Matt Schmucker has a really helpful article in the 9Marks eJournal about when it is appropriate to fire a church staff member. Based on scripture’s stewardship principle (Matthew 25:14-30), Schmucker says that pastors should sack the following kinds of persons:
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Where Were You on September 16, 2001?
This Sunday will mark the tenth anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the United States. Like every other American, I will never forget where I was and what I was doing when I heard news of the attacks. My wife and I had only been married a year, and we had just moved to Louisville, Kentucky so that I could pursue a Ph.D. I had a seminar that afternoon and was still at home when the attacks happened. My wife called me from work to tell me to turn the television on. I think both buildings had already been struck by the time I tuned in, but I was…
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Justin Taylor Answers Questions for Rachel Held Evans
Rachel Held Evans has been doing an interview series, and today’s installment is “Ask A Calvinist.” Justin Taylor does a fantastic job fielding questions from Rachel’s readers. I think his engagement is a model of gospel clarity and charity. Be sure to read this one.
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John Piper on Self-Promotion
Thanks to Justin Taylor for reminding us of this word from John Piper about self-promotion. Amen to everything Piper says here. Our aim should never be self-promotion, but Christ-promotion. We want to influence as many people as possible with the message of the gospel. Seeking this kind of influence is good. But even in all our Christ-exalting influence, we have to be wary of ourselves. We are sinners and prone to wander.
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CT’s Editorial about the SBC Resolution on the NIV
The latest issue of Christianity Today arrived in the mail yesterday, and I was interested to note an editorial about the Southern Baptist Convention’s resolution concerning the 2011 NIV. The article represents the editorial opinion of CT, and predictably it disagrees with Southern Baptists about the new NIV. Readers of this blog will not be surprised that by and large I disagree with CT’s editorial (see my previous posts: reviews of NIV, SBC Resolution, response to translators, response to Bock). But there was at least one item in the article that I do agree with. Here it is: “The only criterion for a good translation is this: Does it accurately…
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Are we on the verge of a Kuyperian reformation?
Doug Wilson thinks that the young, restless, and reformed are on the verge of a Kuyperian aesthetic revolution. He also thinks that the young, restless, and reformed are a “jungle full of monkeys.” If you need a good belly laugh, go read Wilson’s post.
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More Thoughts Proverbs 27:2 and Self-Promotion
I posted a note on Monday about Dane Ortlund’s excellent blog post on Proverbs 27:2 and self-promotion. Today, Jim Hamilton reflects on Ortlund’s essay as well. Jim argues that posting one’s teaching to the web is not inherently sinful. I agree with Jim that the matter does come down to how it’s done and the motives of one’s heart. Still, I think we need to take Proverbs 27:2 to heart and consider what kind of culture we are creating. Are there biblical examples that might help us think through how to flesh out the wisdom of Proverbs 27:2? I think there are. How did Jesus and the apostles get the…
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Must We Preach with Passion?
The first time I heard John Piper preach I didn’t like it. It was about sixteen years ago. Someone had given me a cassette tape of Piper speaking on the topic of the supremacy of God in preaching, and in this particular message he stressed that the preacher’s delivery must be done with great passion and feeling. I disagreed with Piper. As far as I was concerned, the Bible was the point of preaching not the preacher’s delivery. I thought that Piper was promoting an anthropocentric view of the preacher’s task. I didn’t understand how Piper could be so wrong.
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Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth
Dane Ortlund has written a little exhortation that is by far the best thing I read online all weekend. Dane’s remarks are about internet narcissism among Christians. The scriptural basis is Proverbs 27:2: Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; Someone else, and not your own lips. Here’s the heart of Dane’s meditation on this text: Blogs, Facebook, and Twitter are fantastic tools with unprecedented potential for strategic, efficient kingdom instrumentality… But… the amount of self-foregrounding that takes place on these media–by Christians–by pastors–is troubling. Promotion of our own books, letting everyone know where we’ve been and whom we’ve met, drawing attention to what others are saying…
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Ross Douthat Goes Another Round with Ryan Lizza over Francis Schaeffer
Earlier this week I posted about Ross Douthat’s deft dismantling of Ryan Lizza’s misinterpretation of Francis Schaeffer. Ryan Lizza has since responded on The New Yorker Website and stands by his contention that Francis Schaeffer favored armed resistance to the U.S. government over the issue of abortion. Douthat has just offered another rejoinder to Lizza. Once again, Douthat has the better part of this argument. One thing I would add about his whole conversation: If Francis Schaeffer really favored armed resistance against the U.S. government, then why haven’t evangelicals answered his call to do so? In the last 30 years, can you think of any evangelical who has heeded Schaeffer’s…