August 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn2uIXrULzI&hd=1 see also www.disciplemaking.net

If you begin to slip on the side of a mountain of ice, the first slip may not hurt if you can stop and slide no further. But alas, you cannot so regulate sin! When your feet begin to slide, the rate of the descent increases, and the difficulty of arresting this motion is inces­santly becoming greater. It is dangerous to backslide in any degree, for we know not to what it may lead. The Christian life is very much like climbing a hill of ice. You cannot slide up. You have to cut every step with an ice ax.

Oh how we need “Authentic Biblical Community” that is true transformational, instead of just involved in activities and events. It is Biblical Community that is necessary for any Church to fulfill the “Great Commission” because it requires healthy relationships in living life together in order for multiplying disciples of Jesus Christ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6cJj-Ku_e4 see also www.disciplemaking.net

Leadership Lessons from Penn State When we first heard about the possible sexual abuse of children by a former Penn State coach, it seemed to be a distant sound that would only have local implications. Then we began to hear about the scope of the abuse and the key leaders who were hiding the truth, allowing further abuse to take place for years.We were stunned. We were horrified. We were outraged. We still are. Countless writers and speakers opined about the tragedy. I made .Then came the Sandusky trial. In what seemed to be a blur, the jury was selected, the

David Platt on the Danger’s of the Sinner’s Prayer: A specific “sinner’s prayer” like we often think of today is not found in Scripture or even in much of church history. Without question, Scripture tells us to confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and to call on the name of the Lord and be saved. At the same time, we never see anyone in Scripture saying, “Bow your head, close your eyes, and repeat after me,” followed by a specific “sinner’s prayer.” The use of a “sinner’s prayer” can potentially come across as unhealthily formulaic. I talk with

.. Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum’s much anticipated book, Kingdom through Covenant, has recently been released. It is certainly worth the purchase, as I anticipate that it will have an impact on the debates concerning how Christians “put the Bible together.” The continuity and discontinuity of the Bible has typically been understood in dispensational or covenantal terms, with certain variations of each. Gentry and Wellum attempt to offer a mediating view (“Progressive Covenantalism”), utilizing the latest in linguistic studies as well as updated insights on the ancient Near East and its implications for how we view the biblical covenants. I know

John Piper and Jason Meyer – First Chat about Succession: Collin Hansen at the Gospel Coalition writes: In this interview with Justin Taylor, Meyer and Piper talk together in public about the Bethlehem succession for the first time, just days after more than 99 percent of the church supported Meyer’s candidacy. Piper and Meyer explain why they avoided public talk about their impressions from the Lord about the transition and how they sought strong affirmation from leaders and members without wielding a strong arm over the decision. Meyer also explains how he changed his mind about leading Bethlehem when God promised

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2U_stLWMyM see also www.disciplemaking.net