Friday Humor: Things You Can't Do When You're Not a Dog

A little gross, but very funny if you have a dog...



HT: Zach Nielsen

Book Review: Dave Kraft - Leaders Who Last

Genre: Christian Living/Leadership/Ministry
Publisher: Crossway/RE:Lit
Publication Date: February 28, 2010

Leadership books can be tricky to write. The few I’ve read have been extremely cliché, rah-rah-type books that were big on motivational language and soft on any real content that could help one become a better leader. Leaders That Last, the newest release from RE:Lit/Crossway doesn’t fit that mold at all. Dave Kraft, the leadership development pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, has immense leadership experience (38 years in the Navigators before joining Mars Hill), and he draws on his experiences leading and training leaders to cast a beautiful vision for what the next generation of Christian leaders might look like.

The book is grouped into 3 parts: Foundations, Formation, and Fruitfulness. In Foundations, Kraft introduces the leadership wheel. This is a helpful construct with Power (from God) at the center, and the spokes of the wheel coming out of that – Purpose, Pacing, Passion, and Priorities. I really appreciated how Kraft begins with the gospel (Power). He explains how he can do nothing apart from Christ and that his identity is in Christ. He explains well the balance between effort as a leader and depending on grace. Quoting Dallas Willard, he states that “grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning” (34). The 5 aspects of the leadership wheel really do lay some great foundation for the rest of the book.

Part 2 delves into the development of leaders – determining calling and gifts, assessing character, and planning for growth. As someone considering some possible changes in my life, I found the discussion on calling very helpful. Finally, Part 3 examines how to be a fruitful leader by developing a powerful vision, influence, and ultimately, a legacy by training others to lead.

This was easily the best book on leadership I’ve read. Kraft clearly loves Jesus more than anything, so all of his discussion flows out of that. When he espouses leadership principles that might seem cliché and dry in other contexts, they feel alive, powerful, and vibrant in light of the mission he’s calling leaders to. While I feel that even non-Christians could benefit from much of the wisdom contained in this book, it’s clearly written for Christian leaders – pastors, elders, lay leaders, parachurch leaders, businesspeople, etc. While stating the case that not everyone should be a leader (and helping people determine where they might fall in the body of Christ), he passionately calls for gifted men of God to answer God’s call. As I said, I’m not big on rah-rah talk, but this book has me motivated.

Some will take issue with some of the examples Kraft chooses at times. For example, he uses a Communist leader as an example of having passion. I didn’t have a problem with the reference as he was clearly saying that passion needed to re-directed, but I can see some having issues with a couple choices like this. These are few and far between, however, and on the whole, this is a book that most Christian leaders and potential leaders should read. Kraft has run the race well (and is still running at 70) and has much wisdom to share. There’s nothing ground-breaking in the book, but his vision for what Christian leadership can look like is powerful and needed in the church today.



This book was provided for review by Crossway/Re:Lit.

Interview With Dave Kraft

I'll be posting my review of Dave Kraft's new book, Leaders Who Last, tomorrow. Here's a brief interview with Mark Driscoll with some background and him and the book.

Holy Subversion Promo Video

I posted a review of this fantastic little book last week.

Book Review: D.A. Carson - Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus

Genre: Theology/Christian Living
Publisher: Crossway/RE:Lit
Publication Date: February 28, 2010

D.A. Carson can preach.

I was introduced to this preaching when he spoke at my church’s Bible conference a few years back on the person of Jesus Christ. I was blown away by Dr. Carson’s intellect, his ability to point out things in scripture I’d never seen before, his passion for Christ, and the witty, entertaining way in which he was able to do all of this. He simply made the Bible come alive to me in way I’d never experienced before.

His new book, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus, did exactly the same thing.

Carson examines 5 different texts from the Bible from Matthew 27, Romans 3, Revelation 12, John 11, and John 20. These are heavy passages, dealing with the crucifixion of Jesus, his raising of Lazarus from the dead, and the disciple Thomas’ doubting. The other passages tackle “the center of the whole Bible” (Romans 3), which connects the Old and New Testaments, as well John’s prophetic visions in Revelation. Difficult parts of the Bible to explain, to say the least, but Carson is able to plumb the depths of these theologically packed passages in such an insightful and concise way as to make them manageable and beautiful. The book is simply a feast for those who love to hear the Bible taught passionately and clearly.

It’s hard to pick a favorite chapter as they were all fantastic, but I really enjoyed the discussion of the stories of Lazarus and Thomas. We’ve heard these stories so many times; it would be easy for them to feel familiar and less powerful than they should. Carson’s talent doesn’t allow for this response. He brings you right into the settings of the passages, and you feel like you’re watching the story unfold before you for the first time, seeing the actions of Jesus in completely new ways. I’ve yet to find many other authors who have this skill for making the scriptures so real to me.

These 5 chapters were given as sermons at Mars Hill Church in Seattle back in December of 2008 as part of a Resurgence Conference. I was lucky enough to catch these sermons online. I don’t always enjoy reading a book after hearing the material preached live, but the writing in Scandalous makes you feel like you’re sitting there, talking personally to Dr. Carson as he explains and expounds upon the deep truths of scripture. He simply has a gift for exposition and it shines gloriously in this book.



This book was provided for review by Crossway/Re:Lit.

Music Video of the Week: Me in Motion

Music in Motion - "Loser"

My Lord and My God

Finished up D.A. Carson's new book, Scandalous, over lunch today. I'll be posting a review of the book next week, but wanted to share a quote from the last chapter discussing Thomas' confession after seeing the resurrected Christ.

Carson:

We must also reflect on the repeated little word "my." Thomas does not say, "Our Lord and our God," as if he were reciting some sort of liturgical slogan. His confession is intensely personal: "My Lord and my God!"It is never enough merely to confess the truth of something that is out there in the public arena. Even the Devil himself could affirm, however begrudgingly, that Jesus is both Lord and God. But a true child of God is making more than a public statement about a public truth. The Christian is not simply affirming that Jesus Christ is the Lord and God of the universe but that in the most intimate sense he is the Christian's Lord and God. The confession is intensely personal. If you cannot utter the words of this confession with similar deeply personal commitment, you have no part of Jesus and the salvation that flows from his death and resurrection. Your heart and mind must confess with wonder, "My Lord and my God!"

Zach Nielsen Interviews Trevin Wax About Holy Subversion

Zach Nielsen has a good interview with Trevin Wax about Trevin's new book, Holy Subversion. I reviewed this book earlier this week and really enjoyed it. I would highly recommend it.

Here's a sample from the interview.

1. Why did you write Holy Subversion?

I wrote Holy Subversion as a challenge to the Church to identify the prevailing idolatries in our society, and to deliberately subvert those idolatries by living for Christ. The book is focused on discipleship, but it’s for the sake of evangelism. I believe that once the church makes disciples who look distinct from the world, our evangelistic witness will be strengthened.

5. If you could boil it down to one thing, what do you want people to take away from this book?

The gospel changes our life: our behavior, our attitude and our outlook. The true gospel is transformative and reaches into the most practical, personal decisions we make.

Read the rest of the interview.

Music Review: Chasen - That Was Then This Is Now

Genre: Pop/Rock
Label: INO
Release Date: March 9, 2010

Rating: 4/5

Back in 2008, Chasen released their first full-length album, Shine Through the Stars. I rather enjoyed the “worshipful rock” collection, and songs like “Crazy Beautiful” and “Drown” became favorites of mine. The band parlayed the album into to a deal with INO records and is now set to release their major label debut, That Was Then This is Now, which drops March 9.

The album’s opener, “Castaway,” begins with a piano riff that quickly gives way to a wall of guitars and drums that show the guys have stepped things up with this release. From the start, there’s a palpable confidence in the songwriting and production that wasn’t always there on their first album. This continues through the pop/rock gem “Love in Your Name,” first radio single “On and On,” and the radio-friendly “Airplanes.” Other favorites included the catchy “Eyes of a Rescue” and the subdued, acoustic guitar-laced “There is Love.” The latter is a fantastic departure from the rest of the album in tone and theme.

To be clear, this is pop/rock. The guys will turn up the guitars on occasion, but these songs are very mainstream and nothing is exactly pushing the envelope. I have no problem with that. The strength of this album is the songwriting, which is quite good. “Drown” was a fantastically written song, and these songs take what made that song so good – deep, personal lyrics, combined with beautiful, memorable melodies – and continue that vein beautifully.

Lead singer Chasen Callahan has a background as a worship leader, and it shows on the album. The songs have a worshipful feel, and he doesn’t shy away from honesty, walking the line between saying Jesus just to say his name and sell to the CCM market and only utilizing the ambiguous “You.” It just feels like he’s writing what he feels, and it’s clear he loves Jesus. I’ve enjoyed this album a lot over the past month. If you like the pop/rock genre and want to hear some very solid songs that you’ll have some trouble getting out of your head for a while, I’d recommend these guys. I’m looking forward to more from them.



*This album was provided for review by INO Records.

Going Deep

Ha.


HT: Barry Wallace

Misguided Christian Outrage

Fantastic post by Russell Moore over at The Resurgence regarding misguided Christian outrage.

Moore:

I've been asked several times in the last couple of days about whether I'm upset about the new remix of "We Are the World."



The Christians contacting me about this are disturbed by what they see as a startling omission from the '80s-era song in its 21st century update, performed by artists in support of Haiti relief. Willie Nelson's line "As God has shown us by turning stone to bread..." is gone. These Christians are outraged, and they wonder if I am too.


Well, yes, I am outraged. Willie Nelson should have been invited to participate. He's still every bit as talented as he was in 1985, and if Nick Jonas can be invited, then certainly Willie should've been too.


Oh wait.



That's not what these folks are outraged about. They're afraid this is indicative of the secularization of American pop culture, and that there should be a Christian backlash.



But wait, again.



God didn't turn stones into bread. 

It was Satan, not God, who suggested our Lord Jesus turn rocks into bread (Matt. 4:3-4)...

...Why are we so desperate to see "God" affirmed by the outside culture, even when the "God" they're talking about more closely resembles Zeus (or, as in this case, Lucifer) than Yahweh? When we reach this point of perpetual outrage, are we closer to identity politics than gospel proclamation? I'm afraid so.



Read the whole post. It's well worth your time.

Book Review: Trevin Wax - Holy Subversion

Genre: Christian Living
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: January 31, 2010

A lot of books have been written about idolatry lately. Many Christians are re-discovering Martin Luther’s idea about not being able to break any of the commandments without initially breaking the first and second. There is sound, biblical truth in these sentiments, and I’m glad that writers like Timothy Keller (Counterfeit Gods) and others have used their talents to practically apply this truth to our context in the 21st century. Add to that list Trevin Wax. His new book, Holy Subversion, is a potent yet practical look at how to address the different idols in our lives.

What does Wax mean by “subversion”? He operates with this definition: “pushing something back down into its proper place” (26). He compares our time to ancient Rome when Ceasar was declared to be divine and how Christians “subverted” this by refusing to attribute allegiance to him that only God and Christ deserve. He basically sums up the intentions of the book as such then: “[Our] job as Christians is to first identify and unmask some of the more insidious ‘Ceasars’ that seek to muzzle our message and demand our allegiance. Then, we must think through specific ways in which the church can counter our culture by subverting its prevailing idolatries and pushing them back to their rightful place, under the feet of Jesus” (27).

Wax tackles specific “Ceasars” that tend to take precedence in our lives today (success, money, leisure, sex, power) and shows how to keep them in their proper places in our lives. Avoiding legalistic demands on one hand and liberal license on the other, he weaves through the issues, deftly applying biblical truths to real life.

My favorite chapter, the first after the introductory chapter, was on the subverting of the self. Like breaking the first commandments, all other idolatries tend to involve placing ourselves (our wants, desires, pleasures) above God. Using a “walk through Ephesians,” Wax dismantles our pride by showing God’s sovereignty in our salvation and our utter helplessness before Him. The progression of thought, then, from this chapter to the others makes perfect sense, finally ending with a chapter on evangelism and how living this way will influence that.

This short (150 pages) and fairly easy read was highly enjoyable for me. It’s packed with Scriptural truth yet connected intimately to our lives. In a world that makes constant demands on us for our time, resources, and attention, we need to be careful what we’re worshipping with those things. We Christians tend to be almost indistinguishable from non-believers a lot of the time in how we live our lives. By subverting the idols our culture wants us to have, we show others that Christ is of highest value. He’s the only one truly worthy of our worship.



This book was provided for review by Crossway.

Music Video of the Week: Needtobreathe

Needtobreathe - "Hurricane"

Happy Birthday Johnny Cash

In honor of The Man in Black's birthday, one of my favorite songs of his, "Hurt."

A haunting video.

A Little Friday Humor

Watch this one first. Pretty painful. Feel bad for the guy.



Then watch this. Hilarious.



HT: JT

God Watches You Google

Tim Challies:

In 2006, AOL made an epic misjudgment. As part of a research project headed by Dr. Abdur Chowdhury, AOL made available to the public a massive amount of search data, releasing the search history of 650,000 users over a 3-month period. That totaled some twenty one million searches. Before releasing the data they anonymized it, stripping away user names and replacing them with numbers. Yet because of the nature of the data, people very quickly linked real people to abstract numbers—a massive violation of privacy and confidentiality. Within days AOL realized its mistake and withdrew the data. But already it had been copied and posted elsewhere on the internet where today it lives on in infamy.

Some searches were dark and disturbing, others unremarkable in every way, and still others strangely amusing. Often you could reconstruct a person’s life, at least in part, from what they searched for over a period of time.

Tim includes one very sad string of searches from one person:

body fat calliper 2006-03-01 18:54:10
curb morning sickness 2006-03-05 08:53:23
get fit while pregnant 2006-03-09 18:49:37
he doesn’t want the baby 2006-03-11 03:52:01
uou’re pregnant he doesn’t want the baby 2006-03-11 03:52:49
online degrees theology 2006-03-11 04:05:24
online christian colleges 2006-03-11 04:13:33
foods to eat when pregnant 2006-03-12 09:38:02
baby names 2006-03-14 19:11:10
baby names and meanings 2006-03-14 20:01:27
physician search 2006-03-23 10:20:04
best spa vacation deals 2006-03-27 20:04:09
maternity clothes 2006-03-28 09:28:25
pregnancy workout videos 2006-03-29 10:01:39
buns of steel video 2006-03-29 10:12:38
what is yoga 2006-03-29 12:17:31
what is theism 2006-03-29 12:18:30
hindu religion 2006-03-29 12:18:56
yoga and hindu 2006-03-29 12:32:05
is yoga alligned with christianity 2006-03-29 12:33:18
yoga and christianity 2006-03-29 12:33:42
abortion clinics charlotte nc 2006-04-17 11:00:02
greater carolinas womens center 2006-04-17 11:40:22
can christians be forgiven for abortion 2006-04-17 21:14:19
can christians be forgiven for abortion 2006-04-17 21:14:19
roe vs. wade 2006-04-17 22:22:07
effects of abortion on fibroids 2006-04-18 06:50:34
abortion clinic charlotte 2006-04-18 15:14:03
symptoms of miscarriage 2006-04-18 16:14:07
water aerobics charlotte nc 2006-04-18 19:41:27
abortion clinic chsrlotte nc 2006-04-18 21:45:39
total woman vitamins 2006-04-20 16:38:16
engagement gifts 2006-04-20 16:57:04
engagement rings 2006-04-20 16:58:37
mom’s turning 50 2006-04-20 17:51:13
high risk abortions 2006-04-20 17:53:49
abortion fibroid 2006-04-20 17:55:18
benefits of water aerobics 2006-04-20 23:25:50
wedding gown styles 2006-04-26 19:37:34
recover after miscarriage 2006-05-22 18:17:53
marry your live-in 2006-05-27 07:25:45

Tim's conclusion:

While the search engines may never forget, I am grateful that God does forget. He forgets the sins of those who turn to him and confess those sins. Psalm 103 promises that “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” In Hebrews 8:12 God promises “I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” There is virtue in forgetting.

Read the whole article.

How To Build A God

HT: The Resurgence

Music Review: Newworldson - Newworldson

Genre: Pop/Rock/Funk/Blues/Reggae, etc.
Label: Inpop
Release Date: February 23, 2010

Rating: 3/5

Having never been exposed to Newworldson’s first release, Salvation Station, I have no basis for comparison to that album. My introduction to the band, then, was the first song off their newest, self-titled album. That song, “You Set The Rhythm,” begins with this line: “I was unlucky in love / I didn’t know what a heart was / I felt it beating in my chest / But my best definition was a blood pump.”

Luckily, songs like “Listen to the Lord,” “There is a Way,” and “Total Eclipse” are much better in the lyrical department. Depth of lyrics is clearly not the main attraction with this band, however. Their unique combination of styles (rock, pop, funk, blues, even reggae and others) is fascinating. Some of the album didn’t really appeal to me stylistically, but there is a joy in thankfulness to the Lord that comes through clearly. In many ways, the album is a celebration of God’s goodness through the diversity of musical style.

This diversity makes it somewhat difficult to pinpoint musical references if, like me, you’ve never heard Newworldson. “There is a Way” sounded to me like I was listening to Jimmy Needham, who they’ve toured with. I very much enjoyed this song. Other songs, heavier on the funk/rock side, reminded me of a band a few years back called Hyper Static Union, although I think Newworldson sounds much more polished. Many of the other songs borrow bits and pieces of other styles and influences, meshing them together.

Other songs that stood out were “Jamaican Praise Melody,” with its island praise feel, and “O Lament,” which utilizes an extremely toned down drum beat with a subtle piano riff that sounds directly out of a movie soundtrack. Very interesting to hear these types of songs back to back. The diversity is nice, but it also kept the album from feeling completely cohesive to me. Some of the styles used weren’t that musical interesting to me, but many will seriously appreciate a Christian band branching out this much. Newworldson definitely doesn’t sound like your typical Christian band. For that, I commend them.

Due to that fact, I can see this album taking off for them, and I hope it does. I’m all for a band pushing the Christian music industry away from the same old styles and clichéd writing. This album definitely tries to do that. Overall, though, there just weren’t enough great songs to keep me overly interested throughout, despite the diversity. As I said, though, that might just be my tastes, so I recommend checking them out for yourself if you’re looking for something different.



*This album was provided for review by Inpop Records.

Music Video of the Week: Mat Kearney

Mat Kearney - "All I Have"

Tony Dungy on IAmSecond.com