Albert Mohler has a must-read article today that I can only describe as shocking. It’s a long one, but at the heart of it is a sermon recently delivered by megachurch pastor Andy Stanley. You can listen to the sermon below or download it here. The relevant portion begins at the 23:00 minute mark. In the video version, it starts at 24:30. [audio:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WeeklyPodcastNorthPoint/~5/j5kqFUxRu3k/christian_part5.mp3] In the sermon, Stanley told the story of a husband who left his wife for another man. At the end of the story, the wife, her new boyfriend, their children, and the new homosexual couple all end up attending a Christmas service together. Stanley looks at them…

Yesterday, I preached the following message at my church, Kenwood Baptist in Louisville, Kentucky. My text was 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, and the topic was suffering. In the opening of the sermon, I called for prayer for a friend who was battling cancer. I did not know at the time that this dear brother would pass away only hours later. He was 33 years old. Our hearts are heavy as we pray for the wife he leaves behind, but we are held fast by the God who raises the dead. “With Paul in the School of Suffering” [download][audio:http://kenwoodbaptistchurch.com/podcast/media/2012-04-29_denny_burk_2_cor_1_311_apr_29.mp3]

John Piper – Glory, Majesty, Dominion, and Authority Keep Us Safe for Everlasting Joy [download] [audio:http://media.t4g.org/t4g2012/audio/t4g2012-gen9-piper.mp3]

In the final message of T4G 2012, John Piper ruminated on the fact that this will be the last time he preaches at T4G as a pastor. He also marveled at the fact that he’s still a Christian after 60 years. He then turned his amazement on the congregation, “I love to ask people, and I’ll ask you: What makes you think you’re gonna wake up a Christian tomorrow?” Here’s the clip with his answer:

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]

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…

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…