Archive - December, 2009

Tim Keller Profile in New York Magazine

A balanced four-page spread on Tim Keller, his background prior to planting Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and the theology that drives his ministry and his new book, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters.
Incidentally, I’ve completed this book and found it to be outstanding. Each chapter takes a look at a particular counterfeit god, and (in most if not all the chapters) traces out how a particular biblical character did battle with that god, all the while making parallels to modern men and women, current events (like the economic meltdown), and how Christ and the gospel are the solution. A winsome read for Christians and non-Christians alike.

December 3, 2009 in Culture, Practical Ministry | Comment

Bethlehem Pastors Conference

If you are in ministry or live near Minneapolis, MN, you’ll want to check this out:

December 3, 2009 in Practical Ministry, Theology | Comment

Stop Insuring Mortgages

John Stossel summarizes my concerns with purchasing a home these days: continued government intervention preventing the market from truly (that is, freely) functioning. An excerpt:

After all that, it’s crazy that government still subsidizes housing rather than letting the market work. The economy will recover from recession only when it is allowed to discover the real value of assets like houses. But the government refuses to allow this to happen. FHA has been blowing air into another bubble, while other agencies do everything they can to boost prices…..Why won’t the government let housing prices seek their own level? After a Washington-inflated bubble, that would seem to be the wise thing to do. Sure, some people get hurt when prices fall, but others — prospective home-buyers — are helped. By artificially raising prices, the Realtor-Construction-Banking-Big Government Complex cheats honest low-income people who would otherwise have been able to afford a first home without begging the government for help.

Read the whole thing.

December 2, 2009 in Culture | 1 Comment

John MacArthur’s Old Football Coach

A beautiful story of God’s grace, and of the importance of Christians maintaining good reputations and relationships with non-Christians:

John MacArthur – Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.


HT: JT

December 2, 2009 in Practical Ministry | Comment

Blog was “Dark”: Thanksgiving Travels and Possibly Moving

Just a brief note on why this blog was “dark” for awhile. First, we traveled to northern CA to be with my wife’s family for Thanksgiving. Then, we returned to find out that a short-sale offer we made on a home was conditionally accepted, but there are a bunch of complications, including the fact that the listing agent on the home would like us to rent the home prior to consummating the purchase (which is subject to the bank’s approval). This has led to a scurry of activity. But I’m (mostly!) back now….

December 2, 2009 in Personal | Comment

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