Not a Crutch But a Stretcher

"Christianity isn’t a crutch for the weak; it’s a stretcher for the dead. The gospel doesn’t claim to help the weak; it claims to make the dead live again. We reject the notion of the crutch of Christianity because we don’t need something to help us walk along; we need something to make us truly alive." - Michael Kelley

HT: Vitamin Z

Kanye Isn't Done

Apparently, interrupting Taylor Swift's speech at the VMAs wasn't enough for him...

Deja Vu

Ever since watching my beloved Panthers get destroyed by Arizona in last year's playoffs, I've been anxiously awaiting their coming redemption in the 2009 season. With week 1 in the books, I'm still waiting.

Carolina was destroyed 38-10 by Philadelphia in a game eerily reminiscent of that playoff debacle. Impressive Carolina opening drive and 7-0 lead? Check. Sudden glut of Jake Delhomme turnovers leading to a big deficit? Check. Early second half Jon Beason interception offering glimmer of hope? Check. Immediate turnover after said interception squashing said hope? Check.

This is two miserable games in a row for Jake, and many of my fellow Panther fans are ready to run him out of town. I've always been a supporter, and to be fair, our O-line was absolutely terrible yesterday, but Delhomme's recent play has me a bit worried. However, nobody's coming to the rescue. Time to turn it around, Panthers - and with upcoming trips to Atlanta and Dallas, time to turn it around fast.

This Changes Everything

I've long been a fan of pastor/evangelist/apologist Voddie Baucham. Having heard him preach at several conferences has been a great blessing, and his ability to clearly communicate the truths of the gospel is extraordinary. For many, however, Baucham is a polarizing figure due to his support for family-integrated church ministry. Baucham is a firm believer that the modern church's methodology of breaking down people into age-divided groups (children's ministry, youth ministry) is unhelpful, counter-productive, and without biblical warrant. A couple years ago, I attended a seminar where he explained and argued for the family-integrated approach. My pastor and I came out of the seminar convinced and struck by what he had to say, but wondering how on earth such an approach could be implemented in our modern church culture. I quickly filed it away as a novel but impractical approach and that was that.

Fast forward a couple years. Seeking to find a book that Heather and I could read together as we sought to raise our daughter to know and love God, I picked up Baucham's Family Driven Faith. I can now say that the book has flipped our world upside down. Over the course of the book, Baucham makes the case that Scripture calls parents to be the primary disciplers of their children (which few Christians would dispute) and looks at how that principle affects life at home and how it should impact the ministry of the local church. As he makes the case that the family is the most fundamental, basic, and vital means of discipleship, the conclusion of the final two chapters comes with striking impact - if that is the case, then our modern way of organizing the church is about the most counter-productive way possible to achieve family unity and discipleship.

Hearing an seminar on the idea was one thing, but reading his case fleshed out in the context of the entirety of the Christian life was a game-changer for us. I've spent the past 4 years of my life as a youth pastor, and while I certainly wouldn't say the time was fruitless or wasted, I've begun to seriously reconsider what the most effective way is to reach our communities - both kids and adults - with the gospel message. I don't have the space here to fully flesh out Baucham's case (this article serves as a decent introduction), but I cannot recommend this book to you strongly enough. It has been the single most impactful book for my marriage, family, and minstry in years. Accept or reject them, Baucham's ideas are things that deserve to be considered and thought through. I'm incredibly glad we did.

A New Chapter

Well, after a whirlwind of a month, I figure it's finally time for me to explain my recent absence from the blogosphere. Two weeks ago, I resigned as youth pastor at Hazelwood. It was a tough decision that was prompted by many different factors, but it has been exciting to see the way that God has used those factors to prepare Heather and I for the next step of our journey in ministry.

We will be moving to Raleigh, NC to meet up with several friends and explore church planting together over the next couple years. We'll be working with some of the guys who served on the team with me that led Hazelwood during last year's interim period, which is very exciting. Being back closer to home will be a nice thing for us (and even more so for Jordan's grandparents), and the prospect of taking new and difficult steps for the gospel is one that we've felt drawn to for a while now.

Leaving Hazelwood, and the many friends we've made over the last 8 years in Louisville, will be hard. Announcing my resignation to the church was about the toughest thing I've ever done. However, we're confident in God's leading and hopeful about this new chapter in our lives. A line from an old Caedmon's Call song about God's sovereign direction has been ringing in my mind these past weeks - "But if I must go, things, I trust, will be better off without me." God has a plan for Hazelwood and for us, and though we're taking seperate paths, we're still united in our task to take the gospel to all people. Please be in prayer for us as we prepare for our move and follow the Lord's leading into the future.

The Church as One-Trick Pony

"Some of you are always looking for a new trick, a new tactic, a new angle - [it's about] Jesus! We are a band with one song, and we just play it 'till we see him!" - Mark Driscoll

An Update

Well, if you're a regular reader of my blog (and I'd really like to thank both of you for your support), you've probably noticed that my posting volume has dipped a bit of late. The past few weeks have been pretty crazy in my life, and God has really been challenging and growing me in several different areas. Time and mental energy have been at a premium lately, and the ol' blog has been an area that's taken a backseat. I'm still here, I still love writing, and I hope to return things to normal around here soon. I would ask you all for prayer for wisdom and boldness in my ministry - I'm contemplating some big ideas right now, and I pray that they serve to magnify the glory of God!

Jill and Kevin's Divorce Court Entrance

By now, many of you have doubtlessly seen this video making the rounds around the web of a rather unique wedding procession. Sadly, the stats say that it's likely that story will eventually wind up ending like this...



This video cracked me up, but it also served to remind me just how important marriage is and just how tragic our culture's conception of it has become. Worth thinking about.

Mark Driscoll on the Gospel

This will get your blood pumping...



HT: Vitamin Z

Home Sweet ER

Well, we made it back from a great week in Canada, and I even got to bring home a nasty ankle sprain as a souvenir. I rolled over on it while playing basketball with the kids at camp Friday, got it x-rayed Sunday after arriving back in the US, and now I'm on crutches for a week or two. God was incredibly good to us while we were there - it was a bonding time for our group, a great time of bonding with the people of Pickering, and a fantastic experience of involvement in the lives of some great kids. It's nice to be back home to my own little one now, but I do miss my friends up north. People of the Sanctuary, thanks again for your great hospitality (and doubly so for putting up with my gimpy self the last day), your love for Christ, his church, and the world. Hope to see you all soon! God bless!