Chris Elrod recommendeded taking the blog readability test. Evidently, my posts are at this level:

I really don’t know what this means. Maybe I need to write in a different fashion. Oh, well, I hope I’m being of service.

My good friend, Conor Eastman, has a new blog called simplify. glorify. Check it out and expect good things from him.

For today’s Marriage Monday post, I am also combining with my free audio recommendation to commend to you a sermon by C.J. Mahaney entitled Overcoming the Fear of Rejection. This sermon is a free download from Sovereign Grace Ministries. This sermon is also part of a larger series entitled Overcoming the Fear of Man.

The Sov Grace website gives the following description:

Does a fear of rejection dictate your life and bind you? It can be overcome. The Bible says that fear of man is a snare–one you don’t want constraining you.

Beginning with examples from his own life, C.J. Mahaney shares what the fear of man looks like. He defines it as an “excessive, sinful concern about what others think of us–an inordinate desire for human approval or an intense feeling of being rejected.” He leads his listeners in discerning if the fear of man rules in their lives.

What I found especially convicting and provoking was about the 20 minute mark when C.J. asked something to the effect of “Do you children see in you a passion for God, family and the local church? or do they see passion for other things?” This sermon, then, has some great application for our parenting. I think, also, though, even if you don’t have children, your marriage could benefit by learning the harmful excesses in which the fear of man can raise its head.

Fight the fear of man by availing yourself to God’s grace in this sermon.

Justin Taylor has written an article for Boundless.org entitled “Love & Marriage: Luther Style“.

I read Memoirs of An Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson (visit this link to read the intro and chapter 1) in 2 days and couldn’t hardly put it down. (C.J.’s review is online as well.) This book is the biography of D.A. Carson’s father, Tom Carson, who was a pastor in Quebec. This fascinating story had at least 3 effects upon me:

1) I was encouraged in my pastoral labor. This book is filled with the details of how Tom Carson visited and cared for the people to whom God had entrusted him. It also outlines some ways in which Tom sought to care for his family in family worship and encourage them in ministry.

2) I was encouraged in my current calling. While many in modern evangelicalism feel the need to flee to other and better things once the greener pastures call, Tom Carson’s faithfulness for the rather small (numerically) field to which God had called him is a good picture of what God normally does in the lives of pastors. God calls us to faithfulness. He calls us and isn’t luring us away with more money, more people, or more opportunity (those are worldly things). Christ calls us to follow Him, not the world, as we do that, we can achieve faithfulness in our calling no matter the size of the congregation, the pay they offer, or the opportunity it affords.

3) I was encouraged to faithfulness through thick and thin. Tom Carson had his measure of trials. I was amazed, though, that during one especially critical season, he maintained godliness to such a degree that D.A. didn’t learn of his father’s involvement in a specific spat until he was in seminary in a history course. This just floors me. This is amazing faithfulness.

I would encourage this read, not only for pastors, but for anyone longing to drawn closer to God Himself. You will be encouraged in faithfulness. And, with only 160 or so pages, this book moves quickly. Enjoy!

Tim Challies recently blogged on some discussion (including audio) of how Mark Driscoll was sharpened by the friendship, accountability, and encouragement of C.J. Mahaney and John Piper at the recent Resurgence conference.

This brought back a lot of thoughts as to how a healthy view of the local church is so helpful. We often think that people are just being nosy when they give us a good word, but we need to learn to embrace criticism as a gift from God to strengthen us spiritually. A new resource available in blogdom is the blog of Peacemaker Ministries entitled Route 5:9 as in Matthew 5:9 (Blessed are the peacemakers). These helpful posts can encourage your view of the church to be what God intends for it to be.

The Shepherd’s Conference begins today and main sessions are live-streamed online for free. John MacArthur is the first speaker. The Shepherd’s Fellowship has more info, including the link to the stream.

Over at the Resurgence, Wendy Alsup writes about how to ruin a women’s ministry. Among other things, if you would like to have a negative impact on effective ministry building, she cites:

1) Make women’s ministry your first priority.
2) Become territorial.
3) Resent your God-given authority structure.
4) Ignore the issues or stages of life that you haven’t experienced personally.

(HT: Challies)

The new 9Marks EJournal for March/April 08 is online. It includes some helpful articles on cooperation in preparation for T4G.

Sorry, but I never posted anything from the conference last week.

Said at Southern had a summary of the conference. They also linked to a live blog of each session by Terry Delaney, which would provide a good overview of each session:

Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
Session 5
Session 6
Session 7
Session 8
Terry’s Reflections

Some things that stuck out to me which I’ll remember:
– Seeing my professors from MoBap. Curtis McClain and Terry Chrisope had such a huge impact on me during my college days. It was great to get to see them again.
– Fellowshipping with men. Along with the men from my group (which I thoroughly enjoyed traveling with and appreciated their patience in going to so many bookstores with me) I got to fellowship with old friends (I was on staff at FBC St. Peters, the host church, from 94-96) and new ones.
– Tony Mattia’s bio of Christmas Evans and warning against Sandemanianism. I love biographies and was so encouraged to be introduced to Christmas Evans. Sandemanianism is a heresy alive and well today. I need to beware of it.
– The atonement drives me to humility.
– The atonement should be proclaimed to all.

This was a great conference and very encouraging.