Considering the fact that Metro East will soon begin the process of prayerfully selecting elders, I will be posting a series of excellent articles by Thabiti Anyabwile on the biblical qualifications of those who serve the church as elders ( Those Above Reproach ).

http://youtube.com/v/yQOkWULpW8g Helpful words from Tim Keller on how to advance the Gospel.

I have been soaking up Bruce Waltke’s magnum opus A Theology of the Old Testament. Waltke, one of the world’s foremost Hebrew and Old Testament scholars has given the church a great resource in this, his latest book. It is a wonderful addition to the work of biblical theology which is sorely needed...

Liam Goligher is a pastor in the U.K. and a very able writer. His book “The Jesus Gospel” is an effective tour through the Scriptures with focus on how the Gospel functions as a central interpretive motif. Helpfully, Goligher begins his book with an exposition of John 17 – Jesus’ high priestly...

http://youtube.com/v/BU-J4q6uphc John Piper on why expository preaching that declares doctrinal certainties is so important. This is why I preach.

Don't miss the new resources I have been adding to the blog. You will find new blogsites that I enjoy as well as some excellent audio resources in both the "Bible and Theology" and "Audio" sections.

I found this video posted over at "Between Two Worlds" ( 99 Balloons ). Take my word for it - watch this.

Timmy Brister has posted a great list of Gospel-centered resources ( Resources for Gospel-Centered Living ). Check it out.

http://youtube.com/v/eXl9oiCa-dE I found this posted at Fide-O. Enjoy!

“If I say I will put Him out of my mind, I will not speak in His name any more, then it is like a burning fire in my heart, imprisoned within my body. I weary myself from holding on to it, and I cannot do so.” - Jeremiah 20:9 In his book God’s Prophet, God’s Servant John Goldingay, one of the world...

After identifying some of the external replacements that we often use to fill the place that the Gospel ought to occupy Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp point out “Five Gospel Perspectives” that give shape to the rest of their book How People Change . 1. The Extent and Gravity of our Sin “It has been...

Good observations on Mark Driscoll posted on Paleoevangelical( Funnier ). Be sure to check out the article from "Christianity Today."

The following is from an article by Fred Zaspel on the invitation system. While almost unheard of before the 19th century, the "altar call" has become a fixture in Baptist, Weslayan, Pentecostal, and Nazarene traditions. In fact, many feel as if they have not been to church unless there was an...

http://youtube.com/v/7UU6NYxwjP8

http://youtube.com/v/XVfwlzf-DAE

Brian McLaren, the elder statesman of the emergent church movement, has written in this book “A Generous Orthodoxy” that God as judge was perhaps a useful metaphor in some long past generation but today men and women need to construct more helpful and relevant metaphors for God. There is so much...

http://youtube.com/v/E8aZXeFRSBA Driscoll can be a bit irreverant at times but for a church that is losing its MEN, this is an incredibly important message.

http://youtube.com/v/MfwYU2pmWYQ Joel Osteen gets nervous.

In his most recent article for Modern Reformation Michael Horton asks the question, “Does Justification Still Matter?” He observes and laments the fact that the contemporary church, even many of those with roots in the Protestant Reformation, have either neglected or denied the central doctrine of...

I don’t much like testing. I suppose none of us do. But since I am the worst sinner that I know I am especially frail when it comes to the testing of my faith. Things that would have been considered mere flesh wounds to my faithful forebears threaten to derail me. I, like so many in my generation,...

The call to minister is a call to suffer. If you minister full-time then suffering will be your daily companion. I don’t expect everyone to fully understand this. I suspect that some will think I am being pessimistic. But in my life as a pastor, pain never goes away. Even when it is not acute it is...

If you do not attend Metro East Baptist I would encourage you to read John Ensor’s book The Great Work of the Gospel with us. If you are reading along I trust that you have made your way to the second chapter. Our joy in the Gospel is directly proportional to our understanding of sin. In other...

This is a great article by Mark Lauterbach ( Gospel must be central ).

Justin Taylor at "Between Two Worlds" posted an excellent article ( Spiritual Warfare 101 ) on spiritual warfare. Since I recently preached on Jesus' encounter with the Gerasene demoniac (Luke 8:26-39) I thought it would be helpful to pass this along.