Jesus in Hebrews

I concluded our Hebrews sermon series with an overview sermon. You can listen to that overview here (The Unrivaled Supremacy of Jesus Christ).

In that sermon, I listed everything the book of Hebrews says about Jesus with just a few expository comments from me. You can see, print, or share that list here (pdf).

What a Savior!

Beach Reading

I'm just taking 2 books (plus the Bible) on vacation. And, I don't anticipate finishing either one of them.
Because I've got 2 kids that will keep me busy with sand, water, movies, puzzles, ducks, and ice cream.

"Which 2 books?"...you ask.
1. Tempted and Tried
2. King's Cross

The Best Graduation Gift

My neighbor graduated from High School a few weeks ago. I gave him a copy of John Piper's God is the Gospel as a graduation gift. Here is what I wrote to him:

Neighbor John,
Congratulations! High School is over! I know you are excited about what lies ahead. I'm confident God has good plans for you.

I know it doesn't seem like it now, but this book is the best graduation present you have received. It's not the best because your neighbor gave it to you. It's not the best because it is the most expensive. It's not the best because it's what you've always wanted. This book is the best present because the message it contains is the most important message in the world. This book is about a glorious God who has given us Himself in the person and work of Jesus Christ. No gift is more valuable than the gift of God Himself. I hope you will take time to read this book sometime soon. And I hope its message impacts your life as much as it has mine.

Thanks for being a great neighbor. Never hesitate to let us know if we can do anything for you.

Love,
Your Neighbors
Justin, Jeanna, Karis, Noah, and Calvin

Am I Really A Christian?

This new 9Marks book by Mike McKinley looks super helpful. Here are just a few of the chapter titles:

You Are Not a Christian Just Because You Say that You Are
You Are Not a Christian If You Haven’t Been Born Again
You Are Not a Christian Just Because You Like Jesus
You Are Not a Christian If You Enjoy Sin
You Are Not a Christian If You Do Not Endure to the End
You Are Not a Christian If You Don’t Love Other People
You Are Not a Christian If You Love Your Stuff

WTS has this book on Sale for a week.

Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl: A Motion Picture Sermon

WTS is offering this new DVD at an introductory price of 60% off. If the trailer and the reviews are any indication, this looks like it is going to be very good.

Interesting description:
"A cinematic treatment of a worldview. A poet live in concert. A motion picture sermon. VH1 Storytellers meets Planet Earth. 60 Minutes meets Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. In this unusual but fascinating film sequence, best-selling author N.D. Wilson gives an emotional and intellectual tour of life in this world and the final chapter that is death. Everything before and after and in between is a series of miracles--some of which are encouraging, others disturbing and uncomfortable."

Radical Together

I have been very challenged in recent days reading through David Platt's Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God. This is Platt's second "radical" book. The first one (my review here) mainly focuses on individual Christians being totally devoted to spreading the fame of Jesus. This second book focuses on how local churches should be totally devoted to the cause of Christ.

Radical Together is most applicable to church leaders but any church member can benefit from reading it. Basically, this book is a call to abandon "church as usual" and to increase our energies and giving toward the needs in this world.

One of the most powerful thoughts for me was that often good things keep us from doing the best things. The question is not, "what's wrong with it," but "how can we best impact the world for Christ." Platt calls us to lay everything on the table before God and honestly seek Him for what He wants us to be about.

Throughout the book, Platt shares examples and stories from his own congregation and their struggle to be totally devoted to Christ. I would encourage all pastors to read this book and begin leading your church to be radical for Christ.

New Studies in Biblical Theology

WTS has a good sale on all the volumes of the excellent New Studies in Biblical Theology series (edited by DA Carson).

Going Outside the Camp

Hebrews 13:13 calls us to go to Jesus outside the camp and bear the disgrace He endured. "Going outside the camp" is a metaphor for doing the hard thing and taking risks in identifying with Christ. We are called to follow a disgraced Savior. Here are just a few suggestions for practical ways we can obey this command in today's world:

• Don’t settle for a small, minimalistic devotional life. Be radical in your devotion to the bible and to the gospel.


• Give up your pursuit of the American Dream and embrace an all-encompassing purpose to make your life count for the gospel of Christ.


• Adopt a child.


• Get off the couch and go help someone. Get into someone's life. Spend your evenings serving others.


• Get involved in the mess of relationships.


• Get involved in a dispute and seek to be a peacemaker.


• Confront someone you see doing wrong (it is your business).


• Be the first one at church to help set up for Sunday morning and the last one to leave after its over (especially if you are part of a church plant!).


• Fund the adoption of a young family.


• Make every effort to be the most hospitable person in your church. Invite visitors out to lunch or to your house.


• Invite someone to dinner who you have nothing in common with. You may be annoyed by this person. You may feel like if you invite them, they’ll never leave and you’ll have to kick them out. They may have several young kids. They may break something in your house. They may smell bad. They might steal something.


• Chose to live in a “not as safe” neighborhood.


• Do foreign missions.


• Do evangelism. Don't worry about getting egg on your face.


• Stand up at a public event and humbly invite people to trust in Jesus.


• Cut your cable bill and use that money to fund a Bible Translation project.


• Start a work-place Bible Study.


• Organize a tutoring program for kids struggling in school.


• Give gospel tracts to cashiers and drive-through attendants.


• Visit a nursing home.

Feel free to offer more suggestions...

Hebrews Commentaries

As I have done with previous books I have preached through (John, Philippians, Psalms, Micah, James, Daniel, Ruth, Galatians, just to name a few), here are my thoughts on Hebrews commentaries:

1. Best Hebrews Commentary: Peter O'Brien's Pillar New Testament Commentary on Hebrews.

2. Very Helpful: Stuart Olyott's I Wish Someone Would Explain Hebrews to Me! and Raymond Brown's The Message of Hebrews

3. Good Homeletical Commentary: Richard Phillips' Reformed Expository Commentary.

4. Decent, but not as helpful as the others: FF Bruce's NICNT and George Guthrie's NIV Application.

5. Classics: John Owen (abridged in one volume) and AW Pink.

Church Websites

I really enjoyed Kevin DeYoung's thoughts on the connection between church websites and being welcoming (especially about the difference between "going cheap" and having a nice site). A visitor can immediately tell something about your church by its design and "feel."

I've found no place better for quality and economy and usability than Clover Sites. If your church needs a web update, consider going with Clover. It's easy.

I'll let you know when we get Christ Baptist's new Clover site up. It shouldn't be too much longer.

The Greener Grass Conspiracy

I absolutely loved Stephen Altrogge's new book, The Greener Grass Conspiracy: Finding Contentment on Your Side of the Fence.

This is a wise and funny and convicting book that I would encourage anyone to read.

Stephen exposes our chronic lack of contentment and points us to the healing balm of the gospel. This is really a book about the sufficiency of Jesus. He is more than able to satisfy us.

Stephen defines contentment as "a disposition of the heart that freely and joyfully submits to God's will, whatever that will may be." He shows how discontentment reveals the idols we worship and the ungratefulness in our hearts.

I particularly appreciated Altrogge's emphasis on the fact that contentment is not dependent on our circumstances. Since contentment is found in a Person (Jesus), we can be content in any and every circumstance of life (Phil. 4:10-13).

While reading this book, I felt at times like Stephen was speaking directly to my heart. He challenged my tendency to grumble when things don't go my way. And time and time again he applied the gospel to my soul. Get this book. You need it.