Marriage and Expectations (Family Life Today)

While driving this morning, I caught a few minutes of the radio broadcast of Family Life Today.  On the show, they were discussing the fact that we bring certain expectations into our marriages - often unrealistic expectations - which can make for frequent disappointment in our marriages.  I think that they are on to something.  You can click here to go to today's broadcast, where you can also find links to the other broadcasts from this week - all on the topic of expectations.

Be a Dad Your Kids Want to be Around (Steve Wright/Lasting Divergence Blog)

I've really enjoyed learning from and about Steve Wright over the last several months.  Two other guys and I drove to Raleigh, NC recently for the conference that he and his church put on.  Steve wants to equip parents to parent their children in such a way that they teach their children to live as disciples of Jesus.  Today, he added this helpful post for dads to his blog.

Pleasing God or Man?

This morning I was reading Galatians chapter one, where I read this, in verse 10: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Typically, when I think about deciding whether I will please God or man, I think about my actions - whether I will do things that please people (and I struggle with my tendency to be a "people pleaser") or God.  But I noticed that the context in which Paul brings this up is not our actions, but our words - specifically our preaching of the Gospel. 

This got me thinking about how we preach the Gospel.  It seems that in Paul's day, there were people who preached what amounted to a different gospel than the one that Paul (and the other apostles) preached.  And Paul suggests that at least part of the reason they did this was that such other gospels (not capitalized on purpose) were more pleasing to the people who listened to the preaching.  

Now, I am all for not offending people any more than we have to.  But we must not go too far in trying to make sure that our "preaching" (what I do on Sundays or what we all ought to do all week) pleases people.  I fear that some churches and some preachers have tried so hard, with good intentions, to see people gladly receive the Gospel, that they have left out some of the parts that make it less pleasing.  Have they begun to preach "another gospel"?

Whatever words we use to explain the Gospel, when we mention the concepts of sin, God's wrath, judgment, repentance, submission, self-denial, etc., many people will not be pleased.  But God will.  And when we please God by preaching the true, sometimes offensive Gospel, we prove to be genuine servants of Christ.

D.A. Carson's Poem on the Incarnation

D.A. Carson is one of the foremost Biblical scholars in the world.  He teaches at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has written dozens of books, many of which were required reading at my seminary.  His recent message on the incarnation given at a conference for young adults included a poem that he wrote.  I'll give you the first stanza, along with a link to the entire poem.

The Prologue

Before there was a universe,

     Before a star or planet,

When time had still not yet begun --

     I scarcely understand it --

Th' eternal Word was with his God,

     God's very Self-Expression;

Th' eternal Word was God himself --

     And God had planned redemption.

Read the whole thing at Justin Taylor's Blog.

Turn the other cheek...

This week I am studying to preach on Matthew 5:38-42.  As I work on preaching through Matthew, I have been enjoying the new commentary on Matthew by David L. Turner (who happens to be my supervising professor for the ThM program at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary).  Here is what he says near the end of his comments on this section:

“One may never need to literally turn the other cheek, give up one’s coat, or go the extra mile, but one must be willing to selflessly suffer personal loss with faith that the loving heavenly Father will meet one’s needs and deal with the injustice in his own time" (p.175).

Other Blogs Will Show Up Here

I use Google Reader to follow a number of blogs for my own interest and edification.  From time to time, in this new blog, I will try to point any readers to some of the more helpful posts that I read.  (I also recommend Google Reader as an easy way to keep up with several blogs.)

A New Blog for a New Church

As our church, Walnut Creek Community Church, prepares to join with Vienna Baptist Church to form one new church - Cross Point Bible Fellowship - I'm starting a blog in a new space that I hope will be more suitable than my previous one on xanga.com.