Bloodlines Documentary - John Piper

Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.

I really look forward to reading this book this fall. Thanks to John Piper for speaking about this issue and taking the time to put this together. 

How Can We Best Interpret Scripture - Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears

I have been reading Mark Driscoll's and Gerry Breshears' book, "Doctrine" recently and found this to be very helpful in explaining the question of how we can best interpret scripture. Here are four questions that Driscoll and Breshears suggest for interpreting the Bible. I will not quote the book at length, but only a few places that summarize the specific questions. The bold emphasis on the questions is mine.

 "The first question to ask is, what does the Scripture actually say? God wants to speak to you through the Bible. One error is to under-read the text, missing what is there through lack of attention. The opposite error is to over-read the text, putting preconceived opinions, ideas, or perspectives into the text, which is called eisegesis. Therefore, the goal is to humbly read the text to hear from God, which is called exegesis....

"The second question is, what does the Scripture mean? In this step you should look for what Scripture is teaching, especially in the original context. Much of the Bible was written to specific people in specific historical situations. The task is to discover that meaning and to understand the meaning of each text in its own terms, categories, and thought forms, beginning with the questions and issues the writer deals with, not the questions we bring. You will want to ask, what is the author trying to accomplish? What ideas or values is he trying to communicate? It is often helpful to write out your observations of the specifics of the text in a journal designated for personal Bible study."

"The third question is, what timeless principle truths is this section of Scripture teaching that apply to all of God's people in all times and places? There are many questions to ask to find the timeless universal principle. Is the text describing an event or belief, or is it prescribing (commanding) a practice, precept, promise, or value?"

"The fourth question is, how should I respond to what God has said? Here we are seeking to understand how the Bible's teaching applies to our life individually as Christians and corporately as a church today. The Bible shares content with an intended purpose, expecting that we will respond with belief and in other ways, depending upon what it says."

Identity in Christ

On Thursday I had the privilege to speak at VCU's Inter Varsity campus ministry. I spoke on having an Identity in Christ and the text I focused on was John 8:1-11. This passage deals with the woman who was caught in adultery, and was thrown before Jesus feet by the Jewish rulers so that they might trap him in His judgment of this woman. What was her identity prior to finding herself in the dust at the feet of Jesus, and what would be her identity upon hearing the grace filled words from Jesus' mouth "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more." ? Her identity along with our identity, if we trust in Jesus, goes from criminal to Christ, and this identity is not based on anything we can do or have done, but rather, it is based on what has been done for us, namely the punishment absorbing substitutionary death of Jesus on the cross for our sins. The audio of the message is below....

Bloodlines Trailer - John Piper

From the Crossway Blog:

This month marks the release of John Piper’s latest book, Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian. Crossway will also be releasing an exclusive Bloodlines video documentary featuring Pastor John as he walks through his personal story of growing up in the racist South. His personal story boldly champions the transforming power of the gospel and the beauty of racial diversity and harmony in Christ.

Bonhoeffer on Psalms, Guilt, Justification and Prayer.....

Yesterday, I began reading "Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible" by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and I must say that these 84 pages contain some very valuable content concerning prayer and how to pray the Psalms. For a more in-depth review of the book, check out this review by Shelby Murphy on the Redemption Hill website. The chapter that has hit home the hardest for me is the one on guilt. Often, I have looked at the Psalms where the psalmist seems to promote his integrity and uprightness before God and I say to myself "That's not me", and begin to wrestle with guilt, simply because I feel I cannot make such statements. Granted, I know that this is wrong to do, and the gospel is the only way that I am able to confidently say that I am free from guilt and condemnation in Christ, but statements like these are sometimes hard to bear:

"The Lord judges the peoples; Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me." (Ps. 7:8) 

"Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering, Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness..." (Ps. 26:1-2) 

These are only a few statements like these in the Psalms, but if I'm honest, sometimes I look at such verses and think "How can he (the writer) say that?!" "Isn't that self-righteous?!" The answer: NO! Bonhoeffer clarifies why the Psalmist makes statements like these as often as he makes statements concerning repentance, confession of sin, and spiritual depression. Ill quote him at length.  

"It is often particularly striking and offensive to evangelical Christians that in the Psalms the innocence of devout people is spoken of at least as often as is their guilt. (cf. Psalms 5, 7, 9, 16, 17, 26, 35, 41, 44, 59, 66, 68, 69, 73, 86, and others.) Here it seems obvious that there is a vestige of the so-called Old Testament works righteousness, with which the Christian can no longer begin. Yet this outlook is completely superficial and knows nothing of the depth of the Word of God. It is clear that a man can speak of his own innocence in a self-righteous way, but do we not also realize that a man can pray the most humble confession of sin very self-righteously? Talk about ones own guilt can be just as far from the Word of God as talk about one's innocence. But the question is not which possible motives may stand behind the prayer, but whether the content of the prayer itself is appropriate or inappropriate. And here it is clear that the believing Christian certainly has to say not only something about his guilt but also something about his innocence and his justification. It is characteristic of the faith of the Christian that through God's grace and the merit of Jesus Christ, he has become entirely justified and guiltless in God's eyes, so that "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). And it is characteristic of the prayer of the Christian to hold fast to this innocence and justification which has come to him, appealing to God's word and thanking for it. So not only are we permitted, but directly obligated - provided we take God's action to us at all seriously- to pray in all humiliation and certainty: " I was blameless before him and I kept myself from guilt" ( Psalm 18:23); " If thou testeth me thou will find no wickedness in me" (Psalm 17:3). With such a prayer we stand in the center of the New Testament, in the community of the cross of Jesus Christ." 

We are "permitted" and "directly obligated" on the basis of God's justifying us as sinners, to say and to pray with confidence and with assurance, with all humility and thankfulness, that " I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt". This is wonderful! Christ is praying through the Psalms on our behalf, and because His righteousness and perfect obedience has been imputed to us, God now sees Christ in his blamelessness and perfection when He sees us. We are able to pray with this same assurance as the Psalmist because the cross is before us, and Christ's blood and righteousness has been counted to us.

3 Gifts: Gospel, Faith, Suffering

Last Sunday, I preached at Springfield Baptist Church. The text was Philippians 1:29 and the focus of the message was on the 3 Gifts that God gives to His people as seen in that passage. God gives us the Gospel: He gives us Jesus. On this basis, God gives us the faith to believe on Him, and He also gives us suffering so that we may be conformed more into His image in the trials and afflictions of this life.

Hurricane Days and the NBA Lockout....

Here is my tribute to the NBA Lockout.Just some highlights I've been looking at during this wonderful weather we are having in Richmond...Long live the League!... Enjoy!


Allen Iverson's crossover.....on MJ...Classic




Vince Carter's Olympic Dunk




JDub's Elbow pass





D.Wade on Anderson Varejao



Some college cat crushed this guys ankles.....

What is the Gospel - Paul Washer

A fresh reminder by Paul Washer on "What is the Gospel". Washer's preaching and passion communicate the message of the gospel in a way that leaves you on the edge of your seat. His words are crushing, yet encouraging, and he always lifts high the beauty of Jesus Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection for sinners. Enjoy.

Thoughts on The Grace of God - J.I. Packer

" We can only claim from him justice- and justice, for us, means certain condemnation. God does not owe it to anyone to stop justice taking its course. He is not obliged to pity and pardon; if He does so it is an act done, as we say 'of His own free will,' and nobody forces His hand. 'It does not depend on man's will or effort, but on God's mercy'(Rom. 9:16 NEB). Grace is free, in the sense of being self-originated and of proceeding from One who was free not to be gracious. Only when it is seen that what decides each individual's destiny is whether or not God resolves to save him from his sins, and that is a decision which God need not make in any single case, can one begin to grasp the biblical view of grace."

J.I. Packer - Knowing God

The Perfect Storm

Last Sunday I was given the opportunity to preach at the church I attend, Redemption Hill. The text I preached from was Acts 27:1-44 and the title of the message was "The Perfect Storm". In this sermon, I focused on how God works not in spite of, but in and through the sufferings of His people, to accomplish His mission of advancing the gospel to the world. Next to the sufferings of Jesus, Paul the Apostle was a great example of how God providentially worked in and through suffering for His glory and for our good. This hurricane that Paul encountered in Acts 27 was just another opportunity for God to be glorified as the Lord saved all 276 men on board the ship, and supernaturally confirmed to Paul that he would arrive at Rome safely.

Just as all 276 sailors, soldiers, and prisoners were delivered from the storm and were saved for the sake of Paul, we too are saved from the hurricane of God's wrath and delivered from the power of darkness only for the sake of Jesus.It is because of His perfect life and substitutionary death on the behalf of sinners that we are able to be reconciled to God and brought safely to Him.

The audio of the sermon can be found here

The Kind of Preaching God Blesses - Steve Lawson

This was a great sermon and exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:18-24. In this sermon, Lawson talks about the need for modern day preachers to preach nothing but Christ crucified. Philosophy, the wisdom of this age, and "sharing" of opinion and ideas in the pulpit will not glorify God in the preaching of the gospel.

Why Does the Truth of Hell Rise to Watershed Significance?

Why Does the Truth of Hell Rise to Watershed Significance?

Just read this article at Desiring God. Check it out...