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.

Freeing Our Idols

“What happens in the experience of gospel wakefulness is a satisfaction so complete that it fixes the center of our affections on God alone, in Christ alone, by his Spirit alone.  That is what worship is, after all: proclaiming worth, giving weight to something in the revolving of our affections around it.  When that center is anything but God, we are idolaters, and we end up abusing what we worship because it is not equipped or designed to receive our affections in that way.  But when the lights of the gospel flood our heart, we transfer our affections to God, finding all our fountains in him, and our idolatry dies as our idols are freed from the confines of our abuse.”

Jared Wilson, Gospel Wakefulness

Grace by Max Lucado - Book Review

Every time I read a Max Lucado book, I put it down and realize that I love God more than I did when I picked it up.  My first Max Lucado book was as a college student when I saw a copy of "Six Hours, One Friday" at New Life Bookstores in Columbus, MS.  It was probably one of the first books I ever read cover-to-cover.  It changed my spiritual life and started me on a journey to love reading great books.  I own and have read every one of Max's books since.

Grace - More than We Deserve, Greater than We Imagine may be the best book Max has written to date.  Lucado dives into the subject of grace with the reckless abandon and vivid color that only he can bring.  It's apparent on every chapter that the subject of grace has captured Max's heart.  This isn't surprising to anyone who has read his previous works.  He has extensively treated the subject of grace in every book he's written.  However, in this one, he takes it to another level.  Early on in the book, Max does a masterful job of describing "The God Who Stoops."  He shows how God doesn't bring us up to his level or badger us because we can't get to him in our own righteousness.  Instead, God stoops.  He shows how Jesus stooped in John 8 before giving the Pharisees some "shut-up" juice and showing a morally loose woman how good grace really is.

My favorite chapter was the one entitled "Wet Feet" where he talks about Jesus showing grace in the washing of the disciples feet.  I could almost feel the cool water against my own feet as I read it.  It was a wonderful reminder that my Lord has left and example for me to follow and that just as he washed each one of the feet of those who would let him down, I am called to wash the feet of those who let me down as well.  Grace isn't just a great gift that I receive, it is a privileged calling I am called to give as well.

If your soul is dry and needs to drink deeply of the living water, I would suggest you go buy this book. It's a spiritual oasis in the desert.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Multiply Disciples

David Platt and Francis Chan have released some new material for discipleship that appears to be really good.  It's an organic movement designed to give some material to regular people to study the word of God together and replicate discipleship.  Check out the website and some of the material.  I'm looking for some ways to plug this material in our context at SSBC.

What Is the Multiply Material? from Multiply on Vimeo.

Voddie Baucham's Personal Take on Abortion and Adoption

I have a deep respect for Voddie Baucham.  He is a man who has come out of some of the most extremely desperate circumstances in life.  He came to faith as a college student at Baylor.  Now, he is a bold defender of the gospel, skilled in apologetics, and a man who has become a voice for families and adoption.  This is an excellent video I found on the internet about him addressing several important topics.  If more supposed evangelicals thought like this man, our country would be much different.