20s Retreat
I’m looking forward to our annual 20s Retreat next weekend. Best of all, I get to fly out my good friend Eric Simmons for the weekend as our guest speaker.
Kevin DeYoung, Just Do Something. Interview & Book Giveaway
For me, the best book I’ve read so far in 2009 is Kevin DeYoung’s Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach To Finding God’s Will. I recently interviewed Kevin about Just Do Something, and I’ve been given 4 free copies of the book to give away.
In a paragraph, how would you summarize the message of Just Do Something?
The message of the book is 1 Thessalonians 4:3. This is the will of God: your sanctification. God wants us to be holy. He expects us to obey his Word, love Jesus and love others. That’s it. We should stop thinking passivity and inactivity are signs of spirituality. God’s will is not a maze or a magic 8-ball. He simply wants us to be obedient.
Though it’s a helpful book for all Christians, Just Do Something is especially directed towards twentysomethings. Why is this?
In my personal experience and in my interactions with plenty of college students and twentysomethings, I’ve found that most younger Christians wrestle with trying to find God’s will. We have so many choices and opportunities that we don’t know what to do. So we end up flailing after God’s will. Choices are hard enough without thinking God has a hidden right answer for us.
Say a twenty-one year old recent college graduate catches this interview and decides to buy and read your book. What practical impact do you hope Just Do Something would make on such a person’s life?
I hope this book is freeing for young people. We are focused on houses and careers and cars and spouses instead of focusing on holiness, purity, integrity, and maturity. Following God’s moral will is harder to do, but also a lot simpler. If we seek first his kingdom and righteousness we will be in the middle of God’s will. I want young people to start making a difference now, start growing up now, instead of thinking they need an all-clear sign from God before taking a job or making a weighty decision.
What connection does the gospel have to the message of Just Do Something?
I see several connections to the gospel: 1) Christ died for our sins so we don’t have to live in fearful anxiety that we might screw up. 2) Christ has conquered death and the devil. God has won. So let’s go take some risks for God. The worst that can happen is we get to meet Jesus sooner. 3) The gospel fulfilled God’s plan, demonstrating God’s providential reign over all things. We don’t need to know the future, because know the One who holds it in his hand.
Did you grow up with this liberating understanding God’s will and decision making, or did this discovery come later for you?
I’m not sure where it came from, but I definitely had the traditional understanding of God’s will when I was younger. I remember at seminary hearing a sermon on a Sunday evening, with about 45 other people there, about how God didn’t expect us to divine his will by our impressions. This was a new concept for me, but made sense biblically, and sounded freeing. Since then I started reading some good books on the subject and have been happy to live with more of a ‘just do something’ attitude.
Or, if you’re among the first 4 people to get in touch with me and give me your contact information, I’ll send you a free copy.
Buzzard Blog ReLaunched
Buzzard Blog has a new look. Check it out.
The blog has moved from Typepad to Wordpress. I’ll be developing/tweaking the site over the coming weeks as I learn how to use Wordpress. Everything should work the same as before. Let me know if something’s broken. Disregard the old typepad url, stick with buzzardblog.com.
Feedback?
The Gospel Coalition: Bay Area. Regional Conference May 30th.
For the past few months I’ve been working with some guys to form The Gospel Coalition: Bay Area, a local chapter of The Gospel Coalition. This Saturday, May 30th, from 9am-Noon, we’re holding our first official gathering at Central Peninsula Church. This Regional Conference is devoted to a series of addresses, small group discussion, and relationship building–all driven by the theme: Gospel-Centered Ministry in the Bay Area.
All Bay Area church leaders are warmly invited to attend (anyone who has any type of staff or lay leadership role in a Bay Area church). In preparation, we’re asking all who attend to be familiar with The Gospel Coalition Foundation Documents.
I’m looking forward to watching what God does with this little grassroots gospel group we’re forming.
Bay Area people, spread the word and join us this Saturday. Non-Bay Area readers, spread the word and pray for us.
Cost: nothing
(free coffee and bagels will be provided)
Directions: Central Peninsula Church 1005 Shell Blvd Foster City, CA 94404
How to Register: Don’t, just show up at 9am on May 30th.
SCHEDULE:
Session 1: What is Gospel-Centered Ministry? Justin Buzzard and Mark Mitchell
Small Group Table Discussion
Session 2: Why Gospel-Centered Ministry? Travis Marsh
Small Group Table Discussion
Session 3: How to Build Gospel-Centered Ministry? Jeff Louie
Small Group Table Discussion
Session 4: Panel Discussion/Q&A
PS. See D.A. Carson’s recent interview with CT about TGC and his mention of TGC: Bay Area.
Memorizing Scripture
My former pastor in Santa Barbara taught me to memorize Scripture, especially as part of my preaching of Scripture. On average I memorize the text of one out of every three sermons I preach. I’ve been doing this for three years now and this habit has proved immensely helpful for me and the congregation in “getting” the text. There’s a striking power in the memorized Word, especially as the speaker is able to emote the text.
So, I appreciated today’s interview by JT with Max McLean. Here’s an excerpt and what looks like a great book by Max:
want to grow in their ability to memorize Scripture and to retell it
with integrity and creativity?
That’s an interesting question because my friend Warren Bird and I have written a book entitled, Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture,
that will be published by Zondervan this fall. It does not deal with my
major theatrical productions but how churches can elevate the scripture
reading to a central moment in the worship experience. Of course
integrity and creativity are key elements of the process.
As for
memorizing scripture, it works best for me if memorization is a
byproduct of meditation. Certainly it is an objective to memorize the
text. But the act of memorizing the text can be hollow if it is not a
result of deep meditation. When I actively interact and engage with a
text there is a conversation going on between the words I’m looking at
on a page and my heart and soul. Of course that is the primary way the
Holy Spirit works in our lives. The result is that the text starts
speaking to me. As a result I find myself knowing the words of the text
and how they fit together very well. The final act of memorizing
becomes much easier.
Of course to keep it in your heart and head
requires that you revisit that text regularly or you might lose it.
When I’m doing a presentation and I go “dry” or forget my place, I
usually stop and say to the audience something like, “You know when you
hide God’s word in your heart, sometimes you can’t find it!” I usually
get a pretty big laugh after that. They start to think, “Oh, he’s human
after all.”
A Pastor’s Prayer
“Lord, you have placed me in your church as an overseer and pastor. You see how unfit I am to administer this great and difficult office. Had I previously been without help from you, I would have ruined everything long ago. Therefore I call upon you. I gladly offer my mouth and heart to your service. I would teach the people and I would continue to learn. To this end I shall meditate diligently on your Word. Use me, dear Lord, as your instrument. Only do not forsake me; for if I were to continue alone, I would quickly ruin everything. Amen.”
-Martin Luther, Lectures on Genesis. Quoted by Derek Tidball, Builders & Fools: Leadership the Bible Way p. 6
Love, Not Self-Protection
This week I’ve been preparing to preach 1 Corinthians 13. On Sunday I’ll be using this great, well known quote from C.S. Lewis.
Tullian Tchividjian Talks, Buzzard Eats
A few weeks ago at The Gospel Coalition conference I enjoyed eating lunch with Tullian Tchividjian (see the new CT profile) and some other dudes. Tullian is a great guy. Today a friend on Facebook pointed out that the brief interview Resurgence did with Tullian at the table has me eating a hamburger in the background. Oops. I thought I was out of camera view.
Tullian Tchividjian from The Resurgence on Vimeo.
