The Resurgence

The Good King reigns

Resurgence — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

“To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” Jude 1:25

Jesus is alive.

He is not dead, lying in a grave, or sitting idly in a golden throne like some cosmic-aloof god. He is the exalted King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16) who was and is and is to come (Rev. 4:8). This is exactly what Jesus’ brother points out in the closing words of his one-chapter book.

In the above video, Cam Huxford IV says of Jude’s words, “He’s reminding us that Jesus is God, that Jesus is reigning.” He goes on to say, “He always has been. He was reigning when the Israelites came out of Egypt. He’s reigning right now. And he will reign forever.”

Amen.

For more

Stream Ghost Ship's new album The Good King at marshill.com, pick it up on iTunes, or snag a physical copy at our store.

We are a Kanye

Odd Thomas — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:02:00 -0700

Yesterday, Kanye West’s latest album Yeezus dropped with the third track titled, “I Am A God (Feat. God).” The song has already sparked reaction and has been likened to John Lennon’s remarks about the Beatles’ being “more popular than Jesus.” But maybe Kanye’s song is something we identify with more than we’d like to admit?

There are times when our culture presents to us controversial statements and issues which cause us to respond with a sense of urgency. We instinctively know that what is being communicated is wrong and therefore we become anxious to make our (presumably right) perspective known. In the case of Kanye West’s new song “I Am a God,” the immediate reaction from the Christian community is to get offended and defensive.

Kanye’s worldview quickly reveals itself with ridiculous lines like:

I’m not the most high,
but I’m a close high.

Wait, did Kanye just compare himself to God? Yes, he did! He draws this conclusion based on his genuine power and influence in the culture. It’s not only what he is saying that offends us, but it’s also the platform from which he says it. The size of his soapbox makes the sting of his statements all the more severe.

Issues of the heart

As we survey the culture and pass judgment, it is easy to bypass the issues of our own hearts (Jer. 17:9). The things in the culture that offend us most can often act as a mirror into our own souls. As Kanye presents himself as a “god” in his lyrics, we do the same in our thoughts and with our actions, desiring to be a god over our own little kingdoms. How many times have we esteemed ourselves more than our brothers? How many times do we exploit our position of influence for our own benefit? Even good theology can become a point of arrogance when we lord our understanding over our weaker brothers. As we praise God for his grace, we conveniently find ways to give the credit back to ourselves. We compare our achievements to others and pat ourselves on the back for all our accomplishments. The heart of the issue is a desire to be bigger, better, and more known than all the people around us—including God (Rom. 1:18–23).

The things in the culture that offend us most can often act as a mirror into our own souls.

In this way, we sing the same song as Kanye. His lyrics reflect back the reality of our sin. We share the same sin and contribute our own verse of self-exaltation to Kanye’s song. We all, whether we acknowledge it or not, are contributors to this track, which is the soundtrack to our lives. And rather than peering into culture and placing ourselves above it, we must take this opportunity to see ourselves as a Kanye. We must repent of our own idolatry and look to the one who truly sits high above the heavens on his eternal throne.

We are not a “god”

The truth is we are not a god. We are creatures made by the one true God. We have been made to reflect him, not be him.

But what is God like?

Consider the life of Jesus and the characteristics he displayed as “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb. 1:3). Being all-powerful and worthy of all praise, he emptied himself and became the suffering servant to fill our greatest need (Phil. 2:5–8).

When you think about power and influence, consider God, who created the entire universe, including the very voice box of Kanye. He lowered himself by becoming a man and dwelt among us in humility. He came to serve, not to be served (Matt. 20:28). The bread of life did not come “demanding croissants” but rather offered himself as a sacrifice for others. He demonstrated compassion toward us by taking upon himself the judgment that we deserved because of our sin and our claim to be our own god.

So when the radio plays “I Am A God” fifty times a day, remember your idolatry. Remember we are a Kanye, and remember the length to which God went to save us from our sin.

Odd Thomas is a part of Humble Beast records and is speaking at the Legacy conference in July with his session titled, “More Humble Rappers Please.” We’ll be there too with a booth, so be sure to stop by and say, “Hi.”

Does the bible contain errors?

Megan Almon — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

If God is real, and if the Bible is “God’s word,” there’s a lot at stake when it comes to its reliability. So is the Bible riddled with errors or is it a reliable revelation of God?

I’m a nervous flyer.

Airplanes just freak me out. But fly I must from time to time, and so I place my trust in a hunk of brilliantly engineered metal, several computers, and pilots I’ve never met.

But let’s say I had reason to believe that the aircraft I’m supposed to board is faulty.

Guess who’s feet are staying on the ground?

If God is real, and if the Bible is “God’s word,” there’s a lot at stake when it comes to its reliability. Big question things. Life and death things. Eternal things.

“Does it err?” is the question of the day and, sadly, the answer from academia and modern culture—even in Christian circles—is ever increasingly “Yes.”

But if the “Check Engine” light starts flashing on something that’s stood the test of time as well as Scripture has, it makes sense to diagnose the claimed problem before walking away altogether.

It may be that the errors are coming from somewhere else.

The Bible contains errors, right?

When someone claims that the Bible contains errors, I automatically ask, “What kind of errors?”

The answer determines the direction of the conversation.

Oftentimes, the issues lie with seeming scientific inaccuracies or alleged contradictions in the text.

The Bible is not a science book

It was during the Enlightenment of the 18th Century that scientific works began to be as detailed in writing as they are today. Though that was a good advancement, it is unfair and unwise to hold a book penned thousands of years ago to post-Enlightenment writing-style standards.

Inerrancy simply means that the Bible does not err in what it intends to communicate.

When Joshua reported that the “sun stood still” on the day the Israelites defeated the Amorites (Josh. 10), he wasn’t offering an exhaustive scientific evaluation. The writer’s intention was to describe what he witnessed.

While the Bible isn’t a science manual, it does not disagree with science.

Whether or not the sun can remain in the same place in the sky for a day leads to a different conversation (i.e., one that centers around the miraculous), but it doesn’t demonstrate that the Bible errs in what it is communicating.

As for the question of miracles, if an omnipotent God exists, why can’t he manipulate his own natural laws to accomplish something? If the claim is that God doesn’t exist, then it is that presupposition that excludes a supernatural explanation of the Joshua event, not scientific inaccuracy.

While the Bible isn’t a science manual, it does not disagree with science. Even the Genesis account squares nicely with scientific cosmology. (Keep in mind that the author’s intent was simply to communicate that God created the universe out of nothing.)

What about the contradictions in the Bible?

If the objection is “contradictions,” it’s important to remember what is meant by the term.

“Contra” means “other.” The Law of Non-Contradiction states that “A” cannot be both “A” and “Not A” at the same time and in the same sense.

What are often called biblical contradictions are not contradictory at all by definition. They are actually paradoxes or are simply a matter of mystery.

Is there a contradiction between Matthew 26:34 and Mark 14:30? In one, Jesus says Peter will deny him before the rooster crows the next day. In the other, Jesus claims Peter’s denials would happen before the rooster crows twice.

But a mystery does not make a contradiction.

Some cry foul between “once” and “twice,” but no contradiction is present, only accounts that vary in the amount of detail included.

Some look no further than the Trinity before playing the contradiction card. The claim goes “1+1+1 cannot equal 1!” But that is a misunderstanding of the doctrine.

The Trinity is paradoxical, not contradictory. It claims that God is one essence and three persons. In other words, God is not three and one in the same sense.

Finally, if the Bible is as it says it is—a revelation from an infinite God to finite human beings—some mystery is inevitable. But a mystery does not make a contradiction.

There is much in the fields of science and history that remains mysterious, but the mystery factor doesn’t necessarily make those things untrue—it just means we lack full knowledge at this time.

Inerrancy is rooted in inspiration

Paul, in his final letter to Timothy, admonishes the younger disciple with these words:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).

John even makes an ontological connection between “the Word” and Jesus, shocking his Greek audience when he said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1: 1, 14). In other words, God’s words are tied directly to his very being.

If the true author of Scripture is God—if the Bible is divinely inspired, as it claims to be —biblical inerrancy logically follows.

Introducing: “Know the Bible” series

Resurgence — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:56:00 -0700

Recently, we started rolling out themed content on the blog and just wrapped up our first, Becoming a Better Leader. The big idea with this series was to look at different leadership questions and perspectives from a biblical worldview.

We really enjoyed providing this material, working with some familiar names, and introducing some new ones, like Guy Mason, Stephen Um, Shandel Slaten, and Hugh Whelchel.

In case you missed it, here are some of our most popular and favorite posts from the series:

“The habits and character of leaders,” by Justin Holcomb
“Raising arrow children,” by Douglas Wilson
“9 keys for leading women’s ministry,” by Hilary Tompkins
“Preach the word,” by Harvey Turner
“A hero for young men,” by Mark Driscoll
“5 bits of wisdom for the professional Christian woman,” by Shandel Slaten

Now that we are closing this chapter, we are turning the pages with anticipation for our next theme, “Know the Bible.”

The Bible

The Bible may be an old book filled with ancient stories, proverbs, and lessons, but it is still as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago.

Many people still possess an interest in the Bible and its message today for a variety of reasons. Consider this snippet of evidence:

The History Channel’s miniseries, The Bible, was viewed by millions of people
A new version of the Bible in Norwegian is outselling Fifty Shades of Grey in Norway
There is an average of 4.4 Bibles in every household in the United States
The YouVersion Bible app recently exceeded 100 million downloads
And many people in the United States believe that a lack of reading the Bible is leading to the country’s decline in morals and values

Does this interest in the Bible make it relevant or important?

Or does Hollywood’s productions, music producers’ mixes, book publishers’ marketing, or preachers who try to be cool make the Bible relevant?

None of the above.

In the words of Pastor Mark Driscoll, "The Bible's timeless words prove incredibly timely."

What ties all of the books and chapters together is the message of God’s grace to sinners and to those who are suffering. You may not know this, but this includes you, me, and everyone else in the world (Rom. 3:9, 23). The message of the Bible is for each and every single person in the world.

Not only is the message of the Bible relevant for your life, it is hands down the most important book you will ever read.

The Bible is completely sufficient to provide you with everything you need to know about God—what he is like, what he asks of you, and how you can enter into a personal relationship with him through faith in Jesus Christ (Josh. 1:8; Ps. 119:105; John 5:39; 20:31; Rom. 10:17; 2 Tim. 3:15–17).

What we think about the Bible and how we read, study, and interpret its message guides our life. Therefore, it can have eternal implications. That’s why we are going to focus on it and its message over the next several weeks.

We will run a series of posts about the Bible, how to study the Bible, teaching the Bible, and preaching the Bible. Here are some topics you should expect to see:

What is Scripture?
Can we trust the Bible?
Personal opinions vs. the church’s opinion
John Calvin on Scripture
Does the Bible contain errors?
How do you read the Bible?
How do you study the Bible?
Reading the Bible through the lens of the cross
And more . . .

It is our desire to not only inform you about the Bible and its message, but to introduce you to the God of mercy and grace through its pages.

Is there something in particular you would like for us cover? E-mail us at hello@theresurgence.com, and we will see if we can accommodate your request. (Though we will try, we may not be able to respond to every e-mail.)

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Resurgence’s feed to get the latest updates on posts and what’s going on around here.

What is Scripture?

Justin Holcomb — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Is Scripture divine or human? Authoritative? Is Scripture inspired by God? How should it be used?

What is Scripture? All religious traditions that ground themselves in texts must grapple with certain questions. In worship services and public and private readings, Christians often turn to Scripture for guidance: to the stories of Abraham or Moses, to the Psalms, to the prophecies of Isaiah, to the life of Jesus, to the letters of Paul, to the vision of John.

How should Scripture be used?

Therefore, Christians must confront their own set of questions. What is Scripture? Is it divine? Human? Both? Is Scripture authoritative? If so, how and for whom? What is the scope of its authority? Is Scripture inspired by God? How should Scripture be used? How do Scripture and tradition relate? What does it mean for a Christian to call the Bible “the Word of God”? And if Jesus is also called the Word of God, how does Jesus as the Word of God relate to the Bible as the Word of God?

Helpful history

The good news is that we are not the first to try to answer these questions. In fact, 2,000 years of Christian history provide us a tradition of helpful answers as numerous Christian theologians have wrestled with these questions.

Theologians at different times have focused on different questions regarding Scripture. In the patristic and medieval eras, the focus was on relating the literal meaning of the text to allegorical or spiritual interpretations. During the Reformation, the debates focused on who had the authority to define and interpret Scripture. After the Enlightenment, theologians tried to determine how the Bible was still the Word of God in light of historical-critical methods that seemed to challenge its historicity and reliability.

Christians shouldn’t treat Scripture like any other “classic text.”

However, in spite of all the various approaches, Christian theologians have been unified in dealing with a central issue: how the self-disclosure of God in Jesus relates to the Scriptures as the Word of God. A central question is always the relationship between “the Word” becoming human flesh (Incarnation) and “the Word” becoming human words.

The Word and the Christian

Christians believe that the Bible is inspired by God, is without error, and does not misrepresent the facts. It is entirely trustworthy and is the final authority on everything it teaches. The Bible records the drama of redemption in the history of Israel and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As Christians we acknowledge both Jesus (John 1:1–4) and Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16–17) as the “Word of God.” Christians should not focus solely on Jesus Christ and treat Scripture just like any other “classic text.” Nor should we focus primarily on the Bible as God’s divine inerrant Word and treat Jesus as simply a character in a small part of the texts.

Jesus is the ultimate Word

Jesus is the central message—God participating in human life, coming near to us, bringing his good news, expressing God’s love for us, dying as our substitute, rising as the victor over death, and building his church as a community of grace. Jesus is not just the main character in one of many events in the story of God’s people. Jesus is the final revelation of God’s drama of redemption. Humanity sees God in full light in Jesus. Jesus is God’s ultimate word about human life, and the Bible is God’s word about God’s self-revelation through human life.

Scripture reveals the heart of God.

This is what Christian theologians have been saying in various ways for 2,000 years. In answering the question “What is Scripture?” theological giants like Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Barth, and others have given us many categories to use, concepts to ponder, and doctrines of Scripture to consider and wrestle with. Yet in spite of their differences, they are unified in that their doctrines of Scripture are all surprisingly Christ-centered.

A story about grace

The deepest message of the Bible and the ministry of Jesus is the grace of God to sinners and those who are suffering. That is the story of the Bible. The problem of the human condition is that because of sin, we are guilty and we suffer. Throughout the Bible, we constantly see God taking the initiative to bring his grace to sinners and sufferers, from his gracious dealings with the people of Israel to the climactic redemptive work of Jesus Christ in his life, death, and resurrection. By taking us through the story of God bringing his grace to sinners and sufferers, Scripture reveals the heart of God and the heart of the Christian faith.

21 simple ways to be an exceptional dad

Josh Mcpherson — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

. . . from the heart of a grateful son.

I don’t want to be a good dad—I want to be a great dad.

But the longer I live and more ministry I do, the more I have come to realize there are precious few examples of grace in action when it comes to fatherhood. So on this Father’s Day, I wanted to take a moment, heed Paul’s exhortation (Eph. 6:1), and honor my own father, Greg.

Was he perfect? Nope.
Did he make mistakes? Sure.
Does he wish he could do things differently? I have no idea.

But in a land where few men finish well when it comes to the daunting task of fatherhood, I’ve found myself reflecting and marveling at the grace of God in my dad’s life. He loved Jesus, repented often, and poured his life into his two sons. How much more could a boy ask for?

In your life, Dad, I have found a roadmap for my own role as father. So I wanted to take a few moments, and tell you thanks from the heart of a grateful son. Specifically, thank you for . . .

1. Never putting me down

Not once. You never made fun of me, mocked me, or talked about me like I wasn’t there. Never was I the butt of your jokes. In everything you built me up, encouraged me, and moved me forward. You always spoke of my future with great hope. “The Lord will give you great opportunities, Josh. Jesus has great plans for you, son.” This sort of prophetic encouragement every boy needs, and I got it in bushels. Thanks, Dad.

2. Running into my room

. . . the night I screamed in agony from growing pains. I was eight. You were half asleep. Tripping on a toy you went sprawling across the room in your underwear. We both burst out laughing. Then you rubbed my leg-cramps for an hour. I slept in the next day; you were up at 5 a.m. and out the door. You put my need to be comforted in front of your need for sleep. Thanks, Dad.

You loved Jesus passionately and it drew me in.

3. Being the toughest man I know

. . . and crying in front of me often. It’s good for a boy to see both. I’ve seen you cut down trees, fix tractors, build things, and tackle gut-wrenching church conflict with unflinching courage and razor-sharp biblical clarity. I’ve also seen you listen intently, hug often, and tear up quickly when moved by someone’s pain or God’s grace. Not the helpless, whimpering, cowardly sort of tears—the genuine, earnest, heartfelt tears of a man who feels and thinks deeply. You cry easily when talking about Jesus, the gospel, redemption, and the day God called you into ministry. I love that. Thanks, Dad.

I never felt more safe and loved than when held in your arms.

4. Raising your hands

. . . and singing loudly with the church. I distinctly remember as a young boy looking up and seeing tears roll down your cheek during worship. I couldn’t articulate it then, but I knew that you were singing to someone who meant everything to you, who was great and big and awesome and worthy of your allegiance, and who gave you great joy. That is a gift to a young man. You didn’t tell me to love Jesus passionately—you loved Jesus passionately and it drew me in. Thanks, Dad.

5. Spanking us, then hugging us

That is a powerful parenting combination that no child’s heart can resist. I never felt more safe and loved than when held in your arms as the sting of the spank faded and the assurance of your unshakable love filled my little heart. Redemptive discipline is a precious thing. Thanks, Dad.

6. Leaving me notes on the bathroom mirror

Sometimes they were a verse written out you’d read that morning, or a prayer for something big I was facing, or an apology for something said the night before. No matter the occasion, they were always encouraging, full of Scripture, and right on point. This told me you were thinking about me even when you were gone, and were vested in my success. Huge. I still have most of them to this day. Thanks, Dad.

Always you were there, Bible in hand, heart open, mind working.

7. Putting my friends to work

Mowing the lawn, cleaning the garage, working on a project in the shop. Every time my friends came over to our house, you worked us like dogs. I could never figure out why all the guys always wanted to come to my house.

But I figured it out later: you treated them like men. And then you’d fire up the BBQ and spend the rest of the day asking us what we wanted to do with our life that would make an eternal impact. Thanks, Dad.

8. Reading your Bible every morning

That is the biggest memory I have: you, at the kitchen table, worn Bible in front of you, studying away. Not checking Facebook. Not returning email. Not reading the paper. Soaking in the Word. Sometimes tears were running down your face. Sometimes your eyebrows were burrowed in thought. Sometimes your head was bowed in prayer. Sometimes your pen was scratching furiously in your journal. But always you were there, Bible in hand, heart open, mind working. It left an indelible imprint on the life of a young boy about how a real man starts his day. Thanks, Dad.

9. Laughing loud, long, and lots

At the dinner table. On a hunting trip. Or just whenever. Some of the most fun memories I have include watching you slap your thigh, throw back your head, and roar with laughter. I loved hearing your laugh. Still do to this day. You took many things in life blood-earnest, but you laughed at yourself often. That is a gift that has served me well in ministry. Thanks, Dad.

10. Charging me rent

You did this the day I turned 18 and was still living in your house. All of my other friends learned to freeload. I learned to work. And it wasn’t done as a cruel punishment, but a teaching moment for taking responsibility and growing up as a man. Thanks, Dad.

You were not living life unless you’re serving others and God’s kingdom.

11. Loving me without question or hesitation

I have questioned many things in my life, doubted many things, faced many unknowns. But there is one thing of which I have never questioned: your love for me has been unwavering and relentless, dependable and true. It’s taught me a lot about how I am loved by my better heavenly Father. Thanks, Dad.

12. Turning down speaking engagements

. . . so you “wouldn’t miss the important years.” I didn’t appreciate it then. I do now. Thanks, Dad.

13. Wrestling with us as kids

. . . every night when you came home from work. You were probably exhausted from work, but knew we were waiting behind the couch to launch a surprise attack. You could have said you were too tired. But you didn’t. You wrestled until, giggling and short of breath, we begged for mercy (and asked for more at the same time). Thanks, Dad.

14. Filling the dinner table with stories of gospel victories

These were the best moments ever. To hear of a broken person made whole through the redeeming work of Jesus. My big takeaway from our dinner conversations was that you were not living life unless you’re serving others and investing in God’s kingdom. You whetted our appetite for gospel ministry early. Thanks, Dad.

15. Reading the Picture Bible every night before bed

And oh, how you brought it to life! When Moses faced the Red Sea, I was overwhelmed with despair. When David stared down Goliath, I trembled with fear. When Jesus rose from the grave, we cheered and clapped for joy. Dad, when you read the Bible, The Story came to life. It’s no wonder your two boys have given their life to teaching others that same Bible. Thanks, Dad.

16. Buying a hot tub

. . . so we could have a place to “hash things over.” Some of my best memories as a teen are coming home after something happened at school or with sports or with friends and asking, “Wanna hit the tub, Dad?” and knowing that you’d never say no, so we could have life-shaping conversations. Thanks, Dad.

17. Teaching us the importance of mentors

You did this by having multiple mentors yourself and regularly showing us how they helped you. To this day, learning from men around me is a deeply held value of mine, one that has served me, my wife, our family, and our church well. Thanks, Dad.

A wise man is not a perfect man, but a repentant man.

18. Sitting on the front row

. . . at church, Bible open, taking furious notes and bellowing hearty “Amen’s” while I preach. In this, you show me what it’s like for a man to be a lifelong learner.

19. Confessing sin often

You were not perfect, but when you messed up, you were quick to confess it and repent of it. These made me feel safe, like I could follow you without fear. There was integrity in your life, and it gave me confidence in your leadership. You taught me by your example that a wise man is not a perfect man, but a repentant man. Thanks, Dad.

20. Being the first person I wanted to call

. . . when we found out Ella Mae would be born with Spina Bifida. That was a dark-night-of-the-soul moment. A confusing time. And all I knew was I needed to call my dad. You listened and affirmed your love for us and God’s plan in all the pain. Then you prayed with us and invited us over to the house. We needed to “talk it out and make a plan for this new little blessing God’s bringing into our lives.” I needed someone to tell me that day that this little girl would be a blessing, and you did. Thanks, Dad.

21. Loving my wife like your own daughter

She feels your love, she feels your support. She knows that if we came to you for counsel with a relationship conflict between us, that you’d take her side first before you’d take mine. “I think we love her more than we love you, Josh. I know we like her more,” you’ve said with a wink and a laugh. But it’s communicated the point. And that’s a wonderful thing for a daughter-in-law to know. Thanks, Dad.

I could go on but I’m way over word-count. So thanks, Dad, for loving Jesus and living a life that makes it easy to remember and honor. I love you deeply and am still watching closely as you follow Jesus and finish well. You have lived a life worth emulating, and I’ve been taking notes. May I learn from God’s grace in your life to love my children the same.

Photo: Josh with his father, Greg, and two sons Levi (top) and Gideon.

1. Deliver the mail 2. Read the mail

Cam Huxford IV — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Cam Huxford IV writes about leading his Ghost Ship band members in not just getting Jesus’ gospel out, but in knowing it for themselves.

We’ve always said in Ghost Ship that we are mailmen and mailwomen and that our job is very simple and clear: deliver the mail.

We have one message to deliver and it’s something that we did not write ourselves. The message is this: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). That’s it.

When we’re writing songs, making records, and leading worship, we feel like we are simply packing this message into envelopes and sending it to as many addresses as we can.

#1. Deliver the right message. The world needs Jesus.

And this is the same way discipleship works in Ghost Ship. We remind each other to read the mail we are sending out.

I’ve been serving in ministry as a vocation for a decade and it’s always been a temptation to not buy what I’m selling, to be the professional pastor guy behind the desk who prescribes medicine as he dies of disease. As I’ve led Ghost Ship for the past five years, by God’s grace I’ve walked out repentance in this and it’s been cool to see how it’s played out.

In the band, we don’t just sing songs about Jesus to everybody else—we sing them to ourselves. We spend a lot of time together talking, reading, and praying about the gospel of Jesus that we’re preaching and how it influences our own lives. There was a really cool story of this played out a few weeks ago.

The choir needs preaching to, too

We were leading worship on a Sunday and having a band meeting during one of the services. Our new record had not released yet, but the CDs had come in the mail and we had all been listening to it.

Our guitarist/percussionist Jamison shared what his past week had been like. Since the pre-release of the album a few days before, he’d been under spiritual attack and was suffering from debilitating physical anxiety. He said that the night before, he’d only had two hours of sleep and spent most of the night awake in the fetal position with his wife praying over him and reading Scripture to him. He felt so sick that day that he was considering not playing at the next service because of his stomach pain. But he told us something amazing.

He said that for the past week, when the attacks would get really bad, he’d listen to the record, and the Scripture in the lyrics would calm him down. He was hearing a song about the gospel that he had recorded, and hearing about the work Jesus had accomplished on his behalf took his anxiety away.

We prayed over Jamison in that meeting and his stomach pain went away miraculously and he was able to lead worship at the next service.

#2. Read the message you’re delivering.

Next, keyboardist/vocalist Shay shared a similar story of being tempted, but being able to flee temptation when he started singing the lyrics of “The Gospel,” which is based upon the passage I shared earlier.

When leading a band

So I have two pieces of advice for worship leaders and musicians in bands.

First, deliver the right message.

The world needs to hear the gospel of the man Jesus Christ. They don’t need music that’s positive, uplifting, family-friendly, or therapeutic—they need Jesus. Make sure that’s what you’re singing about.

Second, read the message you’re delivering.

I have heard it said before that when you sing songs in worship you’re preaching to yourself. You need Jesus too. Your band needs Jesus. You need to hear the gospel everyday. Be sure you and your band stop and listen to the words you’re singing.

You can stream Ghost Ship's new album The Good King at marshill.com, purchase it on iTunes, or get a physical copy at our store.

A pair of posts from Eds, plus a bit of quality reality TV (seriously!): Resurgence roundup, 6/14/13

Resurgence — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Sail through the flood of information with our weekly Resurgence Roundups. Each Friday, we will share a list of articles across ministry tribes that our team has found helpful with the hope of serving you well.

“When you are planning to sin again,” by Ed Welch

Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation

It’s not “if you sin” but “when you sin.” With this article, Welch helps us identify unhealthy and sinful patterns in our lives that lead us to minimize and marginalize willful sin, and then provides guidance in how we can break these patterns.

“What is a missiologist?” by Ed Stetzer

Understanding the meaning of a missiologist is more important than expanding your theological vocabulary—it strikes at the very heart of how Christians and the church can share the gospel of Jesus Christ within their specific context. In this piece, Stetzer exemplifies the theology, tools, and team of a missiologist to help us best understand Jesus’ call upon our life (Matt. 28:18–20).

“8 things I wish someone had told me before seminary,” by Matt Damico

The Gospel Coalition

Are you considering a seminary education? If so, did you know that only 4 in 10 students who graduate with an MDiv actually plan to pursue pastoral ministry full-time? What happened to the majority of these students? Well, it’s hard to say, but we think it would be a great idea for anybody considering seminary to reflect upon these helpful tidbits, which include: serve in a local church, read the Bible, and, if you’re married or have kids, prioritize them.

Driscoll, Piper, and Rosenbladt Father’s Day resources

This Sunday is Father’s Day and we rounded up a few great resources for fathers. Also, this week only you can get an additional 20% off our Father’s Day collection at the Resurgence Store.

Pastor Dad, by Mark Driscoll (ebook)
A Tribute to My Father, by John Piper (ebook)
When Good Fathers Die, It’s Always Too Early, by Dr. Rod Rosenbladt (lecture series audio)

ICYMI

Here are the posts we’ve put out here on Resurgence in the last seven days:

“What is grace?” by Justin Holcomb
“God has trademarked manhood,” by Eric Mason
“What does it take to be #2?” by Sutton Turner (Becoming a Better Leader)
“The Puritans on putting sin to death,” by Elliot Ritzema
“Where’s the line between disagreement and disunity?” by Mark Driscoll (Preaching & Teaching)
“Dad loves Ellie,” by Phil Smidt
“7 ways fathers provoke their children,” by Mark Driscoll

“A father lost for 37 years”
Mobbed, Season 1, Episode 6

Talk about grace in places we’d least expect it. This is a moving, reality-show reunion of a man and his father after never seeing each other for 37 years. Get a box of tissues handy.

Oh and by the way, Art, the man who is featured in this video, is the senior software and web manager for MarsHill.com and theResurgence.com.

“The astounding faith of Aregash: A story from Ethiopia, Part 7”

Mars Hill Church

Whatever you do this week, be sure not to sleep on this powerful story. With no other Christians in her town (much less a pastor), Aregash, a young Ethiopian Christian woman, decided to rent a house, in faith that God could use it one day. Soon after, a young pastor and his wife came to lead the church. In the first year, it was just the three of them. Today, there are 120 people.

7 ways fathers provoke their children

Mark Driscoll — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

The Bible tells fathers to do two things: bring children up in the ways of the Lord and do not provoke them. How can a father avoid provoking his child?

There’s no shortage of parenting books out there. But you’ll find very few dedicated to the subject of fathering. What does it look like to father well?

Thankfully, God’s word includes much guidance for fathers. The Bible is filled with good dads (starting with God the Father) and bad dads (starting with Adam, our first father). Proverbs is in large part a collection of wisdom written by a dad to his son. In his letters to Timothy and Titus, Paul offers profound direction as a spiritual father.

Fathers, we have a sacred responsibility.

Elsewhere in Scripture, Paul warns fathers: “Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Dads, this is our God-given job description. We must strive to fulfill it “according to the power at work within us.” For starters, it helps to think about what the verse means.

Both parts of the verse are equally important—do not provoke and do bring them up—but understanding what it looks like to “not provoke your children to anger” is arguably less obvious.

In order to help, here are some examples of ways dads can provoke their kids. By God’s grace, father your children by avoiding these pitfalls:

1. Make more withdrawals than deposits

Encouragement is a deposit; criticism is a withdrawal. We provoke our children to anger when we make far more withdrawals than deposits. When it comes to encouragement, don’t be stingy with your kids. Say things like:

“You did your best, and I appreciate that.”
“You’re a blessing.”
“I love you and I’m here to help you.”
“Thanks for hanging in there. I know this is tough. Let me pray for you.”

In addition to verbal affirmation, write them notes, send them texts, pull them in for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Inevitably, as fathers we’re going to make withdrawals because our kids will sin and we’ll need to address that. But we provoke our children to anger when all we do is point out the flaws and fail to provide any solutions or hope. We need to be their coach, not their critic.

2. Resort to physical or verbal abuse

Fathers provoke their children to anger through physically using their size advantage. This could be physical—hitting, shoving, kicking, intimidation—or verbal abuse. Some fathers goad their children. They’ll shame their kids in front of other children by saying things like, “You’re so stupid,” “You failed again,” “You’re fat,” “You’re an idiot,” and “You’re a loser.”

Such violence is sinful, reprehensible abuse that shapes an identity that is death for the child. Some either grow up to rage against their parents, particularly their father, or they just leave.

3. Be emotionally absent

Whether it’s intentional or not, some dads do everything they can to avoid engaging their children. You’re always doing something and can’t be interrupted, whether that’s woodworking, fixing the car, doing yard work, using your phone, or watching TV. You’re physically present but emotionally absent. Dad never gives hugs or says, “I love you.”

A lack of emotional attention provokes a child to anger. Imagine a child who craves emotional attention and appropriate physical touch from dad. He never offers his affection, and so eventually the child starts looking elsewhere, out of frustration and desperation. For a daughter especially, this can leave her in a very dangerous position.

4. Publicly humiliate and criticize

Rather than pulling a child out of the fray for a loving, heart-to-heart talk to address some issue, fathers provoke their children to anger by cutting them down in front of their family and friends.

When it comes to correction, we can belittle our children in an attempt to shame them into submission, or we can provide them a vision of the man or woman God is calling them to be, saying, “I see in you these gifts, abilities, godliness, and maturity. What you’ve done grieves Jesus and it grieves me. But I’m here for you, and I want to help you grow.” In this way, our communication becomes a loving invitation rather than harsh castigation.

5. Be no fun

Some dads are just no fun. They don’t know what to do with a Popsicle, a whiffle ball, a swimming pool, or a bike.

Kids should have predominant memories of enjoyable times with their dad. Which means when your kids are little, you have to be silly. You’re going to wear some outlandish outfits. You’re going to sit in on some tea parties. You’re going to wrinkle your clothes during living room wrestling matches.

If a dad is making memories, if he loves his kids and they know it, when it comes time to discipline them, it will be in the context of a dad who loves them. God our Father is like that. Proverbs says it and Hebrews repeats it: “For the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” (emphasis added).

6. Don’t be generous

I learned generosity from my Grandpa George. We were very close. He lived in a cul-de-sac, and he had a rule: whenever the ice cream man comes around, run out and stop him. Grandpa George would then have us invite all of the other kids in the neighborhood over, he would tell everybody to order whatever they wanted, and then he would pay for it all.

When the ice cream man came, I’d get excited, all the kids would get excited, and I’d look at my Grandpa George’s face, and he was happy. He was happy because he liked to be generous. That’s the heart of a father. That’s the heart of God the Father.

7. Never say “I’m sorry.”

Did you have a hypocritical dad who pointed out your sin but never admitted to any of his own? How frustrating was that?

As fathers, we’re going to sin against our kids. You’re going to bust them for something that they didn’t do. You’ll fail to listen. You’ll blow it. What do you do? Repent. Go to your kids and say, “Dad’s a sinner. I was wrong. I’m really sorry about what I’ve done and the way it’s affected you. Would you please forgive me?”

Fathers, we don’t need to be right; we need to prove to our children that God is always right, and sometimes that means we’re wrong. We are not only an earthly father, we are an earthly father who needs their heavenly Father.

Bring them up

Fathers, we have a sacred responsibility. If the Holy Spirit is in you, you’ll want to become a father like God the Father, and bless your children the way he has blessed you. We cannot do this apart from his grace and power—praise God we can rely on his wisdom and strength rather than our own.

For more thoughts on what it looks like to father your children and “bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord,” Pastor Dad is a free ebook that’s my Father’s Day gift to you.

Dad loves Ellie

Phil Smidt — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Phil Smidt gets a birthday card from his young daughter that has a profound theological message for Father's Day.

I love my three kids and want what’s best for them. One of the most honoring gifts they can give me is that they actually believe that. A birthday card I got years ago from my daughter, Ellie, who is now “almost 12,” is one of my most prized possessions. Its message is incredibly simple, while at the same time the theological implications are as deep as what you might learn at seminary.

I’m not a perfect father, but by God’s grace, I accept and believe that he is a perfect Father who is still patiently and lovingly working on my heart. He enjoys me and won’t quit on me. That is the message I want to continually pour out on my kids.

Here, almost six years later, Ellie writes about why she wrote what she wrote on that card.

Ellie’s earthly father loves her

I love God. I love my dad. I love art. I drew this birthday card for my dad when I was six years old. I meant to write, “I love you, Dad,” which is what you’d usually write to someone to show your affection. Instead, I accidently wrote, “Dad loves me.” I noticed my mistake right away and thought about changing it, but I then realized, “Wait, that’s even more true!”

My dad is trustworthy and consistent. I have great confidence in his love for me. One way that I notice he loves me is that he plans special dates for us. Our favorite is to go out for tea and cookies.

“I want to be a girl who always remembers, ‘Dad loves me!’”

My dad faithfully puts me to bed every night, prays for me, and tucks me in. He has also helped me get over anxiety and fear by giving me a specific verse to memorize. It is Psalm 56:3–4: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” My dad reminds me of this verse every time I am afraid that even though he might not always be with me, God is.

God’s love is perfect and surprisingly, even bigger than my dad’s.

Ellie’s heavenly Father loves her

God’s love for me is a lot like my dad’s. It is shown to me in many ways. I can trust his love even more than I can trust my dad.

Recently, two of my biggest fears have come true: we are moving to a new house and I am going to a new school. I thought these would be the hardest things in the entire world, but after praying and thinking about the verse my dad gave me, they don’t seem so scary anymore because God showed me he is bigger than any problem.

Even though Satan tempts me and sometimes I stumble, God my Father is there to pick me up. He always forgives (1 John 1:9).

There are days when I forget both of my fathers’ love for me, but they always remind me of their care. I want to be a girl who always remembers, “Dad loves me!”

Do you need gift ideas for Father's Day?

This week only you can receive an additional 20% off our

Father's Day collection.

Where’s the line between disagreement and disunity?

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Should you take a job at a church where you have some disagreements with the leaders? Mark Driscoll answers a reader’s question.

Pastor Mark,

Do you think it’s wise to take up a pastoral position at a church with which you differ on a few doctrines but agree with on most?

–Shawn

The greatest threat to the church is not opposition from without, but division from within.

The underlying issue in regards to your question is unity. The Bible speaks a lot about unity. Here are some examples.

The Old Testament celebrates unity

Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

Jesus prays for unity

John 17:20–23: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.”

Paul commands unity

2 Corinthians 13:11: “Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”
Ephesians 4:3: “…maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Philippians 1:27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”

The Bible speaks a lot about unity

The Bible says often that people were “together,” of “one mind,” and “one accord.”

In light of what the Bible says about unity, you should not take any position at a church that you are not in agreement with. If you are not the right person for the role, then you are taking away an opportunity from someone who is.

Furthermore, if you take a position at a church with which you do not have unity, the situation will go negative and you will eventually be fired or quit, which only hurts the people in the church who will be forced to exist on the emotional fault line between you and the other church leaders. Because we love people, we don’t want to put them in such a position, which means we do not enter into leadership unless we are joining a team with which we have genuine unity.

2 things to do

All that said, I would recommend you do two things.

1. Pray and write things out

First, prayerfully write out the issues of disagreement between you and church leadership. Consider if you can wholeheartedly support and submit to the church leadership in light of the disagreements.

There is a continuum that extends from workable disagreements to painful disunity. You need to really search your heart and see where these issues fall on that continuum for you. If you cannot take the role with a clear conscience, let the leadership know that you love and respect them and are declining because you do not want to be divisive or hinder the ministry they are called to. This takes humility, but it honors Jesus and shows a real love for the church and its leaders.

2. Come clean with your concerns

Second, if after completing the above exercise you believe you can in good conscience and with full faith consider a role at the church, you need to schedule a meeting with the appropriate leader(s) and come clean with your concerns. Be careful not to jam them up informally, on a Sunday, or in front of others. You need to let them know that you do love them, respect them, want to honor authority like the Bible says, and so you are putting all your cards on the table so they can know exactly where you are at and make their decision with full knowledge. Invite them to ask any questions of you.

By God’s grace, remain humble and respectful during this process. Your goal is not to fight them—your goal is to honor Jesus. If he wants you to have any influence in that church, it will only come through love, honor, and humility on your part. And Jesus will use the process to mature you as a leader, clarifying your convictions and helping you to respect authority without compromising your convictions.

For your serious consideration

I am praying for you. I deeply respect the fact that you are taking this seriously. Too many leaders, especially young leaders, simply take a job at a church to get experience, make some money, or pad their résumé, and do not really respect or care for the church as they should. This is a great opportunity Jesus has given you to learn to grow as a leader, and it’s great you want to do this right.

Got a question about preaching and teaching for Pastor Mark? Email it to preachteach@marshill.com

The Puritans on putting sin to death

Elliot Ritzema — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

We’re usually not too eager to deal with our sin, but doing so is an essential part of the Christian life. The Puritans offer six pieces of advice for how to meet our sin head-on.

Mortification. It isn’t a word you hear much these days. But mortification of sin was what Paul was talking about when he said to the Colossians, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you” (Col. 3:5). He urged the Romans to do the same: “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:13).

Putting sin to death is an essential part of the Christian life. But how do we do it? One group we can turn to for guidance is the Puritans. The Puritanism was a 16th- and 17th-century movement that sought to purify worship and practice in the Church of England. As part of their emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing about lives of holiness, they wrote a lot about mortification; John Owen even wrote an entire book called On the Mortification of Sin. They offer sound advice for us today.

1. See sin for what it is

“If the thoughts of death, and the grave, and rottenness, are not pleasant to you, do not let the thoughts of sin be pleasant. Listen to every temptation to sin as you would listen to a temptation to self-murder, and as you would do if the devil brought you a knife and tempted you to cut your throat with it; so do when he offers you the bait of sin.”

—Richard Baxter

2. Don’t wait for sinful desires to change on their own

“We must not indulge our inclinations, as we do little children, till they grow weary of the thing they are unwilling to let go. We must not continue our sinful practices in hopes that the divine grace will one day overpower our spirits, and make us hate them for their own deformity.”

—Henry Scougal

3. Examine yourself regularly

“The longer you delay, the more your sin gets strength and rooting. If you cannot bend a twig, how will you be able to bend it when it is a tree? If you cannot pluck up a tender plant, are you likely to pluck up a sturdy oak?”

—Richard Baxter

4. Don’t try to do it without the Spirit

“It is the Spirit alone that can mortify sin; he is promised to do it, and all other means without him are empty and vain. How shall he, then, mortify sin that has not the Spirit? A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.”

—John Owen

5. Don’t try to do it without other people

“Woe to him that is alone! David was alone when Satan drew him to defile his neighbor’s wife. While the sheep flock together they are safe, as being under the shepherd’s eye. But if one straggle from the rest, it is quickly a prey to the ravenous wolf. It is no hard matter to rob that house that stands far from neighbors. The cruel pirate Satan watches for those vessels that sail without a convoy.”

—George Swinnock

6. Expect to fight sin your whole life

“Let no man think to kill sin with few, easy, or gentle strokes. He who has once smitten a serpent, if he does not follow on his blow until he be slain, may repent that ever he began the quarrel. And so will he who undertakes to deal with sin and pursues it not constantly to death. Sin will after a while revive, and the man must die. It is a great and fatal mistake if we suppose this work will admit of any remissness or intermission.”

—John Owen

This adapted excerpt, courtesy of Logos Bible Software, is from 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Puritans, which is part of 1,500 Quotations for Preachers, with Slides. This five-volume collection contains quotes from over 100 authors and works, including Anselm of Canterbury, Augustine of Hippo, Richard Baxter, Bernard of Clairvaux, John Calvin, G. K. Chesterton, John Chrysostom, Irenaeus of Lyons, Thomas à Kempis, Martin Luther, and more. Share the quotations with professionally designed slides—one to accompany each quotation. Purchase 1,500 Quotations for Preachers, with Slides today.

What does it take to be #2?

Sutton Turner — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Who’s best suited to serve the #1? Someone who has been in that spot before.

What makes a great executive pastor?

This is a question I have been asked often by church pastors looking for help finding an executive pastor. In response to these questions, many ideas come to mind.

When we look to great leaders, the perfect model is Christ Jesus. Jesus, the greatest #1 to ever be born on earth, came to this earth to serve, not to be served (Matt. 20:26–28). Jesus demonstrates coming and serving others instead of demanding people serve him.

First and foremost, an executive pastor must understand Jesus’ servant heart and love and serve others instead of being served. Of course all Christians are called to this kind of service, but if you’re able to find an executive pastor who deeply and personally resonates with servant leadership, you have the building blocks of a strong leader.

12 things a former #1 gets

After finding a man that follows Jesus in this way, I believe it is best to look for a guy who has served as a #1—someone who has served as the leader in their business or organization. There are 12 reasons why I believe this is the case:

You understand the weight of the phrase “the buck stops here.” You are #1, then you know that if all else fails, you must deal with the problems.
You understand that problems roll uphill in an organization, not down.
You appreciate the weight of making decisions and you will not second-guess decisions because you have been there.
You know mistakes will be made by the #1 and understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn, not reasons for division.
You know how important it is that the full team sees the same vision. Division comes in an organization when different leaders see different future visions of the organization or two visions.
You know how important it is for others to have your back and not gossip, slander, or tear you down.
You know how important it is to have leaders around you who give good advice, not just what you want to hear.
You will not covet the title of #1. You know that it’s not much fun and comes with incredible responsibility.
Many times you have started a church, business, or other organization. You know how difficult it was during the early days and how much sacrifice it took from the leader and his family.
You respect the #1 and the dedication the leader has to the organization, business, or church.
You know the greatest things a second-in-charge (2IC) can give are love, respect, trust, and loyalty.
You will never quit the mission, give a two weeks’ notice, or leave the #1 unable to continue. It is all about how you leave an organization. Twenty years of faithful service to a #1 can be undone by leaving poorly.

I have worked with many great leaders over the last 20 years. Just because a person is a good leader, doesn’t mean they will be a good 2IC. This is what makes finding a good executive pastor so hard.

The crucible of experience

He doesn’t only need to be a great leader—he needs to be a great 2IC. One of the best indicators I have found for this is asking, “Has this guy ever felt the weight of a #1?” I believe this is something that needs to be experienced and not learned by reading a book.

This thinking allows you to understand the biggest critics of leadership. In my experience I have noticed that many critics have never been a #1. They have never lead an organization, felt the weight of responsibility, or taken into consideration all of the different variables that go into making decisions. I have found that current or previous #1’s have a tendency not to publically criticize leadership when they don’t agree with their decisions. They have experienced leading an organization and felt the weight of the decisions they have made.

This is the difference between a #2 who has served as a #1 and one who has not: They have a healthy perspective on leadership that has been proven through the crucible of experience. If you understand what it feels like to be a #1, then your ability to serve as a #2 takes a whole new light.

God has trademarked manhood

Eric Mason — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

An excerpt from Eric Mason’s important new book, Manhood Restored. Follow Resurgence on Twitter to win one of 10 copies this Sunday, June 9!

In an interview with Bryan “Baby” Williams, leader of the Young Money Cash Money Billionaires hip-hop group, a question was raised about the term bling-bling. This term is a colloquialism used first in hip-hop culture to speak about the mass accumulation of material wealth. In this culture, every time there is an accomplishment that leads to gaining more wealth, “bling-bling” is announced to self and others as a way of saying that more has been brought into one’s possession.

In regard to the term, Baby stated, “I wish we would have trademarked that phrase ’cause we originated it. People would have to pay us every time they used the term and it would trace them back to us” [paraphrase].

That’s how trademarking works. It’s a claim on something original or unique that establishes ownership. Many might use, build on, or add something to the original, but the trademark establishes the absolute first origin of something. It’s important in business—it’s more important in creation.

Man as God’s creative work

God holds the trademark on creation. More specifically, God holds the trademark on manhood. All of God’s creation was brought into being with a sense of care and love, but when he created man he didn’t speak him into existence as he did the stars, water, land, and animals. Instead God innovated a new technique in creation: God formed man. This term is rich in depth and meaning—God handmade man by sculpting him from what he had already created.

Genesis 1:26–28 is considered a summary statement of the creation of both men and women. In that summary, though, we find a statement of purpose along with mere description. The key is in the word image. Those five letters are jam-packed with fundamental theological truth that gives us insight not only into God’s original intent in human creation, but also his ongoing purpose for us in the world.

Work is a key part of who we are as men.

Man was meant to function like a mirror—something to reflect the image of God into creation. Humanity, made in the image of God, was created to be an earthly representation of who God is. In man’s God-given dominion and rule over creation, he was to display the ultimate rule of God in his limited dominion.

Working men

As an image-bearer, man was to reflect God’s heavenly reign on earth. In other words, man represents God by virtue of being in his image. In representing God, man was to glorify the God who created him.

This is an incredible responsibility. Both Genesis 1:28 and 2:15 describe this responsibility as the act of subduing and caring for creation. In subduing creation, man is given the ability to use it for his personal benefit on God’s terms. In that light, the command in Genesis 1:28 might be paraphrased like this: “Harness its potential and use its resources for your benefit” (Note #58).

Man was called to subdue, care, and rule in God’s name.

The word care in Genesis 2:15 (NIV) carries a similar sense. The man is called “to work it and keep” (ESV) the garden. In essence, this responsibility was a job.

Whenever we talk about this at our church, Epiphany Fellowship, the women go crazy. They love hearing that the man got a job before he had a woman! Work was good in those days—more than good, in fact. Then and now, in a redeemed sense, work is a key part of who we are as men.

Man was called to subdue. And he was called to care. But he was also called to rule. In ruling they would serve as God’s vice-regents (a person who acts in the name of another) on Earth. This rule was not to be done with an iron fist. If humans were really going to reflect the image of God’s rule on their own, they would accept the responsibility of seeing to the welfare of that which is put under them and the privilege of using it for their benefit.

Imaging in relationship

We need to be careful here that we don’t miss one of the chief components of being God’s image-bearer. As an image-bearer, man is to subdue. He is to care and work. And he is to rule. All these components are key, but what is missing up to this point is the relationship.

Having a relationship with Yahweh was what made image-bearing more than just some sort of political appointment. God designed humans with a unique capacity for relationship because it was his intent that this centerpiece of his creation, man and woman, would be relationally connected to him for eternity. Without relationship, none of the other aspects of being an image-bearer would matter.

Jesus restores manhood

In the gospel, Jesus is restoring our vision of manhood. He is blowing up our own versions of what it means to be a man with his own quintessential masculinity. His life, death, love, and resurrection push us onward to our restored relationship with God and others.

In him and in him alone, we can find that the gospel is applied to all areas of our lives that we might become the men God intended for us to be—those conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Let us, then, commit our lives to journeying with our Savior, having repented and being restored by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone.

This post is an abridged excerpt from Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole, by Eric Mason, copyright © B&H Books, 2013.

What is grace?

Justin Holcomb — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

“The very center and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God.” –
J. Gresham Machen

“Grace” is the most important concept in the Bible, Christianity, and the world. It is most clearly expressed in the promises of God revealed in Scripture and embodied in Jesus Christ.

Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely, the peace of God given to the restless, the unmerited favor of God.

What are some ways people have defined grace?

B.B. Warfield: “Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving.”
John Stott: “Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.”
Jerry Bridges: “[Grace] is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against him.”
Paul Zahl: “Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it.”

Grace gives life

Grace is most needed and best understood in the midst of sin, suffering, and brokenness. We live in a world of earning, deserving, and merit, and these result in judgment. That is why everyone wants and needs grace. Judgment kills. Only grace makes alive.

A shorthand for grace is “mercy, not merit.” Grace is the opposite of karma, which is all about getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve, and not getting what you do deserve. Christianity teaches that what we deserve is death with no hope of resurrection.

Judgment kills. Only grace makes alive.

While everyone desperately needs it, grace is not about us. Grace is fundamentally a word about God: his un-coerced initiative and pervasive, extravagant demonstrations of care and favor. Michael Horton writes, “In grace, God gives nothing less than himself. Grace, then, is not a third thing or substance mediating between God and sinners, but is Jesus Christ in redeeming action.”

All is grounded in grace

Christians live every day by the grace of God. We receive forgiveness according to the riches of God’s grace, and grace drives our sanctification. Paul tells us, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:11). Spiritual growth doesn’t happen overnight, but we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 2:18). Grace transforms our desires, motivations, and behavior.

In fact, God’s grace grounds and empowers everything in the Christian life. Grace is the basis for:

Our Christian identity: “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 1:10).
Our standing before God: “. . . this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:2).
Our behavior: “We behaved in the world . . . by the grace of God” (2 Cor. 2:12).
Our living: Those who receive “the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ,” (Rom. 5:17) by the “grace of life” (1 Pet. 1:7).
Our holiness: “God called us to a holy calling . . . because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Tim. 2:9).
Our strength for living: “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:1) for “it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace” (Heb. 13:9).
Our way of speaking: “Let your speech always be gracious” (Col. 4:6).
Our serving: “serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pet 1:10).
Our sufficiency: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 2:9), and “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 2:8).
Our response to difficulty and suffering: We get “grace to help in time of need,” (Heb. 4:16) and when “you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace . . . will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Pet. 1:10).
Our participation in God’s mission: As recipients of grace, we are privileged to serve as agents of grace. Believers receive grace (Acts 11:23), are encouraged to continue in grace (Acts 13:43), and are called to testify to the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21). God’s mission is to the entire world.
Our future: God, and his grace, is everlasting. “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13).
Our hope beyond death: “Grace [reigns] through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21).

The gospel is all about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul calls it “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) and “the word of his grace” (Acts 14:3).

Grace is the message

The gospel of the grace of God is the message everyone needs. The word of grace is proclaimed from every page of the Bible and ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. The last verse of the Bible summarizes the message from Genesis to Revelation: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all” (Rev. 22:21). Through Jesus “we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16)—the gratuitous and undomesticated grace of God.

This post is excerpted from Holcomb’s latest book, On the Grace of God, the fifth installment in the A Book You’ll Actually Read series. It originally appeared on Christianity.com.

Resurgence roundup, 6/7/13

Resurgence — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

“The Christian music industry: should we love it or leave it?” by Bobby Gilles

In a follow-up to his post, on why many Christians dislike the terms “Christian Rock” and “CCM,” Gilles asks this question: “But are we just talking about symptoms? If none of these reasons and problems existed, would it still be dangerous to have ‘Christian’ radio stations, record companies, publishing houses and individual bands and singer-songwriters?”

“Caring for victims of sexual abuse,” by Matt Smethurst

The Gospel Coalition

The sad reality is that many people—people you know—have been sexually abused. How can the church respond with love and grace and care for victims of sexual abuse?

In this clip, Justin Holcomb, Trillia Newbell, and Matt Smethurst sit down together to share their personal stories and how the church can practically care for victims of sexual abuse.

“Listening to young atheists: Lessons for a stronger Christianity,” by Larry Alex Taunton

The Atlantic

When a Christian foundation interviewed college nonbelievers about how and why they left religion, surprising themes emerged: young atheists often had attended church growing up, their churches’ messages were vague and responses to big questions were superficial, the high school years were decisive—and they expressed respect for those ministers who took the Bible seriously.

“Fighting porn in the local church,” by Deepak Reju

Biblical Counseling Coalition

Viewing pornography is a growing epidemic. This isn’t something for “everyone” out there. This is a disease that is affecting countless Christians, both men and women alike. With this post (Part 7 in BCC’s series on counseling in the church), Deepak Reju will help you think through a plan in how you can graciously confront and help those who are struggling with viewing porn.

“Everything I know about pastoral ministry I learned riding with pastors,” by Thabiti Anyabwile

The Gospel Coalition

We spend a lot of time in car and talking in cars—and end up with some memorable conversations, and even toss-away lines. Here Anyabwile shares what he’s learned from others as they were driving along the road.

**Chandler’s The Explicit Gospel is free on audiobook this month!**

Christian Audio

Even if you go to church, most people talk about “the gospel” and Jesus, and about being good and avoiding bad, but the message of his gospel simply isn’t there—at least not in its specificity and its fullness. Chandler’s book (one of our publications) is hugely helpful in spelling out clearly what the gospel of Jesus is and how to talk about it. If you’ve got hours to kill in the car or on the bus, you could do a lot worse than listening to this and learning while you commute.

ICYMI

Here are the posts we’ve put out here on Resurgence in the last seven days:

“2 types of wisdom: a wise leader, part 2,” by Jamie Munson (Becoming a Better Leader)
“What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘judge not?’” by Sam Storms
“When sports fail us,” by José Rijo-Berger
“We’re not underdogs,” by Guy Mason (Becoming a Better Leader)
“A hero for young men,” by Mark Driscoll (Becoming a Better Leader)
“Leadership the lady’s way,” by Marci Turner (Becoming a Better Leader)

“Lecrae’s 106 & Park interview 6/4/13”

BET

Host: “This is so crazy to me because you’ve got a Grammy, but not only do you have a Grammy and not only do you rap—but it’s for gospel. How does that make you feel?”

Lecrae does not miss the chance to preach as he talks with these two BET show hosts.

Leadership the lady’s way

Marci Turner — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

As women in the workplace, we can display our calling to nurture life through professional development.

Woman’s world daily

In 1966, James Brown sang the lyrics, “This is a man’s, man’s, man’s world.”

Two generations later, culture would argue differently. More working women hold college degrees than their male contemporaries, and many of these same women are advancing into management and leadership positions.

Many evangelicals will bicker about the role of women in leadership in the church and home. Some staunchly conservative Christians will even classify the term “female leader” as an oxymoron. No matter your theological position or leadership context, women can and do lead others at work, while volunteering, or at home. The question for us Christian women then is this: how do we lead in our respective contexts?

How should women then lead?

I consider myself a complementarian when it comes to the role of women leaders in the church and marriage. That said, I have led teams in my professional career.

When I began studying for my BBA in the late ’80s, women were increasingly assuming leadership positions in the workplace; however, none of my professors or mentors was training me in the specifics of how to lead as a woman. It was as if leadership were gender neutral. (“What worked for a male leader must naturally work for a female,” was the thinking.)

So a whole generation of us women naively marched off into the workplace with our navy-blue suits, tan hose, and navy pumps, armed with male-oriented leadership styles—only later to be ostracized for being too domineering, too male. We had falsely believed that leading meant acting like men. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Embracing God’s design for us as women empowers us to lead.

“God made created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them,” it says in Genesis. Mankind was made to image God. He made male and female distinctively different, and in those differences acting together, we, both male and female, image God.

Male leaders image God in a particular way as female leaders image God in a particular way. As a woman leader at work, as a volunteer, or at home, your distinctive leadership style reflects an image of God’s design, his creativity, and his heart for his people. Embracing God’s distinctive design for us as women empowers us to lead in freedom and more fully image God to our teams.

Hardwired for relationships

Eve was made by God’s own hands to relieve the loneliness of Adam and to be a helpmate suited just for him (Gen. 2:18). God created her to relate to another. Likewise, women tend inherently to relate well. That means we often identify ourselves by our relationships (e.g. I’m a daughter, a sister, a wife, or a mother).

Men, on the other hand, tend to identify themselves by what they do. God’s design for women as helpmates births our relational strength, a valued attribute when leading teams in the 21st century.

Nearly a decade passed from when I entered university until I graduated with an MBA. Within that decade, business curriculum changed drastically.

Women help to maintain organizational health in a virtual world.

Individual research papers evolved to team projects. Business educators quickly realized that individual success in academia didn’t necessarily translate to success in the corporate world. Hierarchical chain-of-command and individualistic assignments died. Teams replaced them. Flat organizations, cross-functional teams, and now even organic teams mean people work with others constantly and often not with the same group of people twice. With the advent of technology, teams now meet only virtually. Having relational strength is now even more important.

The time you do spend face-to-face is critical, and forging strong relationships quickly is necessary. Women are hardwired by our Creator for this environment; as leaders, we help to maintain organizational health in a virtual world. We understand the demands of balancing work and family—we care about those who work for us and with us.

Necessary nurturing

God created female biology to nurture and grow new human life. Even with the best science has to offer, humanity cannot thrive without women.

In the organization, professional development sustains and matures organizational life, and a woman leader plays a major role in developing and maturing those she leads.

The team of accountants and bookkeepers I once managed relied upon me as their leader to give them opportunities to learn new skills. While we all worked for a common goal to produce corporate financial statements, I knew that we weren’t automatons. We spent most of our waking hours together, and our work environment needed to be life giving, exciting, and saturated with learning and growth.

I wanted my team at the end of each day to not only feel they got the job done, but that they also were better at it. We cross-trained in multiple jobs. I trained several to do my job and gain higher-level skills. They received training and then turned around and trained others in our financial reporting software. My job as their leader was to organize them to meet our objectives and to nurture their professional life.

You don’t have to act like a man to lead well.

As a woman, you most likely want more out a job than just a paycheck and a title—you want to gain new skills and grow professionally. As a woman leader, you will want the same for your team. It’s not that good male leaders ignore professional development or that males don’t value new skills or professional growth. God designed men with a calling to work and provide (Gen. 2:15) and this is why they tend to find great worth in work. Their focus at work often reflects that calling: production and responsibility. As women in the workplace, we can display our calling to nurture life through professional development.

God made two genders to image him. He made male and female to show the dynamic of the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Your femininity is not an accident or Plan B. You don’t have to act like a man to lead well. Your unique design as both helpmate and nurturer impacts all those you influence whether in the workplace, volunteer teams or at home.

A hero for young men

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Men who aspire to greatness can learn a lot from John the Baptizer’s example, writes Mark Driscoll. He is Jesus’ definition of a great man.

The legendary boxer Muhammad Ali famously said, “I am the greatest.” Besides Jesus Christ (who is in a category unto himself), who would you say is the greatest man that has ever lived?

According to Jesus, the greatest was none other than his wild-eyed rural prophet cousin, John the Baptizer. In Matthew 11:11 Jesus says, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John.”

As the greatest man who has ever lived, John is the greatest example for all men, and particularly young men, as he died around the age of 30.

What does it mean to be “great”? Here are six aspects of John’s greatness.

1. John came from Spirit-filled parents

In the book of Luke, it is written that John’s mother, Elizabeth, “was filled with the Holy Spirit” and prophesied over Mary (Luke 1:41–45). Likewise, his father, Zechariah “was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied” over his newborn son (Luke 1:67–79).

Zechariah and Elizabeth loved the Lord, served faithfully in ministry, and waited until old age for God to bless them with a child without getting bitter or committing adultery.

We cannot choose our parents, but if we have godly parents like John’s, we can choose to follow in their faithful footsteps. This is what John did, by God’s grace.

2. John was filled with the Holy Spirit

Before John’s birth, the angel Gabriel said, “He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15). The Bible also says, “The hand of the Lord was with him” (Luke 1:66).

In one of the greatest biblical examples of sovereign election and one of the strongest biblical arguments that human life begins before birth, we see here that John the Baptizer was chosen by God from his mother’s womb to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit and set apart for a life of ministry. John was receptive to the work of the Holy Spirit throughout his life, submitting to the indwelling power of God.

Regarding what it means to be Spirit-filled, Dr. Wayne Grudem writes, “An event subsequent to conversion in which a believer experiences a fresh infilling with the Holy Spirit that may result in a variety of consequences, including greater love for God, greater victory over sin, greater power for ministry, and sometimes the receiving of new spiritual gifts.”

3. John humbly prepared the way for Jesus

When John was born, his father prophesied, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways” (Luke 1:76).

John was a bit of a rock star in his day once his public ministry began. There had not been a prophet for some 400 years until John opened his mouth and the Spirit anointed his preaching. He was a bit of a crazy man who grew up in the wilderness and was not owned by the religious establishment. He was young, around 30, strong, and fearless. Crowds flocked to him.

Yet, John was not all about John. John was all about Jesus.

“After me comes he who is mightier than I,” John said, “the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” As he was trending on Twitter and cracking the iTunes Top 10, John said he was unworthy to do the work of a slave for Jesus Christ. Later, when his fame was hotter than ever and he could have cashed it all in for a huge ministry, he set it all aside, sent all his disciples to follow Jesus, and said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

4. John was an evangelist

John fulfilled his ministry “to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” (Luke 1:77–78).

John was not a coward. John knew that by preaching repentance he would be despised, hated, and opposed. But he loved God and he loved people. He knew that sin separated people from God, and that people needed to repent of sin and be saved. He did not settle for just doing good works; he kept preaching the bad news of sin and the good news of salvation. He preached this message largely to religious people who thought they were righteous, and many were saved.

5. John obeyed God’s call on his life

Gabriel foretold that John “will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared” (Luke 1:17).

John’s public ministry lasted roughly six months—shorter than an academic freshman year at a Bible college. He preached a lot of sermons on repentance, baptized thousands of people, fought religious people often, handed his ministry to Jesus, rebuked Herod publicly for marrying a sister-in-law, and got his head chopped off—all by the age of about 30. Today, the average 30-year-old guy is getting married for the first time after years of playing video games, downloading porn, and wasting time.

6. John avoided adolescence

The Bible speaks briefly of John’s youth: “And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel” (Luke 1:80).

John did not consume any alcohol, he did not waver, and he packed in a lifetime of man’s work during his brief 30 years because he did not waste any of his time on earth. Like a soldier off to war, he did not pretend that life was an extended vacation at an all-inclusive resort. He was a real man, a man’s man.

Men who aspire to greatness can learn a lot from John’s example. He is Jesus’ definition of a great man: one who honors mother and father, is filled with the Holy Spirit, humbly leads others to Jesus Christ, evangelizes lost people, obeys God’s call on his life, avoids adolescence, and spends his time not avoiding but getting ready to take on more responsibility.

For more on the greatest man who ever lived, check out Pastor Mark's sermons "John the Baptizer" (Part 1 and Part 2) and "The Birth of John the Baptizer."

We’re not underdogs

Guy Mason — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

What will transform us into courageous leaders who leave a mark on this world for the glory of Christ? Two words: gospel confidence.

From Pastor Mark Driscoll:

Today on the Resurgence blog, we welcome a new author: Guy Mason. I’ve known Pastor Mason since the early days of his church plant in Melbourne, Australia. God has poured out a lot of grace over the years, and the church is still growing fast while reaching largely young, educated, urban singles. I’m glad to have him join us at Resurgence and for you to get to know him.

We have a love-hate relationship with confidence. By that, I mean we love to hate it.

We cringe when sports stars talk up their prospects of success. We expect comedians to be self-deprecating. We want politicians to be less assured—and pastors to play it safe.

I remember when I first expressed my call to plant a church in my hometown of Melbourne, Australia.

The call to plant started as inner-stirrings and quiet prayer, before evolving into long periods of reading, research, and sleepless nights wrestling with fears while sensing God’s prodding. In time, I finally came out of the reformed church-planter shadows with the words, “I think God may be calling me to plant a church.”

Telling someone about the desire to lead or start something new isn’t easy. Many of my aspirations were met with skepticism and doubt. It wasn’t that people didn’t care; on the contrary, people thought the most loving thing to do was lower my expectations—one bloke said, “It will ruin your ministry career, because it’s likely to fail.”

There are many reasons to justify lack of confidence.

An inconvenient truth

We are bombarded with news reports heralding declining church attendance and the death of God. Like Rocky Balboa fending off the unstoppable Clubber Lang, Christians are portrayed as beaten fighters, swinging from the ropes, with the towel about to hit the mat.

In Australia, this “battler” mindset suffuses everything. The first settlers fought harsh conditions, our soldiers were outnumbered in war, and our athletes are used to being the “little guy” on the international arena. No matter the domain, we feel accustomed to being the underdog.

In a ministry context, pastors tend to emphasize difficulty. We focus on opposition, highlight low resources, and bemoan minimal progress. This message is so widely accepted that any talk of church growth is met with the suspicion that a church has compromised with truth to attract newcomers.

God calls us to embrace his confidence.

This cultural milieu, coupled with our own insecurities, has a devastating impact on confidence. In a country that cuts down “tall poppies” (those who rise above), it is safer to embrace mediocrity than pursue an audacious vision—and so leaders hold back, lowering expectations and fleeing the sacrificial paths that have marked Christianity since its inception.

To be sure, Melbourne is a pagan city with alluring idols. However, belief in God is far from dead: 43% agree that Jesus rose from the dead, and a staggering 74% believe God exists. As pastor and author Tony Payne says, “The population as a whole is not nearly as hostile to Christianity or to churchgoing as we think.”

This is an inconvenient truth for the atheist, but also the pastor looking to validate mediocre ministry. How can we change this? What will transform us into courageous leaders who leave a mark on this world for the glory of Christ?

Two words: gospel confidence.

Gospel confidence in the example of Moses

Gospel confidence is the living and certain trust that Jesus’ gospel is powerful to save. This is sharply distinct from self-confidence, which looks in the mirror and says, “I can do it.” Such an attitude leads to either pride at one’s “achievements,” or despair when difficulty comes. In contrast, gospel confidence finds courage not by looking to culture or to self, but to God.

In Exodus, we read of God’s extraordinary work in the life of an ordinary man named Moses. Orphaned as a child and later an exile with a stutter and a criminal record, he appeared destined for a life of obscurity—until he met God in the burning bush (Exod. 3).

This famous encounter reveals a three-fold pathway to gospel confidence.

1. God’s identity revealed

The Lord greets Moses with this: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exod. 3:6).

To grow in gospel confidence and be used in leadership, Moses had to have more than an awareness of God—he had to be gripped by the vision of God’s greatness. The one summoning him is the great I AM—the eternal, holy, and supreme Creator. Before calling him, God gives Moses a vision of how glorious he is.

2. God’s plan announced

“The Lord said, ‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry. . . . I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey.’” (vv. 7–8)

To grow in gospel confidence, Moses’s passions must sync with the heartbeat of the great I AM. God is not indifferent to the sorrow and suffering of Israel—he hears their brokenness and knows their bondage. His love is purposeful and active; he is the one who will “come down” and deliver his people from slavery and bring them to freedom.

And God will use Moses to achieve his plans, telling him: “I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt” (v. 10).

Moses’ mission is birthed from God’s mission. He does not manufacture a calling, but instead follows God’s calling—and we do likewise, for God is the driving force in all gospel confidence. We can be confident of success because God has called us to achieve his purposes.

3. God’s presence assured

Moses, like many of us, is slow to trust. Instead of meditating on how big God is, he is overcome by his own sense of inadequacy: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (v. 11). We might have expected the Lord to respond by building up Moses’ self-esteem, but instead God says simply: “I will be with you” (v. 12).

Moses didn’t need to have a higher vision of self, just a truer vision of the God who would be with him every step of the way.

God calls us to embrace his confidence, perfected in Christ and now imparted to his disciples today.

When God is required

Jesus came to ordinary people to help achieve his most extraordinary will. He did this by revealing himself as the great “I am” (John 8:58), outlining his plan for the world (Mark 10:45; Luke 19:10), and then assuring his followers of his ongoing presence as they accepted his great commission (Matt. 28:16–20).

God is lifting our eyes to him. He is giving each one of us a big vision, which requires complete dependence, for when God is required for all we do, he is guaranteed to get all the glory.

When sports fail us

Jose Rijo-Berger — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

When your children face adversity in sports—and they will!—here are four lessons from a Christian athlete and trainer to guide you.

It’s easy for parents to get caught up in accomplishments in sports, not only to impress others, but to justify all the time our children spend practicing and playing. Getting carried away, however, can have serious consequences.

In my nearly 15 years of coaching, I’ve seen kids resent their parents for making them play, and those same parents wonder why their son or daughter doesn’t want to spend time with them anymore. I’ve seen children who fear that no one will love them if they don’t meet expectations as an athlete. I’ve seen young men and women so focused on one sport that they turn to drugs and alcohol when a setback takes that activity away. I’ve seen kids quit sports because they want their mom or dad back.

The reality is, God judges the heart, not titles or wins or losses.

In the struggle, slow down

When a child struggles, one of the hardest things for a parent to do is to slow down and wait for the Lord.

But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

My staff and I see this every day. Ask any one of us at any given time if we know a family at risk or in crisis, and the answer will be yes. We also see families take strength in and from the Lord and walk through their struggles together.

When your child faces adversity—and he will!—here are some thoughts to guide you:

1. Performance is not the priority

You’re going to love your child no matter what, so tell her. She needs to know that you won’t think less of her if she gets cut from a team, hits eighth instead of third, or goes 0-for-4. Be happy with a great attitude and effort, and focus on things your child can control: leadership, work ethic, or sticking to a training plan.

2. Use the credibility of your coaches

Every coach at Rijo Athletics played college or pro ball, and we’ve all felt crushed by an injury, a bad game, or because we got beat out by someone better that day. If you’re having trouble relating to your kid about sports and the pressure he’s feeling, ask a coach or an athlete for their experience and help.

3. When your kid gets cut . . .

Big differences in physical and emotional maturity, training, athleticism, and attitude make it harder for kids to compete for a roster spot as they get older. If your child doesn’t make a team, fill that time with something else he loves: bowling, fishing, movies, whatever. Turn the hours you previously set aside for sports into family time. There’s no better way to tell your child, “I like being with you, not because of sports, but because I love you.”

4. Keep playing

There are recreational leagues in virtually every sport all the way up to the college level. I remember working with a young man who didn’t make his high school baseball team, so he played in a recreational youth league instead. He got his confidence up and made new friends while continuing to feel good about the sport. Another kid got cut from his high school team three times, but he kept training with us and went on to a Division II school where he played four years of college baseball.

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

Share your story

Finally, for those parents who are reading this and who have experienced the struggles of addiction, depression, and other problems in your family, please share your story with others. It’s important that we’re able to talk about the challenges and pressures of raising a child who is also an athlete. You’re not alone.

If it is by grace that we are saved (Eph. 2:8), and we have saving knowledge of Jesus, our sole focus should be showing Christ in us in all we do. Athletic performance, good or bad, does not determine a child’s value as an individual. In essence, our identity as an individual is based upon being created in God’s image. Though tainted by sin, we are restored with God through faith in Christ and in letting our faith carry us in times of adversity.

For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:8

What did Jesus mean when he said, ‘Judge not’?

Sam Storms — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 00:00:00 -0700

From his new book, Tough Topics, Sam Storms tackles the non-Christian’s favorite verse.

Whereas it comes as no surprise that most Christians have at least one favorite verse of Scripture, it is somewhat startling to learn that most non-Christians have one as well. Non-Christians may know little of the Bible, but as certainly as night follows day, they can quote for you Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that you be not judged.” And, ironically, this verse—which they love most—they understand least.

A text abused

Never has a passage of Scripture been so utterly abused, misunderstood, and misapplied as this one. Non-Christians (and not a few misguided believers as well) use this text to denounce any and all who venture to criticize or expose the sins, shortcomings, or doctrinal aberrations of others. One dare not speak ill of homosexuality, adultery, gossip, cheating on your income tax, fornication, abortion, non-Christian religions, and so on without incurring the wrath of multitudes who are convinced that Jesus, whom they despise and reject, said that we shouldn’t judge one another!

This problem is due in large measure to the fact that people hate absolutes, especially moral ones. To suggest that there really is an absolute difference between good and evil, truth and falsity, is to risk being labeled as medieval and closed-minded. In brief, for many (if not most) students today, “There is no enemy other than the man who is not open to everything.”

The irony, of course, is that in judging us for judging others they are themselves violating the very commandment to which they want to hold us accountable! To insist that it is wrong to pronounce others wrong for embracing a particular belief or moral practice is itself an ethical position, a moral stand. To insist on uncritical tolerance of all views is extremely intolerant of those who embrace a different perspective.

What Jesus does not mean

Jesus is not forbidding us from expressing our opinion on right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity, can be demonstrated by noting two factors: the immediate context and the rest of the New Testament teaching on judging.

Virtually all of the Sermon on the Mount, both preceding and following this text, is based on the assumption that we will (and should) use our critical powers in making ethical and logical judgments. Jesus has told Christians to be different from the world around us, to pursue a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees, to do “more” than what unbelievers would do, to avoid being like the hypocrites when we give, pray, fast, and so on.

All criticism must be preceded by confession.

Not only this, but immediately following this word of exhortation in Matthew 7:1 Jesus issues two more commands: don’t give what is holy to dogs or pearls to pigs, and beware of false prophets. “It would be impossible to obey either of these commands without using our critical judgment,” says Stott. “For in order to determine our behavior toward ‘dogs,’ ‘pigs’ and ‘false prophets’ we must first be able to recognize them, and in order to do that we must exercise some critical discernment.”

Direct your attention to such texts as Matthew 18:15–17; Romans 16:17–18; 1 Corinthians 5:3; Galatians 1:8; Philippians 3:2; Titus 3:10–11; 1 John 4:1–4; 2 John 9–11; 3 John 9–10; and especially John 7:24, where Jesus himself says, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment,” (emphasis mine).

What Jesus does mean

What, then, does Jesus mean in Matthew 7:1–6?

It would appear that Jesus is prohibiting the sort of judgmental criticism that is self-righteous, hypercritical, and destructive. He is prohibiting the kind of judgment we pass on others not out of concern for their spiritual health and welfare but solely to parade our alleged righteousness before men.

Jesus is prohibiting not loving rebuke and constructive criticism, but rather self-serving censoriousness. To be censorious, Stott explains,

. . . does not mean to assess people critically, but to judge them harshly. The censorious critic is a fault-finder who is negative and destructive towards other people and enjoys actively seeking out their failings. He puts the worst possible construction on their motives, pours cold water on their schemes and is ungenerous towards their mistakes.

To sum up, “The command to judge not is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous. Jesus does not tell us to cease to be men (by suspending our critical powers which help to distinguish us from animals) but to renounce the presumptuous ambition to be God (by setting ourselves up as judges).”

But wait—there’s more

But we must not stop with verse 7:1, for Jesus has much more to say on this subject in the verses that follow.

The reason he gives for not judging others in a self-righteous and censorious manner is that “with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you” (v. 2). The problem here is determining whether this refers to the judgment we experience at the hands of men or of God.

When we set up a standard to which others must conform, we are no less obliged to keep it than they are. That is why humility and love must govern our judgments. All criticism must be preceded by confession. Before we point out a fault in others, let us first confess its presence in our own lives.

What’s in your eye?

An illustration of this principle is given in Matthew 7:3–5: “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye,” asks Jesus, “but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”

This principle applies to any number of situations, such as denouncing the external, visible sins of the flesh, like adultery, theft, murder, in order to excuse or minimize the internal, less visible sins of the heart, such as jealousy, bitterness, greed, or lust. Related to this is the tendency to point out the faults of others precisely to throw them off the scent of our own sin. This form of judgment is nothing more than self-justification. We think that if we can just make known to others the gravity of their sins, we will by comparison come out smelling like a rose.

Saints are not to be simpletons!

There is also an opposite and equal danger. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus says, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” Here Jesus points out the danger of being overindulgent and undiscerning. In loving our enemies, going the extra mile, and not judging unjustly, there is the peril of becoming wishy-washy and of failing to make essential distinctions between right and wrong and truth and falsehood. Whereas the saints are not to be judges, neither are they to be simpletons!

Jesus is not saying that we should withhold the gospel from certain people we regard as unworthy of it, but he is a realist and acknowledges that after multiple rejections and mockery of the gospel, the time may come to move on to others. There are those who are persistently vicious and calloused, who delight not in the truth of Scripture but only in mocking it.

The gospel above all and in context

In conclusion, then, several points should be made.

First, it’s important to note that Jesus speaks of “pearls” and not “gravel.” We must always keep in mind the priceless treasure and incalculable value and glory of the gospel message.

Second, there are going to be different sorts of people to whom we witness, and we must learn to discriminate among them (see Acts 17:32–34).

Third, we need not present the gospel of Jesus with the same emphasis at all times in an unthinking and mechanical way. Some are already weighed down with sin and guilt and conviction of the Holy Spirit and thus need to hear of God’s love in Christ. Others need to hear of the holiness and wrath of God. Others need to come to grips with the depravity of their hearts, while still others need to be confronted with divine mercy and forgiveness. Remember that this instruction is set in the context of loving our enemies. Whereas we are not to cast our pearls before swine, neither are we to be nasty and vicious and uncaring.

This instruction is set in the context of loving our enemies.

Finally, Matthew 7:6 probably does not need to be taught in certain churches or to certain Christians. Their problem is not that they are inclined to be undiscerning and often cast their pearls before swine. Their problem is that they aren’t casting their pearls at all! This verse is addressed to those who are so zealous for evangelism that they fail to discern the scoffer from the hungry soul. Most likely, our problem is that we have no such zeal to evangelize in the first place.

This post is an abridged excerpt from Tough Topics: Biblical Answers to 25 Challenging Questions, by Sam Storms, copyright © Crossway, 2013. In this book, Dr. Storms answers a couple dozen of the trickiest questions Christians are often confused by or maybe even afraid to ask in the first place. For the full answer to this question in this post, along with the answers to the 24 other questions, head to the Resurgence Store to pick up your copy of Tough Topics.

2 types of wisdom: A Wise Leader, Part 2

Jamie Munson — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 00:01:00 -0700

Today is the second installment in Jamie Munson’s three-part series, A Wise Leader.

There’s a lot at stake in our pursuit of wisdom and two paths we could take. One is demonic; one is godly.

In a previous post, I discussed how life’s trials are many, but the key to these trials is wisdom. We need wisdom—without it we are doomed. The problem is often that we get our wisdom from the wrong source.

Wise up

In James 1 we are told to ask God for wisdom. Wisdom comes from God. His words, his motives, and his actions are perfectly wise. God doesn’t only know how to be wise, but he is wise.

The following verses reflect this idea, that God himself is wisdom, and he alone acts wisely:

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7)
“The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.” (Proverbs 3:19)
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” (Psalm 111:10)

Godly wisdom

True wisdom is godly wisdom. Moving forward in the book of James, we get a good definition of godly wisdom as well as its opposite: worldly wisdom.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. . . . But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13, 17–18)

With these verses we observe that godly wisdom is: pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, good fruits, impartial and sincere and that it creates a “harvest of righteousness.”

Is there currently a situation in your life where you need wisdom, because it is difficult or stressful or confusing? A frustrating situation at work? A disrespectful friend? Or your own internal struggles with sin and selfishness? Looking at the list that James provides about wisdom, which areas are lacking the most? Are your motives and actions pure and peaceable? Are you open to reason? Are you impartial and sincere? And is there a harvest for you of righteous deeds and thoughts?

If you answered no to all (or maybe any) of these questions, or if you’re lacking in one aspect of godly wisdom, then you’re probably relying on worldly wisdom.

Worldly wisdom

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:14–16)

Unlike godly wisdom, worldly wisdom is bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, prideful boasting, false to the truth, earthly, unspiritual, and even “demonic.”

When we are faced by trials in life and leadership, we have two options. We can respond with:

Worldly wisdom: Arrogantly rely on our own wisdom or the world’s wisdom
Godly wisdom: Humbly rely on and seek God’s wisdom

Below is a breakdown of many of the differences between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. We will examine some of these in a later post.

	Worldly wisdom	Godly wisdom
After failures	Stubbornly defensive about sin	Repentant of sin
Attitude	Prideful	Humble
When others succeed	Envy their success	Celebrate their success
Whether you can learn and grow	Nothing left to learn	Life-long learner
Desire to get wisdom	Stop asking questions	Always looking to ask questions
Community	Isolation or foolish counsel	Godly community and wise counsel

A word to the wise

Think about your life and leadership. Be honest: which wisdom characterizes your heart in times of trial? Where have you relied on and settled for worldly wisdom? Is there anything you need to repentant from?

How can you move forward relying on God’s wisdom?

Check out Munson’s first post in his series, “One sanctifying trial after another.” Stay tuned in coming weeks for the third and final one in this small series.

Resurgence roundup, 5/31/13

Resurgence — Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

This week, we’re reading about how not to waste our summer, Piper on Lewis, and how to examine the authenticity of biblical texts, and we’re applying for ReTrain!

The “Don’t waste your summer!” series

The Gospel Project

This is an excellent series of posts from various authors on redeeming the summer, with a little bit of something for everyone, from Trillia Newbell encouraging women, Eric Mason challenging husbands and fathers, to Matt Capps inspiring pastors to be intentional with their summer plans.

“3 essentials in healthy kids and student ministries,” by Eric Geiger

Local churches, parents, and guardians should partner together in ministering to children and students, not only within their four walls, but within their community as well. The three keys, says Geiger are these: kingdom expanding, character transforming, and culture shaking.

"Free stuff Fridays," by Tim Challies

We love giveaways and free stuff. Today Challies has a great prize package that includes one of our latest book releases, Touch Topics: Biblical Answers to 25 Challenging Questions by Sam Storms

“The difference between original autographs and original texts,” by Michael J. Kruger

The Gospel Coalition

How can we be certain that the Bible we read is the actual Bible if all we have are copies of copies of the original writings? With this post, Kruger, a professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, provides a thorough response of why we can be confident that we have the actual Bible based upon the role of the autographs and the manuscripts.

“New eBook: Piper celebrates the influence of Lewis,” by Jonathan Parnell

Desiring God

C.S. Lewis has had a tremendous influence on countless people, especially Dr. John Piper. To commemorate the 50th year since Lewis passed away, Desiring God released a new free eBook this week from Piper, Alive to Wonder: Celebrating the Influence of C.S. Lewis.

ICYMI

Here are the posts we’ve put out here on Resurgence in the last seven days.

“Knowing who you are,” by Jeremy Pace (Becoming a Better Leader)
“Bringing it all back to discipleship,” by Ryan Kearns (Book Highlight)
“Bearing the burden to remember,” by Jake Snodgrass
“How to preach biblical narratives,” by Mark Driscoll (Preaching & Teaching)
“On the broom of gracious gospel: A Q&A with Gloria Furman,” by Hilary Tompkins
“Complete vs. compete,” Leadership Coaching with Pastor Mark
"Your ministry calling is impossible,” by Sutton Turner (Becoming a Better Leader)

Resurgence Training Center

Applications for the next year’s classes for Resurgence Training Center are due today! Be a part of the Class of 2014 and apply.

Here are some stories we recently shared from students the Class of 2013:

We asked Kasey Shuler, “Where in your life are you most eager to apply what you’re learning in ReTrain?”
We asked Julio Merida, “What have you been learning about at ReTrain?”
We asked Geoff Wright, “What brought you to ReTrain?”

Your ministry calling is impossible

Sutton Turner — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:00:00 -0700

If Jesus calls you into full-time ministry, it will be difficult.

Being called into vocational ministry is not more godly or sacred than being called into a job in the secular world, but there are some differences.

We don’t need to be “called” to go on vacation, cash a fat check, or sleep in. Not a lot of convincing is required so long as we retain our comfort. The call to go into full-time ministry requires sacrifice. It involves opposition. It’s an invitation to do something that we probably wouldn’t do if we didn’t sense God calling us to it.

Many people have a call on their lives but can’t hear it.

At a church conference in 2006, I walked a mile in the pouring rain to attend a breakout session where I didn’t know the speaker or the topic. For some reason, however, I felt compelled to go. It was at that session where I first heard somebody talk about being a second-in-charge (“2IC”).

All my life I had been a president, a CEO, or a managing partner, but on that day in 2006 I knew Jesus was calling me to give up top-dog status and serve him, serve his church, and serve a lead pastor. That was the beginning of my journey as a 2IC, and I’ve learned a lot about calling along the way. Here are six lessons I’ve gleaned over the years in following God’s call on my life to ministry.

1. It requires sacrifice

Noah. Abraham. Joseph, the son of Jacob. Moses. Gideon. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Hosea. Joseph, Jesus’ adoptive father. The disciples. Paul. Anytime God calls somebody to do something related to ministry in Scripture, it’s something hard that requires a sacrifice of time, health, reputation, money, comfort, security—or all of the above. It’s also impossible to fulfill apart from the Holy Spirit and God’s grace.

2. It’s necessary to survive

If ministry is your calling, you’ll buckle down, lean into Jesus, and weather the storms. Opposition, spiritual warfare, criticism, and rejection won’t surprise you, because you know it comes with the territory, and you know that God is with you and for you.

3. It must include your spouse and kids

My first year working at Mars Hill Church was really hard. But at one point, my oldest daughter (who was 12 at the time) turned to me and said, “We knew it was going to be rough, Dad. But God called us here, so it’s OK.” If your family is not prepared to sacrifice, then you’re not called to ministry. Everyone in the family will experience spiritual attacks, so they need to be on board before you take the job. If you can’t fulfill your calling and take care of your family, then you’re not called.

4. It’s for a season

I’ve bounced back and forth between vocational ministry and the corporate world for the better part of a decade. When you’re called, it’s for a season. Now, that season may last months or it may last a lifetime. We can’t know, so be content, faithful, and patient with your calling today, and trust God with tomorrow.

5. It doesn’t come with an exit strategy

You can quit a job. You can’t quit a true calling. If Jesus has called you into ministry, he will release you when it’s time to go. If it’s really a calling, you don’t get to decide when to leave. This is another huge difference between a calling and a job. Don’t start pursuing something else in the meantime. Do not go into full-time ministry with an exit strategy.

6. It’s often ignored

Many people have a call on their lives but can’t hear it because they’re listening to the idols of comfort, money, possessions, status, sex, and power instead. Since a calling is hard, we rationalize our disobedience or flat-out ignore the Holy Spirit. Not everybody is called to full-time ministry, and that’s OK. But God is surely calling you to do something. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you, and be ready to respond in courage and faith when he does.

More than the hardship, more than the sacrifice, more than the pain, following Jesus’ call means we get to be a part of the work he is doing to save and change lives. It’s kingdom work with eternal implications, and the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Complete vs. compete

Mark Driscoll — Thu, 30 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

When “like attracts like,” leaders can end up with a team of competitors. A more effective team is made up of people with complementary strengths.

On the broom of gracious gospel: A Q&A with Gloria Furman

Hilary Tompkins — Wed, 29 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Hilary Tompkins talks with Gloria Furman, whose first book Glimpses of Grace comes out on Friday, about being “enough” and sweeping away false hopes and lies.

A word from Justin Holcomb:

I recently had the privilege of meeting Gloria Furman at The Gospel Coalition’s 2013 National Conference. Gloria is a cross-cultural worker, writes for many blogs, and is the author of the brand-new Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home. Furman was kind enough to field some questions from my friend and the director of Women’s Ministry at Mars Hill Church, Hilary Tompkins, about her new book, the struggle of being “enough,” and juggling the demands of family and responsibilities outside the home on a tight budget. Her responses are seasoned with grace, and I believe you will benefit from them immensely.

Hilary Tompkins: Gloria, thank you so much for writing Glimpses of Grace. I’m excited to recommend it to many women I know who will certainly identify with much of what you share in your book. I loved reading your story and hearing what God has taught you. Thanks for the opportunity to ask you questions—there are so many women whose stories I have in mind as I ask these.

Gloria Furman: Thanks so much for this opportunity!

HT: What prompted you to write this book? What were you hearing from women, or experiencing yourself, that caused you to recognize that women needed some glimpses of God’s grace?

GF: This book was borne out of a desire to remind myself (and others) of the governing reality in our lives when we belong to Jesus—that of being “in Christ.” I was so weary of fixating on my fleeting circumstances, and I found myself standing on the sinking sand of falsehood, lies, and worldly wisdom. Instead of these temporary things, I want to be obsessed with what I’m going to be obsessed with three zillion years from now—that is, seeing and savoring Jesus for all eternity. I figured that if my own heart needs to be reminded regularly to build my hope on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, then perhaps other women can relate, too.

“We can never ask for too much grace.”

HT: What do you think is the difference between Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “cheap” grace, and the many, many times we need to draw on God’s grace to get through the day. Is there ever a time when we ask for too much grace?

GF: I don’t think there is ever a time when we can ask for too much grace. We’re utterly dependent on a God who gives to his creation life, breath, and everything according to his will. Contrary to “cheap” grace, grace that flows from the work of our crucified, risen, and reigning Savior is costly—indeed, it is priceless. Drawing on this grace is our blood-bought privilege as Christians, a privilege that our Lord is delighted to give.

“Even our discontent can direct us to God’s grace.”

HT: Many women struggle with contentment. Whether we are working at home or outside the home, single or married, we believe we will find contentment elsewhere. How would you encourage women who long for something “more?”

GF: I completely understand the struggle with contentment. It seems that whatever season I find myself in, I have nagging thoughts of malcontent. These thoughts can be directly traced back to my sinful heart, which seeks to fill itself with lesser pleasures and my own ideas of happiness.

In light of all this, I’ve found one tremendous thought—one expulsive affection—that is able to displace my nagging thoughts of malcontent and fill me with peace and joy: Jesus is infinitely more precious than whatever it is that I feel like I’m missing out on. When we direct our affections to Jesus we find that even our feelings of discontent can serve to direct us to God’s grace.

HT: I know a lot of young moms who have small children, a husband who works long hours, a tight budget, and numerous responsibilities outside their homes (e.g., aging parents, children’s activities, volunteering at church, etc.). In the midst of busy lives it’s hard to find time for Bible reading and prayer. Their own spiritual growth suffers and they feel guilty. You say you’ve struggled with this too—what would you say to other moms?

GF: Oh, how I have struggled with this! In Glimpses of Grace, I address this issue directly and expound on the reality of the grace we have in those times.

For a long time I felt that God would only commune with me in his word and in prayer when I was free of distractions and noise. And then more and more things began to be added to my day (and night). I’ll catch up with you later, Lord, when life settles down, was my thinking. But Jesus’ words (quoting Deut. 8:3), “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord,” serve as a helpful correction. God created us to be bread-dependent creatures so we would understand what Jesus meant when he said, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

“We’re not ‘enough,’ but God justifies us.”

Apart from Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5). Prayerfully, consciously dependent on Christ for all things—this perspective helps me prepare my mind for action instead of hopeless despair. Every moment of my life is propelled by the grace of God into more and more of his future grace that is given to me in Christ Jesus because he gave his body to be broken for me. And this grace teaches me time and again to anchor my hope fully on the grace that will be brought to me when Jesus returns (1 Pet. 1:13).

HT: Often, we struggle with being enough. We tell ourselves, I don’t volunteer enough, I don’t read to my kids enough, my house isn’t clean enough, I don’t pay enough attention to my husband, I’m simply not good enough. Help a sister out here, Gloria, and tell me the truth about being enough.

GF: This is such a timely question for me to consider as my family faces a season of transition. In a couple of months we’re expecting Baby #4’s arrival, our oldest child will start a new school, and my husband will take on some new ministry tasks. As we consider all of this, we realize that indeed we’re not “enough.” I think this feeling of weakness serves to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead (2 Cor. 1:9). And indeed, he has raised us from the dead.

The good news is that in Christ, God has provided for our greatest need. This greatest need is the most truly desperate “not enough” situation that any of us will ever be in. Each of us is a depraved sinner who desperately needs to be reconciled to a holy God. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4–5). No, we’re not “enough,” but God justifies us by his grace. And he regenerates and empowers us by his Spirit so we can serve with the strength he supplies so he gets the glory through Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 4:11).

“Remind one another of God’s truths (even if it’s awkward).”

HT: At various stages of life we can feel overwhelmed, lonely, burned out, and discouraged. As women who love Jesus, how do you think we can love each other well during those times? What does that practically look like for you in your role as a ministry wife, mom, and friend?

GF: God has saved us out of darkness into his marvelous light, and he’s designed us to need one another as we walk in his light. I know I need my friends to sweep the sand off my feet so I can see that the rock I am standing on is Christ and him alone. And then on other days, I’m the one holding the broom of gracious gospel reminders and I can help my friends brush away the false hopes and lies that we think we should stand on.

Practically speaking, among many things, that means cultivating friendships where you lovingly remind one another of the truths in God’s word (even if it makes for an awkward conversation at times). The love of Christ in us controls us, compelling us toward other women with words of grace and peace—reminders that he died for us, so we who live might no longer live for ourselves but for him.

Follow us on Twitter to learn how you can win a copy of Glimpses of Grace, which is being released on Friday by Crossway.

How to preach biblical narratives

Mark Driscoll — Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

In the latest installment of the Preaching & Teaching series, Pastor Mark Driscoll answers a reader’s question about how to tackle preaching the longer, narrative books in Scripture.

Pastor Mark,

When preaching God’s Word, how do you approach biblical narratives like Kings or Chronicles? Is expository preaching the best way to approach every single verse of the Bible? Your help is greatly appreciated on this. If possible, I would like to ask you to pray for me. My church is preparing me for ordination soon. I am really excited and nervous at the same time.

–Seth

Seth, I am praying for your ordination. Congratulations on coming to the end of what was probably a very long process by God’s grace!

Understanding the genres of literature is absolutely crucial for a preacher or teacher. As you have rightly indicated, the variance in literary styles has to affect how we preach various sections of the Bible.

I believe in expository preaching. It has been the meat and potatoes of my ministry at Mars Hill for 17 years now. But we have to make sure our methodology does not turn into “methodolatry.” We can’t take one method and shoehorn everything into it. Perhaps the oddest example I have encountered was a pastor preaching through Genesis who landed on the sin of Onan on Mother’s Day. He talked a lot about whether or not the passage addressed masturbation. Good text. Bad day. He was so committed to expository preaching he would not even take Mother’s Day off to preach from another section of the Bible.

Variance in literary styles has to affect how we preach.

Some books of the Bible do not lend themselves well to expository preaching. Proverbs is the easiest example. To preach Proverbs, you have to collect them into topics or it’s impossible to get anywhere.

Preaching a New Testament letter is also different from preaching an Old Testament narrative. When I have preached through letters written by Paul, such as Ephesians or 1 Corinthians, it’s pretty easy to take a chunk of text and walk through it line by line in each sermon. But if you do that with Genesis or Luke, you will be preaching those books for decades. Also, since narratives are heavy on character development, unfolding plots, and the interrelationships between people and generations, if you do not deal with the book in large chunks people will lose sight of the storyline and interconnectedness of the entire book.

Luke took me a little over two years. Genesis took me a year. I find that when you preach narrative books, especially long ones, a few things are helpful:

1. Break it down

Break the book into the logical units. How does the story unfold? As you do this, some sections will be quite long.

2. Teach section-by-section

Rather than reading one verse at a time and then teaching on it, as you would in a book like Romans, when you have a long narrative section, read it all at the front of the sermon, then summarize the context and explain how the section fits into the story of the book and how the story of the book fits into the storyline of the whole Bible.

3. Look for the big idea

Pull a big idea, or a few big ideas, from the story and make those the centerpiece of your sermon, where you focus your teaching. This might be a moral example (positive or negative), an explanation of how God worked in the story, an opportunity to talk about the effects of sin in the story, an illustration of redemption or another common principle articulated throughout the Bible, a key statement or phrase in the story worth camping on, etc.

4. Break it up

You can take a very long book, divide it into sections, and preach it in an expository fashion, just not all at once. For example, I just started preaching Acts, which, according to the outline of the book I did, will require 58 sermons. Of course, this total depends on how I feel led by the Holy Spirit to slow down and focus on a few verses. (This just happened in Ephesians: Halfway through a sermon, I decided to make it two sermons, so we added a week to the schedule. It happens. Don’t worry about it.)

Anyway, I do not want to preach Acts for 58 consecutive weeks. But I do want to preach Acts. So I am preaching it over the course of five to seven years. Our big run is from January through Easter. After Easter, we need all of the new people to understand Jesus’ mission and how our church is a part of what the Holy Spirit is doing in the world today. The story in Acts fits perfectly for this, so I will preach a chunk of the book for the first eight to 12 weeks after Easter each year until we’re through the book. This year we’re in Acts 1–5. Next year I’ll work through Acts 6–10, etc.

For a long book with units of thought within the book, this system could work well. Rather than preaching all 150 Psalms in a row, for example, working in sections of Psalms over the course of many years could be a good way to go.

Staying makes it easier

These are recommendations and not rules. I hope they are helpful. As someone who has stayed in one place for awhile, I would say the longer you stay the easier it is to work out your preaching and teaching because you have time over many years to cover a lot of Scripture—which is a tremendous blessing and a great joy.

Got a question about preaching and teaching for Pastor Mark? Email it to preachteach@marshill.com

Bearing the burden to remember

Jake Snodgrass — Mon, 27 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Remembering those who died for our freedom communalizes grief.

I used to spend Memorial Days during my childhood at a cemetery in Ames, OK, watching aged veterans remember their friends—strong men overcome by emotion, reflecting on events that we in the crowd could only imagine. Standing around these men, we all felt like outsiders in a sense, but year in and year out we were there. It was our community’s attempt to share the burden of remembering.

Communalizing grief

As a chaplain in the U.S. Army, the burden of remembering has fallen on my shoulders. The personal loss of dear friends, knocking on the door of a young family, physically holding up a new widow to hear the words she never wanted to hear has changed me and many in our profession. The transition from outsider to insider has not been a good one. What I have learned about remembering—our task on Memorial Day—is that remembering those who died for our freedom communalizes grief. Communalizing grief frees those who are imprisoned by grief and is the avenue by which the gospel of Jesus can bring healing to those wounded by loss. As a nation, we must do this and we all need to heal. We as Christians should be leading the way.

Grieving with the gospel

In Romans 12:15, Paul says that we are to mourn with those who mourn. Memorial Day grants us the privilege as a body of Christ to encircle those who have lost, remember those who have fallen, gather them in our arms and point them to the eternal hope we have in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Again Paul, in Romans 8:18–25, points to those hurting to gospel-centered hope.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

It is gives peace to know that the sufferings of this present age, however dark and deep, will be paled by the glory that is to be revealed in us. All of us, as a community wait now with eager longing for God to make this right. There will be a day when wars will cease and our sons and daughters will not be asked to preserve peace because God’s Son, Jesus Christ, will through his own death and sacrifice bring ultimate peace and freedom.

Mourning with hope

For those who mourn with broken hearts and shattered dreams, know that today we mourn with you, we as a community are brokenhearted. We mourn, however, with a patient hope, and as a community lean toward the day when Jesus will make all things new.

Find a Memorial Day service at a local or national cemetery, shake the hand of a veteran, hug a grieving spouse and grieve with them. Honor the men and women who have died in your place and point to the future hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Bringing it all back to discipleship

Ryan Kearns — Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Making disciples might not carry the same luster as other church ambitions, but robust discipleship often is the most fertile ground for leadership development.

To go and make disciples is the mission that Jesus has given us (Matt. 28:19)—but how do we do it? In his book Insourcing: Bringing Discipleship Back to the Local Church, Randy Pope shares his story as an experienced practitioner who has been a part of many different ministry models since planting his church 30 years ago.

Perimeter Church started at the twilight of the traditional pastoral ministry model, and Pope was an influential leader and example in the attractional church ministry model (“Come to us”) and also in the missional ministry model (“We go to you”). Yet a number of years ago he decided to lead his church in a direction that was not new per se but rather quite old: life-on-life missional discipleship groups (LOLMD).

Target practice

If you’re going to take a shot, you first consider the target. (p. 28)

By all outward measurements, Pope’s Atlanta church was successful and doing well. “We were being celebrated and applauded, held up as an example of innovation, but for all the wrong reasons. The accolades we’d received were not because we’d hit an appropriate target but because the distance we’d shot impressed people” (p. 13). Pope realized that the target ought to be the maturing and equipping of their people. Since that was the goal, Pope decided to start seeing how that was being done around his church.

But our most important questions weren’t sparked by the models at all. They had more to do with the people themselves. Because after the model has been relegated to the storage unit or the dumpster, the people will still be here. So we asked, were our people becoming the right kind of people. (p. 26)

Sidetracked by ‘success’

Pope starts by asking that we look at our ministry models as “vehicles” and ask if they are taking us to our target of equipping people to make disciples (p. 84). He argues that often the allure of success sidetracks us from impact:

What is the purpose of the vehicles, or models, your church employs? Is it success, something that can be gauged by numbers and buildings, and programs? Or is it impact, something that can be measured only by truthfully examining the lives of your people and the lives of the people they touch? Let’s say you want to be a church of impact. Do you own a vehicle that can get you there? . . . For too long the church has focused on numerical growth—which may well be the most accurate church-ese word for success—instead of on healthy impact. . . . A healthy child will grow, but it isn’t always true that a growing child will be healthy. (pp. 89–90)

Pope’s concern is that success, as it is often defined in the church, can lead us to fail in discipling and equipping people because making disciples might not carry the same luster and prominence as other church ambitions. Pope notes that the latter types of church “success” are even more dangerous because of how apt other churches and pastors are to want to imitate it, “You know the pattern. A church stuns its peers with some unprecedented practice or program. Other churches can’t help but notice the splash. It looks like it works. Before you know it, everyone is doing the same thing. The end seems to justify the means. If it works (appears successful), give it a try” (p. 88).

TEAMS work

Pope began to observe how men in the groups he was leading were already being discipled and saw five common emphasis for hitting the target, forming the acronym TEAMS:

Truth
Equipping
Accountability
Mission
Supplication

Each one of these emphasis has an instructional element that allows people to thrive in their spiritual formation: Equipping = coaching, Accountability = support, Truth = directing, and Mission = delegating. Pope argues that this model has helped them hit their target because many churches go right from giving directives to delegating to their people. When you leave out coaching, and support for people as they grow in using their spiritual gifts and being on mission, you end up creating “disillusioned learners” (p. 38). Rather with ongoing, direction, coaching, support, and delegation, Pope states they have seen multiplication of disciples making disciples (p. 136).

Tested and true

One of the most helpful things about Insourcing is that it is tested. Pope began implementing it at his church in 1997 and has had an extended season to see the fruit of it in his church. Yet he still speaks with the humility of saying, “The day our particular version of discipleship ceases to point people to Jesus will be the day it becomes an idol” (p. 189). Along the way he notes a few other interesting things for church leaders to pay attention to:

On the leadership of his church, “They became leaders during the process of discipleship. Life-on-life is not a program we launched but rather a movement that we seeded. These men—and most of our women in leadership as well—grew out of discipleship” (p. 92). Robust, relational discipleship often is the most fertile ground for the development of leaders.
On evangelism and mission in his church, “The motivation that propels the masses out into the world and leads to lasting spiritual growth isn’t a pep rally: it’s a huddle (p. 114).
Many of the leaders we need are already in our church but just need to be invested in, “Discipleship is not a factory for cranking out healthy Christians; it is a laboratory for reproducing leaders. . . . Our leadership base for everything else we do as a church is broadening because we no longer recruit leaders; we reproduce them (p. 150).

Insourcing shows the fruit of a seasoned pastor who has wrestled hard with the important questions of discipleship and leadership for decades. The book is full of insights on what really matters in church ministry, creating a discipleship culture, and what it really looks like to see people equipped to make disciples from a man who has been faithfully serving the church for years.

Knowing who you are

Jeremy Pace — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Leadership is less about who you are and more about who God is and what he is doing specifically and uniquely through you.

The relationship between personality and leadership has been an often-studied pair. But for all the effort, we are no closer to understanding leadership through personality than we were 2,000 years ago.

Just browse the “Leadership” section at the bookstore and dozens of books expounding one personality type, trait, or characteristics as the key to successful leadership can be found. Often these books provide real-life success stories of persons of a certain personality who took their organization to the next level, led a world-changing movement, or left a tremendous legacy.

How do you become a faithful leader?

These books, whether about Steve Jobs or Moses, leave the reader believing that they need only develop a personality like the hero to be successful. The tables of contents read like an ingredient list of behaviors and personality traits that, when mixed together, properly produce the next great leader.

The problem is the question “How do I become a successful leader?” Rather, we should be asking, “How do I become a faithful leader?” The discussion then shifts from “What personality and behavior traits do I need?” to “Who am I?”

Who are ‘you’?

A quick comb through Scripture reveals that God used a plethora of personality types to bring about his purposes throughout history. Whether looking at Moses, Abraham, David, Esther, Peter, Paul, or Mary—it’s clear that God did not use these men and women because of their great personalities or impeccable character, but rather more often in spite of them.

You are not limited by your personality.

The range of personality types of the men and women God has used throughout history demonstrate a profound paradoxical truth for leadership today:

Leadership is less about who you are and more about who God is and what he is doing specifically and uniquely through you.

Who you are matters—it is just not the central or the limiting factor in leadership. God is the defining, centering, and actuating force in all of your life, including leadership. You are not limited by your personality; rather, every one of your traits, ticks, and tendencies is under God’s sovereignty.

What ‘controls’ you?

Becoming a faithful leader is not determined by personality type, but rather on what controls you. Before awakened to our new identity in Christ we once walked in the “course of this world” (Eph. 2:2), moving along the direction of a world separated from God. There are not multiple “courses” but rather a singular course, like a train track rather than an open road. Walking in such a way is to be under the control of a world that either ignores or explicitly rejects God. In Romans 6:6, Paul refers to the course of this world as being “enslaved to sin.”

Yet as believers, we are no longer slaves to sin but slaves to righteousness: “For the love of Christ controls us” (2 Cor. 5:14), sets our course in line with God’s purpose. The love of Christ is not a feeling we have for Christ, but the reality that Christ’s life, death, and resurrection changes our course away from God to towards God. It makes us new (v. 17) and establishes our way of living (vv. 19–20).

All personality types have been made for a purpose.

Regardless of personality type, your identity in Christ is the controlling power of your life and leadership. Your course has changed.

“But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). Paul’s letter to the Philippians expounds on the “mind of Christ” in 2:1–18, explaining that Christ (as the premier human being) has given us through his life the exact way in which we are to live and lead. Likewise, Christ’s death and resurrection has given us his Spirit through which we now have the power to live and lead like Christ.

Unity without uniformity

Our personality type becomes subject to Christ’s character and model. This means that God has wired you in specific and unique ways, and, in Christ, he has restored your wiring to operate under his perfect rule.

Sin causes personality types to short circuit. The paradox of the gospel is that we have been rewired and yet must continue to “work out our salvation daily with fear in trembling” (Phil. 2:12). The “mind of Christ”—his character actuated in us by his Spirit—must daily become the filter for our personality type.

Personality type does not limit you in being a faithful leader, but it is limited and “controlled” by Christ’s character and model, the same character that you are to have and to grow into each day.

Knowing who you are

Knowing who you are in Christ is the beginning of being able to become the “you” God specifically and uniquely created. The gospel not only saves us and sanctifies us, but it also dignifies us. There is no personality type that is better or best. All have been made for a purpose, “for good works” (Eph. 2:10), in order that “we should be a people holy and blameless before him” (Eph. 1:4), “built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit” (Eph. 2:22).

Knowing who you are in Christ allows you to see personality type from the only vantage point that keeps you from using personality as an excuse for poor leadership, an excuse not to lead, or even as a justification for leadership. Only by seeing yourself through who God is and what he is doing can you truly become a faithful leader.

Resurgence roundup, 5/24/13

Resurgence — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Sterrett, Stetzer, and Storms on Oklahoma

This week a deadly tornado ripped through the town of Moore, Oklahoma. Here are three articles we read this week that we found helpful in reflecting upon the goodness of God in the midst of suffering:

“Oklahoma tornadoes: Where was God?” by Dave Sterrett (Washington Post)
“We still cry out to God when tragedy strikes,” by Ed Stetzer (USA Today)
“Tornadoes, tsunamis, and the mystery of suffering and sovereignty,” by Sam Storms (personal blog)

“R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions eBooks now free forever,” by Nathan Bingham

Ligonier Ministries

This week the team at Ligonier Ministries announced that the eBook editions of R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series will be free—forever. We like free, we like forever, and we like these books. You should download them today if you haven’t already.

“Parents, do you think before you post?” by Jen Wilkin

The Gospel Coalition

Parents today might not think twice about posting photos or statuses about their kids—ones that will live much longer than the old family photo album. But are parents being cavalier in doing so? Wilkin here encourages parents to think ahead and consider the longevity of their posts before posting, tweeting, or sharing.

“Executives & businessmen on mission,” by John Quick

Living on mission is not easy—especially when you’re trying to run businesses or hold high-level positions, as Quick has. In this post, Quick, who today is the executive director of Soma, shares five things that helped him keep his focus while on the road or working overtime.

1. Use your gifts and skill sets to benefit your church family. If you own a commercial real-estate business, represent your church family. If you’re an attorney, draft documents they’ll need. If you own a coffee shop, help your church’s coffee shop become the best coffee shop in town.

“7 (hopefully) helpful hints after 7 months of visiting churches,” by Thom Rainer

From not knowing where to park, use the restroom, or follow along in his Bible, Thom shares his observations of churches he visited for speaking engagements. (If you don’t already read it regularly, Rainer’s blog is a wealthy repository of practical advice for church leaders.)

ICYMI

Here are the posts we’ve put out here on Resurgence this week.

“9 types of leaders in Scripture,” by Justin Holcomb
“From prison to ReTrain: Russell’s story,” by Resurgence
“Contentment,” by Amanda Edmondson
“‘Each next risk is the biggest one’: James MacDonald talks with Mark Driscoll”
“The places grace empowers us,” by Justin Holcomb

Songs for the Book of Luke

The places grace empowers us

Justin Holcomb — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

This week only (May 20–27), Crossway is offering a 75% discount on the complete A Book You’ll Actually Read series in digital format for $1.99 each—or a whopping $10 for the whole five-book series. Below is an adaptation from the newest volume in the series, On the Grace of God, by Justin Holcomb.

Christians live every day by the grace of God.

We receive forgiveness according to the riches of divine grace, and grace drives our sanctification. Paul tells us, “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives” (Titus 2:11–12).

This doesn’t happen overnight—we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Grace transforms our desires, motivations, and behavior.

Grace is the basis

In fact, God’s grace grounds and empowers everything in the Christian life. Grace is the basis for:

Our Christian identity: “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10).
Our standing before God: “. . . this grace in which we stand” (Rom. 5:2).
Our behavior: “We behaved in the world . . . by the grace of God” (2 Cor. 1:12).
Our living: Those who receive “the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ,” (Rom. 5:17) by the “grace of life” (1 Pet. 3:7).
Our holiness: God “called us to a holy calling . . . because of his own purpose and grace” (2 Tim. 1:9).
Our strength for living: “Be strengthened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:1) for “it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace” (Heb. 13:9).
Our way of speaking: “Let your speech always be gracious” (Col. 4:6).
Our serving: “Serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pet. 4:10).
Our sufficiency: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9), “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8)
Our response to difficulty and suffering: We get “grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16), and when “you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace . . . will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Pet. 5:10).
Our participation in God’s mission: As recipients of grace we are privileged to serve as agents of grace. Believers receive grace (Acts 11:23), are encouraged to continue in grace (Acts 13:43), and are called to testify to the grace of God (Acts 20:24). In John 20:21, Jesus says, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” God’s mission is to the entire world (Isa. 49:6; Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8; 13:47).
Our future: God, and his grace, is everlasting. “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13).
Our hope beyond death: “Grace [reigns] through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21).

The gospel is all about God’s grace through Jesus Christ. That’s why Paul calls it “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) and “the word of his grace” (Acts 14:3; 20:32; cf. Col. 1:5–6).

Gratuitous grace

The gospel of the grace of God is the message everyone needs. The word of grace is proclaimed from every page of the Bible and ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. The last verse of the Bible summarizes the message from Genesis to Revelation: “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all” (Rev. 22:21). Because of and from Jesus “we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16)—the gratuitous and undomesticated grace of God.

‘Each next risk is the biggest one’: James MacDonald talks with Mark Driscoll

Mark Driscoll — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

We are excited to have James MacDonald back as one of our keynote speakers for our 2013 Resurgence Conference in Seattle. Pastor James is the pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Illinois, host of the Bible-teaching broadcast, Walk in the Word, founder of Harvest Bible Fellowship, a church-planting ministry that has planted 85 churches across North America, and author of a number of books.

Mark Driscoll: Thanks for taking some time to answer a few questions, Pastor James. I'm grateful you could join us again for this year's Resurgence conference. Since our main audience for the event is young leaders, let's go all the way back to your early days. What was life like for you growing up? How did God start preparing you for the work he had in store, even from childhood?

James MacDonald: Well, I’m very blessed to be a fourth-generation Christian. I have a picture that I’m very fond of: me standing outside of a church holding my grandfather’s hand, my brother holding my great-grandfather’s hand, and my dad leaning in between his father and grandfather with his arms around their necks. I consider it a great privilege to be a fourth person in that chain. And my sons are now Bible-college graduates and preachers. So they’re the fifth link, and I have five grandsons (no granddaughters) so, it would be an awesome thing if the Lord left me on this earth to see my grandchildren serving the Lord and preaching the gospel he calls them to.

“At my mom’s funeral, there were ladies testifying to how they found Christ because of her.”

My mother was a gifted Bible teacher and had great love for the Lord. She had children over every Tuesday after school, probably 60 or 70 kids, and taught us flannel-graph stories. My mother led our neighbors to Christ, pretty much on all sides of our house. I’d come home frequently and see my mom bowing in prayer at the kitchen table, praying with some woman from our street. Even 30, 40 years after that, at my mom’s funeral, there were ladies there who eulogized her life, and testified to how they found Christ because of her.

Our family was very active in the church and went to church two or three times a week. We went to youth group and summer camp. My dad was a leader in the church. We were deeply steeped in all of those matters of the Lord and serving the Lord from a very, very young age. So I’m kind of like Timothy in that regard, you know, “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15).

MD: What a phenomenal example of generational faithfulness. So did you know early on that you were called to be a pastor?

JM: Actually, I really struggled with my faith as a high school student. I got in with the wrong crowd at school and spent a long time at school smoking pot and hiding my sin from my parents, who didn’t know anything about it. I mean, I loved them, I would never want to hurt them, but I was pretty good at hiding things. And it wasn’t until I was about 17 years old that a youth pastor in our church really challenged me, that if God could get a hold of my life maybe the whole youth group could turn around and some awesome things could happen.

About the end of my seventeenth year, I started dating the girl who’s now my wife and tried to get my life going on a better course. Kathy, my wife, had gotten to know Christ in our youth group. It really had become a dynamic place, and I started sharing my faith and started bringing my friends from high school to church.

“God’s taught us a lot more through failure than success.”

Then my youth pastor challenged me to go into a youth preaching competition. Nobody could believe that I won, and God used that in my life. I preached that little message I made at our church to maybe 800 or 900 people at a Sunday service, and it was the first time I really saw God use my life. People began to tell me that God could use my life, and I had never really heard that before. He used feedback from people about what I was doing to give me a heart to do more. I went to one-year Bible college and then to a second one.

MD: So you’ve been in ministry with Kathy for 30 years. Has there ever been a point where you just wanted to quit?

JM: There was very, very much a time when I wanted to quit. But it was less I want to quit and more This is too hard, I can’t keep doing this, and How much longer can I do this?

There are definitely down times and down nights and sleepless people and questions about finances and burdens about conflict in the church, but God’s been really faithful to us, and that always seems to supply a season of encouragement just about when we really need it.

MD: With a few decades under your belt, a successful radio ministry, a big church, and lots of stuff going on, it’s easy for young leaders to look at a pastor like you and see only success. What has God taught you through failure over the years?

JM: I would say that God’s taught us a lot more through failure than through success. You have to learn to be humble and give God all the glory for any good thing that happens. Honestly, I haven’t found that as hard as some of the trials that the Lord has allowed.

I think that God sometimes uses a lot of failure in our lives. I have sometimes failed in the way I have handled some of our staff. I think we have failed as well as we could in the way we plan financially. I’ve failed sometimes by allowing outside ministry to distract me from the main responsibility of pastoring our church. Those are examples of areas where the Lord has allowed our church to do better over time.

MD: Now that you're at a place where you have an established track record to look back on, what moments stand out as especially pivotal? What are some of the risks you've taken and how have they paid off—or not?

JM: Each next risk is the biggest one. I think it was a big risk to go to Bible college when I didn’t even know that God could use my life. I think it was a risk to move two hours away from my family and become a youth pastor while we were still finishing our education. It was a risk to buy a house and stay there for a couple of years. It was a massive risk to put the house up for sale, when my dad probably thought we’d never even own a house in ministry. But we did, and we left Canada and moved to Chicago to go to seminary—another risk. While we were packing the van, someone called and asked if we could interview at a church there. But we didn’t even have a work visa in the States, and we only had enough money for one semester. When we were done with seminary, we’d been praying, “God, we’ll go anywhere you want us to go,” never dreaming that we’d stay in Chicago.

“God has honored every single step of faith beyond our expectations.”

But we launched out and planted a church with 18 people, wondering if we would be meeting around a card table in 15 years. We didn’t even have any idea what the Lord would have in store for us. Every single step of faith has seemed massive at the time, and as we’ve prayed, God has really honored that beyond our expectations.

MD: So what started as an extended road trip from Canada has now continued on to other countries through your radio ministry. You’ve been tremendously effective at connecting to large groups of people through media. How do you establish and cultivate those connections?

JM: First of all, it’s important to have friendship with other people in ministry outside of your church. We have tried to be faithful in our ministry to people. Relationship follows ministry, and when your ministry is focused on impact, God will grow your ministry, and in the growing of your ministry, he’ll provide people to get your message out. I was told a long time ago, “Take care of the depth of your ministry and God will take care of the breadth of it.” We’ve tried to focus on that.

MD: When it comes to mass communication, what principles have you learned that apply specifically to the Internet age?

JM: In this age you have to be very, very careful about what you say. It’s not uncommon for me to tweet or say something that I think is funny or clever and not really grasp what it’s like for tens of thousands of people to read that when they don't know you. Sometimes I’ve had to delete a few things or make an apology. I think you learn to measure your words more as you get older. I just preached a series from John 8 called Drop the Rock. I found it interesting that as the Pharisees accused the woman caught in adultery, Jesus wrote in the sand and asked the one without sin to cast the first stone. It says that they walked away one by one from the oldest to the youngest.

“God does not call us to be judge and jury over others.”

There’s a lot in that. I think as you get older and you’ve felt the sting of other people’s criticism, you become a lot slower to pick up rocks against other brothers and sisters.

MD: Speaking of criticism, I know you've taken fire over the years. What are some lessons you’ve learned from your critics?

JM: I’ve learned to be careful of becoming a critic. Criticism really sours your heart. I think God does not call us to be judge and jury over others. Obviously we need to speak the truth in love. I’m very aware of the passages in Scripture that talk about refuting error. But the error needs to be substantive; it needs to be significant—heaven and hell, eternal, explicitly biblical issues that we take a stand over. Mostly today we have Christians criticizing one another and separating over secondary things. As Paul said, we are “not to go beyond what is written” (1 Cor. 4:6).

In our church we’ve worked on this: “In the majors conviction; in the minors tolerance; in all things love.” I’ve had to grow in my tolerance, I’ve had to grow in my love, I’ve had to grow in my understanding of what the majors really are. I’ve also learned to listen for input from people. In ministry, if you never learn to listen to harsh people, if you don’t learn to listen from people who say things in a mean way, you’re going to miss a lot of good messages.

“Criticism really sours your heart.”

One time David was walking along and some man, Shimei, called out from the crowd and began to ridicule David. One of David’s generals said something like, I’m going to go kill that guy, and David said, “Leave him alone, perhaps he is a messenger from the Lord” (2 Sam. 16:11).

I’ve had to learn that even when it comes to the harshest, most difficult, inaccurate, even unfair things that people say, somewhere in there is a kernel of truth. So through the years I’ve worked on this regarding criticism.

Thank the critic if you interact with them personally. If not, certainly pray for them and take the criticism before the Lord and before the leaders who know you best. Out of that you’ll get any truth that God has for you.

MD: Great words. Thank you for your time, Pastor James.

JM: Glad to do it. Thank you.

Join Mark Driscoll and James MacDonald at the Resurgence Conference

Contentment

Amanda Edmondson — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

The terms “contentment” and “discontentment” have become Christian buzz words.

I often hear people respond to the question “How are you?” by saying, “I’m content.” It’s the new “I’m fine.”

Discontentment isn’t a word reserved just for single people or the poor or those with health issues. Discontentment is a real sin issue for all believers, caused by the lack of belief that God isn’t enough. It can’t be fixed by gifts, relationships, promotions, or by any temporary satisfaction.

I can’t get no . . . satisfaction

When I ponder over my life, I can easily identify seasons of struggle with discontentment. It’s taken many different forms in my life and often creeps back in. From college into my mid-20’s, I struggled with this fear that I was going to be single, and I didn’t—and still don’t want—to be. I became discontent when I began to look to relationships to bring satisfaction to my life. It wasn’t until after a heartbreak that I saw that the Lord was enough in that area of my life. In that season of my life, I worshiped the thought of marriage; I longed to be married more than I longed for our gracious God.

My struggle with discontentment continues in my life—from relationships to success to a house down to a pair of shoes. There are times that I have tried to place temporary satisfaction and value in these things. Each time I’ve faced the sin of my discontentment, I’ve wanted a quick fix. Like buying a pair of shoes is really going to fulfill me. But in moments, I honestly believed it would. Instead, I needed to repent from putting hope in temporal things.

I know very well what it looks like in my life to be discontent. What are you looking to aside from God to give you satisfaction?

The meaning of contentment

Being content doesn’t mean that you never have a vision or desire for anything in your life. One of the biggest misconceptions about being content is that all desires disappear. A single person can be content and still long for marriage. For those who desire to be a parent or the person who desires a successful career, it’s the same thing: those are good desires, but we can pervert them by turning them into idols when we look to these things to give us satisfaction.

Contentment means...

1. You know and believe God has your back

When we are discontent, we often believe we are alone, fighting for ourselves. The author of Hebrews writes, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Heb. 13:5). Contentment is to know and rest in the fact that in all things, God will never leave you or forsake you.

2. You know and believe that God loves you

The reason we can call ourselves Christians is because God persistently loves us. It was he who revealed himself to us. It was he who pursued us, not us him. When we arrive at the Cross, we see all that Christ bore on our behalf—our suffering, our death, and our punishment. And in return, we get life. God loves you, and there isn’t anything that can take that away (Rom. 8:38–39).

3. You know and believe that God will meet your every need

Paul’s words in Philippians 4:10–20 point back to God’s provision in his life and the faith that God would provide for others. Contentment doesn’t mean God will give you whatever you want. It’s trusting that God in his providence is working out all things for your good and his glory (Rom. 8:28).

4. You know and believe that God is enough

There is nothing on this earth that can even come close to giving you lasting satisfaction. Nothing. We need to stop comparing what we have—or don’t have—to those around us (2 Cor. 10:12). When we fall into comparison, we get cheap answers or fixes to what we think can fix our discontentment. Asaph in Psalm 73 looked at the wicked and almost stumbled, but then realized that God was enough. “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:25–26).

We can only be content because God is who he says he is. Because of who he is and what he’s done, our identity, our worth, and our hope rests only in him. In nothing else will we find contentment.

From prison to ReTrain: Russell’s story

Resurgence — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 -0700

ReTrain student Russell Baca once lived a hard and fast life. Today he shares how Jesus saved him during a year in solitary confinement.

My life hasn’t always been easy.

I grew up in an abusive home where there was a lot of alcohol and physical abuse. By the time I was 15 years old, I was so mad at the world that all I had was hate in my heart. I joined a gang to fulfill that family atmosphere I was looking for. The deeper I got into the gang life the more I separated myself from reality. By the time I was in the 10th grade, I dropped out of school and not long after that I was on my way to prison for attempted murder and aggravated assault.

So in 1993, I went to prison with a 10½-year sentence. I was 17. I was mad. And I didn’t care.

Being incarcerated only made me worse.

While in prison, I picked up a heroin habit and by the time I was released at 26, I was institutionalized. In other words, I thought and lived my life by prison standards and values.

Out and a mess

While out, I got married and we had two little girls. I was a bad dad, husband, and a drug addict. I was shooting up meth and heroin and I was in and out of jail.

In 2005, I was on my way back to prison for 3½ years. My life was a mess. I had lost everything. My wife had left me and I wasn’t even allowed to see my kids. My family disowned me because I couldn’t be trusted. The only one who would give me the time of day was my mom.

In the hole with the Bible

While in prison this second time, I was busted with a homemade prison shank. I was sent to the hole—solitary confinement—and all I could have was a bedroll and my choice of religious literature. I didn’t believe in any of them, but I asked for the Bible so at least I could have something to read.

After Jesus entered my life, I no longer had to be that convict.

Over the next year in solitary confinement, God revealed himself to me in such a way that it broke my heart and changed my life forever. He opened my eyes to the fact that I was a sinner and in desperate need of a Savior. My heart broke when I saw that I was living for myself and, in doing, I had hurt so many.

I asked the Lord to take away my addictions to the drugs.
I asked God to forgive me for all the people I had hurt both physically and mentally.
I asked God to give me the strength to walk away from the gang life that I had given my whole adult life to.

Before Jesus, my whole identity had been wrapped up in being a convict. After Jesus entered my life, I no longer had to be that person—he gave me a sense of peace that I had never felt before.

I wasn’t sure what was ahead but I knew that I couldn’t deny that Jesus was God and that I wanted to live my life for him. He had given his life for me and in knowing that all I wanted to do was respond to his calling on my life.

New freedom, new calling

Jesus freed me from my addictions and gave me the strength to walk away from the life I was living—something I could have never done on my own. I renounced my prison way of life, and over time God restored my life and my family for his glory.

Since my release in 2008, my life has been crazy—in a good way.

God has put me on a path to serve him in such a way that I could have never imagined (Eph. 3:20). I knew God had called me into ministry, but I just felt like I wasn’t educated enough or confident in God’s calling on my life.

Then came ReTrain . . .

Being trained for the call

Before ReTrain, I lacked confidence in myself. I knew God had called me into pastoral leadership, and the elders of my church affirmed the calling, yet I didn’t feel like I was worthy of the calling because I lacked education. Feeling the seriousness of God’s calling on my life, I started looking into schools to help connect the studying I was doing at home with a structured educational format. That’s when my pastor told me about ReTrain.

ReTrain has been one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I went to ReTrain looking for a way to validate my calling with book smarts, but what I got was a life-changing experience through a gospel-centered education. Everything about ReTrain is centered around Jesus and his gospel. Not only did I get great teaching by some of the best Bible teachers, but I also gained my confidence in what God has called me to, not because of what I’m doing, but because of what Jesus has already done.

As a Community Group leader and pastor-in-training, I needed ReTrain. I was able to see how other people lived life in light of the gospel in their communities and to see how the body of Christ can come from all over the country with a common goal to glorify Jesus. I needed the time to grow and not just know it’s all about Jesus but really understand that it’s all about Jesus. I needed my confidence to be in Jesus.

The chance of a lifetime

Although it has been tough sometimes with all of the traveling and time away from my wife and kids, it has been worth it. My family has been encouraging and supportive throughout this process. They see the difference that ReTrain has done for me, and we have become closer because of it. ReTrain has been to this date one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Guys like me don’t receive many chances at experiences like this, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ReTrain family.

We’re thankful for Russell’s courage and willingness to share his story and are grateful to have his as a part of ReTrain. If you’re thinking about ReTrain for this year, applications for the 2013–14 academic year are due Friday, May 31.

9 types of leaders in Scripture

Justin Holcomb — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Today in our Becoming a Better Leader series, Justin Holcomb shares leadership lessons from the lives of leaders in Scripture.

Though it does not focus on leadership development methods or offer lists of strategies for being a great leader, the Bible is filled with numerous examples of leaders, both good and bad. There is a lot to be learned simply by examining the various leaders in Scripture.

1. The prototype

Moses stands as the prototype of a leader in the Old Testament. He served the people of Israel as a prophet, a judge, a king, and a priest. He brought the word of the Lord both to Israel and to Pharaoh (Exod. 3–11), he heard Israel’s complaints (Num. 27:1–4), he led the nation out of Egypt (Exod. 12:31–15:21) and ran military campaigns (Exod. 17:8–16), and he officiated the first Passover (Exod. 12).

Moses can easily be viewed as an example of good leadership. In fact, the stark contrast between a good and a bad leader is clear in the difference between Moses and his brother, Aaron, who gives in to the people’s demands for a golden calf (Exod. 32:4) and shifts the blame to the people and away from himself (Exod. 32:22).

Yet even Moses, the prototypical leader, experienced failure. When Israel complained to him concerning their lack of water in the wilderness, Moses went before the Lord, who told him to speak to a rock from which God would pour forth a stream of water (Num. 20:1–8). However, Moses, in his frustration, struck the rock and was prohibited from entering the promised land because of his disobedience (Num. 20:9–12).

2. Prophets

Prophets functioned in Scripture as God’s mouthpiece: they spoke judgment (Ezek. 13), encouragement (Mic. 4:1–5), exhortation (Mal. 2:1–9), and hope of restoration (Isa. 40–66). God’s word was spoken with integrity by prophets such as Huldah (2 Kings 22:14) and Jeremiah (Jer. 36). In the New Testament, John the Baptizer functioned as a prophet, leading Israel to repentance and telling Israel of deliverance in the person of Jesus (cf. Matt. 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8).

3. Priests

Priests, also serving as leaders, were responsible for teaching the law (cf. Ezra in Neh. 8–9; 2 Chron. 17:8, 9). They led in sacrifice (Lev. 1–7), atonement (Lev. 16:29–34), cleansing (Lev. 13), and feasts (Lev. 23). However, priests often failed by setting up idols (Jer. 2:8), leading people astray (Ezek. 7:26), loving money (Jer. 6:13), and embracing corruption (Jer. 18:18). Jesus goes so far as to tell a parable against the priests (Matt. 21:33–46), and Paul says that the wrath of God came upon the Jewish leadership because they killed Jesus (1 Thess. 2:14–16).

4. Kings

Understandably, the kings in Israel’s history were leaders, for better or for worse. In fact, if anything becomes clear in the narrative of Israel’s history, it is that the kings were dispensable and fleeting: they can be conquered (2 Kings 25:7), become mentally ill (Dan. 4:33), randomly get shot by an arrow (2 Chron. 18:33), or be silently assassinated (1 Kings 16:16). As Proverbs 21:1 puts it, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” God appoints leaders when and where he will, and their destinies are in his hands.

5. Judges

God raised up judges (better translated as “leaders” or “governors”) in Israel’s midst when things had become disorganized and needed fixing. As Judges 3:9 says, “When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them.” This deliverer was a judge, a leader. What is interesting about the judges is that quite frequently they have no previous experience and were looked upon by outsiders as unfit for the job (such as Samson).

6. The wise man

The wise man is another type of leader in Scripture, and Solomon is a good example. He asks God for the ability to govern and lead his people wisely, and God grants his request, as seen in Solomon’s discernment in judging wisely between the two women who contended for a child (1 Kings 3:16–28).

7. Apostles

Within the church, God has ordained several different categories of leaders who are to guide and lead his church in the way of truth. Apostles are those who spent time with Jesus (Mark 3:14; 1 Cor. 9:1) and witnessed his resurrection (Acts 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 13:31) so that they could pass on their knowledge and lead the church in its initial development. Apostles were directly commissioned by Jesus (Mark 3:14; Acts 10:39–42; John 20:21–23), assisted by the Holy Spirit (John 14:25–26; 15:26; 16:13), wrote about their own and others’ letters (2 Thess. 2:15; 2 Pet. 3:15–16), wrote as continuation of their preaching (Luke 1:1–4), and intended that their letters be read in church (Col. 4:16). For a teaching to be an apostolic, one in the early church meant that it could be traced directly back to Jesus’s own teaching and carried by those who learned from him.

8. Elders

While an “elder” in general terms is an aged person with enough life experiences to lead a group of people wisely (cf. the body of elders in Deut. 19:12, 21:2, and 22:15 and the “elders of Israel” in 1 Sam. 8:4; Exod. 3:16), elders in Scripture are the specially equipped leaders of the church. The disciples called themselves elders (1 Pet. 5:1; 2 John 1; 3 John 1), and their primary responsibility was to pass on the teaching they received to others (1 Cor. 11:21; 15:1, 3; 2 Thess. 2:15; 3:6; 2 Tim. 2:2). Elders in the church are expected to teach (1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:9) and act as judges (Acts 15:2, 6, 22–29); leading not politically, but pastorally (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Tim. 5:17; James 5:14; 1 Pet. 5:1–4; Eph. 4:11).

Elders are required to have wisdom in leading the church well, for they are responsible for determining sound from false doctrine. To determine whether they are capable of leadership, elders have a special set of guidelines by which their abilities are to be judged. The office of elder is a noble one (1 Tim. 3:1), and the one who aspires to it must be “above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert . . . he must be well thought of by outsiders” (1 Tim. 3:2–7). Leadership in the church requires that one be a good example.

9. Deacons

So that elders can devote their time and energy to shepherding and leading God’s people, God instituted another category of leader: the office of deacon. The word deacon means “servant,” and while the whole church is supposed to be servants of God, there are certain qualifications for the technical office of deacon (Rom. 12:7; 1 Pet. 4:11). Deacons are to be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to wine, not greedy, faithful (both to the gospel and their spouses), not slanderers, sober-minded, and tested (1 Tim. 3:8–11). Originally, deacons were appointed by the 12 disciples to distribute food to the widows in need (Acts 6), and they now serve the church in leading others as servants in a variety of tasks.

Leaders depend on grace

God used and continues to use a diverse group of people to lead his own people. However, the successful leaders in Scripture depended on God, while those who failed tried to stand on their own. If one thread holds together the theology of leadership throughout the pages of Scripture, it is the fact that even good leaders fail and stand in need of God’s grace.

We are moving forward with our series Becoming a Better Leader. We have heard from a variety of voices and covered a host of topics, with the goal of encouraging you to glorify and enjoy God through the call he has placed upon your life.

5 bits of wisdom for the professional Christian woman

Shandel Slaten — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:10:00 -0700

What does it look like to be a Christian, a professional, and a woman?

From Justin Holcomb:

Shandel Slaten is an executive coach and the CEO and founder of True Life Coaching in Seattle, WA, and Reno, NV, and she has worked with Mars Hill Church in various capacities. We asked Shandel to share what she has learned about living on mission for Jesus in the workplace. She has an encouraging word for women that I’m looking forward to sharing with you today.

As a business owner for 13 years and a Jesus lover for four decades, I can say this: it looks like a difficult assignment, full of incredible adventure and amazing joy.

Whether it is working an entry-level position, studying to be a nurse, or heading things up as CEO of a company, what do all Christian professional women have in common? We are all on mission for Jesus and have been assigned to a people group, our tribe, if you will—to be a light and represent Jesus to our coworkers.

Others often ask me how they too can be on mission for Jesus in the workplace. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way and I hope they help you live on mission for Jesus wherever you serve him.

1. Have a strong work ethic

Live out your testimony by your example of how you work. Nothing speaks louder to your employer and teammates than a proactive person who gets stuff done and is a joy to be around. Ruth is a great example of a woman who worked hard, got noticed, received praise behind her back, and ultimately was promoted because of how faithfully she worked and trusted God.

2. Lead as quickly as you can

The lack of women leaders is an epidemic right now and a very hot topic in the media. Ladies, now is our time to take the lead! As believers, we have the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us. We also have the Bible that is the foundation for all wisdom. (I encourage you to read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with the day of the month for a period of time.)

Help the other women in your organization.

As women, we need to seek out leadership roles, offer your opinion in team meetings, proactively ask for promotions and raises, and seek out mentors to help you get the skills you need to move up. Then, help the other women in your organization do the same.

Women who are on mission are not focused on their comfort and daydreaming about their future, but on how to represent Christ today to as many people as possible while you are at your job.

3. Love them with the love of Christ

This one I struggle with more than the others, because day in and day out it is really hard to love people. Yet, others can be won over by your love and kindness. Romans 2 tells us that it is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. Well, my judgmental impatience doesn’t help much!

Meditate on how the Bible defines love in 1 Corinthians 13 and use Galatians 5 as a tutorial on how to pray for the fruit of the spirit to be displayed daily to the people you work with.

4. Your mouth needs the Holy Spirit

You spend most of your waking hours with people you work with and at times they will drive you crazy. Couple that with how Satan wants to destroy your mission and render you useless and you have trouble.

Proverbs 31:26 tells us how one biblical businesswoman once spoke: “She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” You need the Holy Spirit minute by minute to glorify God when you open your mouth and have kindness roll off your tongue. (Trust me, that I am able to at times is nothing short of a miracle in my life.)

5. Listen like Lydia

One of the greatest ways you can represent Jesus at work is to be a good listener. Ask good questions, listen for needs, and then work to meet those needs. We must be generous with our time and resources.

Lydia was a strong example of being an incredible businesswoman with a generous spirit who was in tune to the needs around her (Acts 16:14). Learn to go out of your way to be helpful, kind, and a genuine friend.

Lead where you are. Stop playing small.

As Christian professionals, we need to go for it in our careers until there is a clear call from the Lord that the mission has changed. So often in our planning for a future family, we don’t aim to be the very best we can be in the season of life we are in today and do not fully invest our talents in the here and now.

God had strong words about that in Matthew 25 and I have a strong word for you women: Lead where you are and advance your career for the glory of God. Stop playing small and understand that God will lead you to the next season of your life when he is ready. In the meantime, go for it! Rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit to live for and represent Jesus in your work.

Cultural renewal

Hugh Whelchel — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

In his last post, “Your work matters to God,” Hugh Whelchel said, “If we are serious about the truth of Christianity, we need to engage in cultural renewal.” Today he follows up with this statement and provides some practical steps in how we can engage in cultural renewal through our vocation.

How do we engage in cultural renewal?

It’s a big question that many Christians are asking. And as more and more faithful Christians rediscover the biblical doctrine of work and its implications for their lives, they can’t help but wonder what it looks like to change the culture in which they live.

As you dive deeper into the biblical doctrine of work, you’ll find one tool that, almost more than any other, can help you engage in cultural renewal: your vocation.

Your vocation is one of the most powerful means God provides for you to shape and influence culture.

We must learn how to use the gifts God has given us, particularly in our vocations, to be salt and light at every available opportunity. We have the opportunity to transform our communities, our nation, and the world, in service to the glory of God.

Christians have struggled with applying the concept of vocation to their lives. As Tim Keller notes,

We do not know how to equip our people to think out the implications of the gospel for art, business, government, journalism, entertainment, or scholarship.

The separation of faith and calling by Christians, along with the loss of the biblical doctrine of work, has had a devastating effect on the landscape of American culture. But this can change.

Theologian John Frame writes,

As God’s spirit penetrates people’s hearts through the gospel, those people become new creatures. They take their faith into every sphere of life, including the workplace, politics, economics, education, and the arts. And in all those realms, they seek to glorify God . . . their incipient obedience leads to significant change in society.

What steps must we take to bring about such change through our vocations?

We must first rediscover that our primary vocation is the call to follow Jesus. From this primary call flows our call to our churches, our families, our communities, and to our economic work. All of life is to be lived under the complete lordship of Christ.

After answering this primary call, we must:

Learn how to think out the implications of the Christian view of reality for our professions. Our theology of work should teach us how to think about life—public and private.
Employ good stewardship by using all our gifts to serve the Lord and others at every opportunity.
Labor as though Jesus himself is the one we must ultimately please (Col. 3:17). We must work diligently, striving to excel more and more.

Vocation is a part of life through which we express Christian discipleship.

Richard Doster offers a vision of the impact pursuing our vocations can have on culture. He uses the call to business as an example when he writes,

God’s people can, as agents of his redemptive plan, transform business, stripping it of selfish ambition and pursuing instead what’s best for their neighbors. Through business, God’s people can harness mankind’s creativity, and with it nurture his creation, developing products that make the world more satisfying. Through the economic power of commerce, Christians can make the world safer and healthier. The members of Christ’s church, distributed in offices around the world, can transform greed into good stewardship, showing the world that business has a biblical responsibility to create new wealth and provide a fair return to investors (Matt. 25:14–28). But, with an eye toward the consummation of Christ’s kingdom, we also create wealth in order to create new and satisfying jobs, which offer the hope (and perhaps a glimpse) of a coming world where there is no poverty.”

Motivated by the cultural mandate and inspired by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, through our vocations, we have the opportunity to transform our communities, our nation, and the world. Our effectiveness will provide a catalyst for sustained cultural renewal.

Resurgence roundup, 5/17/13

Resurgence — Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

“The myth of endless growth,” by Larry Osborne

The idea that organizations—especially the church—can continually grow is hogwash, says Osborne and even a dangerous notion to believe.

“Let this story of God’s provision strengthen your faith,” by Steve Fuller

This is the story of a man who left growing oranges to preach the gospel through the radio.

“Why the rising social awareness in the church should encourage us,” by Justin Holcomb

The Gospel Coalition

Our own Justin Holcomb writes on the growing awareness of violence and oppression in Christian circles and why this, ironically, should encourage the church. He provides some historical analysis and also cautions those in these new movements to watch out for the tendency to swing between extremes.

“‘Dad Is Fat’: Jim Gaffigan’s refreshingly honest new book on parenting,” a review by Matt Schneider

Mockingbird

Dad Is Fat is not the expected title of an encouraging parenting book. But perhaps we shouldn’t expect anything else from comedian Jeff Gaffigan? Schneider makes the case for why this book is a refreshing read of grace for parents.

“Hear the first sounds off ‘The Good King’,” by Mars Hill Church

On Tuesday, June 11, Mars Hill Music will release the band Ghost Ship’s new album, The Good King. Check out this video preview for an audio sampling of the album’s 11 tracks, as well as links to past Ghost Ship and MHM releases.

Principles vs. Methods

Mark Driscoll — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700

Pastor Mark shares some counsel from Pastor Larry Osborne on distinguishing between principles in the Bible and the methods we attribute to them in what we write.

The Resurgence

The Good King reigns

For more

We are a Kanye

Issues of the heart

We are not a “god”

Does the bible contain errors?

The Bible contains errors, right?

The Bible is not a science book

What about the contradictions in the Bible?

Inerrancy is rooted in inspiration

Introducing: “Know the Bible” series

The Bible

What is Scripture?

Helpful history

The Word and the Christian

Jesus is the ultimate Word

A story about grace

21 simple ways to be an exceptional dad

1. Never putting me down

2. Running into my room

3. Being the toughest man I know

4. Raising your hands

5. Spanking us, then hugging us

6. Leaving me notes on the bathroom mirror

7. Putting my friends to work

8. Reading your Bible every morning

9. Laughing loud, long, and lots

10. Charging me rent

11. Loving me without question or hesitation

12. Turning down speaking engagements

13. Wrestling with us as kids

14. Filling the dinner table with stories of gospel victories

15. Reading the Picture Bible every night before bed

16. Buying a hot tub

17. Teaching us the importance of mentors

18. Sitting on the front row

19. Confessing sin often

20. Being the first person I wanted to call

21. Loving my wife like your own daughter

1. Deliver the mail 2. Read the mail

The choir needs preaching to, too

When leading a band

A pair of posts from Eds, plus a bit of quality reality TV (seriously!): Resurgence roundup, 6/14/13

“When you are planning to sin again,” by Ed Welch

“What is a missiologist?” by Ed Stetzer

“8 things I wish someone had told me before seminary,” by Matt Damico

Driscoll, Piper, and Rosenbladt Father’s Day resources

ICYMI

“A father lost for 37 years” Mobbed, Season 1, Episode 6

“The astounding faith of Aregash: A story from Ethiopia, Part 7”

7 ways fathers provoke their children

1. Make more withdrawals than deposits

2. Resort to physical or verbal abuse

3. Be emotionally absent

4. Publicly humiliate and criticize

5. Be no fun

6. Don’t be generous

7. Never say “I’m sorry.”

Bring them up

Dad loves Ellie

Ellie’s earthly father loves her

Ellie’s heavenly Father loves her

Where’s the line between disagreement and disunity?

The Old Testament celebrates unity

Jesus prays for unity

Paul commands unity

The Bible speaks a lot about unity

2 things to do

1. Pray and write things out

2. Come clean with your concerns

For your serious consideration

The Puritans on putting sin to death

1. See sin for what it is

2. Don’t wait for sinful desires to change on their own

3. Examine yourself regularly

4. Don’t try to do it without the Spirit

5. Don’t try to do it without other people

6. Expect to fight sin your whole life

What does it take to be #2?

“A father lost for 37 years”
Mobbed, Season 1, Episode 6

**Chandler’s The Explicit Gospel is free on audiobook this month!**