Today in Blogworld 8.21.12

Mike Leake

Hospitality in the Church Matters

Danny Franks, writing for J.D. Greear, explains why hospitality really matters in the church.

A Pastor’s Monday

Jared Wilson has a book coming out soon called The Pastor’s Justification.  Tony Reinke has gotten his hands on an excerpt and shares it with us.  Pastors, if this book is anything like Jared’s other ones you will want to keep watch for its release.

What Todd Akin Should Have Said About Abortion and Rape

I assume you are familiar with Todd Akin’s unfortunate comments on abortion and rape.  I wish that he would have responded as Trevin does here. 

Ten Things About Church You Should Know (But No One Had the Guts to Tell You)

I found this funny from Kevin DeYoung.  Here he corrects a few spelling and grammar mistakes often made in church. 

Yeah, this does make me feel old

(HT: 22 Words)

I Need Your Help

Mike Leake

Serious question.  If the title of this post were the subject of an email from me would your reception of it be different? 

I know my answer to that question.  A few days ago I received an email from someone that I love and respect.  I saw the subject line and my initial thought before I even read it was, “sure man, I’ll do what I can”. 

Then I read the email.  And the 50 other names that were connected to the email.  I still found myself wanting to help, but with much less vigor.  I went from a passion to do whatever it was that I could do to help out to simply saying something to the effect of, “If I’m able to get time I’d love to help out”. 

I really do not know why I would respond this way.  My level of passion for helping a guy out should probably be the same whether he asks 50 guys or just me.  But it wasn’t. 

The singular plea sounded like this: “I’ve got an issue, Mike.  I think you’d be great for helping out and solving it.  I need YOUR help.”

The group plea sounded like this: “I’ve got an issue fellas.  And I’m really hoping one of you chaps can help out with it.  I have no idea who that dude is going to be, but I figure one of you fits the bill.  I need your help.”

The first one makes me think that there is something in me that is called forth to help out.  I fit the bill.  I need to take this thing and help.  The other one makes me think that anybody could probably do it, somebody will do it, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be me. 

Perhaps this is selfish.  Maybe this doesn’t reflect a servants heart.  Chastise me in the comments—seriously, call me out if I’m totally off base here.  But I wonder how often our announcements and pleas for help in the “nursery” or cleaning bathrooms, or teaching Sunday school, or being on the finance team, or anything else, simply falls on the ears of nobody because they aren’t the somebody. 

I hope that thinking through my response to this email will make me a better pastor.  When we have needs within the church I want to pray and think through who I can personally walk up to and say, “I need your help”.  I’ve known this all along that you get far more response when you ask them personally.  I think now I understand why that is the case. 

Pat Robertson and The Benefit of Pondering

Mike Leake 2 Comments

Last week Pat Robertson said some really dumb things.  (I responded.  But if you only read one article in response to Robertson, read Dr. Moore’s).  Robertson has sense (as I predicted) clarified his position and  let us know what he really mean to say. 

Aaron Armstrong has also made an excellent point in response to Robertson’s clarification.  As he notes, “Robertson should never have had to clarify his position in the first place”.  Had he heeded the numerous biblical warnings about the tongue then he would have not “given an off-the-cuff response to anything”. 

As I was reading through Proverbs this morning and thinking about how it relates to blogging I began thinking about Aaron’s article and the whole Robertson fiasco.  This Proverb especially struck me:

    The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer,
        but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.
(Proverbs 15:28 ESV)

Think with me for a second about the “Ask Pat” segment of the 700 Club.  According to his retraction he, “on live television” simply “misstated” and “misspoke”.  What he was trying to say was that “adoption is not for everyone”.  Fair enough.  But here is the problem.  Those questions don’t just come in on the fly.  (And even if they did that would only prove my point more).  He has a chance to look over those questions before broadcast.  He either did and thoughtfully butchered his intentions or he decided that there was virtue in saying things off-the-cuff. 

I would put my money on the latter option.  It is common for those in the more charismatic and prosperity gospel leaning circles to put a great amount of stock in “on the fly” type of answers.  Apparently it’s better evidence that the Spirit is working and that the flesh isn’t present.  Something about preparation and thought always interferes with the Holy Spirit. 

Problem is that’s not what Scripture says.  According to numerous Proverbs we ought to give thought before we respond.  Fools and wicked people just let things fly off-the-cuff.  The wise and the righteous ponder how to answer questions. 

Lessons for Bloggers

In the world of Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and comments it can be very easy to type out quick responses to either sincere questions or asinine comments and articles.  The wise blogger refuses to respond too quickly. 

It would be far better to tell an inquisitor that you want to think on his/her question for a few days than to just simply respond off-the-cuff.  Of course there are times when we can respond quickly.  You ask me a question about Royals baseball and I probably don’t need to think on it for days.  But I want to be careful not to be so prideful as to think that I’m wise enough to host my own “Ask Pastor Mike” session where I don’t have time to give thought to my responses. 

Slow down in your responses.  I’d rather “ponder how to answer” than be the wicked fool that just pours out error. 

Today in Blogworld 8.20.12

Mike Leake

Gospel Lessons From a Humiliating Experience Last Week

Tim Brister really blew it.  Read his story and the letter he is sending to hopefully open the door for the gospel.  I admire his humility and repentance.  I’m encouraged by the Spirit’s work in his life.

15 Reasons Why The Greatest Suffering Is Better Than The Smallest Sin

I really like this article by David Murray.  If you could chose between “the tiniest sin imaginable, a sin that would bring you tremendous wealth and other material pleasures OR the greatest suffering imaginable, for rejecting that one tiny sin, which would you choose?  Murray gives 15 reasons why the latter is better.

Don’t Settle For Your Mediocre Preaching

Good, encouraging, and strong words here from Paul Tripp.

Trusting Christ Through Trauma

Patrick Schreiner, the son of one of my favorite seminary professors, Tom Schreiner, writes about the sovereignty of God in the bike accident that has hospitalized his mother.  Be praying for the Schreiner’s and also reflect on Patrick’s words here in this article. 

This is really touching: