Book Review, Gospel Spirituality, Jesus

APP REVIEW: Solid Joys Devotions

Solid Joys have been central in my walk with Jesus for the past year. Daily, the team at Desiring God posts a devotional reading. Desiring God describes Solid Joys as a “daily devotional app from the ministry of John Piper.” It can be accessed through DesiringGod.org as well as the App Store and Google Play. Every day the app provides a scripture passage along with a short reading from one of John Piper’s books or sermons or articles.

solid-joys-fb

Last November 16th was a devotional using I Peter 5:7 about anxiety. It was powerful in my life including the call to “make war, not with other people, but with our own unbelief”…which is the “root of anxiety.” Also on anxiety, using Matthew 6:30 on November 4th Piper writes, “the root of anxiety is inadequate faith in our Father’s future grace.” Using Hebrews 10:14 on January 4th I read about salvation as, “not the boast of the strong. It is the cry of the weak in need of a Saviour.” I struggle with irritability and last week I read: “And your agonizing, unplanned detour is not a waste – not if you look to the Lord for his unexpected work, and do what you must do in his name (Colossians 3:17). The Lord works for those who wait for him (Isaiah 64:4).”

 

The app is relatively simple and its simplicity is part of what I love about it. The reader is not bombarded by endless articles and videos and audio files. You just pop it open once a day during your prayer time. However, initially the app had an x-ray mode that enabled the reader to view the article with a black background and white letters. In a recent upgrade the did away with the x-ray option, which I preferred.

 

I use the app during my daily devotional time. I don’t use it every day, but most mornings I take a couple of minutes to read the passage being referenced then read the article. John Piper certainly isn’t Jesus, but I have been blessed by his insights and theology since college.

 

If you are blessed by books like “Desiring God” and “Future Grace” and “Brothers, We are Not Professionals” and “Don’t Waste Your Life,” then you will be encouraged by Solid Joys. Make it part of your daily walk with the Lord!

Standard
Church, Church Planting, Gospel Spirituality, Jesus, Redeemer Church

lessons I am learning from starting a new church

We moved our family back to Denton late last Summer to start Redeemer Church.  Like any step of faith it has been scary at times, filled with ups and downs, yet we can conclude that it has been an amazing joy to be part of this new church.  I praise God every day for the opportunity to be the pastor of Redeemer.

lessons-learned

We are close to securing a location for our official launch on August 31st which has caused me to really get excited about the future, but also reflect on the past 10 months.  I have learned countless lessons since we began gathering people last September.  I certainly don’t have it all figured out, but here are a few of the lessons I am learning from starting a new church.

 

Redeemer Church is largely born through my walk with Jesus so my character and spiritual life are everything.  This experience has only further solidified a deep conviction that character is what counts.  We have all seen corrupt pastors, and I long never to be one.  I firmly believe that churches who have leaders with suspect character are being built on sandy ground.  Josh Yen and I constantly talk of the importance of our spiritual health.  The new church can’t happen if I am not communing with Christ and loving my family well.  I make daily mistakes in those areas and need a ton of gospel grace.  This has forced me to be more humble and really live out our mantra of being “broken people who love broken people.”  Planting Redeemer Church has caused me to love Jesus more than ever!

 

Planting Redeemer Church has highlighted the fact that I need to be a priest.  That might be strange verbiage for some.  One of the networks we are joining is the Acts29 Network.  Within that network there is a culture of talking about the giftedness of pastors as being either a “prophet” (or insightful teacher/preacher), a “priest” (or a patient empathetic shepherd), or a “king” (a bold visionary leader).  I have always felt that God created me in such a way that I was low in the “priest” department.  But, if you are going to start a church you have to be a priest.  One of my coaches keeps wisely telling me that most people will follow me if they know I love them.  I have loved stripping things down and getting to genuinely just love our people.  With joy, I can report that planting Redeemer Church has caused me to love people more than ever!

 

I have a twin passion for starting new churches.  First, it is biblical.  New Testament missionary work is exclusively people starting new churches.  I don’t think that all missionary work should be just church planting, but it should be our primary way to reach and disciple the world.  Second, is how effective it is at reaching the unreached.  Many guys look at an area and think they should plant because there is not their brand of church in that area.  At the end of the day I fear some guys are planting churches because they want their brand of evangelicalism as opposed to primarily wanting to reach the unreached.  It is about reaching the lost not establishing your brand of evangelicalism.  Please hear me, this is not a sellout to all things gimmicky.  If you know me, you know that I have deep convictions.  But, at the end of the day our people care that I am devoted to the Bible and the gospel, trying to walk faithfully with the Lord, and am striving to love them and their family.  Convictions are vital, but our missionary conviction should be the ultimate driver of our efforts.  Redeemer Church has caused me to love my city more than ever!

 

Standard
Book Review

ALBUM REVIEW: Kaela Sinclair’s “Sun and Mirror”

I normally reserve this blog for comments about biblical spirituality and issues we are wrestling with at Redeemer Church. However, a couple of times a year I stumble upon an album that I really enjoy. Being back in Denton has only further stirred my enjoyment of indie-rock. Earlier in the year one of the guys from Midlake was plugging Kaela Sinclair so I thought I would check out her music.

large

I found sweeping bold vocals, insightful truthful lyrics, and a variety of sounds and instruments that would be expected from an artist connected to Midlake. The melody in “Without” is powerful. “Lock and Key” is one of favorites on the album due its unique sound and the simple poetry of her lyrics. Love the line “looking out from within is the original sin” from “Original Sin.” Not sure Kaela’s religious beliefs but I find “Like Kings” to be a hopeful look to the future. “The Realist” is also a cool little confessional.

Ok, I know I stink at using words to describe music, and don’t have much of a future as a music critic. But, when I find a great album by a Denton artist I have share the love. Check out Kaela Sinclair on iTunes or at KaelaSinclair.com.

Standard