This is the second part of my three-part interview with Todd Bolen, focusing on teaching and the Bible. My introduction and Part 1 are here. Again, my questions are in bold. What advice would you give to those considering teaching as a profession? Teach. First, you may not like teaching, or it may not like … More Interview with Todd Bolen, Part 2: Teaching and the Bible
For those of you who don’t know him, I’m very excited to introduce a good friend to you. For those of you who do know him, I’m very excited that you get to hear his heart and his insights and be blessed once again. This week I’ll be posting a three-part interview with Todd Bolen. … More Interview with Todd Bolen, Part 1: Teaching and the Bible
Guest Post by Derek Brown As we saw in the last post (Part 1), the path to wisdom is paved with the hard yet precious stones of reproof. Yet our ability to profitably accept rebuke and correction is not something we stir up by sheer will power, nor is it something that “just happens.” There … More A Tough Means of Grace: Profiting from the Rebukes of Others, Part 2 (Guest-Blog by Derek Brown)
Guest Post by Derek Brown Our ability to consistently and graciously receive correction, admonishment and rebuke from others is a quality essential to our making enduring progress in our spiritual lives. There are no two ways around this truth: either we will readily receive correction and enjoy the fruits of godly wisdom, or we will … More A Tough Means of Grace: Profiting from the Rebukes of Others, Part 1 (Guest-Blog by Derek Brown)
This week my good friend Derek Brown will be guest-blogging for me. We got to know each other during a summer missions trip to New Zealand in 2000 and have remained good friends ever since. Derek is married to Amy and currently attends Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville after serving as a middle school pastor for several … More Blogging and Accountability in the Local Church (Guest-Blog by Derek Brown)
Our Dean of Students has traditionally labeled this month “Mighty August” because of its slew of retreats, preparation, team-building, and training. Resident Director Retreat (just finished) is followed by Resident Assistant Retreat is followed by Servant Leadership Staff Retreat is followed by Week of Welcome. After so many retreats, we launch the actual semester and try to … More Mighty August
This is the manuscript of the sermon I preached tonight at Placerita Baptist Church as part of our SummerFest 2009 series on “Worldliness.” I promised that I would post it here for further consideration and discussion. I have edited a few things that are unnecessary for a blog-post, and some elements will be unique to … More A Heart-Driven Modesty: God and Clothing (Sermon Manuscript)
Puritan Thomas Watson said that gospel tears are one mark of a godly man. Here are his reasons why a godly man weeps. A godly man weeps because of his indwelling sin, his sinful nature which he knows is at enmity with God. A godly man weeps because his corruption clings to him, and he … More The Tears of the Godly
I’ve had several remarkable conversations recently. I made incredible points with decleating rhetoric complete with magnetic emotion. In each case my conversation partner was slow-witted and unimpressive, and more or less faded into the background. I was oratorically indestructible, surprising even myself with my penetrating words and impeccable argumentation. Propositions were concrete and immovable. Illustrations … More Imaginary Conversations
King Solomon summed up a vital life principle in Proverbs 14:15 — “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.” This is a critical contrast between the naive and the judicious. And it is laden with implications. We tend to laugh at gullibility, to see it as little more than a … More It’s Not That Simple
There is an undercurrent of religious discontent in my generation that is no longer an undercurrent. It is now, and has been for some time, a flood. People are disillusioned with Christianity, hyper-aware of the slighest whiffs of hypocrisy and externalism, clamoring for (a hundred different definitions of) authenticity, and generally frustrated with the church, organized … More Do It As the Church
In co-teaching an adult Sunday School class in Proverbs for the past year, I’ve come to realize that the Hebrew sages had a deep and nuanced psychology. I realize that over the last several decades, “psychology” has become a buzzword in conservative Christian circles and a ten-letter curse word throughout the biblical counseling movement. The rise of … More The Psychology of the Sages
As I prepare to speak at an upcoming church retreat on guy-girl relationships, I’ve been reminded of a helpful 13-part sermon series on this topic by Rick Holland from 1999 entitled “A Roadmap for Righteous Relationships.” Rick has pastored the Crossroads college ministry at Grace Community Church for more than a decade. He is a godly man … More A Roadmap for Righteous Relationships by Rick Holland
The school year is officially over and summer has begun. This means I’ve completed my first year as the Dean of Men. Remnants of the year continue to demand attention because sin, righteousness, and shepherding aren’t bound by semesters. Dean responsibilities are also different than my previous RD responsibilities because now I work through the summer. … More June Update
I’ve spent the last year adjusting to a leadership position where there are so many little things demanding attention and so many trivial topics clamoring for discussion that it’s frighteningly easy to neglect the things that matter most. I don’t yet know if most of life is like this. I anticipate that this temptation is present everywhere, … More The Things That Matter Most
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