From One Degree to Another

For about a week now, I have been feasting on the audio available online (for free) from Desiring God from this year’s Pastor’s Conference. The Conference’s theme was The Pastor as Father and Son. I have listened to D.A. Carson’s moving messages entitled “The Pastor As Son of the Heavenly Father” and “The Pastor As Son of An Earthly Father.” I was really struck, though, by Crawford Loritts “Call To Courage.” Oh, and Piper’s biography of his father was excellent as well. Visit the audio page and check them out for yourself.

C.J. Mahaney has an excellent post regarding Rob Bell’s NOOMA phenomenon and some reviews he read from Greg Gilbert. As always, I appreciate C.J.’s humble, God-honoring tone in dealing with an issue of discernment such as this one.

I am in the midst of what feels like an extremely busy week. It seems like every time I knock something off of my to-do list, 2 or 3 things are popping up to replace it. It is hard to maintain discipline in times like this. It is great to remember, though, the calling placed upon my life. God has called me to myself. I heard a great line from Crawford Lorritt’s sermon at the 2008 Desiring God Pastor’s Conference this AM. How this all applies to busyness is that God may be using this busy season in my calling as a means to sanctify me. Often, we divorce our calling and sanctification. We compartmentalize our lives. God may be using the unique features of our life, calling and busyness, though, as a means to draw us into a more holy expression of grace.

Don’t be too busy for Jesus. Use your busyness as a means to grow in grace.

Last Friday at HomeWord, my message was entitled “A Biblical Theology of Sex In Marriage.” I have received a lot of helpful feedback. I handed out 2 articles. One was by C.J. Mahaney “Sex, Romance and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Husband Needs to Know” and the other was by C.J.’s wife, Carolyn “Sex, Romance, and the Glory of God: What Every Christian Wife Needs to Know.” If you are interested in these articles, they are available from Desiring God in the online book Sex and the Supremacy of Christ. Check it out and have your marriage encouraged.

I was really challenged earlier this week as I listened to Part 2 of C.J. Mahaney interviewing Mark Dever. Dever speaks with such engagement on issues of church life. This interview helped crystallize some things in my mind on preaching, so that was very helpful. Either part of these interviews can stand alone. I would recommend both of them (although part 2 is what I heard this week). Enjoy.

C.J. Mahaney Interviews Mark Dever…
Part 1: Life and Ministry with Mark Dever (9/1/2007)
Part 2: Building Healthy Church (2/1/2008)

Last night, a tornado ripped through Jackson, TN and, specifically, Union University. My friend, Tim Ellsworth, helps lead communications on that campus. Freddy T also has ties there and he weighs in on this event. Here’s the latest update. When I lived in Tennessee before coming here, I was about an hour north of Jackson. We had lots of ties to this area. We should pray that God’s overaching glory permeates all these events as a testimony to His greatness and power.

Meg had a sonogram last Thursday and we found out God has blessed us with another boy. Here’s a pic. I think you should be able to make out the face and arm.

I never realized what hoarfrost was until some showed up in Hutchinson last month. I was reading along in my ESV and came across the following:

“He gives snow like wool;
He scatters hoarfrost like ashes.” — Psalm 147:16

Our God isn’t limited by anything. Remember who’s in control of all things!

This Friday at HomeWord, I am going to be addressing the topic of sex in marriage. For the health of our marriages and ultimately the glory of God, this is something that we must talk about. In the book Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, Justin Taylor writes the introduction. On pp.13-14 he laments the church’s shame in discussing these things:

One of the hindrances to a frank and edifying discussion of sexuality is the issue of shame. Shame can be healthy, and shame can be sinful. By and large, our culture is hell-bent on shedding any vestiges of propriety and shame in all things sexual. As an overreaction, the church is often too timid to even broach the topic, for fear of violating Paul’s command that “it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret” (Eph. 5:12). But this proper shame can easily morph into improper embarrassment and an unhealthy reticence to apply the whole counsel of God to an issue of paramount significance.

This is so well said. Part of my tension in preparing this week and part of the tension I feel every time I bring this up with my wife are these same emotions. If we are going to have lives that are fully lived to the glory of God and if we have a conviction that especially this facet of our life is one in which God should be honored (as the context and content of 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 indicate) then we must have a clear communication about these things. Pray for me this week in that regard and faithfully seek to discuss these things in your own home.

It looks as if Paul Tripp will be doing his seminar “Marriage: There Really Is A Better Way” at Metro East Baptist in Wichita, April 4-5. I would like to go, but it appears that it conflicts with our church’s women’s retreat that same weekend. (And since my wife will be at the retreat, I will be with Andrew.) This is a great opportunity, though, for any couple to take advantage of.