Who will be the most famous person this year? How about Persons? I say it will be The Triune Creator God. How so? As They work out the unified mission in this world, for our good and to the glory of God the Father, Son and Spirit. More and more people will take notice and be renewed to a saving knowledge in Jesus. It’s not trendy but will become more increasingly the trend as the future becomes the present. This new year presents endless opportunities for good and bringing hope to a dark work. It will be quite an adventure. It’s always good to start new adventures with some essential...

(Not that we rethink The Mission, but let’s rethink what we perceive as our mission. The Mission stays the same: Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:18-20, and Acts 1:5-8.) On Friday a new website launched:  rethinkmission.org. Team Rethink Mission, led by church planter and pastor Jonathan McIntosh, is all about “inspiring Gospel-centered missional churches.” I’ve been tracking Jonathan’s preaching and articles for a few years (he recently transitioned from the pastoral and teaching team of The Journey Church in St. Louis). His message is consistently about Jesus, and...

We need Jesus and His Gospel, both on our worst days and on our best. "On my worst days of sin and failure , the Gospel encourages me with God’s unrelenting grace toward me." "On my best days of victory and usefulness , the Gospel keeps me related to God solely on the basis of Jesus’ righteousness, not mine." - Milton Vincent, A Gospel Primer Preach it to yourself daily. Start today. Preach it to others daily. Start tomorrow. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Worst + Best", url: "http://www.deTheos.com/2009/06/14/worst-best/" });

Jonathan Dodson seems to always hit the nail on the head with his insights. Here’s an excerpt (okay, almost every word) from his recent post, "Are we community-centered or Gospel-centered? " In asking whether his church could get too mature for community , he notes: "The level of authentic confession of sin, persistent belief in the gospel, love for one another, and sharing of life and mission is remarkable. This is not naive community; it is redemptive community, a community of grace that holds in common brokenness and belief, failure and success, repentance and faith. As...

I may be the only man ever to receive for a wedding present from his new bride the complete works of Henry Scougal. I read the book on our honeymoon, and have been greatly impacted by the short earthly life and long-lasting passion of this godly man. The Scottish Scougal (1650-1678) (whom I’ve mentioned before) died of tuberculosis at 28 years old, yet his enduring legacy through from his most well-known book: The Life of God in the Soul of Man. The book is a description of Christianity to a friend with additional spiritual counsel for daily life. The title alone — that God’s...

“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/" });

I want to celebrate those who get "it." What’s the "it?" It is the Gospel. It is the lens through which we are to see, and the engine for what should drive us in life. We are far worse than we realize, yet, in Christ, far more loved than we every imagined. God relates to us totally on the basis of His free grace. We cannot earn, should not deceive ourselves into thinking we could or should, and God has designed that we can only relate to Him rightly on the basis of the finished work of His Son. He treated Jesus like He was us, so He could treat us who trust in Christ like...

"Before you can ever make a clean and unamended confession of your sin, you have to first begin by confessing your righteousness. It’s not just your sin that separates you from God; your righteousness does as well. Because, when you are convinced you are righteous, you don’t seek the forgiving, rescuing, and restoring mercy that can be found only in Jesus Christ." (p. 22) “Grace is for the willing and we only become willing when we confess not only the gravity of our sin, but our inability to deliver ourselves from it. Then our willingness opens to us all the sustenance...

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...

Tim Chester, co-author of Total Church, was interviewed over on the Desiring God blog. Check it out. Good stuff.  I’ve been reading the book and am challenged on a number of levels. My soul and mind resonate with the subtitle: “A radical reshaping around Gospel and community.”  A helpful quote from Chester: One of our catchphrases is “ordinary people living ordinary life with gospel intentionality.” It means doing the chores, having meals, watching sports, and so on with an intention to talk about Jesus, to pastor one another with the gospel, and to share that gospel with...