Free Hip-Hop Sampler- Lamp Mode Recordings

Though I'm no hip-hop connoisseur, I've really been enjoying this free sampler download from Lamp Mode Records.

From Lamp Mode's website:

We are committed to providing Christ-centered, excellent music that stays true to the authentic, rugged hip-hop aesthetic that we love while bringing glory to God -and at an affordable price. And when we can, we will give it away for free. And that’s the case with “The Grassroots” CD. You are important to us. We are convinced that a loyal few is better than a fickle multitude. Our hope is that you will enjoy our music, pass it along to others, and allow us to serve you again in the future.

Track List
1-Grassroots Inchrow
2-Christ Crucified
3-Let’s Kill Sin
4-worldwideweb
5-A Letter To My Friends
6-From Beginning To End
7-Holiness of God

I've been listening to this sampler this morning and I have really been enjoying it. I'm pretty much the nerdiest white guy ever, but I'm still bouncing in my chair. So far I really like Holiness of God and A Letter To My Friends.

Film and Theology- No Country For Old Men

Pastor James Harleman of Mars Hill Church in Seattle did a great job in his Film and Theology review of the excellent movie No Country For Old Men.

This review is posted over on the Cinemagogue blog, which is a valuable place to spend some time, especially if you love movies. Here's a blurb from the "cinemAbout" page:

Cinemagogue believes that we are image-bearers of our Creator. a master storyteller, whose narrative spans all of creation, a story in which we all play a part. Made in the image of our Creator, we have a yearning to both create, and be entertained, by narrative. People immerse themselves in story much like Christians treasure the story of Jesus. It is our hope that people would enjoy and engage cinema and storytelling mediums not just as “diversion” but with discernment, engaging the culture around us and reflecting on how it distorts and reflects the larger narrative of our lives. We place all stories against the controversial gospel of Jesus Christ who claimed not only to be truth incarnate, but in fact the master storyteller who spoke the universe into existence, as well as embodying the central figure and hero of our shared story that is life.

Cinema, meet truth.

no country for old men cormac mccarthy film and theology mars hill church james harleman

The Shack- A Few Critiques

I posted some critiques/reviews of the very popular book The Shack over on the Friday Nights in Ferndale blog. Take a peek and let me know what you think.

the shack william p. young

Together For the Gospel 2008- Audio

The 2008 Together For The Gospel conference is going on right now in Louisville, Kentucky. Tim Challies has been liveblogging the conference as it goes along (and causing me to have some serious book envy).

For those who are interested, all the messages that have currently been given are available for free at the Sovereign Grace website. All the messages from the 2006 conference are also available for free.

Get some Gospel.

together for the gospel

ESV Study Bible- Coming October 15, 2008

Crossway has launched a new website for the ESV Study Bible, coming October 15, 2008.

The ESV Study Bible was created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way—to understand the timeless truth of God’s Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality. To accomplish this, the ESV Study Bible combines the best and most recent evangelical Christian scholarship with the highly regarded ESV Bible text. The result is the most comprehensive study Bible ever published—with more than 2,750 pages of extensive, accessible Bible resources.

The ESV Study Bible was created by a team of 93 outstanding evangelical Bible scholars and teachers. They were chosen, first, because of their deep commitment to the truth, authority, and sufficiency of God’s Word; and, second, because of their expertise in teaching and understanding the Bible. The team of contributors comes from 9 countries, representing nearly 20 denominations and more than 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities.


Here are a couple of endorsements:

“I can’t imagine a greater gift to the body of Christ than the ESV Study Bible. It is a potent combination indeed: the reliability and readability of the ESV translation, supplemented by the best of modern and faithful scholarship, packaged in an accessible and attractive format. A Christian could make no wiser investment for himself, a pastor could recommend no better resource for his congregation.

C. J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“The ESV is a dream come true for me. The rightful heir to a great line of historic translations, it provides the continuity and modern accuracy I longed for. Now the scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking. Oh how precious is the written Word of God.”

John Piper, Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church

Check out these pages for more information:

• Features
• Formats
• Contributors
• Endorsements

esv study bible

Friday Nights in Ferndale

Friday Nights in Ferndale...come check it out if you live local.

What is Friday Nights in Ferndale? So glad you asked!

Friday Nights in Ferndale is a group of people that meet to engage with Biblical teaching and build relationships with people through sharing meals, prayer, drinking coffee and hanging out.

It’s important to note that we are not a church and we don’t intend for Friday Nights in Ferndale to take the place of a local church. Our intent is to come along side of the local church and be a place for those who are Christians and those who are not to encounter Biblical teaching and fellowship. All are welcome to attend and all are encouraged to be plugged into a local church.

We meet every Friday night in Ferndale at 244 Berding Street (Google Map link). Dinner starts at 6:00 and the teaching starts around 7:00. We generally finish around 8:30. Childcare is provided.

Hope to see you there!

Evangelism According to Jesus- Ligonier 2008 National Conference

Ligonier Ministries is offering a free, live webcast (in both English and Spanish) of their 2008 National Conference Evangelism According to Jesus. Only your name and email is required to register and it takes just a moment.

From Ligonier:

Because the church has failed to preach the biblical Gospel, our evangelism has too often introduced people to the wrong Jesus.

Sinclair Ferguson, Steven J. Lawson, John MacArthur, C.J. Mahaney, R.C. Sproul, R.C. Sproul Jr., and Joni Eareckson Tada aim to remind us of the great truths of the Gospel and help us evangelize more effectively.

Here's the conference schedule (all times are EDT):

Thursday, March 13, 2008

1:00-1:45 P.M. “The Foolishness of Preaching”
Dr. Steven J. Lawson

1:45-2:30 P.M. “Evangelizing Your Children”
Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr.

3:15-4:00 P.M. “Good News in a Fallen World”
Mrs. Joni Eareckson Tada

4:00-5:00 P.M. Questions & Answers
Steven Lawson, R.C. Sproul Jr., &
Joni Eareckson Tada

7:00-8:30 P.M. “The Saving Power of God”
Dr. Steven J. Lawson

8:45-9:45 P.M. “Who is Jesus?”
Dr. John MacArthur

Friday, March 14, 2008

8:30-9:40 A.M. “Simultaneously Righteous and a Sinner”
Dr. John MacArthur

9:40-10:40 A.M. “Proclaiming the Gospel to All Nations”
Mrs. Joni Eareckson Tada

11:30-12:35 P.M. “The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ”
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

2:30-3:25 P.M. “The Resurrection of Jesus”
Mr. C.J. Mahaney

3:55-5:05 P.M. “Sola Fide”
Dr. R.C. Sproul

Saturday, March 15, 2008

8:30-9:40 A.M. “The Nature of Saving Faith”
Dr. Sinclair Ferguson

9:40-10:30 A.M. Questions and Answers
Sinclair Ferguson, C.J. Mahaney, &
R.C. Sproul

11:30-12:30 P.M. “Counted Righteous in Christ (Imputation)”
Dr. R.C. Sproul

Resurgence 2008 Text & Context Video

Resurgence has posted the video files for the Text & Context conference main sessions. You can stream them all from the Text and Context Media page or download the .m4v files below.

Mark Driscoll- Putting Pastors in Their Place
CJ Mahaney- Pastoral Character and Loving People
John Piper- Why I Trust the Scriptures
Jim Gilmore- Fear and Trembling in the Experience Economy
Matt Chandler- Preaching the Gospel from the Center of the Evangelical World
John Piper- How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes My Pulpit Ministry
Mark Driscoll- The Ox: Qualifications of a Church Planter
Matt Chandler- Vision of a Church Planter
John Piper- How I Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels
Jim Gilmore- Decoding the Future, the Phoniness, and the Shifting Sands
Jeff Vanderstelt- Biblical Missiology
Darrin Patrick- Leading the Mission

An easier (in my opinion) way to get the videos is to subscribe to the Resurgence video podcast (iTunes).

All the audio files are available here (or here for the podcast).

john piper mark driscoll matt chandler cj mahaney jim gilmore darrin patrick jeff vanderstelt acts29 resurgence mars hill church text and context

Resurgence Text & Context 2008- Audio Files

Resurgence has posted the audio files for the Text & Context conference sessions:

Mark Driscoll- Putting Pastors in Their Place

CJ Mahaney- Pastoral Care and Loving People

John Piper- Why I Trust the Scriptures

Jim Gilmore- Fear and Trembling in the Experience Economy

Matt Chandler- Preaching the Gospel from the Center of the Evangelical World

John Piper- How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes My Pulpit Ministry

Mark Driscoll- The Ox: Qualifications of a Church Planter

Matt Chandler- Vision of a Church Planter
John Piper- How I Distinguish Between the Gospel and False Gospels
Jim Gilmore- Decoding the Future, the Phoniness, and the Shifting Sands
Jeff Vanderstelt- Biblical Missiology
Darrin Patrick- Leading the Mission

Edit: All session audio is now online and posted here. I will also link to video when it is available.

john piper mark driscoll matt chandler cj mahaney jim gilmore darrin patrick jeff vanderstelt acts29 resurgence mars hill church text and context

On our way...

Our family is on our way to Seattle! We spent the night in Grants Pass, OR with our favorite tattoo artist Jeff Gogue and his family and now we're getting ready to finish out the drive.

I will be attending the Resurgence Cooperative's Text and Context conference this week along with a few of the Acts29 Church Planting Boot Camp sessions. We're looking forward to visiting friends we made during our last trip up to Seattle, visiting Mars Hill Church, and hanging out in the beautiful city of Seattle.

For those who are interested, the Resurgence will be live-casting the sessions from the Text and Context conference.

Here is the schedule for the conference:

Pre-Conference

Sunday - February 24, 2008	1:30 pm	Pre-Conference Check-In
	2:00 – 3:30 pm	Pre-Conference Tracks Begin
		Mars Hill Church Immersion Track Location Title A Frelard Room Panel with Campus Pastors B Paradox Panel with Audio/Video/Satellite Productions C NMR or War Room Panel with teaching/counseling/small groups Pastors
	4:30 pm, 6:30 pm, 8:30 pm	Ballard Campus services
	5:00 pm	Wedgwood Campus services
	5:00 pm	Shoreline Campus services
Monday - February 25, 2008	8:00 am	Doors Open, pre-conference check-in continues
	9:00 am - 1:00 pm	Pre-Conference Continues Location Title Speaker Main Auditorium Biblical Stress Management Dr. Steve Crain
	10:00 am - noon	Location Title Speaker Paradox Room Building Missional Worship Bands Tim Smith & Joel Brown

Conference

Monday, February 25, 2008	1:00 pm	Conference Check-In
	2:00 pm	Session 1 – Mark Driscoll – Text & Context: Humble Incarnational Ministry
	4:00 pm	Session 2 – CJ Mahaney – Text & Context: Pastoral Character & Loving People
	5:20 pm	Dinner on your own
	7:00 pm	Session 3 – John Piper - Why I Trust the Scriptures
Tuesday, February 26, 2008	8:00 am	Doors Open
	9:00 am	Session 4 – Jim Gilmore – Context: Fear and Trembling in the Experience Economy
	10:45 am	Session 5 – Matt Chandler - Text & Context: Preaching the Gospel in the Center of the Evangelical World
	12:00 pm	Lunch at Ballard (provided)
	1:00 pm	Session 6 – John Piper - Text & Context: How My Pastoral Ministry Shapes my Pulpit Ministry
	2:45 pm	Resurgence Networking Break or the following options Time Location Title Speaker 2:45 pm Main Auditorium Session 7 Mark Driscoll - The Ox: Qualifications of a Church Planter (Acts 29 Session) 4:15 pm Main Auditorium Session 8 Matt Chandler - Vision of a Church Planter (Acts 29 Session) 4:15 pm Paradox Room Logos Software Workshop Exposition in HD: the World Premier of the Logos Discourse New Testament (optional)
	5:30 pm	Dinner on your own (Acts 29 assessed registrants will have dinner catered in the Paradox)
	7:00 pm	Session 9 – John Piper - Text: How Do I Distinguish Between Gospel and False Gospel?
	9:00 pm	Q & A with John Piper, Mark Driscoll & Matt Chandler
Wednesday, February 27, 2008	9:00 am	Door Open
	10:00 am	Session 10 – Jim Gilmore – Context: Decoding the Future, the Phoniness, and the Shifting Sands
	11:20 am	Q& A with Jim Gilmore
	12:00 pm	Lunch at Ballard (provided)
	1:00 pm	Session 11 – Mark Driscoll – Text & Context: Preaching Jesus Christ To Pagan Culture
	2:15 pm	Q & A with Mark Driscoll
End of Main Conference -- Post-Conference Sessions Begin
	3:00 pm	Session 12 – Jeff Vanderstelt - Biblical Missiology (Acts 29 Session)
	4:30 pm	Session 13 – Darrin Patrick - Leading the Mission (Acts 29 Session

Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears- Vintage Jesus

Mark Driscoll has stepped back into the world of books with his new book Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers to Timely Questions. Teaming up with Gerry Breshears, professor of theology and chairman of the Division of Biblical and Theological Studies at Western Seminary in Portland, OR, Driscoll aims to answer questions about who Jesus is and why we should still consider this man relevant and important.

Each chapter seeks to answer a specific question about Jesus.

• Chapter 1 Is Jesus the Only God?
• Chapter 2 How Human Was Jesus?
• Chapter 3 How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming?
• Chapter 4 Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?
• Chapter 5 Why Did Jesus' Mom Need to Be a Virgin?
• Chapter 6 What Did Jesus Accomplish on the Cross?
• Chapter 7 Did Jesus Rise from Death?
• Chapter 8 Where Is Jesus Today?
• Chapter 9 Why Should We Worship Jesus?
• Chapter 10 What Makes Jesus Superior to Other Saviors?
• Chapter 11 What Difference Has Jesus Made in History?
• Chapter 12 What Will Jesus Do upon His Return?

These questions are answered with insights from people such as Jesus himself, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Luther King Jr., Hugh Hefner, Jack Bauer, Fidel Castro, Oprah, Kanye West, Gandhi, Homer Simpson, Mike Tyson, Gil Grissom, and Madonna, along with some demons and a porn star.

You can take a look at the Intro and Chapter 1 at the Crossway site.

Mark's books are always insightful and theologically sharp, so I'm looking forward to reading this one. I'll be getting a copy of it at the Text/Context conference next week.

Visit the Vintage Jesus site.

Watch/listen to the "Vintage Jesus" sermon series from Mars Hill Church.

You can read an early review by Tim Challies and also an excellent article that Tim wrote today called "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Mark Driscoll?"

vintage jesus mark driscoll gerry breshears

Tim Keller- The Reason For God

Tim Keller's book The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism is now available and shipping from various online shoppes (this is my preferred one). My copy should be here within the next week and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Here's a blurb from the "Reason for God" website:

Why does God allow suffering in the world?

How could a loving God send people to Hell?

Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?

How can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”?

Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

These are just a few of the questions and doubts even ardent believers wrestle with today. As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. And in The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason.

Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

The "Reason For God" website is also set up with various sermons and study materials, plus an intro video featuring a "Welcome" message from Keller.

Here are some reviews:

• Tim Challies
• Sally Lloyd-Jones (my 2nd favorite Lloyd-Jones)
• Spear of Phinehas

As always, Steve McCoy has a helpful compilation of Keller resources. Here is a page with the "Reason For God" sermons. I've listened to all these and they are very good.

Lastly, Newsweek profiled Tim Keller.

tim keller the reason for God

Bullets over Thursday

Taking my cue from Chris Hubbs, here are some bullet points for Thursday, January 31, the year of our Lord two thousand and eight:

• Alex Chediak scored a prepub copy of Tim Keller's The Reason for God and has some thoughts on it. This is only serves to get me more excited about this book. HT: McCoy
  
• Michael McKinley shares a statement that Mark Dever (of IX Marks Ministries, among other things) gave regarding the cooperation between Acts29 and IX Marks. This is an excellent and very encouraging read.
• Lost Season 4 starts tonight. I am a nerd and I can't wait to start watching this show again.
• Justin Taylor posted 10 YouTube links to author Dave Harvey's thoughts on his extremely helpful and beneficial book on marriage, When Sinners Say I Do. I heartily recommend you watch these clips and then read the book. An audiobook has also recently come out.
• Resurgence has a good interview with pastor/author/professor/linebacker Voddie Baucham.
• Mark Driscoll is preaching through "Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions." Good stuff.
• You should join Goodreads. It's a blast. Visit my page and see what I'm reading.
  
• My wife is beautiful, amazing, and a continual joy to my heart.
  

An apologetic for apologetics- Ravi Zacharias

The RZIM (Ravi Zacharias Internation Ministries) website shares the introduction to Ravi's newest book "Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend." The article/introduction is called "An Apologetic for Apologetics."

In the article, Ravi says:

"I am convinced, in the words of C. S. Lewis—who in my estimation is probably the greatest Christian apologist in recent memory—that the question of being an apologist is not so much whether you use an apologetic in answering someone’s question, but whether the apologetic you already use is a good one."

On a related note, Tim Keller's new book The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (also an abridged audiobook) is coming out in the next few weeks and looks to be another helpful apologetics-in-love resource.

ravi zacharias apologetics

Sam Storms- Signs of the Spirit

Gary Shavey at Resurgence interviews Sam Storms about his book Signs of the Spirit: An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards' "Religious Affections."

You can learn more about Sam Storms at his site, Enjoying God Ministries.

sam storms johnathan edwards

Is Jesus the only way to God?

I have some friends who recently been asking this question and subsequently flirting with the doctrine of inclusivism.

My friend described inclusivism as:

"...essentially a middle ground between exclusivism and universalism. Christian Inclusivism is a mysterious widening of God's grace. It admits the belief that Christianity is the most effective way to understand God, but that even some people in other religions and also those who are unaware of the Gospel may fall under a wider mercy of God."

Trevin Wax says that:

The inclusivist position rests upon two axioms: particularity and universality. Regarding particularity, inclusivism differs from pluralism by stating clearly that salvation is found only through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Regarding universality, inclusivism differs from exclusivism by claiming that God intends his salvation to be available to all humans everywhere.

Trevin has a good four part blog series on inclusivism:
1. What is Inclusivism and Why Does It Matter?
2. Inclusivism: Is God Really Fair?
3. Inclusivism: What is “Faith” Anyway?
4. Yes, Good People Go To Heaven - But What Does “Good” Mean?

I understand the motivation to ponder a doctrine like inclusivism, because no one should enjoy the thought of others suffering eternally. But the doctrine of inclusivism seems like another poor and ultimately Christ-demeaning attempt to "rescue" God from the questions asked of Him by people who have no regard for what He has already spoken by His Son Jesus. It seems that rather than lamely capitulating to these questions by forming a hurtful doctrine, we should prayerfully, lovingly and tirelessly pursue the nations for their sake and for the sake of the glory of a God in whom righteousness and peace have already kissed.

inclusivism theology exclusivity of jesus