“As God, Christ is the destination to which we move; as man, the path by which we go.” - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion , 3.2.1 (via OFI ) SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Journey: our destination + path", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/12/09/journey-our-destination-path/" });

Missional is more than a buzzword (see here for some humor about it, some serious reflection here ). Missional is missionary used as an adverb — an adjective-verb. I believe it aims to connote the what, why and how of being the Church in our culture. (I like the word, although I don’t want to overuse it. Much like "love," we want to be wise with our words, for we should not "love" a hamburger as much as our child. Although, come to think of it, enjoying Burgerville with my son makes us both happy.) (grin) The Scriptures are replete with God’s commands and enablements...

Yesterday I shared a bit of our story — and realize their are so many gaps I left out. Since this really isn’t about us , but rather about Christ and His worth, those gaps will have to be like the cracks in a clay pot that reveals the excellency and worth of the object inside ( 2 Cor. 4 ). Please look past us and see the beauty of God. Here are the top five lessons I (think I) have learned over this past 50 month journey and beyond. All are interconnected: People are more important that what they do. Personalizing it: I am not what I do . That is, my identity is rooted in...

“Salvation is wholly of grace, not only undeserved but undesired by us until God is pleased to awaken us to a sense of our need of it. And then we find everything prepared that our wants require or our wishes conceive; yea, that He has done exceedingly beyond what we could either ask or think. Salvation is wholly of the Lord and bears those signatures of infinite wisdom, power, and goodness which distinguish all His works from the puny imitations of men. It is every way worthy of Himself, a great, a free, a full, a sure salvation. It is great whether we consider the objects (miserable, hell-deserving...

The most important thought you will think is a thought about God, for it will determine every other aspect of your existence. How do you think about your Creator? And what do you feed your mind? SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Most important", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2008/10/20/most-important/" });

"… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." ( 1 Thess. 5:18 ) What is God’s will for my life? That has always been one of most frequent questions I’ve heard, and asked. How can I know what He wants me to do, who He designed me to be? God’s will is multi-faceted, yet He is strangely easy to please, as our caring heavenly Father. He has given some specific instructions as to what His will for us is. Trusting wholly in His Son is His direct command for all of us ( Acts 17:30; 1 John 5:13 ). Abstaining...

Andreas Kostenberger writes about the mission of the church : The church’s mission–in both belief and practice–should be grounded in the biblical theology of mission. Reflection on the church’s mission should be predicated upon the affirmation of the full and sole authority of Scripture. The church’s mission should be conceived primarily in terms of the church’s faithfulness and responsiveness to the missionary mandate given by the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Scripture. The church’s understanding of its mission should be hermeneutically sound. The church’s mission...

This is one of the most even-handed and concise critique of the the so-called prosperity "gospel" I’ve found, featuring a clip of the Houston life-coach Joel Osteen. Mark Driscoll brings clarity on the issue of the health and wealth (or prosperity) "gospel," which does not line up with Scripture or even Jesus’ own life on earth. Watch all the way to the end for a helpful commentary. Specifically, does our definition of a "good life" include the life Jesus lived Himself? Also read Al Mohler’s commentary, "Are We Promised Prosperity ." His...

Boredom is a disease. A contagious one. Can’t remember the last (only?) time I caught it. Too busy … thinking, doing, praying, serving, living. A friend of mine says one of his biggest day-to-day fears is that he will get bored. Perhaps some people are more apt to need constant motivation to pursue new things, to thinki, to serve, to be un-bored. Christ is the cure to all boredom. Don’t get me wrong, solving our boredom issues is NOT the primary reason Jesus came. He came to satisfy the wrath of God and redeem a people who treasure God as the fountain of all joy. In Him is infinite...

That quote comes from Bob Kauflin while speaking at the 2008 Desiring God conference last weekend. Watch or listen to the whole thing: "Words of Wonder: What happens when we sing ". He likewise makes the point that the theology on your doctrinal statement is essentially of no effect if you sing something different on Sunday mornings. We do actually sing our theology, and that is what people take home with them — the daily theology of your local church. The power of words. The power of music. The wonder of the two mingled together. That is what can fill a mind. How true it is that...