To Read, To Listen, To Tap
Oct 4, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Last weekend at Riv, I promised to hook you guys up with a bunch of stuff you can read / listen to online to help you grow up spiritually. The links I am providing here are from people that I trust. I may not agree with them all 100% of the time, but I trust their commitment to Jesus and I jive with what they say the majority of the time. Hopefully, you will find a few new voices that can help point you to Jesus.
My goal here is not to present an exhaustive list (which is easy to ignore), but a short helpful list.
To Read – blogs and other online resources
GotQuestions.org – This is the best online resource I am aware of for answering common questions about Christianity. To date, they have nearly 300,000 questions in a searchable database. You can also subscribe to a weekly email.
The Resurgence - Affiliated with Acts29 (a church planting organization Riv partners with), this site is one of the richest resources for training “the head, heart, and hands of leaders.”
The Old Guys – This is a blog with a simple focus: connecting readers to the writings of Old Dead Christian Dudes. Don’t worry about wading through lots of pages of Olde English, these guys pull out short paragraphs with big meanings.
Tullian Tchividjian – The grandson of Billy Graham, this guy has serious theological chops and is a simple communicator of profound truths.
To Listen – sermon podcasts
Acts29 Network Sermons – Messages from events and churches affiliated with Acts29.
Mark Driscoll - Mark is a pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and a friend.
Darrin Patrick – Darrin is a pastor Journey Church in St. Louis and a friend.
Theology Unplugged – If you want to take it to another level, this podcast discusses various theological ideas from varying perspectives.
To Download – iPhone and other device apps
Bible.is - This app does one thing very well – it reads the Bible to you. I listen to it when I mow the lawn.
The Theology Program - 60 hours of theological training on your phone. From the same guys as the Theology Podcast listed above.
YouVersion – The most downloaded Bible software that lets you set up your own reading plan and links to Riv’s weekend services as well.
Happy Labor Day!
Sep 5, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Today is the last day of summer for most of us.
Some of us are chilling out, but the rest of us are freaking out.
School starts tomorrow for a lot of kids. New classes, new friends, new teachers, new locker combos. Parents are rushing around getting new school shoes, backpacks, and #2 pencils.
Even though classes started last week for college students, tomorrow marks the start of the marathon push to Thanksgiving Break.
Many sports teams, businesses, clubs, churches, and other groups are ramping up for a big fall push.
Here’s my encouragement to you today:
- Take some time to breathe.
- Take some time to thank God for breath.
- Take some time to thank God for new beginnings.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:22-23)
Now…hit the ground running tomorrow!
Baptism
Sep 1, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
A couple times a year at Riv, we hold baptisms during our weekend services and they always blow me away. It is so cool to hear people get up and share their stories about how God has changed their lives.
On Sunday, September 11, we are going to try something a bit different. We are going to hold a big baptism service at Valhalla Park in Holt. If you are interested in getting baptized, email Brett Maxwell.
If you are interested in watching the baptisms and celebrating with those being baptized, meet us at the park at 1:30ish. Directions are here.
If you want to know more about baptisms, you can read this short paper.
Hope to see you there!
Tags: baptism
I’m Back!
Aug 15, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Today marks the end of my second annual month long social media fast and it was very different this time around.
Last year, I found myself wanting to post to Twitter and Facebook constantly, this year it was relieving to take a break.
Last year, I enjoyed the break from my email and dreaded the pile of messages my assistant said was waiting for me at the end. This year, I have wanted to get back to email and my assistant says the backlog is pretty light because she handled most of them.
One thing was the same both times around, though: I am returning with a renewed vision for my online habits over the next year. Primarily, I want to use this year to leverage my Internet usage for the Gospel. Here are a few specific actions steps I am planning on implementing:
Twitter and Facebook
One of the coolest things we do at Riv is our Text Project, where we read through the New Testament each year and the Old Testament over the span of three years. Our approach is simple and you can learn more about it here.
This year, I plan on posting a verse from the Text Project each day to encourage people to read along with me and spend a few minutes daily in the Bible.
I also plan on limiting my time browsing Social Media to a couple minutes a day so it doesn’t become a time waster (as it has been in the past).
My Blog
This year, I plan on being more intentional with my blog posts.
- On Monday, I will blog about something that I think will pertain to the Riv family (whether it be about my weekend messages, current events, or just something I am mulling over).
- On some Tuesdays, I will post a “Tuesday Rewind,” which will be an old blog post, message clip, or some other old gem I dig up around here. I won’t always do one of these, but I will when it strikes my fancy.
- On Wednesdays, I’ll post book reviews on a wide variety of books from novels to bestsellers, to books I think everyone should read (or avoid).
- On Fridays, I’ll continue to post Friday Random Linkness because it’s fun for me (and I hope fun for you).
My Email
My assistant hit a great rhythm over the last month regarding my email. I plan on entrusting more and more of it to her, so I can focus more and more of my time to teaching and leading at Riv.
Well, that’s about it! It’s great to be back and I am excited to see what the next year has in store for us.
Tags: facebook, personal, social media, twitter
iFast 2.0
Jul 15, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
Last year, I fasted from Social Media and much of the internet for the month of July and it was a super fruitful time for me. You can read my post-fast thoughts here and here. Because of this, I have decided to do it again. The bottom line is I will be mostly offline between July 15 and August 14.
Here are the parameters I am laying out for myself:
No Twitter. No tweeting, no reading other people’s tweets. A lot of time I’m not really living in the moment, rather I’m trying to capture the moment to share with others in 140 characters or less.
No Facebook. I don’t need to catch up on everyone’s lives, photos, and status updates this month. I also don’t need to share everything from my world. Sorry to everyone with birthdays during this month…you’ll just have to live without me saying “happy birthday.”
No Google+. I am tempted to play with this one over the break to try to figure it out, but nope…it has to go.
No Blogging. Most of the time, I love writing for my blog. Sometimes it’s a chore. This month, it doesn’t matter because I won’t be doing any of it.
No Reading Blogs. This one might be the hardest for me, since I have a lot of blogs I like to keep up on and no one would know if I snuck a peak. But it’s time for some offline thinking.
Limited Email. I’ll periodically check my personal email, but for the most part I’m going to let my assistant handle my work email. If something earth-shattering is happening that needs my attention, I’ll have her let me know but for the most part I don’t think the world will end if I don’t respond to email. To this end, I’m going to disconnect my iPad and iPhone from my work email account so it’s harder for me to access and have my assistant change my password.
So what will I do with all of the time / mental energy I save?
Read the Bible, pray, and plan for the fall. I am really really excited because this fall I am starting a year long journey through the book of 1 Corinthians. I’ll take a bunch of time during the next month to get ramped up and ready for that.
Vacation with the Fam. We have a couple little trips planned (including a Cubs game and some time on Lake Michigan) and I am looking forward to some down time to focus on being a husband and a dad.
That’s about it. My plan is to be back online on August 15.
See ya then!
Tags: facebook, personal, social media, twitter
Baptism
Jul 6, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
During the weekend services at Riv, we are looking at 5 BIG WORDS with deep theological meaning for our lives. On my blog, I’m answering common questions as well as expanding on anything I don’t have time to cover during the weekend services. Today’s post is regarding baptism and whether or not is required for salvation.
This past weekend, we looked a familiar story of Jesus’ conversation with a Jewish leader named Nicodemus. One of the verses we hit was this one:
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)
Some have used this text to argue for the position that baptism is required for salvation, however that cannot be what it means. Instead of rehashing old arguments, I want to encourage you to read this excellent article on GotQuestions.org:
Does John 3:5 teach that baptism is necessary for salvation?
GotQuestions also does a great job handling other tricky passages regarding baptism, including:
1 Peter 3:21
Acts 2:38
Galatians 3:27
They sum up their argument here.
With all of this said, being baptized is one of the first steps of obedience a Christ-follower should take in his or her life. If you want more information on baptism at Riv, check this out. You can also email Bret...@RivChurch.com, who oversees our baptisms.
Tags: baptism
Extent of the Atonement
Jun 29, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
During the weekend services at Riv, we are looking at 5 BIG WORDS with deep theological meaning for our lives. On my blog, I’m answering common questions as well as expanding on anything I don’t have time to cover during the weekend services. Today’s post is a little more detail on the subject of the atonement.
The last two weekends, we have talked about the profound truth that God “made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21) John Stott reminds us that
“[This verse goes] beyond a negative truth to a positive counterpart…God made the sinless Christ to be sin for us, in order that ‘in him we might become the righteousness of God.’”
Two obvious questions people have about this verse is: who is Paul talking about when he says “all” and who are those “who might live”? This is one of those places where theologians like to fight and other people like to go have a drink. However, there is a significant truth in this verse that has profound meaning for each of us. Earlier in the chapter, Paul gives us a bit of context when he writes, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Cor 5:14-15 emphasis mine)
Three times in this passage, Paul uses the phrase “all” when referring to the beneficiaries of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross. This is consistent with many other passages that speak to a universal application of the atonement. A normal reading of the Bible would lead one to conclude that when the Bible says “all,” it means “all.” The first part of Paul’s argument could therefore be summarized this way: “Jesus’ atoning work on the cross made all humans savable.”
However, that is not the end of the story. As John Walvoord puts it eloquently,
“God’s purpose in the death of Christ, while including the salvation of the elect, was a broader purpose to render the whole world savable or reconciled in the provisional sense.”
The second part of Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 5 is: “he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Cor 5:14-15 emphasis mine) “Those that might live” represent those who have responded in saving faith the message of the Gospel. A few verses later Paul refers to these as those who are “in Christ.” (1 Cor 5:17). Paul appears to defend a both/and position that God has provided a means of salvation to all people of all time that only becomes effective by the personal faith of an individual person.
Many contemporary theologians hold this view of the atonement, with various points of emphasis. Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears call this position “Unlimited Limited Atonement.” They write,
“Simply, by dying for everyone, Jesus purchased everyone as his possession, and he then applies his forgiveness to the elect—those in Christ—by grace, and applies his wrath to the non-elect—those who reject Christ. Objectively, Jesus’ death was sufficient to save anyone, and, subjectively, only efficient to save those who repent of their sin and trust him.”
Bruce Ware calls this the “Multiple Intentions View” and writes,
“Christ died for the purpose of paying the penalty for the sin of all people making it possible for any and all to be saved. God loves all and wants all to be saved. In his love for all, he sent Christ to make the payment for the sin of all. Belief in Christ is necessary, however, to receive the benefits of Christ’s death and be saved. The gospel must be preached to all, and, upon hearing the gospel, any can come because Christ died for the sins of all people in the world.”
Millard Erickson argues for what he calls Sublapsarianism. He describes it as
“the view that God logically decides first to provide salvation, then elects some to receive it.”
It can also be argued that reformer John Calvin himself held to this view (although this irritates modern Calvinists who disagree with their founder), having written,
“Though Christ suffered for the sins of the whole world, and is offered through God’s benignity indiscriminately to all, yet all do not receive him…Our Lord Jesus suffered for all and there is neither great nor small who is not inexcusable today, for we can obtain salvation in him. Unbelievers who turn away from Him and who deprive themselves of Him by their malice are today doubly culpable, for how will they excise their ingratitude in not receiving the blessing in which they could share by faith.”
Practically what does this mean for you and me? We are either savable or we are saved. Through Jesus’ atoning work on the cross, we are offered reconciliation with God. I’ll talk more about what this means this weekend at Riv.
Expiation
Jun 22, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
During the weekend services at Riv, we are looking at 5 BIG WORDS with deep theological meaning for our lives. On my blog, I’ll be answering common questions as well as expanding on anything I don’t have time to cover during the weekend services.
This past weekend, I taught on the atonement Jesus provides for the world (and especially those who believe in him) through his work on the cross. One of the deeply powerful aspects of is work is EXPIATION where
Jesus’ work on the cross cleanses us from sin and its shame.
Check out this familiar passage (some of the words we sang last weekend at Riv):
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
A significant result of the cleansing work of Jesus is the removal of our shame. Adam and Eve hid from God in the garden and hid their nakedness from him and each other because they were ashamed. The Samaritan woman at the well drew water at noon to avoid other people because she was ashamed. I’m sure that as you look over your life, there has been some point (maybe now) that you have hidden because you are ashamed.
Because of Jesus, you don’t have to be ashamed. Just like God sought Adam and Eve in the garden and Jesus sought the woman at the well, the Holy Spirit is seeking you. He wants you to know that if you are in Christ, you don’t have to be ashamed! God looks at you and he sees his son! Jesus has cleansed you until you are white as snow. He is not ashamed of you, so you don’t have to he ashamed either!
Propitiation
Jun 20, 2011 Uncategorized Hodge Podge
During the weekend services at Riv, we are looking at FIVE BIG WORDS with deep theological meaning for our lives. On my blog, I’ll be answering common questions as well as expanding on anything I don’t have time to cover during the weekend services.
This weekend, we talked about the atoning work of Jesus on the cross and what that means for our lives. One of the significant parts of the atonement that I didn’t have time to cover is that Jesus has become our PROPITIATION. Essentially, this means that
Jesus took on himself the wrath of God that was directed at us, so that now God looks on us with favor.
Let that sink in for a second. God’s wrath was rightfully bearing down on us like a hurricane, Jesus absorbed the hurricane and the sky cleared to blue. We are no longer living under God’s wrath but under his favor if we are “in Christ.” We can and should live every moment of every day in light of this reality.
“For there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” Romans 3:22-25
