s inquiry, or a comment card question arising from a sermon. That is, they arise out of real life ministry to an individual or group that you realise is then worth sharing (once you protect privacy if needed). Theologically, it makes sense because we have a common humanity, and therefore often times our particular needs or challenges or sins or situations overlap. And if we are basing our material on God’s Word, then we know it will be relevant to more than the immediate situation, because God can address us perfectly well through the Scriptures hen inspired to speak across eras, and cultures, and situations.

So please keep at it.

My 2 cents.

“…not to be clever or to get re-posted by Justin Taylor (though, that would be cool!)…” Yes, the wait to see if you’ve been re-posted by a celebrity blogger…

As you say, it is all so very empty if I am trying to impress people. Yet even at my most humble and helpful, this is never far from the back of my mind.

So I keep praying, repenting, and praying some more. And I keep reminding myself, “less of me, more of Christ”.

Reminds me of a post I once wrote (and now I’m re-posting myself! Even worse! What will they think of me?!) – “The temptations of ministry: the 3 Ps” http://solapanel.org/article/the_temptations_of_ministry_the_three_ps/.

Speaking God’s word into people’s lives. Sounds like a good goal to me. May God encourage you with and remind you of the gospel as you do so – and I look forward to being encouraged by you.

The most telling warnings were from Michael Jensen [on facebook], the review by Denny Burk and the review by the woman who used to be women’s ministry leader for Mars Hill [which is this one, which others have also commented on above].

I find it very hard to listen to what Mark Driscoll says now, because of the disturbing tolerance of distasteful, degrading sexual practices which are so clearly exploitative of women found in his book.

As many reviewers have pointed out, his book gives too much information about pornography and practices that many of us would have been previously unaware of.

His own version of how he treated his wife [as recounted by most of the reviewers] also makes me wonder about his fitness for ministry and stops me taking anything else he says seriously.