Colin Adams shares the following six excellent goals for pastors (from Being a Pastor, by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg):

1. to feed the flock (John 21:15-17)
2. to proclaim the whole will of God (Acts 20:27)
3. to present everyone perfect in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29)
4. to prepare God’s people for works of service (Ephesians 4:12)
5. to equip God’s people to be fishers of men (2 Timothy 4:5)
6. to keep watch over oneself until the task is complete (1 Timothy 4:16)

I have often marvelled at the sheer magnitude of Paul’s purpose statement as expressed in number three above, i.e. “to present everyone perfect in Christ.” Wow!

Check out this nifty budget calculator. Simply enter your monthly take-home income, and the calculator instantly gives you a pie chart breakdown of suggested allocations. For example, the following chart is based on a monthly take-home pay of $2500.

The calculator is based on CNBC personal finance expert Carmen Wong Ulrich’s budget advice. I noticed Carmen does not have a category for giving. So, if you are a Christian committed to regular, proportional giving, then let me suggest that you take your giving out of the take-home pay first, and then enter the remainder into the budget calculator. All in all, this seems like a pretty simple device to help a family or individual get started with a spending plan.

HT: Lifehacker

Multiple churches from around the world recently completed an Online Missions Trip with the purpose of sharing the gospel on popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter. You can track the follow-up to the event here.

This sounds like a great idea if approached with wisdom and sensitivity. What do you think about reaching out with the gospel online? What would you recommend, and what cautions would you offer?

Yesterday’s message in the Gospel of Mark series was called Teaching with Authority, taken from Mark 1:21-28. The main idea of the message was that Jesus taught with authority. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. Jesus’ authority in his teaching (verses 21-22)
    A. The people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
    B. Jesus taught as one with authority, not as the teachers of the law.

II. Jesus’ authority over the demonic (verses 23-26)
    A. Jesus is confronted by the evil spirit.
    B. Jesus drives out the evil spirit.

III. The people’s response (verses 27-28)
    A. They were amazed at Jesus’ authority.
    B. News about Jesus spread quickly.

Application points:
    1) Read the gospels.
    2) Claim Jesus’ authority over Satan.
    3) Spread the news of Jesus far and wide.

Note: Click on the Sermons tab at the top of the blog for this and other messages.

Mother Teresa on trials: “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish He didn’t trust me so much.”

Dan Phillips on the existence of God:
      – Challenge: I don’t see God.
      – Response: [hold hands over eyes] I don’t see you.

Mark Dever on conviction of sin: “The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian: when a non-Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with his sin. When a Christian is convicted of sin, he sides with God, against himself.”

Trent at the Simple Dollar discusses financial success and sacrifice. “What I discovered is that giving up all of those things wasn’t a sacrifice — it was a trade. I gave up all of those bad spending habits, but in return I was able to knock down that scary pile of debt, start saving for my children’s college education, build up a big emergency fund, and buy a house.”

Ray Pritchard concludes his series on preparing for ministry. “There is one final thing necessary in preparing for the ministry. You might state it in a dozen different ways because it has to do with what happens inside your heart. Here’s how it comes out for me. Get to know the character of God … Get to know the Lord. Nothing matters more than this. You might even say that the whole purpose of our earthly journey is for us to get to know what God is like. This is where the ministry begins and ends.

Following Jesus is not the same as Twitter. Twitter is a service that allows you to “follow” other people online as they post brief messages throughout the day (similar to Facebook status updates). It is a relatively simple and painfree way to keep up with friends, relatives, or business associates. Following Jesus does not mean simply keeping up with him or checking in on him periodically.

Rather, the call to follow Jesus is the call to discipleship. It means that you put Jesus first, that you give him your complete loyalty, obedience and trust. Just as the disciples left everything to follow Christ, you re-orient your entire life around Jesus. He is your Master; he is your Lord; and he calls you to follow him.

“Come, follow me.” It is a simple, absolute call. There is no wiggle room; there are no other parameters. You are either a follower of Jesus or you are not. (From Sunday’s sermon: When Jesus Calls)

As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:16-18)

If you came here after searching for “What is love?” you are not alone. According to Google*, “What is love?” is the top “What is …” search in all of America. So, what is love? Here are three of my favorite answers straight from the Bible (and just in time for Valentines Day!).

Romantic Love:

Love is as strong as death,
    its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give all the wealth of his house for love,
    it would be utterly scorned. (Song of Solomon 8:6-7)

The Nature of True Love:

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
    it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
    always hopes, always perseveres.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

God’s Love:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:1-10)

Related post: A John 3:16 Valentine Message

Click here for more Love related posts.

(*Google Stats 2008; Google Stats 2007)

• Free Bible Book Introductions Online. IBS (International Bible Society) gives you free access to the full NIV Study Bible introductions for each book of the Bible.
• 8 Ways to Kill Clutter in 5 Minutes. Clutter taking over? Check out Lifehack’s eight ways to get in, get organized, and get out.
• The Light Bulb Showdown. Which is less expensive in the long run: a 34-cent incandescent bulb or a $120 LED bulb with equivalent light output? You may be surprised at the results.
• Le Roi S’Amuse. Michael Ward looks at the intricate rhyming pattern of one of my favorite C.S. Lewis poems, “Le Roi S’Amuse” (“The King Amuses Himself”) — a poem about God creating the world.

Indulgences are making a comeback in the Roman Catholic Church. An indulgence is supposed to reduce your punishment in Purgatory before entering Heaven. As you may recall from history, the selling of indulgences was one of the abuses that Martin Luther denounced in the Reformation. The Catholic Church is not selling indulgences per se but is making them available under certain conditions. From the New York Times:

According to church teaching, even after sinners are absolved in the confessional and say their Our Fathers or Hail Marys as penance, they still face punishment after death, in Purgatory, before they can enter heaven. In exchange for certain prayers, devotions or pilgrimages in special years, a Catholic can receive an indulgence, which reduces or erases that punishment instantly, with no formal ceremony or sacrament.

There are partial indulgences, which reduce purgatorial time by a certain number of days or years, and plenary indulgences, which eliminate all of it, until another sin is committed. You can get one for yourself, or for someone who is dead. You cannot buy one — the church outlawed the sale of indulgences in 1567 — but charitable contributions, combined with other acts, can help you earn one. There is a limit of one plenary indulgence per sinner per day.

As a Christian who believes that Jesus took the full punishment for my sins at the cross, I do not believe in Purgatory and so I find the whole idea of indulgences very odd. Also, do you see much of a distinction between “buying” or “earning” an indulgence as stated in the article?

Here are a few applicable verses from the New Testament to reflect on:

Day after day every priest [speaking of Old Testament priests] stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest [speaking of Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:11-12)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

Related article: Indulgences 101

As a pastor there are many reasons why I don’t want anyone to put me on a pedestal. William Mounce offers another reason that I hadn’t thought about before:

People want to place their pastors on a pedestal (sometimes so they can get a better shot at them).

HT: Koinonia

C. J. Mahaney offers some wise reflections on Michael Phelps, marijuana, and rest for restless souls.

The photograph of Phelps reminds me of myself prior to conversion, a competitive swimmer (of slightly lesser skill), a sinner (of greater degree), held captive by sin, pursuing the fleeting pleasures of this world. And sadly, in my case, pursuing sin with passion. So what was Phelps searching for in that bong pipe? What emptiness in his soul was he trying to satisfy? …

This is what I find so striking: A man whose chest has been covered with gold medals, has achieved international fame, showered with awards, and blessed with an incomprehensible amount of money, still feels compelled to press his face to a bong.

It was Augustine who said that the soul is restless until it finds its rest in God. So true. Only God can satisfy the soul. Only the gospel of Jesus Christ provides forgiveness of sin, and therefore it is here in this gospel that we find rest for our restless souls.

Study the unflattering picture of Michael Phelps to be reminded of the deceitfulness of sin and the superficiality of fame and money. But also study the picture to be reminded of the message of Christ and him crucified for restless sinners like you, and me, and Michael Phelps.

Related posts:

• C. J. Mahaney Goes to the Dentist
• C. J. Mahaney on Dissatisfaction in Preaching

Yesterday’s message in the Gospel of Mark series was called When Jesus Calls, taken from Mark 1:14-20. Here is a brief outline of the message:

I. Jesus’ message (verses 14-15)
    A. The time has come; the kingdom of God is near.
    B. Repent and believe the good news.

II. Jesus’ call (verses 16-17)
    A. Come, follow me.
    B. I will make you fishers of men.

III. Our appropriate response (verses 18-20)
    A. Immediate obedience to Jesus’ call
    B. Leave everything else behind

Note: Click on the Sermons tab at the top of the blog for this and other messages.