Desiring God Conference: Francis Chan on Prayer

Don't watch this if you want to stay the same. Don't watch it unless you want your life to be ruined in a good way. Francis Chan convicts my socks off because he always brings me back to the reality of God. Too often we move off the basics to master some complicated theological point, but those basics are colossally amazing. This video so greatly makes me want to be a man of prayer; Chan's example and exhortation drives me to the Father, to Jesus, and to the Holy Spirit!

The Word: 1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life - the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us - that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 


This is my first blog entry that deals solely with a text of Scripture. I am actually quite nervous because I know that teachers will be judged more strictly, though I don't know exactly how that is going to work itself out. I feel inadequate; I feel the weight of my sin; I feel the seriousness of the task. All I can ask is that you would read prayerfully, and it is my hope that constantly your eyes would be drawn away from what I have written and to the bolded Word of God. 

Journey with Jack: Mere Christianity (Some Objections)

Chapter 2 of "Mere Christianity" seeks to answer objections to the idea of the Moral Law as it was established in Chapter 1. A potential objection: "Isn't what you call the Moral Law simply our herd instinct and hasn't it been developed just like all our other instincts?" 

Journey with Jack: Mere Christianity (The Law of Human Nature)

I am currently in a class at Kennesaw State University with a liberal professor who has launched a not-so-subtle attack on the idea of truth. I, of course, want to humbly and courageously speak the words God would have me to speak to her and to our class as a whole. For any who read this, prayer would be greatly appreciated.

There are a couple of ways I want to work on protecting and preparing my mind, especially within such a skeptical, humanist atmosphere. I want to, first and foremost, keep myself tethered to Scripture, letting its words shape me, flatten me, and transform me. Second, I want to read from great defenders of truth. In my readings I find few greater or more creative or more insightful defenders of truth than CS Lewis.

When I visited Nicole (my fiance) most recently, I retrieved a collection I had lent her, "The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics", and I began re-reading "Mere Christianity". This is one of those books that I started reading a while back, would get through a couple of chapters, and would then put it down for six months. I'd then pick it up again, read back to that point, and go a few chapters further. This happened several times, as I chipped away, bit by bit. For those unfamiliar with him, C.S. Lewis is not exactly light reading. He is not as dense as some, like John Owen or Edwards in places, but he requires concentration. That concentration pays off, though.

Pickin' Piper's Brain: Think (2)

One of John Piper's favorite theologians is mid-eighteenth century New England pastor Jonathan Edwards. While Edwards is primarily - and regrettably - known only for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", he is considered by some (like Christian historian Mark Noll) to be perhaps the greatest thinker America has seen. The second chapter of Piper's book "Think" deals with the implications of Edwards' vision of the Trinity for the life of the mind.

Picking Piper's Brain: Think (1)

I want to begin this series of entries on the topic of thinking by putting before us some scriptures to let them be our guide. The Bible commands us to love God with all our minds, so what does the Bible tell us about thinking? We see both warnings and promises...

• Now concerning food offered to idols, we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

• And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

• If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; (Proverbs 2:3-6)

• My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; (Hosea 4:6)

We live in a time, especially in America, when the church is subject to two dangers in regards to thinking. One danger is to take the warning against the kind of "knowledge that puffs up" and descend into a sort of anti-intellectualism. In chapter 1 of his book "Think", John Piper writes autobiographically about the role of thinking in his life and quotes some other writers on anti-intellectualism in the church...

Mark Noll began a book on this topic by stating, "The scandal of the evangelical mind is that there is not much of an evangelical mind."

John Piper on Abortion and the Golden Rule

I just watched John Piper's most recent sermon, preached on January 23, 2011. The title of the sermon is "Abortion and the Narrow Way That Leads to Life". Here is the sermon, and below it is a summary of what I take to be the important points.



Piper talks about abortion some within the video, but the topic of abortion serves more as an entrance into the two questions of 1) how we as Christians should respond to suffering in the world, and 2) how we should think about the relationship of this world's suffering and eternal suffering in hell. Part of his text for the sermon is Matthew 7:12-14.

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Dear Michael (my brother)

Dear Michael,

I thank God for you.

I hope and pray that this writing, a letter of sorts, will be a means of grace and peace to you. I pray that its words would reveal my heart towards you and towards God - that you would feel more truly both my love for you and God's love for you as a result of my writing to you. It is my aim to be frank and honest.

I write this, as well, for the sake of the others who might read, and because of our bond in the Gospel, our desire to see it shared, to see it take root in people's lives, to see the name of Jesus praised more deeply from more hearts, I am confident in Jesus that you will agree with why I have chosen to write this in a place where others can read. It is my hope that the Spirit would speak through me, with my honesty magnifying the grace of God, and that you would be encouraged, that this encouragement might see fruit in your straining toward the goal, and that other reader's hearts would be softened and strengthened to likewise speak with humility, grace, love, and Gospel-purpose to their loved ones.

You are about to leave for Brazil in two days for half a year, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for who you have been to me. By way of entrance into that thanksgiving, I want to look at Psalm 119:97-104.