HARMLESS THOUGHTS

I just finished reading another book on my summer reading list. This one was called, What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert. I heard about this book on several different blogs, had heard such good things about it that I mentally added it to my list. When an opportunity to purchase a few books came up, this one made it on that list. This book falls right in line with my renewed love of the gospel message. Most of what I have been reading lately has lined up with that, whether I have done that purposely or not. Greg Gilbert, does a great job of lying out the elements of the gospel message, while helping his readers do the same thing. This book is about the message of the Cross of Christ and it would be a great book to buy in bulk and hand out to people who are interested in hearing about that message. I have learned not to write long drawn out posts on this blog, but I do want to share at least one quote from the book. The one I chose isn't a quote that is in any way a summ...

Here is a great post that I just read regarding the Twilight Saga. Tim Challies linked to it , describing it this way, "Mary Kassian interacts with the first two Twilight movies, suggesting what it is about them that has drawn in so many girls (and women)." In the article, Mary Kassian also gives 7 Danger Signs of a bad relationship and shows these signs in the storyline Edward and Bella's relationship. If you click through to read the article, try to pick out your favorite of the danger signs. My personal favorite is "neediness and obsession". After she points out these two signs in Bella, she also mentions how Edward shows these signs. She then says, "Edward is also needy. He stalks Bella and watches her continually. He even sneaks into her room and watches her while she sleeps. He shows up in her head in visions and speaks to her. (In my opinion, it’s downright creepy.)" I agree, downright creepy. Anyway, click on through and read this a...

Every once in a while, you will hear something and thing, "Wow. That is so true." That is what happened in this video. I need to go get my boys off of their video game. [HT: Challies.com ]

Just read a great article at Randy Alcorn's blog.  The article is titled, Nourishment for the Soul, and you can read it by clicking here.  The article has to do with suffering and the goodness of God.  If you have a few moments you should click through to read it.  In it he mentions the sufferings of Joni Eareckson Tada, Sono Harris, and himself. There is also a Spurgeon quote that I found to be less difficult to read than it used to be. “It would be a very sharp and trying experience to me to think that I have an affliction which God never sent me, that the bitter cup was never filled by his hand, that my trials were never measured out by him, nor sent to me by his arrangement of their weight and quantity.” Seeing that we have done so much talking about suffering at church lately, I knew that I needed to post this quote.

Every week... well, almost every week... I try to send out an e-mail update to the members of Edgewood that have signed up to be a part of the list.  I would like to share this week's update with you. I have seen God's hand of providence as He steered us towards the Book of James.  Many at Edgewood have been enduring trials these last few weeks and that is the exact topic that James begins with.  The original recipients of that letter were also enduring trials.  But, as we learned last week from verse 12, enduring in our faith holds great promise for today, tomorrow, and for eternity! In 1967 Joni Eareckson Tada was in a diving accident that left her as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair.  You may have heard her on the radio, as the host of her own show, which I believe is called Joni and Friends.  If you didn't know, she is also a singer, an artist, an author, and an advocate for disabled persons.  (Go to  http://www. joniearecksontadastory.c...

Last night there was a lightning storm passing just south of us.  I didn't realize it was going on until I looked outside because there wasn't any thunder.  As soon as I saw it, I grabbed the boys and took them outside.  We marveled together at this minuscule display of God's infinite power.  Just another example of how God has given us his creation to enjoy Him! The video quality isn't good, but the lightning is amazing. Keep in mind that the lightning had already been going on for quite some time before the segment and it continued on for quite some time after I quit recording. I told my boys that I had never seen an ongoing series of lightning like this before.  They, of course, said the same thing.  :)

Because we've been going through the Book of James at church, that means we have been studying trials, tribulations, and suffering.  The relevance of this topic has increased since the beginning of our study, which I believe shows the providence of God in His direction to start studying James. Though the topic of suffering has been tackled by many great men, I believe that the reality of the dilemma of suffering might best be understood through the eyes of Charlie Brown at the hand of the great theologian Charles Schulz. Comic can be found at comics.com/peanuts/1967-09-17/ In the midst of suffering we can feel a little bit like good ol' Chuck can't we?  From the cry to heaven at the beginning to the looking both ways at the same time feeling in the next to last cell.  The truth is, our theology is important to our suffering.  Whether you are in the middle of a trial or you are in that lull between trials, seek ways to build your faith today.  You don't ne...

I just completed the book Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. When I was considering books for my summer's reading, I tried to pick books using two basic criteria.  One, I wanted to pick books that I had heard (trusted) people talking about, and two, I wanted to pick books that focus on the gospel.  This book almost defines those two criteria. To be absolutely honest, when I write about a book on this blog, one of my goals is to keep a record of books that I have read since I started this blog.  I haven't done a very good job of that, there have been quite a few books that never made it to the blog.  The other reason why I make a point of mentioning books on this blog is to promote the book.  When I read a book that I believe has a message that is worth hearing, I try to talk about it in such a way to get you to buy it and read it.  As evidence of its quality, I want to include that I started it last Friday, I believe, and finished it today...

Keep at it! Don't stop! Keep going! Stay strong in your faith! Persevere! Remaining steadfast in your faith is the call of James 1:12.  His reason to remain steadfast, given in the second half of this verse, will be reassuring and encouraging for some but alarming for others.  You see, perseverance holds promise, not only for today and tomorrow, but also for eternity!  So, keep at it. Right click here and choose save to listen to this sermon.  (You can find the entire series on James by clicking here .)

Here is a great little clip of Pastor Mark Driscoll discussing the realities of Church Family. I would like to encourage you to watch it, especially if you have had some difficulties getting and/or feeling involved in the church that you attend. [HT: Josh Harris ] P.S. If you are looking for a Church Family, and you live in or near Danville, IL, I have a great little Church Family that you might be interested in. Contact me if you live close.

Here is our little sphynx kitten in action... I wanted to get a little clip of her so that all of you who are not accustomed to these little guys might get a better idea of what they look like.

As a kid, this was my favorite book in the series... Either this one or the Magician's Nephew... Anyway, here is the movie. I am looking forward to seeing it, but I don't know how they will be able to do the book justice. Why don't you read the book first...

I love the first 10 seconds of this video!

Next Friday (hopefully) I am going to start a Point Man group.  I was part of a Point Man group in the past, but it failed miserably.  The idea was good, but the participants weren't as genuine and transparent as necessary... including myself.  Since that time, more than 6 years ago, I have wanted to be a part of one again, but things weren't pointing that direction, so the desire and the idea remained on the back burner.  Now that I am a pastor, and feeling very much like a missionary to Danville, the Point Man concept has moved back up to the front. I casually mentioned the idea to a guy that I know, hoping that I might work it into an offer to start one with me.  I showed him the book, Point Man by Steve Farrar, and before I even got to the idea, he asked me, "hey, do you think I could buy one of these right now?"  We hopped on the computer, steered towards Amazon.com and he made the purchase. Like I said, I am hoping to have the first get-together n...

I am almost finished with the book The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. I had heard of this book through several different sources: I had seen it mentioned on blogs, talked to people who had read it, seen it mentioned on Christian websites and magazines and had a few friends who kept recommending it. So, when I had an opportunity to purchase a few books, this one had to make it on the list. I started reading it yesterday morning, and I am almost done.  I am in the last chapter right now, and only paused to give it a mention on the ol' blog.  I don't want to mention too much from the book, because I want you to purchase it and read it!  But... I will give you at least one quote, but before I do, let me give you a little intro, so that the quote might make sense. Timothy Keller is writing about the gospel and is using the parable of (what we commonly call) the prodigal son as the conveyor of the gospel message.  Much of the book is dealing with the two lost son...

What is the Gospel? from Southern Seminary on Vimeo . [HT: Justin Taylor ]

Just posted the next in the series on the Book of James.  This week's title, Living Faith: with transitory wealth .

I am not sure on the spelling of the name, but here are a few pictures of the new kitten. Sitting on Sam's lap. A little hungry. Getting tucked in for a nap. All snuggled in.

The gospel is so foolish (according to my natural wisdom) , so scandalous (according to my conscience) , and so incredible (according to my timid heart) , that it is a daily battle to believe the full scope of it as I should. There is simply no other way to compete with the forebodings of my conscience, the condemnings of my heart, and the lies of the world and the Devil than to overwhelm such things with daily rehearsings of the gospel. Quote by Milton Vincent in A Gospel Primer .

From a NY Times Article: This is your brain on computers. Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored. How true is that?!? Read the rest of the article by clicking here . Thanks to Challies for pointing me that way.

differences we have like scalpel, bandage and balm in a surgeon's hands

marriage came, I see of quality is her voice in word and in song

the first qualities seen by me, noticed in her: quality itself!

My wife and I are getting ready to have a weekend to remember. Ok.  Now that I lost 50% of my readers... What I am talking about is the Family Life Weekend to Remember . I have had several different people trying to talk me into going on one of these for quite awhile, and I finally gave in!   I have heard great things about this conference, and in an age when marriage is being attacked on all fronts, something that supports marriage is a good thing.  I will let you know what I think about it when I get back.

Last Sunday I preached on Wisdom.  It was fun. That might sound weird, but I just had a good time preaching on this topic from the Epistle of James.  God brought some challenges into my life this week to help me learn, and those experiences flowed into this message.  I would go into more detail, but I don't want to spoil it! Give this message a listen and let me know what you think. Right click here to download .

Please go visit Justin Taylor's blog .  He just posted the audio from the NEXT Conference 2010 . As a pastor, who sidelines as a full-time high school math teacher, the posting of this audio is a major blessing to me.  I don't have the time or the funds to go to a conference like this one, but I always wish I could because I know that the speaking is going to be worth while!  Here is a list of the speakers and their topics: Joshua Harris, What Are You Built On? Mark Dever, The Doctrine of Christ’s Work Accomplished and Applied Kevin DeYoung, Scripture C.J. Mahaney, Sanctification D.A. Carson, God Kevin DeYoung, The Church Jeff Purswell, The End Times Go visit his blog for the links to each of the audio files.

Visualizing the BP Oil Spill Disaster From IfItWasMyHome.com , a website to help you visualize the size of the oil spill by comparing it to your hometown.  When I loaded the website, I wasn't shocked at the size, because I have been following the story in the news, but I still don't think that I can wrap my mind around the immensity of the oil in the ocean.  I guess this is what should be called a "man made disaster." click to go to the site [HT: Free Tech 4 Teachers ]

I am a big fan of Christian Audio .  Their books that I have downloaded and listened to are very well done.  Their readers, whether it is the author of the book or one of their readers, are always enjoyable to listen to, and the books that are offered are always worth the time. Each month they offer a f ree audio book .  This month's free book is Forgotten God by Francis Chan .  I have been wanting to read this book for quite some time, and now I have the chance to do it for free! The great thing about audio books is that if you are busy, like me, then those times in the car traveling to and from work suddenly become a little more mentally productive.   Especially if you have a passion for reading, but the main barrier is the spare time to do the reading that you want to do. Anyway, I have heard great things about this book and I am looking forward to reading it.  I will let you know what I think. OR... you could go there and download it for free , ...

I am definitely not the first to say it, but reading is important.  And I mean good, deep reading. I have been pondering ways to promote this concept with my family, my church members, my friends, acquaintances, and possibly even with complete strangers.  I haven't come up with anything substantial yet, but the thought keeps moving closer and closer to the front of my mind.  I feel the need to do something, but I am just not sure what that something is going to be. In the meantime, just to prove that I am not alone, here is a C.H. Spurgeon quote on reading: We will look at Paul’s books. We do not know what the books were about, and we can only form some guess as to what the parchments were. Paul had a few books which were left, perhaps wrapped up in the cloak, and Timothy was to be careful to bring them. Even an apostle must read. Some of our very ultra-Calvinistic brethren think that a minister who reads books and studies his sermon must be a very deplorable speci...

Quote from Billy Sunday: I'm against sin. I'll kick it as long as I've got a foot, and I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt it as long as I've got a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fistless and footless and tootheless, I'll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition! That is an awesome quote! Anyone who has seen the destructiveness of sin in their own life and has then picked up the battle against that sin can feel that quote! [HT: Challies.com ]