Summer is Over

     Well, my summer project in Gatlinburg came to an end about a week ago. So I’ve been spending some time with family and friends before it’s time to head back to school. The summer was exhausting, but at the same time, very refreshing and challenging. Here’s the slideshow that was shown at our End of Project Banquet:

 

Smoky Mountain Summer Project

     Well, my posts have been very few and far between this summer. This is due to the fact that I’ve been in Gatlinburg, TN for the majority of the summer. I’m here through Campus Crusade for Christ with around 2o other students. We had a few staff members with us until last week when they each left to go the National Staff Conference in Colorado. Now that they have left, we (the students) each have our own role now. Here’s a slideshow I put together reviewing the first half of our stay here in the Smokies:

New Attitude 2007 Conference

     The guys from New Attitude will be coming to Louisville, KY on Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-29) to hold their annual conference. This conference will feature speakers such as Joshua Harris, CJ Mahaney, Eric Simmons, Al Mohler, Mark Dever and John Piper. The theme of this year’s conference is Discernment. The goal is to learn how to look at our relationships with others, our enviroment, our world through the lens of Scripture. “Discernment is more than what we should do or shouldn’t do as Christians. Discernment is examining what we think and do and say in light of God’s Word.”

You can register for the conference at the New Attitude 2007 Website.

Hebrews 9 and 10 Reading

     This is a clip of Ryan Ferguson quoting Hebrews 9 and 10 at the Sovereign Grace Worship God ‘06 Conference. I know that this video has been out on the web for sometime, but I think that it’s a great testimony to the importance of memorizing the Word of God. A lot of pastors these days try to dress up God’s Word and make it easier to hear or more “relevant” to our culture. Scripture does not need dressing up. We have too much entertainment and cheerleading in the Church today, my desire and prayer is to see the Word of God preached boldly, faithfully, and truthfully. Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Ohio, said, “It’s imparative to remember that it’s about being exhorted, not entertained. We are not to praise eloquence or lack thereof, we are to hear and heed the Word of God.” This video is a great example of that. God’s Word is powerful by itself (through the Holy Spirit), it doesn’t need to be added to and we must not take away from it.

The Importance of Theology

     I’ve had a lot of Christians tell me, “Theology isn’t for me.” When someone says that to me the first thought that comes to my mind is, “The study of God isn’t your thing, and you’re saying that you are a Christian?” I think it all comes down to how we as a culture define the word theology. We view theology as something that’s only for the guys that go to seminary. Theology isn’t a bunch of high and lofty talk, it’s really seeking and studying the Word of God and applying that to our lives. I’m not saying that we need to learn all the big terms and theories, but what I am saying is that we don’t need to be afraid to go deeper. Jesus has commanded us to love Him “with all our heart, soul, mind and strength” (Mark 12:30). A big part of walking with Christ is thinking: thinking on His charachter, who He is and what He has done for us.  My generation is a generation that doesn’t want to think. We don’t want to stretch our minds too far. I think that it’s also important to keep in my mind that if we have a bunch of knowledge in our head, but it’s never lived out in our lives then it’s worthless. There must be a balance between the doctrinal and the practical, in the life of the Church and each individual Christian.

In this video, Mark Driscoll, pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, comments on the importance of theology in the life of the Church.