Evangelism: Prime the Pump
When I was in high school I worked in landscaping: trimming hedges, mowing lawns, planting trees, hooking up decorative fountains and surrounding it with decorative rock. It was hard work, but something I enjoyed as a young man. And it provided me with a killer tan.
The owner of the business lived on a farm that had a well. This wasn't a bucket on a rope well; it was equipped with a pump. And if you've ever pumped water from a well you know that the pump never works right away. You have to "prime the pump" by cranking the lever a few times. A pump that hasn't been used for a while is full of air from the pump down closer to water level. It takes a couple of pumps on the handle for the water to fill the tube that delivers it above ground. It's those first couple of pumps that bring the water to ground level and to usefulness.
As missionaries and evangelists for the supplier of living water, we have to prime the pump in our own hearts so that we are ready to tell all of our King. We need Gospel-readiness and Spirit-reliance right there at ground level. We need to battle with sin and push back against apathy. Evangelism is one of those things that takes God-confidence, courage, and risk. We need a heart that has been primed through dying to self, a reoriented life, a renewed mind, fixing our eyes on Jesus, filled with His Spirit, meditating on His Word, loving Him with all our strength.
Too often we haven't prayed as we should and wrestled with our fleeting emotions, doubts, and timidity. We haven't developed a state of readiness and anticipation. We won't dispense living water efficiently and effectively unless we prime the pump of our hearts, remembering who God is, what God has done, who we are, and what God has called us to do. We need daily motivation for Gospel-readiness.
When we drink from the stream of living water at the outset of our day, and throughout our day, we've already brought it to ground level and are ready to point others to it. We will not only find our thirst quenched, but we will be motivated by our own satisfaction in Jesus Christ to help others to quench their thirst.
What do you do to prime the pump for evangelism? What resources do you use other than Scripture?
Apr 26, 2013 11:06:17 AM | Apologetics & Evangelism, Evangelism & Apologetics
Junip | "Line of Fire"
This may end up being my song of the year. I can't stop listening to it. Junip's "Line of Fire" is streaming free below, and you can download it free. Their new, self-titled album is excellent. Grab it. It just released today!
Apr 23, 2013 5:09:27 PM | Music
Jesus Wants My Heart by Daniel Renstrom
I'm listening to Daniel Renstrom's new album, Jesus Wants My Heart. It's a family worship album of songs that kids and parents will both enjoy. enjoy singing together. I can tell you that right off the bat I was singing along. A wonderful balance of Gospel and theology in song.
Here are five things Daniel hopes this album will do. Go Read more at Daniel's blog.
I hope that families will have rich theological discussions because of the songs on JWMH.
I hope that families have fun listening to these songs.
I hope that these songs give your kids good categories to love God and fight sin.
I hope that these songs help parents fulfill Deuteronomy 6:6-7.
I hope these songs will have evangelistic fruit.
There are songs Renstrom wrote and some hymns. I think you will love it.
Apr 23, 2013 4:03:32 PM | Family, Music
Greg Thornbury | Books & Culture Interview
Joe Thorn & I got to hang out with Greg Thornbury, our friend and author of Recovering Classic Evangelicalism (also Kindle | WTS), just before this interview with John Wilson, the editor of Books & Culture. A good, short discussion on evangelicalism and Carl Henry and "swagger." I hope many read this book. (via Crossway)
Gregory Thornbury discusses "Recovering Classic Evangelicalism" w/ John Wilson from Crossway on Vimeo.
Apr 23, 2013 12:00:40 PM | Books, Theology
The Parent You Imagined You Would Be
Unfortunately, this is how a lot of us think. But it still makes me laugh out loud. Do you sometimes find yourself viewing your kids this way?
Apr 18, 2013 12:14:42 PM | Parenting
Junip | Streaming Free
I am loving the new, self-titled Junip album. It's streaming free at Pitchfork. It's about time a 2013 album took my breath away. You can buy it next Tuesday. (HT: Brent Thomas' genius ears).
C.S. Lewis Books | CHEAP For Kindle
A bunch of C.S. Lewis books are cheap for your Kindle...
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold ($2.24)
On Stories: And Other Essays On Literature ($2.51)
The World's Last Night: And Other Essays ($2.51)
Of Other Worlds: Essays & Stories ($2.51)
A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis ($2.51)
All My Road Before Me: The Diary Of C.S. Lewis, 1922-1927 ($2.99)
The Four Loves ($2.24)
Letters To Malcolm: Chiefly On Prayer ($2.51)
Surprised By Joy: The Shape Of My Early Life ($2.24)
Reflections On The Psalms ($2.24)
The Business Of Heaven: Daily Readings From C.S. Lewis ($2.51)
Present Concerns ($2.51)
Poems ($2.51)
Apr 16, 2013 3:30:24 PM | Books, Kindle
Stream New Phoenix Album, Bankrupt!
Stream the new album from Phoenix: Bankrupt! now through iTunes.
It's out next week. Click on album cover or here to listen free.
Apr 16, 2013 12:45:02 PM | Music
"Deafening Silence" & Kermit Gosnell
If I told you that in a small building, in a major metropolitan city, within a state of these United States of America there were over 100 children born into this world and then summarily executed, would you expect there to be a national outcry? Would you expect that there would be candle vigils outside this ghastly and horrific place? Would you expect that our President would call a press conference and ask the nation to be in prayer? Would you expect this to be the subject of discussion over the water cooler at work? Would you expect it to be the main story on the nightly news, the front cover of your daily newspaper, the lead story on NPR, and the subject of call-in talk radio shows? If you would expect this, then your expectations would be unrealized. Our country is in the midst of a national crisis, a crisis of conscience, a crisis of avoidance, and a crisis of morality. And the response is deafening silence.
Read more at Kevin DeYoung's blog from guest blogger Jason Helopoulos
Apr 12, 2013 12:05:26 PM | In the News
Kindle Books on Sale 4.9.13
Center Church | Tim Keller ($5.99)
Preaching & Preachers | Martyn Lloyd-Jones ($3.99)
Jesus the Son of God | D.A. Carson ($3.99)
Scandalous | D.A. Carson ($4.99)
Loving the Way Jesus Loves | Phil Ryken ($4.99)
Dangerous Calling | Paul David Tripp ($5.99)
A Meal With Jesus | Tim Chester ($3.99)
Historical Theology | Gregg Allison ($5.99)
Entrusted with the Gospel - from 2009 Gospel Coalition ($4.99)
The Gospel as Center - the 14 Gospel Coalition booklets in one book ($5.99)
The Church Planting Wife | Christine Hoover ($4.99)
The Good News We Almost Forgot | Why We Love The Church | Just Do Something | Kevin DeYoung ($4.99 each)
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals | John Piper ($4.39)
The Gospel & Personal Evangelism | Mark Dever ($3.99)
Creature of the Word | Matt Chandler, Eric Geiger, Josh Patterson ($3.49)
Counterfeit Gospels | Trevin Wax ($4.99)
Gospel ($3.49) & Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart ($4.39) | JD Greear
Apr 9, 2013 5:19:43 PM | Books, Kindle
New Music Tuesday | Oblivion Soundtrack
I'm no expert on soundtracks and scores, though there are some I just love. Part of the reason some are so appealing to me is they are cohesive and I occasionally find one that is a joy to play as I work, write, study, etc. One new soundtrack that fits my tastes and is by a band I just love, M83, is the Oblivion Soundtrack. I have no idea if the movie is any good, and at this point I don't care. I'm just enjoying the sounds as I work. And it's only $5 for a short time! Go get it.
Apr 9, 2013 11:08:42 AM | Music
$5 Albums | April 2013
If you haven't seen them yet, here are some albums you need to check out that are only $5 right now!
Foxygen: We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic | I have been listening to this one a lot lately.
The Avett Brothers: The Carpenter
The XX: Coexist
Phosphorescent: Muchacho
Tegan & Sara: The Con
The White Stripes: Icky Thump
Dan Deacon: America
The Black Keys: Magic Potion
Metric: Synthetica
Animal Collective: Centipede Hz
Pearl Jam: Vs
Apr 8, 2013 1:16:17 PM | Music
Streaming FREE Albums 4.8.13
Iron & Wine: Ghost on Ghost | Whoa. A whole different sound. Interested in your feedback.
The Flaming Lips: The Terror | "Sounding almost post-apocalyptic in its scabrous, searching bleakness — Coyne himself describes the album as "disturbing"..." Yikes.
The Shouting Matches: Grownass Man | Includes Justin Vernon of Bon Iver playing mostly falsetto-less blues-rock. I hear Wilco, Black Keys, & other flavors here. This isn't your hipsters' Justin Vernon. And it may be impossible for this to have been recorded in a rural cabin. Check it out.
The Knife: Shaking the Habitual | One of my favorite, creepy, beat-centric bands. Get ready for quirk.
Apr 8, 2013 12:03:32 PM | Music
Cheap Kindle Books 4.5.13
Some fantastic books are cheap on Kindle right now...
The Church Planting Wife | Christine Hoove ($4.99) - please go buy this!
Glorious Ruin | Tullian Tchivijian ($4.49)
The Deep Things Of God | Fred Sanders ($3.82)
Gopsel | JD Greear ($3.99)
Apr 5, 2013 8:56:50 AM | Books, Church, Church Planting, Gospel, Pastoring & Leadership
Mako Fujimura | Top 5 Books on Creativity
I love Makoto Fujimura's art and reading his thoughts on art, in his book Refractions and elsewhere. Mako lists and gives some comment on his five favorite books on creativity at Christianity Today. Read his comments each book there, but here's his list...
The Gift: Creativity & The Artist In The Modern World | Lewis Hyde
On Beauty & Being Just | Elaine Scarry
Walking On Water: Reflections On Faith & Art | Madeleine L'Engle
The Mind of the Maker | Dorothy Sayers
Four Quartets | T.S. Eliot
Apr 3, 2013 6:05:42 PM | Art/Literature/Poetry, Books
National Poetry Month 2013
It's here again! Always look forward to National Poetry Month (NPM). It's a good yearly reminder to consider our words and make the most of them. May our words be pregnant with meaning! It's a good reminder to see the world thorugh a poet's eyes. In a world of abbreviations, texting, and Twitter we would do good to say more with less. And it would be good in the hustle of life to slow down and digest something beautiful in slow meditation, seeing every word in its place and with its purpose.
Who are some poets you like? It's ok if you don't know the book sort. What songwriters do you like?
For more info on National Poetry Month, go to The Academy of American Poets website (Poets.org) (also Twitter | Facebook). They founded NPM in 1996.
Apr 1, 2013 5:33:02 PM | Art/Literature/Poetry
New Albums Streaming FREE 4.1.13
Besnard Lakes: Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO | Yucky title that probably has some really important meaning (?)...but I love this dreamy, ambient rock goodness
Kurt Vile: Wakin On A Pretty Daze | I dig it
The Black Angels: Indigo Meadows
Caveman: Caveman
The Lovely Wild: The Sun As It Comes
Keller | Four Kinds Of People
In Tim Keller's excellent expository guide to Galatians says there are four kinds of people concerning works & the law. I'll give you his categories with a very short explanation. Check out Galatians For You (Amazon, Kindle, WTS) starting on page 117 for a fuller explanation.
Law-obeying, law-relying | "Under the law," often smug, self-righteous, superior. Sensitive to criticism despite outward confidence. "Pharisees." They go to church.
Law-disobeying, law-relying | Strong works-righteousness, but not living consistently. May go to church, but on periphery b/c of low spiritual self-esteem. Guilt-ridden.
Law-disobeying, not law-relying | Secular & relativistic. Vague spirituality. Choose own moral standards & insist they are meeting them. Earn salvation by feeling superior to others.
Law-obeying, not law-relying | Understand the Gospel and living out the freedom of it. More tolerant than #3, more confident than #2, more sympathetic than #1. Still struggle to live out #4 and see the world as a #1, #2, or #3.
Mar 26, 2013 9:10:20 AM | Books, Gospel, Theology, Tim Keller
Raised?
Jonathan Dodson's new book is out, and it's free, and it's just in time for Easter: Raised?: Doubting the Resurrection. As you go download it for Kindle, iBooks, or as a PDF (or all three, like I did)...comment and share your favorite books on the resurrection.
Mar 25, 2013 6:15:51 PM | Books, Theology
Creature of the Word | The Mission Chasm
If the church leaders say to people, "Living on mission in our city is vital," yet they rarely if ever offer opportunities for people to serve the city, then a chasm exists between how the leaders see the church and how others see her.
Creature of the Word (Kindle, WTS Bookstore), by Chandler, Patterson, & Geiger, pg 97.
Mar 21, 2013 3:55:49 PM | Apologetics & Evangelism, Books, Church, Evangelism & Apologetics, Missional
New Music Tuesday 3.19.13
Several significant albums released today. I wanted to point out the ones I recommend you check out. There are even more than these I'm checking out but don't know well enough to recommend for you. This week I'm struggling to choose which to buy. I want all of these, and maybe a couple more. A good problem to have!
Low: The Invisible Way | One of my favorite bands with what sounds like is another great album. Highly recommend you check Low out. Many good reviews too.
Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience | Before you roll your eyes, Pitchfork gives it 8.4/10. I think JT has been making some of the best, coolest, most fun pop music around...and that was 7 years ago. Now finally with a new album, we get one of the most interesting, engaging, funny, and talented performers of our time with fresh lungs and sounds. Enjoy!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Specter at the Feast | $5 right now. A bit of return to form to earlier albums I really loved. Paste: 8/10. I think this is a band often overlooked and who should have a wider appeal.
Phosophorescent: Muchacho | Getting great reviews. Pitchfork 8.8/10. I heard this streaming free and really liked it and will be picking it up.
Anais Mitchell & Jefferson Hamer: Child Ballads | Not "ballads for children," but Celtic & British ballads compiled by Francis James Child. You'll struggle to find an album more thoroughly beautiful this week.
Stornoway: Tales from Terra Firma | Wonderful acoustic, folksy sounds. Very interested in this one.
Woodkid: The Golden Age | Fascinating sounds, from haunting vocals and to a visual quality to the music. It's engaging. Reminds me of Antony & the Johnsons as well as my album of the year a couple of years ago, The Poison Tree.
Les Miserables Soundtrack (Deluxe Edition) | If you can't stop singing it (see: my wife and daughter), this 42 track double album is the whole dealio. A must for lovers of the film/musical.
Mar 19, 2013 11:59:51 AM | Music
Vampire Weekend | "Diane Young" & "Step"
If this is the new direction of Vampire Weekend, I'm in! These two songs have me all worked up over the awesomeness. New album, Modern Vampires of the City, out in May. Here's "Diane Young" and "Step."
Mar 18, 2013 3:39:32 PM | Music
Music Monday 3.18.13
Here are albums streaming free this week that I think are worth checking out...
Julian Lynch: Lines | I'm listening to this now, and it's fascinating. Electric folk Americana something. I hear Sufjan influence. Really digging it.
Wavves: Afraid of Heights
DJ Koze: Amygdala
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Specter at the Feast
Low: The Invisible Way (out tomorrow, I will be buying it)
Josh Garrels is still giving away 5 albums FREE.
Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater covers Roy Orbison's "It's Over" in the Texas outdoors. If you don't know Jonathan's work (with Okkervil River too), you should check it out. I still think Palo Santo is his best work. Covering Orbison is hard work, but well done by JM.
Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater plays "It's Over" by Roy Orbison
Josh Garrels | 5 Free Albums
This is so good. Josh Garrels, the dude who made the excellent 2011 album Love & War & The Sea In Between (my #5 of 2011), is giving away his five albums free. FREE, I say. All "tips" go to World Relief, so don't be afraid to give if you have the means. This is a really cool thing for Josh to do!
Lots-o-Links 3.13.13
Sam Storms has a new blog, is on Twitter, and you can "Like" on Facebook. It's a trifecta of Stormsian awesomeness!
I got a Maglus Stylus for my iPad (and one for Joe) and it's great! I've tried several now, and it's the best I've used. Joe told me today he's loving his too. Not only is the tip wonderfully responsive with minimal pressure, but the fact it's magnetized makes it almost impossible to forget. PLUS, if you click here you can get yours for 10% off. I seriously hope many will try this one out. LOVE it.
Serving Without Sinking is another book put out by The Good Book Company that I look forward to reading. Actually Molly might beat me to it. It looks quite helpful for those in ministry needing to not merely do our job, but to find delight in our service to Christ.
Eugene Peterson: Living the Resurrection is $1.99 for Kindle.
If you haven't seen it yet, I really hope wives of church planters, pastors' wives, and wives of men in all sorts of ministries buy and read The Church Planting Wife. Molly has been so blessed through it.
Mar 13, 2013 6:24:29 PM | Blogs & Sites, Books, Kindle, Mac/iPad/Apple, Pastoring & Leadership
Studly Stylus for My Best Buddy
UPDATE 4.3.13: I paid full price, but you can get 10% off by using this link! Get it.
I get to spend some time with my buddy, Joe Thorn, today. I'm giving him the Maglus Stylus so we can match. Matching is very manly. It's hardly going to make up for him organizing to get me a MacBook Pro & iPad, but should make his life a little better.
I've been using it for a few days and love it. If you are in the market for a stylus, you can go from very cheap to very expensive with various results. I have a couple of cheaper ones around for when I can't find anything else, but this is the one I want with me. Check out the reviews of the Maglus along with a bunch of others at The Verge. Really helpful videos are what sold me on this one.
Mar 12, 2013 8:00:00 AM | Mac/iPad/Apple
STREAMING FREE | Low: The Invisible Way
Stream Low: The Invisible Way | One of my favorite bands, one of my favorite styles of music (slow, heavy, thoughtful). You need to check this one out. Some background from NPR Music...
In 20 years, Low's basic ingredients haven't changed much: Guitarist Alan Sparhawk and drummer Mimi Parker swap and sometimes layer their vocals, with a third member joining the married couple on bass. The pace, for the most part, is kept deliberate, even glacial, with strategically deployed silence hanging between notes in order to enhance their power. Low songs don't often change tempo noticeably, instead achieving tension through variations in volume.
But that seemingly limited framework still provides ample room for experimentation: Low can be a sweetly chiming pop band, or it can seethe and unsettle with an almost industrial buzz. It can express emotion by drawing out the barest fragment of a phrase, or it can expound thoughtfully on life, death, secrecy, war and the way humanity collides with itself.
Low's 10th full-length studio album, The Invisible Way, was produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, who avoids any temptation to radically stretch the Minnesota band's boundaries. But he wisely dials up the interplay between Sparhawk and Parker — who's too often underutilized on Low records — while letting bits of piano and spare percussive rumbles provide the portent. "So Blue" and "Just Make It Stop" give The Invisible Way a bit of a jolt by laying Parker's vocals atop unusually jumpy arrangements, but most of these songs land squarely in that sweet spot where darkness and worry are swathed in pristine beauty.
Keller | Questions for Sleepy or Nominal Christians
Helpful post today from Tim Keller on revival and the Spirit's work on sleepy and nominal Christians. Here's a teaser...
So how do you wake up sleepy Christians and convert nominal Christians? Let me give you what I would call my modernized American versions of the kinds of questions I would ask people if I was trying to get them to really think about whether or not they know Christ. These questions are adapted from The Experience Meeting by William Williams, based on the Welsh revivals during the Great Awakening. He would ask people to share about these types of questions in small group settings each week...
Have you been finding Scripture to be alive and active? Instead of just being a book, do you feel like Scripture is coming after you?
You are going to have to go to Tim Keller's blog to read the rest of the questions. This is an issue near and dear to me as I think there are few things more important for the American church than to work for the conversion of "Christians." You have to ask questions that will show them who they are, and who they aren't.
Mar 11, 2013 2:33:29 PM | Apologetics & Evangelism, Evangelism & Apologetics, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Revival, Tim Keller
The Church Planting Wife
There has been no other book that I've been this thankful for, concerning my wife. She has been deeply affected by reading and meditating on The Church Planting Wife by Christine Hoover. I'm writing with her permission
Our marriage hasn't been the same since she started reading it. That's no overstatement. She's understood her role better, my role better, God's perspective and love and grace better, etc. I can't even describe the full impact this book has already had on her, and me. What I can describe is that I (as the husband) feel more encouraged by her, understood, helped, cared for, and loved. Sorry to be so vague as there are specific things I can point to, but I want to allow her to continue to process this book.
I asked Molly to provide me with a quote in the book or something to post, and she left me somewhere around 20 quotes...as the ones she would single out for a post. I'll give you one. :) Here's a blurb from the book website about the book and a quote that has been meaningful for Molly. First, about the book...
Behind every church planter is a church planting wife, who plays an integral role in the formation of the church, who is often the sole encourager for her husband, and who juggles such an intense ministry while nurturing a family.
Because she is so crucial to the church planter and the church, church planting wives need support, encouragement, and help in their roles. They need an apt word from someone who has been there and applicable biblical wisdom that will sustain them.
Here's one of Molly's favorite quotes that has helped her refresh her calling as a church planting (or in our case, replanting) wife...
My husband has many people who care about him, respect him, and help him lead the church. But he only has one helpmate. I am the only one who listens to his deep discouragement, who satisfies his physical needs, who mothers his children, who is a constant and true companion, who protects his periods of rest, and who values his fruitfulness as much as he does.
Church planting is a "together" calling.
Molly's response to the dozens and dozens of "aha" moments in this book has been that she wishes she had this book 10 years ago before I entered a full-time pastoral work. There are not only great chapters by Hoover, but helpful interviews with church planting wives like Lauren Chandler (Matt), Ginger Vassar (JR), and Jennifer Carter (Matt).
I've already ordered a copy for a church planter friend's wife and one to have ready to give out when the opportunity presents itself. I want you to pick up a copy for your wife, your pastor's wife (even if not a planter, trust me!), or whoever could benefit from this book. I had no idea when I got this book how much it would impact my marriage in such a short period of time. I'm praying it will have a lasting impact on hundreds of other church planting wives. Molly says to read it slowly and don't rush through it. Take it in, deal with your heart.
Buy The Church Planting Wife. Also pastor/planter/replanter wives should visit and read Christine Hoover's blog, GraceCoversMe.com.
Mar 8, 2013 9:38:14 AM | Books, Church Planting, Marriage, Pastoring & Leadership
Illustrated Puritans
One of the things I love to see is when someone takes good, old books and repackages them for a new audience. We have the blessing of having so much Puritan literature in print, accessible to many. I'm excited about a new approach to publishing Puritan works: Illustrated Puritans.
The first to be published is The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes. From the publisher...
Each of these classic works features dozens of original illustrations which both complement and elevate the text. In addition, the Illustrated Puritan series provides the reader with everything needed for deep, fluid study, from wide margins, to language helps, to in-line footnotes for each scripture referenced.
One of the issues that comes up when reading the Puritans is a bit of a language barrier. It's fairly small, but still can be a turn-off. These new books explain when meanings aren't clear through clarifying in footnotes. And the illustrations fit. These aren't meant to be slick, but gritty and real. While they are done well, there's an "everyman" quality to it. As you read, the illustrations draw you in but don't overwhelm. The art points to the words rather than focusing on the art itself. It's a hard thing to do, but done well here.
I hope this new generation of Illustrated Puritans books will be picked up and read by a new generation of disciple, enriched by gospel-centered writings from great writers and preachers of our past. Go buy yourself a copy.
Mar 6, 2013 10:58:36 AM | Books, Theology
Kids Taking Notes During Sermons
A few weeks ago I emphasized to one son that it would be good to takes notes during my sermons. Now it seems to be viral. Here's a sample from my two other sons from Sunday. The backs are both covered with notes too. My 12 yr old said how much easier it is to remember what I'm saying and not have his mind wander when he takes notes. They really love letting me see what they wrote. It's a pretty cool thing. Jack (14) now is keeping a notebook of sermon notes. What do your kids do during sermons? Would love to see if any do something like this. (Click the pic to see it bigger & in more detail.)
Mar 5, 2013 2:34:23 PM | Church, Family, Parenting
Music Monday 3.4.13
Phosphorescent: Muchacho | Enjoying this one a lot
Josh Ritter: The Beast In It's Tracks
Youth Lagoon: Wondrous Bughouse
Dave Grohl & Friends: Sound City: Real to Reel
Jack White: Blunderbuss ($5)
Low: C'Mon ($5)
Langhorne Slim & The Law: The Way We Move ($5)
Josh Ritter: The Animal Years ($5) | Put "Thin Blue Flame" on repeat
Beach House: Bloom ($5)
Bob Dylan: Blonde on Blonde & Blood on the Tracks ($2.99 each)
The Black Keys: Thickfreakness ($5)
Flogging Molly: Drunken Lullabies ($4.99) & Speed of Darkness ($5)
Pearl Jam: Vs ($2.99)
Mar 4, 2013 2:03:20 PM | Music
Beersplosion
If you haven't seen someone sing and break glass before, this is pretty cool. It's cool even if you have seen it! Jim Cornelison sings the National Anthem at every Chicago Blackhawks game, one of the most rousing Anthems around. Here he is singing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," starting at just the right point to show the power of his voice. Awesome.
Mar 2, 2013 5:56:00 PM | Food & Drink, Music
Tim Keller | The Grieving Sisters
Dr. Timothy Keller's third installment in the eBook series, Encounters With Jesus, is out. Go download The Grieving Sisters for $1.99. Also check out: The Skeptical Student and The Insider & The Outcast. These are coming out monthly.
About the Encounters With Jesus Series | "Those who met Jesus were often profoundly affected by their conversations with him. In his Encounters with Jesus series, Timothy Keller, pastor of New York's Redeemer Presbyterian Church and New York Times bestselling author of The Reason for God, explores these conversations to show how they can still change our lives today."
If you don't have it, I highly recommend the Kindle Paperwhite. Or you can download the book and read it for free on various Kindle apps for your computer, phone, or tablet.
Mar 2, 2013 12:07:16 PM | Apologetics & Evangelism, Books, Kindle, Tim Keller
"Father & Son" by Jack McCoy
My two older kids make some great art. Jack (14) just freehanded this on his Bamboo Create Tablet. And I asked him, to be sure, and it wasn't in response to our particular "Father & Son" relationship. :) Going to public school shows you the adversarial nature of too many fathers with their sons, and sons with their fathers.
Mar 2, 2013 10:49:58 AM | Art/Literature/Poetry
Page CXVI ... ALL SONGS FREE!
To celebrate their 7 year anniversary (of making great remakes of hymns), Page CXVI is giving away their entire catalog. By the way, that includes all their music from their other band, The Autumn Film.
That's 74 free songs, folks! Amazing. Go now! It's a staple in my house!
Mar 1, 2013 11:44:06 AM | Music, Worship
Today Only: $1.99 Album Sale
The Lone Bellow: The Lone Bellow | At the least, GET THIS ONE!
Passion Pit: Gossamer
Tegan & Sara: Heartthrob
Fiona Apple: The Idler Wheel
Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day
Band Of Horses: Mirage Rock | Don't own, but like earlier stuff.
Aerosmith: Greatest Hits
Frank Sinatra: Sinatra At The Sands
Feb 26, 2013 3:44:41 PM | Music
Music Monday | Streaming Free 2.25.13
New music streaming free from some artists I've enjoyed in previous albums...
Josh Ritter: The Beast In Its Tracks
Cloud Cult: Love
Avett Brothers | 2 Songs on Fallon
This is one of the most hopeful signs concerning the "popular version" of the Avett Brothers vs. the pre-popular version. Once they started shooting for and reaching the national stage, their music became slightly over-produced and less punk-awesome and screamo-fun. That's a lot of hyphens. In a bit of a return to form, I give you the band that bandwagon fans (not a put down) might have never heard. These guys rock, and everyone needs to know it. Crank. It. Up.
What Generous Friends Do...
Sometimes your friends can just knock your socks off. Thanks to those who shocked me with this gift (and more!) on Sunday. Love you guys!
Feb 18, 2013 6:41:12 PM | Miscellaneous
Jack's (14) Sermon Notes - Ezekiel 37:1-14
My 14 year old son, Jack, was sitting next to me just before I stood up to preach at Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois this past Sunday. Just as I was getting up I gave him a bulletin and told him to use the space on the front to take notes. I thought it would be fun to see what he wrote. This is what he gave me after. It's very cool. I had a version on Instagram, but I thought I should make it bigger and more readable.
Feb 18, 2013 3:09:22 PM | Preaching, Scripture
Ezekiel: Creative & Forceful Prophet
Ezekiel's rhetorical agenda is clear: to transform his audience's (the exiles') perceptions of their relationship with Yahweh and ultimately to change their behavior. But how does he seek to get his message across? That the prophet is portrayed almost like a puppet, with Yahweh pulling all the strings, might lead one to expect a bland and routine answer to this question. But the opposite is the case. In my view, no other prophet is so creative in his presentation of his mesage, and none is as forceful. The rhetorical strategies reflected in this collection are both visual and aural, all designed to penetrate the hardened minds of his hearers.
Daniel Block, NICOT, The Book of Ezekiel: Chapters 1-24, pg 15 (also see Chapters 25-48 volume)
Feb 15, 2013 9:34:16 AM | Books, Scripture, Theology
Giveaway | Tim Keller on Galatians
UPDATE: Winners announced! Jonathan Smith, corey Sosebee, Jim Upchurch, Michael Battenfield, and Ronnie Batchelor. Please email me (pastorsteve [at] gmail [dot] com) your mailing address and I will make sure you get your books! Congratulations! If you didn't win (for some of you...again), keep your eyes peeled. I do regular giveaways here at Reformissionary.
Tim Keller's new expository guide to Galatians, Galatians For You, is out today. Along with it is a Good Book Guide on Galatians called Galatians: Gospel Matters. It's a seven week study guide for individuals and groups. The fine folks at TheGoodBook.com have outdone themselves by giving me several copies to give away. More on that below, as well as how you enter to win. First, a bit about the books:
About Galatians For You...
First in a new series of expository guides to the Bible, Timothy Keller's Galatians For You walks you through the book of Galatians, showing how the gospel message changes the whole of our lives.
Combining a close attention to the detail of the text with Timothy Keller's trademark gift for clear explanation and compelling insights, this resource will both engage your mind and stir your heart.
About Galatians: Gospel Matters study guide...
This seven-study guide by Timothy Keller will excite Christians about the gospel, and apply it to every aspect of their lives.
Gospel Matters takes us to the heart of a dispute of eternal significance. The Galatian church was torn between the view that their efforts saved them, and the gospel, which told them that it was Christ's work, not theirs, that mattered. The choice still confronts us today making this a hugely relevant and exciting book to study.
I'm giving away these great books in 5 pairs (5 readers will get both!). So cool. By the way, I've been using the Galatians For You book as I preach through Galatians, and I'm halfway through. But it's written with the average Christian in mind and is suited for any of my readers. So good.
Simple to enter...
1. Tweet (post to Facebook if you aren't on Twitter, or do both!) without the quote marks: " Win Tim Keller's two new books on Galatians FREE! RT & comment at Reformissionary to enter: http://bit.ly/TKgalbks "
2. Comment below with where you shared it (so I can confirm you did step 1) with your real name and real email (kept private).For Fun in the comments, guess how many books (or volumes) on my desk are by or about Martin Luther. Hint: It's more than zero. :)
I will use Random.org to pick 5 winners tomorrow (Wednesday) evening after 5pm central time. May the odds be ever in your favor!
(If you can't wait, I highly recommend you go purchase them now. Buy the book here and get the study guide free. Or buy only the book here at a deep discount.)
Feb 12, 2013 11:15:11 AM | Books, Theology, Tim Keller
Dane Ortlund | Grace Anew
It's time to enjoy grace anew -- not the decaffeinated grace that pats us on the hand, ignores our deepest rebellions and doesn't change us, but the high-octane grace that takes our conscience by the scruff of the neck and breathes new life into us with a pardon so scandalous that we cannot help but be changed. It's time to blow aside the hazy cloud of condemnation that hands over us throughout the day with the strong wind of gospel grace. You 'are not under law but under grace' (Rom 6:14). Jesus is real; grace is defiant; life is short; risk is good. For many of us the time has come to abandon once and for all our play-it-safe, toe-dabbling Christianity and dive in. It's time, as Capon put it, to get drunk on grace -- 200-proof defiant grace.
Dane Ortlund in Defiant Grace, pages 13-14
Neil Gaiman on the Creative Life & Making Art
Neil Gaiman (Twitter), author of Coraline and a bunch more, gave a graduation speech at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He says some great things about making art. You won't agree with everything, but it's well worth checking out if you are an artist or not. I'm going to watch and discuss this with my two oldest kids (my artists). [found via]
Feb 11, 2013 7:29:53 PM | Art/Literature/Poetry, Books
Jack White at the Grammys
Two songs from Jack White at the Grammys. First, "Love Interrupted" with his all girl band. Second, "Freedom at 21" with his all guy band. So great. Best performance of the night.
Jack White - Love Interruption & Freedom At 21... by IdolxMuzic
Advice For Parenting Young Kids
There's a lot of parenting advice out there. Some is great. Much of it is lacking. Some is downright harmful. With a 16 girl driving around, two middle school boys (14 & 12 yrs old) and our youngest son in 4th grade (nearly 10 yrs old), we've experienced a lot of success & struggle in our parenting. We've gotten advice from books, other parents, pastors, and our own parents. We've taken courses on parenting and had one pastor/wife and family that we learned much from and watched closely as they did so much right (radically different than most parents we'd ever seen). I wanted to share some advice for things I feel we have learned and that not enough folks are talking about. At its core, this list is a quick mind-dump of the practical advice I want to give parents with young kids after years of doing it. By no means do we do all of this perfectly. I assume you know that already.
This is probably most ideal for parents-to-be, new parents, and parents with kids under 10 years old. This isn't exhaustive, ordered, etc. It's not my top 10. There are some crucial ones that most who read this already believe and do to some extent, so I'll assume them (read Bible, pray, etc). What I will do is give one angle on each of those rather than convince you to do it in general. And while many tips are built on biblical ideas, I'm going to talk very practically and simply and not make this merely a "from-the-Bible" list. Also, I'm not dealing much with rules vs grace, an important topic. There are many things that could be added to this list, including things I failed remember. So your comments are welcome if you'd like to share your advice.
The first handful need some extra explanation so they are understood. The rest need little explanation, but I wanted to at least mention them.
Believe Kids Are A Blessing | Our world sees kids as a burden. The Scriptures tell us they are a blessing from the Lord. In your thinking about your children, in all you do as a parent, remember & trust that God has given them to you as a blessing. It will change how you see them and how you parent them. It hopefully will even change how many of them you have. Who wouldn't want MORE blessing?
Read The Jesus Storybook Bible To Them | A tool we didn't have while the kids were really young, it would have been a staple of their Bible story diet. Honestly, it still was.
Pray With Your Kids Concerning Taking Risks | Yes, pray for needs and give them models of prayer, etc. But pray aloud with them about the kinds of risks God wants them to take. "God if my boys sees someone being bullied at school, give them strength to stop it even if it means they get hurt." Something like that. We also regularly pray that God would use them mightily, even if that means persecution, going far away as a missionary, etc.
Teach *First Time Obedience* | When Dad or Mom says do it, they do it. We are the parents. They are kids. Why is this important? Do you want them to obey God the first time, or to put it off? Also, if they don't obey us there are often major consequences in the future. Sometimes if they don't obey there are major consequences in the very near future. Example: We taught our children to *stop* when we say stop. We didn't chase them around at parties or baseball games or at the park. We say stop, they were taught to stop or face discipline. One of our kids was bad about running through parking lots on the way in to a store. Our *first time obedience* teaching probably saved his life or at least bodily harm more than once. But the everyday, simple things will create disciplined & respectful kids. It will also shock people around you and create opportunities to talk about why your parenting "works."
My pastor once had one child ask for a chip (adults were eating chips) and he said "Ok." Another of his children overheard and came over and asked for a chip. He said "No." The child, without hesitation, said "ok" and walked away. My pastor then told him to return and explained how happy he was that he was willing to trust him and obey even when it seemed unfair, and then gave him a chip. That's the power of this one rule when taught consistently.
ALSO, don't use the counting rule. When you count you are telling your kids they can delay obedience. "Johnny, get your coat on. Johnny! One...twooooo..." Not obeying now is disobedience. Period. Well, almost period...
Give Rules For Respectful Disagreement | Some call this an "appeal." Sometimes the demand of *first time obedience* lacks information that might change our parenting. Example. Me: "Kids, close your books. It's time for bed. Lights out." Daughter: "Dad, can I appeal?" or more simply, "Dad, can I finish this chapter. It's only one more page." Me, to all, "Yes. When Sarah's done, it's time for bed." I'm Dad and what I say goes, but I also realize my call to obedience can be adjusted.
Give Rules For Respectful Interruption | You are at a party or with your small group and kids are constantly saying "Dad! Dad! Dad!" You are teaching them to be the center of the universe. We tell our kids that when we are in a conversation with someone, they aren't allowed to interrupt rudely. The rule is, put your hand on my arm and I'll tell you when it's ok to interrupt. Sometimes I keep talking with someone for 45-60 seconds before I say to my son, "What do you need, buddy?" Don't let your kids interrupt rudely. You are the parent. Teach your kids to respect your conversation and the conversation of others. This will shock people too.
ALSO, when on the phone DO NOT allow your kids to interrupt you. It's very disrespectful when on the phone with someone talking about something important (or not) and their kids have no category that Mom or Dad is doing something important that shouldn't be interrupted.
Give Rules For Being Respectful in Public | My kids were not allowed to be loud or run around restaurants while people are eating. It's disrespectful. Climbing on the booth next to me and annoying those around me while I tune them out is not ok. If my kid disobeys in public, I don't discipline in public. I take them to the car and when we get back inside the restaurant (or wherever) they have changed their tune. We have had humbling and amazing comments about our parenting in restaurants. Especially older adults, grandparents, can't believe how well behaved our kids were, sitting, eating, talking in acceptable levels of loudness, not being a spectacle. The spectacle was how respectful they were to others.
The Five Minute Rule (Warning) | One of the GREAT pieces of advice was using a 5 minute rule for preparing your kids to transition. Example: Kids are playing at McDonald's Playland. We don't just say "Let's go." We give them a 5 minute warning. This, to them, is permission to play longer as well as preparation that the end is near. That way when expecting *first time obedience* we aren't creating frustrated kids who were having a blast and then had parents drop the bomb on fun time. We almost never had an issue leaving something fun while other parents struggled and yelled. Such a helpful rule. This rule also works for bedtime, before leaving for something, etc.
ALSO, after doing this for a bit all I would have to do when one of the kids would look at me from the playground is hold up my hand with 5 fingers and they would call out to each other "FIVE MINUTES!" So, so helpful.
Pre-Event Preparation/Conversation | When going to meet with other people, go to a party with other families, go to a movie, whatever, we would have a short talk in the car. It was our way of preparing the kids for what was coming as well as setting our expectations for how they would act when they arrived. Example: Heading to a small group Bible study. We'd tell the kids where we were going, to remember to say "Yes Mam" or "No Mam" when asked something, to be quiet during prayer time, to be generous and let other kids play with toys, and so on. Set them up for success by reminding them just before an event of your expectations.
Titles of Respect for Adults (No First Names) | Never, EVER, let them call an adult merely by their first name. If an adult insists, you tell them (in front of your kids is fine) that's not how you are parenting them. Don't allow others to change your parenting. This is more obvious for family (Aunt Jennifer or Grandpa), but will show much fruit for everyday interaction. A member of our church will be called "Miss Gail" or "Mr. Ryan."
Use Timers | This may be what you use as a parent or what the kids are taught to use on their own depending on age. There is no "Go watch TV" for an undetermined amount of time. You get 30 minutes (or whatever).
Sharing Is Not Requested, It's Essential | My kids would always share. That was the rule. If another kid is throwing a fit, you give it up. You take the hit. You make the peace. This wasn't about bullying, but about making it easy for the adults teaching Sunday School, babysitting, whatever.
Boys Treat Girls Differently Than Boys | Boys are to be tough and rough and playful with boys. Treat girls with a kind of respect. Hard to describe this one, but talk to your boys about how to treat girls with honor.
Play Rough & Teach Kids To Get Over It | This one has done wonders for us. I played rough with the kids. Not hurtful or harmful, but lots of wrestling, throwing kids on beds playfully, etc. I still do it, even now that they are big enough to play rough back! When you do this and then someone at church or school is a little rough with your kids they won't whine, cry, tattle. They won't act hurt for attention. Teach them to handle rough play.
ALSO, my kids were taught that they were never as hurt as they thought they were. It was almost always true. "Get up." "You're fine." "Be tough." Many parents gasp and run to their kid on the ground who really isn't hurt all that bad but loves attention. My kids were taught to get up and keep going. Elijah got hit by a very fast pitch and it hurt him bad, but he tossed his bat aside and ran to first base. Later he told me how bad it hurt, but he had learned to be tough and get over it.
Kids Sit With You In Church | Some will disagree, but we taught our kids to sit with us in church from birth onward. Some will think it impossible. It isn't. We saw others do it and we did it. They were minimal distractions at their worst and often no distraction at all. I could give you a lot of tips on this, but the main one is to demand *first time obedience*, which means disobedience draws consequences. That's also why you prepare them on the car ride before church of how they will sit quietly, etc.
Ask Your Kids To Forgive You | You will fail. Often. Tell your kids that you do, when you do, and ask their forgiveness. We've asked our kids several times to forgive us for not requiring *first time obedience* (when we've grown slack), for example.
Kiss Your Spouse In Front Of Them | It blesses your kids beyond measure to know their parents love each other and want to show it. Comforting. Brings a confidence in your marriage when many of their friends' parents are getting divorced.
Talking Back To Mom Is Talking Back To My Wife | I tell my kids that if/when they talk back to Mom, they are talking back to my wife (not merely their Mom). She was my wife before she became their Mom, and that means something.
Hugs & Kisses To Friends | Teach your kids to be affectionate with others. Just this Sunday I told my youngest two to give Miss Deb a hug before we left church. No questions, they did. We don't just hug Mom and Dad, but a lot of people.
Disagree In Front Of Your Kids | You will have to ask their forgiveness when you do it sinfully, and there are times to separate & talk when we are struggling as a couple, but it teaches your kids that no disagreement will separate us from each other. It prepares them to get married one day and see what a marriage really looks like. Messy.
Keep/Give Away | Our kids have been taught to regularly do a keep/give away day. They go through all their toys and decide what to keep and what to give away. It de-clutters things as well as teaches them how to move on, how to be generous, how to not hoard, etc.
Teach Your Kids To Sing | Music has always filled our house, and we aren't musicians or singers by any artistic standard. But singing is a part of worship and so we make it a part of life. Doesn't mean it's always worship music. Hardly. But we are singing. It's common to be working in my home office and have a child start belting out a song at the top of their lungs upstairs. It teaches them to be loud in public worship singing too.
Teach Your Kids God Loves Them More Than You | It doesn't mean I love them less than I should, but that God's love is beyond comparison.
Get In The Pool | Play with your kids. Don't just watch them play. They want it! While on vacation last summer I got in the pool and would throw a ball as the kids would leap into the pool while trying to catch the ball. Kinda like a dog. :) Another family we met there saw us doing that and became our best friends while there. Every day the kids played with us as if I was their Dad. Their kids wanted to play. Their Dad eventually decided to stop reading and join us in the pool. His kids kept nagging him until he did! Playing teaches your kids they are important to you. It's fun. It has helped us to befriend others and bless families who don't have Dads and Moms in the pool.
I cut out some as this is already too long. Hope it helps. Would love your interaction on my advice and to hear some of your own.
Feb 6, 2013 1:24:26 PM | Books, Family
"Where It Goes" from the Gray Havens
My favorite song off of the Gray Havens' album, Where Eyes Don't Go, is "Where It Goes." I've seen others mention "Silver" as their fave. It's great & I love it too. Soaring moments & tons of imagery. But "Where It Goes" may be the best opening track on an album I've heard in a long time. It sets the scene, opens the conversation, leads you gently to the melody we are all meant to know. Listen & dig into the lyrics below. I've italicized the first bit because it's so good.
<a href="http://thegrayhavens.bandcamp.com/track/where-it-goes" _mce_href="http://thegrayhavens.bandcamp.com/track/where-it-goes">Where it Goes by the Gray Havens</a>
A song ran in the oceans of color,
surrounded by the stars inside the universe,
before it bursted into light,
And after a long time,
A world came alive and played that music I first heard,
And so I stayed so I could write down every word,
And there was a garden,
Never was such beauty seen in all the earth,
And not again until the day when it returns,
And there was a loud cry,
Alive were the voices as they sang the words,
And ever since they've been singing, It goes,
Underneath where eyes don't go,
A sound that keeps the beat that holds,
Alive the song I listen close,
Do I follow, Do I follow, Where it goes,
Towers and banners raised,
And kings with power changed that song that first began,
And it was lost, and buried deep, and covered,
Then, a chorus and angel lights,
Proclaimed on that starry night that shook the world,
A king arose, and he was singing, it goes,
Feb 4, 2013 2:39:48 PM | Music
Super Bowl Commercial | God Made A Farmer
A model of effective, powerful communication...and maybe the best Super Bowl commercial I've ever seen. Never before has my whole family turned breathless.
Feb 3, 2013 9:09:21 PM | Sport, TV & Film
Groundhog Day & My Life in Woodstock, IL
Groundhog Day was filmed almost completely in Woodstock, Illinois, where I live. Here are a few fun movie facts as they merge with my life.
1. The Starbucks I frequent is right next to "The Pennsylvanian Hotel." In real life the hotel is the Opera House in which my kids have been in summer plays, I've seen Alejandro Escovedo play, I've heard Billy Collins read poetry, etc.
2. I've taken photographs from the tower at the top of the hotel (Opera House) Bill Murray jumps from in one of his moments of despair.
3. When our church used to meet outside of our church building a few years ago, we met in a ballroom in the building along the alley where Bill Murray tries to revive the "old man." It's right across from the "Alpine Theater" which is really the Woodstock Theater.
4. "Gobbler's Knob," where the prognostication happens, is the place on the Woodstock Square where my boys and I usually play "hot box" or "pickle" between two trees.
5. The Bed & Breakfast Bill Murray stayed in is a real Bed & Breakfast in Woodstock. Or at least it has been. I think they had some issues in the last few years.
6. I've stood where Bill Murray stood as he stepped in the puddle. You can too. There's a plaque. There are actually many plaques around Woodstock at all the main sites.
7. The restaurant & bar where Bill & Andie McDowell drink to world peace is now closed, though it was open when we moved here. You could (and we did) actually eat in a jail cell, as it's part of the Old Courthouse in Woodstock.
8. Molly & I have danced where Bill Murray and Andie McDowell danced. It's a Moose Lodge. Our dancing was way cooler.
9. The "Tip Top Cafe" has been many things since the movie. It's now a Mexican restaurant. A few years ago it was a family favorite place to go for gelato.
10. Woodstock has a yearly Groundhog Day event with our own groundhog, Woodstock Willie. He said winter is ending soon and announced it at 7:07am today.
Feb 2, 2013 4:54:26 PM | Family, Film, Woodstock
« Newer | Older »