In his message earlier today, Kevin DeYoung identified two underemphasized elements of the “young, restless, and reformed” movement: (1) preaching on personal holiness and (2) radical exhortation to take up the call to global missions. DeYoung addressed the first issue in his message this morning, and Platt took up the second issue in his message this evening. Timmy Brister aptly described Platt’s message this way: “That reverberating sound in Louisville is the pulsating heartbeat of God echoing from that gospel bomb delivered by [David Platt].” Listen or download below. Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions [download] [audio:http://media.t4g.org/t4g2012/audio/t4g2012-gen6-platt.mp3]
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Sanctification Is Not By Faith
In his message at T4G this morning, Kevin DeYoung took on the evangelical cliché that says sanctification is by faith. He argues in fact that sanctification is not by faith—at least not in the same sense that justification is by faith. Rather, he contends that holiness in the believer’s life requires effort. It is a fantastic message, and I commend it to you. You’ll also want to bask in the afterglow of his overly hyphenated Piperian sermon title. Also, don’t miss Thabiti Anyabwile’s excellent message, which was also delivered this morning at T4G. He asks and answers the question, “Will your gospel transform a terrorist?” You can download or listen…
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The Suicide of the Church
Mark Dever wins the award so far for the most provocatively titled message at T4G 2012: “False Conversions: The Suicide of the Church.” He argues that the most effective way to kill a church is to accommodate unrepentant, unregenerate people as members of the church. The audio of Dever’s message as well as the excellent sermons from C. J. Mahaney and Albert Mohler from yesterday’s meeting are now available. You can download or listen to them below or get them from this page at the T4G website.
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Perspectives on Theistic Evolution
I was interested to read Christianity Today‘s coverage of a recent Biologos conference. The attendees included forty-one scholars and pastors who hold to (or are at least sympathetic to) theistic evolution. Knowing that they are in a minority among Protestants did not limit the gathering’s enthusiasm. About 60 participants came by special invitation, with the proviso that their names would not be publicized without permission. This was intended to encourage open conversation on sensitive topics. Attending were such luminaries as N. T. Wright, Alister McGrath, John Ortberg, Tim Keller, Scot McKnight, Os Guinness, Joel Hunter, and Andy Crouch…This year’s program centered on concerns for the church—especially for young people who…
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An Easter Hymn
O Jesus, Savior of my life, My hope, my joy, my sacrifice, I’ve searched and found no other one Who loves me more than you have done. (John 15:13)
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Why “Good Friday” is so good.
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Did Jesus experience “doubt” and “fear”?
In his remarks this morning at the White House Easter Prayer Breakfast, President Obama reflected on Jesus’ suffering and said that Jesus experienced “doubt” and “fear” in the same way that we do. Of course the Bible does teach that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are and that He is therefore able to sympathize with us (Heb. 4:15). But does that mean that He himself doubted God and feared death? Here is the relevant excerpt from the transcript of the President’s remarks:
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Pray for Chuck Colson, in critical condition.
I heard about this a few days ago, but apparently Mr. Colson is still not out of the woods and needs prayer. Here’s the report from World magazine: Four days after emergency surgery to remove a pool of clotted blood from the surface of his brain, Prison Fellowship founder, author, and radio commentator Chuck Colson was in critical condition at a Washington, D.C., area hospital.
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Lord, help us to be men of war.
Commenting on 1 Timothy 6:12, J. C. Ryle wrote this: He who would understand the nature of true holiness must know that the Christian is ‘a man of war.’ If we would be holy, we must fight. J. C. Ryle, Holiness, p. 58
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Modesty Heart Check
I have been teaching through 1 Timothy 2 the last couple of weeks at my church. This past Sunday, we made it to verses 9-10 where Paul writes: 9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; 10 but rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. In preparing my message, my wife reminded me of a resource from Carolyn Mahaney that helps women to think and to dress modestly. It’s called the “Modesty Heart Check,” and you can download the PDF here. It focuses not merely on…