This is the back brace I’ve been wearing since October 25, 2011. Day in and day out finds me suiting up to strengthen and protect my back. As a result of spinal fusion surgery, I need all the support I can get. However, this brace is a real pain in the back! Often when I cinch it up tight as I’m supposed to, the nerve pain immediately shoots down and through my left leg. My hips hurt when I walk any distance at all and it’s just plain HOT!! I don’t think a day has gone by when I haven’t reminded my wife of these, and other, hassles in my life due to this brace. She graciously listens. I have been seriously thinking about my reaction to the very thing that is supposed to help me.

I’m not keen on “making lemonade out of lemons’ – never have been. But I certainly am beginning to realize that my complaint to the plan and purpose of God for my life isn’t demonstrating a right way to respond to adversity. Today I have had some time to myself and I began to think about how long I have to wear this brace. I am FIFTY days away from my next doctor’s appointment during which, prayerfully, the announcement will be made that I can remove the brace and go on my merry way. 50 DAYS.

So I decided to make a list of things I will accomplish in the next FIFTY days. I’m also asking for your input – so leave a comment below as to what you think I could accomplish in 50 DAYS. (keep in mind I’m limited in bending and twisting and restrained to a 30 pound weight limit). I’ve taken four areas of my life and decide to invest in each. The areas are listed below, along with my goals in each. Please hold me accountable to these, ok?

• Financially
  • In 50 DAYS save $330 to invest in missional ministry: local & global. It breaks down to $6.60 a day
• Educationally
  • Begin / Finish these books:
    • Equipping Counselors for Your Church by Dr. Bob Kelleman
    • Isaiah 53 Explained: This Chapter Will Change Your Life by Mitch Glaser
    • The World-Tilting Gospel: Embracing a Biblical Worldview & Hanging on Tight by Dan Phillips
    • Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchividjian
  • That’s 50 chapters in 50 days on top of my other reading
• Leisurely
  • Lose 5 pounds – this will go toward my goal of 30 pounds by end of June
  • Take my wife on 8 Date Nights – that’s one a week over the next 50 DAYS
• Theologically
  • Memorize the book of Titus. That’s 46 verses in 50 DAYS

So what do you think? Am I thinking too big? Not enough? How do you think this will impact my life? Will you hold me accountable?

I came across the blog, Learning to Be Still, while doing some reading on Depression. I subscribed to the blog via email and received this post a couple of days ago. I reproduced it in it’s entirety, but I would encourage you to go to the blog and catch a flavor of the author’s posts. Here are a couple of things that impressed me from this post:

• We need solid Christians in every field of study. Let’s not ignore certain areas of science or the arts because we don’t understand them.
• Medical science doesn’t have all the answers. Let me say that I am growing in my understanding and recommendation for the medical community within my realm of counseling. But medicine is not an adequate substitute for the Savior. (and I don’t think you’ll read that in this post either) Let’s take advantage of the graces that God allows us: technology, medicine, research, science, arts, etc but not make them god.
• Drugs do work. Sometimes we as biblical counselors don’t want to acknowledge that because: 1) we’re ignorant of the medical sciences, 2) we have to work with someone outside our own office (doctors, etc), or 3) the incorporation of Depression meds is a trial and error science and we think it is faulty because of that. Actually it is no different than if you had a cancer…or a cold…and the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes medication. The medication may work or, the doctor may have to increase / decrease the dosage or change medications altogether.

Those are a few of the thoughts I had after reading this post. I would be interested in yours. Leave a comment here, won’t you?

This week I had a ‘first’ in my life as a medic. I had a young woman come to see me in my ‘student surgery at the GP’s last week with a first presentation of depression. I’d taken a history, done the questionnaire etc, and suggested some medication (and referred for psychotherapy), checked everything with the GP, who agreed, and we asked her to come back in ten days to see if she improved. Because my allocated psychiatry block was with an intensive home team, and how my other placements have happened to fall, I’ve never actually seen someone with mental health problems improve in a clinical setting. When she came in again on Friday, it was like seeing a completely different person. It really did seem like a miracle. Antidepressants, when you get the right one, for the right person, at the right dose, really are life-changing. She wasn’t crying, she wasn’t thinking about killing herself, she was sleeping and eating better, all round, it was so good to see. Such a difference to how she was before. Incredible. She was also really thankful that we’d managed to sort her symptoms out; I felt like I’d been part of making a difference. It’s a good feeling.

This made me think about two things:

1) I sometimes let my own experience of antidepressants colour my view of them – seeing a clear case where they actually significantly helped someone, has sort of renewed my faith in them as options that actually can work. I get a bit cross when they’re handed out like sweets as an easy option, but it’s good to remember that there is an evidence base behind them, they do work, and they do make a difference, and it’s not just that other options are more expensive to deliver. If I am going to give hope to my patients, I need to have hope myself that these drugs will work for them, some of them, anyway.

2) I gave up on antidepressants. I clearly wasn’t given the right one for me, and had a horrific six months of putting the dose up, and up, and then stopping it myself as it completely accelerated my dangerous thinking and gave me a tremor that frankly scared me senseless. The second time it was increased, I didn’t eat anything at all for four days and only realised that when I fainted and was asked when I’d last eaten- that’s how out of synch it made me. I wasn’t fortunate enough, like so many are not, to get put on the right one. And when I lost faith in fluoxetine, I lost faith in all of them. I was afraid to try another one in case it also pushed me close to the edge. I was too scared to use something else psychoactive. Sometimes, I wish I had been braver – I was not brave. I was more scared than I’ve ever been. Sometimes, I wonder if this whole episode would have lasted the full year it has, had I been put on citalopram or sertraline from the word ‘go’ – I’ll never know that. I only know that doing it cold, was tough – but I didn’t really have anyone encouraging me to try it another way.

People ask me sometimes how I manage being ‘hard core into science’ and a Christian. I love science; I love being involved in research and finding new things out. My specialist areas are across neurodegeneration, plasticity, and molecular genetics, and I love learning about how our bodies work on the most intricate level. I love that someone worked out what’s going wrong in a disease, and someone else engineered a drug to target that mistake. These things only strengthen my faith; when I see someone improve as I did this week, it’s as though I’m seeing the tools God has given us to start to put right all the stuff that’s wrong, all that’s not ‘good’. God so often gives us the keys we need to set things right. For me, science is a big part of that.

Sympathetic Savior:

Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Heb 2:14-18 NAS)

Chance to Interact: What other music sites do you browse that have great music?  (I’m always looking for more!)

“…[God] added the light of his word in order that he might make himself known unto salvation…”

For as the aged, or those whose sight is defective, when any book, however fair, is set before them, though they perceive that there is something written are scarcely able to make out two consecutive words, but, when aided by glasses, begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering together the impressions of Deity, which, till then, lay confused in our minds, dissipates the darkness, and shows us the true God clearly.  (John Calvin, the Institutes, I.VI.I)

and you thought it was just “devotions”…

Question: What has God shown you about Himself this week in your personal bible study?  What has God shown you about your relationship to him, and with him, this week in your personal bible study?

Introduction: Sometimes we need to go back to a time when we were overwhelmed with our love for Jesus; when he was the very joy of our soul.

Observations of the church in Ephesus (Rev.2):

• This church was an energetic church, working hard for Jesus (v.2).  They had ministries – they were laboring.
• This was a theologically discerning church (v.2).  They tested & exposed false teachers, they wouldn’t tolerate evil.
• This was a persistent church – they kept going (v.2)
• BUT they had abandoned the love they had at first for Jesus (v.4)
• Because of this loss of love, Christ was calling them to repentance (v.5)

Notes:

• Sometimes my ministry can take me away from my love for Jesus.  I can grow cold even while busily laboring in the things for Christ.  (This point struck me the hardest of the entire conference…I truly think I needed to hear this.  It is where I’m at.  That is a difficult statement for a pastor to make)
• Dr. Ware challenged me to “get off the performance treadmill”.  I am taking a hard look at the ministries I’m involved in to see how they might be draining me of my love for Christ, tasking me in such ways that I am distracted from what truly is important and considering what I need to jettison to get my focus back on track / to fan the fire of my love for Jesus.
• You can’t substitute LOVING Jesus with WORKING for Jesus.  And the sobering thing is, I didn’t even realize I was doing it.
• What do I do?
  • Remember – go back to the time when you loved Jesus.  What did that look like?
  • Repent – confess & change – own up to my sin and move forward in my love for Jesus
  • Go back to the first works:
    • Hear his voice – in the Word / prayer
      • In his presence is fullness of joy
    • Relationship building – MUST spend time with him
    • Service – when you love him, you will serve him

I was challenged by Dr.Ware’s sermon on loving Jesus.  What about you?  Have you put something in the place of loving your Savior?  It might be something that is like a ministry, perhaps a relationship.  What is it?  I am very concerned that there are others in our church that are in this same spot I am/was.  Satan is very deceptive and is very willing to deceive us into thinking our ministries are most important, that pouring more time into ministries is really loving Jesus, that being “theologically sound” is most important, etc – when if we hang onto all of that…and don’t love Jesus…we’ve really in need of repentance and a change of heart.

Questions:

What prostitute do you have that saps your love that is only due to your Savior, Jesus Christ?

Is our church just like the church in Ephesus?  Are we laboring hard, theologically sound, persevering and yet missing the whole point of loving Jesus?  I’d love to hear your comments.

This is a story of how a corporate CEO faced his own struggle to obey God whatever the cost, and his passionate call for Christians to change the world by actively living out their faith. Using his own journey as an example, Stearns explores the hole that exists in our understanding of the Gospel.

Click here to go to ChristianAudio.com to download your free audio book.

Text: Ephesians 3:10-11

Q. How does your church make the Gospel visible?
Q. How many of our churches are good in proclaiming the Gospel?
Q. Are we working against the Gospel in our churches?

An unhealthy church undermines the effectiveness of our proclamation of the Gospel!  So, how will our church make the Gospel visible?

1) God – How is His name and character displayed in our church?

• Holiness – How is this displayed in the life of each member? How is the fruit of the Spirit displayed in each of our lives?
  • Our lives are to proclaim the Gospel
  • Is our church marked by the need for holiness in our lives?
  • We need to be repenting sinners!
  • Is God being presented as Holy, set apart, distinct?
  • How do people react in our church when they meet God?
  • Holiness is not bondage, but freedom!
• Love – We need the kind of love & concern for others that we are willing to be inconvenienced by doing good inside and outside the church
• Authority – read David’s last words (2 Sam. 23:3-4)
  • Authority is a good thing, bright and splendid, it brings life
  • God can both rule us and love us – He is perfectly trustworthy
  • Do we have a right view of authority in our church?
  • We can reflect God this way – God’s authority blesses people in good ways
  • Without right authority, authority will become abused and a destructive lie about who God is.

All three (holiness, love and authority) help explain who God is to the world.

2) Human Beings – imago Dei – made in the image of God

• All humans are to be valued (James 2)
• Relationships and friendships across boundaries that are not natural to the world are to be pursued
• The local church is for all people – who love all those made in God’s image
• Understanding human depravity – our lives should reflect that we are fallen; we should not be self-righteous
  • Are we just good rule keepers?
• Is humility honored in our church?
• How do I / you exemplify humility?
• We need not be afraid to use the law of God in our interaction – we were sinners before Christ & we are sinners after Christ.
  • We are not done with our journey / lives upon our salvation!
  • Knowing this, how does this impact our relationships?
• We need to have a verbal explanation of sin and visible reality of reconciliation, repentance and forgiveness!
• We know when something isn’t right and yet we know what we can do about it (give the gospel!)

3) Savior, Jesus Christ

• Because Jesus Christ isn’t here, we should make him visible to others (thru our lives)!
• We bear his name, his teaching, his worship and are indwelt by his spirit
• We are the body of Christ, how do we make Him visible?  By his teaching & our lives being devoted to Him
• We do not just proclaim His person, but His work as well to ourselves and others
• Our lives should be provocative.
• We should be demonstrating forgiveness, need for grace, being gracious, mercy, outgoing love

important realization: we will not see the people of God created without the word of God (they are not created / reached by programs, pastors, etc)

Sermons should be central to our church.

Meditate on Hebrews 10:34 – our sacrifice only make sense in the light of eternity.

Our church should be the proof of the Gospel and the appearance of the Gospel

Be careful of the Gospel, handle it carefully, proclaim it carefully.  Also, be careful of the church for whom Jesus gave His life!

John Newton quote: I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am.

Firstly I would like to say that David Platt was by far the speaker that God used in my life – destroying pride and self-absorbing thoughts – at the breakout session which dealt with Gospel Theology necessitating Urgent Missiology.

Secondly, I was totally blown away by the resources just given away to the attendees of the conference.  I don’t even know who to thank, but if perchance you read this post, please know I am so grateful!!  Here is the list of books I took home from the 2010 T4G conference:

• ESV Study Bible – This had me almost giddy.  I have wanted one for so long now!  Thank you!!
• The Gospel for Muslims: An Encouragement to Share Christ with Confidence – Thabiti Anyabwile
• The Priority of Preaching – Christopher Ash
• Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus – D.A.Carson
• It is Well – Mark Dever & Michael Lawrence
• Proclaiming A Cross-Centered Theology – Dever, Duncan, Mohler & Mahaney
• Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective – Ligon Duncan
• What is the Gospel – Greg Gilbert
• Dug Down Deep – Joshua Harris
• The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love – Jonathon Leeman
• The Plight of Man and the Power of God – Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones
• The Jesus You Can’t Ignore – John MacArthur
• The Trellis and the Vine – Colin Marshall and Tony Payne
• He is Not Silent – Al Mohler
• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God – J.I.Packer
• Finally Alive – John Piper
• The Unquenchable Flame – Michael Reeves
• Marks of the Messenger – J. Mack Stiles
• Jonathon Edwards on Beauty
• The Holiness of God – RC Sproul

I also purchased a couple books, mainly because of the tremendous markdowns at the conference.  Our church is planning on going through Galatians next year (2011) and so I picked up 3 commentaries:

• Notes on Galatians – J. Gresham Machen
• Galatians – Philip Graham Ryken
• Galatians – David B McWilliams

and for possible use in my Young Married’s Sunday School class, I picked up:

• When Sinners Say “I Do” – Dave Harvey
• When Sinners Say “I Do” – study guide

Just a reminder that I’m giving this book away on Friday!

This Little Prayer of Mine written by Anthony DeStefano and published by WaterBrook Press is a wonderful resource for parents to use in guiding their child in prayer.  The book, which is illustrated beautifully by Mark Elliott, captured the attention of my own children as I read it to them.

DeStefano covers such topics as: Fear, Sadness & Joy, Forgiveness, being Alone, Selfishness, Thankfulness, Service, Giving, Trust in God – for this present life and the next, Gratitude, and Obedience.  This book could be used as a “jumping off” point for little conversations around any of these points.  My four year old son, loved the pictures and commented on them regularly through the reading of this book.  The book also held the attention of my six year old.

I not only recommend this book to parents of young children, but have an extra copy to give away.  If you would like to be eligible for a copy of this book, please do one of the following:

• Post a comment here indicating interest
• Tweet a comment about this book giveaway, complete with a link to this post
• Post a comment on facebook about this giveaway, with a link pointing back to this post.
• Post a link on your blog pointing your readers back to this post.

Each of these grants you one more entry for an opportunity to receive this book completely FREE.  I will announce the winner of this book on Friday, April 15, 2010.

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Tim Challies here, welcoming you to Friends of the Blog, a membership program that I know is going to prove worth your while.

Here’s how it works:

When you become a Friend of the Blog, you receive stuff–really good stuff. With your membership you will get magazine subscriptions, books, album downloads, gift certificates, coupon codes, and more. All of these are free with your membership. And there’s more! Your membership is for one year and there will be new items and new benefits added over the course of the year. What you see now is a good start, but it’s just that–a start.

You will want to visit How It Works in order to see the complete list that is available as soon as you become a Friend of the Blog.

Heard enough? Then go ahead and Subscribe now to get all of these benefits (and more)!

Once again Tim has produced a website that is resource rich and that encourages solid, biblical growth.  I’d encourage you to consider becoming a “Friend of the Blog”.  I am confident that this also will be a blessing to you.

check out Tim’s other websites as well

• Challies.com
• Ten Million Words
• Discerning Reader

The Chapel where we met for our General Sessions.

David Platt speaks in our final General Session from the book of Ruth.  Amazing speaker!!

Mark Kelly (gracedependent) and Dr. Russell Moore – very gracious man & powerful preacher

Andrew Peterson leading in worship at the Adopting for Life Conference

I fully intend to upload my summaries and thoughts from the general sessions and the breakout sessions I attended.  This may not happen until the beginning of next week, due to ministry responsibilities.  Check back to see if I’ve uploaded those and more pics.  Thanks!

TOP REFERRERS:

1. Discerning Reader – Discerning Reviews of Christian books and of books that are of interest to Christians.
2. Familyman Ministries – Reminding Dads of what’s most important
3. Ian Watson’s blog (kirkmuirhillrev.wordpress) – A Church of Scotland minister’s thoughts
4. CCEF – Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation; Restoring Christ to Counseling & Counseling to the Church.
5. Eskypades – Thoughts on life, Christianity, music, book & movie reviews and a dash of philosophical meanderings thrown in for good measure.
6. RPM Ministries – Changing Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth
7. My Christian Blogs – All the best Christian blogs in one place

TOP POSTS (Grace Dependent):

1. Together for the Gospel 2010 Registration
2. About the Author
3. Book Review: This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
4. Walk in the Word: James MacDonald – two weeks of free mp3 downloads
5. Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care – this turned into a series
6. Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
7. The Chief End of Man: Thomas Watson: A Body of Divinity

TOP ENGINE SEARCHES to reach Grace Dependent:

1. Together for the Gospel
2. John Piper Marriage
3. Perry Noble
4. Nouthetic Definition
5. Love has a Face Michelle Perry
6. James MacDonald
7. Idols of the Heart

TOP CLICK THROUGHS:

1. Together for the Gospel
2. Thomas Nelson book reviews
3. Monergism Books
4. Walk in the Word
5. Harvest Bible Fellowship blog
6. Crazy Love – Francis Chan’s book
7. A Little Leaven

I am looking forward to revealing some new details for readers of Grace Dependent at the beginning of 2010.  God bless!!

Christian Counselor Webinar Series

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Speaker: Rick Thomas, Counseling Solutions

Topic: How to Identify the Ruling Motives of the Heart

Objective: In this seminar you will learn to identify the true ruling motive of the heart, the real starting place in the discipleship/ counseling process. Rick will practically teach you how to go beyond the presentation problem, to where the counselee really needs to change, i.e. in the heart.

Date & Time: December 1, 2009, 7pm EST

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Speaker: Luke Gilkerson, Covenant Eyes

Topic: Practical and Spiritual Resources for the Porn Addict

Objective: In this seminar you will learn about the pervasiveness, power, and pull pornography has in our culture and how we can give hope to those who struggle with this temptation. Luke will talk about the history of pornography’s relationship to technology, focusing specifically on the Internet porn industry. Luke will also talk about the effects of pornography on the heart, and the importance of the local church, accountability, and good counsel in combating this temptation.

Date & Time: December 3, 2009, 7pm EST

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Speaker: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., RPM Ministries

Topic: How to Care Like Christ: Changing Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth

Objective: Everyone wants to “do biblical counseling” and to “be a spiritual friend,” but what does it actually look like in practice? In this session you will learn how to:

• Use God’s Word to bring Christ’s hope to people’s suffering
• Offer sustaining care for discouraged people by weeping with those who weep—learn how to empathize with people’s hurts
• Help bring healing comfort for suffering people by exploring Christ’s hope in the midst of our grief

Date & Time: December 8, 2009, 7pm EST

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Speaker: Brad Hambrick, Crossroads Counseling & Association of Biblical Counselors

Topic: Romantic Conflict at the Cross

Objective: In this seminar you will learn to rethink both conflict and romance in light of our basic call to discipleship as Christians. Often it the very things that we long for most that we quarell over with our spouse. The net effect is that we “weaponize” the legitimate desires of our heart.

Brad will guide you through Luke 9:23-25 with practical exercises to “revise” conflict and “revive” romance by believing Christ’s promise that it is by denying ourself for his glory that we find life!

Date & Time: December 10, 2009, 7pm EST

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All webinars are FREE and open to the first 1,000 registrants.

(ht: Dr.Bob Kellemn)

I am thrilled with this resource!  Get instructions here.

Included in the toolbar:

• Daily Theo Reader: Access to many suggested Christian blogs.
• Christian Study Portal: Direct links to the best study materials on the web.
• Daily Bible: A daily bible reader and devotional.
• MP3 Player: A player preloaded with suggested theological podcasts.

I encourage you to download it too.  If you don’t like it, they include a clean uninstaller as well.  Give it a go and see how you too will find valuable resources only a click away, gathered right on your toolbar so you don’t have to search all over the web for them.

Reclaiming the Mind has a ringing endorsement from the tech department at Grace Dependent!