Join Me for an In-Depth Study of Acts

This one's for my King Street pals. I am very excited to invite you to join me for a new class at King Street on Wednesday nights, 7:00pm, in M21/23. Starting Jan. 6 (a week from tomorrow) I will be leading a group on an expedition through the first 12 chapters of the book of Acts, a book known in antiquity as the Acts of the Apostles. The class is open to anyone who wants to attend.

Why Acts? Well, apart from my general desire to study the book myself, I believe there are central doctrines (teachings) in the book of Acts that need to be highlighted and cherished by the Church today. Some have been ignored (e.g. ecclesiology, the study of the church.) Some have been misunderstood (pneumatology, the study of the Holy Spirit.) Some cause great fear (e.g. missiology, the study of evangelism.) And some simply do not receive the kind of attention and care they should (e.g. soteriology, the study of salvation.) Acts takes us on a wild thrill ride through all of these doctrines!

But wait, there's more! By carefully considering these chapters verse by verse, the class will equip students with valuable Bible reading and study skills, which will strengthen their reading comprehension and their ability to handle any text of the Bible. Imagine a church filled with people who could be described like the Jewish Bereans in Acts 17 who diligently searched the Scriptures for themselves to see if Paul was telling the truth. What if all of King Street could handle the text with this sort of eagerness and skill?

So please do me two favors, King Streeters. First, join my class if you're able. Second, could you get the word out by sending people you know in the church links to this post? I'm so new I don't have the connections to get the word out, and it would be sweet to have a great turn-out. Thanks everyone.

"Kyle, why do you keep messing with your blog layout?"

Thank you, my dear reader, for noticing. The truth is, I'm trying to find a template that does all the stuff I want it to do. The last one I had was almost perfect, but it wasn't displaying recent comments for some odd reason. This one displays comments, but doesn't fill the page, which I find annoying. So I'll keep dinking with it. Does anyone have a suggestion on where I can find more templates?

A Quiet Week of Preparation

Perhaps you didn't know this, but this is the slowest week of the year in a pastor's schedule. Christmas is over, so there is no more special service prep. The congregation is in holiday mode, so no one is scheduling appointments. And most of the staff is using up they're use-it-or-lose-it vacation time, so collaboration is at a minimum. So, in an effort to redeem the time well, I am in full preperation mode. Now is the time to read good books, outline upcoming meetings, write classroom curriculum, and pray for vision.

What is the week between Christmas and New Years Day like for you. Do things slow down? How do you redeem the time?

My Mobile Little Friend

My boy is on the move, with greater proficiency than ever. He has gone from rolling, to scooting, to crawling, to standing up on anything and everything he can wrap his fist around. As I write, he's pulling himself up to the couch to add his own special brand of keyboard-banging rhetoric to this blog post.

What's unfortunate is that this new found mobility has not come standard with a dose of new found caution. He'll pull himself up on anything, even if that thing has no way of supporting his efforts. Such items include the Christmas tree, lightweight stools, the drink cart in our dining room, and various plastic toys. He will pull until these items topple on him as he careens to the floor.

Just because you can treat something as sound and foundational doesn't mean it is. The careless abandon of Samuel somehow reminds me to read the Bible with care and make sure my thoughts of God are founded upon it.

A Christmas Message for our Culture

Bewildered by the cornucopia of disparate Christmas messages, icons, themes, and traditions? Here's a message that points us to the very thing Christmas is all about.

That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

HT: Justin Taylor

Holy to the Lord

Having now completed my Worthy: A Celebration of Jesus sermon series, I've been reflecting on the gift that Jesus is to me and to all of those who know and follow Jesus. My devotional reading is in Exodus right now, and this morning I read a passage in Exodus 28 that stood out to me more profoundly than ever.

"You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’ And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Exodus 28:36-38

Aaron wore a sign that declared he was holy to the Lord, and represented all of the people by bearing the guilt from the holy things that the people brought as gifts (read: sacrifices).

Aaron bears the guilt, so that the people are declared holy and able to stand in right relationship with God. We, too, have a great high priest who bears the guilt of the people he represents that we might be accepted before the Lord. Merry Christmas.

Life Preaches the Gospel

Yesterday was a day that requires some reflection. It was one of those days that will probably become more profound in my mind as time passes.

It was the 9th anniversary for my wife and me. We were married Dec.16, 2000 in the aftermath of an ice storm. Our marriage is strong, based on our commitment to loving Jesus and letting that priority shape our love for each other. We had a great time yesterday. For dinner, Rachel made my favorite dish, lasagne. She ran out of lasagne noodles and had to use a layer of spaghetti to make it work. It did work. She's a genius.

But to really celebrate nine years of marriage, we had a son. It just so happens that our day in court to officially finalize our adoption of Samuel David fell yesterday at 11:30am. We bundled up the family and made the journey to the courthouse in Carlisle, where our lawyer said these words. I'll paraphrase:

Do you understand that with this adoption, Samuel will be your son with all the rights and privileges of a natural born child? And do you understand that you will be charged with taking care of him, providing for his needs and caring for him as his parents?

Do we understand this? Yes. We understand because we love Samuel; we chose him, traveled to get him, picked him up out of his dire situation, made room for him in our family, and we now give him everything he needs, including the promise of a share in this family forever. Does Samuel understand the ramifications of all that has happened. No. He just knows he's loved. And as he grows, he'll come to understand all of the parts of that love.

It was a very good day.


Ephesians 1:3-14

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

The Bad News Part 5: Sharing the Whole Gospel with Humility and Love

Here's the last thing I want to share on the topic of the role of sin in evangelism, at least for this little series: If you can't share the consequences of sin and the life-changing news of the Savior with humility and love, please don't share them at all. At least, don't share them until you fully understand and embrace the love and humility of Jesus.

I can't think of a more humbling doctrine than the truth of pervasive, human-shattering sin. Can it really be that all the evil of the war in Afghanistan, the horrible human trafficking in South East Asia, the genocide in Africa, the drug-related gangland killings of South and Central America, and the continuing violence in North American cities is a product of the same evil that makes me struggle to keep my eyes pure, my pride checked, and my money from becoming my idol?

I don't live the life of a drug addict, but I've worked with them. Recovering addicts have been my friends in the past. And perhaps one of the most profound lessons I have learned from those relationships is that those men and I are the same. I could share Jesus with them because they knew I was just as sinful and in need of a Savior as they were.

When you share the problem of sin and the solution of Jesus, please do so as one of the sinners. We weren't saved because we're better than anyone else. We were saved by grace through faith in Jesus. That faith is a gift we did not earn and do not deserve. There is no reason for any sense of pride on our part. The only thing we can boast about is the greatness of Jesus, and when that's our perspective we are sure to share in humility and love.

The Bad News Part 4: The Consequences of a Sinless Gospel--My Thoughts

Ok, I get it. My fault. I posed a question, hoping for some comments, but stated your answer would reflect your knowledge of the Gospel. Who's going to answer that one! Sorry about that. Let me rephrase. How you answer the question will tell you something about how you see the Gospel.

Here's what I'm getting at. Many people would read the accounts of Bob and Don and immediately see Don as very in need of help. Bob, to most of his friends and family, is doing fine. So, if faith in Jesus is designed to bring help in this life, obviously Don needs Jesus far more than Bob.

But that is wrong. Bob and Don both need Jesus desperately. The error is in thinking the Gospel is designed to cure life's difficulties. Jesus does not make your life better; he takes your life, throws it out, and gives you a new one. Sin corrupts our lives to the point of death, but Jesus' death in our place gives us life free from the bondage of sin; freedom to love and glorify God.

If you take sin out of the story of Jesus, then Jesus died for no reason. Many in the church today want to share Jesus, but don't want to tell anyone they are sinners deserving death. So instead, they lead with Jesus as the solver of problems and the healer of wounds. Who wouldn't want that? I'll tell you: Bob. And Don will end up hearing about a God who can solve his problems without hearing about his ultimate problem. We end up with therapeutic deism, a God-solution for those whose lives don't seem very happy.

Can you start sharing Jesus by addressing the felt needs of a person? Of course! Jesus did this all the time: the woman at the well, the blind man, the lame man who came through the roof, just to name a few. But as it was for Jesus, felt needs must be an in-road to contemplating the real issue of sin if your friend is ever to realize his need for new life, not just a happier old life.

I'm Loco for Logos

Hey Everyone,

Nothing will spark your study of the Bible better than getting the right tools around you. If you're looking for some premium Bible software, check out Logos. It's what I use. They have various levels of software for beginners and scholars alike. They're also running this cool Bible giveaway promotion, and by telling you about their product (which I'm glad to do) I'm entering the contest. So check out the links below.

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Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

The Bad News Part 4: The Consequences of a Sinless Gospel--A Question

Because Kevin DeYoung beat me to the punch and unloaded a haymaker to the "New Gospel," I'm going to illustrate the consequences of a sinless Gospel with a little exercise. We'll see how helpful this is.

Consider Bob. Bob is your average guy with a good job, a wife, and a couple of kids. He works hard, pays his taxes, and is generally known as a great guy. You can catch him on weekends walking the dog, having a little date at the coffee shop with his wife, or throwing the football around in the backyard with his boys. His marriage has all the usual fights, but he and his wife get through them and they are doing better than most of their friends whose marriages are far more rocky. Bob brings home enough money for the family, and they live quite comfortably, though no one would accuse them of living extravagantly. Ask anyone in the family, and they will tell you everything is going just fine.

Consider Don. Don's wife just took the kids and moved in with her parents because Don's online gambling addiction, which started as what he called "harmless fun," has depleted the family savings and burned through the paychecks to the point of ruin. There's not even money for food. Don loves his family and wants them back, but his wife won't return until Don gets the help he needs and breaks this addiction.

Which man is more in need of Jesus, Bob or Don, and why? The way you answer this question will give you some insight into how well you understand the Gospel. What do you think?

The New Gospel

The following article is a must read for any of you following along in my Bad News series. Please read it carefully here.

Now I almost don't even need to write on the consequences of a sinless Gospel, though I will!

The Bad News Part 3: Is it Intolerant to Talk About Sin?

Intolerant is conversation stopper. Today its used to label people who hold views that others find too restrictive, however they define restricitve. The moment you are accused of being intolerant, you have to either back-pedal and choose a different opinion that doesn't really match what you think, or you have to accept the label and be socially ostracized as an unenlightened moron. That's because intolerance has come to mean having a view of truth that excludes other people's views of truth.

But the popular use of the word intolerant today is incorrect. It is not intolerant to have an exclusive view of what is true. Truth, by definition, is exclusive. It excludes all views and propositions to the contrary. Anyone who states an opinion or holds to a view of truth (even the view that there is no truth) does so in distiction from contrary opinions. A person can hold a view and tolerate the views of others, even if he thinks those other views are wrong.

Let me try to clarify. Here's a dictionary definition of tolerance:

A fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own.

According to this definition, tolerance has nothing to do with your view or what is actually true. It has to do with how you treat the views of other people. I can disagree with someone completely and passionately without becoming intolerant. The beauty of the "permissive attitude" of this definition is that it allows me to be kind and generous, tolerating another person's opinion and practices, permitting them to make their own decisions even if they are, in my opinion, profoundly wrong.

So let's take up our original question: Is it intolerant to talk about sin? Though people who talk about human sin and evil are often labeled intolerant, I hope you can now see that this question has no answer. Tolerance doesn't address a person's view; it addresses the responses to that view. If you share with someone that the Bible calls sinners to repent and turn to Jesus, the only intolerance that could come from that encounter would be from the person who listens and must now choose how to respond. Ironically, some of the most intolerant people in the world are those who insist on ridiculing the views of others by inappropriately labeling them intolerant!

Don't be bullied by the tolerance police. If you share your view lovingly and get labeled intolerant, simply ask the question, "Why are you not willing to thoughtfully, carefully, and lovingly consider my view. Are you intolerant?"

My Son Says "Da Da"

But apparently there is no discernment. He will wake up saying Da Da over and over, but in my presence it seems not to occur to him. My question is, does this count? Does he have to be looking at me for this to be counted as a "word he knows." If not, how will I know when it counts? Parents, help me out here.

The Bad News Part 2: Speaking of Sin as a Universal Problem

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...
Romans 5:12

One of the reasons it is so hard for us to share the problem of sin with other people is that we aren't broad enough in our discussion of the problem of sin. A very natural response to the statement "You have sin in your life" is either a harsh charge of intolerance (see Part 3), or the more benign, "yeah, but no one is perfect." In fact, most people when faced with their sins will simply turn to the rest of the world and state how comparitively normal they are. Where we see a problem of sin, they see normalcy.

I would contend that they are right. Sin is normal. It may seem like a problem, but it's everyone's problem. It's like the national debt: Yeah, it's there and it stinks, but what can we really do about it.

So how do we help our friend see the weight of his own personal sin debt against God and his need for a Savior? I believe it actually helps to start with talking about sin as a universal problem. The Bible speaks of sin as a disease that entered humanity through the sin of Adam, which has resulted in our own disobedience. This means that every human is born into a sinful state as an enemy of God. The result is a world full of every kind of evil, which is evident today. This is the doctrine of original sin, a teaching of the Bible that needs to be reclaimed and understood by the church.

Talking about the universality of original sin does a few things.

First, it puts all of us in the same boat. No one is holier than anyone else. Finally the pope and I have something in common!

Second, it shows how the evil we see out there in the world is a result of the evil I see right here in my own life and heart. The damage done by termites to the destroyed foundation of a house is the result of thousands of tiny creatures taking tiny bites of wood. The result of evil in the world is enormous, but it's the result of the evil of individuals.

Third, it gives the proper persepctive for assessing sin responsibility. If you start with individual sin and compare outward, individual sin seems small and inconsequential. When you start with the evil world and the disobedience of all humanity, it's easier to see your own part in it.

Fourth, salvation is seen not as a personal choice for living morally, but a freedom from the world's slavery to sin.

And finally, focusing my friend's attention on the universal problem of sin will allow me to humbly share Jesus and his Good News. You now approach the topic as sinner saved by grace, not a religious zealot.

For further reading, look over Romans 5, where Paul discusses the universality of sin through Adam as compared to the grace that comes to all people through Jesus.

The Bad News Part 1: The Truth that Makes the Good News Good

The good news that Jesus died on the cross for me makes no sense outside the context of my sin. Sin gives the cross its purpose. Human sin and rebellion against God, with its impending and deserved punishment, is bad news that makes the good news about Jesus good. Consider this summary of sin and the gracious gift of Jesus from Will Metzger in his excellent book Tell the Truth.

Grace only functions as grace when it comes to people who have absolutely nothing to recommend them as a candidate for God's favor. People deserve the very opposite--his disfavor in this life and for eternity. Grace is magnified when I see myself as undeserving. I have no right to and no claim on God's mercy. God is not obligated to love me. He does not exist just to make me happy. Grace is highlighted by my inability to keep from sinning. Salvation by my efforts is unattainable, no matter how hard I try to improve myself.

This may seem obvious to anyone who follows Christ, but I believe it is a point of vital importance for the believer as it pertains to how we think about our own faith in Christ and how we share that faith with other people. For many who talk about Jesus with others, the reality of sin, the bad news, is never shared as part of the good news.

Why? If the good news is that we can be saved from the punishment of our sins by the God who created us and took the punishment himself in our place, why wouldn't we share that?

Over the next several posts, I am going to try to unpack this question under the following titles:

The Bad News Part 2: Speaking of Sin as a Universal Problem
The Bad News Part 3: Is it Intolerant to Talk About Sin?
The Bad News Part 4: The Consequences of a Sinless Gospel
The Bad News Part 5: Sharing the Whole Gospel with Humility and Love

I'm excited about the discussions this will raise. Please post your thoughts in the comments section and feel free to interact with me and each other on these topics.

How to Comment

There have been some questions about how to comment, so let me see if I can clear them up. To post a comment, click the phrase "___ comments" at the bottom of each post. The blank is filled by the number of comments that have been made on the post. Then, write your comment in the text box. Below that box is a field that allows you to select how you want to identify yourself. If you have a Google account, or any of the other accounts listed, you can select that as your identity. However, if you want to make a comment and don't have one of those other accounts, you can select the "Name/URL" option and simply type the name you want to use online. You can also choose "Anonymous," though for the sake of discussion I would prefer that you at least use a web name so that you can be addressed directly.

As for the comments themselves, let me encourage you to speak up! You may think you have nothing to add, or may feel unsure if what you have to say is valid. Throw that thinking out. Your perspective is always welcome. This is not to say that others, including me, won't disagree with you, but that's how learning works. Furthermore, the comment section is a great place to ask questions to find greater clarity or to challenge the thinking of others. So speak up and let your thoughts be heard to the glory of God.

A Day with Billy Simbo

I had the pleasure of spending the last 24 hours with Billy Simbo, Bishop of the United Brethren in Christ Conference of Sierra Leone, West Africa. He and his son Alan, who serves as the External Business Manager of the conference, spent the evening with Rachel and me. Billy gave a very challenging, thought-provoking presentation of the state of the conference at our missions commission meeting on Monday night. Tuesday morning was spent sipping coffee and discussing the details of what God is doing in this tiny, impoverished, spiritually alive yet embattled country.

Sierra Leone is in a unique position. They are recovering from a devastating civil war, yet the church sees the encroachment of a spiritual war in their country. There are two fronts. The first is Islam of the more militant variety. This is indicated by the growing number of mosques and service organizations that serve as fronts for training Muslim soldiers, mostly teens.

The second front is more subtle, and perhaps more devastating. There is a growing surge of the "health and wealth," or "prosperity" Gospel in the churches of Sierra Leone. If you're unfamiliar, this is the theological error that says salvation leads to wholistic healing and financial gain. God's purpose in saving is to bless, and those blessings are only found in physical well-being and material abundance. This teaching completely ignores what Jesus said about the sort of life his followers would experience while living out his Kingdom purposes in a fallen, sinful world. When this error is preached, it creates congregations that define their walks with Jesus using health and wealth as markers indicating their progress. If God loves you, you'll get rich. If God has problems with you, you'll get sick. The church begins to seek acceptance from God in the same way the world finds its hope. The problem: You can't serve both God and money.

Two fronts to the war for the souls of Sierra Leone. I can't help but see the parallels in our own country. What are the fronts here in the U.S.?

A New Online Discussion Community

Welcome to Live the Cross. This site is dedicated to discovering and declaring what it means to follow Jesus; to both cherish Christ's work on the cross and live in light of that work. In this first post, I'd like to share a little with you about my purpose in writing.

First of all, I am creating a space to share my thoughts and reflections with my King Street church family, the community of Chambersburg, and any other person that happens to stumble in. The information we take from Scripture and the thoughts we are privileged to think as we reflect on Christ are gifts to us from God. My hope is that in writing this blog, I am able to steward the ideas and information God grants me.

Second, I want to capture the ideas of others in order to learn and grow in community. My hope is for a robust community discussion of various matters that will cause us to dig deeper into Scripture, that encourages and inspires us during the week, and that propels us to come together on Sunday with a greater passion for corporate worship of Christ.

And finally, I am excited use this site as a place to recommend resources that will help people on their journey to live the cross.

So here's what you can expect. I will create a post at least once a week, perhaps twice if I have time. You will have the opportunity to post comments and begin disscussion on the topic. I encourage you to talk to each other, but please keep the words and attitudes God honoring at all times.

So what do you think? What are some topics you would like to discuss in a forum like this?

KB