Writing
Essays and working ideas from more than fifteen years of writing about faith, leadership, discipleship, the church, family, and life in Austin.
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Being a Pastor – Fun Sunday Questions
Here’s a rundown of some of the questions I was asked today from a variety of different people: Are you a young earth or old earth creationist? Can you tell me where the bathroom is? Can…
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Something Smells… and Hyperlinks
This blog is getting pretty stale…I guess I should try to pick up the pace. In all honesty, I’m not sure I’ve had many thoughts worth posting as of late, and I’m also running thin on…
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Together for Adoption Conference Audio
The mp3s from the Together for Adoption Conference are linked below: Dan Cruver, Adoption: Making Outsiders Insiders Scotty Smith, The Freedom of Adoption Scott Roley, Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation Ed Stetzer, The Gospel,…
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Adoption is the World Mission | Jeremy Haskins
I just read the post below from Jeremy Haskins, and all I can say is amen. This is an excellent articulation of the mission of the church to declare the gospel to all peoples that they…
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Together for Adoption | Sessions 3 and 4
Session 3: Scott Roley – Adoption and the Pursuit of Racial Reconciliation Scott’s basic thesis was that the greatest picture of the gospel’s work in our life is the adoption of unwanted children. He consistently showed…
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Together for Adoption | Sessions 1 and 2
I’ve been thoroughly blessed thus far by the Together for Adoption 2009 Conference. Below are a few highlights: Session 1 – Dan Cruver Dan preached from James 1:27-28, arguing that there are three facets to “pure…
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Verge Conference
The Austin Stone is hosting a National Missional Community Conference called Verge. The Verge Conference is unique in that it is committed to the development and multiplication of missional communities. The theme of the Verge Conference…
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Together for Adoption Conference
I’m headed out tomorrow to make the trek to Franklin, TN for the Together for Adoption conference. I’m really looking forward to spending time with some of our TASCC staff processing through God’s movement in our…
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Forgiveness in Marriage and The Gospel
I spent a considerable amount of time in our Nearly/Newly Wed class this Sunday laying the Scriptural foundation of marriage in class in order to demonstrate that the purpose of marriage, as Paul highlights in Ephesians…
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For Those Considering Marriage – The Freedom of the Gospel
I’ve been preparing some teaching for our Nearly/Newly Wed class at The Austin Stone, and thinking on the gospel and its implications in our marriages. Here are some of the thoughts I have for couples considering…
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Lessons Learned in Fatherhood
We’ve had a pretty rough week in our house this week, most notably because our oldest son came down with croup. The first night, we slept in shifts as our son continued to wake up terrified…
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The Whole and Heart of the Gospel | Cardus
I found this summary from Ray Pennings (HT: Kevin Young) of Reformed theological positions on cultural/social engagement to be particularly helpful in identifying the predominant understandings churches tend to have of gospel and culture. Below is…