Also, here is another thought from Matt Chandler… but its serious.

“I’m not talking about singing. I am talking about just living, breathing, thinking, eating worship…. Like fajitas and the fact that God created skirt steak, tortillas, guacamole, cheese, and the flavor that is all those things combined, should create an unbelievably worshipful experience… There is something about the softness of a woman that should create a sense of worship in her man. There is something about getting up in the morning and the strong smell of coffee with the coolness of the morning that should create worship in us; a pleasure in the Christ who created and spoke those things into existence. This is how we should live: with a constant pleasure in Him who did these things.”

That’s how I want to live, with a constant pleasure in Him who did these things.

Also, I am reading Hosea. It’s pretty freaking awesome.

And for your enjoyment…

John Piper talking about prayer…

“Prayer should be the visible engine of your church. The visible engine of your church is reliance on God by puting your face in your hands and saying ‘I can’t do this…’ We need to pray a lot, but American’s don’t believe in prayer, we’re too pragmatic; it just feels inefficient. You’re sitting at your desk… and doing nothing? Just talking to God and asking Him to change the world. I like to get in Calvinists face and say things like, ‘You have not because you ask not (James 4)’ meaning if you would have prayed God would have saved that person… Calvinists don’t like that, that doesn’t fit election… well it does… it really does.”

Matt Chandler talking about some problems in missional churches that can be solved…

“As mission has been removed from our people and has been protect yourself from sin (in this context he is referring to the sin of those around us, not our own), sanctification has slowed to a halt. Because sanctification occurs as you engage a lost and dying world in the neighborhoods and workplaces in which you have been placed.”

Those just really stuck out to me.

More after the jump…

Driscoll’s writing style is very easy to read while at the same time he drops tons of knowledge on the reader. These books give basic surveys on the topic and systematically answer some of the most common and controversial questions on the topic. Driscoll also gives a look into apologetics in these books and has even showed me some very interesting things on topics I thought I understood fairly well. These books are great for new or uninformed believers as well as the non-believer and seasoned believer. One of my personal favorite parts of these books is in the Appendices where Driscoll recommends his top 50 or so books on various theological topics and gives links to various free internet resources. As a young person who doesn’t know a great deal about most authors out there, this gave me a good place to start for buying more theological literature.

If you know anyone who has questions on these topics or if you yourself have questions on these topics you should definitely pick these up (or borrow them from me).

I know this review wasn’t that great or wasn’t in depth, but I’m tired and these books are very straightforward. Go buy them now. These books can be purchased at Crossway.org and you can also view PDFs of the first chapter or so of each book on Crossway.org. Do it.

Check out this awesome trailer….

I’m sorry, did I ask for your tea assortment?? No, I didn’t. I asked if you had sweet tea and nothing more, a simple yes or no would have sufficed.

Sweet Tea ≠ Raspberry Mango Tea (aka crap)

Fact.

I probably won’t post any more on The Reason for God, but know that it was a good book and that you all should read it. Up next is either The Rise of Christianity or something by Piper or Driscoll.

The scripture discussed that evening were 1 Corinthians 5 and 6 (with some others here and there). As Paul is writing to the Corinthians he sees a large flaw in their congregation. He sees how they have no form of discipline and how they fail to deal with sin within the body. Paul knows that the church has no authority to judge those outside the body because that is God’s duty, but he knows that the inside the body believers are to come together in love for one another to rebuke those who do not live according to their title of ‘Christian’. The way it works out in the church at Corinth is that since they didn’t have any plan for discipline, there was no discipline. When you have a lack of discipline you create a breeding ground for sin and this is exactly the opposite of what the church should be. Paul writes about rebuking those in sin and purging the evil from among you and this got me thinking.

If we don’t confront our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ concerning their sin which they flaunt, then we are only furthering their sin’s progression. Also according to the scriptures we are not supposed to act like everything is okay around and we aren’t supposed to have fellowship with them until they decided to clean up their act (5:9-13). I know a lot of people that read this will be shocked/angry/confused but it is what we are called to do, but we often fail to do it because it is hard to do and because we are afraid of the repercussions. Recently I have been in the position to confront friends on their sin and have done nothing about it. I sat back and let them do as they pleased, hopefully I can help those around me who need me and do what I should do in the future. I hope we all do.