Monday, April 30, 2012

"Follow" - The Easter Story using Twitter tweets

A must-see video for believers and skeptics alike, as well as those unfamiliar with the Easter story.




From Igniter Media, the creator of the 6-minute, mini-movie "Follow":
Throughout the course of his public ministry, Jesus knew both the adoration and desertion of the crowds. Today, just as 2,000 years ago, the Gospel asks a question that demands an answer: Will we follow? This video illustrates this truth through the dynamic lens of a 21st-century social network.
Watch, learn and be blessed with becoming a follower of the One who is "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6), the Lord Jesus Christ.

"And [Jesus] said to all, 'If anyone would come after me,
let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
Luke 9:23, New Testament

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Together For The Gospel . . . 2012 theme -- The Underestimated Gospel: Power to Change, Power to Start Anew

Uncommon Christian Ministries is set to attend the 2012 Together For The Gospel pastor and church leadership conference, April 10-12.


Held at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, this is the 4th T4G conference. The others were in 2006, 2008 and 2010.


Centered around the friendship of 4 key leaders in the American church (Evangelical Protestant) today--Mark Dever (pastor, Washington, D.C.), Ligon Duncan (pastor, Jackson, Mississippi), C. J. Mahaney (Founding President, Sovereign Grace Ministries) and Albert Mohler (President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville)--the 5 other plenary speakers include Thabiti Anyabwile, Matt Chandler, Kevin DeYoung, John Piper and David Platt.


For the elective seminar/breakout session, I will be attending "Why the Reformation Isn't Over" by Carl Trueman, Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary.


Also included in this year's conference are 7 panel sessions ranging from "Inerrancy: Did God Really Say?" to "Complementarianism: Essential or Expendable?" to "Celebrity Pastor: Indecent Exposure?" to "Gay Marriage: Now What?" to "Preaching: Is There a Plan B?"

Here is the 97-second promotional trailer for T4G 2012:




And here is T4G's description of this year's theme of "The Underestimated Gospel:"
Power. Power to change. Power to start anew. Everyone is looking for power. Political campaigns point to the power of people. Advertising agencies exploit the power of appetite.
But Churches have something different and better. Something seemingly implausible. Something that comes in a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Churches have the Gospel.
Though we live in the world, we must not wage war as the world does, or fight with its weapons. On the contrary, we have divine power in the gospel to demolish strongholds. To redeem sinners. To create life. To transform and remake the universe. Talk about power.
Witness the underestimated Gospel.
Please join me in praying for the Lord's blessing upon this major biennial gathering.


Along with T4G organizers and the 9,000 attendees this year, I too am "convinced that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many Churches and among those who proclaim the name of Christ."  


And I agree with the goal of T4G: "Therefore, the goal of these friendships, conferences, and networks is to reaffirm this central doctrine of the Christian faith and to encourage local Churches to do the same."

May the American and global church get back to preaching and living the true, biblical gospel, with the gospel being defined by T4G as

the joyous declaration that God is redeeming the world through Christ, and that He calls everyone everywhere to repent from sin and trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
Each of us has sinned against God, breaking his law and rebelling against his rule, and the penalty for our sin is death and hell. But because He loves us, God sent his Son Jesus to live for his people’s sake the perfect, obedient life God requires and to die in their place for their sin. On the third day, He rose bodily from the grave and now reigns in heaven, offering forgiveness, righteousness, resurrection, and eternal blessedness in God’s presence to everyone who repents of sin and trusts solely in Him for salvation.