If dont have time to listen to all the audio from Resurgence, you can read through some good notes/summary of the resurgence conference here.
Author: Jonathan Dodson
AM, Coffee, Music @ Progress
From Progress Coffee….
OK, so maybe we can’t quite bring you the sunset in a cup but we can bring you the sunrise at 6:30 AM every weekday morning in March and April! A different band or solo act will be playing live on FOX at Progress followed by a brief interview. FOX wants a “live cafe’ / venue feel” so come in early and rock out with us!
Below are the first week of performaces and to see the rest of the monthclick here.
- Monday, March 3rd – Chris Hawkes
- Tuesday, March 4th – Jets Under Fire (these guys are great)
- Wednesday, March 5th – Blue Mist
- Thursday, March 6th – Dean Seltzer
- Friday, March 7th – Tungsten Coil
- Monday, March 10th – Tacks, the boy disaster (so are these guys)
Preaching Influences: Nelson, Robinson, Quicke, Driscoll, & Keller
After being out of a week-to-week pulpit for about two years, I have been forced to rethink and redevelop homeletical rhythms. In trying to develop these rhythms I have re-listened to a few preachers from my past—I have been fortunate enough to sit under some great preaching: Tommy Nelson, Haddon Robinson, Michael Quicke & John Piper, as well as soak up influence from Tim Keller.
All of these experiences have been formative in different ways. One thing I have learned is that I am none of these men, nor will I ever have such preaching stature, but that has not kept me from trying to learn how to preach the Scriptures better. Here are a few more things I have learned from them:
- Tommy Nelson – explain the word of God clearly and push it into the crevices of life.
- Haddon Robinson – organize your sermon around a central idea and restate it repeatedly and differently
- Michael Quicke – cultivate communion with the Trinity during the sermon writing process, relying on the Spirit
- Mark Driscoll – always ask “why or how do I/we resist the message?”
- John Piper – preach the argument of Scripture, with God at the center, and bank on the promises of God.
- Tim Keller – preach to the heart, not the will, and be culturally literate, always keeping the non-Christian in mind. Raise the problem of application and solve it with the solution of the gospel.
How to Suffer (and to Preach Suffering)
If you have suffered or struggle to minister, counsel, or preach on suffering, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp has a chapter you should read. Mind you, Tripp is not dealing with the philosophical problem of evil; he is addressing the practical issues of suffering. The chapter entitled “Building Relationships By Identifying with Suffering” holds out a deeply communal, redemptive vision of suffering. Accordingly, he frames his chapter with this insight:
You are a sufferer who has been called by God to minister to others in pain. Suffering is not only the common ground of human relationships, but one of God’s most useful workrooms. (145)
Tripp goes on to develop “the humble character of personal ministry” in suffering, noting that God sends suffering people into our lives, not only so that they will change, but so that we will change too. (146) He pushes back against the spiritual professional approach of many pastors, who are inclined to dole out advice and counsel in suffering without identifying with others in suffering. I was convicted of this tendency to identify with sufferers “from above,” not from their level. When recounting stories of suffering and how God sustained me through them, I have typically pointed to God’s sufficiency and the triumph of his grace, but without confessing my struggles towards embracing that sufficiency and victory.
As a result, on Saturday night I changed the way I told/shared/preached the story of losing my best friend to suicide. I did my best to follow Tripp’s advice: “Tell your story in a way that breaks down the misconception that you are essentially different form the person you are helping” (155). And I incorporated these elements: 1) the difficult situation 2) your struggle in the midst of it, and 3) how God helped you. Some of us need to do more of 1, just telling the stories. Others need more 2, to be more honest about our struggles in suffering. And others need more 3, to look beyond the pain to embrace and tell of God’s all-sufficient grace in suffering.
This chapter helped me immensely. I hope that this post helps you.