Our approach to this challenge over the past several years has been to have large events for men in the fall and in the spring. We encourage all men to attend, whether or not it is their custom. The goal of these events are to challenge men through topics at hand, encourage men through the fellowship that they experience, and provide opportunity for continued fellowship and service. These events are efficient and highly focused–otherwise men will not attend. We have developed a positive reputation among our brothers in the community and often have men from other churches attend.

In the past several years, the large group events had been followed by a series of Saturday morning studies. These studies were successful in engaging more men spiritually. As a result, more men became ministry leaders, Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, and youth workers. We also formed a new ministry that required more male leadership from this same pool of men–the Elevation Community Groups. With so many men from these Saturday morning studies being called upon for additional time and leadership, the short term strategic decision was made to stop doing the follow up series on Saturday mornings.

Paul Veenema and Benjamin Harding provide leadership to the Men’s Ministry from the Session and Staff respectively. Many other men have been vital to implementing the large events, small group series and Door of Hope Fundraiser Golf Tournaments. Currently a team of men in our congregation is exploring how we can better equip men to serve Christ faithfully in our culture. I expect that this team will be bringing forward special events (and perhaps a few ongoing series) that raise awareness among our men for the need for Christian leadership and provide opportunities for them to grow in that leadership. I look forward to another year of seeing how God deploys men to serve him in our church and community.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Jay

1. Lack of thankfulness is a foundational sin, beneath other sins. (Rom 1:18-25). Therefore, thanksgiving should be cultivated, practiced. You can grow in this area if it is not your disposition.
2. Paul says that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. (1st Thess 5:16-17) Some sets of circumstances are obviously more challenging than others.
3. If it is a sinful temptation to make good things ultimate, and God’s judgment is seen in giving some over to their desires (Romans 1:18-25), then we can be thankful to God when he has either taken what we loved or not given what we wanted. He is protecting us.
4. Romans 8:32—All the wrath of the Father was laid on the Son for us. Nothing that comes to the believer is from a disposition of wrath–the Son bore all of that wrath. All we face is under the loving hand of our Father, to bless us and grow us. Therefore, we can be thankful to God in the midst of bad situations, even those wherein we may have been wronged. We don’t have to be thankful for bad things, but can be thankful to God and for Christ and the work of the Spirit in our lives. God is for us, not against us. He is working lovingly for our good in all things, so we can be thankful in all things.

Let us not then be ashamed to confess the Crucified.  Be the Cross our seal made with boldness by our fingers on our brow, and on everything; over the bread we eat, and the cups we drink; in our comings in, and goings out; before our sleep, when we lie down and when we rise up; when we are in the way, and when we are still.  Great is that preservative; it is without price, for the sake of the poor; without toil, for the sick; since also its grace is from God.  It is the Sign of the faithful, and the dread of devils:  for He triumphed over them in it, having made a shew of them openly (Col. ii. 15); for when they see the Cross they are reminded of the Crucified; they are afraid of Him, who bruised the heads of the dragon. Ps. lxxiv. 13..  Despise not the Seal, because of the freeness of the gift; out for this the rather honour thy Benefactor (from section 36 Lecture XII, “On the Words  Crucified and Buried”).

Cyril makes a good point regarding the centrality of the cross for the Christian.  Sins are forgiven and Satan is defeated because of Christ’s work on the cross.  He makes a mistake, however, when he says that that power can be invoked by making the sign of the cross.  My point yesterday was that the power of the cross belongs to us by faith in Jesus Christ, not by making the sign of the cross or by doing any other religious rituals (for Protestants such acts of ritualistic devotion may take other forms, as I also noted yesterday).

In John 12:36 Jesus says, “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”  To believe is to have faith–the root is the same Greek.  So, Jesus emphasizes faith in Himself as the light of the world (John 8:12).  Paul emphasizes faith in Christ as well.  In Romans he writes, ”For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Romans 3:22-25).  When Paul says that God put Christ forward as a “propitiation by his blood” he is speaking about the crucifixion.  A propitiation was a sacrifice offered to avert wrath.  God’s wrath on sinners is placed on Jesus on the cross.  All who receive Christ by faith receive this this benefit from his crucifixion.  This cross work of Christ received by faith, is the basis for our salvation.  So Paul writes in Ephesians, ”For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The forgiveness of sins and freedom from spiritual darkness purchased by Christ on the cross is ours by faith in Him.  Sadly, for many people the sign of the cross has become a ritual, rather than something that bolsters real faith in Christ.  For those who think that they are accessing Christ’s power through making this sign, it has actually become a deadly substitute for faith that saves and sanctifies.  Certainly, if one thinks that by making this sign one can be forgiven, scare demons, receive some special blessing, or bring about a substantial change in the elements used in the Lord’s Supper then one has departed from the teaching of Jesus and Paul.

We should learn from the early fathers and from the traditions of the church, but we must always to Scripture to regulate our faith and our practice.  Not one time does the New Testament tell believers to make the sign of the cross.  Christ and his benefits are ours by faith alone.

All of us are prone to limit our capacity for spiritual fellowship to those who are like us.  This tendency is not something to labor in guilt over.  Rather, it is something to be aware of so that we can work to counter it.  We miss so much of God’s blessing in the church if we fail to see that those that have nothing naturally in common with us can have everything in common with us spiritually.  Sometimes, the common interests actually allow us to have a basis in the community other than Christ, and hinder us from true spiritual blessings.

Here are a couple of paragraphs from Bonhoeffer on what lies beneath Christian community as opposed to other forms of community.  Whether or not you agree with him, I think you will find his words challenging:

Because Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual and not a psychic reality.  In this respect it differs absolutely from all other communities.  The Scriptures call pnematic or spiritual what is created only by the Holy Spirit, who puts Jesus Christ into our hearts as Lord and Savior.  The Scriptures call psychic or emotional what comes from the natural urges, strengths, and abilities of the human soul.

The basis of all pneumatic, or spiritual, reality, is the clear, manifest Word of God in Jesus Christ.  At the foundation of all psychic, or emotional, reality are the dark, impenetrable urges and desires of the human soul.  The basis of spiritual community is truth; the basis of emotional community is desire.  The essence of spiritual community is light.  For, “God is light and in God there is no darkness at all” (1st John 1:5); and “if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1st John 1:7).  The essence of emotional, self-centered community is darkness, “for it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions com” (Mark 7:21).

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian community in which we have been placed, even when there

are no great experiences, no noticeable riches, but much weakness, difficulty, and little faith—and if, on the

contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so miserable and so insignificant and does not

at all live up to our expectations—then we hinder God from letting our community grow according to the

measure and riches that are there for us all in Jesus Christ. That also applies in a special way to the

complaints often heard from pastors and zealous parishioners about their congregations.

Note: whether pastor or zealous member, the key to helping the community grow is giving thanks for the community whether or not it tickles your fancy.  Otherwise we hurting God’s church.

The full text to the blog post at the White Horse Inn is below.

I was intrigued by a recent conversation between Doug Wilson and Mark Driscoll (interview video above).

I’d prefer to keep my thoughts to myself, but I think there’s a crucial piece missing from the “debate.”

As I said in an earlier post ( Reformed and Charismatic?), I’m not willing to die on the hill of cessationism. In fact, I’d fit into the category that Doug Wilson describes as “a cessaionist who believes strange things happen.” A sovereign God is free to fulfill his purposes as he pleases. As God, the Holy Spirit is not on a leash.

However, this misses the point. No Calvinist would believe that the Spirit is not free or that he cannot speak directly to people today as he did in the days of the prophets and apostles. Nor are Reformed Christians deists for believing that, as a rule, he doesn’t. In fact, the church was not guided by anti-supernaturalism when it rejected the claims of the Montanists in the late second century. Nor were Luther and Calvin under the spell of the Enlightenment when they challenged the “enthusiasts” for pitting the Word against the Spirit.

The Spirit is not bound by anything, but he freely binds himself to his Word. The question is not where the Spirit may work, but where he has promised to work. If strange things happen—similar to events in the era of the prophets and apostles, praise the Lord! However, one doesn’t have a right to expect the Spirit to work except where he has promised to work and through the means that the Triune God has ordained.

Like older charismatic-cessationist debates in evangelicalism, this newer discussion therefore has the wrong categories. The real issue isn’t whether the sign-gifts have ceased; it’s whether the Spirit works through ordinary means that Christ ordained explicitly or whether he works through extraordinary means that were identified with the extraordinary ministry of the apostles. Even deeper than that, it’s a question of whether we embrace a paradigm in which the Spirit’s work is identified with direct and immediate activity within us apart from ordinary means or through the external Word and sacraments. The history of “enthusiasm” (Protestant or otherwise) trends toward an almost Gnostic dualism between spirit and matter, indirect and inner experience versus mediated and external ministry, the individual heart and the covenant community. This is where the seismic fault is revealed. It’s at this point where the real differences—paradigmatic differences—become evident. And there are plenty of cessationists as well as charismatics who presuppose the “enthusiastic” paradigm.

In this interview, my friend Mark Driscoll expresses his worry that cessationists believe in the “Father, Son, and Holy Bible.” That may well be. In fact, one of the things that I’ve emphasized especially in recent years is the richness of the Spirit’s person and work that is actually far more evident in classic Reformed as well as patristic faith and practice than today. The temptation to celebrate the Spirit over the Word in our day is in part a reaction against a conservative tendency to separate the Word from the Spirit. He has also said elsewhere that where Reformed people attribute God’s work to the gospel, charismatics attribute it to the Spirit. We talk past each other, he says. I’m not so sure. Rather, I think we’re operating with quite different paradigms. When we attribute God’s work to the gospel, it’s actually attributing it to the Spirit who works through the gospel.

The choice between Spirit and Word is a false one that has typically been forced by Protestant enthusiasm. We do speak past each other, but because we have different paradigms—not just because of different views of whether the sign-gifts have ceased. For example, the Heidelberg Catechism asks, “Where does this true faith come from?” Answer: “The Holy Spirit creates it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel and confirms it by the holy sacraments.” Who creates it? The Holy Spirit. How? Through preaching the gospel and by ratifying it through the baptism and the Supper.

When Reformed people (and others) speak of preaching, baptism, Communion, covenantal nurture in the home, church discipline, diaconal ministry and so forth, our charismatic brothers and sisters wonder, “Where is the Holy Spirit?” Why? Because they have come to see the Spirit’s work as separate from—even antithetical to—the external ministry of the church and ordinary means of grace.

Of course, this point doesn’t address the issues, much less pretend to solve them. However, my hope at least is that we could have a better conversation than the usual debate question: “The Sign-Gifts Have Ceased: Pro or Con?”

Before I get into how people change I want to say a few things about Wednesday night.  We have had and will continue to have some great things happening on Wednesday night.  The Wednesday night meal continues on, with the energy of new leadership provided by Amy Houston.  We are adding a time of corporate worship immediate following the meal to set our minds on the Lord and enrich our fellowship.  (Just a few minutes of singing together with God’s people can do wonders for your spiritual life in the middle of the week!) 

This year we are launching our Wednesday Night Ministry with a Block Party (Wed. September 7^th, 5:30-8:00PM.)  We will enjoy being together and having a place to welcome our friends and neighbors.  The Elevation Band (i.e., the folks who play in worship) has been hard at work to prepare live music.  In addition to the songs that we sing in corporate worship, the band has prepared some other pieces just for this event. Benjamin Harding tells me quality is superb, so bring your friends out for some serious live music.  We will have tables at the Block Party that present the ministries that will take place on Wednesday night.  We will have food on hand for purchase, but you are welcome to bring your own food as well. (We have asked these vendors to make and sell food.  We are not sharing in their profits, nor have we made guarantees to them.)      

On Wednesday evenings this fall I will be leading a study using the book entitled How People Change, by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.  Paul Tripp is a second generation pioneer of the biblical counseling movement begun by Jay Adams, and appreciated by so many in our church through the Self-Confrontation courses led by the Evers, Zitlaus and Hilberts over the years.  Tim Lane is a professor of biblical counseling at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation affiliated with Westminster Seminary.  How People Change is a comprehensive presentation of a gospel centered approach to change.  It is the type of book that is worthy of re-reading, re-studying time and again.  I chose this book because it is rich in application, replete with examples and deep (yet accessible) in theology. 

Rich in Application—How People Change provides an opportunity for extended reflection on topics relevant to us all. We will have ample time—more time than in Sunday school and, in some cases, than in small groups—to have give and take discussion on living the Christian life.  We will be able to grow together.  Folks new to our fellowship will be able to grow with us if they are Christians, or be exposed first hand to the way that we as believers approach the challenges of our lives. 

Replete with Examples—Tripp and Lane have culled many real life examples from their counseling experience. These examples provide points of contact for discussion and application.  I have found the examples to be encouraging and challenging.  One cannot help but see oneself on occasion in the pages of this book.  It is both a comfort and a challenge to see a fellow gospel traveler struggling to live out the good news. 

Deep, Yet Accessible in Theology—Lane and Tripp are well studied in the biblical-theological tradition, especially in its Dutch-Calvinist expression (Vos and Ridderbos).  Each chapter begins with a brief, yet sufficient overview of a facet of the New Testament’s teaching on God’s work in Christ for us past, present and future.  By framing the discussion this way the authors not only help us to think more clearly about our own relationship with Christ, they also help us to think more clearly about the Bible itself.  In other words, your daily bible reading, approach to sermons and other studies will be enriched by our study of How People Change. 

This study is open to men and women of all ages, couples and singles alike.  As I have already shared with the WIC leadership, there is no intention to replace or compete with the current evening WIC study.  That ministry is well grounded and much needed.  As pastor of the whole church I am happy to see people find their place of fellowship and growth, wherever that is.  I am hopeful that this study can become a place of such growth and fellowship for those who have the time Wednesday night but have not had the opportunity or found their place—men, women, singles, parents with children in youth ministry and couples desiring to grow together.  Please pray for this new study and all our Wednesday night ministries. 

See you at the Block Party!

Pastor Harvey

This year we are launching our Wednesday Night Ministry with a Block Party (Wed. September 7^th, 5:30-8:00PM.)  We will enjoy being together and having a place to welcome our friends and neighbors.  The Elevation Band (i.e., the folks who play in worship) has been hard at work to prepare live music.  In addition to the songs that we sing in corporate worship, the band has prepared some other pieces just for this event. Benjamin Harding tells me quality is superb, so bring your friends out for some serious live music.  We will have tables at the Block Party that present the ministries that will take place on Wednesday night.  We will have food on hand for purchase, but you are welcome to bring your own food as well. (We have asked these vendors to make and sell food.  We are not sharing in their profits, nor have we made guarantees to them.) 

On Wednesday evenings this fall I will be leading a study using the book entitled How People Change, by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.  Paul Tripp is a second generation pioneer of the biblical counseling movement begun by Jay Adams, and appreciated by so many in our church through the Self-Confrontation courses led by the Evers, Zitlaus and Hilberts over the years.  Tim Lane is a Professor of Biblical Counseling at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation affiliated with Westminster Seminary.  How People Change is a comprehensive presentation of a gospel centered approach to change.  It is the type of book that is worthy of re-reading and re-studying time and again.  I chose this book because it is rich in application, replete with examples and deep (yet accessible) in theology. 

Rich in Application—How People Change provides an opportunity for extended reflection on topics relevant to us all. We will have ample time—more time than in Sunday school and, in some cases, than in small groups—to have give and take discussion on living the Christian life.  We will be able to grow together.  Folks new to our fellowship will be able to grow with us if they are Christians, or be exposed first hand to the way that we as believers approach the challenges of our lives. 

Replete with Examples—Tripp and Lane have culled many real life examples from their counseling experience. These examples provide points of contact for discussion and application.  I have found the examples to be encouraging and challenging.  One cannot help but see oneself on occasion in the pages of this book.  It is both a comfort and a challenge to see a fellow gospel traveler struggling to live out the Good News. 

Deep, Yet Accessible, in Theology—Lane and Tripp are well studied in the biblical-theological tradition, especially in its Dutch-Calvinist expression (Vos and Ridderbos). Each chapter begins with a brief, yet sufficient overview of a facet of the New Testament’s teaching on God’s work in Christ for us past, present and future.  By framing the discussion this way the authors not only help us to think more clearly about our own relationship with Christ, they also help us to think more clearly about the Bible itself.  In other words, your daily bible reading, approach to sermons and other studies will be enriched by our study of How People Change. 

This study is open to men and women of all ages, couples and singles alike.  As I have already shared with the WIC leadership, there is no intention to replace or compete with the current evening WIC study.  That ministry is well grounded and much needed.  As pastor of the whole church I am happy to see people find their place of fellowship and growth, wherever that is.  I am hopeful that this study can become a place of such growth and fellowship for those who have the time on Wednesday night but have not had the opportunity or found their place—men, women, singles, parents with children in youth ministry and couples desiring to grow together.  Please pray for this new study and all our Wednesday night ministries. 

See you at the Block Party!

Pastor Jay