One for Kids, One for Adults: Two Free Worship Album Downloads

The other day I saw this link to two free worship albums available for download from The Village Church, where Matt Chandler pastors.

The first is a five song album for kids. Here's the description from their web site:

The Village: Kids - "Jesus Came to Save Sinners"

"Jesus Came to Save Sinners" contains five original songs that teach children about the character and nature of God and His plan to save sinners through Jesus Christ. These songs correspond with the five foundational truths - Jesus Came to Save Sinners, God is Good, God is in Charge of Everything, God Wants to Talk with Us, God Made Everything - taught each weekend in our preschool ministry, The Little Village. The mission and vision of The Little Village is "to partner with parents to build a firm spiritual foundation for their children." Our hope is that these songs will be an effective tool in engaging your children with the truth of who God is as you endeavor to obey the biblical call to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)

The second is a full album by the worship team of the Village Church. Again, here's the description:

The Village - "Village Worship"

Released in 2005, this album contains many of the songs from The Village Church weekend services. The purpose of the CD is to draw you to the feet of God. We pray that as you listen, you would worship in spirit and in truth, with your heart and your mind, making much of God with your affections and your knowledge of the Word. The songs speak of God's great splendor, the wonderful grace of Jesus, the peace that God brings to one's life, and they plead with God to overwhelm our lives with His presence and splendor. They proclaim to our King that He indeed is better than all and that we look forward to the day when He returns once again for His people. May His Name be praised!

I've really been enjoying the latter, and my four year old has been loving the former. Again, both albums, along with download instructions, can be found here.

HT: JT

Engaging Secular People With the Gospel

Last night I had the privilege of leading a 'Discovery Group', a small group of people who are exploring the person and claims of Jesus with me on Wednesday nights. This, by far, is my favourite time of my week as a pastor (yes, even more than preaching!!). What a privilege to create a non-threatening environment where people can ask their questions, voice their objections, and encounter the real Jesus. I pray that God uses this group and future ones like it to lead many to Christ!

This afternoon I had the privilege of reading a very helpful article called, "Deconstructing Defeater Beliefs: Leading the Secular to Christ", by Tim Keller. I really work to be shaped by a variety of pastors/theologians, but I find myself coming back to John Piper and Tim Keller more than anyone else. Keller's cultural engagement and apologetics are second to none. No one engages post-modern people with the gospel, makes them want to hear it, shows them the inconsistencies in their world view, and then shows them the truth and beauty of the gospel, better than Tim Keller. I highly recommend that all Christians read his best selling book, 'The Reason for God' and then buy a stack to give away to their secular friends. In the article I read this afternoon, Keller explains the rationale behind his book. Here is a teaser by Keller:

Every culture hostile to Christianity holds to a set of 'common-sense' consensus beliefs that automatically make Christianity seem implausible to people. These are what philosophers call "defeater beliefs". A defeater belief is Belief-A that, if true, means Belief-B can't be true.

Christianity is disbelieved in one culture for totally opposite reasons it is disbelieved in another. So for example, in the West (as we will explore below) it is widely assumed that Christianity can't be true because of the cultural belief there can't be just one "true" religion. But in the Middle East, people have absolutely no problem with the idea that there is just one true religion. That doesn't seem implausible at all. Rather there it is widely assumed that Christianity can't be true because of the cultural belief that American culture, based on Christianity, is unjust and corrupt. (Skeptics ought to realize, then, that the objections they have to the Christian faith are culturally relative!) So each culture has its own set of culturally-based doubt-generators which people call 'objections' or 'problems' with Christianity.

When a culture develops a combination of many, widely held defeater beliefs it becomes a cultural 'implausibility-structure.' In these societies, most people don't feel they have to give Christianity a good hearing – they don't feel that kind of energy is warranted. They know it just can't be true. That is what makes evangelism in hostile cultures so much more difficult and complex than it was under 'Christendom.' In our Western culture (and in places like Japan, India, and Muslim countries) the reigning implausibility-structure against Christianity is very strong. Christianity simply looks ludicrous. In places like Africa, Latin America, and China, however, the implausibility structures are eroding fast. The widely held assumptions in the culture make Christianity look credible there.

(In what follows, Keller explains and interacts with the most common Western Defeater beliefs, and then presents the gospel on the culture's own terms!!.) You can read the whole thing here.

George Veenvliet - June 13, 1947 - May 4, 2010

This past Tuesday, my friend George passed away suddenly. George was a 'Barnabas' to me and many others in the Binbrook Baptist Church family and beyond. In the last few days I've been oscillating between shock and grief and a stoic 'get it done' work mentality in planning the funeral. Please pray that Christ would be exalted through our church's Sunday morning worship service where I plan to preach on Barnabas, and at the funeral on Monday, where I plan to preach on Lamentations 3. George was a beautiful Christian whose life displayed the gospel in so many ways.

Below is the newspaper write-up:

George VEENVLIET VEENVLIET, George Went to be home with the Lord on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, in his 63rd year. Beloved husband of Florence. Loved father of Tara and Heidi. Loving Grandpa of Addison and Keira. Will be sadly missed by his 3 brothers and 3 sisters. George was a stone mason in the Hamilton area for over 40 years, and a member of Binbrook Baptist Church. Friends will be received at the DONALD V. BROWN FUNERAL HOME, 36 Lake Ave. Drive, Stoney Creek on Saturday from 7-9 p.m. and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. No visitation Sunday evening. Funeral Service will be held at West Highland Baptist Church 1605 Garth Street, Hamilton on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 1 p.m. Interment Mountview Gardens. In George’s memory, donations to Binbrook Baptist Church would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be sent at www.donaldvbrown.ca

Darryl Dash: We Need Gospel Movements, Not Just Better Churches

I fully agree with Darryl Dash's article found here. When churches in a particular context learn from one another, unite together in the gospel (and some other core doctrines), and team up in various ways, the gospel will advance in the city and, I'd add, that Christians will be much happier. It's intimidating and lonely to work alone as a church. The joy of fellowship and encouragement of seeing God work in other contexts far outstrips the isolation of being solely focused on one's own church.

Here's the first few paragraphs from Darryl's piece:

Most of us, if we’re part of a church, are focused on the growth of that church. I’ve become increasingly convinced that we need to continue focusing on our individual churches, while also developing a concern for something much bigger. We need to develop a vision for a gospel movement within our area, and ultimately in our country as a whole.

Let me give an example. I pastor in Toronto, and I have my hands full just trying to stay ahead of the challenges in my own church. But no matter how well my particular church does, it will never be able to have the kind of impact that’s needed on the entire city. Toronto doesn’t need one or even a dozen churches to do well. It needs all kinds of churches from all kinds of movements to revitalize existing churches and to start new ones. This means we need to be working together a lot more than we would if we’re focused only on our own churches or our own movements.

We all need to learn from others. We’re used to learning from big and successful churches in other countries. It’s much more effective to learn from good churches in our own contexts. That means that I can probably learn more about effective ministry in my city from other churches in my city, and places like it. The resources I need may not be found within my own movement, but within churches that belong to other movements.

We don’t just need more and better churches. We need gospel movements in key areas of our countries. There are some steps we can take to get there.

Again, you can continue to read here.

Learning Evangelism - A Conference That Looks Worth While!

I am thankful to God for sparing my former pastor and mentor, Stephen Beck. I'll let his wife, Susan, explain in a copy/paste of their prayer letter from yesterday:

It's time for our monthly update, but this is an update of a different sort. Stephen woke up at 1 am today with chest pains and we went into the hospital, expecting to have an EKG and be sent home. Instead, he is now recovering from a quadruple bypass.

Please praise the Lord with us that we got to the hospital before significant damage occurred, that we have a good university hospital near our home, and that he has come through the surgery and is stable.

Please pray for God's hand to remain over him as he wakes up, for an uncomplicated recovery, and that God will use this situation for His glory in ways we can't see yet.

With confidence that God is always in control,

Susan

Through the wonders of the internet, I saw today that Stephen is recovering and will soon be able to see his bride again. Please be in prayer for this godly couple.

Before his current role as seminary professor at the only evangelical Seminary in Germany, Stephen planted and pastored Grace Toronto Church (and simultaneously, others in the Greater Toronto area) for 10 years. Prior to that he pastored in Pensylvania for 10 years. His daughter, Sarah, told me recently that her dad is playing on all of his strengths in this current role. He gets to train pastors, mentor them, and help facilitate church plants throughout Europe. I can testify to those things being his awesome strengths. I love the fact that Stephen teaches at the school his own father helped to found about four decades ago!

At age 55 I'd ask you to pray that God gives him many more years of faithful service.

Rick Warren's Invitation to Speak for John Piper

John Piper's national conference in October looks awesome. 'The life of the mind and the love of God' is the theme. I always appreciate the way Piper holds a balance between holding firm convictions theologically, and seeking to unite with all evangelicals, even when it means he asks speakers to his conference that many reformed people will dislike. Below he explains why he asked Rick Warren to speak at this conference. I give a hearty 'amen' to every word of his explanation.