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Gospel Identity – Current Small Groups @ Crestview

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Our Small Groups just began this curriculum earlier this month.  I’ve enjoyed it so far and would recommend it for your study and attention.  I believe, like the authors contend, that our default is not to hold firm to the Gospel, but to drift from it.  Therefore, we need this reminder of what the Gospel has done in our lives consistently.  This is just the type of thing I love discussing in small group, since it lends itself to great application.

Here’s the publisher’s description for Gospel Identity:

Gospel Identity focuses on the transformation of Christians by the power of the gospel. This ten-session small group study guides participants (and leaders) to discover their need for Jesus, examine the blessings of their new identity in Christ, and explain how those gifts move us outward so others can also experience new life in Jesus. With user-friendly small group activities and questions rooted in Scripture, this small group study (adapted from sections of Gospel Transformation) includes a leader’s guide and is suitable for small groups and individual mentoring.

If you have further questions about this resource, drop me an email. You can read a sample chapter here.

Some Links as we near the weekend…

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First off, Mark Driscoll has a new webpage…and answers a FAQ on his view of alcohol. Tim Keller was critiqued on something he said nearly 3 years ago on the exclusivity of Christ but responded with Gospel-infused grace and clarified his words. Josh Hamilton hit a grand slam last night, which means free carpet and flooring evidently. Both Crestview Bible Church and our children’s ministry, CrestviewKids, have Facebook pages. How about a like? Have a great weekend.

Marriage is Important and Good…

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Here’s a couple of marriage links… First off, Trevin Wax highlights an article on the Marginalization of Marriage in Middle America:

At the collective level, the retreat from marriage has played a noteworthy role in fueling the growth in family income inequality and child poverty that has beset the nation since the 1970s. For all these reasons, then, the institution of marriage has been an important pillar of the American Dream, and the erosion of marriage in Middle America is one reason the dream is increasingly out of reach for men, women, and children from moderately-educated homes.

So…marriage is important to the fabric of society. Another great link I came across yesterday was a video Justin Taylor linked to on the good gift of marriage. Watch and be blessed. Today, I don’t know the state of your marriage or your marital status. Whatever the case, though, know that marriage is important to society and it also is a huge blessing from the Lord. May you walk in this blessing.

Some Links for Friday, 9/2/11

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A couple of helpful things from the web this week:

I know many of you are aware of the Gospel-centered buzz in certain parts of evangelicalism. I would summarize this “movement” as seeing the Gospel not merely for lost people but also for believers. One writer I love to read on this is Jared Wilson. Interacting with him this week on Twitter I asked how he came to be so Gospel-centered and while part of his story is found in his forthcoming book, Gospel Wakefulness, at the end of a recent sermon he gave is a short testimony of his life. Parts of it sound like my story and many other friends I have spoken with. I commend it to you not only for the testimony, but also for the exegetical gold mine he uncovers in Hebrews 1:2-3. Here’s the video:

Another helpful thing this week was at the Biblical Counseling Coaltion, which recently opened up a portion of their website with many helpful resources. If there is a particular issue you are seeking out godly wisdom on, this might be a good place to dig in to…

Blessings to you and enjoy the weekend.

Three for Thursday – some good links…

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Here’s some great things I’ve seen online the past week or so:

Tony Kummer had a post called God Is In the Church Nursery (if you don’t follow Tony’s work on the website Ministry to Children, you must).  This post helps show how even nursery workers have a big part to play in this adventure called God’s kingdom.

My college friend Brad Andrews had a guest post on Z, reposted by JT, on Four Kinds of People, using an amazing paradigm from Keller’s Galatians Study.  Here’s the chart:

LAW Relying Not relying
Obeying 1) Law-obeying,

law-relying
 4) Law-obeying,

not law-relying
Disobeying 2) Law disobeying,

law-relying
 3) Law disobeying,

not law-relying

Check out the original post for more explanation.


Finally, The Resurgence came out with a new wallpaper based on Romans 5:8.  

Links of Week 7/25/11

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On Monday, I posted a link to a video of the invocation at a NASCAR race.  Here’s the pastor defending his prayer.  Also, a former prof and seminary president of mine, Mark Coppenger, weighs in on this prayer.

We have a team leaving for a mission trip this coming Sunday.  Having gone on many of these in the past, I thought these 10 Things To Remember AFTER the Trip were helpful.

Here’s some great encouragement for women from a woman commenting on that oft-quoted Titus 2 passage.

Helpful Links – Week of 7/17/11

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Here are some helpful things I saw on the web this week:

The Resurgence had a good word for wives, as well as some moving reflections of a parent to a blind child.

Someone in church recommended I read Dr. Gangemi’s site and I’ve found the articles fairly helpful in terms of diet, health and that glorifying God in one’s body piece.

And, evidently owling is the new planking.  As Jared Wilson said, this is proof that we are officially bored to death.

Some Helpful Links From TGC…

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This week, I’ve found a couple of links on The Gospel Coalition Blog helpful…
First off, last week Don Carson answered a question on how Peter handled the OT in a sermon in the book of Acts.  Particularly, this question alleged that Peter mishandled the text.  And, with the brilliance we’ve come to expect from him, Don answered and in his answer unfolded much helpful teaching on how we understand the NT use of the OT. 
The blog is also posting a series of posts on Pastors and Depression.  (One, Two, Three, Four, Five)  I doubt if many I have the privilege of serving believe pastors “don’t do anything but preach.”  But, it’s easy to think that because we have a sit down job of assembling things for public speaking each Sunday that it happens easily.  These posts will help give you ways you can particularly care for and understand the shepherds God has entrusted to you in the local church.  Seek to serve them so that their ministry to you is a joy.

Three For Thursday – Some Links I’ve Recently Found Helpful…

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ESV, the Bible translation our church uses,recently had a post on how to they are capitalizing on the digital craze. If you have an e-reader, they offer the Bible free there and have apps for Android, IPhone and IPad.

If you would like to read some great encouragement for children’s ministry, our elders have been greatly helped by Yancey Arrington’s Gospel Centered Curriculum for Children.

Related to that, this Fall, we are heading a bit of a different direction on Wednesday nights with our children and will be using a new curriculum called God’s Story. One feature I especially appreciate is what they call the Emmaus Moment each week, so that no matter where you are in the Bible, you can relate that back to Jesus (much like Jesus did on the Emmaus Road with His disciples). We’re excited about the Gospel-centrality that may emerge in the lives of children through this.