I just read a very long, well-written review and critique of Rob Bell’s controversial book, Love Wins, by Kevin DeYoung. I have to admit that his arguments are very strong, and makes Bell’s argument and position seem weak and biblically fragile. I will withhold judgment until I read Bell’s book for myself, but I think … More Covenant Affirmations: What do we (firmly) believe?
This is the most significant spiritual lesson I have learned in my entire life – perhaps. There is a world of difference (literally, a “narrative world” of difference) between (1) being a religious person who holds certain beliefs in their head, and (2) a person who has decided that the narrative world of the Bible … More A Different World is Calling You!
We headed north for the weekend with friends. Beautiful log cabin with rustic charm and comfortable leather couches to read on by the fireplace. A little bit of snowshoeing, a lot of munching and sipping, some sauna time, watched the comedic blast from the past “The Three Amigos” (you have to be in the right … More Buckhorn Log Cabin Escape
Here’s the notes from a message I gave to a youth group awhile back. Always a timely and tough topic. “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images… … More American Idols (Rom 1:22-25)
“The vehicle I am driving now is far less efficient than the previous vehicle I drove, so I am trying not to drive as far.” -Dan Kent
Enjoy another ‘Mission Moment’ from our church planting adventure in Mound, MN. MainStreet’s vision is to be a church that meets people where they do everyday life, forming relationships that point them to Jesus. We met Melissa this fall when she and her boyfriend, Dave, stopped by our MainStreet booth at the Farmer’s Market in … More MELISSA’S STORY: A Crossroads Moment
“We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You’ve probably heard the expression “I believe in God, just not organized religion.” I don’t think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live. The expression would change to “I can’t deny what the church does, … More QUOTABLES: Francis Chan
Whoops, I did it again. I keep looking for ways to upgrade my free wordpress themes to achieve a more sleek, less bloggy looking website. I’m too cheap to invest in a real website, and too dumb to build one on my own. Thus, I depend on WordPress’s free themes to capture a nice looking … More NEW WEBSITE DESIGN: What do you think?
Here’s a ‘Mission Moment’ story from our church planting mission in Mound, MN. In Acts 16, Paul is called to the region of Macedonia in a vision. I believe God still calls people to particular places to bring the gospel. That’s why I’m in Mound. But I’m not alone. Another unsuspecting “victim” of the divine … More DEANO’S STORY: Called Back Home to Mound
I’ve mentioned some of the strong criticism for Rob Bell’s yet-to-be-released book on Heaven and Hell called Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Now a couple positive endorsements from Eugene Peterson and Greg Boyd. “In the current religious climate in America, it isn’t easy to … More Rob Bell Endorsements
Bart Ehrman and friends are making the rounds with their books attempting to undermine the reliability of the New Testament witnesses to the life of Jesus. Have you bought their rhetoric? Have you joined the chorus of skeptics in an age of unbelief? Here’s a challenging rebuttal by Dr. Ben Witherington III to consider. (This … More Bart Ehrman & Ben Witherington: Who’s the Fundamentalist?
Rob Bell’s forthcoming book, Love Wins, is bringing the discussion of Hell to center stage. May we all grow in our knowledge and beliefs about this very biblical and Jesus-y topic. As the buzz continues to increase around this debate in the church as Bell’s book releases, may we all dig our noses into Scriptures … More Tim Keller on Hell
Kevin DeYoung says: “…what was communicated in the video was untrue to the Scriptures, inconsistent with historic orthodoxy, belittling of the cross, deceiving to unbelievers, and a tragic distortion of God’s character…. “We don’t have to guess if Bell will say something dreadfully, horribly, disgracefully wrong. He already has.” After watching the video: Agree or disagree … More DeYoung on Rob Bell’s “Love Wins” Video
As I read through the Gospels today, I noticed that Jesus seems to be fond of commanding people to either “Come, follow me!” or “Go!”. The point seems quite clear: Life as a disciple of Jesus is a life “on the move.” He calls us to drop our nets, leave our old life behind and … More With Jesus: Are we Coming or Going?
Here it is. The book that signals the apocalypse for many Evangelicals — especially those espousing Reformed theology. Rob Bell is questioning the traditional view of Hell. He will, and already is, suffering the wrath of the Reformed blogosphere — DeYoung, Piper, Justin Taylor and the boys. This should be an interesting ride as this … More VIDEO: Rob Bell Stirs the Pot
This Friday MainStreet’s Revolution ministry hosted another open mic event giving local teen musicians a platform to showcase their talent. It was a blast! This is just one way our new church is serving and reaching out to the younger people in Mound. Enjoy some highlights!
Newsweek recently published an article called What the Bible Really Says About Sex which begins: What does the Bible really say about sex? Two new books written by university scholars for a popular audience try to answer this question. Infuriated by the dominance in the public sphere of conservative Christians who insist that the Bible … More The Bible and Sex: A Response to Newsweek
This is a repost I thought worth sharing again. -JB I had a great conversation today with an old high school friend. She is a not a Christian, very unreligious and, as she said herself, “totally clueless when it comes to religion, Christianity, church, the Bible and stuff.” So, while she is not conversant in … More Talking Physical Fitness & Spiritual Health
Here’s a repost from last year worth sharing again. -JB It’s Valentine’s Day. The celebration heart-shaped candies that taste like chalk, and overpriced cards that tell our sweethearts what some Hallmark writer thinks — who, for all we know, has never even been on a date. It’s the day of chocolates, amor and perhaps some … More C.S. Lewis, Cupid & God’s Inescapable Love
What is the primary task of the disciple of Jesus? When one enrolls in the school of Jesus, or receives the call to give one’s life to following after him, what is the first step? Let’s play fill in the blank. (No cheating or reading ahead for the right answer.) When Jesus chose his twelve … More Enrolled in the School of Jesus (Mark 3:13-15)
Another excerpt from Will Willimon’s book “Pastor.” In this section, Willimon addresses a mindset common among Baby Boomers (and passed down to their children, I might add): “A few years ago, three sociologists, noting the huge decline in memberships being suffered by mainline (now fast becoming the old-line or sidelined) denominations, described what they termed … More Pastor 9 – Baby Boomers’ Bondage to Self
Pastor Steven Furtick challenges new churches to focus on being fishers of men, not keepers of the aquarium. He is the pastor of Elevation Church, one of the most explosive churches in America. After nearly five years, Elevation Church has grown to more than 8,000 in attendance each week at four locations. Since their launch, … More Keepers of the Aquarium (Steven Furtick)
Kingdom Harbor 