Matt & Elizabeth Schmucker have written a collection of 39 Lessons, 20 Tips and 10 “Don’ts” For Parenting, which is included in this month’s 9Marks newsletter.

A sample:

Lessons

13. Pack in truth while your children are little and trust the Lord to unpack it in his time.
18. On some days, it’s just fine to accomplish nothing more than keeping your kids fed and safe.
21. There’s nothing wrong with boredom for your children. It causes them to be creative.
25. Kids can memorize scripture very quickly.
39. God elects. God saves. Parents cannot do this heart-changing work. At best we can pray and point to the One who can cause our children to be born again.

Tips

3. Talk to both good and not-so-good parents; you’ll learn lessons from both.
15. Martin Luther said he had the responsibility to be the worship leading pastor in his own home. His home was to be both a school and a church. Fathers, do you have this mindset?
17. Don Whitney encourages “brevity, regularity and flexibility” in family worship.

Read the rest

Matt Waymeyer links an article on dispensationalism:

For those of you dispensationalists out there who are wrestling with the question of the relationship between the church and the New Covenant, here is an excellent online resource. The article is “Dispensationalism, the Church, and the New Covenant” by R. Bruce Compton, and it was published in the fall of 2003 issue of Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal. Compton concludes that the church presently participates in the soteriological blessings of the New Covenant, but the covenant will be fulfilled in a future restoration of the ethnic nation of Israel at the second coming of Christ. Regardless of where you land on this issue, or whether or not you end up agreeing with Compton’s conclusions, you will find his discussion of the subject and his exegesis of the relevant passages to be very helpful. Definitely a must-read on this issue.

Read more.

Timmy Brister gives an update on Tom Ascol:

That was the report we received at the conclusion of this evening’s service when Tom Ascol (our senior pastor) returned from Alaska. When asked how he feels in relation to his health prior to the lightning strike, he responded that he feels 100%. We praise God for the way God has been answering the prayers of so many people.

(Earlier post, original post)

I was driving in this morning, listening to a CD that’s not primarily a “Christian” CD, but it had a Gospel song that I really enjoyed… The song is called “I’m Workin’ on a Road (To Glory Land).” The album is Tis Sweet To Be Remembered: The Essential Flatt & Scruggs. The track is disc 1, track 3, which you can “preview” with the button to the left on that link.

I’m Workin’ on a Road (To Glory Land)

(Chorus)
I’m workin’ on a road that leads to glory
I want to shake my Saviour’s hand
I’m building my hope on things eternal
I’m workin’ on a road to glory land

Each day I get so lonely while living here below
My Savior’s waiting patiently, I’m planning now to go
I want a firm foundation that’s built with God’s own hand
So now I’ve started building a road to glory land

Chorus

Oh listen to me sinners, don’t you want to go?
You know we have no promise of living here below
You know he suffered for our sins and died upon the cross
For all who did believe on Him, their soul will not be lost

Chorus

And when this world is finished, I want to travel on
I can hear the angels singing, up there around the throne
I want to see my mother, and take her by the hand
As soon as I have finished the road to glory land

Chorus

Three reasons I enjoy reading blogs about preaching:

1. I tremendously respect those who labor in the Word.

2. I myself teach, though not preach (but perhaps one day), and I find 98% of what they talk about is applicable to all teaching in the church.

3. That said, “teaching in the church” is not just a formal office. We do it when we fellowship with our friends and neighbors. We do it in our homes. We do anywhere 2 or 3 are gathered in His name.

So, when I read a post like Michael Quicke’s 10 leading questions for preachers, I ask myself, how can I apply this in my small group, when I meet with friends, in my family, etc.?

Here’s the short list, but see the full article for more detail:

10 Marks of Preaching All Teaching That Lacks Courage

1. Individualistic.
2. Aimed at head or heart but rarely at both.
3. Spineless theology.
4. Generic application.
5. Avoids conflict.
6. Low compliance.
7. Absence of process issues.
8. Solo role.
9. Cowardice.
10. Missionally defective.

(HT: Unashamed Workman)

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” is considered the most famous sermon ever preached in American history. Jonathan Edwards delivered this message on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Connecticut. Many who heard it trembled and cried out for mercy. Others fainted. Five hundred people were converted that day.

And now, you can download a free copy of this classic Jonathan Edwards sermon, recited by Max McLean,
here.

You can also read the text of the sermon, at the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

This year, I will be leading one of the Home Fellowship Groups at our church. Shannon and I are very blessed to have the opportunity to serve, teach, and shepherd our brothers and sisters this year.

To start things off, for your reflection and edificaiton, a “Wordle” of the entire book of Romans (ESV translation):

[RAW]

[/RAW]

(Click the image to see it full-size.)

Nothing terribly surprising there on Paul’s emphasis, now is there?

There are many good things that need to be done, and Warren’s church is doing many thing via his leadership and example. But there are demands on individuals and the church that don’t necessarily transfer to functions of the government. Individual and church duties don’t become government duties because we are banded together in society. The question about orphans overseas is one example. Individuals and the church should take care of “the least of these,” and the government should get out of the way and make sure it doesn’t create obstructions to the good that people should do.

Stand to Reason Blog: Saddleback Forum.

As parents, you must not become complacent when your children give only outward compliance to your directions. If you put up with a grumbling, complaining spirit as the price for your children following your directions, you open the door to lying to God. God desires obedience from the heart, not the outward form of ritual sacrifice. (Amos 5:21-23; Isaiah 29:13) So, the mindset that says, “At least he took the garbage out, even though he moaned and groaned about it,” totally misses the point of loving God. This child is not being shepherded. Rather he is being encouraged to believe that God will be satisfied with mere outward compliance to his commands.

The Shepherd Press Blog: Lying to God.

As long ago as the early 1970s, Dean Kelley showed in his book Why Conservative Churches Are Growing that congregations with a clear belief system were more likely to grow. Kelley’s work spoke of “strong” beliefs more than conservative doctrines and included “churches” that are hardly orthodox, but he did show that belief matters.

Thom Rainer’s works, including Effective Evangelistic Churches, later confirmed that finding. In fact, Rainer’s studies have shown that churches that grow by reaching non-believers have a theology that is best described as conservative and orthodox. The bottom line is this: theology really does matter if we want to grow biblical, healthy churches.

Read more