Still Here, Sort of...

My blogging has certainly slowed down lately. If you read this blog, you've probably noticed posts are quite infrequent and have switched to short questions/thoughts as opposed to articles. There are a few reasons...

1. Time (lack of). No matter how I've tried to justify it, blogging ultimately fits more in the category of hobby than ministry (though the two can overlap). Therefore, as ministry opportunities abound, it seems best to let the blog lay low for a time while I seek to serve others in the moments God has provided.

2. Talent (lack of). There are several articles in the "pre-written" stage, however, they need a lot of refinement to be clear and attempt at concise. This can be the most time consuming phase, which drives back to point one.



3. Tired. I'm tired of meeting with other pastors only to find they are more enamored with their strategies and plans than with the work of Christ. I'm tired of hearing them treat a gospel confession simply as a "heresy fence" instead of it being the overflow of their heart. I'm tired of pastors who try to convince me they are being more faithful to the text by intentionally not bringing the person and work of Christ into their sermon. I'm tired of looking at my own track record and realizing the way I have dealt with these conversations in the past lacked the grace and humility needed to produce the symphony of God's infinite mercy and merely came across as a noisy gong. Therefore, I'm working the word through my own heart and these current situations before I write about it, which brings me back to point 2 (which brings me back to point 1).

It may be a while before I post an article, but until then, I'll try to direct you to somethings I have found truly helpful.

If John Piper picks a peck of people's ponderings, how many ponderings can Pastor Piper peck? Well, I don't know. But Desiring God has added a resource called Ask Pastor John. Click here to see the list of questions Pastor Piper has answered. You can either podcast this feature or sort through the questions and download the three-to-four minute answer one at a time.

If the world has nasty sayings about assumptions, why do we believers still do it? Through Professor Matt Harmon's blog, I read this wonderful article on Assumed Evangelicalism. The article not only nails the overall condition of the American church, but also seems to nail the responses given when this issue is addressed. A must read (especially for shepherds of Mackian decent).

Listen to this sermon twice! I wouldn't recommend listening to The Tongue, the Bridle, and the Blessing: An Exposition of James 3:1-12 (by Sinclair Ferguson). I'd recommend listening to it twice. Once to allow the Spirit of God to convict you about your use of the tongue. Whether you struggle to speak or struggle to remain silent, Ferguson will lay out for you God's standard and desire for our tongue and our failure to accomplish it on our own...drawing you to the blood of Christ for Him to sanctify this "great boaster." The second time to study the beauty of Ferguson's sermon. It is a brilliant example of how the gospel drives a passage and leads a person to repentance and standing in the glory of Christ. A great example of a gospel driven sermon finding application in all of our life.

Sex! This is not just an attempt to boost hits on my blog, it's a reference to Darby Livingston's recent article. Darby tackles a specific area of tension in the intimacy of bride and groom and seeks to call people to consider the gospel in this area. Again, excellent theology is applied to show that all things (including the bedroom) exist to glorify God by exalting His Son.