See below for a fascinating eavesdrop of a debate among Bible translators of the word “slave”. I’m stoked to see Talbot represented by Dr. Clint Arnold, a personal favorite of mine during my time in seminary. It’s a bit unfortunate that there’s not much variation in the ethnic or gender makeup of the committee. Some diversity would be a tremendous help in doing this kind of work. Grateful nevertheless for scholars who are gifted to be able to translate God’s Word so the church could be nourished and strengthened.
Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
But if you need to stand against the schemes of mere mortal men, this might be just as helpful:
There’s only one word for this: AWESOME.
(HT: Abraham Piper)
Video evidence why body worship may not be the best of ideas (things get a bit disorderly around the 2 min. mark):
School’s not technically in session for me but for all those that I’ve been called to minister to (i.e., collegians). I enjoy summer vacation as the next guy but I’ve looked forward to the start of this school year for a number of reasons. And here’s a representative sampling of a few:
1) Seeing old faces and catching up.
An interesting thing that God has been doing is leading a lot of people who are originally from NorCal in becoming a part of the college group. This is great except during the summer when everyone goes home for 3 months. Many people that have become familiar friends over the course of the school year are now suddenly zapped from my day-to-day life. But now that it’s late September, it’s good to see many of them back with us in SoCal, which is where I know they’d rather be, so I guess we’re all winners here.
2) Getting busy with ministry again.
Though I got a few weeks to regroup after subbing in for P. Peter during his sabbatical, I’m eager to dive into what the Lord has for me to do this year in the college group. Ever since graduating from seminary, I’ve grown in my heart for teaching, counseling, and shepherding. Nowadays, something seems off if there’s any hiatus from the normal routine of ministry. The start of the school year provides the regular ministry setting that I’ve grown accustomed to and thankful for.
3) Teaching to more than 10 people at Friday night Bible study.
Instructing (and learning) the Scriptures on Friday night shouldn’t really be affected by the number of people who attend any given Bible study but I must confess that it’s nice knowing that I’m preparing a study that will benefit more souls as a result of people coming back down for the start of school. But with that said, I will miss having a more expansive list of post-Bible study dinner options to choose from because of the smaller and more manageable group size during summer break. I guess McDonald’s and Jack-in-the-Box aren’t so bad though.
4) Meeting new freshmen.
Wide-eyed, lost, and generally confused, I love seeing the transformation that God does in young people’s minds and hearts over the course of the school year. They present both a challenge and an opportunity and I’ve already been given a chance to meet several of them. Now hopefully we can come up with enough people to give them all rides to church on Fridays and Sundays. Sophomores, where are your cars???
5) Being filled with abundant opportunities to evangelize.
What I’m most excited about with the start of another fall quarter is the opportunity to share my faith with young people and exhorting people in our college group to live as purposeful evangelists. The university campus remains the gathering place for an eclectic mix of people, where ideologies, political opinions, and religious faiths oftentimes intersect and clash. Amid this chaotic brew is the common denominator of unbelief. Christians were once dying people who were saved by the gift of God’s grace to us in Christ (cf. Eph. 2:1-7). As people who glory and delight in the Gospel, is there any greater privilege than to be called to carry that message to the remotest parts of the world, beginning here with the strangers sitting next to us in the lecture halls and classrooms? Is there any greater Savior to proclaim? Is there any greater love to speak of?
(HT: Zach Nielsen)
(Note: I can’t speak to the accuracy of Pastor Mark Driscoll’s comments regarding the filthy sponge but there is historical precedent, and the basic point remains unchanged)
One highlight of summer, besides summer itself, is when our church family gathers for three-and-a-half days of worship, fellowship, and teaching of God’s Word. It’s a bit like a Berean version of the Resolved Conference, even being in the same general Palm Desert/Springs area.
This year’s theme is on Holy Affections. It’s an exploration of the biblical understanding of emotions, including love, joy, anger, and sorrow. In the words of our speaker, “the Bible shows God’s experience of these emotions in the OT, Christ in the Gospels, and then applies it to the Christian.”
Intrigued? I am.
As of late, I’ve thought a lot about that very topic. Emotions are an indispensable component of who we are as human beings, made in the image of God, but rarely do we find our emotions being appropriated in light of our new identity in Christ. Emotions often trump faith rather than being shaped by it and can even be misused as an excuse to disobey God. E.g., “I choose not to do _________ because I don’t feel like it.” If feelings have been woven into the very fabric of who we are, we need to see how God desires for us to understand them, beginning first by looking to the Scriptures and our Lord’s own emotional expression and experience.
Our speaker is Dr. Andrew Snider of the Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley.
Dr. Snider even led the Resolved Conference’s worship team, Enfield, in devotions during last weekend’s conference.
Please pray for him and his ministry to us, in addition to his ongoing work as a professor in equipping men to become God’s shepherds to the church.
The summer retreat will take place on Labor Day weekend, September 4-7, and we will begin registrations very soon.
