Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 4

Over the last few weeks I've been looking at how spiritually stunted babies are like real, physical babies. This whole idea came out of observing my two little girls & how our physical & emotional immaturity is so often paralleled in our spiritual maturity. So here's the last parallel that I want us to look at. When we act like spiritual babies or when we're spiritually stunted...

We Still Need Someone To Clean Up Our Mess.

Believe me I could have used much more descriptive terminology because I'm thinking about a particular mess. Parents might not want to admit it, but the truth is that one of the greatest days in parenthood is not the day your child takes his first steps or speaks her first words; it's the day when your child finally learns how to use the potty all by herself! It's a great day when a parent doesn't have to deal with poopy diapers & all that goes with it, but imagine what it would be like if your child never hit that milestone. It wouldn't merely be gross; it would be tragic. They would forever be dependent on someone else to take care of a basic need.

Spiritually stunted babies are just as tragic. They constantly are running to someone else to clean up the mess in their life. Sure, every now & then we all need the help of others, but we all know people who are constantly having crises that they can't deal with on their own, & they need their pastors or some other spiritual leader to "fix" their mess. 

What's really tragic is that too often these spiritually stunted babies never realize what they're doing to themselves & those around them. They're either oblivious to it, or they become defiant & defensive. It's never their fault. It's always what someone else has done to them that's created the continuous drama in their lives. As a result, it becomes harder & harder to really help someone grow. Instead, family, friends, & leaders are pulled into a constant drama of hurt, blame, & unwillingness to really deal with the issues that always rear their ugly head. Until we acknowledge the reality of our immaturity, we can't grow & become stronger, more mature believers.

Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 3

Sadly, churches are filled with spiritually stunted babies who cling to their routines & who throw fits when someone dares to challenge the statues quo. Why are these people stunted in their growth? Here's a possible answer:

We Still Can't Feed Ourselves.

It's funny to watch a little kid try to feed themselves. They get as much food on them as in them. It's cute when they're learning how to manipulate a fork or spoon to get the food to their mouth, but it's not so cute when all of this happens & a few minutes after the meal, the child is complaining because he or she is hungry. For most kids there is a stage where they should be able to feed themselves, & if they can't, something is wrong.

Spiritual babies are not that different. They either don't know how or refuse to feed themselves spiritually. Often they assume that it's someone else's job to feed them. Their Bibles become props used to decorate their homes or as an accessory each Sunday at church. In some cases, their Bible doesn't even get that much attention. Having served in ministry in one way or another for 20 years, I'm still shocked at how often I see people, especially men, come to worship or Bible study without a Bible. I mean surely you think you're going to need & use your Bible at church, right? 

As a result, they get just enough of God's Word into their lives to make a mess. They often talk about the Bible, but they don't really know Scripture or use it as the filter for their worldview. That's why it's not uncommon for spiritually stunted babies to be self-righteous hypocrites who hold people to standards of "holiness" that aren't even biblical. Each Sunday they climb into their high-chairs, known as a pew, & demand to be fed by the pastor or their small group leader. If you want a picture of a spiritually stunted baby, go check out the Pharisees in the Gospels. They embody the idea of spiritually stunted. 

Believers who can't feed themselves will not be healthy believers, & it will affect the rest of the family (church.)

Book Review: The 4 Wills Of God

I recently received a copy of "The 4 Wills Of God" by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs from B&H Publishing to look over & give my review. Dr. Eggerichs is both a pastor & a conference speaker. He & his wife, Sarah, have developed the Love & Respect Conference focusing on teaching men & women how to pursue God-honoring, loving, healthy biblical relationships. Much of the insight that is shared in this book is built on the 30+ years of pastoring & counseling.

The basic premise of this book is that so often we want to know God's unique will for our lives without examining whether we're being faithful to God's universal will for us. Dr. Eggerichs rightly asserts that as we pursue faithfulness to the 4 universal wills, God's unique will become easier to discern in particular situations.

So what are the "4 Wills Of God" & where does Dr. Eggerichs find them?

1. Believe In Jesus Christ (John 6:40)
2. Give Thanks In Everything (1st Thessalonians 5:18)
3. Submit In Doing Right (1st Peter 2:13-15)
4. Abstain From Sexual Sin (1st Thessalonians 4:3)

These passages literally say something like, "This is God's will..." Therefore, there is some solid biblical foundation here that Eggerichs can build upon. He devotes a couple of chapters for each of the "4 Wills" using one chapter to lay the biblical foundation & another to flesh out practical application & tell stories to illustrate those points. For me, there were a few too many stories, but that's just me. Other readers will likely love the numerous stories that help illustrate the author's point. 

This could be a really good resource for counseling, small groups, or for individual growth as long as those using it don't reduce the "4 Wills" to some legalistic grid for morality & instead realize they are more of a road map to living the life that God desires for us of growth in Him & impact in our relationships.

Spiritually Stunted Babies-Part 2

All of us hit the pause button from time to time in our spiritual growth, but sometimes something happens and our growth gets completely stunted. It's as if we're spiritual 2 year olds, & we definitely know how to show it. Here's the second way to spot the spiritually stunted babies:

We Still Throw Fits.

Last week I talked about the fact that little kids love routine & when that routine gets messed up, the kid usually flips. That of course leads to the fit. We've all seen them. The kid momentarily loses their mind as well as control of their body. They jump up & down or roll around uncontrollably; there's usually crying or screaming involved. It's fun, big fun, but usually if the parent can wait it out, it's over relatively quickly.

The same is true of a spiritual baby. Babies, both spiritual & physical, are still primarily focused on themselves, & both spiritual & physical babies cry & throw fits when they have a need they think is going unmet. Here's the thing: not all fits are the result of purely selfish desires. A lot of times the needs are real, but the way a person goes about expressing the need is what is selfish. That's where it takes real leadership to determine whether you're dealing with a selfish person or someone who has some growing to do & is just ACTING selfish. Those are the fits you can walk with someone through & help them grow. It's when you deal with someone who seems to be a chronic fit-thrower that you need to be really concerned. That's a sign of stunted growth, & there is more going on than the particular issue they're throwing a fit about this time.

So the next time that person throws a fit because you messed with their routine, you have to figure out whether they're being selfish at the time or if they are just plain selfish. A lot of times a little kid needs you to stop & explain things further to calm them down. Then they're good. Remember that simple practice next time somebody throws a fit.

Spiritually Stunted Babies

All Christians go through seasons where we aren't growing. It may be due to our laziness or some other sin that drags us off the path of Christ, but no matter what the cause, we've all been there. Those who deny that are lying to themselves! However, I've also noticed that our churches are filled with a lot of people who don't look like it, but they are spiritual babies. They've been Christians for a long time, but somewhere along the way their growth was stunted. They may know the language & the church culture, but in reality they're reliving the same year(s) of their faith over & over again. 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to give you handful of ways you can spot the spiritually stunted babies around you or maybe that stunted baby is the person looking back in the mirror (that's how it is for me sometimes). Here's the first way that we (church people) act like spiritually stunted babies:

We Need Our Routine.

Babies like routines. Babies need routines in order to function at their best. Try messing with a two year old's routine & see what happens (we'll talk more about that tomorrow)! But here's something I've noticed: Little kids get into routines & they expect their parents to keep them up even if the child doesn't really participate. For example, when my younger daughter was little, she learned a little prayer song & insisted that we sing it at meals & at bedtime. At first, she would sing along enthusiastically, but after a little while she didn't participate at all. But guess what? If we tried to skip the song, which was getting kind of old to her mother & me, she freaks. She has to have it done that way.

In the same way, our churches have been built on routine, & there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Routine is important, but why should a routine stay in place when it is no longer useful? But that's exactly what happens in many ministries. The routine & the status quo are guarded, even at the expense of the ministry. Routine becomes a problem when it exists for its own sake. Just as a child eventually grows out of the afternoon nap routine, there will be structures & routines in your church that you will & should outgrow.

Watch out when you start messing with the routine. Those who NEED it will freak.

Book Review: Becoming A Welcoming Church

I recently received a copy of Thom Rainer's new book: "Becoming A Welcoming Church". Dr. Rainer is the the President & CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources. In recent years, he has a produced a series of short but powerful books focusing on specific issues of church membership, church decline, & church leadership. In this new book, Rainer focuses on years of research in the area of church guest experience & follow up with those guests. In just 100 pages, he is able to identify some specific issues in how congregations minister to their guests & how to move toward a more effective ministry to newcomers in our churches.

One overarching principle in this book that most churches & church members need to come to grips with is the fact that our churches are not as friendly & welcoming as we think we are. The research shows that guests perceive our churches as friendly...if you already are a part of that church. In short, church members are welcoming to one another, but when it comes to guests, we're not as warm & friendly as we think we are.

This general lack of self-awareness should move church members & leaders to reexamine this aspect of our congregations' ministry to insure that we are as effective in our ministry as possible when it comes to welcoming & caring for the guests who worship in our church this weekend. In order to equip congregations to look in the mirror, Rainer gives not only some ideas but also resources in his book to help our churches see themselves with fresh eyes. Those resources are available in the book & on Dr. Rainer's website. Church leaders would be wise to take advantage of them.

The meat of the book tackles the particular issues of websites, signage, security, cleanliness, & greeters. Rainer gives helpful insight into how to leverage these items in a way that connects with our guests & encourages an atmosphere of authentic, gospel hospitality. One issue that I found somewhat surprising is that research shows that guests feel the most uncomfortable in the minutes prior to the worship service begins. In many places they've been warmly greeted as they arrived, but then they find a seat & are practically ignored until someone stands up & tells everyone to greet each other. Then they're "warmly" greeted again. The problem is that it all comes off as artificial. It's not enough to have a good welcome team. The whole congregation has to see themselves as the welcome team.

The book closes with a great reminder that if we want to be welcoming churches we must be going churches. Our hospitality ministry should really function as an extension of our Great Commission ministry. We reach out to people in our everyday lives. We share the Gospel with them. We share how Christ has changed our lives. We invite them to join us for worship on Sunday. Then the hospitality ministry at our church takes on a greater urgency. It's not just about making sure people get a bulletin. It's about making sure that each person that is a guest in our church feels just as welcomed as they would in our homes or by our Savior.

I would encourage every church leader to pick up copies of this for the church staff, those who serve in their church's hospitality/greeting ministry, & for the congregation in general. The insights & principles in this book need to permeate the cultures of our local congregations so that we not only becoming more welcoming churches, but that we also become more faithful going churches.

Book Review: Sing!

I recently had the opportunity to get a review copy of Keith & Kristyn Getty's "Sing: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, & Church" from B&H Publishing. In just a few short pages the Getty's remind us of the transforming power of worship, especially through singing. At the heart of the book is the premise that the Gospel of Jesus compels us to worship, to sing. The Getty's go on to lay out the biblical foundations for worship through singing. Not only does the Gospel message compel us to sing because of the work of Christ in us, but the word of God also commands us to sing. So God does command us to sing & give Him the glory He deserves, but then He graciously provides all the motivation we need in order to respond to Him in worship by working out our salvation through Jesus.

In the chapters that follow the Gettys build upon the biblical foundation to then illustrate how worship impacts our own hearts, our families, & our congregations. Worship fuels our faith relationship with God. We pass that love for God on to our children & grandchildren through the songs of God's holiness, goodness, & grace. They also point out that our congregations' singing need to be fueled by a fresh vision of Jesus & His Gospel. Then as we respond with songs of joy & worship, we'll encourage one another, but we'll also serve as witnesses to the world that we're called to share this Good News with.

Overall, this is a great, short read. I would recommend it not just to church leaders but to any believer who feels like they're stuck in their faith. If you're having trouble finding your song on Sunday or if you want to be equipped to pass on the story of God's love to your kids, pick this book up.

The Friday Five

1. Podcast: Keys To A Multi-Generational Worship Ministry. Thom Rainer & Jonathan Howe are providing consistent quality content through Dr. Rainer's podcast. In this episode, long time worship leader, Mike Harland joins them to start a great conversation about how to create an effective multi-generational worship ministry. Multi-generational ministry & discipleship is the norm in Scripture, yet so many times we go directly against biblical teaching & segment our congregations based on generations. Then we complain that there is a generation gap in our congregation. This is a great episode with some great points to consider when trying to bring the generations together in worship.
2. Music: 24 Nights By Eric Clapton. This is a classic live album that too many people don't know about. It was released 25 years ago & documents a 24 night run at the Royal Albert Hall in London. It's an eclectic album because some nights were blues nights, other nights featured a large band, others a small band, & still others featured Clapton's band with an orchestra. This has some of the best versions of some Clapton classics. Check it out.
3. Quote. "God doesn't need you to be his lawyer. He needs you to be His witness." Bryan Lorrits
   
4. Book: Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien
   . This is an interesting little work from Tolkien taken from the letters that Santa (Tolkien) wrote to Tolkien's children every year. It includes those letters & the drawings that the iconic author included in those letters each year. It's a really cool look into the life of this incredibly creative man.
5. Nerd Corner: Elstree 1976 on Netflix. If you're into Star Wars, & I mean really into Star Wars, you should check out Elstree 1976. It focuses on some of the people who had bit parts in the original Star Wars to see what it was like to have a small role or to be an extra in the movie that changed movies & how it has affected their lives 40 years later. 

I'll be taking a break from the blog for the next few weeks as we get ready to move & get settled in back in Jackson. See you here in a few weeks.

The Bowman Family Is On The Move

Some of those closest to us already know, but we have some exciting news. 

The Bowman family will be moving back to our hometown of Jackson, TN! God has opened a door for us to return to Jackson for me to serve as the Senior Pastor at Poplar Heights Baptist Church. When Valerie & I moved away from Jackson 12 years ago, we had been married a little over a year & had no kids. Now we return with two little girls & a lot of memories & friends made along the way. I know there were times when Valerie thought we'd never make it back to Tennessee, but in His timing God has answered prayer. 

Be in prayer for our family as we go through everything necessary in order to make a 500 mile move. Julia & Audrey are already having to adjust. They don't quite know what to think of the fact that seemingly everyone in Jackson either knows our families or is our family! Also be in prayer for both churches involved in this transition as each will be dealing with big changes over the next few weeks.

We're excited about what's ahead, making new friends, & reconnecting with old friends. Plus, there will now always be a Los Portales within a short drive of wherever I am. Those of you from Jackson know what I'm talking about. 

The Friday Five

1. Blog Post: 9 Debatable Thoughts About Contemporary Evangelism by Chuck Lawless. This is a great little post to get you & your church thinking about evangelism & what's most effective in your setting. The bottom line is that as long as you're doing evangelism, it doesn't really matter what you're doing. However, it's always wise to evaluate what's effective in reaching our particular communities.
2. 

   Music: Bloom by Audio Adrenaline. This is a classic in contemporary Christian rock, & it's celebrating it's 20th anniversary. This was one of the 1st albums I heard from a Christian band that I actually wanted to listen to again. It's great from start to finish.
3. Quote. "Awake! The shadow is gone and all darkness is washed clean!" -J.R.R. Tolkien (Aragorn in Return of the King)
4. Book: What Do You Think Of Ted Williams Now? by Richard
   
   Ben Cramer. In honor of the Red Sox winning another division title, here's a great, brief read from Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ben Cramer on one of the larger than life characters in baseball history & one of my favorite players of all time. Ted Williams on one level was simple: he hit a baseball & caught fish. On the other hand, he was complicated, & Cramer gives us a look into the man that most of us only heard about through legendary stories.
   
5. Nerd Corner: Pablo Hidalgo Interview At StarWars.com. This is a great follow-up interview to the Dave Filoni interview I recommended last week. Pablo is a part of the story group at Lucasfilm. His job along with the rest of the story group is to work with everyone who is creating & telling stories within the Star Wars universe to ensure continuity across the board. In other words, Pablo knows pretty much everything about Star Wars. Yes, he knows the backstory of that Jawa in the cantina in A New Hope. In this interview, Pablo shares how he became an uber-fan & eventually one of the key folks at Lucasfilm.

The Friday Five

1. Blog Post: 10 Reasons Why Many Churches Aren't Evangelistic. I know, I know, that's not your church, even though no one has been baptized in years. Just for the sake of argument & self evaluation, I would encourage all church leaders & church attenders to read this post. You may not agree with everything Dr. Rainer talks about, or you may not think it applies to your church. However, how can taking a hard look in the mirror in this area be a bad thing? If it gets you thinking about how you & your congregation can be more effective in advancing the Gospel, then it's beneficial.
2. Music: A River With No End by Ghost Ship. This little EP is gem. It's got a very unique arrangement of the classic hymn "Just As I Am" & a great original called "The Revelation Of Jesus Christ." I'm a big fan of pretty much everything this band does & highly recommend it.
3. Quote. "Truth carries with it confrontation. Truth demands confrontation; loving confrontation, but confrontation nonetheless." Francis Schaeffer
4. Book: To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain by Matt Chandler. I recently started re-reading this one from Matt Chandler. It's a great, fairly quick, read that digs into the book of Philippians. This is a good one to have as a supplement to your in-depth study of Paul's letter to the church in Phillipi.
5. Nerd Corner: Dave Filoni Interview At StarWars.com. If you call yourself a Star Wars fan & are unaware of Dave Filoni, then you may need to question your fandom. Dave is the creative force behind the Star Wars animated shows, The Clone Wars & Rebels. If you're not a big fan of the Star Wars prequel movies, I would encourage you to watch Clone Wars. It does what the prequels failed to do: make you care about Anakin Skywalker. Dave is basically the creative heir to George Lucas. He worked directly under Lucas for years & is creating some of the best content since the original trilogy. This is a great interview where Dave talks about how he became such a big fan & eventually came to work at Lucasfilm.

The Friday Five

1. Podcast: Preaching & Preachers. Dr. Jason Allen at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary hosts a weekly podcasts tackling issues relevant to preaching & preachers. Sometimes he tackles theological issues like the importance of the doctrine of inerrancy. Other times he handles issues like the growing ministry of church revitalization. He & his guests always approach the issues thoughtfully & with a desire to encourage pastors & the church.
2. Music: Music For Two by Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer. This album came out several years ago, but if you've never heard of it, it's worth checking out. I've been blessed to see a lot of great musicians play live in my life, but this album features two of the absolute best I've ever seen. This instrumental album defies categorizing. It's sort of jazz. It's sort of bluegrass. It's kind of classical. Simply put, it's great music performed by two world class musicians. It's hard to pick a favorite, but one of mine is "Solar", an old Miles Davis tune. Check it out today.
3. Quote. "Abounding sin is the terror of the world, but abounding grace is the hope of mankind." A. W. Tozer
4. Follow: Ray Ortlund on Instagram. Ray is the pastor at Immanuel Nashville. Ray is a great follow because while he's a deep thinker, he seems to be a pretty simple guy too. A quick look at his Instagram will show you he loves 3 things: Jesus, his family, & deer hunting.
5. Book: Here I Stand by Roland Bainton. With October 31st just around the corner, it's not just time for candy. It's also time to remember the Reformation. 499 years ago Martin Luther began the movement to reclaim the Gospel from the traditions of men. If you're into history, biographies, or theology, Here I Stand is for you. It's the gold standard of biographies on Luther. Luther is one of the most fascinating figures in all of history, not just church history. I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Designed To Lead

There's a new book out that EVERY church leader needs to read. Eric Geiger & Kevin Peck recently released Designed To Lead in the hopes of helping the local church fulfill the incredible potential it has for developing leaders. After all, no other group has a more urgent or permanent mission than the church, but let's face it most churches are not raising up leaders who impact the world for the sake of that incredible mission to make Jesus known.

In Designed To Lead we're reminded not only of the incredible mission we have as believers but also of the necessity to raise up leaders in order to further that mission not just in our church ministries but in our schools, homes, & businesses. The church should be developing & deploying gospel leaders who impact every facet of our world. Geiger & Peck do a great job of outlining what a church who consistently develops & deploys leaders looks like. The crux of the book revolves around the principles of Conviction, Culture, & Constructs. Without all three of these principles in place, a congregation will not develop & deploy leaders for God's glory in the church & in the community. At best leaders will arise accidentally, but the Church is called to be intentional in all that it does.

One final piece I'd like to highlight is for those who shrink back at the idea of the local church being a leadership development machine & feel that it sounds too much like business jargon. At the end of Designed To Lead there is an appendix that reminds us that Jesus' relationship with His disciples was built on Jesus' desire to develop them & deploy them for the advancing of the Gospel & for making disciples. Discipleship & leadership are inextricably linked. Jesus developed disciples/leaders who made more disciples/leaders who made it possible for people like us to hear the Gospel & be changed by it.

Designed To Lead is an essential tool for your church's or ministry's toolbox. Pastors, work through this book with your entire leadership team, both staff & volunteer. Work with your existing leaders to take the principles found in Designed To Lead in order to create a culture of gospel fueled leadership development in your church. Then work together to create a pipeline for identifying, developing, & deploying leaders in your church who will glorify Jesus, advance the Gospel, & make disciples in their homes, their communities, & their church.

The Friday Five

1. TV: American Odyssey. In the last week I started this new show on Netflix. I'm only a few episodes into it, but so far it has been really good. If you haven't seen it, here's a quick setup: an American strike force takes out a terrorist leader, but they stumble onto some evidence they shouldn't have found. They are then taken out, presumably by American forces in an attempt to cover up that evidence. However, there's one problem: our main character, Odelle Ballard, survives & has a copy of the evidence. If you like government drama/mystery. This one seems to be a good pick. Like I said, I'm only a few episodes in. It could go bad quick, but so far, I've really enjoyed American Odyssey.
2. Music: Live At Fillmore East by The Allman Bros. Band. Today I'm highlighting a classic, & I have to restrain myself because I love this album so much. Yes, it's a double album with only 7 songs, but that just means you get to hear the improvisational genius of Duane Allman & Dickey Betts. This is the best live album ever recorded. There will be people who disagree with that statement, but they're wrong. You ease into it with a couple of short tracks, & by short  I mean 4.5 to 5 minute songs, but by the end you get to hear the brothers in all their glory on Whipping Post which comes in at just over 23 minutes, but every second is perfection. If you're serious about good music, especially great guitar playing, & haven't purchased your copy of this one, you need to stop what you're doing right now & either purchase a hard copy or download it.
3. Quote. "Three categories: 1. Disobedience. 2. Angry obedience. 3. Loving obedience. The great divide is not between 1 and 2 but between 2 and 3." Ray Ortlund
4. Social Media: Joe Bonamossa on Instagram. Joe is one of the best guitar players around these days, & he's also a rabid guitar collector. His Instagram account is not only a treasure trove of cool guitars, but Joe regularly posts videos of his playing. Guitar nerds & blues lovers should give Joe a follow on Instagram.
5. Book: Designed To Lead. Eric Geiger & Kevin Peck have a new book coming out next week that focuses on developing leadership in a gospel context. The church has the potential to be the greatest leadership development organization on earth, but too often we squander our opportunities. I'm looking forward to this book big time. I've been fortunate enough to be a part of the publisher's book launch team which means I've gotten some early access to some stuff, & I'm excited about the copies I've got coming my way. Check out the Designed To Lead website for more info & some downloadable resources.

The Friday Five

1. TV: Stranger Things on Netflix. One of the best shows I've seen in a long time. Perfectly designed for Netflix binge watching. Excellent acting, incredible writing, & a heavy dose of 80s nostalgia make this a show you can't miss. I describe it as a show that feels like "if Stephen King wrote E.T." The thing that struck me was that the show didn't just take place in 1983; it actually felt like it was made in 1983. Yes, it's got some low-budget special effects you would expect from a TV show, but the story & acting are so good, you don't really think about it.
2. Music: Venus (Acoustic) by Joy Williams. I'm a huge Joy Williams fan, but I wasn't crazy about her 1st solo album post-The Civil Wars. The acoustic version, however, is another story. I don't know what it is, but her voice seems to be tailor made for sparse, acoustic accompaniment. If you enjoyed her work with The Civil Wars, check this one out. It has a similar feel.
3. Quote. "We cannot organize a revival, but we can agonize for one in prayer." Greg Laurie
4. Social Media: OurJacksonHome on Instagram. This is a great little account that helps me keep up with my hometown in west Tennessee. It's cool to see some of the things going on in this growing town between Memphis & Nashville.
5. Bible Study Resource: Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings. I did a full review of this earlier in the week, so I won't rehash it here. Needless to say, it's worth looking into. If you want to read the review, click HERE.

Book Review: Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings

As a pastor one of the things that I find most disturbing is how many people are so unfamiliar with their Bible. There are a lot of reasons for it, but one is that guys like me (pastors) haven't done a great job of teaching people how to read it. We fail to help people see how everything from Genesis to Revelation has one thing in common: Jesus. It's Jesus & His Gospel that's the lens through which we should read Scripture. Yes, a passage is to be interpreted in its immediate context, but we also have to keep in mind the broader purpose of Scripture: the revelation of God the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit. That means we need to keep the Gospel in mind even when we're not reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

B&H Publishing is currently producing The Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary Series. In this post I'll focus on Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings. These aren't exactly the books we readily identify with Jesus. However, if nothing else the record of the kings of Israel & Judah show us the imperfection that will be replaced with perfection & the divided kingdom that will be replaced with the eternal kingdom when the prophet, priest, & king named Jesus of Nazareth shows up a few centuries later.

In this volume Tony Merida walks us through these two Old Testament books, helping the reader see how the Gospel is woven throughout Scripture & foreshadowed time & time again through the history of Israel. One of the strengths of this series of commentaries is that they don't really read like commentaries. In other words, they're not dry, boring, or academic. This book is the best kind of commentary: approachable & applicable. I would encourage anyone interested in serious Bible study to look into Exalting Jesus in 1st & 2nd Kings or any of the other available titles in this series.

Disclaimer: I received a promotional copy of this book from B&H Publishing for this review.

The Friday Five

1. Music: Take The World, But Give Me Jesus by Ascend The Hill. This is a great, relatively unknown album featuring contemporary arrangements of some classic hymns. The difficulty in updating classic hymns is that it's really easy to end up with a hymn that doesn't sound like itself. However, Ascend The Hill manages to create a really good album, even when they stretch the boundaries of what we would expect from hymns. I especially like that they took on some of the more doctrinally rich hymns from the 2000 years of history the church has to work with.
2. Book: Lords Of The Sith by Paul Kemp. Everybody knows I love Star Wars. However, I haven't been one to read the books over the years. However, it's a little more manageable now that Disney & Lucasfilm scrapped the old "expanded universe" in favor of creating a new canon with more continuity. Now to the real reason why this book is great & why I'd recommend it to even a fan who typically only watches the movies: Vader. The book is primarily about the relationship between Darth Vader & the Emperor. On top of that it feels like a Star Wars movie. It's action-packed while also being very character driven. I don't read a whole lot of stuff just for fun or entertainment, but this one was great. I finished it in a couple of sittings. Pro-tip: Read it while listening to the soundtrack of any of the Star Wars movies. It will bring it to life even more as you find your reading syncing up with John Williams' score.
3. Social Media: ParentCue On Instagram. ParentCue comes to you from the people at Orange, some of the leaders in family ministry content for churches. ParentCue, as you might expect, is directed at parents. Their Instagram account is one of my favorite's to follow.
4. Quote. "When I count other people's blessings, I tend to lose sight of mine." Andy Stanley
5. Bible Study Resource: Blue Letter Bible. This site is one of my go to study helps for both personal study & sermon prep. Blue Letter Bible has tons of translations, linguistic helps, & commentaries. It's user friendly, & you don't have to have a PhD to navigate it & find it useful, even the linguistic sections that focus on the Greek & Hebrew. If you're looking to go a little deeper with some of your studies, this is a resource I'd recommend to anyone.

The Friday Five

I'm back this week with a quick Friday Five after a busy few weeks. So here we go. Hope you enjoy.

1. Music: Poets & Saints by All Sons & Daughters. All Sons & Daughters has a new album coming out in September that you can pre-order now & receive a couple of tracks now. I was able to get a free download of one of those songs, "I Surrender," about a month ago. This is going to be a great album. I'm a huge fan of everything I've ever heard from All Sons & Daughters, & I'd encourage you to go ahead & make plans to check this one out.
2. Book: Exalting Jesus In 1st & 2nd Kings. This book is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition series led by David Platt, Danny Akin, & Tony Merida. Too often when we read through Scripture, especially the Old Testament, we're not reading it through the lens of Jesus or the lens of the Gospel. As a result, we develop a Christ-less interpretation. It's an inadvertent mistake, but it's a real one & an easy one to make. These books may sound scholarly but the team does a great job of making these works easy to ready & accessible for just about anybody.
3. Blog Post: 7 Things Church Guests Are Telling Us. This is a great little post from Thom Rainer that those of us in church leadership or who are actively involved in a local church need to read. Too often we let things slide because we take them for granted & forget to see through the eyes of a newcomer or first time guest. As a result, we create an uncertain or uncomfortable environment for our guests, & I don't know about you, but I tend to avoid uncertain & uncomfortable environments. The same is true of our guests. 
4. Quote. "We want to be known as men & women who love Jesus more than we love our freedoms." -Matt Chandler
5. Nerd Corner: Star Wars Celebration 2016 on YouTube. This weekend the center of the Star Wars universe is London. The folks over at Disney & Lucasfilm host their own huge conference every year to promote upcoming properties like the new Rogue One film or the upcoming season of Star Wars: Rebels. It's also a place where fans get to meet some of the actors & creators of the Star Wars universe. This weekend you can take a look at some of the panel conversations from Celebration through Star Wars YouTube Channel. They're airing the Rogue One panel, the Rebels panel, & panels featuring some of the big stars of Star Wars like Mark Hamill & Carrie Fisher. Not only can you watch these panels live, but they're going to keep these panels up on their YouTube page to view later. This is a great opportunity for uber-Star Wars nerds to hear about the upcoming films, shows, & books without having to spend thousands of dollars to spend the weekend in London.

The Friday Five

This week's Friday Five focuses on bluegrass icon Ralph Stanley who passed away yesterday at 89. Here are 5 songs/performances that you should check out.

1. Pretty Polly. As great a singer as Ralph has always been, I actually preferred his voice as he got older. There was just something about a little age that made his tenor voice even more powerful. This performance with Patty Loveless from several years back is an instant classic.
2. White Dove. This one dates back to Ralph's days with his brother Carter in the Stanley Brothers. The Stanley Brothers are in my opinion the embodiment of the "high lonesome sound" in bluegrass, & nobody does death songs better than the Stanley Brothers. White Dove is one of their classics & features Ralph's legendary high harmonies
3. Dickson County Breakdown. Ralph wasn't just an incredible singer. He was also a banjo pioneer. Although overshadowed by Earl Scruggs, Ralph was no slouch. Ralph had a tone that was distinctly his, & Dickson County Breakdown is a great tune featuring his playing.
4. Glory Land: The Stanley Brothers were also known doing great Gospel songs, many times a capella. Glory Land is one of many great tunes. This version is from a show in 1983 & starts around 30:40.
5. Little Maggie. Even though it may be a little predictable, you can't have a list of Ralph Stanley greatness without Little Maggie. When I hear the name Ralph Stanley, this is usually the first song I think of. If you're unfamiliar with Ralph Stanley or the Stanley Brothers in general, this song needs to be your introduction.

BONUS: Sweetheart of Mine Can't You Hear Me Calling with Bill Monroe. Here's a clip with arguably the two most important vocalists in the history of bluegrass.

The Friday Five

This week's Friday Five focuses on great documentaries that music lovers have to check out. Most of these are available online either through Netflix or another provider.

1. Muscle Shoals. Some of the best music ever produced was recorded in a sleepy north Alabama
   town on the Tennessee River. This documentary tells the story of the musicians who played & the giant genius that is Rick Hall, founder of Fame Recording Studio. You'll be shocked at how much incredible stuff came out of this little town.
2. Winding Stream. I literally found this one on Netflix yesterday. It recounts the story & impact of the Carter Family on American music. If you don't know who the Carter Family is, you should be ashamed of yourself, & you need to educate yourself immediately.
3. The Wrecking Crew. While great hits were being recorded in Muscle Shoals, there was another hit factory on the west coast. There a group of musicians were creating some of the biggest pop classics of all time. This is the story of those musicians. Again, you'll be amazed at how much great music was made by a relatively small group of musicians.
   
4. History Of The Eagles: Bottom line: This is one of the best music documentaries ever. But you better set aside some time. It's around 3 hours long, but it's the good, bad, & ugly behind one of the most iconic bands in American music.
5. Carol King: Natural Woman. Great documentary focusing in on the life & music of one of the most important songwriters of all time. Yes, you get a lot of focus on Tapestry, but you also find out that she wrote seemingly every hit you ever heard, while also seeing what was going on in her life during those years. Great stuff from PBS>