GC(squared) Monthly Meeting (May 2011)

I attended the monthly meeting of The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition this morning. What a blessing it is to spend time in fellowship with several gospel-oriented church leaders. I cherish these times of fellowship, study, discipleship and worship and I'm grateful to be a part of God's work in the greater Columbus area.

Today we read, meditated upon and discussed 1 Thessalonians 2 & Proverbs 29...

Some of the themes that stood out to me in this passage of Paul's epistle to the church at Thessalonica are: suffering & conflict, boldness & purity of heart in gospel proclamation, love for the flock (vv. 1-8); the balance of administration, proclamation and application in ministry leadership (vv. 9-12); the origin, efficacy & authority of the word of God, perseverance in persecution, the manifestation of God's wrath in the present evil age (vv. 13-16); and the proper posture of a minister's heart & reason for joy in servant-leadership (vv. 17-19).

In Proverbs 29, the main theme appears to be wise leadership/discipleship. Besides the traditional use of "parallelisms" in wisdom literature, the theme is also highlighted by interweaving various relational themes such as king/subject (vv. 2; 4-14; 18; ), father/son (vv. 3; 15-17 & vassal/servant (vv. 19-21) roles. There also seems to be general observations and exhortations that transcend these relationships (vv. 1; 22-25; 27).

After our time in the Scriptures, Greg Blosser of Grace Central Presbyterian Church in the Short North shared with us their long-term ministry vision for a six location multi-site assembly in the heart of Columbus. Currently, Grace Central is expanding their ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ to Grandview Heights; a church plant lead by elder Joe Haack. Please pray for the Blosser and Haack families as well as the power of the gospel being manifest in the city of Columbus in and through the efforts of Grace Central.

Steve Resch of Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church in Gahanna, OH provided positive book reviews/endorsements of three books authored by women. I appreciate his reasoning in selecting these books... most of his books are written by dead guys; but most of the books the women in his assembly read are not systematic theologies or exegetical commentaries, but rather books written from a feminine perspective. These are the books he commended to us:

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones: Even adults love to read this Christological children's bible. Lloyd-Jones, using a redemptive-historical presentation of the truths of the grand narrative of the Bible, helps you to share Christ to children in a clear and simple way.

From Fear to Freedom by Rose Marie Miller: An honest account of one woman's spiritual crisis presents the transforming power of God's grace in the midst of weakness. Readers will be encouraged to relinquish the role of spiritual "orphan" and embrace a forgiving heavenly Father.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers: An adaptation of the book of Hosea, this novel about a prostitute and the upright and kind farmer who marries her also functions as a reminder of God's unconditional love for his people.

We closed by discussing The Gospel Coalition vision for ministry...

The Integration of Faith and Work (Article V; Section 4):

"The good news of the Bible is not only individual forgiveness but the renewal of the whole creation. God put humanity in the garden to cultivate the material world for his own glory and for the flourishing of nature and the human community. The Spirit of God not only converts individuals (e.g., John 16:8) but also renews and cultivates the face of the earth (e.g., Gen 1:2; Psalm 104:30). Therefore Christians glorify God not only through the ministry of the Word, but also through their vocations of agriculture, art, business, government, scholarship—all for God’s glory and the furtherance of the public good. Too many Christians have learned to seal off their faith–beliefs from the way they work in their vocation. The gospel is seen as a means of finding individual peace and not as the foundation of a worldview—a comprehensive interpretation of reality affecting all that we do. But we have a vision for a church that equips its people to think out the implications of the gospel on how we do carpentry, plumbing, data–entry, nursing, art, business, government, journalism, entertainment, and scholarship. Such a church will not only support Christians’ engagement with culture, but will also help them work with distinctiveness, excellence, and accountability in their trades and professions. Developing humane yet creative and excellent business environments out of our understanding of the gospel is part of the work of bringing a measure of healing to God’s creation in the power of the Spirit. Bringing Christian joy, hope, and truth to embodiment in the arts is also part of this work. We do all of this because the gospel of God leads us to it, even while we recognize that the ultimate restoration of all things awaits the personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ (CS–[13])."

For the Sake of the Gospel 2011: "The Nowism of the Gospel" w/ Paul David Tripp

Simeon Trust Workshop: The Gospel of Matthew w/ Doug O'Donnell & Sparky Pritchard

Fresh Picked Daily (18 May 2011)

This is the inaugural post of a new concept here at Pursuing the Fruit entitled "Fresh Picked Daily". As I am somewhat new to the blogosphere and certainly post significantly less than my cohorts, I am hoping this will be an easy and efficient way of using this blog to promote other blogs and report current events that catch my attention. My hope is that it gets me motivated to update this site on a regular basis.

This idea is not original, in fact, those that are veterans to this medium implement the same kind of concept... this is one reason I decided to produce "Fresh Picked". The other reason is practicality... I am constantly on the lookout for products, news and resources that are consistent with the reformed evangelical worldview (and I often have dozens of tabs open in my Internet browser that eventually get deleted since I am obsessive compulsive about organizing bookmarks); this is an effective way of consolidating my findings.

So without further adieu, I present to you... The Fresh Picked Daily:

Lectio Continua Expository Commentary: Kim Riddlebarger (The Riddleblog) has posted the lineup for a New Testament Commentary series set to be released in 2012. I'm excited about this because some of my favorite pastor-theologians will be providing pulpit-experience to their respective editions. Daniel R. Hyde (Matthew), Iain D. Campbell (Luke), J.V. Fesko (Romans), Sinclair Ferguson (Colossians), Hywel R. Jones (1-3 John), Kim Riddlebarger (Jude-2 Peter) and Joel R. Beeke (Revelation) are amongst the contributors.

Free Kindle Books: Over at "Bring the Books" Adam Parker has been providing links to download classic works from Puritan and Reformed authors such as Bavinck and Ridderbos; Machen; Rutherford, Sibbes and Watson; Goodwin, Gurnall, Luther, Manton and Owen; Perkins; Bunyan, Kuyper, Pink and Spurgeon; Anselm, Augustine, Dickson and Taylor and more! If you have a Kindle or an E-Reader... I highly suggest you head over there and take up this great offer.

Top Commentaries: Keith Mathison has compiled a list of his top 5 commentaries for each book of the Bible. Tim Challies has provided that list for us over at Ligonier. If you are thinking about buying a commentary to fortify your study of Scripture, consult this list prayerfully before you purchase one.

The Gospel Coalition: Since there are a few things I would like to highlight from TCG, I thought I would have a general category. First off, the latest issue of Themelios has arrived (you can find back-issues here). Also, all of the audio and video is now available from The Gospel Coalition's 2011 National Conference. Make sure you check out The Gospel Coalition Albuquerque (audio is available for their 2011 Gospel Coalition Regional Conference (Clarus) featuring G.K. Beale and Carl Trueman) and The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition (who will be having Paul David Tripp as the plenary speaker in their 2011 For the Sake of the Gospel Conference in November).

Founders Breakfast: On June 14, 2011, Wayne Grudem will be addressing themes from his book "Politics According to the Bible" at the Founders Breakfast in Phoenix, AZ. Tickets for "You, Your Church and Your Government" are $20 and the registration deadline is June 6. Founders is a ministry of Tom Ascol, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, FL (Founders Blog).

That does it for "Fresh Picked Daily"... make sure to follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook for updates. I am also on The City. Soli Deo Gloria!

For the Sake of the Gospel Summary

This is what Mike Pohlman at the The Gospel Coalition blog had to say about The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition's conference (featuring Alistair Begg)...

"By the grace of God, the event was a tremendous success... We are very excited about what God is doing in the greater Columbus area for the advance of the gospel."

Here are the messages:

What is the Gospel? How Does it Impact Ministry? [Romans 1:16-17]

Communicating the Exclusivity of the Gospel to Inclusivists [Acts 4:1-22]

What is a Gospel-Centered Church? [Colossians 3:1-17]

The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition...

Web:
The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition

Blogs:

The Gospel Coalition

Ex Vilis Cathedra: From the Cheap Seats

FaceBook:

For the Sake of the Gospel
The Greater Columbus Gospel Coalition

The City:

Become a Member of the Gospel Coalition Network

The History, Purpose, and Values of (GC)2:

Update

I haven't blogged in a while... just a quick update:

1. Together for the Gospel was great! All the videos for the main sessions can be found here. I had a great time... met up with some friends old and new, including some whom I have only recently met through social media.

2. I just finished reading "Dont Waste Your Life" (click here for the free online version) by John Piper. We are using "DWYL" as a resource for the Youth Ministry at church. I plan on writing a review soon. A few brief comments about the book... I enjoy how Piper writes. He takes the main idea or focus of his book and attacks it from all angles (each chapter being a different angle). Also, it is a very practical book; filled with advice and encouragement on how not to waste your life and show Christ as preeminent in every facet.

3. I started reading by D.A. Carson. I am not even past chapter one and I love it. If you want to strengthen your Bible interpretation skills, I suggest you purchase it. Knowing Scripture is important, but understanding it is crucial... and while we have, in our language, a sufficient translation of the original languages, it is important to have some grasp of hermeneutical (hermeneutics = the study of interpretation) and exegetical (critical explanation and/or interpretation) principles. I have, in the past, been guilty of eisegeting (reading my own interpretation into the text) the Scriptures and in my pursuit for proper exegesis (reading and understanding the original author's intent and purpose in writing), I still make interpretive mistakes (i.e. contextual, historical/cultural, lexical, etc.). Hopefully, by God's grace, this book will help me grow.

4. Men's study switched to Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology (we were using Millard Erickson's). We are currently studying the doctrine of the Atonement.

5. Random...

New issue of Themelios at The Gospel Coalition

For the Sake of the Gospel (June 4th) with Alistair Begg & GC Squared

Michael Horton on "The New Calvinism"

Michael Horton on The 2010 Desiring God Conference Controversy

D3 Conference at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (June 28-July 1)

That's all for now. Soli Deo Gloria!