Jesus Wants the Rose

Here is a video excerpt from Matt Chandler the pastor of The Village Church. I think this is a very powerful illustration. I know most of us have sat through preaching like his example and it should make us all angry to see the Gospel trampled like that.





Romans 5:8:
⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

What if Satan took control of a City?

I am reading Christless Christianity by Michael Horton and it begins with the question, What would it look like if Satan really took control of a city? Generally, when we think of Satan taking over a city all kinds of evil images begin filling our minds. Prostitution, murder, and greed just to name a few.

Over fifty years ago Donald Barnhouse offered a different scenario in his weekly sermon on CBS radio.

"If Satan took over Philadelphia, all of the bars would be closed, pornography banished, and pristine streets would be filled with tidy pedestrians who smiled at each other. There would be no swearing. The children would say, "Yes, sir" and "No, ma'am," and the churches would be full every Sunday...where Christ is not preached."

Now this scenario might be somewhat of an exaggeration but I believe it to be true. Wherever Christ and his Gospel is being proclaimed we can be assured that Satan is most active in opposition. But where churches are full and the Good News of the Gospel is exchanged for the good advice of a self-help, moralistic, therapeutic deism, then Satan, however subtle, is beginning to take control.

Can My Church Change?

Have you ever asked yourself this question? Many of you have struggled deeply with this question because you are in leadership at the church where you serve. You realize that your church needs to change, and not just any change (like adding a contemporary service, or getting a full-time youth minister) but a major change. A change that not only will require a complete restructuring of the the leadership in your church, as well as the programs you offer, but a change that goes much deeper than that. Your church needs a change of heart. A change that occurs inside the hearts of every member in the church. A change that won't happen by adding an electric guitar and a LCD projector to a morning service and calling it contemporary worship...no, the type of change we need in some of our churches can only come from God. This type of change is much more than an a big transition. Can this type of change even happen?


I believe it can! I was truly inspired by this article, which is the story of Orchard Valley Community Church. It's a story of a pastor and his personal struggles with the change that needed to happen and ultimately the renewing of a whole church body. It's a story that will give hope to any pastor, leader or member that struggles with the feelings of change.

Sharpe Curve Ahead: Scott Hodge

How Do You Interpret Scripture? The Hermeneutics Quiz

Have you ever read or heard someone use the word Hermeneutics? Probably not, and yeah....I know, who cares about all those big-fancy Bible Professor words anyway? Well I think this is one word we should at the least be aware of, especially in how it relates to our own study of the Bible even if we never use the word hermeneutics again. In short, Hermeneutics refers to the process of scriptural interpretation. What does that mean to you? Everyone of us who read the Bible interpret it in some form or fashion. Do you read it literally? Do you read it for the major truths? Do you read it as God's infallible, inerrant word, or is it God's inspired word that needs interpretation and contextualization for today? Do you interpret some passages like those on homosexuality as having a literal meaning that is applicable for today or do you read passages like 1 Timothy regarding women as not being need in today's Church?


Well the good people over at Leadership Journal have created a Hermeneutics Quiz that you can take here. (Once you read a little about the quiz click- Take the Hermeneutics Quiz and then click- Take Assessment.)


Let us know what you scored, and what you think about your results. I scored a 52 which labels me as a Conservative Hermeneutic (borderline Moderate). I'm down with that...what are you?

Real Preachers of Genius

I ran across this video the other day and thought it was funny. While not true in every case, it does have some truth to it.

Emerging, Emergent, Evangelical, Orthodox....

Which are you? It seems like there are so many categories, labels, titles, etc. today in America's "Churchianity" that it has become hard to distinguish all the lingo. One blogger has attempted to clarify some of this confusion in the "emerging church" with some pretty neat graphics and a great post. (If you don't recognize any of the names below...don't worry... you are probably better off...but many of you Emerging fans might find this real cool.)



From this chart, where do you fit in? Where does your church or ministry fit in?




What do you think? Do you agree with the grouping? What about Rob Bell, Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Andy Stanley, Ed Young Jr. and others in the Megachurch camp? Where do they fit in this diagram? What about Joel Osteen? What about influential black pastors like T.D. Jakes, Tony Evans, and Bishop Eddie Long? Anyone else you'd like to see added?

Get out of Purgatory (I mean Jail) Free Card

Pope Benedict XVI must have caught the Christmas fever as well, because he is in a particularly generous mood. The Pope is offering relief from purgatory to Roman Catholics who travel to Lourdes to pray to the shrine dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes.

There is no need to worry if you won't be able to make the trip, Pope Benedict has made provisions. Just pray at places of worship dedicated to the Madonna of Lourdes from Feb. 2 to Feb. 11.

And we were supposed to think the RCC stopped offering plenary indulgences after that whole deal we call the Reformation.

No thanks, I'll just cling to the perfect righteousness that Jesus accomplished on my behalf through his substitutionary work on the cross as my sinless sin bearer.

Rob Bell: Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Creative title huh? Well I can't take credit for it...Time Magazine released an article by the same title that is all about the culturally-savvy, megachurch pastor, Rob Bell. There is much discussion these days on the blogosphere concerning Rob Bell--1/3 love him, 1/3 hate him, and 1/3 can't decide what to think. I had the joy of hearing Rob speak at a conference several years ago and I will have to say that he is one of the best communicators I have ever heard. The message he delivered that day is one of the best sermons I have ever heard on many different levels. He hopped around the stage like a rapper with the mic, who was laying down a hot track, yet in the same manner he was able to passionately explain the Gospel message. If any one person fits all of the Evangelical "buzz words," (Emergent, Creative, Relevant, Emerging, Missional) that person would be Rob Bell. Some have claimed him as the heir to Billy Graham, while others have claimed him as a heretic. Love him or hate him, call him a hippy, a heretic, a genius, a geek, or a saint, Rob Bell is here to stay and is having a huge influence on the Church in America.


Check out the Time Magazine article: The Hippier-Than-Thou Pastor

Has anyone ever heard Rob Bell in person, read his books, listened to a podcast, or watched a NOOMA video? If so any, any discussion on the topic?

The Golden Compass: What's the Deal?

I will have to say that it was not until recently that I became aware of The Golden Compass, Phillip Pullman or the His Dark Materials trilogy. But after reading several articles online and several interviews with Pullman it is very clear that his agenda in these books is to destroy the Christian church and to debunk the idea of God. Just think of this trilogy as the polar opposite of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. In fact Pullman described Lewis's work as "one of the most ugly and poisonous things I ever read."



So what's the deal? Should we protest, picket, hoot and holler, and raise a ruckus at the movie theater when The Golden Compass releases? Well, No....I don't think so...but I do believe that we should be informed. You should "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."(1Peter 3.15) It is quite possible that within the next week at work, school, church or the grocery store that this movie will come up in conversation as well as the subversive themes it portrays. And if that is the case then we need not be ignorant, rather we should be informed and ready to talk about the issues that come up. I can see the biggest challenge coming from uninformed parents and family members who take their kids to see the movie...the kids love the movie and then for Christmas the parents buy them the entire trilogy all the while not realizing that the books are about killing God, the idea of the Christian church and original sin.

So, if you are a parent I hope that you especially will do some research and become informed on Pullman and the trilogy from which this movie is based upon. I also hope that you will do some thoughtful consideration when deciding if your child should be allowed to watch this movie and even more so when it comes to reading the books. On another note, the movie should actually be good and for that reason I am excited about watching it....not to mention it has the new James Bond actor as a character and he was awesome!


"Atheists express their rage against God although in their view He does not exist." --C. S. Lewis

"A great many of those who 'debunk' traditional...values have in the background values of their own which they believe to be immune from the debunking process." C.S. Lewis--The Abolition of Man


The Golden Compass--A Briefing for Concerned Christians -- Albert Mohler

'The Golden Compass'--Does Not Point to True North -- Ben Witherington III

Is 'Golden Compass' selling atheism to kids? -- CNN Article

Religion Row Hits Pullman Epic -- UK Observer

"The Golden Compass" Sparks Protest -- The Catholic League

Alcohol and the Christian: Do they mix?

It seems rare that even a month will go by in my life where the topic of alcohol and the Christian does not come up. It comes up all the time. Our ministry is non-denominational with people coming from many different denominational backgrounds: Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Pentecostals, and so on, which at times can lead to a difference of opinion. It also seems that about every 3rd odd day I'll hear some joke about a Methodist drinking at the bar or the Southern Baptist hiding in the basement sippin on some Kentucky Gentleman. Our worship leader is Methodist...my girlfriend is Methodist...and I'm the lonely Baptist, so you see the dilemma I'm in right? Or is it really a dilemma? Do we have different views? I'm not quite sure, but there is one thing that is certain: alcohol is everywhere and Christians drink. As my opinion has changed many times over on this topic, I find myself growing, what would appear as, more liberal in my opinion on alcohol and the Christian and constantly battling with the teetotalism taught to me in the Baptist church. Don't get me wrong: abuse of alcohol and being a drunk certainly is a sin, but it is no more of a sin than being a glutton and overdoing yourself in the buffet line. Methodists go to the bar and Southern Baptists go to the buffet and to each is his own vice. Gluttony and drunkenness are both sins and one shouldn't be used as an excuse for the other.

So what am I saying? Well, I'm not going to take the time to develop my opinion in this post but let's just say that I'm certainly not a teetotalist who believes that one must abstain from alcohol, nor am I a Silly-Billy who will use my freedom in Christ as an excuse to get drunk. I do believe being drunk is a sin on all occasions but drinking alcohol in itself is not a sin. And that's about as far as I'll go in this post, but I do want you to read a couple other well worthy reads....especially the iMonk's post about the hypocrisy in the Baptist Church when it comes to alcohol use. I also hope you'll take the time to comment with your own views on alcohol and the Christian. Do they mix? What is your opinion? Should Christians stay away from alcohol in public? Should Christians drink at all? Is it not OK to drink a cold one at the bar as long as it is in moderation? What do ya think?

One Big, Happy, Lie: Southern Baptists, Alcohol and Me

Alcohol and the Bible

Church Protests Dead Marine's Funeral?

I ran across this article this morning about some crazy fundamentalist Kansas church that actually went to a dead Marine's funeral with signs that said, “God hates fags” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.” Oh, and the protest had nothing to do with that specific Marine. In fact, these wackos regularly "argue that U.S. troops are dying as punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality."

This type of stuff really makes me angry and at the same time it hurts because it's churches(hate groups) like this who are destroying the testimony of the Church as a whole. How in the heck could anyone think that something so screwed up as this brings any glory to God? In fact I think God probably wouldn't be so mad if someone punched them in the face for their stupidity...I know I'd sure like to...

Anyways, evidently I'm not the only one who thinks this is ridiculous because a jury awarded the family of the Marine $11 million in punitive and compensatory damages that the church, Westboro Baptist, will now have to pay after the family filled an invasion of privacy lawsuit. I couldn't agree more with this ruling and I think the church should face consequences for their actions...but that's just my opinion. What's yours? How do we as Christians respond or react to obviously false churches like this one? Do we sit back and be quiet while they destroy the testimony and image of the Church? Do we speak up and call them out? Let's hear what you think.


Baltimore Sun Article on Lawsuit
Wikipedia article on Westboro Baptist

More Church Programming = More Spiritual Growth?

Here's the question: Does the spiritual maturity of a believer correlate to their level of church activity?

Some would certainly agree with that statement and come to the conclusion that those who are most active in church are the one's who are most mature in their faith...you know the the kind of people who tithe, serve, and show love for others like Christ has done unto us.

Well, Willow Creek Church, the nation's 2nd largest church, has been doing some research to see if their church model, which is highly programmatic, has been successful in producing growing disciples. If you don't know about Bill Hybels and Willow Creek he was basically the Rick Warren before there was Rick Warren. His influence on Evangelical Christianity in America has been huge and the philosophy and methods implemented at Willow Creek have shaped the way America does church in many tangible ways. I'll spare you the history lesson and get to the point: Willow Creek's research (called Reveal) concluded that what they thought was working actually wasn't.

They found that there is no significant correlation between the level of church activity and the level of spiritual growth. So basically...just because a person goes to church every time the doors are open, it doesn't mean that they are growing spiritually. Hmmm...well what about if they are involved in small groups, and go through discipleship classes, and go on trips with the youth? Still no significant correlation. So what did the research find?

Speaking at a Leadership Conference, Bill Hybels said:

"Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for."

Another author from Leadership Journal blog wrote:

"In other words, spiritual growth doesn’t happen best by becoming dependent on elaborate church programs but through the age old spiritual practices of prayer, bible reading, and relationships. And, ironically, these basic disciplines do not require multi-million dollar facilities and hundreds of staff to manage."


I encourage you to read more on this because it has some huge implications on church methodology and your own spiritual growth. Growing up in a Baptist church where programming was highly emphasized, I believe this research could have the potential to reshape the way church is done everywhere.

Check the research out yourself and leave your comments on how you think this could change the way we should "do church":

REVEAL Key Findings

Out of Ur Blog on Research

Willow: Teach People to Feed Themselves

(click to enlarge)

Joel Osteen on 60 Minutes

60 minutes has just aired a TV special on America’s most popular pastor. With a church membership of approximately 47000, Lakewood Church in Houston Texas is the largest church in America. Osteen's services are broadcasted all over the world with millions tuning in every week. And oh yeah by the way, he can bench press 300 lbs and cry on demand.

I thought the reporter did a good job, I don’t think he was buying all the stuff Osteen was yapping about. It seems like the reporter understood Christianity well enough to figure out the problem with Osteen. He kept pointing out the similarities between Osteen’s teaching and the teaching of Dr. Phil or Oprah. He also could spot the dangers in telling everyone that they will be rich and happy.

I was also glad 60 minutes brought on somebody like Michael Horton; it is very rare shows like this bring on someone of his caliber. Too bad he only got like 30 seconds of show time with 20 seconds showing him walking up stairs. But I think what they showed of Dr. Horton was good, I am surprised that they showed what they did. He was able to squeeze out a few phrases such as cotton candy gospel, fortune cookie, easy listening, and heresy. Dr. Horton is a professor at Westminster Seminary, he is also the editor of Modern Reformation magazine, and part of the White Horse Inn radio talk show.

None of this changes the fact that he is still deceiving millions with his distorted Gospel, and making millions if I might add. I am starting to think that he knows exactly what he is doing. He knows there is lots of money to be made from new age self help as well as Christianity, so why not combine them. When you need to talk about self help topics draw from your new age sources, and when you talk about something that can be supported from the Bible, use that.

The Internetmonk has a good article on the 60 minutes piece as well, so take a look at it if you can.

Is Yoga OK for Christians?

I recently ran across a video from CNN where they asked if yoga is ok for Christians. They brought on John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church, and Doug Pagitt, pastor of Solomon's Porch and member of Emergent village to debate this.

Just a little side note: If you are ever asked to come on CNN to debate an issue and you find out John MacArthur is on the other end, don't go, you will lose! I am a big fan of John MacArthur and I have watched him time and time again defend the biblical Gospel on live TV and it is always the same result. He constantly and relentlessly makes a stand for biblical truth. After seeing many Christian leaders sink back and flounder, MacArthur never misses a chance to present the Gospel with clarity and conviction.

You can't deny that yoga is becoming extremely popular in America as well as the Church. So what is its place in the lives of Christians? Is it off limits? Use it for exercise only? I took a few classes in college on eastern spirituality and we talked about yoga and the different types in depth. It is hard to separate yoga from its history and background, which are bottom line anti-Christian, so I urge to be careful when it comes to things like this.

I also urge you to be extremely cautious when it comes to the emergent movement and some of its authors and leaders. Some of these people are associated with the emergent movement, some are loosely associated, and some you just need to be on your toes :). Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, Tony Jones, Leonard Sweet, Shane Claiborne, Spencer Burke, Rob Bell (no he didn't), Don Miller (that's two strikes now), Tony Campolo, etc. I am not telling you don't read books by them, because some of them have good things to say, but I do want to say be careful and exercise a little discernment when it comes to books, instead of reading the latest and coolest books out there and believing they are true simply because they come under a Christian heading.

New Shane and Shane CD!

I am excited to announce that finally, after about 3 years, the new Shane and Shane CD is out.

If you haven’t ever heard anything by them, I suggest you go and buy every CD they have made, you won’t be disappointed. They are just flat out on a whole different level than all of the “stuff” going on in Christian music. A lot of their music comes directly from the Psalms and other scriptures and is saturated with the Gospel. I am a person who loves the Gospel, I love to learn about it and sing about it, and in a Christian subculture surrounded by “prom songs to Jesus” which are devoid of substance and hardly mention sin, grace, Jesus, or atonement, Shane and Shane are definitely refreshing to hear.

I was able to go to their concert in Charlotte about a week ago and I was blown away. There wasn’t anything special about the concert, no big show with lights and all of that, just the music. When most artists are writing man-centered songs that hardly mention anything Christian, Shane and Shane were surprisingly God-centered. It was refreshing to see musicians and their music consumed and passionate about the Gospel and unashamed to share it. So, I highly recommend checking them out.

"Excellence in All Things and All Things to God's Glory" -- The Legacy of Dr. D. James Kennedy

Dr. Mohler has a good post about the passing of Dr.D. James Kennedy.

Also, Justin Taylor over at Between Two Worlds has a post with some good links.

Gospel Riches

I ran across this article the other day from Christianity Today.

The article is about the growth of the "Prosperity Gospel", "Health and Wealth Gospel", "Name it Claim it" or however you want to say it gospel that is spreading rapidly all over Africa. The worst part is that this so called gospel was exported from America to Africa and other countries, once we figured out how to package, market, and sell it.

Also, here is a video excerpt from John Piper talking about the prosperity gospel.

There are many examples of modern attempts to redefine the gospel that bother me, but the “Prosperity gospel” has always been one that gets under my skin. Other attempts, though equally dangerous, usually come from well meaning people that are driven by distorted social agendas, worldviews, etc., instead of being driven by a desire to glorify God and be faithful to the Scriptures.

But the Prosperity gospel is somewhat different. These teachers, preaches, guru’s, prophets or what not, are driven by making lots of money through promising things that even God did not promise us, and exploiting the poor and weak in spirit. The gospel is distorted and used to manipulate people into giving money. I mean who wouldn’t want Jesus if he is going to give us money, health, cars, and other worldly things.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Is the Roman Catholic Church the only true Church?

That shouldn't sound like anything new, that is the age old claim that the Reformers repeatedly denied, and a claim which we deny today as well. The Vatican just released a new document declaring the RCC to be the only true church, and that any church which denies the papacy is not a true church.

Dr. Al Mohler has a good post on the topic so check it out and let me know what you think.

The Faithful Pastor and the Faithful Church: an interview with Mark Dever

Here is an interview with Mark Dever that is pretty good and covers a few different topics.

Mark is a pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Chruch in D.C., and is also part of the Together for the Gospel crew, and started 9 Marks ministries.

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear a Purity Ring

I ran across this article over on the New York Times about a British girl who was punished in school for wearing a "purity ring" because it violated school dress codes. The student claims that the ring is an expression of her Christian faith and that she is being discriminated against. Since when can you not wear rings to school? Anyways, if you are familiar with "True Love Waits" or in her case the organization is called "Silver Ring Thing" then you get the basic gist of why she was wearing the ring. But is that really an expression of her faith? Is the government suppressing her Christian beliefs? The article raises some interesting questions...so if you have a minute check it out:

British Girl Sues for Right to Wear Chastity Ring: New York Times