Keller Featured in New York Times

I am a big supporter of Tim Keller's ministry in NYC. Here, the New York Times features the pastor/church planter.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/nyregion/26evangelist.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

Packer on the Gospel

Our Wednesday night group is spending the next several months looking at what comprises the biblical gospel. Ligon Duncan, on the "Together for the Gospel" blog, cites J.I. Packer's call for a return to the biblical good news.

http://blog.togetherforthegospel.org/2006/02/packer_on_the_r.html

What NOT To Tell Your Junior High Daughter

Don't tell her that you wished the doctor would have killed her, and you even sued for damages because he didn't! Check this out:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4507090.stm

Letting Down the Team?

Dr. Albert Mohler talks today in his commentary about "Good Morning America's" recent guest-- a radical feminist who observes more and more women choosing homemaking, and she's mad about it. This is enlightening.

http://www.albertmohler.com/commentary_read.php?cdate=2006-02-24

Don't You Mess With My Momma!

Check out this ESPN story about a petite mother that took on a grizzly!

http://espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/2006/0221/2338668.html

Men, Marriage, and Pornography

One of my passions in ministry is working with young men. I long to see men rise up once again and lead their homes and churches instead of being spineless, passive pansies. One thing I am very concerned about is the propensity for men today to postpone responsiblity. Men, driven by selfishness, postpone marriage and adulthood, while they play XBox 8 hours a day and use women 24 hours a day.

On his Reformissionary site, Steve McCoy quotes Mark Driscoll's new book that comes out in May. If you scroll down to the main heading "Themes, Quotes & Content" and then look at Mistakes and Frustrations, the second paragraph speaks of Driscoll's interaction with a discouraged man struggling with pornography. The author's advice is blunt and worth reading (rated PG-13, for sure).

In addition, read Dr. Al Mohler's article entitled "The Generation That Won't Grow Up."

I had an interesting conversation today with a very sweet girl that thought it was cool I waited until I was 29 to marry. I let her know that her frustrating experiences dating men and their selfish delaying of marriage were not at all unrelated.

(truly a random post, I know)

Awesome God

Recently I agreed to review Sovereign Grace's new kids' CD, Awesome God on this blog. I always turn to Sovereign Grace Ministries for theologically-rich, gospel-centered worship songs. This CD is no exception.

Track one, "Almighty Creator," as you could imagine, deals with the doctrine of creation. John Piper would be proud of the chorus:

And You've created me to worship You
And You've created me to love You
And You have made me to delight in You
All glory to Your name

Track two is entitled "Forever God." This tune deals with the eternality of God. Yes, there is a developing pattern here-- most of the songs in this album teach a specific attribute of our Lord. Sovereign Grace holds that theology is the foundation of church life-- even for children. This song reminds us that God has been and always will be.

Track three is "You Are Always With Me." This tune encourages children to sing about God's omniscience and is reminiscent of Psalm 139.

The album's fourth song is called "Who Is Like You?"

Who is like You, O Lord
Clothed with splendor and light?
Who is like You, O Lord
Armed with power and might?

And who am I
O Sovereign Lord, that I
Should know Your love?
Consuming fire
O Holy Majesty
I know Your love
How great You are, O Lord
Your mercies are ever new
Oh who am I
And who is like You?

You can tell that, although this CD is for children, the lyrics are profoundly God-centered. This song is energetic, yet reverent. I could see using this one with adults.

"Sovereign One" is track 5. Sovereign Grace Ministries is thus named for its commitment to God-centered, Reformed theology. This catchy tune teaches God's sovereignty in a memorable way.

I remember singing the old Vineyard tune, "Mighty, Mighty Savior" back in the nineties. This track (#6), by the same name, emphasizes the depths of our sin and the glories of our Lord who is mighty to save. Let's say that this song lyrically laps the older tune.

Track 7, "Jesus Came To Earth," is a simple, catchy presentation of the gospel message. This would be a super song for kids to sing repeatedly, cementing the truth of the incarnation and the cross in their little heads.

Track 8 is entitled "Your Love." As the title indicates, it speaks of the love of God. However, it frames it rightly alongside the justice of God in the cross, making it clear that this is no warm, fuzzy gospel-less love.

Track 9 is perhaps my favorite. It's called "Three in One." Check out these lyrics:

Gracious Father
It was Your love for the world
That moved You to send your only Son
Gracious Father
This was your plan from all time
To have a people to call your own
Gracious Father
Full of mercy, I sing Your praise

(Chorus) Father, I love You
Praise You Jesus, only Son
Spirit, I adore You
Holy God, Three in One

Precious Jesus
Though You were reigning on high
Humbly You came and were born a man
Precious Jesus
You were the servant of all
You gave Your life as the Father planned
Precious Jesus
Full of kindness, I sing Your praise
(Repeat Chorus)

Holy Spirit
You bring this good news to men
You open up blinded eyes to see
Holy Spirit
Come now and open my heart
Reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to me
Holy Spirit
Full of power, I sing Your praise
(Repeat Chorus)

As you can tell, this is a super Trinitarian hymn!

"For You Are Holy," track 10, deals with God's holiness from the traditional theological categories: His majesty and His purity. This song is just more evidence that Sovereign Grace songwriters are theologians, and not just musicians.

We have used "The Gospel Song," song 11, for some time in our church (also on Sov. Grace's The Cross-Centered Life). Our two-year old knows it word by word. Here are the lyrics:

Holy God, in love, became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross He took my sin
By His death I live again

Pretty hard to forget the essence of the gospel with this song written on your brain!

The album's final song, "Have You Heard?," is another great gospel summary. You can tell that Sovereign Grace is intentionally trying to write songs that write that gospel on the minds of our young ones. For that I'm grateful.

Some concluding thoughts of evaluation:

First, the lyrics are fantastic. It says something about Sovereign Grace, as well as our modern church's worship music, that an album for children (and a rockin' one at that) goes way beyond the lyrical content of most songs written today for adults. The theology of this CD is rock-solid. If this were done across America in our evangelical churches, they would experience a major lyrical upgrade-- like going from DOS to Windows XP.

Second, the songs focus on God's glory and on the gospel of Christ. These aren't songs that "make Jesus sound like our prom date" (Driscoll). These are songs that lift God up and don't dumb him down to our level.

Third, my only criticism is that sometimes it seems as if Sovereign Grace made too much of an effort to rock the little kids. Sometimes it feels a bit cheezy. Sometimes it feels as if they were trying to keep the kids' attention a bit too much with the loud guitars and such. But, hands down, this is the best kids' CD I've seen. My kiddos will be rockin' out with it. KP is out.

Evolution Sunday #$&*@!?

Dr. Mohler writes of liberal churches across America celebrating Darwin and his theory of evolution!

Driscoll on Baby Boys

I enjoy reading Mark Driscoll's regular articles in the Seattle Times. Here is the latest.

The Terrors of Abortion

I got up this morning to two articles discussing the terrors of the abortion industry.

First, Albert Mohler speaks here of the increasing numbers of Down's Syndrome babies being aborted.

Second, in a syndicated article printed in the Columbia Tribune, Nat Hentoff speaks of "Abortion Still Shocking In Era of Terrorism."

As a Christian, is this the only issue I care about? By all means, NO! But do I care about it passionately? Yes.

It sicks me out to think that I could have driven to Planned Parenthood, instead of Boone Hospital, with my beautiful daughter, Melia, in Amy's belly. I could have killed her. Let's keep praying that more and more Americans (and it's happening) will be sicked-out by what is objectively sick and wrong.

John Piper on Mocking Muhammad

In our Sunday morning studies of 1 Peter, we have talked much about our call to suffer for the Christ who suffered for us. John Piper's article fits right along with this, as he speaks about the recent Islamic uproar over the Danish newspaper cartoons, pointing out the key differences between Christianity and Islam. Read it here.

Al Mohler on Worship

Al Mohler begins a three-part series on worship today in his daily commentary. Check out "The Whole Earth Is Full of His Glory: The Recovery of Authentic Worship, Part One."