The Gospel for OC » Chris Poblete

The Type of Leaders We Need and Ought to Be

Chris Poblete — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:26:03 +0000

“My dear friends, most churches make the mistake of selecting as leaders the confident, the competent, and the successful. But what you most need in a leader is someone who has been broken by the knowledge of his or her sin, and even greater knowledge of Jesus’ costly grace. The number one leaders in every church ought to be the people who repent the most fully without excuses, because you don’t need any now; the most easily without bitterness; the most publicly and the most joyfully. They know their standing isn’t based on their performance.”

—Tim Keller

(HT: JW via DD)

2011 in Review and the Top 11 Blog Posts of the Year

Chris Poblete — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:00:33 +0000

Reflecting on God’s Grace

2011 has been an exciting year for The Gospel for OC. We’ve added more churches to our network, initiated new media projects, partnered with Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition, and launched TGC’s official Orange County chapter. Needless to say, God has been extremely kind to us, and we hope to continue serving faithfully with the resources, partnerships, and other opportunities he has provided. A giant THANK YOU to the everyone—churches, ministry partners, prayer warriors, volunteers—who partnered alongside us to make this happen. We are extremely thankful and humbled by God as we reflect back and sit under the massive weight of his grace and mercy. Let’s do it again next year!

“I don’t know the first thing about love”

Chris Poblete — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:12:59 +0000

With a new album out soon, the band Thrice has navigated its way back to the top of my iTunes playlist. I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve forgotten how wonderful the Alchemy Index albums are. So legit. Here’s an older song, Moving Mountains (Alchemy Index, vol. IV), for your listening pleasure:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”
(1 Corinthians 1:1-3)

LYRICS:

I speak in many tongues of many men
Argue with angels and I always win
But I don’t know the first thing about love

I prophesize and know all mystery
All living things are opened up to me
But I don’t know the first thing about love
Don’t know the first thing about love

I have the keys to open any door
Give all my possessions to the poor
But I don’t know the first thing about love

And moving mountains ain’t a thing to me
Have faith enough to cast them to the sea
But I don’t know the first thing about love
I don’t know the first thing about love

All other things shall fade away
Love stands alone and still holds sway
all other things shall fade away
Into the ground into the grave

I give my body up into the flames
And never once have I denied your name
But I don’t know the first thing about love
I don’t know the first thing about love

Thrice is an Orange County-based band. Lead singer Dustin Kensrue also leads worship at Mars Hill Church – Orange County. Thrice’s new album, Major/Minor, will be available in stores and online September 6th.

Partnered in the Gospel (TGC article)

Chris Poblete — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:22:22 +0000

Yesterday, The Gospel Coalition featured my article on gospel partnership in Orange County and the history of The Gospel for OC:

Orange County is an interesting place to do ministry. It’s a hybrid urban/suburban battleground that is known for its cul-de-sac communities and also its cultural influence. The region is saturated with megachurches, and this poises a unique challenge. Now, I’m not one of the anti-megachurch variety (in fact, I got saved at one), but having a lot of big churches and a rich history of evangelical movements (Purpose-Driven, Calvary Chapel, Crystal Cathedral, Vineyard, etc.) has its own subtle side effects. Someone once described Orange County as “the new Bible Belt,” observing that the gospel is now assumed in our churches, not adored. Ours is a consumer-driven, church-hopping society, where many attend church simply because it’s “good for business,” “good for the family,” or “they’ve got good programs.” The gospel—the glorious good news of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus—has sadly been politicized. Many church planters find it difficult to navigate this spiritual climate, and their ministries are short lived.

Click here to read the rest at The Gospel Coalition blog.

What Is Discipleship?

Chris Poblete — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:22:11 +0000

A short little video that says a lot:

Now, let’s make disciples, church! Go!

(HT: Nick)

Morality for the Internet Age

Chris Poblete — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:16:08 +0000

John Starke:

The idea that we can commit virtual adultery without real-life consequences is absurd and morally reprehensible.

Good words. Starke explains.

The Tyranny of Do More, Try Harder

Chris Poblete — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:56:02 +0000

Good words from Tullian Tchividjian:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in “accountability groups” where there has been little to no attention given to the gospel whatsoever. There’s no reminder of what Christ has done for our sin—“cleansing us from its guilt and power”—and the resources that are already ours by virtue of our union with him. These groups produce a “do more, try harder” moralism that robs us of the joy and freedom Jesus paid dearly to secure for us.

….

Christian growth…does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better—believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what Christ has already secured for sinners. I need my family and friends to remind me of this all the time.

The bottom line is this, Christian: because of Christ’s work on your behalf, God does not dwell on your sin the way you do. So, relax and rejoice…and you’ll actually start to get better. The irony, of course, is that it’s only when we stop obsessing over our own need to be holy and focus instead on the beauty of Christ’s holiness, that we actually become more holy!

Read the rest.

The gospel is for all of life, not just the point of conversion. We are saved through the gospel, we are sustained through the gospel, and we are kept eternally secure in the the gospel. The good news is about Jesus’ efforts, not ours. And when he said, “It is finished,” you better believe he meant it. It would do us a whole lot of good if we preached this message to ourselves, and each other, daily. Never forget it.

ESV Student Study Bible – 30% OFF pre-order

Chris Poblete — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:07:45 +0000

Calling all students!

News from Justin Taylor of Crossway Publishing:

The ESV Student Study Bible releases next month. Crossway is offering a pre-publication sale of the hardcover edition with a 30% off discount and a free copy of John Piper’s book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God if you use the coupon code SSBTHK at checkout.

I hope the Lord will use this to help many students of God’s Word—whether in or out of school—come to a better understanding and application of his gracious revelation to us.

The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is a word-for-word, essentially literal translation. I use it for both personal Bible reading and in-depth study. If you’re a student looking for a new Bible, or perhaps a parent looking to buy one for your student, I recommend this one.

With 12,000 clear, concise study notes, the ESV Student Study Bible provides numerous new features—including nearly 900 “Did You Know?” facts, 120 new Bible character profiles, and 15 new topical articles. It also features a new glossary of key terms, more than 80 full-color maps and illustrations, an extensive concordance, and 80,000 cross-references. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive, colorful, and content-rich student Bible available today. Suited to high school and college students, the ESV Student Study Bible is also a versatile resource for anyone engaged in serious study of God’s Word.

Click here to preview the Student Bible.

ESV Endorsements:

“After preaching out of the same version for over 10 years, I switched to the ESV Bible. I find it both accurate and easily readable, which is a rare combination.”
—Francis Chan
Author and Speaker, former Pastor of Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, CA

“The ESV has taken the evangelical world by storm. It is the newest, freshest, and by far the best translation. It retains all the dignity, beauty, and magnificence of the old Authorized (version), and yet takes into consideration the best manuscripts and is a word-for-word accurate representation of the original languages.”
—Dr. John MacArthur
Pastor-teacher, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA

“We are building all our future ministry around the ESV…. The ESV satisfies the preaching, memorizing, studying, and reading needs of our church, from children to adults.”
—John Piper
Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota

“The ESV is a great word for word translation that is a tremendous gift to Bible students and teachers. I am thankful to my friends at Crossway for the investment they have made to the kingdom by giving us the ESV.”
—Mark Driscoll
Preaching Pastor, Mars Hill Church
President, the Acts 29 Church Planting Network

“I was privileged to act as General Editor of the English Standard Version, and now that I look back on what we did in producing that version, I find myself suspecting very strongly that this was the most important thing that I have ever done for the Kingdom, and that the product of our labors is perhaps the biggest milestone in Bible translation in certainly the last half century at least, and perhaps more.”
—J.I. Packer
Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada

“I’ve been using the ESV for my personal study since it was released. Then I began to preach from it. Then our congregation switched over to it. I hope others will do the same. The ESV is the simply the best translation for combining accuracy, readability, and fidelity to the rich history of English Bible translation. I thank God for the ESV and pray that it will be the new standard in English Bibles for years to come.”
—Kevin DeYoung
Senior Pastor, University Reformed Church, East Lansing, MI

“I believe the ESV is the Bible of the future. It is readable, accurate, and reverent.”
—Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner
Professor of New Testament, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The ESV embodies both word-for-word exactness and easy readability. It has quickly become my primary Bible for both personal use and public teaching.”
—Jerry Bridges
Author, The Pursuit of Holiness

“The translation is outstanding. The ESV achieves a new standard in accurate Bible translations for our day.”
—Dr. R. C. Sproul
Chairman, Ligonier Ministries

“We use the English Standard Version as our church Bible because we are passionate about God’s Word—every last word of it—and because we want our children to have the best available translation for reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and serious Bible study.”
Dr. Philip Graham Ryken
Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“The ESV represents a new level of excellence in Bible translations—combining unquestionable accuracy in translation with a beautiful style of expression. It is faithful to the text, easy to understand, and a pleasure to read. This is a translation you can trust.”
—Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The ESV has been my primary Bible for study and devotion over the past three years. I like it best because it gives me a close sense of what the original says.”
—Ajith Fernando
National Director, Youth for Christ, Sri LankaBible Teacher and Author

Killer Kindle Deals

Chris Poblete — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 23:06:53 +0000

So you have an Amazon Kindle (or Kindle app), and you’re looking for some killer deals?

Today’s the day! Several great Kindle books are going for cheap. We recommend these titles (priced from lowest to highest):

What Is the Gospel? (Greg Gilbert) …$0.99
On Who Is God? (Mark Driscoll) …$0.99
Affirming the Apostles’ Creed (J.I. Packer) …$0.99
The Attributes of God (Arthur W. Pink) …$0.99
Water of the Word: Intercession for Her (Andrew Case) …$0.99
Prayers of an Excellent Wife: Intercession for Him (Andrew Case) …$0.99
Contentment: A Godly Woman’s Adornment (Lydia Brownback) …$0.99
Don’t Waste Your Life (John Piper)…$1.99
To the One Who Conquers (Sam Storms, commentary on Rev 2-3) …$1.99
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Norman Geisler & Frank Turek) …$1.99
Thriving in College (Alex Chediak) …$1.99
Think (John Piper) …$2.99
Church Planter (Darrin Patrick) all men (not just planters) should read …$2.99
All of Grace (Charles H. Spurgeon) …$2.99
The Gospel and the Modern World (J. Gresham Machen) …$3.50

(HT: AS, SM)

A Book to Read on Love, Freedom, and Evil

Chris Poblete — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 21:05:14 +0000

Yesterday, June 1st, an important new book hit shelves, nationwide. Love, Freedom, and Evil: Does Authentic Love Require Free Will? rises to address recent controversies over the doctrine of God’s love—does authentic love really require free will?

Author Thaddeus Williams, Orange County pastor and philosophy professor, probes deep into Scripture with a fine-tooth comb to find biblical truths that shed light on the moral issues of love, freedom, and evil.

Does love demand free will? Is humanity free to choose? If God causes someone to love him, does this dehumanize the lover? How does love and freedom relate to the problem of evil in the world?

With truth and grace, Williams tackles these questions and more.

Watch the promo video for the book:

Order the book today.