Preaching [and living] Like This Is Dangerous

May God grant me the same commitments and convictions not just now, but 30 years from now!

Anticipating T4G!

Two weeks ago, Mark Dever gave some video announcements regarding the messages for Together for the Gospel. At this point, the schedule is:

The Church is the Gospel Made Visible--Mark Dever: Dever jokingly says all his thought has simply gone into the title, and if you simply meditate on the title, you don't even need to hear his message.

The Defense and Confirmation of the Gospel: What I Have Learned in 50 Years--RC Sproul: More of an autobiographical talk, Sproul will trace us through his observations these last 50 years. (MacArthur gave a similar message at the first T4G which was great. It really gives those of us with less experience an opportunity to grow from his!)

How Does It Happen? Trajectories Toward an Adjusted Gospel--Al Mohler: Speaking of learning from the past, Mohler plans to show how the gospel often gets adjusted, bit by bit over time.

'Fine Sounding Arguments' How Wrongly Engaging the Culture Adjusts the Gospel--Thabiti Anyabwile: Thabiti plans to show how our good intentions can sometimes cause us to make bad decisions which could compromise the truth of the gospel.

The Theology of Sleep--John MacArthur: Dever says this message will be based from Mark 4. Hmmm.

Did Jesus Preach the Gospel of Evangelicalism?--John Piper: I'm guessing that we will hear one talk packed full of John's growth through preaching the gospels as well as researching for books he's written like What Jesus Demands and Finally Alive.

Did the Fathers Know the Gospel?--Ligon Duncan: Actually, this message may be the one I am looking forward to the most. I read the Patristics about 3 years ago and really struggled that grace does not appear easily visible in their writings. Duncan got his PhD in Patristics, so I'm looking forward to hearing him explain if that is simply writing style, arguments of the day or an issue of doctrine.

Expository Faithfulness--CJ Mahaney: Although the website says that CJ will be preaching from 2 Timothy 4:1-5, CJ also has an uncanny ability to mesh everything from the conference together so that you are sure to take away the big ideas.

If you are not from Grace, you still have time to sign up. If you are from Grace, it may be too late to get a room with us and get in on our transportation, but we'd still want to work with you. Let us know you are going, and we'll make sure you're in on all the opportunities to fellowship with us during the week.

[We're also in the process of arranging some time with a pastor of a very active church planting church. He's a warm, gracious, passionate guy who loves church planting and has seen God honor that in many ways. I believe it will be a real inspiration for us!]

The Big Red Tractor

File under "Chan is the man"

The Big Red Tractor from Jacob Lewis on Vimeo.

(And in Darke County, I feel it is my responsibility to point out that Chan has probably never heard of Massey Ferguson, so this is not a slam on Deere. You can pretend the tractor is green and yellow if you want to.)

Introducing Acts 29

Last night, at Greenville Grace's Vision Night our elders announced that we are pursuing a relationship with Acts29.

If you're not familiar with Acts29, we invite you to cruise around their website. I especially encourage you to check out this page, which explains what Acts29 believes. Acts29 summarizes their statement in four words: Christian, Evangelical, Missional & Reformed. (You'll find their beliefs fit right into what we already have listed as our Statement of Faith from the FGBC.)

We're excited that Acts29 seems to offer the experience and resources to help us fulfill our long-time passion...to plant many churches that will plant churches.

After a lengthly and detailed process, we are now in the Candidate Phase. This means that we have been received into the Network and would receive a "full membership" status provided we meet the following three conditions:

1. Enter into a coaching relationship with an existing Acts 29 pastor who can help guide you through the process of planting a new work out of Grace. (This is one reason we pursued Acts 29. We look forward to the development at Grace that will come through a coaching relationship.)
2. Develop a written strategy and timeline that details how you plan to become a church-planting church. We would like to see you launch a church plant from Grace within the next two years with a well thought out strategy for the location and a plan for missional engagement. (It's exciting to think our intentions could become reality within 2 years! Of course, to help see this happen, we need some coaching and help!)
3. Financially support church planting with 10% of your overall budget per the Acts 29 Covenant (a voluntary 1% to Acts 29 Foundation Fund and 9% to church planting as your church deems fit, but we would like to see that be an Acts 29 church plant). (We're excited to begin supporting active work more intentionally, while continuing in our support of other church plants, both domestic and abroad.)

We're praying that this relationship will foster massive gospel-growth...in Darke County and around the world!