Borrowing Brains: Sexual Purity for Young Adults

I’m preparing to minister to college students on the topic of sexual purity. If you were me, (a) what biblical principles would you prioritize (especially realizing that only so much can be said during a limited amount of time), and (b) what miscellaneous advice (in addition to full sermons) would you pass on to them—perhaps [...]

Resources for Cultivating Sexual Purity

Several months ago Joe Tyrpak and I made several posts here in a series we called “Help for Fighting Lust.” We’ve wanted to conclude that series—or at least advance it—by providing a bibliography of helpful resources that address the issue. Joe compiled the following list for a pastor’s fellowship in Northeast Ohio in March of [...]

Piper on the Necessity of Disputation

Last week I greatly enjoyed this message from John Piper on John 1:1-18. It’s about Christ’s incarnation, but it contains a compelling call to arms and an explanation about the necessity of contending for the faith—adding disputation to education and exaltation, to use his words. Beginning at about 23:30, Dr. Piper says:
“I could wish—oh how [...]

Too Funny: When Your Theology and Propriety Collide

I have biblical/theological reasons why I don’t believe in Transubstantiation or Paedobaptism. Based on the following video, I’ve added a few pragmatic ones, as well. Classic line from Ken Endean: “Ethical dilemma— what do you do when your theology and propriety collide?”

Ken, I’m thinking the priest made the wrong choice!! [...]

Huw Priday, Here Is Love Vast As the Ocean

Huw Priday does a masterful job on a hymn I have recently grown to adore. The infinite love of our God is amazing, and it’s seen perfectly and fully on the mount of crucifixion. Glory.

(HT: Dustan Chevalier, via Facebook)
Hymn Text (by William Reese):

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the [...]

Become a (blush) “Fan” of ChurchWorksMedia.com

Over the last month or so, some 412 people have joined the ChurchWorksMedia.com page at Facebook. That’s exciting! However, we’ve found that “group” pages lack the flexibility of “fan” pages. Though we’re not crazy about the terminology, the fan page will allow us to interact more like a FB “friend,” have our updates show up [...]

What I’m Reading: Rules for Radicals

On the advice of my friend Craig, I’ve picked up Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals. What a fascinating and frightening book! It’s interesting enough to me that I’m going to be making a series of posts here summarizing and critiquing (and if you’d like, discussing) each chapter. Thus, I’ll not get into many specifics in [...]

Borrowing Brains: Stationary Bike Tips?

This is by far the least important post I’ve made for quite some time. Sorry. However, I’ve been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture. I’ll be hobbling around in an aircast for a month or two, followed by some rehab. That means my current exercise options are limited:

I can’t run (which is sad).
I [...]

Presumptuous Praise

I love to sing with the Lord’s people.
I love to sing about the scene recorded in Revelation 7, when people “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” will lift their united song of praise to God and the Lamb. We sing of it often in Edward Perronet’s All Hail the Power of [...]

Missionary Motives, Tom Needham: “We always brought in the harvest.”

Tom Needham was a farmer in Iowa who is now a farmer of men in Cameroon. He’s an exemplary missionary whom we’ve been privileged to support. Responding to my query about what propelled him to the mission field, Tom reached back to his first occupation for a powerful illustration:
“We rejoice with you. How our [...]