FOXNews.com - The Death and Rebirth of the RickRoll

FOXNews.com - The Death and Rebirth of the RickRoll

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Falling on Deaf Ears? -- Why So Many Churches Hear So Little of the Bible

Falling on Deaf Ears? -- Why So Many Churches Hear So Little of the Bible

Encouraging Quote

Hi all,

I'm thankful that toward the end of our internship, Stam persuaded Mark to buy us each the Iain Murray book of our choice -- after all, what a shame it would have been to have Chinese food with Iain Murray but not receive one of his books!

Anyway, I requested A Scottish Christian Heritage, which I've lately been reading before bed. It has not disappointed.

Given Garrett's request for more posts, I thought I would encourage you all with a couple of quotes from Robert Moffat from Murray's book. Moffat was a Scottish missionary to South Africa in the 19th century, and David Livingstone's father-in-law. He labored for 7 years before seeing his first convert in 1826. Yet just a few years after that, in 1829, Moffat and his small team "were favoured with the manifest outpouring of the Spirit from on high" -- they baptized 6 more who gave "very satisfactory proofs of a change of heart," and the number at their church grew to twelve.

As the community of believers in Kuruman subsequently grew exponentially, Moffat still had this to say:

"We want in zeal. The work of conversion, or endeavors to convert sinners, is not so much the primary object of our souls as it ought to be. If I speak for myself I must say that I do not feel that sympathy for the awful condition of my fellow-men which their state ought to excite in every Christian bosom. When I look at the Man of Sorrows, His toilsome days and midnight prayers, and the burning zeal of the first ministers of the gospel, I feel as if I had not the same mind or spirit."

Moffat labored to translate the Bible into the Sechuana language, and finished his first edition in 1853. He was not satisfied with it, though, and continually labored to improve it. He completed a second version in 1857. He wrote this to his wife concerning God's Word:

"It was only yesterday, after laying down the Bible, that I wondered what kind of mind I would have had if I had not the Book of God, the Book containing the astounding idea of 'from everlasting to everlasting,' the development of all that is worth knowing... One would think, that as I have critically, and, I think, devoutly read and examined every verse, every word in the Bible, some a score of times over, I should not require to open the pages of that unspeakable blessed Book. Alas, for the human memory! I read the Bible today with the same feeling I ever did, like the hungry when seeking food, the thirsty when seeking drink, the bewildered when seeking counsel and the mourner when seeking comfort. Don't you believe all this? For alas, I read it sometimes as a formal thing, though my heart condemns me afterwards... I am yet astonished at my own ignorance of the Bible!"

And that from a man that had TRANSLATED the whole thing. May God grant us the same attitude!

Hebrews

Hey Brothers,

Perhaps you have heard of Ryan Ferguson. He quotes Hebrews and various other passages of Scripture...usually for large audiences. And he sweats a lot...at first I wondered if it was a trendy design on his shirt and then I realized it was just massive pit stains.

Anyways, his example has inspired me to memorize the book of Hebrews and my I'm past the half-way mark on that goal. Just finished chapters 1-7 and chapter 11. So just a 8-10 and 12-13 left to complete.

The meditations that this discipline has produced have deepened my affection for Christ, our elder brother who has suffered just as we have in order to bring us to God. He is our forerunner, having marked out the path that we must complete. He suffered, endured temptation, and experienced weakness. Yet he remained holy, innocent, unstained and separated from sinners.

Because he has paved the way through suffering into the presence of God, we have a clear path on which to strive until we finally enter that eternal rest. Hope these thoughts encourage you today.

Greg's book

Leeman and his new book

Front of Capitol

The Hill looks like it needs some help.

Supreme Court

National Mall

Library of Congress


Reports are now saying we can expect another 12 to 20 inches.

You got to be kidding me?

Do you miss the Hill?

DC is looking (maybe) at its worst snow and blizzard in over 100 years.

We are inside and praying we do not lose power.

Anyone still want to come up for a visit?

Bruce Waltke -on the Psalms

Loved the donkey joke at the beginning!

Higher Education

Hallo Fellas,

This "update" sees me writing to you all in the midst of the second sizable "snowpocalypse" or "snowmaggedon" of DC's winter. The result of all of this snowschatalogy is a day off from work for me, which means listening to choral music in preparation for Good Friday, drinking too much coffee, catching up on blog reading, eating my wife's delicious cooking, and applying for seminary.

Yes, I said applying for seminary, and yes, Ryan, you win. I'm applying to that "grand beacon" of light and truth, "The" Southern Baptist Theological Seminary of ol' Kentuck. My tongue's not in my cheek - I really do think that SBTS will be a good choice, not only theologically, but also logistically/financially for us. I'm really just hoping to get started with some extension center and possibly online classes, but the Lord may have us in Louisville in a couple of years for full time study -- we'll see!

So, my question for those "in the know:" Which M. Div. concentration do you recommend? I'm sticking with the School of Theology, and looking mostly at the Biblical/Theological Studies and the Worldview/Apologetics concentrations. Any help you can provide??

While we're at it, I also wanted to inform you guys that I will be coming on staff at CHBC this summer as a Pastoral Assistant! I'm extremely excited (and humbled - yes, sincerely humbled, not just saying that as a token nod to our buddy C.J.) for the opportunity and would covet your prayers for my faithfulness, helpfulness, and servant-mindedness during my time on staff. They're not exactly sure whose position I'll be filling, because some of the responsibilities might get shuffled around a bit - but it looks like I will have some combination of Gustav's and Geoff's duties.

That's all for now -- I'll leave you with a couple of wedding pictures since Garrett requested them so long ago!






Yep, Ryan, that's a highway-side beach on the southern coast of Maui, along the "other" road to Hana... great times!

Dear Mr. Manley

Dear Josh,

May we have some updates; perhaps on how Jenny and Reeves are doing? (pics included)

Our leader

Mark Dever - Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo.

A year ago...

--We were writing papers on the first portion ofPolity and The Bruised Reed.
--We were having our third Intern Discussion--surely all still humbled by Merker's affection and perplexed by Lingle's opposition to Bridges.
--We were leaving for the Desiring God Pastor's Conference--which would be a turning point for all of us in our perception of Manley.
--I think Garrett and Stam got closer on the plane ride with talks of life in marriage.

Grateful to God for bringing you into my life a year ago!

S-L-E-D: A Response to Pro-Choice Thinking

Yesterday, Denny Burk preached from Proverbs 24.10-12 on abortion. He gave us a useful mnemonic device to respond to people who make arguments to deny the humanity of babies in the womb: SLED.

Size: Is Klon Kitchen more human just because he's bigger than Michael Jr.?
Level of Development: Is Garrett more human because he's more developed mentally, physically, emotionally than Jackson? (This assumes Jackson isn't yet doing his own searches for '80s classics on YouTube.)
Environment: Is Merker more human just because he dwells in the capital of the free world, whereas Lingle resides in Hicksville, Carolina? (Likewise, the womb doesn't preclude humanity.)
Degree of Dependency: Were the four more human than the paralytic they lowered to be near Jesus? After all, the paralytic's image-bearing accountability was affirmed when Jesus forgave his sins and healed him.

Anyway, I thought this was a worthy tool to memorize. Hope you're well, brothers!

This is how you pose for a pastoral portrait.

Idolatry?

Open Night of Worship from Jamie Clements on Vimeo.

Haiti Canceled

Hey brothers,

Our trip to Haiti has been canceled due to the earthquake. Please pray for missionaries and members of our church who were in Port-au-Prince awaiting our arrival when the earthquake hit. All landlines and mobile communications have been knocked out so we have not heard from them yet, but we anxiously wait for word of their safety.

Praise God for his control over all of creation. And praise him that even as he shakes this world now, there will be a greater shaking to come. But we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire (Heb 12:28-29).

More about Haiti

Nik,
We'll be praying for you as you're there. Most of all for the people of Haiti after this tragic earthquake today. I'm not sure what it will look like when you get down there, but of course your trip may be different than you expect. Hope God will use you to help in ways that you weren't planning.

-Mark

Haiti

I'll be traveling to Haiti tomorrow morning (Wed, Jan 13) and will be there for 6 days. My pastor and a few others will be going down to teach. I'll be teaching the teen sessions from Psalm 19 and our pastor will lead a weekend pastor's conference on the nature of Biblical worship. There will also be a ladies conference and a vacation Bible school. Please pray that all these ministries would build up the local bodies in Haiti. Our goal is to strengthen the churches there with the faithful teaching of the Word.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:20-21)

I'll be sure to update the blog with pictures and reflections when I return next week.

Finding Meaning in the Pentateuch | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

Finding Meaning in the Pentateuch Christianity Today A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

For Ryan

I found some old notes from intern discussion.

Once during intern discussion we were talking about the Lord's Supper in its observation apart from one central gathering.

I remember the points that came out from discussing with Mark and these were the ones I jotted down.

1. Having the Supper outside of one gathering undermines discipline.


2. It is fundamental to "the" gathering.


3. It is the active picture of who can and cannot come to the table.

Piper at the Village Church

A sermon I desperately needed to hear. Piper at the Village Church this past weekend. What a gift he is to the church.

http://tinyurl.com/ygx44hw

Ouch

While I was home I used my dad's electric razor on my head and neck. Needless to say if it was a fight... the razor won. It burned me all up. What can I say... I am my father's son. If you know my dad, you know he is constantly hurting himself.

A couple of weeks ago I ran into something much like my father would do. Here are the results.

What happens when you don't have hair to protect your head?

Big Move For Us

Brothers,
We have good news and answered prayer. It looks like God is now allowing Jennifer and me to do what we've been wanting to do. We will be moving to Turkey in mid-January to serve the workers there. A great opportunity has come up for us, so we're going to take it. We'll be visiting our families in December and January and then coming back to DC for a weekend before we head out. So we only have a couple more weekends at CHBC.
While we're in Turkey I'll have an administrative job. We'll also be able to take the time to learn Turkish and to use our lives to share the truth with those around us. We hope to be there for a long, long time. I'm happy to tell you more if you get in touch with me.
Thank you for rejoicing with us in our great God and in the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ.

-Mark S.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thankful for you guys. Would be great to get an email or even phone call from some of you every once in a while. (eh hem....Lingle, Merker, Stam).

Local Church in Vietnam

A raid caught on tape. Heart breaking.

http://ow.ly/EgcW

If only I had a Blu-Ray player

Roll out some encouragement

Check out TML, Dever and Croft in this pic

Service Planning during renovations

Because renovations are under way we now sing the final hymn at the top of the stairway. Mark insists.

Oh my!

Name That Author...

"It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labour to give no offence, and the other to labour to take none. The best men are severe to themselves, tender over others."

Piper: Sailhamer

Piper: Sailhamer’s The Meaning of the Pentateuch Will Rock Your World

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Jonah Sermon Audio

Brothers, I'd love your feedback on my sermon.

My favorite fundy!

My favorite quote- "I'm a Baptist preacher!"

CHBC Sermon Schedule

All,

Check the CHBC preaching schedule! None other than our man, Garrett is up this week. Can't wait to hear it, Garrett. Will be praying for you this week. Preach the Word!

Listen to This

I have listened to this song http://vimeo.com/6741547 several times tonight. Hope it encourages you as you remember the great trip we took together and recount the love of Christ.

Be Killing Sin!

Brothers, I commend to you today's chapel message by Jim Hamilton. He warns us from David's experience with Bathsheeba.

Quote of the Day

Greg Wills just commented in Church History class that he recently listened to a sermon titled, "Why I'm Not a Southern Baptist." In his words, "It did not disappoint."

Random Memory

I thought it would be fun to remind you of a few memories from the internship. Please contribute to this. I would love to be reminded of stuff that would make me laugh hard.

1. Do you all remember this day? One of the best memories from the internship.

2. Remember the van ride to Southeastern when Merker went through every United States capitol.

3. Remember when we were treated like pledges.

4. Remember the weekender when were scolded like schoolboys.

5. Remember when Nik Lingle hung out in the intern room (wait, that never happened.).

6. Remember when I tripped on that rope at the end of the first weekender, and you all thought something had fallen from the wall and broken.

7. Remember, "No, Timmy No!"

8. Remember when I puked during landing.

PLEASE POST MEMORIES.

Manley on the Blog!

Great to be back on the blog. Matt, Ferguson's book is excellent! I highly recommend it and am thrilled to hear you are doing that with your friend. It covers everything and will allow you to think through issues and enable him to ask questions. I want to catch up soon, Merker. I assume you and Erica are doing well. I would love to hear.

Ryan, I have not forgotten about your sermon(s). I have been swamped. I intend to listen to it and give you feedback soon. Bishop, just a note also to encourage you that you have encouraged me in your faithfulness in preaching. Men, Bishop has a full plate, and he is charging ahead with ministry, and I am encouraged by that.

Stam, great to hear you preached recently. Please send the link! I would love to hear it.

Garrett, call me back when you are able. I would love to hear about your recent preaching ventures.

The Manley's are doing well. We are having a girl which completely shocked me. I am fully immersed with school (taking 12 hours, one of which is Hebrew with a man who is really intense about Hebrew named Fuller.) I really enjoyed seeing Mark last week here on campus. He is such an encouragement. And, Steve Wellum mentioned the 9 Marks ejournal on Multisites in our Systematic Class this A.M. Hopefully, that will get some good play!

I hope you all are doing well. Call me when you are able.

Discipleship Books

Brothers, I would appreciate your advice regarding a book selection for discipling a guy I met through the Intern Bible Study at CHBC. Since we're studying Ephesians in the group, I figured that when I meet with him we can discuss more personal application from Ephesians, but I think it would be helpful to go through another book together -- something theologically thoughtful, yet straightforward enough to challenge a recent college grad who hasn't read much theology.

I'm considering "The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction" by Sinclair Ferguson. I know Manley has used it in discipleship before and I would love to hear his thoughts, as well as comments from anyone else who has read the book and/or has other ideas for me.

Thanks for your help!

Another Preacher

And pray for me, too, brothers, as I preach this weekend at Chesterbrook Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Falls Church. I'm preaching from John 4:43-54 about one of Jesus' healings. Jennifer won't need to translate for me like she has before because I'm just preaching to the English-speaking congregation that they have.

-Mark

Jonah

Oh, how I wish I were in DC right now! I'm jealous of you brothers who are. I'd love details of the night!

The flu--even the swine sort--has overtaken our congregation. Jim Hamilton, our pastor, has it too. So I found out tonight that I'm preaching Sunday. Friday and Saturday I have to put together a sermon. Please pray for my prep! I need the Lord's help especially now.

Also, don't forget to pray for Garrett as he preaches Psalm 126 this Sunday in Florida.

Conclusion - Mike Gilbart-smith

Taken from the 9Marks blog.

"Mark Dever often talks about the conclusion as being the point where the weight of the whole sermon falls down upon the congregation as it is pressed home in summary.
I think that's right. However, I find it incredibly hard to do. In a way it's a test of how coherent a message the sermon has been. If you are unable to summarise the significance of a particular sermon, then you will be unable to press it all home at once.

John Stott comes up with 5 different ways this can be done:
"The conclusion should not merely recapitulate your sermon—it should apply it. Obviously, you should be applying all along, but you should keep something for the end which will prevail upon your people to take action. “No summons, no sermon.” Preach through the head to the heart (i.e. the will). The goal of the sermon should be to “storm the citadel of the will and capture it for Jesus Christ. What do you want them to do?

Employ a variety of methods to do this:
Argument—anticipate objections and refute them.
Admonition— warn of the consequences of disobedience.
Indirect Conviction—arouse moral indignation and then turn it on them (Nathan with David).
Pleading—apply the gentle pressure of God’s love, concern for their well-being, and the needs of others.
Vision—paint a picture of what is possible through obedience to God in this area." (HT: Adrian Warnock) Of the five, I have a massive preference for the fifth where possible (so long as we stretch "obedience to God" to include, "faith in God").

One useful way to do that is through a positive biography.
Find someone who has lived out the main point of the sermon well. So, for example, if the sermon had been on 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

You reach the conclusion that it is all about living today in the light of the future. A brief survey of the fruitfulness of the life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury and ask what made him so fruitful. Then quote from him,
"I do not think in the last forty years I have lived one conscious hour that was not influenced by the thought of our Lord’s return." "

Wedding Photos

Hello brothers,

Per Garrett's request, here is a slide show of some favorite photos from our wedding. Enjoy!!!

http://getstak.com/slideshows/erica_matt/

MM

God Exposed: Awkward Preaching In A Comfortable Age

We loaded up the church van and headed down to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to go to the God Exposed Conf. (Southeastern and 9Marks are collaborating to do one mark of the nine each year for nine years.)

Here we are in the van with our fearless leader.

Gus and I were pretty much beside ourselves.

It was so nice to see one of my favorite places again.

Looking for a great seminary?

Mark spoke at NC State Univ on "Is becoming a Christian committing intellectual suicide?"

We handed out 9Marks materials to the college students.


I saw some old buddies (left to right- Pri, Ben, Me, Tyler, and Mark).
Mark addressing nearly 1500 students

Matt Schmucker (executive director for 9marks)

Back at the God exposed conf. at Southeastern- CJ preaching

Enjoying some grub

In between sessions the boys played.

Baptist21 panel-(Dever, Greer, Anyabwille, Leidebach, and Akin)

Breakfast at the hotel

We're still so excited

Thabiti!

Tim and I's old pad

Panel

CJ asked us to critique his talk. (seriously) Bookstore with uncle Mark means... free books!!
I love this guy.

Games in the van all the way back to D.C.

We had a great time. Thank you CHBC and 9Marks.

Wendy

Brothers, on Friday Kenwood began with UofL faculty/staff what CHBC does with Capitol talks. I met a lady named Wendy who, understandably, was troubled because she had a premature granddaughter still in ICU (she weighed about 2 pounds). We were to meet this week to speak about "a lot of things" she's dealing with. On Monday, however, Wendy's granddaughter died.

Wendy called today to see if I would officiate the funeral.

All I know about her is what I learned in 10 minutes of small talk Friday. She did mention that she had been baptized at a Baptist church long ago but hasn’t attended in many years. I know nothing of the spiritual state of her family except what I can deduce from the fact that I am being asked to do the funeral (so they surely don’t have a close relationship with any church or pastor).

Please pray for me as I seek the Lord's wisdom and direction regarding how to relate to this family, particularly from the pulpit (I think on Monday).

Psalm 34 Sermon

Brothers, my sermon from Sunday is here. Love to get your feedback!

I'd also love to get general updates about your life and walk.

Miss you, guys!