Blog Series Favorites

As the years have rolled along I've written several blog series. Some are better than others. My four favorites are below. I encourage you to take a look and tell me what you think.


Church, Bible, And Interpretation - It's Not So Simple

Homosexuality - an appropriate Christian response

Twenty-Five Reasons Professional Pastors Should Resign

Unavoidable Church Principles

One More Time

Please indulge me for once again posting this clip of my favorite hymn. The video is nothing special, but the audio is wonderful. Thank you Charles Wesley for penning this so many years ago. I love it!

Twenty Books That Have Deeply Impacted My Life

I'm guessing that you like to read. So do I. The following are twenty books that have, for one reason or another, had a significant impact upon me. This is simply a list; if you'd like me to expand on why any particular book had its impact, please ask in the comments. Additionally, if you like you can comment leaving your own list of books that have changed you.

In alphabetical order by title:

Christ in the Passover, by Ceil and Moishe Rosen

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J.I. Packer

Fight: A Christian Case for Non-Violence, by Preston Sprinkle

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul

House Church: Simple-Strategic-Scriptural, by Steve Atkerson

How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil, by D.A. Carson

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will, by Kevin DeYoung

I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris

Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions, by John Piper

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis

The Myth of Adolescence: Raising Responsible Children in an Irresponsible Society, by David Alan Black

Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices, by Frank Viola and George Barna

The Pilgrim Church, by E.H. Broadbent

The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan

The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God, by John Piper

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity, by Frank Viola

Through the Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot

To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson, by Courtney Anderson

When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community, by Joseph Hellerman

I Love This Hymn!

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty is one of my favorite hymns. It takes a little while to get going, but it is wonderful. My wife Alice and I like it so much that we had everyone sing it at our wedding. What a powerful piece of music this is!

Fifteen Favorite Films

Every once in a while I like to write something that has nothing to do with church stuff. Therefore, today I'm listing my fifteen favorite films. Why? The answer is simple: it's my blog and I feel like doing it.

To clarify, these are my fifteen favorites. That means they are the ones I'd most like to spend time watching. I'm not claiming that they are the fifteen best films (that should be clear by the inclusion of number 15). I'm also not saying that they should be your favorites. They are mine. This is an up-front, entirely subjective post.

With no further explanation whatsoever, here they are (linked to IMDB):

15. Napoleon Dynamite

14. Casablanca

13. Some Like it Hot

12. Luther

11. Gettysburg

10. A Beautiful Mind

9. Singin' in the Rain

8. Forrest Gump

7. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy)

6. Slumdog Millionaire

5. Gone with the Wind

4. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. The Godfather

2. Star Wars

1. Chariots of Fire (my all-time favorite)

My Ten Least Favorite Blogs

Just kidding.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0 (1 and 2)

And the top two blogs are:


2. The Voice of One Crying Out in Suburbia

Sometimes I think Arthur Sido and I were separated at birth. We agree on so many things it almost seems odd (his favorite sports teams are lacking, but no one is perfect). Regarding the church, Arthur and I have been on similar journeys. Basically, we've both read the bible, noticed inconsistencies in the church, seen that the church can be so much more than we had been a part of, and ventured into organic/simple/house church life.

That all said, I don't read Arthur's blog because he agrees with me on many things. That would be boring. Instead, I read it because Arthur is willing to take on any issue and "call a spade a spade." Arthur writes in a somewhat confrontational manner, pointing out institutional problems, abuses, and nonsensical traditions.

Arthur doesn't talk about only negatives. He does a good job of offering solutions. I appreciate a great deal both his interest in the Anabaptists and his desire for unity within the church.

Additionally, Arthur comes out of an LDS background; this gives him much wisdom in discerning and analyzing theological problems both inside and outside the church.

Read and enjoy.


1. The Assembling of the Church

Alan Knox and I first met about ten years ago when we were new students together at SEBTS. A few years later we were together at the planting of Messiah Baptist Church. We graduated together in 2006 with Masters degrees. Over this past decade I've watched Alan's views on the church change a great deal. I've also watched my own change. I'm just usually a few steps behind him.

Alan has a manner of blogging in which he writes about important topics, raises key questions, and generates much discussion. He manages to do this while at the same time being consistently gracious and not seeming to offend anyone. This is quite a skill when bringing up all sorts of church issues that usually cause folks to get upset easily.

Alan's writing has been immense. In the time that he has been blogging, he's covered almost every important issue related to church life. This is impressive considering that he has been working full-time and studying for his PhD.

When Alan began blogging, some of what he wrote bothered me. Some of it still does. However, I usually end up agreeing with him over time. This is not his intent; rather, he's just trying to be biblical. As I read scripture, I often end up coming to the same conclusions that Alan already has.

My views on the church have been deeply impacted by Alan over the years. I look forward to reading more in the years to come.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0 (3 and 4)

4. Simply Church

Felicity Dale writes about simple/organic church in a humble and wise manner. Calling upon years of experience in simple church planting and discipling, her blog focus is the positives that come from this sort of church life. Instead of pointing out the problems in the institution, Felicity spends her time almost solely on issues related to simple church.

This blog is refreshing because of the author's knowledge. She and her husband Tony have been part of organic living for many years. This leads to many blog posts that speak directly to real world things that have happened to them, both good and bad. For those of us who are relatively new to simple church concepts, her blog is a gold mine.

Additionally, Felicity's posts generally have a missional component to them. She is not content to simply follow the biblical model of church gatherings, but also strives to live out the Great Commission through the church. View her books here.

This blog is a great help to anyone interested in simple church.


3. Albert Mohler

Mohler is the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS). That fact might scare some off from reading this blog. It shouldn't.

Dr. Mohler's blog focus is generally the intersection of biblical principles with broader culture. He often blogs about the conflict between cultural norms and biblical teachings. I appreciate his stance on issues such as creation, homosexuality, marriage, and politics. Mohler in particular defends the gospel against the poison that is liberal "Christianity."

Mohler is a gifted writer and avid reader. He's written several books.

It might seem that a seminary president would spend most of his time blogging about denominational types of issues. If that was the case with Mohler, I wouldn't bother with his blog. However, since his focus is topics that impact the entire church, I take the time to read.

As Justin Taylor's blog is a sort of evangelical news feed, Mohler's blog keeps me up to date on the latest key cultural issues.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0 (5 and 6)

We continue today with:


6. Jon's Journey

Jon dares to ask questions that you aren't supposed to ask. That's the primary reason why his blog comes in so high on this list. He doesn't just challenge silly aspects of the institution, but also inquires about issues that many of us think are settled. This frequently makes me more than a little uncomfortable, but it also makes his blog worthwhile.

Jon has been writing a series recently on baptism. As usual, he asks good questions.

He even dares to call into question the penal nature of Christ's atonement. On this particular issue, I disagree strongly with Jon's conclusions. However, I admire his willingness to ask the question.

If I thought Jon was simply asking questions for the sake of asking questions, I would not bother reading. If I thought he was some sort of heretic, I wouldn't spend the time on his blog. However, his questions seem genuine and come from one who loves Christ.

If you like a good conversation and being made a little uneasy, take a look.


5. Between Two Worlds

Justin Taylor's blog keeps me up to date on all significant happenings within the evangelical institution. The author posts several times per day, often linking to interesting stories and happenings. I view his blog as a sort of news feed on the broader American church.

Taylor writes from a Reformed perspective; therefore, his links often focus on that segment of the church. I somewhat sympathize with this (I'm Reformed in soteriology but not ecclesiology).

Although I often disagree with his conclusions about church issues, the information he presents is helpful. In particular, I like to know about new books being published by various writers; since Taylor works at Crossway, he frequently blogs about this.

A word of caution: Taylor's blog is part of the Gospel Coalition blogs. These bloggers for the most part are staunch defenders of the core aspects of the institution. Most of their blog commenters are the same. Therefore, if you leave a comment on Taylor's blog, or one of the others, that challenges the institution, be prepared to be quickly criticized.

Think of this blog as an evangelical/primarily Reformed news site.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0 (7 and 8)

The countdown continues:


8. Dave Black Online

Keeping with the seminary theme from yesterday, Dave Black's blog comes in at number eight. Dr. Black is a New Testament and Greek professor at SEBTS. I had the privilege of taking a class from him that focused on the gospel of Mark in Greek. Dr. Black is an interesting individual with a varied background. He was born in Hawaii, did his doctoral studies in Switzerland, and now lives on and runs an operational farm in rural southern Virginia. He is a prolific writer.

Dave's blog is as varied as his background. He writes on all sorts of things ranging from farming and gardening to surfing and the church. His greatest passion, however, is world missions. He and his wife visit Ethiopia a few times each year to both minister to Christians and witness to the lost. It is clear that the Great Commission is a driving force in Dr. Black's life.

Dr. Black just announced on his blog that he's going to soon be taking a break from blogging. I both understand and admire it. However, in my own self-interest I hope his blog break doesn't last too long.


7. Beyond Evangelical

Like Dave Black, Frank Viola has had a significant impact upon my life. The difference is that while I spent time with Dr. Black, I've never met Frank. Despite this, his influence has affected me deeply. This has come in the form of his writings. In glancing at my bookshelf, I realize that I've read seven of his books. Three in particular have challenged my thinking about what the church is and how it should function (Pagan Christianity?, Reimagining Church, and From Eternity to Here).

On his blog, Frank writes a good deal about both organic church life and personal spiritual growth. The specific topics are somewhat varied. Frank's writings are challenging because he asks hard questions and seeks biblical answers. If you are willing to think outside the evangelical box, then this is an excellent blog for you.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0 (9 and 10)

And so it begins. The following are numbers 10 and 9 from my blog Top Ten List.


10. John Armstrong

John's blog is a fascinating and challenging one to me (you'll see that theme running throughout this entire list). This blog focuses explicitly and primarily on ecumenism within the church. John's desire is to see growing unity in the body of Christ.

I appreciate that John refers to himself as a "missional-ecumenist." He literally is on mission to foster increased dialog and resultant unity of the church.

I have mixed emotions about this blog. For the most part I loudly applaud John's work toward oneness of the body. However, I also think the author has a tendency to downplay significant theological differences between groups of Christians (for example Protestants and Catholics). That may be a bit unfair of me. It may be that because of John's emphasis on unity, it only appears that he minimizes what are real roadblocks to unity (such as different understandings of the gospel itself).

Much of the theological blogosphere focuses on differences within the church. My blog is certainly not immune to that. It is refreshing to read a blog where the main theme is unity. We would all benefit from more blogs like John's.


9. Between the Times

BTT is the official blog of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (where I attended). A first glance, the idea of a seminary blog might seem stuffy and boring. Some undoubtedly are. BTT is different.

The reason I like BTT is that it focuses a great deal on application. The main thrust at Southeastern is the Great Commission. Therefore, the authors at BTT (various professors) write a great deal about living out the Christian life in the world and carrying the gospel to the ends of it.

I also enjoy the fact that while BTT gets involved in SBC issues, it tends to take a balanced, level-headed approach. Unlike some other seminaries, jumping into in-house Southern Baptist fights is not a focus at BTT.

As with any other blog, I don't agree with all that is written at BTT (in fact, I only agree with this blogger all the time). However, for being a blog that is based in the institution, BTT dares to push the edges of the envelope at times. The authors do not give the sense of being locked in theological towers. Rather, they are clearly living in the real world.

If you have any desire to read a seminary blog, this is a good one.

My Ten Favorite Blogs 2.0

A few years ago I wrote a series of posts about my favorite blogs. Things have obviously changed in my life quite a bit since then. Therefore, I thought it would be at least semi-interesting to revisit my blog Top Ten List.

Disclaimer: this is entirely subjective. Most of the blogs focus to one degree or another on church issues. Some of the blogs I agree with most of the time. Others I don't. All are thought-provoking.

On Monday-Friday I'll count down from #10 to #1, with each day's post highlighting two blogs.

My Top Ten Favorite Hymns

Yesterday I briefly posted about one of my favorite hymns. That got me thinking about other hymns that I love. After a moderate amount of time and effort, I've come up with a top ten list of my favorites. Each is in link form to a youtube video of it being sung.

Here's the list, from tenth to first:


10. Amazing Grace

9. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

8. Crown Him With Many Crowns

7. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

6. It is Well With My Soul

5. For All the Saints

4. There is a Fountain

3. A Mighty Fortress is Our God

2. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

1. And Can it Be?


I suppose it is appropriate in some way that my favorite hymn, And Can it Be?, was written by Charles Wesley. I was raised in the Wesleyan denomination and frequently attended church services in a college chapel named after John and Charles Wesley. Even through I now reject the Arminian bent of Wesleyan theology, I am thankful for the Wesleys' work for the Kingdom.

What do you think? What are your favorite hymns?

"Think"

I'm looking forward to reading this new book by John Piper that arrived at my house yesterday. I know it's trendy to like Piper - so be it. The topic is an important one: how our thinking relates to our love of God.



I'm reminded of what Paul wrote to the Philippian Christians in 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Nice Remake of "And Can It Be?"

My Favorite Chorus

"All I Have is Christ" by Sovereign Grace Music.

My Favorite Hymn

"And Can it Be?" by Charles Wesley

Who's On Your Blogroll?

If you have a blog (and you should), you most likely have a blogroll.

I keep my blogroll where it is so I can keep track of what various bloggers are discussing. My blogroll is purposely eclectic in order to be challenging to what what I believe. It would be terribly boring if everyone on your blogroll either agreed with you all the time or always wrote about what you write about.

I've been stretched a GREAT deal by many of the articles and posts I've read from those on my blogroll. Stretching is not comfortable; however, it is usually good.

Do all your favorite blogs fall into the same category? If they do, you may be in danger of not being able to see outside of a tunnel of your own making.

My encouragement to you is to read at least some blogs that will challenge what you believe and how you live. Some of the bloggers below hold various positions I disagree with in areas of theology, the church, pastoral ministry, the family, interaction with culture, education, worship, missions, etc. Despite our disagreements, I still enjoy reading what they have to say.

When you read people you disagree with, this actually helps in the area of unity. The reason is as follows. When you read about a position (whatever it is) and the reasoning behind it, you are more likely to understand why the person came to their conclusion. In doing this, their position will probably seem much more reasonable to you than it did before. Additionally, you may learn that what they believe and what you believe are less different than you thought. Most important, you will probably come to the conclusion that the existing differences are not at all worth dividing over (unless they are a gospel issue itself).

Here are the blogs on my blogroll and the main categories they fit into (many fit into more than one category, but for the sake of this post, I'm limiting them to one):

Church

Assembling of the Church

Caesura

Crying Out in Suburbia

Participatory Church Gatherings

Pure Church

Reimagining Church

Worship Matters

Culture

Albert Mohler

Answers in Genesis

Challies.com

Dave Black Online

Native Pilgrim

Truth in Love

Family

Caroline's Thoughts

Thinking as a Woman

Vic and Charlotte's Web Log

Humor

Calvinistic Cartoons

Seminary

Between the Times

Missions @ Southeastern

Theology

Between Two Worlds

Desiring God

Ligonier

Micah 7

Seeking to Glorify

συνεσταύρωμαι

T4G

My Ten Favorite Blogs - #1

#1 - Dave Black Online

(Dave is probably not going to be thrilled about being #1.)

First, a little background: in the fall of 2005 I took a Greek class (exegesis of the book of Mark) from Dr. Black. During that class, I came to respect him a great deal. He genuinely cares about his students - both their academic knowledge and spiritual growth.

I like his blog because (in no particular order):

-He has an amazing wife who is suffering gracefully with cancer (I know he will agree with me about this.)

-He is a real farmer.

-He believes in the importance of missionary work and lives this out by going to Ethiopia a few times per year.

-He admires Robert E. Lee.

-He blogs about a wide range of topics.

-He was born in Hawaii.

-He strives to live out his Christian faith and blogs about this.

-He and his wife write excellent essays.

-He holds to biblical ecclesiology.

-He blogs frequently.

-He did his doctoral work in Switzerland (in German!).

-He posts cool photos.

-He is a constitutionalist.

-He writes lots of good books.

-He believes adolescence is a myth.

-He is a first-rate Greek scholar but remains humble.

My Ten Favorite Blogs - #2

#2 - Albert Mohler

I respect Dr. Albert Mohler because of his stand for the truth of the scriptures and for his excellent leadership as president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has taken SBTS from the verge of theological liberalism to solid Christian orthodoxy. As a bonus, he is a Calvinist.

I don't read Dr. Mohler's blog for the above reasons. I read his blog because it is, quite simply, the best blog on the interaction between culture and Christianity.

Dr. Mohler somehow finds time to research and write about moral/ethical issues that face us all. In particular, Dr. Mohler focuses upon what the bible has to say about these issues. Most of the time, he discusses topics where the secular culture has moved in one direction while the church must stand in the other.

For example, Dr. Mohler has recently posted about embryonic stem cell research, religious liberty and Islam, gender issues, dogs in worship, fertility and economics, unhappy feminists, parents obeying children, the symbolism and offense of the cross, and moralism and the gospel.

Dr. Mohler is the most talented "Christian cultural exegete" that I have ever read. He is my source of news on the secular culture. He also keeps me up-to-date on where the church stands on various issues.

I enjoy Dr. Mohler's consistency and unfailing adherence to scriptural authority. If you want to know what is happening and how we - as Christians - should respond, then read this blog.