The quote is from John Piper and was posted by Justin Taylor of Between Two Worlds,

Abortion is about God, the Creator of the universe, the Giver and Sustainer of all life, the Judge of the living and the dead, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Redeemer and Forgiver of all who trust him. Abortion is about God.

To leave God out of the picture of abortion is to trivialize it. All things are trivial without God. God is the ultimate reality over the universe. All other reality is derivative and dependent and has no ultimate meaning at all without reference to God the ultimate reality. In him we live and move and have our being. If we leave him out of account, we know nothing of any lasting significance about ourselves or the world. (From the sermon, “Where Does Child Killing Come From?” available at Desiring God)

The Importance of Singing Truth-

Truth and Music-

“Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed. It must be told. Who could be silent about such a fact? The mission of the Church in the pages of the New Testament is like the fallout from a vast explosion, a radioactive fallout which is not lethal but life-giving.”

– Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

Paul Tripp- on, Does God Care About Every Word We Speak?-

Paul Tripp on, The Life and Death Power of Words-

A while back I came across the following excerpt from Philip Ryken on the Reformation21 site. It’s no magic pill but I think he has some helpful thoughts.

So how should we deal with the inescapable overload of life in the twenty-first century? I may not be the most qualified person to speak on this subject but allow me to make three simple suggestions.

First, whatever else you do, make time for communion with Christ. Remember what Jesus said to Martha, that only “one thing is necessary” (Luke 10:42)- that is, to be with Jesus, listening to what he says and talking with him about what we need. It is only when we allow God to minister to us through Bible study and prayer that the rest of life makes any sense at all.

Second, embrace the limitation of your finitude. Rather than feeling anxious and distressed about everything you’re not getting done, or always complaining that you need more time, take satisfaction in the many daily reminders that you are not God. You are not all-powerful, all-present, and all knowing. Only God is. So when the overload confronts you with your limitations, be reminded that you are only a creature who needs to rest in your Savior’s care (see Matthew 6:25-34, 11:28-30).

Third, choose wisely. The hardest choices in life are not the choices between the good things and the bad things. When it comes to discriminating the good from the bad, most Christians find it relatively easy to tell the difference. No, the hard choices are the ones between the good things and the best things. To make these decisions we need the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, who works through Scripture, through circumstances, through counsel, and through our conscience to help us “discern what is best” (Phil. 1:10; NIV).

In order to carry out God’s calling for your life, you will have to learn to say “no.” Many good things in life- many wholesome entertainments, many useful ministry opportunities, and many God-given pleasures- get in the way of God’s calling and therefore must be declined. Late last fall, I took a short trip to a beautiful golf resort in Florida. I taught, but to my disappoointment, did not golf. Not that there is anything wrong with a round of golf. In fact, from what I saw in the brochure, its such a beautiful course that it almost seemed wrong not to play it. It’s just that if I had stayed to do that, I would have gotten back too late on Saturday night to be a good husband to my wife, a good father to my children, or a good pastor to this congregation.

What choices will you make this week and in the weeks to come? Will you make the time to be with Christ? Will you embrace the limitations of your finitude, resting in the infinite grace of your God? And will you have the wisdom to make the right choices when you have to say “yes” to some good things and “No” to others?

This next week we will start a three week study of our vision statement here at ASGF- Gospel Embracing, Gospel Saturated, Gospel Sent.  Each week will take you to a different passage of Scripture to examine the biblical basis for our vision.

You can download the ASGF Vision Study Guide here.  Enjoy!

A new blog called subtext deals with living gospel-centered lives in Suburbia. It has some good stuff on it and recently Joe Thorn posted on “Gospel Connections in Suburbia.”:

I do not have the gift of evangelism, though I do share the gospel. Once a person decides the evangescript is not the best way to approach evangelism in their community the question then becomes, “How can I take a natural conversation about common things and connect it to the gospel without it coming off like an abrupt topic change?”

Any time we take the initiative to share the gospel with someone there is always a leap that has to be made to the gospel. Sometimes the leap is short and easy. Suppose you’re discussing the difference between Catholics and Protestants — getting to the gospel is easy. Sometimes the leap is long - very long, like when you try to move from your favorite Starbucks drink (Grande Americano) to the cross of Christ. The longer the jump, the more unnatural the transition, and the more awkward the conversation. So the key is having natural conversations that transition more smoothly to the gospel (smaller leaps).

To state it simply, the better you understand the gospel the easier the transitions become. If you are trying to share the gospel you will still sometimes make huge leaps that do not work. Sometimes the conversation will only connect to the Christian faith in part, without getting directly to the gospel. Sometimes it will all come together the way you imagine. The more you know the gospel (its essence and effects) and the more you practice this discipline the easier making comfortable transitions to the gospel will become. I have been asked a few times what this would look like practically, so here are 8 examples of topics that make for shorter leaps to the gospel or Christian faith.

8 topics that can naturally connect to the Christian faith.

1. Corruption, evil and sin.
Conversations about corruption and evil are pretty common in my experience. Murderer’s go unpunished, children are exploited, racism continues on in more polite forms, mayors are busted smoking crack, etc. These conversations can naturally connect to the biblical issues of justice, judgment, forgiveness and redemption.

Transitions examples: “Even when the unrighteous escape justice in the courts, God says he will not let sin go unpunished…”

“My personal desire for vengeance is often quited by God’s assurance of justice…”

“In the end, I find that though I am guilty of different sins, I am just as guilty as…”

2. Community.
This is a great conversation to have in the suburbs. Everyone wants it, but many are at a loss how to build it. Zoning laws have essentially destroyed the development of real, workable, walkable, communities. Conversations about community naturally lend themselves to the reality that we are made for community, that God himself dwells in eternal community (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), and that a central component of God’s saving work is the establishment of a community, a family, made up of every tribe, tongue and nation.

Transition example: “Part of why I am so passionate about the development of authentic community is because of how the Bible portrays the need for it. We are created by God to live in real community…”

3. Politics.
In “my suburbia” it’s 49% Republican and 51% Democrat. We’re split down the middle, and yet I often hear and have political discussions with practical strangers. Political discussions are a great opportunity to relate the second greatest commandment (love for neighbor) to the management of power.

Transition example: “I regret that Christians are often seen as a voting block of the Republican party. The truth is, the command to love God and our neighbors points to a way that is not entirely in line with any political party…”

4. Environment.
People around my neighborhood are much more likely to talk about the environment now than 10 years ago. This too is an easy topic to connect to the Christian faith. God as creator and the cultural mandate in Genesis can make the leap shorter.

Transition example: “Our dependence on automobiles, especially in the suburbs, is a concern of mine not only because it only perpetuates the breakdown of localism, but also because of the negative effect it has on the environment, and ultimately because I believe God has given us a wonderful gift (creation) as well as us the responsibility to care for it…”

5. War.
At the moment there is a lot of discussion about the War in Iraq, the war on terror, and the potential conflict with other countries. Just-war theory, pacifism and warmongering are topics that all connect with the issues of justice, judgment, sin and the hope we have for true peace. The topic of war can allow for a truly unique voice to be heard when we speak with both conviction and humility.

“War is a terrible thing, but if we are going to seek to the good of others and protect the innocent, sometimes war is an unfortunate necessity. That doesn’t make the issue easy. In fact it makes it more difficult. And my concern for justice is rooted in God’s love of it…

6. Family.
We have a lot of families here in Saint Charles, IL. On many levels family, children and marriage are valued, and yet many seem to be looking for answers concerning the very nature of what it means to be a dad, mom, husband and wife. Directing people to move beyond mere cultural expectations of these roles to see the biblical perspective can be a provocative and challenging dialog, but it’s a conversation many are willing to have. It is a shared interest between our church and culture, so this point of connection can serve as an opportunity to move right into the Christian faith - and even the gospel itself as we emphasize grace-based parenting that aims at the heart, not just behavior.

7. Church.
We live in a very Catholic area so having conversations about church is not uncommon or unnatural. Anytime I find out someone goes to church we have a great discussion about their faith, the differences between Roman Catholicism and Evangelicalism, the words of Christ vs church/religion in general. Obviously, once this conversation is underway there is virtually no leap to make.

8. Art/pop-culture
Everyone watches television, goes to the movies and listens to music. Many of the forms of art in pop-culture provide excellent entry points to get to the greater themes that the gospel addresses. This is often an easy connecting point that gets to the issues of sin, justice, forgiveness, redemption, etc.

Transition example: “…the protagonist’s search for redemption is reflective of humanity’s serach. The fact that he doesn’t find it is the common frustration of man…”

Evangelism is hard work for me, and while I enjoy it I have to be very intentional about it - or it does not happen. But I am finding that our natural conversations in suburbia can transition to the gospel without coming off like a sales pitch.

He also dealt with the plan for Grace Groups for the coming year- here it is-

The Plan

¨ Formation

• Voluntary Sign Ups- beginning August 10th.
• Group Size- three to six family units.

¨ Diversification

• Diverse Times– groups will meet on various days and times throughout the week
• Diverse Study Material- there will be options both for studying books of the Bible and several biblically based books. A list of options will be available late August.

¨ Emphasis

• Emphasis on Leadership Development– with smaller groups will come more groups which will provide opportunity for leadership development. This will continue as groups prepare to multiply and leaders are trained.
• Emphasis on Outreach– Grace Groups will become one of the primary means of reaching out both in mercy ministry and evangelism. Groups will have flexibility to fit this into their group schedule and the desires of the group.
• Emphasis on Multiplication– the goal for each group will be to multiply as they recruit those not involved in a Grace Group and see new converts join the group through outreach efforts.

The Reasoning

• Increased fellowship and intimacy from smaller groups.
• Increased and broader unity from mixing groups.
• Increased relational connection from voluntary sign ups.
• Increased ownership of groups from choices and size.
• Increased involvement in groups from flexibility in timing.

Desiring God has been putting out some great video clips with the speakers talking about the theme. Here is Paul Tripp with the first in a series I will be posting.