Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Practical Theology

Sale on Dispatches from the Front DVDs

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This sale ends on Friday, June 14, at 4:00 PM ET.

Here’s what D. A. Carson and John Piper say about the series:

D. A. Carson: Dispatches from the Front is a thoughtful, moving, understated, and ultimately convicting series of videos depicting the work of the gospel in some of the most challenging corners of the world. Far from glorying in celebrity missions, the stories in these videos depict the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ, sometimes in the teeth of virulent opposition. Here are brothers and sisters in Christ who in God’s grace display faithfulness and transcendent joy, unflagging zeal to share the gospel, and an unfettered allegiance to King Jesus. To watch the kingdom advance in the teeth of these challenges is to learn humility and rekindle contrition, faith, and intercessory prayer.

John Piper: Beware of watching these “dispatches” if you don’t like being moved and inspired and shaken out of the ruts of your life. My wife and I were riveted in watching the frontline reports of God’s work recorded in the Dispatches from the Front. This is the sort of information that builds faith in the present providence of God over his mission, and stirs up action for the sake of lost and hurting people near and far. I would love to see thousands of people mobilized as senders and goers for the sake of the glory of Christ and the relief of suffering on the frontiers, especially eternal suffering.

I’ve blogged about this series here. See also . . . [Read more…] about Sale on Dispatches from the Front DVDs

A Bible Storybook: An Interview with Champ Thornton

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I finished reading this new children’s book to Kara last week:

Champ Thornton. God’s Love: A Bible Storybook. Whitakers, NC: Positive Action Bible Curriculum, 2012. 245 pp.

It’s well-done: very understandable for young children and theologically informed.

(The cheapest place to buy the book is directly from the publisher. And if you use the coupon code “Love1” during check out, you can get free shipping and handling.)

The author is my friend. [Read more…] about A Bible Storybook: An Interview with Champ Thornton

X-ray Questions

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David Powlison, “X-ray Questions,” chapter 7 in Seeing with New Eyes: Counseling and the Human Condition through the Lens of Scripture  (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 2003), 129–43 (these questions appear on pp. 132–40):

  1. What do you love? Hate?
  2. What do you want, desire, crave, lust, and wish for? What desires do you serve and obey?
  3. What do you seek, aim for, and pursue? [Read more…] about X-ray Questions

What If You Fail?

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Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp, How People Change (Greensboro, NC: New Growth, 2006), 175:

What If You Fail?

Never a day goes by when we do not fail to do what Christ has enabled us to do. Despite all of the gifts flowing from our union with Christ, sin still remains in us. That’s the reason you need to know that Jesus has broken the power of sin–because its presence still remains! We should not be shocked that the war still rages inside us. We have been changed, we have been empowered, but we have not yet been perfected.

What do you do when you sin and fail? [Read more…] about What If You Fail?

Useful Questions When Approaching Literature, Films, Etc.

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Grant Horner, “Glorifying God in Literary and Artistic Culture,” in Think Biblically! Recovering a Christian Worldview (ed. John MacArthur; Wheaton: Crossway, 2003):

If Christians attempt to approach culture—literature, film, the arts and philosophies of humanity—from a human, cultural standpoint, they will be acting in disobedience to God. (p. 315)

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Some Useful Questions

There are several core areas that must be considered when attempting to approach cultural artifacts from a biblical perspective:

Ephesians 6:1 Playlist

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I created a playlist for different renditions of Ephesians 6:1 in song. It’s only 9.2 minutes long, but it comes in handy sometimes!

  1. Children Desiring God (free download)
  2. Steve Green
  3. Seeds Family Worship (includes vv. 1–4)
  4. Hide the Word (track 2)
  5. Questions with Answers, vol. 4: The Word of God (track 5) (Cf. this video of Dana Dirksen previewing this song two years ago.)

(And yes, I realize that it’s possible to abuse Eph 6:1 and that the ultimate goal of parenting isn’t external obedience.)

Related:

  1. Bible Memory for Young Children
  2. An ominous video from two years ago:

Audio

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I added an Audio tab to the site (parallel to Publications).

I previously linked to some of these MP3s hosted on other sites, but after a few years, many of the URLs no longer work. So I uploaded 26 MP3s and link to them here.