Crazy Busy - A Book Review

How ironic is it that it took me over three weeks from when I finished a book called "Crazy Busy" until I actually wrote a book review of it on my blog. Probably sounds like the book didn't have much of an impact on me, huh? Perhaps. However, this is a great book packed with sound, biblical advice on a topic that most everyone I know struggles with.  I appreciate the writings of Kevin DeYoung.  He mixes together a sound grasp on biblical theology with direct application to the problems most people in our culture face. In doing so, he really helps Christians tackle issues from a Scriptural perspective rather than doling out recycled platitudes or giving personal opinion and self-help advice with a token Bible verse attached. He also mixes into his writing a quick wit and practical humor which keeps the average Christian reader more engaged on the subject.

Crazy Busy delivers exactly what the subtitle suggests: a (mercifully) short book about a (really) big problem.  DeYoung's book is 10 chapters spread out over 118 pages. This means that he moves through topics pretty fast, but still provides a lot of depth. He doesn't spend tons of pages on stringing out all the biblical exegesis he has done, but the way he deals with topics shows that he has indeed done a solid job of textual hermanuetics.  The bulk of the chapters deals with seven diagnoses of the spiritual reasons why some believers are potentially allowing themselves to overcommit, commit to the wrong things, not learn how to say "no", or running themselves ragged.

Personally, I found in each of these seven diagnoses something I was guilty of.  However, the beauty of Kevin's book is that his purpose is not to make us feel guilty about our busyness.  His purpose is to point out the spiritual reasons and implications of our busyness and then point us back to our grounding in the gospel and our identity in Christ. DeYoung doesn't just say, "Stop doing this", but he continually takes us back to what Scripture says to show us that a proper understanding of the gospel is the fuel for our busyness problems and that we often struggle with busyness because we have allowed ourselves to base our identity on something other than the gospel.

This is a great book that I would highly recommend to all Christians.  It would be a great read during some of your time off during the Christmas season. It might be better for some of you to read it before you start stressing out about the busyness of Christmas shopping. If you think you are too busy to read a book, that's all the more reason why you should get it. My small group and I are going to be working through it starting in January.

Here's a video of Kevin DeYoung talking about the book:
Busyness is Bad for You: A brief word from Kevin about the dangers of busyness from Crossway on Vimeo.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Crossway Books for review and publication on this blog. I was not required to write a positive review of the book or its author. 

"Angels We Have Heard On High" by the Piano Guys

I had never heard of these guys before I saw this video today, but what a great rendition of a popular and powerful Christmas hymn. Enjoy!

Clear Winter Nights - A Book Review

The older I get and the longer I am a Christian, the more I value reading and the importance of a good book.  I try to read a variety of books in order to be balanced.  One area that I like to read is good fiction.  Some pastors and Christians only read books on ministry, theology, and the Christian life. They view fiction as a waste of time. Some Christians only read fictional books, but never venture into good books on theology or the gospel because they see it as above their heads.  So, I was intrigued to see that Trevin Wax had recently written a fictional work that also was designed to teach deeper theological truths.  So, I was excited to pick up a copy of Clear Winter Nights: A Journey Into Truth, Doubt, and What Comes After.  The book subtitles itself as "Theology in Story" and that is a very apt description.  I appreciate Trevin's gift of writing and his understanding of the gospel and its importance.  Trevin serves as the managing editor of LifeWay's new curriculum "The Gospel Project".

While Clear Winter Nights is a fictional work, it makes an important contribution to the current trend of gospel-centered writings that have been offered in recent years.  It's the story of a young man named Chris and the week that he spends with his elderly grandfather who is a retired pastor. The reader walks with Chris as he is going through a crisis of belief brought on by several factors: the challenges of his liberal religious professors, the recent ending of his engagement to the woman he loves, his grandmother's death, and the recent news that his earthly father wasn't the man that he thought.  These events have left Chris jaded, confused, angry, and resentful.  When his grandfather experiences his own health crisis, Chris steps in to help by staying with him a few days. As they reconnect, Chris' grandfather brings the depth of the gospel and the word of God to Chris' struggles.  He forces Chris to wrestle with questions and truths he had once blindly accepted, but has recently abandoned. This is the process of sanctification and growth.  It's the struggle of a young man actually learning to own his faith through trials and doubt. The author does a fantastic job helping the reader to see that faith is not just a personal belief in something. Ultimately it's a search for the truth, and truth is found in a person, Jesus Christ.

Clear Winter Nights is the kind of book that every Christian can read and appreciate.  The story is short - a mere 147 pages - but laced with important gospel truths. The storyline is very relevant and believable. The struggles of the lead character are relevant to many who have grown up in the Christian church but have struggles reconciling what they have been taught with an increasingly secularized culture that has abandoned objective truth for a more personal, subjective experience.  I commend Trevin for what he has brought to the table and highly recommend you read Clear Winter Nights and pass it on to your friends who may be struggling with doubt.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multinomah for review and publication on this blog. I was not required to write a positive review of this book or its authors. 

The Pastor's Justification - A Book Review

Jared Wilson is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. He has a solid grasp on the gospel and a gifted writing style that keeps the gospel from becoming rote and academic.  I was very excited to receive a copy of his book, The Pastor's Justification: Applying the Work of Christ in your Life and Ministry.  This may be one of the most important books to my personal ministry that I have read in a long time. Jared does a masterful job of bringing together the calling to ministry and the daily implications of the gospel that we pastors, we are stewards of that same gospel, so often forget.

Ministry is an exhaustive exercise of trying to prove your worth and calling by trying to convince others, who are also fallen, sinful creations, to live the gospel. Every time we as pastors get together, we ask about the same metrics: "How many do you run in Sunday School?", "How many did you have in worship Sunday?", and "How many have you baptized this year?"  When you add to this equation that 85% of churches in America, including mine, are plateaued or declining, then you come out with a mix of pastors that are stressed about numerical success, depressed about their current ministry context, looking for greener fields somewhere else, or questioning their own calling.  The statistics about the spiritual health of pastors and ministers are frightening:

• Each month, about 1,500 ministers leave ministry altogether either by moral failure, ministry burnout, or forced termination.
• About 70% of pastors are fighting depression of some sort
• 50% of ministers say they would probably leave the ministry if they could find another job that would pay them what they are currently making.

This is why Jared Wilson's book is of fundamental importance and a clarion call in a desperate time.  Jared is a pastor who lives in the trenches of ministry every day.  He also has a profound ability to bring practical application of the gospel to everyday life. He shows us exactly what Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2 that the gospel is not just something that has saved us, but that it is "the gospel in which you stand and by which you are being saved" presently.  Perhaps the desperate and tragic state of our churches is due to the fact that our pastors are not preaching the gospel to themselves everyday.  Perhaps our obsession with numerical success has blinded us to the fact that we are perfectly accepted by our Heavenly Father because of Christ's righteousness no matter how many people didn't show up last Sunday.  Perhaps the biggest reason there is a fundamental ignorance of the gospel in thew pews of our churches is because there is a fundamental ignorance of neglect of the gospel in the pulpit.  The issue of gospel application to the minister's calling and work is of fundamental importance and Jared does a masterful job of showing this in The Pastor's Justification. He shows how the gospel makes pastors holy, confident, watchful, free, humble, and justified. He also shows how the issues of faith, grace, Christ, God's word, and God's glory apply to the daily and weekly grind of ministry.

As I began reading this book, my first thought was, "I wish this book had been given me when I was in seminary."  I think that every person who seeks to minister in Christ's church should pick up a copy, absorb it, digest it, and master it.  This isn't a book you will fully comprehend in one reading.  The truths of this book will take years to digest and apply.  If you are a pastor, youth minister, worship leader, children's minister, lay minister, or just a concerned church member, you should definitely read this book.

Time to make a STATEment!

3 days!

Faithmapping - A Book Review

Several months ago, I received a copy of Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper's new book Faithmapping: A Gospel Atlas for Your Spiritual Journey. These guys work at Sojourn Church in Louisville, KY.  I had been watching this book for a few months and planning on buying it, so I was very honored to get a free copy of it to review.

Faithmapping is one of the best books on understanding the gospel and its practical implications in the daily lives of believers I have read.  It has a solid theological foundation, but it is very practical and easy to read.  One of the strengths of this book is that I can give it to a relatively new Christian and know that they not only can read it and understand it, but that it will ground them in some much needed and often over-looked theological truths.

The authors of the book do a very good job of presenting what is called a "triperspectival" approach to the gospel.  The gospel is a brilliant, multifaceted gem.  Every angle that you look at it shows you another brilliant truth.  Sometimes, authors trying to write about the gospel will focus on one specific aspect to the neglect of others and in the process may give an unbalanced understanding that only this one thing is the key to understanding "the gospel".  Montgomery and Cosper do a good job of presenting three "perspectives" that are equally vital in our understanding of the gospel - the gospel as the kingdom of God, the gospel as seen in the cross, and the gospel as shown in the grace of God.  One of the most important parts of Faithmapping is that they define what the gospel looks like in each individual aspect and then they show why we most not elevate one aspect to the neglect of the others.  This balanced approach is refreshing and invigorating as you read this book.

The authors also do an excellent job of showing how; once we come to a balanced, biblical approach to the gospel, this same gospel has practical affects on the way we worship as individuals and as a faith community.  It affects our understanding of the church as a faith "family" of adopted sons and daughters of God.  It affects our mentality of serving and being served and motivates us to take up the towel and serve others.  It affects us as growing disciples of Jesus Christ who are also responsible to make other disciples.  Finally, it affects our witness to the world in both words and actions that are compatible with the gospel.

I have read a lot of books already this year, but I would put Faithmapping in the top three I have read so far.  I believe many people in the church can benefit greatly from picking up a copy of this work and applying it to their lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

"The Story of God" by Matt Papa

Great reminder of the beauty and depth of the gospel from Matt Papa

An Update On Things...

So I have come to the conclusion that I basically stink at keeping up a blog. For the past two years, I have struggled with being disciplined enough to post anything of significant value multiple times a week. It's not that I don't have an opinion about a lot of things out there, it's just that I get so distracted by family stuff, delayed doctoral work, or mundane trivia on the internet that I never make time to blog much.  Anyway, I'm sitting here in my office watching a deluge out my window and thought I would start trying to put some stuff up here for the 2 of you that occasionally stop by here to see if I have posted anything only to be sorely disappointed:

Summer Travels
First, I just got back a little over a week ago from some busy traveling this summer.  My family and I spent 2 1/2 days being "house parents" for some orphans from Ukraine who were brought over here by Bridges of Faith ministry.  If you haven't checked out this ministry, you need to.  They are doing some great work trying to be the hands and feet of Jesus for some kids who desperately need it.  I know that several of the kids we stayed with are already in the process of being adopted by people here in the States that met them last month.  It was a great experience.

After that, my family and I drove all the way out to Houston for the Southern Baptist Convention.  Some asked me when I got back if I had a good "vacation".  My reply was, "If you think driving 14 hours with four kids for a three day Baptist business meeting is a 'vacation', then I would love for you to come with us next year."  However, we had a great time.  I hope to blog later about my experiences at the SBC and why my family and I like to go.

After a couple of weeks home, we were gone for two weeks to South Carolina.  First, we led a group from my church to Greenville, SC for the second year to do work with an organization called "Diligent Hands, Gracious Hearts".  If you are looking for a way to involve people in inner-city missions with multiple opportunities for a group, check them out.  Great week of ministry whenever we weren't dodging rain drops.  Then, my family and I headed from Greenville to Hilton Head for a week of vacation.  My sister-in-law lives in Hilton Head, so all my wife's family joined us there for a week at the beach.  All-in-all, we had a very good week mostly hanging out at the beach.  Hilton Head has great golf, but I couldn't fit my clubs in the Pilot with all the luggage for 6 people for two weeks.

Doctoral Work
I am trying hard to get my doctoral work finished.  Because I am a procrastinator, I have put off this work for far too long.  Ministry and family demands have kept me busy enough, but now I have to find the motivation to push forward to get it done.  I am in the process of developing lesson plans to teach my deacons on the subject of "helping deacons to be servant leaders."  I have had to read about 25 resources as part of my research.  I have also been carrying a large bin full of books, files, and papers around.  Pray for me to be disciplined to "get 'er done" over the next few weeks.  I hope to have the lesson plans developed soon to be able to start teaching soon after Labor Day.

Reading
Most of my reading has been limited to doctoral work this year.  However, once I finished my annotated bibliography, I was able to pick up some books I had set aside.  I will be posting a review here soon on "Faithmapping" by Daniel Montgomery and Mike Cosper.  Great book.  One of the best books I have read so far this year is "The Insanity of God" by Nik Ripken.  This is his encounter of over 20 years of working with the persecuted church around the world.  Warning: "If you read this book, it will shatter your perception of the current state of the church and cause you to be very frustrated with the shallowness and consumerism of the contemporary American church." However, if I had one book I wanted every friend of mine to read right now, "The Insanity of God" would be it.

There are a few updates for you if you happen to stop by.  I will try to keep some posts and thoughts up here soon.  Maybe I can give you some of the things I am learning about servant leadership as I am writing my lessons.

Go Red Sox!

New Book Review - "A Cross Shaped Gospel"

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Bryan Loritts speak at the Advance13 conference. I left his message challenged deeply to see on a deeper level how gospel reconciliation should also lead more to racial reconciliation.  Bryan leads Fellowship Memphis, which is a multiethnic congregation in the racially divided city of Memphis.  This is a church that has found ways to bridge the racial divide in the deep South.  They have also committed to making a major difference in the city of Memphis for Christ.

A Cross Shaped Gospel is a timely and well presented read.  Bryan Loritts shows a profound understanding of the gospel for his age. He is the son of a very faithful pastor and has served in many capacities across a spectrum of churches.  The premise of this book is that the center of the gospel is the cross of Jesus Christ. In it's horizontal dimension, the gospel reconciles us to God. But in it's vertical dimension, the cross also calls us to reconciliation with our "neighbor", whether they be of a different race, political persuasion, or socio-economic status.  Bryan calls all believers to start with the gospel and then allow the implications of the gospel to lead them as they live in harmony with their fellow man.  Bryan's chapter on "Donkeys and Elephants" is spot on and has much to say to both sides of the political divide.  Also, his chapter on race reconcilation, "The Gospel and O.J. Simpson" shows the maturation of someone who has been affected by racial discrimination, but has learned that in Christ, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

This book is a very important book for all in the church to wrestle with. The issues Bryan Loritts addresses have long been buried in the church as we rest in a gospel that gets me to heaven but doesn't call me to cross the street or to the other side of the tracks.  The issues that divide us personally are more of the reason we are losing credibility with the culture than the issues that divide us theologically.  If Loritts is right, we cannot give an accurate gospel without stressing both the horizontal and the vertical implications.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Moody Pressroom bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

End It...

Today is a national day to bring awareness to the "End It Movement" and the issue of global slavery.  Most people are still very unaware that slavery not only still exists in our world, but that it is a larger problem than ever before.  I am proud of Louie Giglio and the Passion Movement for the effort they have brought to this cause.  Here is a powerful video from the End It website:



Pray for those who are enslaved today through human trafficking. Pray that they find freedom both physically as well as spiritually in the gospel.
Pray for those who are the enslavers that God will convict and save them.
Pray for governments to crack down on human trafficking and slavery.
Pray for God to continue to motivate a generation to bring awareness to this issue.
Pray that the money that is being raised through these efforts will be used wisely by these organizations to help rescue and redeem those caught up in slavery.

I Have But One Plea...

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav'n He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there 
Who made an end to all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is justified
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the Risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangable I Am
The King of glory and of grace
One with Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God

Before the Throne of God Above - lyrics by Charitie Lees Bancroft and Vicki Cook. Copyright 1997 Sovereign Grace Music

Risk Is Right - A Book Review

A couple of months ago, I received a copy of a small book by John Piper to review called Risk Is Right. It is actually an excerpt from a book he previously released called Don't Waste Your Life.  This small little book is jam-packed with inspiration and challenge that we as followers of Jesus Christ have become too preoccupied with the illusions of security and safety.  The fact of the matter is that we unconsciously risk our lives every day when we take our cars out of the driveway or order food off of a menu.  The question is not, "Will we risk?", but,  "Will we consciously risk our lives, finances, and security in order to bring glory to God?"

This small little book is an excellent resource.  It is solidly biblical.  It is very practical.  It is an easy book to give to a young teenager, college student, or to a guy who "doesn't read very much."  It is only 51 pages so it's not intimidating.  However, the resounding message from it is that God has called us to abandon the illusion of security and live boldly and courageously for Him and His gospel.  This is not a call to "reckless living", but a call to be willing to risk, knowing that our God rewards those who risk greatly for Him.

At the end of your life, do you really want to stand before God with a large, furnished house, some money left to your kids, an empty membership on a church roll, but with nothing of spiritual value stored up in heaven simply because you were too afraid to risk what is really not yours anyway?  Get this book.  You'll be glad you did!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Play Ball!

In honor of Opening Day. Still funny after all these years...

The Empty Tomb and The Death of Y.O.L.O.

Enjoy this video from Jefferson Bethke about the Resurrection.

I'm going to the Advance13 Conference

At least once a year, I try to attend a conference that will strengthen my understanding of the gospel or help in my practical leadership in the church.  Sometimes, that is a hard balance to find.  Some conferences are great on providing deep lectures about the gospel.  They are headlined by some of the great minds in the church.  I have been to several of these and am always stretched in my theological apprehension.  Other times, I have been to conferences that are focused on church leadership, growth strategies, and ministry nuts and bolts.  These always give me something new to think about, try to implement or adapt in my ministry context, or just be jealous that I didn't think of it sooner.

Very rarely do I find a conference that can balance these two things.  I believe that Advance13 will be such a conference.  I have been impressed by the team at Advance the Church for a couple of years now.  They have put together an impressive conference experience several times.  I haven't been able to attend because I am usually already committed to another conference by the time I find out.  I did attend a regional event with ATC in Hattiesburg, MS a couple of years ago.  I was impressed with the depth, the practicality, the speakers, and the price.  It was good to see guys within about three hours of me who shared some of the same concerns I did as a pastor.

The theme for Advance13 is "Building a Faithful and Effective Ministry".  These guys have both an appreciation for the depth of the gospel.  But more than that, they are practicioners of the church.  They are pastors who are in the trenches of church leadership every day.  Speakers at this year's conference include John Piper, Bryan Loritts, Matt Chandler, J.D. Greear, David Platt, and Tyler Jones.  Breakouts are offered that are very practical in nature.  There will be networking times for participants to meet other guys and exchange ideas.

Here is an excerpt from their blog about the conference:

There is a false dichotomy in the church today, between faithful ministry and effective ministry – depth and width – making disciples and reaching the lost. Most of our churches are good at one or the other. Churches that prioritize faithfulness make mature disciples, but don’t always reach the lost. Churches that prioritize effectiveness reach the lost, but often don’t make mature disciples.

 The gospel calls for both. Faithfulness and effectiveness cannot be separated. Churches that grow wide without growing deep are not producing width that lasts. Churches that grow deep without growing wide are not as deep as they think.

We need faithful AND effective churches.

This is a major tension I am feeling as a church leader right now.  I am looking forward to seeking the Lord on this matter and the insights I will glean at Advance13.  It's not too late to register.  You can still make it to Raleigh and if you do, call me up and we'll grab coffee.  I am sure I can learn a lot from you too!

Update and Some Links

I know that my recent unplanned blogging hiatus has probably dwindled my readership from about a couple of dozen down to 1 or 2 people who have nothing much to do during the day but to jump around blog bookmarks.  Most of the reason for my hiatus has been that any extra time during the day not devoted to solving church problems or cleaning up after my kids has been spent working on my doctor of ministry project.  I turned in my proposal in late January and got approval as well as a one-year extension.  So, now I am reading my research and preparing my lessons to teach for my project.  Still a lot of work left to do.  I appreciate your prayers in the process.

My church is doing our first 4-day Revival since I have been here as pastor this week.  Tonight is our last night.  My personal pastor and spiritual dad, Mickey Dalrymple, has been with us this week.  It has been a unique privilege and honor to spend time with him and to share my pulpit with him as he has brought messages.  We are also being led in music by my friend Darryl Collins whom I worked with for 13 years at Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster, AL.  Pray for our last night tonight that we can see a harvest from our efforts.

Since I wanted to get back in the blog, I thought I would post a few links for you to read that I have recently come across:

Three Actions Each Pastor and Church Need to Take by Ronnie Floyd - I have long appreciated Dr. Floyd's leadership and example.  I had the honor of hearing him preach last week during the AL State Evangelism Conference.  This is a good reminder of how a church can discover it's local missional context.

Largest Churches in the Southern Baptist Convention by Thom Rainer - I have also benefited greatly by Thom Rainer's influence.  I am glad to have him leading our efforts at Lifeway.  Since I love to read about churches and their strategies, I have always had an interest in seeing the numbers of a church.  Don't be fooled.  These numbers can quickly become an idol for many seeking to compare themselves to other churches or leaders.  However, I like looking at them and comparing them to where they may have been several years ago.  Some have grown considerably.  Some have shrunk considerably.  It was also interesting that I have served at one on the list, grew up at one on the list, and have several personal friends in ministry that are serving at some on the list.

Four Good Reasons to Read Good Books by Tim Challies - You know that I am an avid book buyer and sometimes reader. I love to help put a good book in someone's hand to help them grow in their understanding of God, grace, or the gospel.  I think too many people miss out on so much because they do not practice the discipline of reading good books.  I think there is some correlation in the ineffectiveness of many in the church today and the proliferation of television channels, internet, and social media.  This is a good article to help you be more inspired to read.

Dangerous Calling - A Book Review

Paul David Tripp has written a book that I firmly believe should be in the hands of every pastor in America.  From the first pages of this book, Tripp drew me into the deep, dark world that is my own duplicitous heart.  Very few people outside of ministry understand the danger that exists for pastors and ministers about having a public, ministerial persona and a private, personal persona at home that is actually more of who we are.  To be honest, most everyone struggles to a certain extent with the real person in private and the public person they want everyone to see.  However, for ministers, this duplicity has very drastic effects on both our personal walk with God and our ability to accurately give to others the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tripp's book, Dangerous Calling, is painful to read. There were many times that I wondered to myself how the author had access to so many of the private thoughts and actions that I am embarrassed that anyone would know about.  I believe that I have been much more aware and diligent to avoid this ministerial duplicity recently, but it is not a problem that goes away easily.  Like some, I have learned some hard lessons from seeing very good friends of mine that are no longer in ministry because they fell victim to "doing ministry" as a professional but were not accurately walking with Christ or allowing their lives to be dramatically impacted by the continual truths of the gospel that we are all still in the midst of our own sanctification, that we desperately need to depend on grace and not our skills, that we have a tendency to check out and escape into mindless activities that blind us to the gospel.  Tripp lays the gauntlet down in the first chapter with a powerful discussion of his own personal downfall and why he got there.  The second chapter follows with nine "signs that a pastor has lost his way" that every minister should read.  The rest of the book flows from these premises over and over.

One area of concern that I had is that Tripp seems to be very hard on seminaries and religious education institutions.  As someone who attended a seminary, I see many of his points.  He argues that professors need to be people who model for their students gospel dependency and see the opportunities they have to "pastor" these future pastors.  Instead, many seminaries create and foster a performance-based culture, keep relationships at a surface level, and actually create a perfect environment where this duplicity between the public minister and the private person can incubate.  I know from personal experience because I lived that life as a seminary student in the early 90's.  I don't think ultimately this is a fault of the seminary as much as it is the product of a religious culture that has dominated the church for decades.  Many of these professors that Tripp criticizes are just fostering a Christian culture they grew up in.  However, I do appreciate that Tripp calls seminaries out to reevaluate what they are doing.

Another weakness of the book is that is sometimes seems repetitive on certain key points.  The reader starts a new chapter reading a gut-wrenching story but then reads three points that sound a lot like what the author wrote two chapters ago.  However, I think that is just Tripp's way of reinforcing over and again that there are certain fundamentals that we as ministers need to preach to ourselves every day.

I personally wish I could give a copy of this book to every pastor and minister that I know and make them read and discuss it.  I wish that every young pastor and seminary student in his 20's would read this book very carefully as a warning and decide to implement the author's suggestions.  If so, maybe the landscape of the church 20 years from now would actually be much more gospel-centered because pastors are actually ministering from the gospel instead of just throwing it around like a buzzword.

Get this book if you have been called by God to lead in the church.  It will be painful.  It will be awkward.  But, it will be rewarding.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Crossway book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Straight from the Sidelines

Ever wonder what those NFL players are saying on the sidelines.  Now you know.

A Powerful Story...

If you've never heard the story of Steve Saint and Mincaye, the man who killed his father Nate Saint in Ecuador, you have missed a blessing.  It was the subject of the movie "End of the Spear" and another movie "Beyond the Gates of Splendor".  I had the awesome privilege of hearing Steve and Mincaye speak in person at John MacArthur's "Shepherd's Conference" in 2003.  Their story is a powerful testimony to the gospel, grace, forgiveness, redemption, and missions.

Last year, Steve Saint was injured in an accident as he was testing a "flying car" his company had developed to use in the jungles.  This video below is after his accident.  You will see the awesome love that the gospel has bridged between these two men and their families.

To see this specific video, go to the bottom where it says "playlist" and click and select the video that says "Nanicabo".

2012 Year in Review

Well, it's been a long time since I have posted on this blog. Most of the last 2 months have been spent working on either the growing ministry responsibilities or finishing up my Doctor of Ministry project proposal.  I hope to turn the proposal in to New Orleans Seminary in the next few weeks.

I wanted to at least put on a year end blog about 2012.  Overall, it was a very good year.  On the family front, Alison and I celebrated 15 years of marriage on November 1, 2012.  Time has flown by.  I am so blessed that my beautiful red-haired girl said "yes" to me.  15 years and 4 kids later, marriage is getting better every day.  This year has had financial struggles just like everyone else.  Alison has worked more this year and took a second job doing hospice care.  My sons Nathan and John David both played baseball in the Spring.  Nathan and Drew both played football in the fall.  So, most of our year was spent shuttling to practices and attending games.  We loved it though.

Our family did a lot of travelling this summer.  We attended the Southern Baptist Convention together in New Orleans in June.  We also went as a family on our church mission trip to Spartanburg, South Carolina.  We took a family vacation to Panama City Beach with my in-laws in July and had an awesome time.  In addition to these, Alison and I had two trips to celebrate our anniversary year.  In April, we took a cruise with our friends Bill and Ginger Young.  It was a first for all of us to be on a cruise.  We ate a lot and enjoyed the views from the boat.  We also shopped in Cozumel and got a massage on the beach.  In August, Alison and I went to Boston for 4 days to watch a couple of Red Sox games and tour the city.  We really enjoyed Boston even though the Red Sox were pitiful.

In the ministry world, we added two new staff members at SSBC.  James Hollis joined our staff in January as Minister of Youth and Discipleship.  Allen Tidmore joined the staff in June as Worship Pastor.  I am blessed to work with a young but talented staff.  We saw a lot of new people start coming to church in 2012.  We also lost several of our senior saints this year.  It was a tough year with a lot of funerals.

On a national level, we saw some incredible things in 2012.  One of the things that stood out was the rash of violence in places such as Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut.  Our country saw a contentious and historic election.  We saw a terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that killed our ambassador and rising tensions in many countries.  We saw a man skydive from 24 miles above the earth.  We saw Hurricane Sandy wreak havoc on New York and New Jersey.  The economy continued to affect many as prices keep going up and disposable income keeps going down.

One of my most reflective things to observe at year's end is the people who passed this year.  One of the most significant to me was Chuck Colson.  He influenced my christian walk in profound ways.  He was one of the most important voices for the church.
Some of the most notable stars that passed this year were Andy Griffith, Larry Hagman, Dick Clark, Whitney Houston, Michael Clarke Duncan, Sheman Hemsley (Mr. Jefferson), Ernest Borgnine, Richard Dawson, George Lindsey (Goober on Andy Griffith), Mike Wallace (60 Minutes), Jack Klugman, and Davy Jones (the Monkees).  Other notable people who died were General Norman Schwarzkopf, former Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, Mr. Food Art Ginsburg, politicians Arlin Specter, Daniel Inoye, and George McGovern, Steve Sabol of NFL Films, astronaut Neil Armstrong, writer Steven Covey, singer Barry Gibb, Rodney King, and singer Donna Summer.

Some great movies came out this year.  I loved the conclusion to the Batman series with "The Dark Knight Rises".  I also loved "The Avengers"!  Other good movies that came out were Les Miserables and The Hobbit.  I didn't see "The Hunger Games, but heard it was good.  Mercifully, the last Twilight movie finally came out.

I'm looking forward to 2013 being another good year.  I am hoping to finish my doctoral work this year.  Also praying for God to open up opportunities for gospel ministry for myself and my church this year.  I have lots of books to read.  I'm hoping my Bulldogs start the year right with a Gator Bowl win. I hope 2013 is a great year of growth for you with the Lord Jesus Christ.