Resources for Women Who Want to Live a Faithful Life

From the Titus2Talk blog (HT: Vitamin Z):

"My husband has being doing a bit of home-work recently, listening to a few talks that focus on family life. He's listed a few good resources for guys, but here's a list of some of my home-work assignments, some completed, others I'm keen to give due attention.

Loving My Husband by Carolyn Mahaney
Loving My Children by Carolyn Mahaney
Celebrating Marital Love by Carolyn Mahaney
Wisdom for Women from Titus 2 by Susan Hunt
A Fresh Look at Titus 2 by Carolyn Mahaney
Sarah Edwards: Jonathan's Home & Haven by Noel Piper
Marriage: Forgiving & Forbearing by John Piper
Honouring the Biblical Call of Motherhood by John Piper
To Be A Mother is a Call to Suffer by John Piper
The Centrality of the Home by Voddie Baucham
Shepherding Your Child's Heart 0-5 by Tedd Tripp
A Wife's Responsibility to Help Her Husband by Barbara Hughes"

Christian women seeking faithful advice on living as a godly woman in a fallen world would do well to invest in a few of these resources. Voddie Baucham has much wisdom on the role the home is to play in the Christian life and also on the way the roles of husband and wife break down within this essential unit. Carolyn Mahaney is a great resource too, particularly because she has raised four children in a very busy home and has done so with considerable blessing from the Lord. John Piper, of course, needs no commendation, and should be listened to whenever possible.

Piper on Fundamentalists, and What it Means for the Church

20 Reasons I Don't Take Potshots at Fundamentalists by: John Piper

1. They are humble and respectful and courteous and even funny (the ones I've met).
2. They believe in truth.
3. They believe that truth really matters.
4. They believe that the Bible is true, all of it.
5. They know that the Bible calls for some kind of separation from the world.
6. They have backbone and are not prone to compromise principle.
7. They put obedience to Jesus above the approval of man (even though they fall short, like others).
8. They believe in hell and are loving enough to warn people about it.
9. They believe in heaven and sing about how good it will be to go there.
10. Their "social action" is helping the person next door (like Jesus), which doesn't usually get written up in the newspaper.
11. They tend to raise law-abiding, chaste children, in spite of the fact that Barna says evangelical kids in general don't have any better track record than non-Christians.
12. They resist trendiness.
13. They don’t think too much is gained by sounding hip.
14. They may not be hip, but they don’t go so far as to drive buggies or insist on typewriters.
15. They still sing hymns.
16. They are not breathless about being accepted in the scholarly guild.
17. They give some contemporary plausibility to New Testament claim that the church is the “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”
18. They are good for the rest of evangelicals because of all this.
19. My dad was one.
20. Everybody to my left thinks I am one. And there are a lot of people to my left.

--from Desiring God

This post is worthy of a good deal more attention than I can give it right now. It's not that it's overly developed, because it's not. Rather, I'm thankful that someone has taken the time to stand up for Christian fundamentalists, who are regularly and relentlessly bashed in the media and even in Christian circles. Many Christians adopt the world's position toward fundamentalists--a term that can function as a catch-all for non-Christians, and can also refer to the actual category of separatist Christians--and think that it is appropriate to lambaste fellow believers who hold to fundamentist tenets. This is entirely inappropriate. Christians are not to slam one another, to bash one another, to publicly insult one another, and to use the same derogatory labels that the world uses against people who, while holding to some different beliefs, nevertheless share saving faith in Christ.

I've seen this happen numerous times in recent days in major evangelical media outlets, and I've heard prominent Christian leaders do the same. Christians sometimes conflate Christian fundamentalism with other forms of supposedly fundamentalist religion--like Islamic fundamentalism, for example--and thus speak of the two as if they are theologically similar. This is egregious! Though the two groups may both approach their faith with high levels of devotion, Islam is a false religion, and Christian fundamentalism is a faith born of God and faithfulness to His Word. Do not make this mistake. It is incredibly uncharitable and hugely insulting to people who, whatever differences one may have with them in their praxis of the Christian faith, are brothers and sisters.

This is not to say that I think that there are necessarily huge differences between "evangelical" Christianity and "fundamentalist" Christianity. There are some, but I do not think that they are huge, and like Dr. Piper, I find many wonderful things in Christian fundamentalist circles. Some of my favorite people and best teachers are and have been fundamentalists. Some of the most faithful and fruitful Christians I know are fundamentalists. They are the farthest thing from extremism, and they are terribly injured when uncareful and uncharitable people label them derogatorily.

Next time you're about to use the word "fundamentalist", think about what you are intending it to mean. Consider it carefully, and opt for the most charitable conception possible. In that way, you will honor your brother--and the Lord who unites you.

The Week-est Link, May 9, 2008: The Dark Knight, a Theology of Rap, and More

1. Westminster professor Bill Edgar gave a lecture on the theology of rap music a few years back. My friend Andy Naselli tipped me to the lecture, and I think that you will find it positively engrossing and illuminating. Dr. Edgar, simply put, is one of the neatest theologians out there--he tackles topics that other theologians won't touch, and he does so with generosity, clarity, and a bit of appreciation that makes him really interesting to listen to. I've learned a good deal from him, and I think you'll enjoy his material.

2. The preview for the upcoming Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight," is out. This movie looks incredibly dark and cool and enjoyable. Pardon the language on the webpage where the link is found--I don't endorse it, but I do endorse the watching of really cool Batman movies...

3. CJ Mahaney has been publishing helpful words on women and modesty on the Sovereign Grace blog. Read his words--he has some of the most helpful, practical counsel you'll find on matters like this, and he anchors it in stout theology. This is an incredibly thorny issue nowadays, what with the proliferation of tight women's clothing and plunging necklines, and CJ wants to help. Let him.

4. Have you heard about the New Attitude conference? It sounds tremendous. It's evolved into a mini-Together for the Gospel deal. If you're single or a young married couple, truck over to Louisville in a few weeks for the conference, and be prepared to come away knowing a great deal more about how to live a holy life in a darkened world. Speakers include Josh Harris, Mark Dever, John Piper, and Al Mohler.

Have a grace-filled weekend.

A Sweet Work of God's Spirit: A Reflective Review of Collin Hansen's New Book Young, Restless, Reformed

One of the more shocking developments in the evangelical bubble the last few years was the sudden appearance of a number of very thoughtful journalistic pieces on the reformed movement and its figures in the mainstream evangelical magazine Christianity Today. CT, as it is known in the evangelical world, is well-known for its international focus, centrist theology, and high-quality writing. Until Collin Hansen's groundbreaking article, "Young, Restless, Reformed", though, it had not given a great amount of attention to the surging reformed movement among evangelical Christians.

That article, which expertly combined fresh writing with high-level observation, led to several other profiles of reformed thinkers and events, including one of Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll that is eminently worth reading. These various pieces eventually found their way into Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist's Journey with the New Calvinists, a book hot off the presses from Crossway Books. Crossway is putting out many of the best books nowadays, and I am excited to see what the Lord continues to do with this publishing house. They have a clear winner in YRR (as I will refer to the book from now on) as Hansen has succeeded in giving the reader a fascinating on-the-ground account of the reformed movement among the young evangelicals.

The "New Calvinists", as Hansen terms them, often happened upon reformed theology by accident. Raised in Arminian or mainline churches, many young people gravitated to the Passion conferences staged by Louie Giglio throughout the South in the 1990s and the early years of this decade. Seeking the fresh, loud, zesty music of the conferences, many of these attendees were struck nearly numb by the preaching of a slight, bespectacled 60-year-old man named John Piper, who delivered messages calling for radical self-sacrifice for the glory of a transcendent, majestic God who personally loved His people enough to give them joy forever through the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many of these students walked away from Passion profoundly changed, their theology transformed, their minds blown, their hearts inflamed to pour their lives out for the glory of God. Minds humming, many of these young people went back to their campuses, their local churches, their youth groups, and transformed them. The movement was afoot.

Hansen was not far behind. It is this group of people whose scent he tracks in YRR. He himself is one of their number, and thus the book reads with the same wide-eyed, excited, theologically captured kind of tone one finds among countless students today at places like Southern Seminary (which Hansen aptly terms the "Ground Zero" of the new calvinism), Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Master's Seminary, Gordon-Conwell (to some extent), Reformed Theological Seminary, and many others. Hansen's chief assertion--that this movement exists at all, which some might question--is indeed indubitably proven by these campus communities, and by the energy of institutions connected formally or informally to the New Calvinism. Beyond the seminaries, think about organizations like Acts 29 (church planting network spreading like wildfire), Together for the Gospel (5000 strong), and The Gospel Coalition (scheduled for thousands in May 09). Each of these groups count twenty- and thirty-somethings as their key demographic. There is tremendous energy in this movement, as one can readily see.

Hansen's book is an on-the-ground account of the Calvinist Convergence, and so it does not offer statistics or factual data which would anchor its claims in irrefutable numbers. It does quote some studies, including the controversial Lifeway study of SBC Calvinism from a few years back, but it eschews in-depth numerical work for the telling of stories of the young people who populate this movement. If one wishes for a bit of background on what other theological movements are drawing young people, and how their draw compares to the New Calvinism, one will have to turn elsewhere. One cannot strongly fault Hansen for this matter, though--it's quite clear throughout the book that he has his capable hands full trying to track the fast-moving reformed crowd.

The book is nicely written, with an admixture of crisp, clean reporting and pithy comments. Hansen alternates between personal profiles, abstract observations, and theological commentary, and the combination works well. This is theological journalism, albeit fresh, passionate theological journalism that fits the subject it profiles. How boring it would have been to read a cold, rote account of the movement. Hansen succeeds in giving each of the title's elements flesh and bone. One feels the youth of the reformed movement, the restlessness of its participants, the strength of its commitment to the doctrines of grace. To be a part of this group is to be a part of a profoundly exciting, dynamic work of God, as my own life attests and this book reflects.

For many young reformed types, discovering true biblical theology is not an exercise in doctrinal calculation or scholastic argumentation. It is all about discovering a big, massive, breathtaking view of God that fundamentally reorients one's life and views, that displaces the self from its throne and that frees the soul to gaze at a majestic, mysterious, and incredibly generous God as He works out His plan and calls His people to labor with Him to blast His glory all through this earth. This vision, for most New Calvinists, does not stifle evangelism, or squelch Christian love, but fuels it, shapes it, funnels it into dynamic and even radical acts of service to God. More than any other piece of journalistic sociology I know of, YRR captures these realities.

Buy the book. Buy it. It reads very quickly--160 pages of lucid, engaging prose--and it will give you a place from which to evaluate and understand the reformed movement that is sweeping through churches and organizations of all types and denominations. I would have liked Hansen to give a bit more explanation on how the popularity of hip-hop relates to the reformed resurgence, and I would have liked more contemporary context, but these are mere drops on the duck's back. Collin Hansen is an excellent profiler, but he is also a shrewd commentator, and his book will not fail to educate and entertain you. I count Collin a good friend, and I am excited to see what the Lord does with his gifts. But let's not jump ahead of ourselves--order Young, Restless, Reformed and see firsthand what the Lord is already doing through Collin and his gifts.

The fundamental take-away of YRR? God is great, and He is good! He is doing incredible things among His younger people. Where they could be wasting their lives, pursuing their own interests and glory, and falling away from the faith due to doctrinal malaise, they are vibrant, happy, hungry for biblical truth, and zealous for God. Read the book and see if you're not challenged while reading it to spontaneously give praise to God for this sweet work of His Spirit, this fresh stroke from His painter's brush, that is reshaping an entire generation to give their hearts, their hands, their voices for the spread of his awesome renown.

Dispatches from T4G: Day Three--Sacrifice and Sayonara

Today's very quick thoughts:

1. One of the hardest things about T4G is the fact that many friends from the past are around. We're talking the type who you never see. This makes it really hard to know what to do in organizing one's schedule. Do you listen to the speaker who's got great things to say or catch up with a long-lost friend for mutual edification? Tough call.

2. John Piper gave a typically stirring talk on the biblical imperative of Christian sacrifice for the sake of God's glory. I found most moving, perhaps, his comments afterwards on how fathers must sacrifice their interests for the betterment of their families. I recommend you find the panel discussion (when it's available) following Piper's talk and listen to the whole thing.

3. Dr. Al Mohler hosted his fellow conference organizers on his radio show today. Dever, Duncan and Mahaney came in for a fun and helpful discussion that will prove helpful to those wondering what on earth I've been talking about the last three days. Give it a listen.

4. To all friends of the past seen at the conference: it was a treasure to be with you. To all friends made at the conference: it was a joy to meet you. To all who hunger for a much fuller fellowship, a fellowship that will include not simply the reformed and conservative but the international, trans-denominational, trans-labels body of Christ united by faith in His death and resurrection: it will be simply unspeakable to taste in full what this conference gave us in a very small part.

See you in 2010.

Dispatches from T4G: Day Two--Cupcakes and Curses

Quick thoughts from another very long and very rich day.

1. The opportunity to connect with fellow like-minded Christians is simply breathtaking at a conference of the magnitude of T4G. If you have not attended a conference of this sort, I would encourage you to do so in the future. In the past few days, I have seen dozens of old friends. I've been able to talk with many people whose writing and work I admire. I've met total strangers who I had an instant bond with. Conferences of this sort (and the Gospel Coalition, among others) are a rich treat. Consider going to an event of this sort if you have not, even if you don't know many folks who will be going. It will be good for your soul.

2. R. C. Sproul gave a masterful talk on curse motif of the Bible. As a speaker, he understands how to use every word, and every one seems carefully chosen. He is one of a rare breed of speakers who does not simply convey meaty content, but who does so in a textured, almost narratival way such that truth is not simply caught but felt. When he was talking about the idea of the sacrificial scapegoat, you could almost see the goat trotting away to its death in the wild. I would recommend that everyone listen to this talk when it comes out on mp3. You will be stirred in a way that is rare in this age of dumbed-down, simplistic communication, when rhetoric (and theology-fueled rhetoric) is largely a lost art.

3. There is nothing like hearing 5000-6000 people singing "And Can it Be". Wow.

4. If you do not know much about Covenant Life pastor (and I Kissed Dating Goodbye author) Joshua Harris, you should. Simply put, he is perhaps the most humble, kind man I think I've ever met. I talked with him and a few others for a bit today, and he listened to me like I was telling him the secret formula for long life. Soak up whatever you can of his ministry--he is a man I think is marked by God for his humble piety.

5. The dark-chocolate cupcakes at T.G.I. Friday's are sensational. Thanks, Paul Curtis--it was great to devour them with you.

6. I don't want to make you jealous, but tomorrow morning I have the privilege of waking up and listening to 1) John Piper on sacrifice and 2) CJ Mahaney on pastoral ministry. Honestly, friends, this is slated to be one of the richest mornings I think that I (and 5000 of my closest friends) will see.

Now, if you add some cupcakes to said morning...

T4G Week at Consumed: Coming Up, Dispatches from the Conference

I'm heading off to sunny Louisville, KY with my wife and a friend. I have very little time to blog (none, actually), so I'm writing to let you know to check back in throughout the week. I'll be writing about the Together for the Gospel conference and reflecting on the various talks that will be given by men like Piper, Mahaney, Dever and Mohler.

This is the closest thing to an "on-the-road" feature you're going to get at consumed. Be sure to check in and find out what's going on at a conference that seeks to exalt the gospel and to build a sense of organic evangelical unity around it. Here's the blurb about the conference from the 2006 Statement of Faith--it's a great starting point:

"We are brothers in Christ united in one great cause – to stand together for the Gospel. We are convinced that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among many who claim the name of Christ. Compromise of the Gospel has led to the preaching of false gospels, the seduction of many minds and movements, and the weakening of the church’s Gospel witness."

See you throughout the week!

The Week-est Link, April 11, 2008

1. One of my favorite rappers, Braille, has a new album coming out. If you have never heard of Braille, or never given his music a chance, go to his Myspace page and listen to some of his tracks. Braille is a Christian from Oregon, and he makes great, God-glorifying music. See--unbelievers don't have all the good music!

2. This week's Blog Gem: Southern Seminary student Blake White's "Barabbas". Blake, a Texan, has a great blog going. He links to lots of interesting stuff and, while generally keeping commentary to a minimum, often has good things to say. He has a heart for contextualized Christianity and the spread of the gospel. He's also a killer basketball player, but that's neither here nor there. Check out his excellent blog.

3. An interesting Desiring God piece by John Piper on preaching as "Concept Creation". Piper is one of the few major reformed guys who is really interacting with contextualized theology, and I appreciate his efforts to do so.

4. Fun New Yorker piece on the actor George Clooney and the effort behind his effortless charm. I appreciate that Clooney makes films like "Ocean's 11" that are fun but that don't glorify sex. He's restored fun to Hollywood, I think.

5. David Powlison writes as helpfully as ever about "biopsychiatry". If you're like me, and you often wonder about where the line between truth and falsehood lies in regard to psychology and psychiatry, then I think you'll find this piece and others by Powlison to be of help. (HT: Justin Taylor)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Piper on Extended Adolescence and the Gift of Vision

My lovely mother-in-law emailed me a link to a recent piece written by John Piper about the phenomenon of extended adolescence. The piece is helpful and represents a good pastor-centered perspective of this problem in American society. I am glad that Piper is not simply sidestepping this cultural event, as too many pastors do, but that he is addressing it. His thoughts got me thinking on one cause of the "adultolescence" phenomenon: a lack of vision.

What do I mean by this? Many fathers have failed to give their children a vision for their lives. This is of course only one factor among many that contribute to the aforementioned problem. Chief among other factors that one could cover (indeed, that I have and do cover on this blog) are personal laziness and immaturity on the part of young people. With that noted, though, the lack of a life "map" is an overlooked factor in this discussion, I think. I would love to know how many of you out there had a father who gave you a vision for your life--in any form. I don't mean that he prophesied over your life, or that he told you exactly what you should do with yourself. No, I'm referring to any kind of vision at all. Did he encourage you? Did he point out gifts in your life that you could channel to positive ends? Did he say, "Here's what you should be thinking about for the future"? I'm guessing that many out there had fathers who failed to provide this vision. Many others were raised in broken homes, and dad was either absent or not around to even begin to provide a vision for life.

This is one reason why so many young people today obsess over the idea of calling. This is why so many twentysomethings bounce from job to job and worry about never finding the right work. This is why many Christians struggle with fear of failure when it comes to vocation. Such people never had a father who gave them a clear picture of the future, who sat them down and talked through their predilections, abilities, interests, and goals, who attempted to provide guidance and support before launching their children into the world. I'm dealing with this problem from a masculine standpoint in this article, but this is also why so many Christian women struggle to figure out their place and role in the world. For whatever reason, dad never came alongside them and instructed them as to what is truly important in the world. This absence has left a generation of women alone in figuring out what to do in life and how to make sense of it all. With such a picture, it is unsurprising that we are in a cultural maturity crisis. As parents lost sight of their roles and responsibilities in twentieth century America, so too did their children. Now, they are drifting, and America is scratching its head, and our civilization is slowly tipping into the sea.

So here is the remedy, as I can see it: we need a generation of men to teach themselves to have vision. We need these young men to set out to do something big with their life, something challenging, something calculated to bless and help as many people as possible according to their gifting and interest. We need these young men not to drift around and fool with girls' hearts and play at life, but to assume responsibility, seek out challenges, and strategize to mature as men. Then, when these men are married, as most should be, we need these men to raise families and to avoid the last generation's mistake. These men need to look into the eyes of their children and say, "Here is a plan for life. Here is a vision. I will not leave you alone in the world. I will answer to God for your soul, and for the way you live your life." In doing so, these men will give their children a gift. They will give their children direction in life, guidance, a foundation from which to launch. They will ennoble their sons and daughters and lead them into the world with purpose and hope. Then, one day, their children will look back into those same eyes, and call these noble men, virtuous women by their side, blessed.

Preaching We Need: John Piper on Aging for God's Glory

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life." (Proverbs 16:31)

I want to take a few days this week and highlight a few messages that contain important truths, truths that the American church very much needs to hear. The first deals with a topic I occasionally bring up on this site: aging for God's glory.

Piper's message was given at the 2007 National Pastor's Conference sponsored by the parachurch imprint of Bethlehem Baptist, Desiring God Ministries. The conference's theme was the perseverance of the saints, and Piper himself preached a powerful message about how Christians should persevere in the faith as they grow old in a world that despises old age and views it as a season of life in which to focus almost entirely on oneself. I enjoyed the message, and I encourage you to listen to it in order that your desire to persevere in the faith would grow.

I was a bit disappointed that Piper did not do more cultural exegesis. His textual appeal and his materials from church history spoke powerfully to his point, but the message would have benefited from a lengthy section outlining the contemporary secular response to aging. Young Christians are saturated with culture, and preachers who reference the culture and situate their preaching in the cultural context do much to connect with their hearers and make their preaching more applicable and beneficial. With that said, a major shift has occurred in American life such that many people, including both men and women, invest much money and time in fighting the effects of aging. For example, my wife was watching ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" for a few moments last night and observed two older women who are currently competing on the show. One of these women, Bethany noted, has had numerous plastic surgeries, such that she looks much younger than she is. In general, most everyone looked about as young as possible. Does anyone else think it absolutely absurd that most every woman on tv (at least live tv) these days looks like she's been color-blasted bronze? I picture it like a car wash. A woman of normal skin color walks into a car wash-like facility, presses a button, and thirty seconds later walks out dripping gold from her toes. The effect is not appealing--it is ridiculous.

That aside, it is important that we Christians not do what this female star did. Where we might be tempted to hide the effects of aging, we should embrace them. Where we might deplore them, we should celebrate them, even as we recognize that these effects are the result of the fall. The Bible invests the aging process with dignity and grace, and we should do the same. But it is all well and good to talk about things on a theoretical level; many of us do well at that. But we must not stop there. Theology is meant to penetrate everyday life. So, let's close with some application for men and women. Men, as Carl Trueman has recently noted in a pithy piece, go bald to the glory of God. Do not be ashamed to bear the effects of aging. Strange though it may seem, balding is a sign of dignity, a mark of a life long-lived. Don't be ashamed of a receding hairline; don't fret over a perceived loss of attractiveness. Accept the processes of aging with grace. Women, think hard about not dying your hair as you grow older. Most dyed hair is pretty clearly fake. I understand that it's not easy to lose the trappings of youth, but remember, the signs of age are the marks of dignity. God has written aging into the codes of our bodies. Why should we fight him in this? Why should you buy into the culture's view of beauty, which sees gray hair as ugly and wrinkles as unappealing? Such thinking is a lie--and a much-believed one at that.

I encourage you, women, as I encourage the men (myself among them) to present the lost among us with a powerful countercultural witness. The way one deals with hair or wrinkles may seem inconsequential, but I assure you it is not, especially in a society like ours, frenzied as it is to appear as young as possible. In an age when Mom shops in the same stores as her daughters, and boasts a hair color just like her daughter's, and has a face as wrinkle-free as her daughter's, and pays a ton of money to achieve all this, go the easy (and cheaper) and graceful route. In a time when Dad dresses in the same jeans-and-t-shirt outfit that his son does, and sweats every time he passes a billboard boasting Rogaine treatment, it is right to show the world that true physical beauty does not buck against the aging process. Instead, it embraces it, and in so doing, embraces the God who is behind it.