Piper on the Being Saved and the Gospel

Thanks to Ken Fields at The World From Our Window for pointing me to this Piper Video: What Does it mean to get saved (1:48). There is also a little longer (6:00) video below it that has Piper on the Gospel. I highly recommend reading Piper’s book God is the Gospel as it does a great job, in my opinion, of giving a biblical view of the Gospel which is so muddied by many who claim to preach it today.

What does it mean to get saved ?



Here is the longer presentation of the “The Gospel” by Piper

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 9 – The Coming Revival: Is the Church Ready for Family Driven Faith?

Chapter 9 of Family Driven Faith is where Voddie begins to speak more on how this all comes together and reveals the struggles that taking a biblical stance on family and church can bring. He reiterates that the goal is not simply doing a few things different or even really adopting a new model of church but it is instead “a complete lifestyle and worldview overhaul.” So it is not enough to simply look at basic structures and programs and run off and change things but it takes truly seeing this as the biblical way church life is to function and taking that conviction and allowing it to be a way of life and not just a way of church.

One of the things that has struck me more lately as a family that homeschools is how many “Christian” families simply school at home rather than homeschool. By this I mean they simply see homeschooling as a way to a better education but if we see homeschooling biblically and tie it into the idea of family driven faith we should see the priority of homeschooling to be to help our children grow spiritually first and foremost with other aspects coming from this spiritual growth. This is not an easy thing to do and Voddie shares how the criticism is not simply from the unbelieving world but he shares how the church itself is often the harshest critic of those that see God’s call to family as being not only important but biblical.

Voddie than shares his struggles with finding a church that would fit the biblical model he saw it was supposed to fill. This comes from seeing church in a different light than today’s culture has changed it into. Having come to the same conclusions I can say I fully understand the dilemma he faced. In our case we have started a church but for some this may not be possible. Thus, the encouragement is that if God has called us to function a certain way as a church God will provide the means to do so. This does not mean it will be easy and that we will not have struggles but we are called to be faithfull and not necessarily to comfort.

Voddie then gives some of the flaws in the Contemporary model of church and does so in a way not so much to criticize but to awaken people to the issues at hand. As we get immersed in our culture we begin to assume certain norms and it takes a call, such as Voddie’s, to awaken us from slumber to see the problems around us. Having been a Youth Leader myself I can fully agree with what he says about the problems with current youth ministry and how whether on purpose or not it is designed to allow parents to not do the job they are called to do by God, disciple their children.

He also gives three problems he sees with the current approach ot church: 1) there is no clear biblical mandate for the current approach. 2) the current approach may actually work against the biblical model and 3) the current approach isn’t working. On each of these he does a good job explaining what the issue is so that it should be easier for someone to spot the issue when it is before them.

Voddie then speaks on the common objections to what he has to say. I too have heard these same objections and Voddie’s answers are well worth taking note of because if you move in this direction you too will be faced with such questions. These common objections are: 1) We need youth ministry for parents who don’t disciple their children 2) We need youth ministry for kids who don’t have Christian parents. 3) Why not let your children be leaders in the youth group and disciple other kids? and 4) What about youth evangelism?

Voddie ends this chapter with a short section on the Emerging/Emergent Church and while the information is only the basics it will give you an idea of the issues at hand. However I would encourage you to do more reading on this since as with most things there are varying degrees with which theses churches function and it is not as easy to understand as one might like. What I would add to this is that the modern church youth culture, in my opinion was the seedbed for the Emerging/Emergent Church. The focus on entertainment and personal gratification has fostered a biblically illiterate generation that is disgruntled with where the church is but ill equipped to change it, biblically. In the end this is not so much to blame youth leaders as much as it is to say that church leadership has failed to raise children that are equipped to see error when faced with it as the Emerging/Emergent Church all too often places does. Voddie’s goal is to show that the Emerging/Emergent Church in many ways is trying to deal with many of the same issues the modern church has created but they are heading down a road that does not have scripture as it’s guide since they do not see it as authoritative in the way God intends it to be authoritative.

This is was one of the chapters that really begins to help one see how the rubber meets the road. Voddie does not sugar coat the fact that Family Driven Faith is not an easy road to go down and that there will often be resistance and unfortunately it will be from within the church walls.

Next, Chapter 10 – A Radical Departure From the Norm

Around the Web and the Blogosphere – 7/18/07

You can download a new song for free from Sovereign Grace Ministries entitled: All I Really Need. You can also hear clips from this new album by the Father and Son duo of Mark and Stephen Altrogge.

There is a review by Colin Adams at Discerning Reader of Voddie Baucham’s new book Family Driven Faith. There is also an interview with Voddie on their site.

Also at Discerning Reader is a review of Graeme Goldsworthy’s book According to Plan which is a book I highly recommend. If you are new to the area Biblical Theology then this is a great place to start. Biblical Theology, as Goldsworthy presents it, is essentially finding Christ in all the Scriptures.

Scott at These are the Generations of….. linked to a Pastor who really said what he feels about children, Children in Church. This pastors feelings go much deeper than just “children in church” as it is more amazing all the time how far churches feel they must go to so called “reach” the world. I guess if people come in the door it does not matter how you get them there and how you keep them. Pragmatism reigns supreme in the church today.

On Voddie Baucham’s blog he has a good article: Please Stop Sending Money? The article should make us think about how we are to aid countries that are in distress. Unfortunately just as we do with education in the US we as Americans simply think that every problme can be solved by throwing money at it.

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 8 - Enjoy the Gifts Without Forgetting the Giver

Many Christians live and work in this world, as if their Christianity was a low priority in life, and this world and its pleasures were all important; when indeed the things of this world are fleeting and Christianity is the one thing we need most.

John Bunyan

Voddie begins with the call by Moses in Deuteronomy 6:12 as they have been brought from slavery into the new land that they were not to forget God. The call to a family driven ministry is also a call to see things differently. As believers we are called to be in the world but not of it. However all too often believers take to one extreme or the other, total separation or total assimilation. The answer to this dilemma is to make sure that we do not get so enthralled by the gifts and blessing we receive that we neglect the giver of those gifts. That families do not fall by the wayside as a result of being enamored by worldly success.
This idea of focus on the gifts and not the giver is not the bane of the rich as it can even happen in meager surroundings as we begin to see our success in parenting as “our” success and not God’s. Often we think that if we just give our family more than we had things will be great so we give so much to our children as Voddie says:

“….our children are screaming at us from beneath the piles of untouched toys and unworn clothes begging for a few minutes of our time. Time we simply don’t have because we are too busy trying to find that one thing we can add to the pile that will make the screaming stop.”

Before we think that this issue of not spending time with family is the sole issue of the world ask how often have we have seen families, make sure we include ours, sacrificed in the name of spending time doing God’s work. Also, keep in mind I have heard the opposite reasoning used so as to justify not being involved in the local church in an integral way. Voddie gives four excuses often used to justify this behavior of a lack of family time: Other Families Suffer Worse Than Ours, My Kids Want to be Like Me, The Benefits Outweigh the Costs and Momma will fix it. In all of these reasons I think if we are honest with ourselves before God we should be convicted as in some way we all fall into these traps

The last reason is one that I think most men fall into and this is that our wives will take care of the family while we take care of the “bacon.” Well the problem is that while our wives are an integral part of raising our families we are responsible not only for the outcome but the path to that outcome.

Voddie gives a look at the path to “A Better Way” which starts with deciding what is important from a Biblical perspective. The guidelines he gives in this area are: God is Not Opposed to Prosperity, Prosperity Vs. Idolatry, Prosper as God Allows, Prioritize Family, Being a Wife and Mother Is an Honorable Calling, You Can’t Have it All….and You Don’t Need It All and Lastly A Life Invested is Never Wasted. We need to take heed of these guidelines as if we, with the best intentions, attempt to have a Family Driven Faith it will all be for nought if we do not do things as god calls for them to be done in His word.
This was one of those chapters that should not make any of us comfortable. However, it is this lack of comfort that can get us to move in the direction we need to move. We should come away from this section asking if we are not only spending adequate time with our families but are we spending God driven time. I think it is a misnomer that our children and families need quality time over a quantity of time. The truth is they need a good quantity of quality time and that time needs to be biblically directed.

Next, Chapter 9 – The Coming Revival: Is the Church Ready for Family Driven Faith?

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 7 – Mark the Home as God’s Territory

Can we honestly say our homes would be remembered as a place of worship? This is not just a matter of what it looks like but it is that and so much more. Voddie begins by speaking about his mother and her Buddhism and how the trappings of what his mother had in the house have left a lasting impression. His point is that our Christianity in the home should leave just as vivid an impression. He gives some particle advice in touching on how to involve the senses: Engaging the Eyes, Engaging the Sense of Hearing, Engaging the Sense of Taste and Smell, Engaging the Sense of Touch. Thus this chapter touches on an area, if you are like me until recently, you have not contemplated much, that of Family Worship or Family Altar.

Voddie then goes on to relate how “Family Altar”, probably a foreign word to most as it originally was to me, is a place to tie in all of the sensory aspects he has mentioned. Voddie relates a quote by Arthur Pink (1886-1952) from an article of his on Family Worship that probably sounds quite extreme to most:

It is not enough that we pray as private individuals in our closets; we are required to honor God in our families as well. At least twice each day, in the morning and in the evening the whole household should be
gathered together to bow before the Lord parents and children, master and servant to confess their sins, to give thanks for God’s mercies, to seek His help and blessing. Nothing must be allowed to interfere with this duty: all other domestic arrangements are to bend to it. The head of the house is the one to lead the devotions, but if he be absent, or seriously ill, or an unbeliever, then the wife would take his place. Under no circumstances should family worship be omitted. If we would enjoy the blessing of God upon our family, then let its members gather together daily for praise and prayer. “Them that honour Me I will honour” is His promise.

Now for most of us this would seem rather strong and we might even say this may be going too far. But, how many of us have put the same commitment called for here into other things such as sports or other activities that come no where as close to reaping the spiritual benefits Family Worship does?

Voddie does not leave the reader just knowing they need to have Family worship as he then gives some practice advice starting with: Where to Begin? (7 Steps). These seven steps are more than simply a checklist but go deeper so that the groundwork that is laid is fruitful. These steps are: Family Worship (FW) must be born of conviction, FW begins with the Head of the Household, FW must be Scheduled, FW must be Simple, FW must be Natural, FW must be mandatory, and FW must be participatory.

Voddie then moves on to the difference Family Worship will make by listing some blessing that we will observe: FW honors God, FW will draw your family closer to God, FW will draw your family closer to one another, FW will lay a foundation for Multigenerational faithfulness, FW will expose spiritual weakness in your home, FW will serve as a training ground for smaller children, and FW will make corporate worship more meaningful.

I hope as you read this book that you see that the benefits are not simply for the here and now, as they undoubtedly will be, but will greatly benefit future generations. I always remember Judges 2:10:

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.

This verse speaks of a generation that knew little if anything of God. Not only did they not know of all He had done for their parents but they simply did not know God. If we neglect to raise our children in the “fear and admonition of the Lord” they too will grow up very much the same. I truly believe the issues we see today in the church are a result of this very thing. We need to take notice and mend our ways and return to the plan God has for our families and not simply live off of the advise others give.

Next, Chapter 8 - Enjoy the Gifts Without Forgetting the Giver

Around the Web and the Blogosphere (7/11)

Pope Benedict XVI has some interesting comments with regards to who the true church is. Reformed Baptist Fellowship has a post on this; “Outside the church and there is no salvation” as well as a link to as article on yahoo: Pope: Other Christians not true churches. Looking at a number of blogs today this topic is on many of them. Personally I think it is good that the Pope is espousing what the Catholic church truly believes as for two long what has been said publicly often does not match the various councils decrees. At least now there is a basis for conversation and that basis is in knowing where both sides stand.


Christianity Today has an article: Gospel Riches that reveals how the property gospel has each Africa. I would have to say that anyone that has glanced at TBN should have seen this coming. Here is a quote from the article:

"[The prosperity gospel] is the most sweeping movement within the continent of Africa," says Dolan. "The African people at large in the church have bought into it hook, line, and sinker. It offers tremendous promise to an economically deprived people."



Over at Matt Bullen’s blog there is some good reading from J.C.Ryle: The duties of Christian Parents, Part1, Part 2, Part 3


As a reminder there are two Family Integrated Church conferences coming in October. The first is in Phoenix, AZ by The National Center for Family Intergraded Churches and is the “Uniting Church and Family” conference on October 12-13. The other is the First Annual FIC Conference at Grace Family Baptist Church in Houston, TX on October 26-27

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 6 – Live the Word at Home

In this chapter of Family Driven Faith Voddie delves into what for some may be a convicting topic, our call as Christians to be the one that trains our children. The chapter begins by telling us that “multigenerational faithfulness is an all-day, everyday process.” While much of this deduction comes from Deut 6 Voddie does a good job of tying this concept to the NT so as to quell those that may balk at holding to commands from the OT.

To accomplish this Voddie looks at Eph 6:1-4 , in the section entitled: Paul: A New Take on an Old Truth. For those that have heard Voddie speak on this passage before he does a god job of explaining this passage so that we do see a biblical call to train up our children and that it is not the call of others to be in charge of this training. Voddie explains from this passage three phases of training our children: Discipline & Training Phase, Catechism Phase, and the Discipleship Phase. What we need to see from this is that if you are like me you have failed to start where we should have started and in many ways suffer the consequences now. The hope comes in that it truly is never too late, it may be harder to accomplish but it is not too late. In this chapter he also touches on how easily we as Christians have turned over our understanding of child rearing to psychological “professionals” and all too often do not identify when it is contrary to scripture. In doing this he gives the example of a Christian psychologist that he would agree with on most things but in one area the person strays from scriptural commands.

In Phase 1, Discipline and Training, the goal is to foster obedience in our children. One point that is made is that the goal is not necessarily just doing what we say, which is important, but that children need to do what they are told when they are told and with a respectful attitude. How many of as parents are simply happy to see our children do what they are told? However we learn later that without training up immediate obedience and obedience with a right attitude the child will have issues in the future.

In Phase 2, Catechism Phase, the goal is to give the child not only the right information but also the right reasons and background for that information. Voddie admits that the title “Catechism” may throw people off but the truth is the way the catechisms of old were set up is very helpful in this area of training. While it is not a command of scripture to use catechisms the command it so train correctly and catechisms are a very good tool for this.

In Phase 3, Discipling Phase, the goal is to build on what has already been done so that it becomes obvious that if we, as I am guilty of, have not previously done the first two phases we have a lot of work on our hands but again it is not hopeless. It is also in this section that Voddie touches on the whole topic of education and how we as Christian parents have abdicated our role as the one primarily responsible for the discipleship phase of our child’s training. In this section on Phase 3 the subtitles of the sections deal with various aspects of the education of our children and they are: Importance of Discipleship, Education: The forgotten Key to Discipleship, Education and the knowledge of God, Education and the Great Commission, Education and Worldview Development, Education and Morality, lastly Education and Accountability.

Of all the chapters so far this is one that starts to tie things all together and at the same time may be the most convicting as if you are like me you begin to see how you may have been relying on everything but scripture for rearing your children. This is not to say as believers we do not believe scripture it simply reflects how often as Christians we have a disconnect between our beliefs and our actions, between orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Some may balk at Voddie’s take on public schools and the education of our children but I do think he deals with these objections well and if we are honest we have to admit that sending our children off to public schools is not a wise endeavor.

Next, Chapter 7 – Mark the Home as God’s Territory

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 5 – Teach the Word at Home

Family Driven Faith now begins to move towards how we affect our families faith and that begins with teaching the Word at Home. If any of you have heard Voddie speak before you know he is passionate about how easily Christians, I would add especially in the west, have abdicated their responsibility of raising their children. This is not just in the area of academics but even in the area of teaching concerning spiritual matters. We have gained a mentality that says only trained professionals should be about the business of training. This is not saying we do not learn anything from those God has gifted as teachers as obviously we do and as Voddie says he would not write this book if one was not to be taught by anyone but their parents. What he is getting at is that parents are “ultimately responsible and accountable” for the training of their children.

We can send them off to youth group and children’s church 7 days a week and at the end of the day we are responsible even if we are not involved. While not much is said of history in this chapter it is interesting that it is only a relatively new phenomenon to have youth leaders and children’s ministers who are somehow viewed as more equipped to deal with the issues that parents are called by God to deal with. But before I digress I better get back to the book.

The chapter keeps coming back to drive home the point that we as parents were not given children, yes God has given us the children we have, without equipping us to teach them and this does not mean having others do so for us. Scripture does not speak anywhere of having others train our children but speaks of it as our responsibility and a look at the landscape says we have lost sight of this. In tying together his previous chapter that dealt with having/teaching a biblical worldview Voddie says:

If giving our children a biblical worldview is the why of family driven faith, giving them biblical instruction is the what. Our worldview shapes the way we think, but learning and memorizing the Scriptures determine what we think.

In a section entitled, Home Training Basics Voddie deals with “Reading the Bible” and Q & A.” Under the section on Reading the Bible he allows scripture to speak first as to the importance of reading the Word to our families as first the “Bible is our source of wisdom” (Psalm 37:30-31), then the “Bible is our source of righteousness” (Psalm 119:11) and then the “Bible is our source of Hope” (Romans 15:4). He then gives other reasons for the reading of God’s word to our families as important, such as: It is the “very Word of God” (2 Tim 3:16), It is “God’s Primary tool in preparing us for a life of godliness and service” (2 Tim 3:17 and 2 Peter 1:3), it is “ an agent by which God conforms us to the very image of Christ” (1 Peter 1:4), and lastly “the Bible is a change agent” (Hebrews 4:12). In this section Voddie also deals with raising children that ask questions and then gives some good advice on how to answer and how to lead our children to get answers.

In this chapter Voddie also deals with the subject of books and what part they play in the life of raising children as while the Bible is to be our primary source we can use others writings to show how God has worked throughout history and in others lives. This is one place that may be hard for some in today’s age of microwave satisfaction as reading takes time and often patience but the benefits are great.

Voddie ends the chapter by reminding the reader that “Home training Takes Commitment, Time and Effort.” This is not a process that has a magic potion or as he puts it:

“There is no magic bullet when it comes to raising godly children. There is, however, a detailed road map. The Bible gives us everything we need in order to get the job done right.”

This is a chapter that not only starts to put things into practical use but it is probably the chapter where toes start to get stepped on as the actions Voddie is proposing are very contrary ot our culture and going against culture is often very difficult. The greatest reason this can be difficult is that we have all too often assimilated the culture into our biblical worldview and thus it becomes hard to differentiate between a biblical mandate and a cultural norm.

Next, Chapter 6 – Live the Word at Home

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 4 – Give Him Your Heart

Chapter 4 of Family Driven Faith moves on to the issue of giving our heart to God and in this the idea is not simply giving our emotions to God but giving our volition and will to Him as well. The goal here is to make sure that we do not simply have families that know and feel correctly but that they have a correct basis, biblical worldview, in which to do this. Building on the previous chapter Voddie describes biblical love as the foundation and having a biblical worldview as the frame. So we need to not only have a list of what needs to be done, even if it is biblical, but we need to have a biblical framework (worldview) that drives what we do.

Voddie begins with the idea that we really need to grasp, when we move from being an unbeliever to being one of God’s family “we must not only change our allegiance but also our language and thinking.” All too often Christianity is sold as simply a life enhancement additive so that the supposed new believer sees no reason to change but that could not be further from truth. We are not only to do what God commands but to submit all areas such as our will and thinking to Him and this is a radical departure from what seems to be ever present in the western view of Christianity today.

The main emphasis of this chapter is helping people to see not only a need to change their worldview but what that looks like. Francis Schaeffer defined worldview as the “grid through which (one) sees the world” and this is a good place to start. James Sire expands on this by adding that our worldview is composed of our assumptions which are those things we just believe and others would consider strange. The last definition of world view that is given is that which Church Colson and Nancy Pearcey use; that a worldview is “the sum total of our beliefs about the world, the big picture that directs our daily decision and actions.” These definitions give a good basis for understanding the whole concept of worldview which undoubtedly many have never even given a thought too even they obviously hold one.

Voddie then answers why children need a biblical worldview as well as what the basic elements of a worldview are. He gives some statistics I have heard before but if you have not they should give cause for concern and bring to light why this topic of raising families in a biblical manner is so important.

Researcher George Barna found that less than 10 percent of self-proclaimed “born-again Christians” in America have a biblical worldview. What’s worse, he found that only half (51 percent) of America’s pastors have a biblical worldview. The Nehemiah Institute (like the Barna Group) has discovered that some 85 percent of Christian teens do not believe in the existence of absolute truth. These young people, who identify themselves as followers of Christ, believe that truth is situational and relative.

Voddie breaks a Worldview down into 5 basic elements: Our view of God, man, truth, knowledge and ethics. He then does a good job of speaking to each of these and showing how they reveal ones worldview. He does this by contrasting the conflict between Secular Humanism and Christian Theism. What is, or should be, of concern is that all too many professing Christians we meet would hold to more of a Secular Humanistic belief system than a Christian Theistic one.

Voddie then ends the chapter by making sure that we see how to separate the idea of having a correct worldview and legalism. This is important because all too many people will have a tendency to mistake the difference between the two. He makes sure that the reader understands he is not saying we should not have limits and boundaries but it is when the those limits and boundaries extend outside scripture that we enter the realm of opinion and often legalism.

These first four chapters set a good foundation and framework for what we need to do to raise our families in a manner that honors God’s call for parents. Without this frame work we will have the tendency he has already mentioned of simply setting rules for our children that while at home they may follow but when gone will quickly jettison since they have no real basis for them. We need to not only raise our children with an understanding of what God expects of them but let them see it for themselves so that in the future when faced with decisions they will innately turn to God’s word rather than to some mythical list of does and don’ts or even to simply do what ever seems culturally acceptable at the time.

Next, Chapter 5 – Teach the Word at Home

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 3 – Learn to Love

In this chapter Voddie deals with the issue of Love and seeking to see what Biblical love is. He shares that originally the title was to be “learn to Love God” but then realized that if we only love God and not others then we really do not love God (1 John 4:20). So the title became “Learn to Love” as throughout scripture we are called to love others and this is part of showing love for God.

We need to be able to love others as well as God in such a way that our family and others have no choice but to notice it. Voddie says:

“Our homes must be rife with the aroma of love. Those who visit us should notice immediately that they have left the world of self-serving, egocentric narcissism and have entered a safe harbor where people value and esteem others above themselves. Outsiders should enter our homes and never want to leave. Our neighbors should find excuses to visit us just to get another whiff of the fragrant aroma of love. The brokenhearted should long to be near us. The downtrodden and the abused should seek us out. Families on the brink of disaster should point to us and say, “Why can’t our home be like that?””

The book then speaks about the Greco-Roman love that not only permeates the world but all too often permeates the believers understanding of love. He speaks about 4 myths that relate to this view of love: 1) Love is a Random Force, 2) Love is an Overwhelming Force, 3) Love is an Uncontrollable Force and 4) Love is a Sensual Force. These myths tend to reveal a love that is uncontrollable and random and thus create an environment that unpredictable. Also, it is shown how this form of love does not translate to relationships other than between couples as it does not say how we are to love our children or neighbors.

To contrast the Greco-Roman view of love Voddie then reveals a “Biblical Portrait of Love” using Deuteronomy 6:-5. this biblical view of love shows that first “Love is an Act of the Will.” Love is not merely an uncontrollable force but is something we think about and consciously do, “Love is a choice.” Love does not separate itself from the mind and will but uses both. The second concept is that “Love is Accompanied by Emotion.” The fact that love is a choice does not negate the emotional aspect of love. It simply says that biblical love is accompanied by emotion but is ot led by emotion. Lastly he shows how “Love Leads to Action on Behalf of its Object.” In both the OT and NT we see God’s word equates actions as demonstrations of love. In Deuteronomy (6:5-6; 7:9; 10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 13:3-4; 19:9; 30:6, 16, 20) and in John 14:15 & 21 we see a tie between the action of following God’s commands and love for God and this is also seen in John 15:10 as well as in 1 John 2:3-4, 3:22 and 5:3.

This last part is so important and I think it ties in the whole concept of simply learning to love as it says we can not say we love God if our lives are void of true love for others. For us to learn to love God we need to also learn to love our spouses, children, neighbors and others around us.

Voddie finishes this chapter with some advantages of the “Biblical Model of Love.” These are:

The Biblical Model of Love Volitional – Since the Greco-Roman model is an uncontrollable force that the one it is forced upon has no choice in the Biblical model necessities our mind and will.

The Biblical Model of Love is Transferable – unlike the Greco-Roman model of Love which only applies to a sort of romantic love the biblical model can be used in so many ways the give glory to God

The Biblical Model of Love is Secure – Since the other form of love is fleeting and transitory the Biblical model that is rooted in God is secure. It is not, or should not, be driven but anything but God’s command to love.

The Biblical Model of Love Satisfies – the Greco-Roman model is never satisfied but since God designed us for His kind of love for the believer the love God commands is satisfying

One thing I have enjoyed and appreciated from the book is that not only does Voddie relate real stories to flesh out the point he is making he also use instances from his life to give the book a more personal nature.

Next, Chapter 4 – Give Him Your Heart

Family Driven Faith-Chapter 2 – A God with No Rivals

As the title of Chapter 2 of Family Driven Faith states we are to have a God with no rivals but just as the Israelites would all too often allow everything to rival God we need to guard against this. The point is stated by Voddie that:

A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught. If we mix a little biblical truth, a little secular psychology, a little romance novel ideology, and a little eastern mysticism, we will get a deadly mixture of lies.

So it is not a matter of just caring for our families but a commitment to God needs to be at the heart of the matter. It is this commitment that we need to show and instill in our children. I know that only God can do the heart change but one of the means to this is in our leadership in this area. Children may hear our words (Orthodoxy) but if our actions (Orthopraxy) do not align they will in the end probably learn more form our actions that from our words.

Voddie shares the story of a man whose son went off to a Christian College to play baseball and shortly after going off to college he had abandoned the faith. What was learned was that this family had seen the boy’s baseball as so important that they missed worshiping God on the Lord’s Day when it conflicted with baseball. This taught the son that when it came to decisions that the Christian faith he was told about was secondary to other things so when he went off to college it was relatively easy to slide away as he had already been primed to. His parent’s commitment was reflected in the son. Voddie then shares the person issue he had with education in his family and how he and his wife had done a similar thing with education in that they had elevated it above just about all else. He shares that:

Bridget and I simply had to admit that much of what we were doing was geared toward achieving the American dream at the expense of weightier matters.

To give guidance in avoiding worshiping idols that our culture provides plenty of he uses Eph 5:15-21 and offers the following:

Watch Your Walk (vv15-16) – It is not just our words that matter, and they do, but it is also our walk that says much about what we have said. Children will inevitably not rise above our examples. This, as it is for me, should be convicting because I often have the “do as I say not as I do” mentality.

Be Good Stewards of the Time (V17) - We need to realize we have limited time with our families and we need to spend that time on what is most God glorifying and it is not going to be those things the world puts on a pedestal.

Understand God’s Will (V17) - We need to understand that our children are not ours but they belong to God and thus we should strive to want God to tell us what to do with our children instead of us telling Him.

Constantly Yield to God’s Spirit (V18) – We need to show our children that at all times we seek after God so Voddie offers some practical times we should display this ; Mealtimes, Times of Crisis and Special Occasions as well as on special trips.

Order Your relationships by the Book (V21) - We need to display proper relationships to our children and Voddie offers 3 reason. First as parents our job is to “get our children grown and gone.” Thus we need to prepare them for future relationships so they get their relationship priorities correct. Second, the marriage is the foundation upon all the other aspects of family life. To accomplish this the husband and wife need to spend time together. Marriage also “sets the tone for discipline in the home.” The submission the verse calls out for needs to be seen so that our children understand the God directed call for submission, biblical submission. Lastly, as our children will likely be married someday they need to understand how the relationship is to work in the context of the family.

Next Chapter 3 – Learn to Love

A Layman's Guide to Church Planting

I was led by the Founders Blog to a series by Dr. Stan Reeves on the Reformed Baptist Fellowship site regarding church planting. He has posted part 1 of a 7 part series entitled: A Layman’s Guide to Church Planting – Part 1: Cultivate the Characteristics of an Effective Lay Leader . Being part of a church plant I am very interested in what he has to say over the coming weeks. While I may have been an Associate Pastor for some time church planting is new for me and something I would have never guessed God would have me do if you asked me even 8 months ago.

Family Driven Faith - Chapter 1

I just got Voddie Baucham's new book Family Driven Faith and will be giving a chapter by chapter review and synopisis over the next few weeks. Voddie also has a Family Diven Faith web site.

Chapter 1 - The Lay of the Land

Do we as Christian parents all too often look at the world through the lens of the world? Voddie puts forth that instead of asking the question “Do you know where your children are?” we should be asking “Do we know where our children are spiritually?” He relates how in his travels he speaks to youth brought up in Christian homes but often they are either not regenerate to begin with or are simply not brought up with a well grounded Christina perspective.

The tile of the first chapter, The Lay of Land, sets out to make sure we see truly where we are as a people. We see that often the priorities of the world invade the lives of Christian families and we take on those same priorities. We see our work, wealth and well being as primary over God and the family and thus get things backwards. Yes God does come before family but in the end if we ignore the command to care for our families in a biblical manner we in essence also ignore God.

Voddie uses the analogy of having a Wide Screen or Full Screen view of the world and that the average person has a Full Screen view. The point being that in Wide Screen movies there are black bands on the top and bottom and people think they are missing something but in reality it is the Wide Screen view that reveals the full picture. In today’s families people are all too afraid that their families may miss something if they are not involved in every extracurricular activity available. So, we make sure our kids are involved in every sport and every other activity that appears to give them a full life but in reality this does not do this and instead will limit time to experience the life as God desires.

Voddie, in this chapter also touches on areas such as a misguided view of education (Making the Grade), sports and extracurricular activities (Making the Team) and even wrong views on dating (Making Time). He then moves onto some aspects of the world that even Christians have assumed such as having an attitude that creates an Anti-Marriage and Anti-Child culture. The sad part is that scripture speaks of the blessing of children but how many professing Christians see children as a hindrance to advancement and any number of other things. This may be the attitude of the world but it is not to be the biblically directed attitude of believers if we truly believe God’s word is our source of direction. Unfortunately Christians have abdicated their source of direction to the world and have followed the lead of the world we are to change. The result is we are changed by the world than the other way around.

He ends the chapter with this:

"There are many worthwhile pursuits in this world, but few of them rise to the level of training our children to follow the Lord and keep His commandments. I desperately want my sons and daughters to walk with God, and I am willing to do whatever it takes, whatever the Bible says I must do in order to be used by God as a means to that end. My prayer for you is that God would awaken in you that same passion. Something tells me He already has."

Next, Chapter 2 – A God with No Rivals

AIG at NEA Conference

Answers in Genesis (AIG) has a booth at the National Educators Association (NEA) conference in Philadelphia (June 30 – July 5th). Think of it, in the midst of this conference for educators in the public schools is a booth with the title “Evolution Exposed.” You can go to their site ( Evolution Exposed: NEA Outreach Blog ) where they are blogging from the conference and there is lots of audio about what has been going on there. They even handed out surveys to fill out to win prizes, see here for what the survey asked, remember this is a survey handed out a Public school educators conference.

Christianity, Hijacked by the American Dream

How often do you hear the hopes and dreams of those in the church sound strangely similar to those of the world? Families hope their children have a good education so they can get a good job and a better life than they had. They also hope, and if time permits pray, that their children do not commit crimes or have premarital sex but if they do succumb to temptation that they are protected. The standards of many in the church mirror the best the world hopes for and even that standard of hope is falling as the bar is lowered more and more every day.

Is this what we are to aspire to for our families? Does education, moral living and a good job say anything at all about our faith. Have we allowed the American Dream to hijack Christianity and in essence be allowed to commingle just as the many foreign gods and belief systems were allowed to commingle with the Israelites. Scott over at These are the generations of…. continues to write on Multigenerational Faithfulness and touches on how we are to regain what God intended.

I know at times I tend to see these issues and write on the problems and even offer up solutions. However, at the root of all of this is that I need to raise my family in a way that is Christ exalting and God honoring. And where do we learn how to do this, well in that place that people seem to neglect to look, God’s Word. While I read as much as most I know that the extra reading is simply to see how God has revealed spiritual truths to others but at the end of the day it is God’s word that defines how we are to live.

We are a people that are often quick to claim the Bible as the inspired word of God but when issues arise we turn to Oprah, Dr. Phil and every other Thomas, Richard and Harold but neglect the one source that is infallible, the Word of God. We have become so complacent in searching out what God would have us do that when we have to have answers we have no idea where to turn and even if one does turn to the Bible we do not know how to discern what it says.

So let us commit to be faithful to the word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit raise our families as God directs in His word. From there we should commit to being part of Christian communities that do likewise and over time the look of Christianity can be restored and rescued from the world.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (7/01)

For those of you have spent time on the web you may have found that the doctrine of Penal Substitution has been under attack, particularity by those that hold to the “New Perspective on Paul (NPP). Well here is a site that has articles on the subject: Pierced for Our Transgressions.


Jim over at Old Truth has an article on the issue of patriotism in the church: Will You Be Setting Up Asherah Poles on The 4th? I do not think the issue is whether a Christian should be patriotic or not but where ones ultimate allegiance lies and how that shows itself in the life of the church. As American believers all too often the line between patriotism and being a Christina is blurred so much so that we have statistics that say America is 85% or more Christian. I would have to say if this statistic, which is sometimes a little higher or lower, was true we would be an entirely different nation than we presently are and such things as the issues of abortion would not be an issue. We need to make sure that while we are to pray for and honor our leaders we can not let this cloud our judgment when it comes to our true allegiance, to God.


Along the same lines there is a review of a new book called: Jesus Made in America that going by the review touches on an area that has always bothered me and that is the commercialization and Americanization of Christ. The review says at one point:

"What's fascinating about this book is that it shows how American Christians have been domesticating, commodifying and otherwise trivializing our Lord from the historical outset."

Does it not bother anyone else at the things we in the west will make and by that I am pretty sure Christ would have cursed many a “Christian Bookstore” with what is sold and peddled as “Christian”. I can not speak to the book but it does sound like it should give us something to think about.


There is a debate between Dr. Albert Mohler and Orson Scott Card on: Are Mormon’s Christian? It will be interesting to read how this goes because it would not have been too long ago that Mormon’s would have been arguing as to whether “Evangelicals” were Christian instead of simply wanting to sit at the same table.


Over at Against Heresies there is an interview with Mark Dever: The Faithful Pastor and the Faithful Church: an interview with Mark Dever

Some Random Thoughts

Just some thoughts, and I realize that some of these are generalizations:

Why does it seem that if a mother is killed while pregnant the person can be prosecuted for the death of the unborn child, and many people are, rightfully so, angry about it, but abortion is legal?

In the same line of thinking; Why does it seem that many of those that are against capital punishment think it is OK to murder (I know this is not a PC description) unborn children in the name of choice? By the way those sentenced to death made a choice as well.

Also, why is it that so many are for saving the environment but saving the unborn is a different story?

Do those that argue against legislating morality realize that all laws are some form or comment on morality?

How is it that the Dove Awards were sponsored, based on the short bit I saw on TV, by the movie Evan Almighty? What next, will it be sponsored by Oprah or Depak Chopra?

Also, why is it OK to mock the God Christians are to worship in film but if Mohammad or Allah were have the same done to them it would cause a riot? Actually this one says much about Christians that allow this to happen and actually often spend money to propagate it.

Why is the standard argument against homeschooling one that entails a complaint against socialization when the vast majority of public schooled, and many Christian schooled, kids spend inordinate amounts of time in front of TVs and video games? Now that is socialization.

On the same note, why is a standard argument for sending kids to public school that we need to evangelize the lost when the children themselves are in many cases are themselves lost? In the end the evangelizing that takes place is at our children and attempts to convert then to the secular humanistic philosophy of the world.

New 9Marks Blog

Well there is a new blog on the block (say that 10 time real fast).

Those of you who have read the great stuff at 9Marks Ministries will be glad to know they have a new blog called Church Matters. I am looking forward to the articles they will put out and would recommend adding this blog to your RSS reader.

All Books $5 - June 27-28 at DGM

If there are any books you want from Desiring God then next week is the time to buy as all their books will be $5 on June 27-28 from the Desiring God store.

Here are some suggestions:

Desiring God

God is the Gospel

Let the Nations Be Glad
Don’t Waste Your Life
What Jesus Demands from the World

6 Dangers to Avoid in Family Worship

Joe Thorn adds to his 5 Reasons to have Family Worship with 6 Dangers to Avoid in Family Worship. As with most things that are good, and called for by God, our sinful nature has a tendency to distort them and this can also be true of Family Worship, thus the dangers that can exist. However, simply because there is danger does not negate that we are called to practice family worship.

Around the Web and Blogosphere (6/16)

Joe Thorn writes on 5 Reasons to have Family Worship. Reason number one is that it is our responsibility as parents to train our children and not the churches, or for that matter anyone else’s. However, it seems so often that the church takes the same mindset that the government takes and that is that someone else is more capable of caring for our children that we are. We then get lazy and just accept this and hand over our duty and responsibility to someone else. Children are to be a blessing and not a curse so let’s try and live that way. Let us make family worship the norm rather than the anomaly it is n today’s church.

Matt Bullen at Blessed Family Ministries has some words from John Wesley: On Family Religion.

Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries writes on the latest SBC Annual meeting to just finish up in San Antonio: SBC-SA Wrap up: the good, the bad, and the confusing . I followed the convention to some degree over the internet and to tell the truth get more frustrated every year. Tom has tried for two years to get people to speak to his resolution regarding Integrity in Church Membership without success but the convention has no issue with pass a resolution on Global Warming. The conventions apparent desire to ignore the bloated rolls in its churches reflects a numbers mentality that is very discouraging. People speak on numbers of conversions and baptism and gain lots of applause but when the question of true conversion is brought up heads seem to turn away. Personally I think the convention is afraid that if it every tried to speak to the issue of integrity in membership and all of those that are not truly attending were purged from the numbers annually given the SBC would loose a very large number of members, who are not really there anyway. They would then no longer be the numerical force it purports itself to be and I believe this is not acceptable to the present leadership and the convention as a whole.

Check out the computer generated pictures and video of Ancient Rome put together by the University of Virginia at: Rome Reborn 1.0

Also at The Jerusalem Archeological Park you can get computer models of the Herodian Temple Mount

Establishing a Multi-Generational Vision of Faithfulness

Scott at These are the Generations of….. is writing on Establishing a Multi-Generational Vision of Faithfulness and so far in part one he has set down the need that is glaringly evident. I am looking forward to part 2 to see the solutions and methods he proposes as at the end of the day it is not enough to recognize a need unless we do something about it and that is where the rubber meets the road so to speak.

We would all do well to look at this topic with regards to our families as so often, and I am guilty of this, we just tend to plow along trying to do the best we can without any deep thought put into it. However, it is when we go to scripture and discover what we are called to do and then plan a biblical course of action that things are done in the most God glorifying Christ exalting manner.

The Literary Study Bible - ESV

Like I need a new bible but the new “Literary Study Bible” (ESV) from Crossway may be hard to resist. When I took my Old Testament class in seminary one of the many great things I learned was that we need to read the Bible as literature since that is the primary medium God has determined to use to convey His message to use. When we begin to see the Bible as literature, albeit divine literature, we will begin to better see the message God is conveying to us. Too often we read scripture in all the same manner, revelatory the same as narrative, and this will hinder our understanding of the word of God that is right in front of us. This may seem foreign to some but the idea is not to minimize the inspiration of the text but to better see what God has inspired or better yet expired, breathed out, (2Tm 3:16) out of the various authors in various literary forms.

You can look at more information about this bible here: Crossway "The Literary Study Bible"

Gaining Knowledge is Not the End of the Road

Heb 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

I have been teaching through Hebrews lately and have to truthful say that even though I have read Hebrews many times I have not seen as much as I have recently as I prepare weekly to teach from the book. Chapter one is a glorious passage where the writer of Hebrews expresses Christ’s superiority and in the process reveals his divinity and many other attributes. What is interesting is that when you get to 2:1-4 the writer takes a brief respite to exhort the reader, the hearer of the time and us to do more than take in information but to “pay much closer attention” to what has been heard.

This speaks volumes to the whole idea of Orthodoxy (right doctrine) and Orthopraxy (right practice). All too often we as believers in a desire to grow spiritually simply take in information with no outflow or result ensuing. We read the Bible, listen to sermons, read books and go to numerous conferences all to gather that next morsel of information but at the tend of the day we are not left time to put into action all that we have taken in.

We are a nation and world that hungers for facts and see the accumulation of knowledge as the salvation of all. How often have your heard that if a certain group only had more education they would be better off or that having more knowledge means having more power, While these adages may be true in some fashion they both ignore the work of God in all that we do and that we as a human race have a much bigger problem than a lack of knowledge.

I have even written, as have others, in the past that all too often this mindset that revolves around knowledge invades the Christian Homeschool movement and leads to people schooling at home rather than home schooling. This mindset does not see the Christian reason to Homeschool being the raising of godly children but instead sees raising kids smarter than public school kids as the goal. This is the mindset that says I want my kids to have more information that your kids. Again, I am not saying information is bad it is just where we place it in the priority of things than can be an issue.

What does it take for us to see that one of the results of the fall is take the sin nature of Adam and Eve leads us to desire to seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge? We are not to abandon knowledge as people have done in the past as an over reaction to just this problem but we are to seek knowledge for the Glory of God and that Glory comes from living out all that God indwells us with. If we were to truly to see that we are to do all for His glory I dare say we would have to ask, “why am I learning this” or “why am I going to this conference” or even, yes even this, “why am I reading the Bible.” If we simply read the Bible for readings sake and not transformation through the power of the Spirit we have missed the boat. We read scripture to know Christ and it is the knowledge of Christ that is to transform us.

So I would encourage you not to stop taking in knowledge but to always ask the critical question of why and this may help in making sure that we “pay closer attention to what we have heard” and read. Do not make knowledge the end all be all but go further to let the understanding that God gives outflow into the practice of our lives and from this we will begin to have both Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy

Added 6/7/07

My friend Matt Bullen let me know that Kevin Swanson had some similar thoughts on knowledge in his blog article: Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth

Free New Attitude 2007 Conference MP3s

If you are looking to download the free MP3s from the New Attitude 2007 conference you can also get them direct from the New Attitude website as the Sovereign Grace online store was so busy. Sovereign Grace Ministries also has a link to download the files directly.

New Attitude 2007 site

Sovereign Grace Ministries site

SBC 2007 Education Resolution

I was asked where the text of the 2007 Education Resolution that Voddie Baucham and Bruce Shortt submitted for the 2007 SBC Annual Meeting could be found; so for those interested you can get the text of the document here: 2007 Education Resolution.

Or you can go to Exodus Mandate Project and download it from there.

Around the Web and Blogosphere

Timmy Brister has provided a list entitled : A Chronological Survey of the Calvinism/Arminanism Controversy in the SBC in which he has links to the various articles that the list references. You can also go to his site – Provocations & Pantings for the link as well.

Tom Ascol has again submitted his resolution entitled: 2007 Resolution on Integrity in Church Membership. Let’s hope it is taken as seriously as it should at this years SBC Annual Meeting in San Antonio June 12-13.

Over at The World From Our Window there is a post entitled, You Tube Tuesday: Creation Museum Highlights that are about the new Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Here is information from Voddie Baucham on the SBC Education Resolution 2007. I would encourage you to read all of what he has to say before making a judgment on the call to remove our children from government schools. I am sure that this will not be popular for many but often the correct thing to do is not popular.

Dog Fighting and Abortion

What do these two have in common? Well initially one may say nothing at all but if you listen to much sports radio you may see that they both tend to show the world view of many people. First off I am not saying that everyone feel this way but there does appear to be a large number of people that seem to be comfortable with abortion but when it comes to harming animals that is a different story.

Recently Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons was connected with dog fighting. Whether he is guilty or not isn’t the issue but the number of people that are outraged that he would promote dog fighting is. Recently I have heard more outrage over the killing and injury to dogs than one would ever hear about the killing of babies. Now I would not condone dog fighting either but I would see the need for more outrage over abortion than I would over dog fighting.

To even make this clearer Clinton Portis a running back for the Washington Redskins commented that he did not see this as a big issue since what Vick did in private should not be an issue. His opinion led to more outrage that this would be his thoughts on the issue; I guess there are absolutes for those that do not like to say there are any. Are not Portis’ arguments much like those of the pro-abortion advocates as they center on the rights of individuals to do as they see is best for them, hence the mantle of ”Pro-Choice.” Obviously Portis feels that Vick should have the “Choice” to promote dog fighting if he desires to do so.

So, while I would never condone dog fighting it is deffintly interesting, and saddening, to see that the world has become so accustomed to the idea of abortion that other issues that are nowhere near as vile are more vilified. How a people can seek to save animals and spend huge sums of money to see if we have global warming and still argue over whether abortion, of any kind, is OK says much about our world and especially western society.

It really does reveal a schizophrenic society that one day bemoans the way we treat animals and the earth but the next argues that we should be able to abort babies at will so as to maintain the freedom of choice for the women, never mind the babies choice ( I forget the pro abortion people would never call them babies). People can walk around with signs that on one side may say “Save the Seals” but on the other “Keep Abortion Legal” if that is not schizophrenic then I am not sure what is.

When a people abandon the Bible as the "actual" word of God for their own understanding what we see in today’s culture should not be a surprise. This is why even professing Christians can claim that abortion may not be OK for them but is OK for others or that it is even OK for them in certain circumstances. So again while I am saddened by all of this I am not surprised at all.

2007 Family Integrated Church Conference - Houston

I will probably repeat this reminder a few times over the next few months so it is not just my fading memory that is showing itself if you see this again.

There will be a FIC conference hosted by Grace Family Baptist Church October 26-27 in Houston. My family and I are going and are throughly looking forward to it.

I can not say enough about how much Matt Bullen at Grace has been an encouragement as we move along in starting Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship here in Southern California. As I have written on before Donna and I spent a few days with the Bullen family lat February and it was not only a great time of fellowship but we also were able to try and glean what we could from GfBC and how they are ministering to families in a God glorifying way. We also got time while there to speak to one of the other Elders, Paul Renfro, and his family, which was also very helpful.

Again check out the GfBC site and read about the conference.

Voddie Baucham’s New Book – Family Driven Faith

Voddie’s new book, Family Driven Faith, comes out June 11th from Crossway but as I pre-purchased the book from them they sent a PDF version so I have been able to read it already and it is very good. Donna, my wife, is way ahead of me and enjoying the book immensely and I have gotten through about chapter 2 and am also enjoying it. Now I say enjoying and in some ways that may not be the best word as often the book steps on my toes, which need stepping on, and this makes me, and will probably make others, a little uncomfortable.

The issue today is that Christians have become too comfortable in the world and we need books like this to awaken us out of our comfort zones. Those of you who have read or listened to Voddie know that he does not mince words and he does not do so here and in doing so he makes the call to reclaim our families from the world for God. I would encourage everyone to get this book.

Here is a link to Voddie’s site about the Book: Family Driven Faith

Here is the description from Crossway:

More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88% of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done.

Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, anti-family society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multi-generational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children. He has given us timeless precepts and principles for multi-generational faithfulness, especially in Deuteronomy 6. God’s simple command to Moses to teach the Word diligently to the children of Israel serves as the foundation of Family Driven Faith.

You can pre-purchase it at Crossway and get the PDF early.

2 More Texts from the Past on Families

Matt at Blessed Family Ministries Blog has added two more Jonathan Edwards texts on the family:

Jonathan Edwards on Family Relationships- Pt III

Jonathan Edwards on Family Relationships- Pt IV

Words from the past on family

Over at Blessed Family Ministries Matt has some writings by various people of the past on family. I would encourage you to check them out.

Baxter on Family Reformation
Whitefield on Family Worship
C.H. Spurgeon on Family
Susanna Wesley on Family
Jonathan Edwards on Family Relationships – Part I
Jonathan Edwards on Family Relationships - Part II

More on The Reformed Pastor Audiobook

Well I just finished the first two hours+ of The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter on my new FREE Audiobook from Christianaudio.com and there is only one word for what Baxter has to say, OUCH! Now it is a good type of OUCH but the bottom line is that Baxter took the duties of pastoring serious, as we should as well. In just the first two hours he deals with everything from how a pastor should view compensation to the Pastors role in guiding families, especially fathers, to have family worship to even the salvation of pastors. He also deals with the seriousness of the Pastor actually being the Pastor and not just the CEO of an organization as is all too common today.

I have read this book before, but some time ago and well before I was as involved in ministry as I am now, and remember some of the same feelings then but it is a different experience to listen to the words being spoken. There is a deffintly a disadvantage to listening to a book while driving to and from work as I can not take notes but in many ways that may be good. Listening without being able to take notes may help me to get a better overall feel for the message than too much focus, at least for now, on the more specific issues.

I cannot recommend this Audiobook and the actual book itself too highly.

Entering the world of Mac

Well this is totally unrelated to anything I have written on previously but I just entered the world of Mac. Actually since I can run Windows XP inside a window while running Mac I can be exposed to both evil empires at once. The lap top is really well made and things did run fine from the start as they promised. The loading of Parallels and XP was a little buggy but it ended up fine. Parallels allows me to be able to do the things Mac does best and I can still have my Bible programs,such as E-Sword, running in XP so I did not have to run out and get new ones of those. Time will only tell if it is better than Microsoft but so far so good.

I had to update this post as to some errors: It is Mac not MAC :) and Bradon, my Nephew, pointed out that therer is a similar free program to E-sword at The SWORD Project.

Richard Baxter's The Reformed Pastor - Free Audiobook

Over at Christianaudio.com the monthly free audiobook is The Reformed Pastor by Richard Baxter. I have downloaded the free MP3s from them before, even though I have not been able to listen to all of them, and they are a great way to listen to books that you just can not find time to read. You simply click through and sign up for a free account and place the book in you cart and then when you get to checkout put the coupon code, MAY2007, in the supplied box and then the purchase is free.

There are 7 files to download for the entire book then you either burn them to CDs or put them on an MP3 player, or both, to listen to them.

Enjoy!

Westminster Bookstore

For a good selection of reformed books, good prices and $5 shipping check out Westminster Bookstore. I have used them in the past and they were prompt in shipping the book I purchased as well.

I have to also admit that for every 50 people that check out their site through this link I can earn a gift certificate. You can do this to by signing up for their Blog Partners Program.

The Goal is to Worship God

Scott at These are the generations of… writes on: The Family Integrated Church model - after a year and a half , and has many thought provoking things to say about the FIC. His comment that:

“But the Family Integrated Church (FIC) model is not the true solution to what was ailing us, and what we believe is ailing the church universal, and our culture in general. The FIC model is merely a label applied to what is one part of the whole solution.”

This is so true as if we begin to think of some model of “church” as the solution we will in the end worship that model, just check out any church growth website for the worship of church models. Instead we are to seek out God’s way of worshiping HIM, as HE does have the right to dictate that as much as that may bother people, and follow that path. I truly feel that the worshiping of all generations together is the most glorifying to God as when we segregate we divide the body instead of unifying it.

It is interesting to me that in today’s day and age of downplaying doctrine as a way of unifying we miss the most obvious way to unify and that is to all worship, which by the way I do believe is doctrinal, together regardless of age or life situation. This mindset probably comes from the church in many ways buying into the world’s view of family and generations instead of accepting God’s view. We need to reclaim God’s call for the family and worship and come to the realization that God is much clearer on how to worship than many want to accept. God understands that left to our own understanding we will worship Him in ways that are not glorifying to Him but instead glorify man. Just as God led the people out of Egypt to worship Him He calls us out of our sin to worship HIM and we need to do so as He desires.

Trying to bring this back to where I started before heading off in some other direction I would hope that people would not simply see the Family Integrated Church simply as another church model. I pray they would see it as a sincere desire to worship God as He desires to be worshipped and thus be the most glorying to Him. This is where the FIC is to be more than simply how we meet on the Lord’s Day but is to extend into all of life so that all of our lives are Christ exalting and God glorifying.

More Thoughts on the Family Integrated Church

As I further work on the new church start, Soverign Grace Christian Fellowship, I am part of I am still surprised by those that do not see a Family Integrated Church as being a good thing. The struggle that many seem to have is the idea of having children in the service or the idea of there being no youth group. Have we so bought into the age segregation myth that the way out is so hard? Are we so used to a form of comfort in corporate worship that to change things is too much to ask? Are we so afraid to disciple our own children that we cannot change?

These are important questions to ask as more and more churches are being segregated by age and not just with children and youth. You have the 20 somethings church over there and the 30 something church over here and this church more for seniors and one over there for artists and you name some other special group. The end results are disjointed and less than complete, in my opinion, local church bodies. I have even read of one church that fully expects to lose its members as they grow older because the churches goal is a certain age group, something seems wrong with this. This sounds more like a Madison Avenue advertising campaign than a healthy church growth endeavor.

I find it hard to justify all of this age or life situation focus by scripture even though I have heard some who would try. The usual reason seems to be that this is the best way to reach people and since the end goal is numbers then we should do whatever is necessary to get those numbers. I think this is short sighted and misses the point of the great commission in that we are called to make disciples and not simply converts. It would seem that the New Testament example of discipleship that we see in scripture, especially in Acts, involves the whole community and not simply some special segment of it.

When we worship with children in our midst we can learn from them, as Jesus often used children as examples to His disciples, and they can learn from us, or at least they should. Leave out this dynamic and there is a serious hole in the process. When we separate out the youth and then move them to some other group they begin to not really be a functioning part of the local body, except when it is somehow convenient. What better way for a youth to learn to be a vital part of the church body than to be one from the start.

Now I realize some could say that a Family Integrated Church is no different in that its focus is the family. Well this is definitely a danger but the fact it is a danger does not negate its validity. The goal of the Family Integrated Church first and foremost should be to exalt Christ and grow in His grace. One of the means of this is to try and help families regain the biblical view of family and thus worship God in doing this. So while families may be more attracted to a FIC this is not necessarily the goal. The goal is to disciple the generations in the most biblical way and I think this is done by first preaching the word. But, also a part of this is the training of existing families to disciple their own families and to help in raising the next generation to be ready to reclaim the family as God intended.
These are just some more thoughts as I spend time in prayer and thought on this adventure God has my family and I being a part of.

A New Church Start: Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship

After all of the contemplating what a Family Integrated Church would look like we have moved forward with starting a church. The name of the new church is Sovereign Grace Christian Fellowship and we have a temporary web site up at: http://www.sovereigngracecf.org/ . Stop on by the website and sign the guestbook.

So as to be able to transition out of the church I am presently serving at we are starting with a Bible Study on Friday nights and will begin services the first part of July. I think it is just as important how one leaves a church as it is how one joins, or in our case starts, a new church. We have been at Brea Center Baptist Church for 10 years so this new venture God has moved my family and me into is exciting.

We presently have four families committed to the start and we are gong to meet at our home for now until we grow to the point where we need to move. We simply see a need to start meeting as a church family and letting God move us as He sees fit.

Over the next weeks and months I will be writing some on this new ministry and try and share a little about not only starting a new church but starting a Family Integrated Church. Keep us in your prayers as our main purpose in all of this and what we always need to keep at the forefront of our minds is that we are here to exalt and worship Christ.

Interview on preaching with Voddie Baucham

Over at Unashamed Workman there is an interview on preaching with Voddie Baucham: Ten Questions for Expositors - Baucham. I have listened to a number of Voddie’s sermons and I highly recommend them.

Here is a link to some sermons by Voddie that was put together by Paul Schafer at Reforming My Mind – MP3’s: Voddie Baucham MP3 Sermons. By the way Paul’s site has a lot of great resources so I recommend checking it out.

Are you Homeschooling or Schooling at Home? Part 3

Matt has another installment on homeschooling (Are you Homeschooling or Schooling at Home? Part 3) with some good references to Charles Spurgeon and Richard Baxter.

Baxter is insightful when he says:

““Nothing can be rightly known, if God be not known: nor is any study well managed, nor to any great purpose, if God is not studied.”

All too often we assume that the goal of homeschooling is to make sure our kids get the best information but all the information in the world without true knowledge of God is nothing. It is an understanding of the creator that allows us to even comprehend HIS creation.

So I can do no more than agree with Spurgeon and Baxter that if we fail to teach our children the deep truths of God they will never truly comprehend even the basics of the world around them.

Again as Baxter says, and this can be applied to any subject:

“Your study of physics and other science is not worth a rush, if it be not God that you seek after in them.”

So remember when, you homeschool that the goal is not simply schooling at home but schooling in such a way that God is central to all that is done. The end result we should desire of our children is that they are God centered and not education, or any other facet of life, centered.

Interview with Philip Ryken on Preaching

Over at Unashamed Workman is an interview with Philip Ryken, of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, on preaching. Next weeks interview will be with Voddie Baucham.

Around the Blogosphere

It has been a little while since I have been to my blog, I guess that is what getting sick will do. Here are some things from around the blogosphere:

Charley over at Home Discipling Dad writes on how the church is to be different from the world and also how this relates to raising our children: Just another Flavor of Ice Cream?

Over at Fide-O they have a good chart on the 4 Views of the Millennium

John Piper writes on The Morning I Heard the Voice of God, make sure you read the whole article and then ask yourself do you regularly hear the voice of God.

Tom Ascol says: I confess I have a private prayer language, make sure you read all of this one as well so as to ask yourself if you have one as well.

Here is an Interview with Sam Storms