Morning Mashup 09/21

A mashup of articles for your information, edification, entertainment, and enjoyment.

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Evangelicals Won’t Cave – Lengthy, but good. Russell Moore: “I don’t think American Evangelicals will fold on our sexual ethic…If so, the vibrant Evangelical witness God has called together in Nigeria or Argentina or South Korea or China will be alive and well and ready to send missionaries to preach the whole Gospel. Whether from America or not, a voice will stand, crying in the wilderness”

Dissertation on John Piper’s Life – Justin Taylor’s dissertation on John Piper and Christian Hedonism is available through SBTS. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading through parts of this piece. Well done, Dr. Taylor.

Carly Fiorina Surges in Recent Polls – A recent CNN poll shows Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina rising to second in the polls behind Trump.

Why Most Sermons Fail in the First Five Minutes – A helpful look at a common problem as well as solutions for fixing it.

The State of Great Britain – “If Britain were to join the United States, it would be the second-poorest state, behind Alabama and ahead of Mississippi.”

Why C.S. Lewis Told Carl Henry “No” – Excellent brief look at Lewis’ shift from writing gospel explanations and doctrinal defenses to fiction.

4 Fake Grammar Rules – This post will relieve many writers like me.

Treat sin as it will treat you; spare it not for it will not spare you; it is your murderer, and the murderer of the world; treat it therefore as a murderer should be treated. Kill it before it kills you. –Richard Baxter

Morning Mashup 08/24

9 Parenting Truths from John Piper – Tim Challies outlines nine parenting principles John Piper gave in a recent Ask Pastor John podcast.

John Piper’s Prayer at Planned Parenthood – Don’t miss Piper’s moving prayer in the protest of Planned Parenthood in St. Paul, Minnesota. When you’ve listened to the prayer, check out his reflections on the protest.

Do All Infants Go to Heaven? – Sam Storms with some biblical and theological options in favor of an affirmative answer to this emotionally powerful question.

The “Evangelicals” Who Support Donald Trump – Penetrating piece from Thomas Kidd that makes me say, “THANK YOU!”

Saying Goodbye to My Child, the Youngster – “Parenthood offers many lessons in patience and sacrifice. But ultimately, it is a lesson in humility.”

7 Ways the Internet Can Make Preaching More Difficult – Clear observations that are important to realize, but if you preached yesterday you may want to avoid this proposed problem which is totally absent of a solution. I enjoy posts from Chuck Lawless and Thom Rainer because they are great discussion starters, but I wish they offered a bit more wisdom for how to approach the issues they highlight.

If the fountain of living water does not flow from the mountain of God’s grace on Sunday, will not people hew cisterns on Monday, broken cisterns that can hold no water? –John Piper

Morning Mashup 08/19

Our Theology is Meant to Flatten Us – A message we all need to hear from John Piper.

Walking Along the Beach with the Lord – This is hilariously awesome!

Divorce and Spousal Abuse – I usually roll my eyes at statistics mostly because they are often used to skew reality. And while I think the implied and explicit conclusions drawn here are for the most part weak sauce, it is helpful to see what pastors and churches across America are thinking when it comes to divorce.

Bedtime Stories for Young Brains – I read a section of John Frame’s The Doctrine of God aloud while holding our four month old, Jude, yesterday. Does that qualify as a bedtime story? Maybe not. Still, parents, get to reading!

45 Ways to Avoid Using the Word “Very” – Gah! I needed to read this article very, very, very badly!

Planned Parenthood and the Eugenics Movement – Lengthy, but excellent article if you have the time. “There is a haunting familiarity to the arguments defending Planned Parenthood’s sale of body parts from aborted babies for medical research: an echo of another era of medical innovation amid moral ambiguity. Then, as now, the response of cultural leaders — especially religious leaders — is a story about the corruption, and potential renewal, of Western civilization.”

Teens Think Calling People on the Phone is Awkward – What do teens know anyway though, right? Or, do they have a point? “Researchers found that kids these days primarily think of their phone numbers as being for texting. When it comes to actually vocalizing sentences, however, teens may as well be saying, ‘LOL, bye.'”

No “Deflate Gate” Settlement – Despite a judge’s attempt to get both parties to settle, Tom Brady will go to battle with the NFL in court. I’m curious to see how this turns out.

25 Weird Things Said to Pastors – Yeah, weird doesn’t quite capture the nature of these statements.

For thou hast never said, “Seek ye me in vain.” –Valley of Vision

A Brief Word on the Gravity of Preaching

In my reading for a preaching class I am currently taking, I am reading John Piper’s The Supremacy of God in Preaching. I have gained immense insight from this book and it has greatly influenced my theology of preaching. There is one particular passage I wanted to share and briefly comment on.

John Piper writes,

Pastors have absorbed this narrow view of gladness and friendliness and now cultivate it across the land with pulpit demeanor and verbal casualness that make the blood-earnestness of Chalmers and the pervading solemnity of Edwards’s mind unthinkable. The result is a preaching atmosphere and a preaching style plagued by triviality, levity, carelessness, flippancy, and a general spirit that nothing of eternal and infinite proportions is being done or said on Sunday morning (The Supremacy of God in Preaching, 51-52).

I wholeheartedly agree with Piper that preachers should strive for gravity in their preaching. This is because the task at hand is enormously serious. There are eternal implications every Sunday morning and the attitude and approach of the preacher should reflect this. The Word of God should never be handled flippantly.

I think this sentiment from Piper is very insightful and highly prophetic of not only preaching in our day, but what preaching will be like if there is not a Reformation-like resurgence of the Word of God. Pastors are often more concerned with pleasing listeners at the cost of losing the thrust of the message of the Bible. The pastor’s demeanor in the pulpit should reflect the task at hand.

The context of any given passage should determine not only the content of the sermon, but also the approach and demeanor of the pastor in preaching the sermon. And most if not all matters of God are massively serious. Honestly, the task of preaching is far too important to view and approach casually or carelessly.

The aim of the game of preaching is to exalt the glory of God and proclaim the message that he has already given. Faithful exposition of biblical texts cannot afford flippancy. All pastors can be guilty of viewing the task of preaching too lightly, and all pastors can afford to be more conscious of all that is at stake on Sunday mornings. The result will be increased dependency on God and his Word.

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Mathew Gilbert is a student at Boyce College (B.A. Biblical and Theological Studies). He is the author of the forthcoming book Come to the Well: 50 Meditations to Fuel Your Joy in God (CrossBooks). Mathew lives in London, KY with his wife, Erica, and their dog, Simba. You can follow him on Twitter @Mat_Gilbert.

Morning Mashup 07/23

Defending Tony Dungy’s Right to Have an Opinion – Four insightful thoughts about the castigation of Tony Dungy’s “controversial” comments on Michael Sam.

A First Glimpse at ‘Look at the Book’ – Check out this preview of what John Piper’s coming venture Look at the Book is all about. I have been influenced by Piper more than by anyone else and Look at the Book is like a dream come true for me. If you like Piper, you will love Look at the Book. See a glimpse into how Piper traces the augment in 2 Tim. 3:14-17

What We Talk About When We Talk About ‘Birth Control’ – This has been my favorite read this month so far. What an important article from Karen Swallow Prior. She is very insightful in her opposition to liberals like Rachel Held Evans on speaking correctly when speaking about birth control. She also raises concerns I have had over why Hobby Lobby did not oppose all forms of hormonal birth control that have abortifacient mechanisms.

A Challenge to Women – Women often feel limited to what kinds of ministries they can or should do in the church. Here is a list of around 80 ministries for women to consider.

How Rory McIlroy Stacks up to Tiger and Jack – Rory McIlroy, at the age of 25, won this past weekends Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. At 25, McIlroy has already won three majors and some are making comparisons to legends like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. This article examines whether such comparisons are accurate.

The Size of LA County – Check out this map to see if your state is smaller than Los Angeles County. More than likely, it is.

Tolerance isn’t about not having beliefs. It’s about how your beliefs lead you to treat people who disagree with you. –Tim Keller

Can a Calvinist Sing ‘Softly and Tenderly’?

Since a Calvinist believes in the doctrine of unconditional election, isn’t it disingenuous for him or her to sing a song like ‘Softly and Tenderly’? In this doctrine, Calvinists believe God to elect or choose some unworthy sinners to save from eternity past, based on nothing good or bad in them, but solely on his sovereign wisdom and grace, while passing over other equally unworthy sinners. In this song, lyricist Will Thompson (friend of D.L. Moody) writes,

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

How can a Calvinist sing this? How can a Calvinist, who believes God has already sovereignly chosen those he would save based on nothing in them, call all sinners to believe in Jesus? Can a Calvinist genuinely sing this song and practically embody this song in personal evangelism?

In short: Absolutely! In fact, a Calvinist can sing this song more genuinely and employ the words of this song in personal evangelism more passionately and confidently than non-Calvinists. In a masterful sermon on Romans 9, John Piper fully exposits the truth that the foundation of unconditional election is the basis for evangelism. You can find his complete sermon here.

But to directly answer this question, I commend this excerpt from that sermon (below) to you. As I was sitting in the Yum! Center watching Piper close out Together for the Gospel, I found myself getting very emotional over Piper’s plea for pastors and preachers to be the arms of his father, and essentially, the arms of Jesus calling out to sinners, “Come home, come home.” Chills run up my spine even as I re-watch the end of this sermon. I know my fellow Southern Baptist friends who grew up in the revival, tent meeting evangelistic culture, Calvinist or not, will greatly enjoy this.

Can a Calvinist sing ‘Softly and Tenderly’? Oh, yes! And we should!

Morning Mashup 04/24

Gospel Inclusion and Instagram – Feeling left out, the Instagram-effect, and the gospel. If you minister to teenagers in any capacity, this is a helpful read.

China On Course to Become ‘World’s Most Christian Nation’ – Joe Carter: “Christians in America often find reasons to be pessimistic about our religion’s waning influence on our country. But we should remember that our land is not the last bastion of hope for the faith. The remarkable growth in global Christianity — particularly in Asia and Africa — should give us reason to be optimistic. The Holy Spirit is changing hearts and minds around the globe in a way that has not been seen since the first century after Christ’s Ascension. For this we should be eternally grateful.”

But What About Gluttony!?! – Kevin DeYoung honestly and poignantly discusses the sin of gluttony and the common accusations that Christians focus more attention on some sins over and against others. Much wisdom in this piece.

Sinner, Come Home – Albert Mohler reflects on John Piper’s closing message at Together for the Gospel. When Piper finished singing, I felt a tear run down the side of my face. What an amazing example both Piper and Mohler have set for the thousands of evangelical pastors and students who attended T4G. Mohler writes, “I was overcome with joy and profound thankfulness for what happened in that room that Thursday afternoon. We all got to see an evangelist pleading with sinners, pointing to Christ, unashamed to plead with emotion and passion and agonized urgency. I heard the conviction in the voices of a rising generation as we sang that hymn, and my spirit rose within me. I was thrilled to lose my composure for the sake of a moment of such joy.”

Should I Retweet that Compliment? – Mathew Sims at Grace for Sinners reflects on this question, which was originally posed at the Band of Bloggers pre-conference at T4G. He humbly and biblically challenges the thought that retweeting a compliment is always sin. You would do well to consider this post. Just don’t tempt him by complimenting his post on Twitter. 🙂

While it is true that there is an individual salvation, and this is the beginning of the Christian life, yet nevertheless individual salvation should show itself also in corporate relationship. –Francis Schaeffer

Morning Mashup 02/07

10 Reasons to Know a Little Bit of Church History – This will serve as a refresher to all my fellow Church History II students, as well as any and every Christian.

Why John Piper Strives for Ethnic Unity – His answer is theologically, biblically, historically, and practically grounded. We would all do well to learn from his example and join him in the fight.

Leaving the Church Means Leaving Christ – It is an argument like this that nails the coffin shut on Donald Miller’s view of the church. Absolutely excellent piece from Denny Burk. “We are not playing games here. Leaving the church means leaving Christ. And that is true no matter who you are or what your learning style is.”

Olympics: Engage Sochi Ready to Launch – Will Baptists have an impact on the winter Olympics in Sochi? Co-director of the ‘Engage Sochi” initiative has some answers.

Nobody Gets the Church They Want – “You may not bring a checklist and clipboard when you show up at church, but we all bring a want-list. Maybe you want a certain kind of music, a certain experience in worship. Maybe you want a preacher who can dive a mile deep into two verses in Romans. Maybe you want charismatic, extroverted leaders who can connect with anyone and always know what to say. Whatever might be on your list, I can guarantee this: not everything on your list is on God’s.”

Don’t Pray Like a Pagan – An excellent lesson on prayer from R.C. Sproul.

When Distractions Keep Us From Our Kids – Here’s one for the moms (and dads) out there. Christina Fox writes, “No doubt, technology provides many benefits to our lives. But we can’t be naïve to the consequences, including primarily its impact on our in-person relationships. It entices us away from face-to-face contact and real authentic connections.”

$5 Friday – More books and resources from Ligonier Ministries on sale today. Be sure to check them out.

When a Christian lives with eternity in mind, shaping life in view of it, death truly does lose its sting. –Owen Strachan

Morning Mashup 02/06

God Threw A Stone – Tullian Tchividijian: “Though no one on earth can throw the first stone, God can. And he did. The wonder of all wonders is that the rock of condemnation that we justly deserved was hurled by the Father onto the Son. The law-maker became the law-keeper and died for us, the law-breakers.”

John Piper: The Infographic – If you are interested in some basic information about John Piper, this is a creative method for you to get to know this theological juggernaut a little more. So far in my Christian life, no single figure has had more influence on my faith, theology, and ministry concepts than Piper.

How Churches Can Evangelize Their Neighbors – Many helpful thoughts on an important concern of many churches. “[M]ake sure your members understand that, while it’s always good to love our neighbors and build relationships with them for a number of reasons, we love them best by sharing the good news with them. And when gospel conversations do happen, engage the whole church in praying that they would bear fruit and that the Lord would use them to save your neighbors.”

The Merciful Gift of Desperation – Jon Bloom: “Heavenly Father, do whatever it takes to keep us desperate for you so that the deceitfulness of sin does not harden our hearts (Hebrews 3:13). And grant to our suffering brothers and sisters the mercy of sustaining grace. Keep us all faithful by strengthening our faith. And help us to keep praying for each other. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

In Christ, Our Suffering Is Not In Vain – “Jesus suffered for us. Yet we are called to participate in His suffering. Though He was uniquely the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, there is still an application of this vocation for us. We are given both the duty and the privilege to participate in the suffering of Christ.”

Dear Donald Miller – Many have responded to Donald Miller’s post in which he says he doesn’t go to church, but worships God in other forms. This response from Jonathan Leeman may be the best. You will enjoy reading this winsome correction.

We Christians press on because we know that there is laid up for us in God’s presence an inheritance beyond anything we could ever imagine. –Greg Gilbert

Morning Mashup 12/5

The Radical Christian Approach to Poverty and Riches – Greg Forster: “As income disparities rise in the modern economy, it is becoming harder to maintain love and harmony between rich and poor. Paternalistic arrogance seems to be growing among the wealthy, and resentful envy seems to be growing among the poor.”

New Music Project Helps Kids Learn Theology – I love teaching theology, especially to kids. I love coming across new, engaging, and helpful ways to teach theology to children. This resource has the promise of infusing theological truth into the hearts and minds of children.

This is What Abortion Looks Like When it Doesn’t Work – “Melissa Ohden survived something few do–an abortion. Let her powerful story remind you to fight, pray and pursue the protection of life in and out of the womb.”

Biblical Encouragement for Overwhelmed Parents – Parents, if you feel overwhelmed at the moment, this video is for you. Many helpful thoughts here.

Did Jesus Die to Save Everyone? – Matt Smethurst interviews the editors of the newly released book entitled From Heaven He Came and Sought Her: Definite Atonement in Historical, Biblical, Theological, and Pastoral Perspective. Smethurst asks about “4-pointers,” evangelism, whether they oversell their case, and more.

Violating Children’s Dignity in the Age of Social Media – Interesting article on how many parents may be robbing their children by overprotecting them.

For us who believe, death becomes a gateway to paradise; suffering becomes a pathway to holiness; and sin becomes a dethroned enemy that we fight by the power of God’s Spirit. –John Piper