Thursday, November 12, 2009

Chandler at Southern

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2009/11/12/chandler-chapel-message-at-southern/
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, November 2, 2009

Grace changes men

Here are three talks by Bryan Chapell from the Gospel Man conferences:



Check out the site for other talks on how grace changes a pastor, how to start a men’s ministry, how grace informs a man’s sexual life, devotional life, etc.

Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

From John Piper's first sermon as Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist

I come to you as your pastor today with weaknesses (which you will learn soon enough) and in much fear and trembling. Not that I distrust the power and promise of God but that I distrust myself. Not so much that I will fail—as the world counts failure—but that I might succeed in my own strength and wisdom and so fail as God counts failure.
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, October 2, 2009

from Parchment and Pen by C Michael Patton
1 person liked this

In my opinion, these are some of the best apologetics works that Christian and seekers need to read.

If you are having trouble with your belief, “apologetics” is the defense of the Christian faith. Each of these books defends the Christian faith in different ways, from different perspectives, from different people, dealing with a variety of issues.

Apologetics alone will never convince anyone of the truth of Christianity as people’s beliefs are not determined by reason and human wisdom, but as reason and human wisdom are used by the Holy Spirit to change a life. These works qualify as those that follow the path of 2 Pet. 3:15 “Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks for a reason for the hope that is in you.” God uses apologetics to changed the the hardened heart.

These are numbered one to fifteen in importance. Drum roll please . . .

15. Pensees, Blaise Pascal (can be read through Peter Kreeft, Christianity of Modern Pagans)

Pascals work here is as timeless and as relevant as many ancient proverbs. In fact, it serves more like a proverbial apologetic work with short pithy statements of life and truth designed to get one to think. Not an apologetic work in the classic sense, but one for those who are looking for a different approach through the path of wisdom before reason. Pascal is Catholic, but, as one Catholic has put it, too Protestant to be Catholic.

14. Letters from a Skeptic, Gregory Boyd

An incredibly engaging work that is a published account of Greg’s letters back and forth with his father who was an unbeliever at the time. While I disagree with Boyd’s contention that God does not know the future in his defense of evil, it is a great book and will make you think and believe more deeply.

13. How Do You Know Your Not Wrong, Paul Copan

Paul Copan deals with common objections to Christianity that most Christians find hard to answer. From “Animals have rights just like humans do” to “You can’t prove that scientifically” Paul helps the Christian and the skeptic get answers that represent the Christian worldview.

12. Reasonable Faith, William Craig

A master at dealing with the existence of God, Craig gives a good readable work at an intermediate level.

11. Scaling the Secular City, J. P. Moreland

This is a general apologetic work that comes from a philosophical perspective. J.P. Moreland is one of the most prolific and able defenders of the faith and this work is his most comprehensive achievement in the area of apologetics.

10. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Norman Geisler

This represents a lifetime tour de force of Norman Geisler. Just about every topic in Apologetics is covered in this massive work, from “Presuppositionalism” to “Resurrection Claims in Non-Christian Religions.” This is a significant reference work no matter what tradition you are from.

9. Case for Christ, Lee Strobel

This is a great book for the Christian or the seeker. It is probably the most popular apologetic work over the last decade, taking the title away from Evidence that Demands a Verdict.

8. Reason for God, Tim Keller

According to many, this apologetic work by Keller is the apologetic for the postmodern generation. Whether this is true or not, it presents a solid popular level work that can be given to non-believers.

7. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell

Although not as popular as it once was, for the last quarter of a century, this work has served as the primary “go-to” apologetic for Evangelical Christianity. It is still a must have.

6. The Analytic Theist, Alvin Plantinga

This will be a much more advanced work for those who are dealing with deep philosophical thinking. Plantinga has been hailed as one of the world’s greatest living philosophers. This is a reader to get you familiar with his works.

5. The God Who is There, Francis Schaeffer

Schaeffer’s works could all be put on this list, but this particular work is representative of a timeless defense from a timeless scholar.

4. Faith Has its Reasons, Rob Bowman and Kenneth Boa

The best book for one who’s desire it is to understand not only what apologetics is, but how it is to be done. The authors give a great overview of all the different Christian apologetic methods asking the question “How are we to defend the faith?” They then discuss and defend Presuppositionalism, Fideism, Evidentialism, and the Classical approaches the defense of the faith. For the young aspiring apologist, this is the first book that should be read.

3. The Resurrection of the Son of God, N. T. Wright

Simply put, this is the most comprehensive work on the resurrection of Christ ever produced. Whatever you think of N. T. Wright there is no debate that this is an immensely valuable contribution to the Christian witness.

2. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Habermas and Licona

Simply a must have for everyone. The resurrection of Christ is the central issue of Christianity. If Christ rose from the grave, Christianity is true. If he did not, it is false. Everyone needs to have a good defense of the resurrection and this work represents the best of the popular options. Get it!

1. Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis

How can I do justice to what might be the most significant and influential apologetic work in all of Christianity. All I can say is that if you have not read Mere Christianity, shame on you.

Did miss any? Please make your list (I don’t care how many)

Posted by at No comments:

Saturday, August 29, 2009

41 Questions to ask a potential church

Before being called to pastor Ballymoney Baptist Church, I inevitably faced a raft of questions from its eldership. Beforehand, however, I also asked the elders some questions of my own. Since mentioning this in a prior post, I’ve been emailed several times to forward a copy of those questions to pastor’s in the same situation. Here then is a slightly ammended list of the questions I asked.

A. Theological Questions

1. What is the church’s statement of faith and how did the church devise it?

2. What has been the most vexed theological question the church has faced? Has there ever been a church split over theology or practice? Why?

3. On the wider scene, what theological trends and strands of false teaching would the elders at Ballymoney be particularly concerned about at the moment?

4. What are the key functions/roles of an elder at Ballymoney?

5. What is the elder’s relationship to the pastor? (For example, is the pastor an elder? Do the elders perceive themselves as, in some way, subordinate?)

6. What would the church’s position be on the role of women?

7. What is the church’s position on the function of charismatic gifts?

8. Is there a different kind of membership for someone differing on secondary issues? Would it ever be considered?

9. What kind of church government structure is practiced? How does it work out in practice?

B. Ministry-Philosophy Questions

10. What is the process of being baptised and becoming a church member? How is baptism and membership encouraged?

11. What are the expectations laid upon church members?

12. How does the church practice church discipline? (What sort of discipline has been practiced in the past?)

13. Do the elders have any plans for expansion of the building or church planting?

14. What, if anything, would the elders want to see change or develop in the future? (each elder might want to answer individually!)

15. Do the church members generally (and happily) follow the lead of the eldership?

16. Can the elders give evidence of an openness to growing in their role? (by eg. reading resources on eldership, attending conferences, having a weekend away with pastor, etc)

17. In what ways (if at all) do you think my young age might affect my reception both in the church and among the eldership?

18. What would be the minimum and maximum expectations be of the frequency of the pastor’s preaching? (ie. is one Sunday evening off in preaching a month the minimum acceptable; on the other hand, would preaching every service without fail be deemed unhelpful)

19. What items in the current services are non-negotiable? What other items are deemed acceptable and have been featured in the past? Is the pastor responsible for putting together all orders of service?

20. Is the current practice of communion (format, timing, gap between service and communion) set in stone?

21. What sorts of things do the Ballymoney elders feel the pastor should not be doing with his time?

22. What are the congregational/eldership expectations (these two may be different) regarding pastoral visitation?

23. How often are business meetings conducted? Does the pastor moderate this? Are they productive and generally positive? What is typically discussed?

24. Does the church have a yearly budget and if so, how is it put together?

25. What is the church’s attitude and approach to missionaries?

26. Who is responsible for the website and library and how easy would it be for the pastor to make a significant input into each of these areas? (Note: I believe these resources would have some relation to my teaching function as a pastor)

27. Has the church ever had Fellowship Groups? If so, what is the leadership’s feeling about their significance?

28. What are the leadership’s views concerning counselling?

29. How would you sum up the spiritual health of the congregation in qualitative terms (against measurements like prayer, heart for evangelism, love for one another)?

30. What kind of impact have ‘the troubles’ and its aftermath had on the Ballymoney congregation?

31. Pardoning the expression, are there any ‘sacred cows’ in the church?

32. Would the congregation consider adding an additional paid staff member at any point?

C. Personal Questions

33. Would the elders have any objection to the pastor working from a church office? (my preferred place for sermon prep)

34. What is the view of the elders regarding the pastor resourcing himself? (conferences; the odd retreat to read & plan, etc)

35. Are there any expenses for things?

36. What is the rationale regarding days off and holidays?

37. Is there any scope for ‘preaching away’ from Ballymoney? (Note: I would be very cautious about doing much of this, especially early on, however)

38. Do you think it would be relatively easy for a young family to settle into the church/town? What challenges might Nicki and the children face?

39. What role would the pastor’s wife be expected to have in the church?

40. What are the schools like in Ballymoney?

41. How easy might it be to buy an affordable house in the Ballymoney area?

Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Everything on Preaching

Put together by Unashamed Workmen

Written Resources
Video Resources
Audio Resources
Study Resources

MyBibleTools.com

Bible Gateway

A list of Lexicons and Word Studies

Blue Letter Bible

Robertson’s NT Word Pictures

Online Hebrew Interlinear

Online Greek Interlinear

StudyLight.org

Application Grid (sample) & Application Grid (blank)

Alliterator Generator!

Other Resources
Regreek.com

Thebibletool.com

Nave’s Topical Bible

Vincent’s NT Word Studies

Bible Research by Michael Marlowe

The Biblical Studies Foundation

Monergism

Theopedia

Online Bible

The Sword Project

E-Sword

Jewish Encyclopedia

Catholic Encyclopedia

Livius

Holy Land Photos

Britannia.com (Encyclopedia)

Merium-Webster Online

Cambridge Online Dictionary

Roget’s Thesaurus

Visual Thesaurus

Wikipedia

A Prayer Before You Preach

Trinity Online Resources


Desiring God Conferences


The Primacy of Expository Preaching, Part 1 1995 Desiring God Conference for Pastors
January 30, 1995 D. A. Carson
Listen | Download

The Primacy of Expository Preaching, Part 2 1995 Desiring God Conference for Pastors January 31, 1995 D. A. Carson

Listen | Download

The Primacy of Expository Preaching, Part 3 1995 Desiring God Conference for Pastors January 31, 1995 D. A. Carson
Listen | Download

Preaching Today: The (Almost) Forgotten Task, Part 1 1999 Desiring God Conference for Pastors February 1, 1999 James Montgomery Boice

Listen | Download

Preaching Today: The (Almost) Forgotten Task, Part 2 1999 Desiring God Conference for Pastors February 2, 1999 James Montgomery Boice

Listen | Download

Preaching Today: The (Almost) Forgotten Task, Part 3 1999 Desiring God Conference for Pastors February 2, 1999 James Montgomery Boice

Listen | Download
Ray Ortlund


Dr Mike Bullmore- Annual lectures on October 7-9,
2008 at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School on “The Heart of Preaching
and the Preacher’s Heart.”

John Piper Q & A on Preaching and Teaching

Can a pastor preach to 12 people?

April 18, 2007

How can a pastor uphold good doctrine in a denomination that doesn’t?

February 11, 2008

Read | Listen | Download

How do you respond to criticism?
October 12, 2007
Read | Listen | Download

How should a pastor decide what to preach?
December 14, 2007
Read | Listen | Download

What are the pros and cons of using video preaching in the church?
November 12, 2008
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Worship God Conference

You can download the sessions from the Worship God conference (2009):
Go here for more listening options and resources.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)