Take a Moment...

What's next for Mark Driscoll...

Who will succeed John Piper?

Does Calvinism make people jerks?

Should Christians boycott Starbucks?

Singing the Blues with Jesus...

Take a Moment...

Understanding Complementarianism...

The Irony of Atheism...

Is the LGBT movement actually open-minded?

Former pastor's wife tells her story of "spiritual abuse" by Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill...

Are you radically corrupt?

Take a Moment...

A few concerning posts surrounding Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3...

The blog tour for Pete Enns' The Evolution of Adam has begun...

Numbers in the Church: Is Bigger Badder or Better?

The Humanity of Christ Matters...

Take a Moment...

A Christian Psychology and Reponse to Homosexuality...

Driscoll on Britain: Offensive, Wrong, or Neither?

Paul's Letters and Early Christian Worship...

How to remain a Christian while in Seminary...

You are not Jesus...

Take a Moment...

Why does Jesus keep telling everyone to keep quiet about him? (Didn't he grow up singing "Be A Missionary Every Day" in his synagogue?)

A few worthwhile reviews of the Driscoll's newest book "Real Marriage": TGC, Tim Challies, Denny Burk

Why New Year's resolutions don't work...

A New Year's note to self...

Intelligent Design is Dead: A Christian Perspective...

Take a Moment...

How to start a blog...

An online magazine worth checking out...

What would it take for you to change your mind?

Al Mohler on Mark Driscoll...

Why is God so silent in my life?

Top five most viewed blog posts (2011)

1. My review of Rob Bell's Love Wins.

2. Some thoughts I had regarding Rob Bell's departure from Mars Hill.

3. Are liberals just as arrogant in their theological underpinnings as they claim conservatives are?

4. I think my dear friend Ryan Graham is called to play the guitar.

5. People really need to relax when Mark Driscoll speaks.

There you have it...

If you've read this blog once, or every week, thanks for engaging with me as I think through various topics.

Stay tuned for more next year.

God bless!

Take a Moment...

And older (2009), but still worthwhile piece from John Piper on Hero Worship and Holy Emulation...

Although we don't see eye-to-eye on much, I think this blog post is certainly worth considering...

The Gospel: Not News or Story but News Story...

What's Dustin Kensrue's (Thrice's frontman) Story?

Mars Hill - Portland Church Met By Protesters...

Take a Moment...

Is there anything normal about pornography?

Very funny (and short) video of Matt Chandler imitating Mark Driscoll...

Thabiti Anyabwile on "celebrity" and "rock star" pastors...

Some responses to Thabiti...

Some of my thoughts on hero admiration v. hero worship...

Take a Moment...

The Problem With Taking the Bible Literally...

Ten Foundational Verses for Eternal Punishment in Hell...

Mark Driscoll talks with Doug Wilson about spiritual gifts...

Rob Bell, Hollywood Celebrity?

Sin Is Cosmic Treason...

Take a Moment...

Mark Driscoll's new website...

Trevin Wax, Ben Witherington, and Joel Willitts interact with Scot McKnight's new book The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited...

Wrath is Love's Response to Sin...

Faith in public...

Why We Worship the Way We Do...

Take a Moment...

Is Jesus the Only Way?

Getting Bin Laden... (a lengthy, but worthwhile read)

Sproul, Driscoll, Chandler, Tchividjian Discussion Panel...

Ministers of Grace in Need of Grace...

Homosexuals and the Christian Music Industry...

Take a Moment...

I might not get to post anything on Thursday, so here are a few additions to the bi-weekly "Take a Moment..."

Evangelicals converting to Catholicism?

I'm done with living like a Christian!

Reading when you can't afford books...

Lust: Not for men only

A book worth your time...

Kevin DeYoung on Mark Driscoll and Effemigate...

Piper and Carson discuss hermeneutics and the use of extra-biblical sources...

Take a Chill Pill...

So much mayhem has happened recently due to Mark Driscoll’s facebook post regarding effeminate worship pastors…

Rachel Held Evans' blog response has gone viral, and now World Magazine has responded to her response. Although I personally would not have suggested that Driscoll make such a comment public, I also, in partial agreement with World Magazine, don’t think that those, namely Evans and her various supporters, have treated Mark fairly – as concerned as they are with him treating others lovingly and fairly.

Perhaps, instead of attacking people (wherein we are often employing the old saying of "the pot calling the kettle black"), regardless of which side you are on, we could, instead, espouse a bit of biblical acumen and leave our attacks to shoddy exegesis and diluted philosophy rather than character?

Remember, we are all fallen.  We all make mistakes.  Some of us just have grander stages for which to make these mistakes.

In other words…

Take a chill pill.

**EDIT: Driscoll has published a short article, perhaps in response to this whole situation.  I wonder if Rachel Held Evans will do the same.

Hero Admiration v. Hero Worship

**Although I was going to wait and publish this post next week, based on some current situations amongst pastors I respect, I thought it might be best to submit it now.**

I love John Piper.  I love Mark Driscoll.  I love Matt Chandler.  I love Kevin DeYoung.

Have I mentioned that I do not have a personal relationship with, nor have I even met, these men?

And yet, I claim that I love them because their ministries have heavily affected my view of God, life and faith.  Or, perhaps a better term to use would be “hero”.  Those four men listed above, amongst others for sure, are, for me, heroes of the faith.  I look at these men; I see their love for God, in Christ; I see their intelligence; I see their successful ministries; I see their blogs, books and articles; and (if I’m honest) I see their popularity (i.e. they are great spiritual/ministry leaders – and who doesn’t want to have followers?).  To me, these men are the epitome of successful pastor/theologians.

However, I have recently found myself thinking through hero admiration v. hero worship; and I am concerned that those of us (including me!) within the New Calvinism community might be prone to hero worship, which is an idolatrous slap-in-the-face to God and His gracious sovereignty in placing these men in their respective ministries. 

Last fall I went to my first Desiring God national conference in Minneapolis; it was a great experience.  First, the conference subject matter: Think; and, secondly, it felt like I was rubbing shoulders with some of New Calvinism’s elite.  Prior to Al Mohler’s session, I went to save seats near the front of the auditorium, wherein I eventually found myself sitting across the aisle from John Piper and several of his staff members.  It was in that moment that I really began to ponder hero admiration v. hero worship, for, as I snuck peeks across the aisle (as if John Piper were that cute girl in your high-school class), I found myself completely star-struck, raising him up ever higher on the pedestal of Theologian Par Excellence.

But why? 

Isn’t there danger in that?

Does it breed a certain type of idolatry?

Does Piper not have sin issues (which, in fact, might have been the reason he took a leave of absence recently)?

Does Piper not argue with his wife?

Does Piper not have hunger pangs?

Does Piper not have the occasional runny nose?

In other words, although I don’t know the four heroes mentioned above, I am confident that they would admit their own sinfulness, normalcy, and memories of early ministry, wherein they might have also dealt with hero worship.  Therefore, let this be a reminder that we all put on one pant leg at a time; we all crave to be admired; we are all still wretched and depraved sinners before a majestically righteous God; and we have all been appointed to do the work God has set before us.

Take a Moment...

The Inclusive Jesus...

Randy Alcorn discusses Mark Galli's book "God Wins"...

Evangelism v. Discipleship...

Westboro Baptist Church hates Mark Driscoll...

A great online resource for biblical/theological study...