The Church's Pyromania

Pyromania is “an obsessive desire to set fire to things.”  Obviously, the condition is a bit destructive.  And though you may never have considered putting a match to our building, let me propose the possibility that each one of us may have this flammable tendency when it comes to church.  I’m thinking of what the apostle James had to say (James 3.4-9):

5 … How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

Our building is where we meet.  The church is the “we.”  The church is the people who trust in and love Jesus and meet together to worship Him.   We’ve never had any problems with regular building destruction.  But the pyromania by the people and toward the people is always lurking.  If we’re honest we have to admit that we are often inclined to “light each other up” with the words that we say about one another to one another.  Gossip – this is church’s pyromania.  And of course we never set our brothers and sister ablaze to their face – we wouldn’t want them to know the cause of the strange warmth they’re feeling around them.  We set them on fire by “mentioning,” “conversing,” or “sharing” something negative about them to someone else.

 This easiest of sins is a great and devastating evil. It kills relationships, and we’re each somewhat to blame for 1) initiating it and 2) hosting it. 

The first thing to realize is that God sees gossip as wicked. Consider these connected selections from Romans 1:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men …

21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened…

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God…

Right there in the midst of the morass of depravity and rebellion against God, just one word away from “haters of God”, is the word gossips.  Gossip is an easy sin, but it is not a small sin. What is gossip?  Try this definition on for size:

Gossip is any inappropriate sharing of information that would cast someone in a negative light.

Gossip is awful for many reasons.  Here are six: 

1. Gossip is immature.

O how the long-time church-goers can be most excellent at the eloquent BBQ-ing of their own brothers and sisters.  Those who would see themselves as theologically mature can gossip as easy as breathing.  The poison comes out unfiltered and undisciplined, with no thought to God’s direct teaching on the matter:

Ephesians 4.29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

May God enable our tongues’ discipline and maturity.

2. Gossip is selfish.

Sometimes we gossip for a sense of intimacy.  Sharing juicy details about someone else can make our conversation more interesting.  Sometimes we gossip for status.  We enjoy feeling important enough to be privy to sensitive information.  Sometimes we gossip for revenge.  We can get back at the hurt someone has caused us by slandering them to others.  Sometimes we gossip for our insecurity.  It makes us feel better about ourselves to advertise the flaws in others.  Sometimes we gossip to feel wise, when the info presented gives us opportunity for an “I told you so” moment. 

In any case, it is all about “me.”  The selfishness of gossip means two things: 1) it is unloving, and 2) it is prideful.  That’s pretty gnarly when you consider God’s Word:

Proverbs 16.5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord;
 be assured, he will not go unpunished.

1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

3. Gossip is unfair.

When person A tells person B about person C, person C is guilty without trial.  He never has a chance to know the accusations against him, apologize for them, or explain them.  He’s just guilty.  That’s unfair.

4. Gossip is untrue.

In the same way, gossip is distinctly one-sided.  The whole story is never known.  Therefore the gossip is untrue. As the Proverb (18.17) reads, “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”

5. Gossip destroys relationships.

Relationships are so important to the church.  They are our vehicles for living out the gospel and glorifying God.  Gossip sets fire to the church because it destroys relationships.  Sadly, we must realize that a lot of gossip “gets around.”  That is its nature.  People hear what you say.  And so often, when a person hears what’s gone around the horn about them, they have no opportunity to respond or apologize with out compromising others.  So the ugly awkwardness is burning away at everyone and relationships are destroyed, with no clear path towards healing.

6. Gossip is cowardly.

If we were truly mature, we would talk with the person with whom we have the problem.  Period.  As Jesus taught in Matthew 18, if you have something against someone, go to them first.  You don’t have any right to spread the news ‘till you’ve talked with the source.  But we are often too afraid to do what is right…and our own flaws are more likely to be exposed when we talk out the problem.

Lets Be Gossip Killers

Here are a few principles that can help us “live lives worthy of the gospel” in regards to gossip.

1. If you have a problem with someone, try to overlook it and forgive.  Let’s be humble and give grace!  Consider Jesus’ humility and grace in Philippians 2 (1-11).
2. If you need to talk about it, talk first with the one with whom you have the problem and work for reconciliation.
3. If someone comes to you with juicy info, apply Ephesians 4.29 (below).  If the message isn’t helpful or if that person has not first spoken to the one with whom they have a problem, refuse to listen to their gossip and encourage them to do what is right.

For the glory of God and our joy, let’s put the fires out with the self-control and grace of God.

Ephesians 4.29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

If Over 1/2 of Evangelical Christians Believe That Many Religions Can Lead To Eternal Life...

then what does it mean to be evangelical?

From the New York Times:

Although a majority of Americans say religion is very important to them, nearly three-quarters of them say they believe that many faiths besides their own can lead to salvation...

“It’s not that Americans don’t believe in anything,” said Michael Lindsay, assistant director of the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life at Rice University. “It’s that we believe in everything. We aren’t religious purists or dogmatists.”

Even the atheists are confused:

Like the overwhelming majority of Americans, 70 percent of the unaffiliated said they believed in God, including one of every five people who identified themselves as atheist and more than half of those who identified as agnostic.

From my alma mater:

“It could be that people are not very well educated and they are not expressing mature theological points of view,” said Todd Johnson, director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. “It could also be a form of bland secularism. The real challenge to religious leaders is not to become more entrenched in their views, but to navigate the idea of what their religion is all about and how it relates to others.”

All Religion and Marriage is Not the Same

An example from David Kotter:

Saudi marriage officiant Dr. Ahmad al-Mu'bi recently informed Lebanese television viewers that under law "there is no minimal age for entering marriage."  He added, "You can have a marriage contract even with a one-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of nine, seven, or eight."

Consummating the marriage would vary according to environment and traditions, according to Dr. Al-Mu'Bi.  He said, "The Prophet Mohammed is the model we follow.  He took ‘Aisha to be his wife when she was six, but he had sex with her only when she was nine." 

For My Own Keeping at Least

30 Ways for Pastors to Love Their Wives and Families

5. Use every hour of your vacation time. And take a vacation that does not involve extended family; restrict it to just your wife and kids.

The Original Sin of Blaming our Sins on the Sins of Others

Ben Reaoch from Genesis 3.11-12:

We are so desperate to justify ourselves that we become irrational. Here are 12 examples. 

1) Anger

I wouldn’t lose my temper if my co-workers were easier to get along with, or if my kids behaved better, or if my spouse were more considerate. 

2) Impatience

I would be a very patient person if it weren’t for traffic jams and long lines in the grocery store. If I didn’t have so many things to do, and if the people around me weren’t so slow, I would never become impatient! 

3) Lust

I would have a pure mind if there weren’t so many sensual images in our culture. 

4) Anxiety

I wouldn’t worry about the future if my life were just a little more secure—if I had more money, and no health problems.

5) Spiritual Apathy 

My spiritual life would be so much more vibrant and I would struggle with sin less if my small group were more encouraging, or if Sunday school were more engaging, or if the music in the worship service were more lively, or if the sermons were better.

6) Insubordination

If my parents/bosses/elders were godly leaders, then I would joyfully follow them.
  


7) A Critical Spirit

It’s not my fault that the people around me are ignorant and inexperienced. 

8) Bitterness

If you knew what that person did to me, you would understand my bitterness. How could I forgive something like that?

9) Gluttony

My wife/husband/roommate/friend is a wonderful cook! The things they make are impossible to resist.

10) Gossip

It’s the people around me who start the conversations. There’s no way to avoid hearing what others happen to say. And when others ask me questions, I can’t avoid sharing what I know. 

11) Self-Pity

I’ll never be happy, because my marriage/family/job/ministry is so difficult.

12) Selfishness

I would be more generous if we had more money.

Making excuses like this is arrogant and foolish.  It’s a proud way of trying to justify our actions and pacify our guilty consciences.  And it keeps us from humbling ourselves before God to repent of our sins and seek his forgiveness.

Wordle-ing the NT and Psalms

This from Justin Taylor:

Wordle is a program "for generating 'word clouds' from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text."

As the ESV Blog points out, Andrew (at The Crazy Australian blog), took the ESV New Testament and created a Wordle of the most prominent words:


And David Reimer sends along his Worldle of the (ESV) Psalms:

Notice: "Lord Jesus Christ" and "Lord God."  Jesus is Lord!

On the Relationship Between Truth and Piety

My postulation:

Every sin is the application of bad doctrine.

Thoughts?

The Kind of Preacher I'd Like to Be

Iain Campbell quotes from Kennedy's The Days of Our Fathers in Ross-shire:

As preachers, they were all remarkable. There are some who preach before their people, like actors on the stage, to display themselves and to please their audience. Not such were the self-denied preachers of Ross-shire.


There are others who preach over their people. Study­ing for the highest, instead of doing so for the lowest, in intelligence, they elaborated learned treatises, which float like mist, when delivered, over the heads of their hearers. Not such were the earnest preachers of Ross­shire.

There are some who preach past their people. Directing their praise or their censure to intangible abstractions, they never take aim at the views and the conduct of the individuals before them. They step carefully aside, lest their hearers should be struck by their shafts, and aim them at phantoms beyond them. Not such were the faithful preachers of Ross-shire. 



There are others who preach at their people, serving out in a sermon the gossip of the week, and seemingly possessed with the idea that the transgressor can be scolded out of the ways of iniquity. Not such were the wise preachers of Ross-shire. 



There are some who preach towards their people. They aim well, but they are weak. Their eye is along the arrow towards the hearts of their hearers, but their arm is too feeble for sending it on to the mark. Superficial in their experi­ence and in their knowledge, they reach not the cases of God's people by their doctrine, and they strike with no vigour at the consciences of the ungodly. Not such were the powerful preachers of Ross-shire. 



There are others still, who preach along their congregation. Instead of standing with their bow in front of the ranks, these archers take them in line, and, reducing their mark to an individual, never change the direction of their aim. Not such were the discriminating preachers of Ross-shire. 


But there are a few who preach to the people directly and seasonably the mind of God in His Word, with authority, unction, wisdom, fervour, and love. Such as these last were the eminent preachers of Ross-shire.



(Days of the Fathers in Ross-shire, 1927, pp23-4)

Stupid Commercial Claims, #5

The roomba may be great as a vacuum, but the message is insidious: "husbands and fathers are sub-human jackasses."

Hearing From Fatherless and Feminist

Joe Carter shares about his fatherlessness and the family resemblance for which he is aiming.

I don't know how to answer 50% of my medical history forms; I don't know if I have more brothers and sisters; I don't know what my last name should be (Carter is the surname of my brother's father.); I don't know if I'm half-Jewish, half-German, or half-Ukrainian...

My hope is that someday I'll grow up to be like My Father. People will know what kind of person I am from seeing the family resemblance. Perhaps then instead of seeing me and thinking "Urkranian" they'll say, "You look like you're Christian."

Rebecca Walter, the daughter of a feminist leader (Alice Walter), remembers and rejects her mother's message.

How sad to be taught by your own mother that you enslave her and keep her from the good life...

You see, my mum taught me that children enslave women. I grew up believing that children are millstones around your neck, and the idea that motherhood can make you blissfully happy is a complete fairytale. ... As a little girl, I wasn't even allowed to play with dolls or stuffed toys in case they brought out a maternal instinct. It was drummed into me that being a mother, raising children and running a home were a form of slavery.

Feminism has betrayed an entire generation of women into childlessness. It is devastating. But far from taking responsibility for any of this, the leaders of the women's movement close ranks against anyone who dares to question them -- as I have learned to my cost. 

"Honor your father and mother" must also mean that we honor the role of father and mother.

Emotional Blackmail

John Piper giving caution:

Emotional blackmail happens when a person equates his or her emotional pain with another person’s failure to love. They aren’t the same. A person may love well and the beloved still feel hurt, and use the hurt to blackmail the lover into admitting guilt he or she does not have. Emotional blackmail says, “If I feel hurt by you, you are guilty.” There is no defense. The hurt person has become God. His emotion has become judge and jury. Truth does not matter. All that matters is the sovereign suffering of the aggrieved. It is above question. This emotional device is a great evil. I have seen it often in my three decades of ministry and I am eager to defend people who are being wrongly indicted by it.

Let's not give it or receive it.

The Survivor

This kid went from 'disposable fetus' to heroic survivor expected to "live a normal life."

The irony:

"I was on the (birth control pill) when I became pregnant," Percival, 25, said. "Deciding to terminate at eight weeks was just utterly horrible but I couldn't cope with the anguish of losing another baby."

A short time after the abortion, Percival felt a fluttering in her stomach. She went to the doctor for a scan and discovered she was 19 weeks pregnant.

"I couldn't believe it,' Percival said. "This was the baby I thought I'd terminated. At first I was angry that this was happening to us, that the procedure had failed. I wrote to the hospital, I couldn't believe that they had let me down like this.

"They wrote back and apologized and said it was very rare," she added.

Dr. Manny Alvarez, managing health editor for FOXNews.com, said Percival's situation is actually quite common.

"Women that have early terminations in weeks six, seven and eight, many times the pregnancy is so small that doctors miss removing the baby," Alvarez said. "The danger is that the failed attempt can damage the baby. That is why these patients who get early terminations need follow-ups."

Another scan a week later confirmed the baby also had kidney problems, but doctors told the couple the baby was likely to survive, so they decided he deserved another chance at life.

In November, Finley was born three weeks premature. He had minor kidney damage but is expected to lead a normal life.

Just to repeat: "The danger is that the failed attempt [to kill the child] can damage the baby."

I'm Not This Good With My Hands

Wow.

Straight Talk on "Struggle"

Abraham Piper says,

Struggle: Christianese for "giving in to sin, and then feeling guilty.

We’re not porn-addicts; we “struggle with lust.”

We’re not arrogant; we “struggle with pride.”

With a simple cliché our sins become palatable.

Struggle ought to mean, "putting up a serious fight."

Another Glorious Responsibility: Leading Your Family on Vacation

I believe that a man is responsible to be a benevolent cultivator, protector, and sage in ways appropriate to his varying relationships for the glory of God.

C. J. Mahaney offers some help for doing that on your vacation:

Leadership + Family Vacations (part 1)
Leadership + Family Vacations (part 2)
Leadership + Family Vacations (part 3)

He says,

Here’s what I’ve learned. The difference between forgettable vacations and unforgettable vacations is not the location or attractions. Nope. The difference between forgettable and unforgettable vacations is the father’s attitude and leadership. This makes all the difference.

Understanding Those Medieval-Looking Parts of the Bible and Why It's Different Today

John Piper gives some perspective regarding "canaanite destruction" and slavery in the Scriptures.

The Cross and Community

I was privileged to spend Memorial Day weekend with Agape Fellowship Church in Williamsport, PA.  The event took place at the beautiful Camp Susque, where the green grass surrounded by the lush Pennsylvania hills was almost too much pleasure for us Los Angeles parking lot dwellers to handle.  The theme for the weekend was "The Cross and Community."  (The beautiful pair there is my daughter (on the left) and niece.)

In each of the four sessions we endeavored to look at some of the glories of what Christ did on the cross and then apply what that means for the local church - the focal point of Christian Community.

Friday night it was "The Cross and Identity" from Ephesians 2.11-22.

Part 1 of Saturday morning was "The Cross and Humility" from Luke 18.9-14.

After a small group setting that studied the benefits of humility, Part 2 of Saturday morning was "The Cross and Submission" from Philippians 2.1-11.

On Sunday morning we concluded with "The Cross and Service" from Matthew 20.17-28.

I was continually amazed at the cross and how Christian community is created, sustained, and guided by the work and example of Christ's cross.  I was also reminded that when the cross of Christ is forgotten or minimized, the life of the church is in deep trouble.  (Thanks Captain Obvious).  But an important truth for my soul!

Fountain of Live at Living Well

See if you can find me and my boy at the Living Well site.  We were there to lead worship for the walk.

Caring For China

Hugh Hewitt offers a trustworthy opportunity.

Discerning Caspian Critique

Thanks to Tim Challies for leading me to Amy Hall's critique of "Caspian".  She writes,

Here's my main criticism: The filmmakers still don't get Aslan.  They've made him a character rather than the character. 

When Your Church Is A Business

From Joe Carter quoting Jared Wilson:

Warning: If you treat your church like a business, you will treat other churches like your competition.

Here's to Honor, Chivalry, and Fun Movies

The New York Post on "Prince Caspian":

A real warrior is brave but self-restrained, Lewis believed. The noble and heroic knight frees us from a world "divided between wolves who do not understand, and sheep who cannot defend, the things which make life desirable."

One Way of Salvation? Really?

From/Read Justin Taylor's "One More Way To God Than I Deserve."

Can You Trust Your Perception of Suffering?

Read Jon Bloom's, "Doubt Your Perception of Suffering" and get reoriented.

Can you hear the disciples catch their breath? Have you caught yours? Jesus said that God was to blame. The man was blind because God had a purpose in it that hadn’t entered anyone’s mind.

Experimenting With The Family

A 2002 study from CIVITAS shows the devastation of fatherless families.

Sobering.  Pray for our fathers and sons.  And submit to God's Word therein!  This culture is bankrupt.

Stupid Commercial Claims, #4

This is my favorite in the sense that it is the worst:

From "Apostle" Stewart:

Thousands of people around the world have used this Biblical point of contact prayer cloth to receive abundant blessings of financial prosperity.  To receive your Prosperity Handkerchief, and instructions on how to use it, order yours today...

For needed perspective, see my earlier post on the prosperity gospel.

Not The Way I Want To Go

Check out Mark Driscoll's "Death By Ministry" at the Resurgence.

Notables:

• Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
• Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
• Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked.
• Eighty percent of pastors' spouses wish their spouse would choose another profession.
• The majority of pastor's wives surveyed said that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage and family was the day they entered the ministry.

And a piece of advice:

Work from conviction, not guilt - Conviction comes from God and guilt comes from people. The key to being both fruitful and healthy is to do what God wants and not always say yes to or let yourself be pushed around by people who are demanding and have perfected the art of making you feel guilty if you do not do what they demand.

Envy Is The Reverse Side of the Coin Called...

John Stott's The Cross of Christ is one of those classic, special books.  It's main theme is obviously the cross, and it is perhaps the best book I know of on the subject.  But here's a thought on envy:

Envy is the reverse side of a coin called vanity.  Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself.

Stupid Commercial Claims, #3

It must be a special device that can do this:

Reveal the goddess in you...

Wow.  Thoughts?

Unintended Evolutionary Effects of Global Warming

Who Is Your Target Audience?

Romans 11.36 makes it clear.  

God is.

As Steven Lawson said, in his "Target Audience" message at the 2006 Ligonier Ministries' Pastor's Conference:

If I please God it doesn't matter who I displease; and if I displease God it doesn't matter who I please.

Relevance - for Him.  Love - for Him.  Praise - for Him.  Evangelism - for Him.  Hospitality - for Him.  What do you think?

Celebrating My Ladies!

We've been celebrating the ladies the last two days and I'm gonna share my joy: Emma is one and my wife is fantastic.

Stupid Commercial Claims, #2

The promise:

The good life at a great price.  Guaranteed.

Who said it?  

We must then ask:

What's the good life?  What's a great price?  How's the guarantee?

Your thoughts?

One Great Blog Post

Hit the 22 Words' post,

10 things we don’t mention in worship songs, but that I’m happy God saved me from.

and take part in the conversation.  Then praise God for His grace.

Who Are You?

Name: Matt Ford

Favorite Book: Pleasures of God, John Piper

Favorite Ice Cream: Moosetracks at Richardson's in MA or Coconut Chip at Graeters' in KY

Favorite Hobby: Chillin' with my fab family

Favorite Band: U2 

Favorite Food: Mexican Everyday

Born: Lemoore, CA - 1976

Live: Westminster, CA

Your turn!

How Do You See Conflict?

Ken Sande's The Peacemaker is an excellent book.  You should read it.  He describes common reactions to conflict:

To some, conflict is a hazard that threatens to seep them off their feet and leave them bruised and hurting.  To others, it is an obstacle that they should conquer quickly and firmly, regardless of the consequences.  But some people have learned that conflict is an opportunity to solve common problems in a way that honors God and offers benefits to those involved. (page 22)

Sande recognizes three basic responses to conflict:

1. Escape

When you're more interested in avoiding conflict than resolving it...

2. Attack

When you're more interested in winning the conflict than preserving the relationship...

3. Peacemaking

When you're more interested in honoring the gospel, growing in sanctification, and loving your neighbor.

What's your tendency?

Furnishing Your Library Is Easy

More from Bridges, The Christian Ministry:

It is far more easy to furnish our library than our understanding.

Patient application is literally everything. - quoting Miller

"Not to read or study at all is to [test] God: to do nothing but study, is to forget the Ministry; to study, only to glory in one's knowledge, is a shameful vanity; to study, in search of the means to flatter sinners, a deplorable prevarication; but to store one's mind with the knowledge proper to the saints by study and by prayer, and to diffuse that knowledge in solid instructions and practical exhortations - this is to be prudent, zealous, and laborious Minister. - quoting Quesnel

What think ye?

The Gospel In A Sentence

Here's Piper's effort (from "The Gospel in 6 Minutes):

The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.

Here's To Governor Palin

She is worthy of praise.  Al Mohler tells why.

The Greatest Cause In the World

From Benjamin Jensen at the Desiring God blog:

The greatest cause in the world is joyfully rescuing people from hell, meeting their earthly needs, making them glad in God, and doing it with a kind, serious pleasure that makes Christ look like the Treasure he is.

Stupid Commercial Claims, #1

From the sages at Coors Light:

Refreshment isn't everything; its the only thing.

Thoughts?

Planting TULIP(s)

The Desiring God blog reports Piper's updated seminar on the doctrines of grace.  This is a great resource.  Study hard.

"...to the praise of His grace..." Ephesians 1.3-6

Ever Heard of "The Shack"?

Evidently a lot of people are reading it, and a lot of Christians are endorsing it.

Here's Tim Challies' trustworthy review...

And Mark Driscoll's thoughts.

The Most Popular Game For 12-14 Year Old Boys

Various reviews of the huge money-maker:

Time Magazine

It's ironic that Grand Theft Auto is the poster thug for mindless violent gaming, since no other franchise commits so fully to games as an artistic storytelling medium.  It's back, grimmer in tone, slicker in graphics, with the tale of an immigrant in a gritty pseudo New York City. A-

Chris Baker writes at Slate.com:

The violence is no longer cartoonish. Shoot an innocent bystander, and you see his face contort in agony. He'll clutch at the wound and begin to stagger away, desperately seeking safety. After just scratching the surface of the game--I played for part of a day; it could take 60 hours to complete the whole thing--I felt unnerved. What makes "Grand Theft Auto IV" so compelling is that, unlike so many video games, it made me reflect on all of the disturbing things I had done.

Lazlo Jones, the game's creator

If you let your child play this game, you're a bad parent.

See Al Mohler's article...

What do you think?

Limiting Self-Evaluation

C. J. Mahaney, in his sermon at T4G, said this:

Don't limit the evaluation of yourself to yourself.  When I limit the evaluation of myself to myself, I flatter myself.

When Sanguine Expectations Are Dispelled

If you're a pastor, you've got to read The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges.  If you have a pastor, get it for him.  Bridges knows my soul.  In his section on the difficulties of ministry he writes, 

But after all, the greatest difficulties derive their origin and power from ourselves.  The spiritual character of our employment - no more than secular occupations - exempts us from the conflict with our corruptions.  It is not easy to overcome our natural love of ease, our indisposition to self-denying devotedness, and our false tenderness in flinching from the declaration of unpalatable truths...

 Hence the danger, lest the powerful energy of the word should be weakened in its application to ourselves; lest we should gradually lose our relish for our work, excuse ourselves from its self-denying exercises, and sink into heartless despondency.  A course of opposition also to our message may stir up a selfish, unhumbled spirit.  Popularity is yet more dangerous...Symptoms of success, unless tempered with personal abasement and habitual watchfulness, excite to self-confidence.  The want of these tokens, on the other hand, is too often accompanied with impatience or despondency...

None of us will find "the pleasure of the Lord to prosper in our hands", except every effort is grounded upon the practical conviction, that no strength but the arm of Omnipotence is sufficient for the work.

Many of us, perhaps, had tasted in the prospect some of the delights and encouragements of the work; and in all the spring and freshness of youth had calculated upon a steady and uninterrupted devotedness rising above all opposing obstacles.  But scarcely had we passed the threshold, before the dream of confidence passed away.  The chilling influence of the world, and the disheartening effect of unsuccessful pains, soon made us conversant with disappointment, and dispelled our sanguine expectation of a harvest proportioned to our industry.