The Gospel for OC » The Gospel for OC

VIDEO: The Relevance of God

The Gospel for OC — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 21:32:03 +0000

A preview from Dr. Thad Williams’ new class @ TerraNova University:

Fore more info on this course click here.

EVENT: April 19 “Hymn Night” with PAGE CXVI

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:49:02 +0000

Make it a date night. Make it a family night. You can even make it a small group activity. Whichever you choose, you can be certain of one thing: this will be a worship night.

Page CXVI (a side project of The Autumn Film) is a talented and gifted band from Colorado. They arrange old hymns to new tunes—and they do it well. If you were at their show in Irvine last year, you know what we’re talking about. It was a phenomenal worship experience.

This is why we are excited to announce that Page CXVI will be returning to Orange County on Thursday, April 19.

Join us at Reverence Bible Church for a worshipful night of hymns and song. It starts at 7pm. The price of admission is $10 ($5 for kids). All proceeds go to the band.

You can download free tracks from the band here or visit their blog to download an entire album and learn more.

From the band’s website:

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again. They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

The name comes from a reference to page 116 (CXVI is the Roman numeral) in our copy of The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. It is a poignant passage where Aslan begins to sing Narnia into creation out of a black void.

It starts, “In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction is was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.”
~ C.S. Lewis

Be sure to visit our Facebook event page and invite your friends. See you there!

(PHOTO CREDIT: Cami Jane Photography 2011)

Introducing: TerraNova University

The Gospel for OC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:35:15 +0000

Want a first-rate, university-level, gospel-saturated theology education, but don’t have the time or thousands of dollars to put into it?

Of course, you do.

Well, The Gospel for OC is excited to announce a brand new opportunity just for you!

We’re teaming up with Dr. Thaddeus Williams for the launch of TerraNova University right here in Orange County. Dr. Williams currently teaches Theology and Biblical Studies at Biola University. He has lectured internationally at seminaries in Nepal and Francis Schaeffer’s L’Abri Fellowships in Holland and Switzerland, has written God-centered books in philosophy and theology, and has been our guest for many TG4OC interviews. The young Dr. Williams is driven by a passion to help Christians raise their biblical IQ and make a big gospel impact on Orange County.

Terra Nova University courses are open to anyone who wants to grow theologically—and that means you! It kicks off Monday night April 23^rd from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Hub in Lake Forest (for directions click here). The first course—“Theology 1: Knowing and Enjoying God”—runs four consecutive Monday nights and will explore such questions as:

Can we know God is there?

If God is sovereign over His universe, is there any room left for human freedom?

How can we integrate biblical realities about God into our everyday lives so that our walk matches our talk?

For more info and to register for TNU simply click here or visit: http://www.ourterranova.com/tnu/

We hope to see you there!

Good Friday: How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

The Gospel for OC — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:12:29 +0000

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
(Luke 23:34)

Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
(Matthew 27:46)

Today, Good Friday, we celebrate God’s wrath appeased.

Christ was put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith (Romans 3:25). In this propitiation, he did not merely deflect the righteous wrath of God… he absorbed it— and absorbed it fully—on our behalf. And “it was to show hisrighteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)

This is what he did for us. And this is what we remember and celebrate today on Good Friday.

Oh, how deep the Father’s love for us!

For the Ministry and the Mission (3/19)

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:53:27 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We were having problems with the web server… again. Well, here we are back in the saddle!

IMPORTANT: NEXT TGC MEETING IS ON APRIL 4th.

In case you didn’t know, we labor in partnership with The Gospel Coalition by running their Orange County regional chapter. Well, this upcoming April 4th, we will be having a TGC meeting for pastors and ministry leaders. At this prayer meeting we will pray for our cities and churches and celebrate God’s evident grace in our ministries. We will pray for each others’ faithfulness and fruit and for God to do mighty things in our churches this upcoming Resurrection Sunday. If you are a pastor or ministry leader and would like an invitation to this event, please email us at info [at] thegospelforoc [dot] com.

5 Reasons Why Pastors Should Write

Dan Darling offers five reasons that pastors should write:

You join a long traditional dating back to the early church.
You preserve God’s work in you beyond your generation.
You inspire others in this generation.
You find better clarity of thought.
You can better communicate with your own people.

Click through to read more detail on each point.

How Pastors Can Make Time to Talk with Skeptics

This is where a culture change may be needed in the way we think about our ministries. Not only do we need to teach our congregations that these kinds of relationships and involvements are to be prioritized and not neglected (for their sakes as well as the non-Christian), but we also need to be freed up to pursue such relationships. However, as one pastor friend said to me, “Many pastors I know have become so dependent on being needed, and so have trained their people to depend on them, that passing off counseling, meetings, etc., is impossible.” (Click here to read the rest.)

Having Natural Community Without Losing the Bible

Brad House writes:

This means that when you have a group that is following a sermon series, you lead out of what the Holy Spirit is doing in your life through the sermon and text, using provided material as a guide. Your passion, however, will come from your own experience wrestling with the text. When we are naturally steeped in Scripture, we won’t need to wait for a formal “Bible study” time to discuss the Bible, it will be overflowing over dinner, during football games, while fixing someone’s sink, and every other opportunity of life. This is natural community that never loses its tether to the source of life, Jesus, and his Word. (Click through to read the whole thing.)

“Make Disciples”: Evangelism or Discipleship?

Jonathan Dodson writes:

Some organizations focus on maturing Christians, while others focus on making Christians.The former is about discipleship and the latter about evangelism.The evangelist proclaims the gospel to make converts, and the disciple maker teaches converts how to grow into disciples, hence the clarifying phrase, “evangelism and discipleship.”

The problem, however, is that this phrase is not clarifying at all. The attempt to clarify discipleship by separating it from evangelism actually muddies the waters. The problem is twofold. (Read the whole thing.)

VIDEO: GOSPEL-CENTERED DISCIPLESHIP

Crossway:

The terms “disciple” and “gospel-centered” are thrown around often in Christian circles these days, but what do they really mean? Join Justin Taylor and Jonathan Dodson as they discuss Dodson’s book Gospel-Centered Discipleship and discuss these oft-used terms. You can watch the whole conversation below or jump ahead to these highlights:

0:10 – In an ideal world, if Gospel-Centered Discipleship accomplished exactly what you wanted it to accomplish, how would churches, disciple-makers and disciples look different?

2:31 – What does it mean to be a disciple?

5:08 – So many people are using the term “gospel-centered” that it can seem like a buzz word or a fad. Why did you choose to use this phrase in the title of your book?

7:44 – You talk about not only sharing your faith but also your failures. Looking back at the last ten years of discipling others, how has your disciple-making changed? What are the differences? Where did you drop the ball?

11:35 – How are “Fight Clubs” different from the typical accountability partner or accountability group?

14:50 – JT: “I had a hard time putting the book down, and I hope other people not only pick it up but read it and then apply it.”

For more resources related to the book and to the whole idea, check out gospelcentereddiscipleship.com

Messy Churches

Stephen Altrogge writes:

Ahhh, the early church.

It was so much better than the church today. It was like a 24/7 Holy Ghost party (see Kirk Franklin), where everyone was sharing their property, lovin’ on each other, hanging out with the Apostles, and eating pot-providence meals together. The word of God was explosively increasing, and more converts were streaming into the church every day. It was like one, big, happy family (sort of like the Olive Garden, right?).

Or was it?

What Every Pastor Must Hear and Confess

Paul Tripp:

If your ministry relationships will be healthy in God’s sight, you must commit to intentionally planting good seeds into the soil of those relationships. This will take understanding, commitment, discipline, and perseverance. Galatians 5:13ff is very helpful here… (Read the rest.)

MUST WATCH: The Gospel Project Video Now Online

The Gospel Project webcast is now available for everyone who missed it.

For the Ministry and the Mission (3/5)

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:09:17 +0000

MINISTRY: Defining and Determining a Call to Pastoral Leadership

Jeremy Pace:

Depending on your background, the call to ministry can have a multitude of meanings and just as many variations of intensity and weight. The objectives for this article are to:

1. Demonstrate the universal call to ministry of every believer in Christ.

2. Give a singular definition of the call to ministry in the context of pastoral leadership.

3. Provide questions that need to be answered by those who feel “called” to pastoral leadership.

4. Provide next steps in process of discerning and refining the call to pastoral leadership.

NEWS: Rick Warren on Muslims, Evangelism, and Missions

Local pastor Rick Warren made blog headlines a few days ago when an Orange County Register article claimed that he said Christianity and Islam worship the same God. These accusations are false. The Christian Post did an exclusive interview with Warren where they asked him about Islam, evangelism, and missions. You might have your methodological differences with Saddleback, but careless journalism is still careless journalism. I hope we can put this one to rest. (Here is a link to the original OC Register article if you are interested.)

BIBLE: How to Translate “Son of God” for Muslims

John Piper writes:

Writing in 1972, J. I. Packer sheds light on the contemporary debate over how to translate the term “Son of God” in Muslim contexts. A common Muslim misconception is that Christians believe Jesus was God’s Son by procreation with Mary, so that there are at least two gods — the Son and the Father. (Read the rest.)

DEAL: Nine Marks of a Healthy Church

The Kindle version of Mark Dever’s excellent book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church is on sale for just $3.59. Get it now. In case you didn’t know, you don’t need a Kindle to take advantage of these great deals. You can always download Kindle for Mac or Kindle for PC to view right on your computer.

NEWS: Killing babies no different from abortion

A group of ethicists has argued that killing young babies is no different from abortion. And it’s not what you think. These ethicists are actually arguing for infanticide: “The article, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, says newborn babies are not “actual persons” and do not have a “moral right to life”. The academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born.” Very disturbing.

MINISTRY: What are a few of the consequences from a pastor’s neglect of his family?

Brian Croft:

All people struggle with sin and those sins bring consequences upon the sinner and those around them. The high stakes in the pastor’s life that are a part of God’s design, create even greater consequences upon his family and church when sin effects faithfulness.

The Spiritual Gift of Discouragement?

“Some people in the church seem to have the spiritual gift of discouragement. It’s all that guy can do – discourage others. Truthfully, we are all “that guy” far too often. We find it far easier to complain and view circumstances negatively than positively. So, when a person embodies encouragement, we notice. The apostles took note of a such a man named Joseph. They recognized that he was no ordinary Joe. They called him Barnabas instead, which translated means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36).” (Read the rest.)

How to Listen to a Sermon

Excellent article from Phil Ryken that you might want to share with your church.

PREACHING: Who’s Afraid of Narrative?

Great food for thought from TGC:

Narrative theology need not be proposition-less, or anti-propositional. It is true that some forms are; they are not healthy for the church and should be refuted. Plain and simple. But, as those like Kevin Vanhoozer have shown, a narrative theology can be proposition-full. No dumbing down here, either. Narrative theology can also be rather robust and rigorous. It is also poetic, artistic. And at the end of the day, when you open up the Scriptures you see it. That is to say, you see creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. This is not imposed; it’s there. And you see it in life. The narrative systematic theology approach resonates with experience, and it does so because it’s true. (Read the rest.)

For the Ministry and the Mission (2/27)

The Gospel for OC — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:42:24 +0000

PREACHING: Four Tips That Could Improve Your Teaching

Erik Raymond:

I have never met a preacher who did not want to increase the effectiveness of his sermon. The question is where to start? We often, and rightly so, head over towards the practical application of the Word itself. We spend more time praying, reading, studying, writing, and thinking. These are good and right. I encourage all of this. But the focus of this post is a little different. Without discounting these I want to just highlight a few practical items that I have seen work well in the church where I serve. (Read the rest.)

WORSHIP: 8 Ways to Pray During Sermon Prep or Worship Prep

Michael McKinley:

And while there’s obviously not just one helpful way to do it, here are eight brief prayers that can be used while writing a sermon… (Read the rest.)

Matt Boswell:

My prayer for us as we lead the people of God in the worship of God, we would do so humbly, dependent, and steeped in prayer. (Read the whole thing.)

EVENT: Secret Church – April 6

DG:

It started on one Friday night when a thousand believers assembled from 6PM until midnight. It was a time of Bible-study and prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. And it was a time of prayer for the American church — that we would grow to love and value the word more. No music. No entertainment. No pizza party. Just the word of God. This gathering is now called “Secret Church”. (Read the rest.)

LENT: Observe or Not Observe?

To observe or not observe Lent – that is the question. Desiring God offers reason you may want to while Doug Wilson offers caution and reason to not and John Piper reminds us that self-denial is just everyday Christian warfare.

RESURGENCE: A Theology of Scripture

The Resurgence has provided a lecture that was recently given by Dr. Gregg Allison to train the MH church staff in a theology of Scripture and its importance in life and ministry. It’s well worth your time. You may want to give it a listen to yourself and pass on to your ministry team. You can also download supplementary notes that go with the lecture. (Click here to listen.)

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Teach Children the Bible Is Not About Them

Sally Lloyd-Jones (of the well-known Jesus Storybook Bible):

When I go into churches and speak to children I ask them two questions:

First, How many people here sometimes think you have to be good for God to love you?They tentatively raise their hands. I raise my hand along with them.

And second, How many people here sometimes think that if you aren’t good, God will stop loving you? They look around and again raise their hands.

These are children in Sunday schools who know the Bible stories and probably all the right answers, and yet they have somehow missed the most important thing of all.

They have missed what the Bible is all about.

(Read the rest.)

Justification: By Faith or By Works?

The Gospel for OC — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:44:19 +0000

Helpful article from Tim Challies:

When it comes to supposed contradictions in the Bible, a classic example is Paul vs. James on the subject of justification. Paul says, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). James says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).

The tension between the two seems irreconcilable at first glance: either a person is justified apart from works or they aren’t; either Paul is right or James is. They can’t both be right; that would be irrational, postmodern thinking in which truth is relative and, therefore, meaningless. But not necessarily. We have to remember that a single word can have more than one meaning, depending on the context in which it is used. The same word can even be used in seemingly opposing statements and yet both can still be true. (My favorite example is “cleave,” a word that has two directly opposed meanings.)

(Read the rest)

For the Ministry and the Mission (2/13)

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:48:22 +0000

EVERY MONDAY we highlight helpful links and resources for the ministry and the local mission.

BOOK SALE (Monergism.com)

Monergism.com is offering the following books at a steep discount:

The Intolerance of Tolerance by D.A. Carson … $13.20 (45% off)
Knowing God by J.I. Packer … $9.00 (50% off)
ESV Study Bible (Genuine Leather) … $47.49 (50% off)
Pocket Dictionary for the Study of Biblical Hebrew … $5.00 (50% off)

EVENT: Together for the Gospel (April 10-12)

Standard Registration ends Feb. 29. Register before then and save $80!

Not sure if you’re going? Watch this video.

NEWS: The New Christian Abolition Movement

CNN:

Motivated in large part by their religious traditions of protecting the vulnerable and serving “the least of these,” as Jesus instructed his followers to do in the Gospel of Matthew, World Relief and other Christian agencies like the Salvation Army are stepping up efforts and working with law enforcement to stem the flow of human trafficking, which includes sex trafficking and labor trafficking. (?Read the rest.):

POLITICS: NYC’s Decision to Ban Churches from Schools

Tim Keller:

“I am grieved that New York City is planning to take the unwise step of removing 68 churches from the spaces that they rent in public schools. It is my conviction that those churches housed in schools are invaluable assets to the neighborhoods that they serve. Churches have long been seen as positive additions to communities.” (?Read the rest.)

VIDEO: Old Hymns for Our Day

Mike Cosper: “In this conversation, we talk about why we’ve returned to hymns and some of the reasons for retuning hymns with new melodies.”

For the Ministry (1/23)

The Gospel for OC — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:59:25 +0000

UPCOMING EVENTS:

THIS SATURDAY : THE GATHERING CONFERENCE (Sovereign Grace Music)

A worship conference for every member of your church. Join us in discovering what it means to build our meetings around the gospel. Hosted by Sovereign Grace Music and Sovereign Grace Church - Orange County.

Featured speakers include: Bob Kauflin, Pat Sczebel, and more…

(Visit the event website)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2 : VERTICAL WORSHIP

“God continues to confirm that our best method in reaching an unbelieving world is for Christians to engage in unapologetic vertical worship. As we fix our gaze on the true treasure of the universe (Christ) we communicate to the world what is ultimate, what is immeasurable, what is glorious, and what is worthy of our worship!”

(Visit the event Facebook page)

Jesus Isn’t Safe: An Appeal to Christian Radio and Its Listeners

Excellent post from music artist Matt Papa:

Imagine with me: The apostle Paul, John the Baptist, the prophet Isaiah, St. Augustine, Martin Luther, and Hudson Taylor all sitting in a room together. The year is 2012, and they’re listening to a mainstream christian radio station. After listening for an hour, someone finally speaks up:

Isaiah: um….

Paul: wow.

Luther: THIS IS CHRISTIAN?!?!

Augustine: Did that song just say ‘God you are super neat’?!?

Taylor: Haven’t heard a song about the cross yet.

John: This is embarrassing. (bites into a bug)

(Click to read part 1 and part 2)

TGC: New blogs

Many of you are aware that we also run The Gospel Coalition’s Orange County regional chapter. Well, we are excited to announce that the TGC family is expanding, with new blogs and plans for 2012.

Sanctity of Life Resources

Yesterday was Sanctity of Life Sunday, and the Christian blogosphere was replete with pro-life resources. Even if your church did not recognize this day, the resources are still out there and worth a gander.