Romans 5 | Rejoicing in the Sufferings

The gospel is so often counter intuitive. Our natural inclination is to pursue our greatest comforts. We plan and strive to put ourselves in better situations than we are currently in. For instance, we go to school so that we can get a degree, so that we can get a good job, so that we can purchase a good home, so that we can provide for our family. Maybe my example is too predictable? But aren't you looking to the horizon to see what you can do to better your situation? We strive after what we believe will be better for us and our loved ones.

The gospel tells, however, us to rejoice in the difficulties of life. It tells us to find contentment in God, regardless of our present situation, and to celebrate the difficulties because they are making us into people fashioned for heaven.

"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Romans 5:3-5).

Now I am not saying that we should pursue persecution. I do not think it wise to chase after hardships. Life has taught me that hardship will seek you out so you need not look for them. What I am saying is that we should expect difficulty, and when it comes, we should be ready to rejoice that God uses hardship to make us better subjects of the Kingdom.

God is so insanely good and wise that He takes the "bad" things of the world and uses them for our good.

Wherever you are at in life, recognize that God is using the present situation to give you perseverance, character, and hope. Do not despise your struggle, rejoice in it. Because through it you are becoming more like Christ.

I'm Tired

My wife works nights. Three twelve hour shifts a week--though they are rarely only twelve. Somehow, she manages to remain on top of life even though she commutes two hours even to get to her hospital. I on the other hand, am seldom on top of life. If I do not get a solid eight to nine hours of sleep, I'm toast. I am grumpy, I have a bad attitude, and people don't like to be around me--or maybe I don't like to be around people.

Through my exhaustion God is always teaching me things. I am learning more about my self and God. David Powlison of CCEF has a short publication on exhaustion from NewGrowthPress. In it, he explains how God can leverage your exhaustion for a deeper relationship with Him.

Open publication - Free publishing - More stressed

Or another great resource for sleep, is a talk given by John MacArthur at the T4G conference titled, A Theology of Sleep:

T4G 2010 -- Session 5 -- John MacArthur from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

Quote for the Day // Prayer

Praying most often doesn't get us what we want but what God wants, something quite at variance with what we conceive to be in our best interests. (Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles, pg. 44)

All of Grace

All of Grace by Charles Spurgeon

What an exceptional book! Spurgeon writes with people in mind... It is brilliant to listen to him plead for people's spiritual wellbeing. That is what makes Spurgeon so genius. He didn't preach for the sake of preaching. He didn't write for the sake of writing. He would preach and write with one goal in mind, the salvation of souls. Spurgeon is a "soul-winner" and this book will win your soul to Christ. It could win your soul to Christ for the first time, or like it did to me, it can win you over to deeper love and devotion to HIM with every page you turn.

Quote for the Day // Prayer

Pastors who imitate the preaching and moral action of the prophets without also imitating the prophets' deep praying and worship so evident in the Psalms are an embarrassment to the faith and an encumbrance to the church (Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles, pg. 40)

Luke 1:26-38 | How To Get God's Favor

December 5, 2010 from Central Wired on Vimeo.

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What You Celebrate as a Church Is Just as Important as What You Believe

This is an important fact: what you actually emphasize is more important than what you say you emphasize. Trevin Wax has written us an important article to remind us of this...
What You Celebrate as a Church Is Just as Important as What You Believe
Let us emphasize things of first importance-the Gospel.

Feed Your Soul

I am a big fan of this guy:

Bob MacRae: Youth Pastor Lunch from Brandon Early on Vimeo.

HT: Brandon Early

Romans 5 | Therefore

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

Are you living on the correct side of the "therefore?" On this side of the therefore there is peace, hope, grace, and rejoicing. Yet many Christians live without experiencing this side of the therefore. They live with an understanding of the gospel that leaves them unaffected. They know the truths, but for some reason it isn't affecting them yet. Tim Keller has a great example of a Coke machine at in his building that you put coins but the machine fails to produce Coke. What he realized is that you must hit the side of the machine to get the coins to drop. When the coins actually drop then you can push the button and a Coke will come out. He makes an excellent point saying that many Christians have had the gospel deposited in them. They have attended church, heard about Christ, even believed in Him for salvation, yet there are no gospel behaviors coming out.

This is true of us isn't it? We know the gospel but we don't always produce the gospel behaviors that we should. So we must hit the side of our heads and hearts until "the gospel drops." We do this by constantly reminding ourselves of what Christ has accomplished for us... eventually--with enough gospel clobberings--we act inline with the gospel.

So once again, let Paul hit you with this truth. "Since you have been justified through faith." Because you have laid hold of what Christ accomplished on the cross, His obedience for your rebellion, His incarceration and punishment for you liberation, cast away and forsaken for you to be brought near, "...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." You now have access to this grace by faith in which you now stand(vs. 2). Now your life should reflect that hope and peace in a tangible act of rejoicing.

So, has the gospel dropped in your life? Are you standing in grace? Are you living on this side of the "therefore?" Are you living in peace, hope, expectation, and rejoicing?

Or do you know these truths, yet are unaffected by them?

Let the gospel hit you once again... Pray for the coin to drop. Pray for gospel transformation.

Things I Love | C.H. Spurgeon

Somewhere along the journey, I heard that C.S. Lewis avoids chronological snobery. Meaning, he isn't always enamoured by the newest books and ideas.... That concept got a hold of me. In fact, I remember walking into a Family Life book store in Florida and purchasing Autobiography of George Muller, Sermons of Jonathan Edwards published by Hendrickson, and Lectures To My Students by C.H. Spurgeon.

What I didn't know was how influential those books would be on me. Particularly LTMS by Spurgeon. No other book has had a greater influence over the way that I think about ministry than LTMS. I read it over the course of a year and have since returned to it over and over.

I am constantly stunned by how well Spurgeon can put plainly the things of God. I am often helped by his ability to colorfully describe things.

Recently I purchased a copy of All of Grace. I had never heard of it before, but it is a wonderful book. It is a tiny little book where Spurgeon explains salvation, atonement, faith, and more... Within reading the first few pages I had to stand up and fist pump... mainly because I am dork, but also because these things were explained in a way that made my heart race. I learn so much from Spurgeon because he understood that these truths should never simply be explained. As if we are teaching a textbook on literature or something... no, the truths of God need to be compelling put forth... And they demand a response. Spurgeon never writes or speaks without having in mind an appeal to the people hearing him. "Please, turn to Christ. Trust in Christ."

It may seem weird that I love an old dead guy... but because of his influence over me, I am indebted to him.

Things I Love | Missions

As I write about "Things I Love" I am becoming aware that there was a particular experience that brought about my loves... At the end of 2006 I blew out my knee... During the same time, my wife now--girlfriend at the time--moved in to Chicago. We made it work for about a short time, then we split. Frankly, I was angry at God. I was depressed and upset. I was hurting.

God used that time to refine me. He was teaching me new things and recommissioning me for His service. In January of 2007 I went to the Passion Conference in Atlanta Georgia with some friends from Heartland Church. Two of the keynotes there were John Piper and Francis Chan. They brought the Word.

I left that experience with more questions than answers. It just so happened that I was about to depart for a month long adventure to Nairobi Kenya. So I loaded up my ipod with Chan and Piper sermons and boarded a plane. For a month I served with the children of the Kibera slum with First Love Kenya. Many of the kids were orphans.

That experience, or I should say, that season of life had a huge influence over me. God was doing something to me... in me.

Out of that came a passion for world missions. Specifically, frontier missions. If what people need most is the gospel--and it is, and if God uses missions to spread the gospel--and He does, then we need to be about missions.

I pray that God will raise up a new generation of workers to do His work. I pray that there will be people that give their lives to make sure that all nations have heard of Him.

Things I Love | Preaching

Matt Chandler of The Village Church, bringing the word.

It is interesting for me to reflect on this. My personality is very introverted and very timid. I can recall--and often tell others about this too--that during my first speech in my freshmen English class, I froze up. I made it through the first line on my note card with my voice shaking. Then I stared blankly at the class... I was sweating, trembling, and unable to make my mind recall what I planned to say. I looked at the teacher and shrugged my shoulders. Then I sat down. I got an "F" on the speech.

I am terrified of public speaking. It has always been my enemy. Which is ironic because God has called me to speak His Word... I often have to remind myself of Moses' and God's dialogue where Moses says to God, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:10-12). I feel like Moses arguing with God of my incapability's. But God continues to remind me that He is able to speak through me.

That makes me realize that preaching for me is a spiritual gift. I work hard to get better at preaching, but at the end of the day it is a supernatural experience that I can stand before a group of people and not pass out. And even more amazing, it is supernatural that people hear the voice of God when I preach. Incredible.

So that is the personal and selfish side of it... The other thing that I have come to see about preaching is that it is critical to the purposes of God. For some strange reason God has chosen the instrument of preaching to accomplish His mission. A frail man standing before a group of people and, in a sense, saying "thus saith the Lord" is the way God designed gospel-proclamation. Weird.

But it is powerful and effective. Preaching is life changing. Preaching transforms culture and brings dead men to life. Preaching is miraculous.

So I have given my life to preaching.

I want to rightly handle the word of truth. I want to be found a workman that need not be ashamed. I want to speak as one speaking the very words of God. There is a fire in my bones. His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. (2 Tim 2:15, 1 Peter 4:11, Jeremiah 20:9)

Things I Love | The Church

There was a time in my life when I questioned the institution called the church. I think it was popular at the time and I was young enough and arrogant enough to swallow that pill... but, God in His goodness, helped me to see the beauty of the church.

In Ephesians we are told that Jesus is making His Bride ready by the washing of the Word. In February of 2007, God put that verse on my heart and life. I saw the importance of the church and the necessity of the washing of the Word. People need the church because it is God's agent of change in the world. God has chosen to change the world through communities of His people. Those people when gathered are called the Church. Historically, churches have been the primary means by which disciples make disciples. The Church is the implication of the gospel. When you understand the gospel aright, it is natural that you see a church planting movement. That is the story of Acts in the New Testament. Leaders that plant churches, that plant churches, that plant churches, until Jesus returns.

So, I am a church guy. I love the church and I will give my life to her. But to be fair to those that are a little skeptical of the institution... I do not see the church with rose colored lenses. I see the potential and also the misgivings. I know that there is no perfect church this side of eternity. Even the famed Acts 2 church became an Acts 5 church. What I mean is that the church we boast about in Acts 2 had a short lived glory day before it became a place where deception occurred (Acts 5), and a place where strife and division brewed (Acts 6). The early churches all had issues. That's how we got our New Testament. Paul, Peter, James, and John were all writing churches that they planted, to address problems facing the church and within the church. That being said, yes the church has problems, but it is God's Bride. It is the hope of the World. And it is worth your life. What else could you give yourself to that so perfectly aligns the heart of God?

Gospel Statesman Jerry Bridges

Tyler Kennedy has posted some videos of Jerry Bridges at the Desiring God blog. Here are a couple of the short vid's from Jerry Bridges regarding the Gospel that I so love... And you can find more here.

Things I Love | The Gospel

I am starting a new blog series... It's called "Things I Love..." I want to highlight some of the things that are dear to me.

The first installment is on the Gospel. Go ahead, say it. I am a one trick pony. I love the gospel. It is the one drum that I bang on. You want to know why? Its because it is dear to me. The gospel has crashed over me afresh over and over again. I don't think I could ever get tired of it... and I'm pretty sure that Scripture affirms that too. One million years from now I will still be wrecked by the gospel... I will still be worshiping Jesus. Incredible.

Also, it is important to me that I wear primary belief's on my sleeve. The Gospel is a primary... It isn't assumed. It's the main event. So many people assume the Gospel, but get excited about something else... Please God never let anything overtake my passion for the Gospel.

D.A. Carson comments on the importance of gospel primacy:

If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.

So I make sure that the Gospel is always on my lips. I read about it. I write about it. I let my life be consumed by it.


HT: Justin Taylor

Romans 4 | Finding the Gospel in the Bible

It is important to me that I see with Gospel lenses... What could be more important than seeing and reading the Bible the way God intends... Remember how Paul points us to things of first importance? In 1 Corinthians 15:3 he says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." And Jesus emphasizes that point by saying, "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me" (John 5:39). All of scripture is meant to lead us to the Gospel, namely Jesus himself.

In Romans 4, Paul wants us to understand that very fact:

The words, "it was credited to him" were not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification" (Romans 4:23-25).

These words were written for you. "The words, "it was credited to him" were not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness (4:23,24 emphasis added)" They were written so that you can see, feel, and experience the truth that God credits to your account the righteousness of Jesus, if you will but believe. All of Scripture push in on you to make an appeal, "do you believe that God justifies the wicked?" Do you read the Bible as an instruction manual for moral living? Or do you see it for what it truly is; the story of God come down, delivered over to death, crucified for sins, and raised to life for our justification? Do you see Jesus as you hold the Bible?... I do... and it makes my soul leap for joy!

Romans 4 | A Promise Keeping God

It is sad that so many people live at such a meager spiritual level. They trudge about through life trying to live up to their own expectations and those of others. They sense no joy. They have no peace. God desires to elevate you to a Royal Status. He wants you to experience the joy of salvation. He operates with your eternal peace in His cross-hairs.

Do you feel that? Do you know that sort of peace? Or is your life a treadmill of performance, trying to impress Him and live up to His standard?

Paul reminds us, "It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith" (Romans 4:13). God made a promise to Abraham. What Paul points out is that the fulfillment of the promise is not based on Abraham's law-keeping-skills. "For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise worthless. Because law brings wrath." (Romans 4:14-15a). If the promise is based on how well we keep the law, then faith is a non-essential. So what is the point of the law? It is to show us our needs. We are without out hope and without help on our own. We cannot leverage our goodness to make God have to bless us. We are incapable of putting God in our debt. The Law is too great. The standard is too great.

Abraham couldn't live up to the promise God made with him. He was declared to be heir of the World. That through him all men would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). But Abraham was bankrupt. His ancestors rebelled against God when they fashioned a tower in Babel. Abraham himself was no great man either. He pushed his wife off on others to save his own hide. But, in God's goodness, Abraham was a conduit through which the grace of God flows...

"Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring" (Romans 4:16)--including you and me. So what is this Promise? His name is Jesus. It is through Abraham's seed that the Righteous One came. The One who could live up to all the demands of the Law. He came and conquered. God put all things under him. He owns it all. Now he extends the Kingdom to us by faith. If we will believe and trust in Him we become co-heirs.

Do you see how beautiful this is!? God saw your desperate state. He knows your inability to live up to the law... but do you? Do you see your own bankrupt status? Do you see your need for a Rescue? That is what Christ is! He is the fulfillment of the promise that you couldn't bring about yourself. But in Him all the promises of God are yes and amen. " For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:20).

So here is the rub. Will you continue trying to meet the law by your own righteousness. Or, will you live in a righteousness that comes by faith? Will you be saved or will you save yourself. God opposes the proud. He comes to those who are humble in spirit. He rescues those that need a Savior. Fall on Him. Cry out to Him. Let Him be your Promise and your Hope.

Romans 4 | The Chicken or the Egg?

Which comes first obedience or righteousness? This question is one that helps us to understand our position with God. The way of the world makes me believe that obedience leads to righteousness. Obedience could be called the pathway to righteousness. If I obey, then God is pleased with my conduct. I obey therefor I am right with God. And the opposite would be, if I disobey then I am un-right. This is the thought pattern of many Churches and Christians too. We think that if someone wants to be a righteous Christian, then they must be obedient to God. You have a problem with gossip... You must put that sin away, then you are right with God. If you do not, then expect divine punishment. It is a very calculable way of looking at life. You do right. You are right.

The Gospel has a different equation. It flips the script. It says, You are right so do right. Let me show you...

"We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after but before! (Romans 4:10)"

Paul is calling us to recognize the economy of God. When God credited righteousness to Abraham--when God called Abraham a righteous man--was it after or before Abraham was obedient? God asked Abraham to bear a mark on his body--circumcision. Naturally we would think once Abraham does what has been asked of him, then he is right. Paul says, "No! God called Abraham righteous before he was obedient!"

"What what what? How can God do that?!" We feel this is totally unfair. There are bad people in my life. They make poor choices, they disobey God, and they hurt others. I want them to do right. Here's what God wants.... He wants them to be right. Instead of demanding obedience, He provides it.

He declares Abraham, and Cory, and you righteous before we even have a chance to prove our obedience. He says, "You are right, now act like." "How can He do this," you may ask? Because Jesus is all the righteousness we will ever need. What Jesus did perfectly, we become recipients of. His perfection becomes ours. Before we are obedient, He is. When we put our faith in Him, He becomes our righteousness.

Mind blowing right!? And why does this matter? It matters because as long as you think obedience comes before righteousness you belittle the work of Jesus. You dismiss what He actually did. You say with your actions that your obedience is more important than His.

To be fair, once you understand this truth your life better show it. Abraham did what was required of him. He was obedient after he was declared right. If you really believe by faith that God has made you right by His Son, then your life will be marked with obedience.

But always remember... You are right with God because of Jesus. It is all on account of Him. He is Salvation. He is Righteous, and He is your Righteousness.

This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing But The Blood by Robert Lowry

Two Thieves

"Just as Christ was crucified between two thieves, so this doctrine of justification is ever crucified between two opposite errors.” -Tertullian

Dr. Tim Keller has helped me immensely in distinguishing these two false notions of God's saving work. Keller in his article on The Centrality of the Gospel quotes and unpack's Tertullian's statement. Pointing out that true salvation is found between two false notions. And we must be aware of these thieves.

Thief number 1) Legalism
Legalism says I am right with God because of the things that I do. For instance, we can believe that we are saved based on our ability to adhere to the law. Am I living up to God's standard in my life? If no, then I am obviously damned. If yes, then God owes me salvation.

In Christian circles, this legalism can be expressed in many different forms; Church attendance, giving, bible reading, and many more. But legalism is a dirty thief that steals our joy and misrepresents God as an employer bound to give us fair wages based on our work.

Thief number 2) Antinomianism
This thief gets its named from the Greek ἀντί (anti), "against" + νόμος (nomos), "law". It essentially dismisses the moral law of God as no longer applicable. Antinomianism is subtle and usually creeps in when people wrongly over-apply the justification of God. It belittles sin, makes God sound very gracious, and allows the person to live guilt free.

People that have antinomian tendencies live loose, dismiss sin, avoid controversy, and claim that the Spirit leads them in matters of holiness. Bonhoeffer rightly names this "cheap grace" and "the biggest enemy of the church today."

So how are we to view justification?

Justification when rightly understood, shows that God declares the wicked to be righteous. He says about Cory Williams, "he is righteous." That is an amazing declaration. I know myself. I know my flaws. I know my lack of righteousness. So, this justification has an affect on me. I see the cost of my salvation... namely, the infinitely precious Messiah being crucified. I see the perfect standard of God met by Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life and was righteous. Yet God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on my behalf. He punished the undeserving so that I could go free. Then, justification rightly understood compels me to pursue holiness, moral purity, and right living. I want to live how Christ desires. I see what it cost to rescue me. I couldn't possibly willingly go on in sin.

In the words of Keller, when justification is understood right we say, "I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe" and, "I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope."

Romans 4 | Why Work?

This might be one of the most offensive truths to Christians. Christians have a hard time hopping off of the self-righteous horse. We are quick to point to the things we have done as the basis of our right standing with God. In Romans 4 we see how the world usually operates: "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation" (Romans 4:4). It is normal that someone engages in work with the understanding that they will be fairly compensated. I talked with my friend Travis about this today. He has recently been able to work for a local landlord doing routine maintenance on rented facilities. Travis understands that when the work is done, he gets paid. If the work is not completed, or is less than satisfactory, he either does not get paid or gets less. This sometimes transfers into our spiritual journey. We enter into spiritual work, like disciplines such as bible reading, small group, volunteering, tithing, obedience, journaling, etc... and our natural inclination is to think that because of those things we are compensated with the favor of God.

Then we see a crippling word in Romans 4:5, "However..." This tells us that tho we may think the world operates with this principle, however, with God it is different. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited to him as righteousness" (4:5). God is not shackled by your ability to work hard enough for His favor. His favor isn't contingent on your ability to give, to serve, to study... instead His favor rests simply on the blood of Christ. Do you believe that God justifies the wicked through His Son?

God, in His infinite goodness, legally declares us right based on His Son's work on the cross. Now we cannot boast in our work. We boast in the cross of Christ alone.

Yes we still work. But it is not to earn favor. We already have it in Christ. Yes we have to press on towards holiness, because without holiness no one will see God. But we can have peace and hope and rest because of Christ.

We work, but we work understanding that God is not obligated to give or withhold His favor... He has already gifted us with it at Calvary. Praise God.

More on Matt Chandler

Our Retreat

If you want to know what happened at the Wake Up O Sleeper Retreat, it looked something like this in my guys cabin...

Tim Keller|Go to the City

Tim Keller has a heart for reaching cities. Here is his recent address at a global gathering of church leaders.

Page CXVI

02 Be Thou My Vision by PageCXVI

Know Your Roots

As the Global Church--represented by The Lausanne Movement-- is halfway through their meeting in Capetown South Africa, I believe it is fitting to highlight the advancement of the Kingdom. They are discussing the issues surrounding world evangelization, celebrating the Gospel advancement, mourning over persecution, and rejoicing in King Jesus's current and eternal reign.

It is important for us--silly little western Christians--to know our rich, muddied, confusing yet sovereignly orchestrated heritage. Here are some videos from the global council.

Cape Town 2010 Opening Session - Turning Points, Part 1 from Lausanne Movement on Vimeo.

Cape Town 2010 Opening Session - Turning Points, Part 2 from Lausanne Movement on Vimeo.

Do Something Uncomfortable

The other day I saw a kid purposefully miss the bus. He and a young girl were both a little late. The young lady hustled to make the bus and the young man took his time so the impatient and scheduled driver would have to leave him behind. It reminded me of jumping into the weeds on our lane to hide from Esther--our driver for Shirland School. I knew that if I missed the bus I would ride comfortably with one of my parents to school-which is better by far than having to ride the bus.

I watched as the boy that missed the bus sheepishly waved from his hip to his friends as they sped off. The timid downcast face broke into a devious smile while he watched his friends get carted off in the big yellow people hauler. Through the window I could see heads bobbing in unison like cattle getting carted off to wherever cattle go. One got away today. He stalled and it worked. Now he is enjoying the comforts of either missing class or riding in style.

All too often I think we avoid the uncomfortable. We want to ride with mom. We want to control the radio, roll down the window, throw our feet up on the dash, and maybe even take a power nap. The same is true in our spiritual journey. Instead of doing something that requires faith, we purposefully go the easiest route. We want to be comfortable. We are okay with following Jesus so long as it doesn't interfere with my peaceful life.

What are you pursuing right now that requires faith? What decisions are you making that make you a little uncomfortable? Many times God is asking us to make the bus, to sit in those uncomfortable seats and chat with our class mates because that's where He wants us. That is where He may use you to change someone else's life. Don't shy away. Hustle to make the bus.

Luke 17- Increase our Faith

Let me begin by saying, Jesus is pretty tricky. Even after taking a course on Hermeneutics and learning the historical-grammatical interpretation rules. When Jesus speaks I am still often befuddled. Why does that still surprise me that the Son of God can use words in a way that often leaves me intellectually crippled and soul-stirred?

When the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith he gave them a bizarre answer in Luke 17;

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "

Here are a couple of observations --hold them lightly because I still have no idea if they are right. First, Jesus turns the apostles attention away from the size of their faith to what can actually be accomplished with it. He says, 'if you have faith as small as a mustard seed' --the smallest seed in the region-- you can say to this mulberry tree --the largest in the region-- 'be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Don't look at the size, rather look at the outcome. What can God accomplish with your little faith? He can accomplish the miracle of Salvation, He can accomplish huge things. Or to say it a little differently, don't look at the size of the faith, look at the One in which you place your faith.
Second, the outcome of real faith is wondrous-servitude. If you understand what God has done for you in Christ Jesus, if you understand how gracious God is to you in his adopting you into the family and calling you His own, then you will be filled with gratitude. You will not look to your service to Him for your good-standing in His kingdom. We can never appeal to God on the basis of what we do for Him. As if our bible reading, or our volunteering at church, or our hours of prayer, or even our worship-singing earns God's favor. God's favor is given to us through Jesus Christ. That is the only way we are made right in the eyes of God. Not even our faith earns us God's favor. Essentially, what Jesus is saying is, we should stop looking to what we can or should do --even growing our faith-- and look to what God has already done. When we see God's work in salvation we cannot help but believe. You want to increase your faith, stop thinking about faith, and start looking to the One on the cross.

Bridges Again

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges. Bridges in the past couple years has become one of my favorite authors. I am slowly working through most of the books that he has written. I recently picked up Respectable Sins after recognizing that one of my biggest struggles is dealing with what Bridges calls "subtle" or "refined" sins. These are not the blatant and offensive sins of the culture that Christians are quick to condemn. Instead, the subtle sins are the sins that we seem to tolerate, dismiss, and maybe even encourage.

At the risk of being overly positive, reading this book was like having a personal meeting with the Holy Spirit. Not only was it convicting, it was gentle and loving. Bridges has a way of bringing the issues to the surface and also applying the gospel to our need. Wounding and healing some might call it. I am very grateful for another great book by Bridges. I hope God gives Mr. Bridges a whole lot more time to write a whole lot more for us.

I'm In Love With Her!

Yes, I'm in love with Ashley. More so now than ever. I absolutely adore her, but that isn't the "her" that I am talking about at the moment.

I am in love with the Bride. The Church. I think she is amazing and I am giving my life to Her in whatever way my Lord sees fit.

In no way is this an attack on any specific people that I have talked to about the flaws in the Church. I agree! I see Her flaws. In fact, I am one of the flaws of the Church. But, at the end of the day, I can't help but to still look on Her with adoring eyes. She is stunning. She is captivating. She is His.

Can you even begin to wrap your mind around the fact that the Creator and Sustainer laid down his precious life to redeem her?! Jesus Christ suffered at the hands of the religious leaders, to secure for himself the Church. We absolutely do not deserve it. Neither you nor I deserve the grace of our King. Now He calls us into that community of the redeemed. It is staggering.

Do not let criticism, or personality conflicts, or backseat driving -- thinking that if you could run the church it would be better, or any other thing keep you from completely surrendering, submitting, and serving the church.

Let us remind ourselves of how privileged we are to be a part of the Bride.

Below is a video of Randy Alcorn describing why the church is important.

Why should the local church be important to us? from Randy Alcorn on Vimeo.

And if you have more time, you should listen to Kevin DeYoung, co-author of Why We Love the Church, preaching a message on "The Church" by clicking here and downloading or clicking through to hear his message.

"Jesus loves the church, we think you should too" DeYoung and Kluck

Great Vid

Darrin Patrick, a pastor from the Acts29Network, recently released a book on church planting. From what I can make of it, the book is focused more on the man than the task. And by the looks of this video, many young men are being encouraged to step up to the task.

Who's Kingdom? | 2 Kings 20:12-19

September 5, 2010 Sermon from Central Wired on Vimeo.

click here to see all Central's sermons

Dying Naked

The pulpit calls those who are appointed to it like the sea calls its sailor; and like the sea, it batters and bruises, and it does not rest….To preach, to really preach, is to die naked a little at a time, and to know that each time you do it, that you must do it again. -Bruce Thielmann

That is my quote for today as I am preparing for this weekend... If I have time, I would love to work on an article on "Killing the Pastor: The Work of the Cross in the Messenger."

Every time I get the opportunity to preach in "Big Church," it seems God does more work on me than He does on the message. I need it.

HT: Mike Bullmore

What’s Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris

What’s Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

It has been a challenging blessing to watch Francis Chan pursue the Spirit's leading. Here is the next installment of updates from a conversation between Mark Driscoll, Joshua Harris, and Chan. Hosted at the gospel coalition's website.

How God Changes My Real Life pt. 2

Another area I see us struggling with is peace.

Or to put it in the form of a question, "Am I doing enough?"

As Christians I think it is easy to compare ourselves with others. We see people that are so so godly. Then because of our unique position, we see our many many sins. As those two observations come together it is very easy to get depressed. Why are they so godly and I am so lame? When we begin to talk about our spiritual journey we say things like, "I suck at this..." or, "I'm not doing very good in this area."

How does the gospel address this issue of lack of peace?

Before I jump the gun, let me say knowing your sinfulness is important. At Ash and my condo the place is very clean. It is a newer construction and we have taken care to paint, decorate, and clean it up very nicely. But, when the sun comes through the window in the evening, I can visibly see the dust in the air. I can see the film on the furniture and counter-top and I notice the dirt under the couch. The introduction of the bright light shows off the dirtiness. In the same way, the closer you get to God, the brightness of His holiness exposes the dirtiness of your sin. This is a good thing as long as the gospel is really changing you...

When the gospel is really changing you two things should grow and change at the same time; your knowledge of your sin and the finished work of Christ for you.

When Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), he meant it. He completed His task of dying in your place so you could live. He took the blows so you could go unpunished. He stood condemned so you could be free.

When we act as if our relationship with God is based on how well we are doing at bible study, prayer, watching our mouths, or whatever "christian" activity, we are saying with our actions, "It is not finished unless I can do this well." We have no peace when we do this. We are not living in the joy of experiencing the finished work of Jesus.

This was a problem for other Christians too. When God wanted to address the Galatian church he was concerned with how they were adding to the gospel. As if in addition to the gospel they had to observe some religious practices to actually be right. NO! What Christ has done is enough. Stop trying to add to it!

God loved you while you were making a mess of your life. He didn't love you because you made some changes. Any positive Christian change is the result of what Christ did not the cause.

Many of us are moping around because we feel like we can never add up. The reality is, you can only add up because of Christ, and He gives you the gift of adding up regardless of how good you are. Even inspite of how good you are.

God restore the joy of our salvation! You have rescued us. Your grace is unbelievable so teach us how to believe!

So real change happens in us when the Holy Spirit applies the truth that 'it is finished' in us. We begin to live in the glorious gospel of grace when we see that Christ is enough for me. Even more than enough. Now the reason I work hard at being a Christian is not to impress God, or make Him happy with my performance, but because I love Him. He paid it all. I live for Him because He died for me. That is real change in real life.

When God Changes My Real Life pt. 1

In the last post we examined how the process of change happens. But, what we really want to know is how it works in our real lives. And, I would contend, that is God's desire too. He doesn't just want you to gain more Bible knowledge. He actually wants to change you. Mike Bullmore has said, "the Bible is not like an informative speech. It is more like a persuasive speech. There is always an objective that God is after." God desires to change us from one degree of glory to the next. Now let's examine two different scenarios of change.

Family Tension:
Many students experience this in one way or another. As we grow into maturity we begin to forge our own lives. The process is painful on both sides. Young adults(students) are trying to make their own decisions and parents are still trying to be parents. The fact is, it is hard.

So, how does the gospel apply to this situation? First, we need to recognize a very real command from Scripture. "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord" (Colossians 3:20). Great! Now not only do my parents annoy me, but now also the Bible annoys me! How can I make it out of this tension alive?!

The key is found in the context of the command. Colossians 3 is a chapter that focuses on the work of Christ in our lives. It even says, "Your life is hidden with Christ in God" (vs. 3). Now all of your actions come out of that right relationship with Him. God is saying here, that when you have the gospel deep down in your identity, you will be able to relate to family in a way that is honoring.

You can lay down your rights to make all your own choices. You can suffer ridicule from your parents. You can handle it when the chores overwhelm you and the rules would usually suffocate you. Here is why. You are loved by God. Christ died in your place. You have peace.

So, now instead of falling apart when your relationship with your earthly parent is not well, you have the eternal hope that your relationship with your Loving Father is perfect.

Instead of demanding your rights, you can lay them down as you seek to imitate Christ.

Instead of feeling crushed by the neglect, you stand proud that you are a daughter of the King. All benefits of the household is yours. His love toward you is perfect.

Instead of blowing up in rage and talking back, you can quietly do what has been asked of you. Just like Christ was lead out like a lamb before the slaughter... He was silent. So are you.

Instead of seeking to get even when your parents wrong you, you return kindness instead. Much like when you rebelled against God he did not treat you as your sins deserved. But instead, He lavished you with grace.

When your siblings would have annoyed you, you instead treat them with compassion, patience, and grace... just like you received from the Father.

All this stems from the gospel. You can't muster these feelings up on your own. It is when the Holy Spirit applies the magnificence of Christ to your heart that this change happens. If this is a struggle that you own, talk to a leader about it. We want you to experience the joy of salvation! We want you to experience the peace that can come to your relationship with your family. We are praying for you.

Another post to follow...

Connecting the Dots

There is a depressing side to being called to preach... it's called memory. Unfortunately, it is easy to remember how bad a message was. Or, things that were left out and areas that were unclear.

I guess that is a benefit of always being wired in... through social networking, emails, and blogs the message never has to have an exact ending... I can pick up right here and connect some of the dots I left untouched last night.

The message from youth group yesterday had to do with holiness. We want to be a group that strives for holiness so that way our friends and family will see our lives and want to know the Power that changed us. But how do we actually change?

Here is the three-fold Strategy from 2 Corinthians 3:18 and surrounding verses.
Change happens as we engage the Word, see the majesty of Christ, in the power of the Spirit.
1) Engage the Word
Paul's strategy for change involves the word (2 Corinthians 4:2b), setting forth the truth plainly (2 Corinthians 4:2c) and preaching (2 Corinthians 4:5). For us to be changed we have to engage the Word of God. The power is in the Word.
2)See Christ as the Majesty of the Word
It is not enough to simply read the Bible. We have to see how Christ is the focus of all of Scripture and the fulfillment of every promise. He is fire. He's the bomb.
2 Corinthians 3:18 "beholding the glory of the Lord." When we look to Scriptures we are looking for the magnificence and majesty of Christ. We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord (4:5). This is what we are on the lookout for in the Word; "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (4:6).
3) In the Power of the Spirit
The Spirit takes the truths of Christ and massage them into our souls. Real change is brought about by the Holy Spirit. Anything less than that is superficial.

Now let's look at 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

So it is in this way that God changes us from one degree of glory to the next.
In the Word, Seeing Christ, by His Spirit.

The Search for Simple Stupid

Why does Christianity get all muddied? Life isn't exactly as clean cut as textbooks might make them seem. Lately, I've been wrestling with how I've added to the muddying instead of offered clear spring water to bring clarity. Here are some ways that I've complicated the simple issue of being a Christian.

I may confess the simple truths but my life speaks otherwise. I believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation by grace alone through faith alone? If someone pressed me on it that is exactly what I would say. It is Jesus. He saves. But, if you examine my life what you actually see is a whole lot of works; bible reading, prayer meetings, endless books and sermons. My messages sound a lot like to-do lists. Be mindful of missions, set aside time for devotions, get involved, care about persecution, know your Bible, you better have right doctrine... What's worse is my actual life!? I seldom pray. I read endlessly. I am constantly listening to lectures or sermons. I lose sleep over whether or not I will "perform well" at youth group. I am constantly scouring for praise. I tell people to prepare for the difficulties and expect persecution. All of these actions and attitudes speak. The message they say is, "you better do something." The message I actually convey with my life then is to live by works. I heap on my friends an un-shoulder-able yoke that I myself am not willing to lift a finger to help (Matthew 23:4 cf. Luke 11:46). Mainly because my own load is crushing me.

So what should it actually look like? I believe Spurgeon was onto something when he spoke of "the grand doctrine of believe and live." I think what Spurgeon is convinced of, and I agree, is that the grand narrative of the Bible leads us to a simple doctrine that if we believe in Christ, we have everlasting life. Romans 10 unpacks this at length. If we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts then we are saved. Simple stupid. That is the foundation. That is what Christianity truly is. Has it become more complicated than that for you? The heart of the matter is faith in Christ.

My friend Laura McFadden has also helped me with this concept. Although, she takes believe and live in another direction. She is a huge advocate of being who God made you to be. So often we stuff people into Christian molds. We make them carry burdens that were not meant for them. Then, we watch as they struggle under the weight. Instead, we should each look to be the person God created us to be and to live in that glorious freedom. We let Jesus be our everything and we simply live. That is the beautiful simplicity of it all. Don't make it too complicated. Just believe in Him and then do what you love. Believe and live. This is the way to life.

Maybe things have gotten complicated for you and you feel the burdens of 'being a Christian' pressing in on you. My advice to you is to step back for a moment and just say "Jesus I believe in you and I want you." That's all. Nothing difficult there. It is a confession of your heart, expressed with your lips. And it is life. Now go take a breath of fresh air and do something you love.

Young Radicals

February 1st 2008 I started my first day as the official pastor for youth at Central. The task was daunting but my excitement was coursing through me. I daydreamed about the revolution that was about to occur from the ground up. I thought to myself that if any group could change the tide of the church and ramp up the spiritual temp, it was and is the students. Imagine tapping into all of the energy of redbulls, pop music, and kids who can "mod" an xbox (I don't even know what that means but it sounds cool). Imagine getting that group of young and fearless students on board for a journey of their lifetimes.

Over the course of the past seasons of ministry my excitement has ascended to the heights and came crashing down onto the rocks of brutal reality. There have been times when I've seen incredible potential and also times when I've felt very uncertain. But at the current moment I feel like we are in a time like no other. I have to let you know that this Fall marks one of the most exciting seasons of ministry for CSM. Here are a few reasons why:

First, leadership is transitioning. We are losing some key volunteers and gaining some fresh ones. Just when we were getting comfortable, God decided to mix things up on us. This is a great 'problem' to have. It throws our dependency back on God. It would be a shame to operate on our own strength to the neglect of the Holy Spirit's power. God has not given us that option. Because we are sending off a great volunteer, we are forced to trust in God and not in ourselves.

Second, we've torn down old practices and are ready to rebuild. Over the past couple years we have stripped CSM down to bare bones. We put everything on the table and said to God, "if you want us to keep doing any of these things, let us know or they are getting thrown out." We whittled CSM down to 3 basic things. Worship. Teaching. Community. Even within those elements we strove for minimalism. Worship was simple. No frills. Teaching included a bible and a point. We rarely had a catchy title to a series or showed videos. We didn't even put the verses on the screens so the students would have to look in their own bibles. Community was basic. Community is always organic and difficult to plan. We gave time for small group at Fuel and set up couple different meeting places and times for high school students. That was it. And it worked. So, here we are barreling into a new school year with a blank canvas. We have removed all the distractions and are ready to listen to the leading of Him who loves His Bride. Jesus, what would you love your Beauty dressed in?

Finally, our group is about as rad as it gets. The students have crossed school lines and stereotypes. Seniors hang out with freshmen. Athletes hang out with gamers. Wisconsin hangs with Illinois. We have a real live biblical community! It is actually weird to see, but o' so exciting! Not only that, they are mature Christ followers! They know how to open a bible up and meet with King Jesus. They know how to worship Him when life is brutal. Take away the guitars and drums and just try to shut up their singing. Tell them to stop dreaming about ministry and missions and focus on school work. It won't happen easily. These kids are a revolution! They are an inspiration to young people everywhere and they are an inspiration to me. They are the real deal. They get it. Don't be surprised when they set an example for us in faithfulness and challenge us to really follow Jesus. Things may get messy, but following Jesus never seemed neat and tidy. I'm just trying to keep up with these young radicals.

Teens Want More Than Pizza

Spurred on by the USA Today article on how teens view the church, Jon Neilson just wrote a blog article for the gospel coalition. If you are aware of our ministry philosophy here at Central's Students, you will know that for the past two and a half years we have been crying out the same message... Namely, students are ready for the church to be the church and the gospel is appealing enough for us to shape our entire ministry around it. So to my new friend Jon... Amen brother.
Teens Want More Than Pizza

Redeeming Music

Preach Christ or Go Home—And Other Spurgeon Quotes on Christless Preaching

No body says it bolder than Spurgeon. Either preach Jesus Christ as Savior.

And [Spurgeon] means by Christ not merely his example and the ethical precepts of his teaching, but his atoning blood, his wondrous satisfaction made for human sin, and the grand doctrine of ‘believe and live.'

Either do that... or go home.
Preach Christ or Go Home—And Other Spurgeon Quotes on Christless Preaching

The motto of all true servants of God must be, ‘We preach Christ; and him crucified.’ A sermon without Christ in it is like a loaf of bread without any flour in it. No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.

The One Who Makes me a Better Man...

Here is a link to photos of our wedding!

MandyHenry.com

Ashley is such a huge blessing to me. For the past several years Ashley has been one of the greatest sources of refinement in my life. Her wisdom is staggering. So, if you've benefited from anything I've written, it definitely owes some credit to my beautiful "Riblet" (Genesis 2:21,22).

"The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved" -Matthew Henry

Great Resource on the Holy Spirit

I just finished the first chapter of "Engaging with the Holy Spirit" by Graham Cole and it is dynamite. Some words to describe are; practical, helpful, sane, Biblical, calculated, studied, and clear.

The book aims at answering several questions regarding the Holy Spirit:
1. What is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
2. How May We Resist the Holy Spirit?
3. Ought We to Pray to the Holy Spirit?
4. How Do We Quench the Holy Spirit?
5. How Do We Grieve the Holy Spirit?
6. How Does the Holy Spirit Fill Us?

Marriage Counsel Behind Bars

This Friday evening I get to join my bestfriend in one of the most incredible and sacred experiences ever... marriage.

What is staggering to me, is the amount of blessing that I get from an engaged man preaching a wedding ceremony in a prison cell. His name is Dietrich Bonhoeffer and he never experienced first-hand the realities of marriage that he preached on before his martyrdom. But, the man understands the beauty and majesty of marriage. You can read the whole thing here. Or the more expensive way to read it, which I did, was buy Letters and Papers From Prison.

First off, Bonhoeffer reminds me of the joy that should surround Friday as I get to participate in such an incredible indeavor:

It is right and proper for a bride and bridegroom to welcome and celebrate their wedding day with a unique sense of triumph. When all the difficulties, obstacles, hindrances, doubts, and misgivings have been, not made light of, but honestly faced and overcome - and it is certainly better not to take everything for granted – then both parties have indeed achieved the most important triumph of their lives. With the ‘Yes’ that they have said to each other, they have by their free choice given a new direction to their lives; they have cheerfully and confidently defied all the uncertainties and hesitations with which, as they know, a lifelong partnership between two people is faced; and by their own free and responsible action they have conquered a new land to live in. Every wedding must be an occasion of joy that human beings can do such great things, that they have been given such immense freedom and power to take the helm in their life’s journey. The children of the earth are rightly proud of being allowed to take a hand in shaping their own destinies, and something of this pride must contribute to the happiness of a bride and bridegroom.(Letters and Papers from Prison, pg. 41)

He also reminds me of the permanence of the commitment that rests neither on Ashley or I, and our ability to love, but instead on God's ability to join together:

It is not your love that sustains the marriage, but from now on, the marriage that sustains your love

because,

God makes your marriage indissoluble, and protects it from every danger that may threaten it from within or without; he wills to be the guarantor of its indissolubility.

Bonhoeffer also illustrates the beauty of God's order in marriage. He shows how the home can be a harbor when it is ruled by peace (when we fulfill our God given roles).

And finally, Bonhoeffer reminds us that Christ is our foundation in marriage. "In a word, live together in the forgiveness of your sins, for without it no human fellowship, least of all a marriage, can survive" (pg. 46).

What a joy it will be to proclaim Christ with our lives through the mirror of marriage.

A New Scorecard

An outreach to students with killer band and dynamic speakers to draw in a crowd= $2000
Equipping students to be inviters using the latest and greatest curriculem= $500
Ratcheting up weekly services to have appealing elements to newbies= $1000
A community of young people that will be celebrating Christ for eternity= priceless

How do we measure success in ministry? It is hard. Most of the real life change is priceless and difficult to quantify.

When I asked my mentor how he measures ministry success he said, "I mow my lawn." What he meant by that statement is that measuring ministry results is hard. If you want to see the fruit of your efforts, go mow a lawn.

Most of the time we measure ministry by attendance and activity. This doesn't give us a very accurate reading though. We may have a bunch of chairs filled up but that doesn't mean we are making disciples. A snap-shot of CSM may give you the impression that the ministry is unhealthily small... but, when you think through how solid the students are, it is hard to find another group that matches their spiritual maturity.

We need to rethink how we measure success. A new book called Transformational Church: A New Scorecard for Congregations aims to do just that. My hope is that lots of congregations will be equipped to better serve their congregations by measuring things that last.

I know I personally have a lot of room for growth, and our ministry does too. But, I pray that we would be guided by goals that are meaningful and not simply numerous as we pursue gospel-growth.

Romans 3-Getting Stripped

It's a fear most people have... the realization that you are naked. We have nightmares about this.

In junior high it was called "de-pants-ing." Which is the act of a junior high boy running up behind an unsuspecting fellow and pulling down their gym shorts and running away while laughing... humiliating.

The gospel, in a sense, de-pants us. Let me explain.

Every human being is clothing themselves in their behaviors, decisions, morality, and do-gooding. This can be called dressing ourselves in a right way. It's our ability to rightly align ourselves with the world. For instance, if you are a nice guy, you treat others with respect, you have some manors, open doors for people, leave good tips, compliment people, etc... then you are a good citizen of earth. You are right in the eyes of the world.

The opposite is to be out of wack. If you are selfish, and mean, and short-tempered, and rude, and cruel then the world calls you a bad person. You are out of line with the way the world should be. You have clothed yourself in unrighteousness.

So on the one hand, the good guy has put on an outfit of goodness. The bad guy, has put on an outfit of badness. We are dressed in either righteousness or wrong-ness.

The gospel comes along and depants us of our righteousness. "Where then is boasting" it asks (Romans 3:27)? You can not boast in your attire. You cannot brag in your own goodness. The gospel says that your best dress is inadequate. You will not be able to stand before God in all of your "Sunday best." They are filthy rags to Him. So, God is not impressed by your church attendance, your long prayers, your Bible memorization, your concern for social justice, your bible study, or your doctrinal precision, or any other "Christian" thing. He also is not impressed with your clean vocabulary, or your christian radio, or your movie and television watching rating system. He is not impressed with the way you dress your life up. That is stripped from you. The only dress that is impressive to God is the robe of righteousness. The only way to get the right attire is to borrow Christ's. He gives it to us freely by His grace.

We get stripped. We get rightly clothed. He gets worshiped.

In fact for eternity we will all stand around and boast about the grace of Jesus Christ. Nobody will talk about their "christian" performance in heaven. Nobody will talk about the size of their ministry, or the perfection of their behaviors that they achieved before they died. We will boast for eternity about the glorious Lamb that took our sin and gave His righteousness. We will boast about Christ. We are stripped of boasting about anything else.

Potent Lyrics and Killer Song

Death In His Grave (Performance Video) from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

John Mark McMillian Death in His Grave

HT: Justin Taylor; Z

Identity Confusion

A while back I was at Culver's with some students and I saw something troubling.

Here is how the tale goes: While sitting with some students (which will remain nameless), one student essentially started making fun of another young man that walked in to Culver's. They didn't know each other but it seemed quite natural for them to make this exchange of ridicule and the responsive contempt.

The one kid came in with, let's just say, many accessories; some sort of hat, sunglasses, popped collar, ect... He was trying to be noticed and noticed is what he got. The other guy was simply giving a negative knee-jerk reaction to this guys attire.

In this quick little exchange there are two identity errors that were made.

The guy that walked in was desperate for someone to affirm his identity from without. He dressed to get noticed. He was probably hoping that someone might compliment his style and uniqueness. His appearance tells a tale about his soul.... it is screaming out, "look at me! I matter!"

The second student was getting his identity from within. He was offering up ridicule. He was essentially saying, "you are ridiculous and I am not. I am better than you." The message his soul is screaming out is, "I do matter and I can prove it! I am not like him!"

Both, let me repeat, both are suffering from identity confusion. Both young men need to find their identity not from without, or within, but from above.

If your identity is in Christ, then your outward appearance becomes significantly less important. You do not need others to affirm you. If your identity is in Christ, then you are less likely to judge others because you know that your acceptance is not on your performance but on His grace. What we need to keep us from striving after the world's approval is Christ. What we need to silence our judgement is Christ.

We need Him. In Him we find our all and it gives us the proper lens to see ourselves and others.

This Works... and It is Actually Scary!

Yesterday I sat down with a student and simply spent some time finding out what is going on in his life. As I reflect on our conversation, I can remember several times where I consciously thought, 'this is something that he learned at CSM,' or, 'I remember teaching this!?' As the conversation unfolded I began to see how much of an influence CSM has had on him. His worldview has been shaped by our teachings. His reaction to situations sounds a lot like what I would do. He is being transformed into the Character of Christ that we as a ministry are presenting to him on a weekly basis. Holy smokes this thing actually works!?!

But, it also dawned on me that he has picked up some negative characteristics too. I see him struggling with the same things that I stumble over. I see sinful attitudes and tendencies, that I have, cropping up in his life too. And, the conversation was a brutal reminder that, with my life, I communicate not only the gospel that I hope to impart, but also the sins that I still carry.

So, would you join me in praying for our students? There is much to celebrate because I know we have emphasized some very important content at youth group. However, we also need to pray that the students would be guarded from our mistakes.

God, help our kids to be shielded from my sins. Help them to learn the glorious truths of the gospel without also learning my bad habits, my selfish tendencies, my critical attitude, my many sins. God you are able! Praise you that the Gospel is so much bigger and more transforming than me! Thank you that the power doesn't rest on me. Thank you that the power for real life change is only in Christ and only through the work of the Spirit. Do a mighty work in your kids. And thank you God for using dust like me. It is a spectacular and humbling thing that you call and use people like me to the glory of Christ. Amen.

Noteworthy

I love the joy of seeing God work in the lives of friends. My good friend Scott Zibell recently created this stellar video for a baptism service. Praise God for gifting Zibby with some incredible and creative talent. Check it out, powerful stuff.

TDTW from scott zibell on Vimeo.

Romans 3- Exposing Our Little gods

"This righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference" (Romans 3:22).

We had a killer staff meeting yesterday where we talked about this concept. I am very excited for this truth to get massaged into the heart of our Church and church people.

I don't know if you ever read Christian literature? If you do, you more than likely have picked up a copy of a book that promises some sort of help for some sort of problem. For instance, there are devotional books that claim to bolster your devotional life. There are small group books that promise help for leading discussions. There are church growth books that teach churches the appropriate steps to growth. There are preaching books that claim they have the answers to effective preaching.... the list goes on and on.

Do you see the implications of this literature on your heart? If you think that in order to be an effective Christian or an effective church you must 1) read a book, 2) understand the concepts, 3) then put into play the steps the author insists upon, well you are going to be a very self-righteous person. The reason is because all of your success rests on whether you read a book and make the right action steps.

In a Church it looks like this: if you use such and such a curriculum, or if you have such and such a program, or if you do this kind of service project, or this sort of meeting, or this new technology, or this kind of small group, or this kind of messages, or this conference, or etc..... then you will be a successful church. First off, let me point out, what we think is a successful church is hardly what Christ demands from us in Scripture. Our understanding of success is usually centered around our pride. Success for us is camouflaged in churchy terms like "healthy, transforming, growing, vibrant." But what we really mean is the church is, in the words of Ron Burgandy, "kind of a big deal." Our success usually rests on does it make me look good and part of a "successful" church? Because, at the end of the day, I want notoriety.

So we read books, we put together programs, we copy-cat other "successful" churches and worship them as if they are god and have all the answers. And all of this can be called self-righteousness.

In the life of the individual we see the same thing. We regularly have a quiet time, we read the One Year Bible, we join small groups, we attend worship, we have prayer meetings, we do all sorts of good Christian things. Which none of those things in itself is bad. They are actually all good things and each have their places. The problem is when we think that it is on the basis of those activities that God is happy or that God will bless us.

The reality as Paul reminds us is that "righteousness comes from faith in Jesus Christ." It doesn't matter if you are a Jew or Gentile. It doesn't matter if you read the right book, or pray daily. It doesn't matter if you are in a mega church or a congregation of 15 people. It doesn't matter if you attend the right conferences.

What truly matters is, do you put your faith in Jesus Christ alone? Or do you trust something else?

There is only one place where we find righteous people and righteous churches.... the foot of the cross covered in the blood of Christ. If you look anywhere else for your acceptance and significance, you are looking to another god. When we get acceptance from something, that thing is our god. We need to repent of our devotional gods. We need to repent of our trusting bible reading gods. We need to repent of worshiping our church growth gods.

The only confidence we have is in the Grace of God, namely Jesus Christ on the Cross. Anything less or more is false.

"Where then is boasting?"

"It is excluded" (Romans 3:27).

I'm Back In Action

All the experts say, "you must post consistently for your readership to remain interested in the blog" ... well, I think I broke that rule. Obviously, you are unusual readers. Maybe you are just checking in to see if some loved one hijacks the account to let others know, "I regret to inform you but there will be no more posts by user corywilliams. He is no more." Or, maybe you are very persistent. People probably compliment your persistence, so you have been returning to this page over and over again with no pay-off. You are a trooper.

Whatever the case may be for your reading, let me clear up any rumors rattling around in your head... I'm alive. I will admit to cyber death, if by cyber death we mean, I was cut off from my cyber life force for an unsustainable amount of time. Aka: not on a computer.

Enough rambling already! Let's get down to business... for the past two weeks I have been in the trenches of youth ministry. Two weeks ago we were in Anderson, Indiana for a Christ In Youth conference. This past week CSM students helped an organization called outdoor outreach conduct a summer camp for under-served Beloit youth. It has been a crazy awesome couple of weeks but I am glad to be back to normalcy. I promise that more posts will come more often.

Dear Reader, thank you for your patience and persistence. You will be rewarded with a righteous blogger crown some day. It may even have an inscription, "Most awesomely persistent blog-reader dude (dude-ette)."

I think time away from the office may have had ill effects on me. Come back for more crazy posts.

Sorrowful Yet Always Rejoicing...

Sorrowful yet always rejoicing is the note struck behind the song "Joy" by PageCXVI. The song writer recounts the birth of the song on the night her father passed away. She recalls, "So as I sat at the piano, the only place that felt safe that night to me, the weight of loss hit my chest. I remembered my eyes were blurred with tears and I literally began to play the now familiar progression of Joy." For a full account of the song please read Page's post here. Once you've read the post then come back to watch this video:

Learning From The Wisdom of Wooden

There is a reason that the Bible is so adamant about imitating others (1 Cor 4:16, Hebrews 6:12, Hebrews 13:7, 3 John 1:11). We need role models like John Wooden who learned from his dad, and I am sure many others, how to be loyal and how to love. There is much for us to learn from him...



HT: Justin Taylor

Romans 3- Righteous

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known , to which the Law and the prophets testify" (Romans 3:21).

Let that verse press in on your soul. Praise God today for His provision! He has made a righteousness known apart from the law! He has made a way for you to be reconciled to Him without list keeping and morality as the means. He has made a way for you to stand unblemished. It is not by your moral efforts but by the efforts of our Savior Jesus Christ.

If your righteousness is your own you can never have peace. You will always be striving trying to make God happy. You can never sit down. You can never enjoy. You must work. You must make sure that your righteousness amounts to something. Although, it never does or can. Your righteousness is filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). But we do have a high priest that completed His work and sat down (Hebrews 10:12). 'It is finished' was His cry from a cross expressing the completion and finality of it all. The Law and the Prophets all point to Him and say, 'there it is.... this is your life. Satisfy your soul in the work of this God-man. This is where righteousness comes from.'

The more you understand and appreciate the work of Jesus for you, the more whole your life will be. This is what you were made for, experiencing the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Faith in Jesus

This quote has been rattling around in my head for a bit and I want to get it down on paper:

"Every verse in the Bible is meant to build faith in Jesus Christ."

I've spent some time trying to track down who said it, but I cannot place my finger on its origin. Regardless of who said it, I agree. I know it seems overly simplistic but simplicity is sometimes a good thing. The aim of the Christian life is to allow faith in Jesus to permeate everything. The aim of the Word is to build that faith into us.

Earlier this week while I was reading the One Year Bible I noticed how quickly, and almost illogically, the apostles jumped to Jesus. It reminds me of the Sunday school answers that kids always give. When a teacher asks, "What do you think this is talking about?" A kid replies, "sounds a lot like a squirrel, but I am going to go with Jesus." One thing I have learned about studying the Bible is that it is not always appropriate to see Jesus under every rock. If you use words in their normal sense, then sometimes it is irresponsible to try to impute Jesus into the text. It is like looking at a cloud and going, 'wow that looks a lot like Jesus... yep, that means Jesus is watching over us.' When it comes to Bible reading sometimes we want Jesus to be present so badly that we make words and sentences point to Jesus. Is this appropriate or no?

I actually lean towards, yes it is appropriate, so long as it is logical. I do think we have a duty to point people to Jesus from any text. I do think that all of the Bible is meant to build faith in Jesus. So I agree with Spurgeon when he says;

Don't you know, young man, that from every town and every village and every hamlet in England, wherever it may be, there is a road to London? So from every text of Scripture there is a road to Christ. And my dear brother, your business is, when you get to a text, to say, now, what is the road to Christ? I have never found a text without a road to Christ in it... for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savor of Christ in it.