Weekly Wrap (07/07)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

I recently came across this video from John Piper discussing the Prosperity Gospel. Somehow I don't think Piper thinks too highly of this kind of theology...

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Consumer Christianity - Marketing or Making Disciples? - "I don’t want to push the analogy too far, but for the sake of illustration, let’s think of the membership model of church as similar to the membership model of the modern health club. One becomes a member of a health club by paying dues (in a church, the monthly or weekly offering). Having paid their dues, the members expect the services of the club to be at their disposal. Exercise equipment, weight room, aerobics classes, an indoor track, swimming pool—all there for them, with a trained staff to see that they benefit by them." Are our churches about meeting people's needs or doing God's work? A challenging article from Dr Gary Thompson.

Why Gay Marriage Is Good (and Bad) For The Church - Trevin Wax writes a great piece challenging the church to hold fast to the exhortation found in Romans 8:28 amidst the apparent storm that is Gay Marriage in America.

How Much of a Pastor's Vacation Time Should He Use? - "You may begin reading this post with the idea that I will suggest how many weeks of vacation you should be given by your church, or how much you should advocate to give your pastor. Instead, I intend to answer this question a bit differently. My concern is not about how much vacation time a pastor is given, but how he uses (or doesn't use) what he is given." A great, thought-provoking article from Practical Shepherding.

Longing For God - A wonderful devotional by Charles Swindoll on Psalm 42:1-2. Well worth a read.

The Mathematics of Grace - "The world runs by ungrace. Everything depends on what I do. I have to make the shot. Jesus calls us to another way, one that depends not on our performance but his own. We do not have to achieve but merely follow. He has already earned for us the costly victory of God’s acceptance." A great article courtesy of the Gospel Coalition.
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Thought for the day...

"The Lord is kind. He is good to all who take refuge under his wings."
— John Piper

Weekly Wrap (23/06)

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

This is a beautiful video on God's amazing grace by Matt Chandler.

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What is Open Theism? - Do you appreciate theology? Then you will like this article and brief video with N.T. Wright on Open Theism.

Hymn Stories: I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say - Do you know the story of Horatius Bonar, the man who penned this famous hymn? If not then Tim Challies post will enlighten you. A great and encouraging read about a man of faith.

14 Free eBooks For You - "Though it won’t replace good old-fashioned books, the upward trend of ebooks has created a new platform for us to spread our message — that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." Check out these 14 free eBooks from Desiring God.

Audio from the Christ-Centered Teaching – Panel Discussion at the SBC - Ed Stetzer, Eric Hankins, Jonathan Akin, and Trevin Wax were joined by more than 300 pastors and church leaders for a breakfast meeting devoted to discussing the New Testament’s use of the Old, the appropriate ways of leading people to Christ from Old Testament stories, and the difficulties and dangers of applying this hermeneutic in irresponsible ways. The audio of their conversation at the Southern Baptism Convention is well worth a listen.

Top Blog Posts of 2012 - Unhealthy Christian Organizations - "I decided to write about a problem I had seen in a number of organizations throughout the years-- an unhealthy culture among Christians in places of ministry. I wrote about it because I thought that it was an important issue to address, but even I was not expecting the level of response. Unfortunately, this appears to be a widespread problem." Ed Stetzer shares his research into the characteristics of unhealthy Christian organisations.
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Thought for the day...

"We must not be content with a theory of faith. We must have faith within us so that we move from the ordinary to the extraordinary."
— Smith Wigglesworth

The Serenity Prayer

by Joel Hawting | @jhawting

God, give me grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.