Category: Gospel and Culture

Kids Party for CASA on Sunday

Posted on May 16, 2009

Sarah Canon brought this great opportunity to my attention–a free kids party @ Long Center this Sunday 6pm for a good cause–CASA of Travis County.

The party gets started at 6 pm and will feature food, live music by John Arthur Martinez, and both live and silent auctions. No RSVPs are needed and entry is free!

Free Live Coldplay Album

Posted on May 15, 2009

In case you didn’t get it today, Coldplay released a free live album called Left Right Left Right Left just so you would laugh at me for typing that title out. The album is good and builds to Viva La Vida, which makes you wish you were there. Enjoy!

Books I'm Reading

Posted on May 15, 2009

Missional/Cultural

  • Culture Making, Crouch – a significant contribution to discussion on Christ and Culture, emphasizing not so much the transformation of existing culture, but the creation of new culture.
  • Transforming Worldviews, Paul Hiebert – anything by Hiebert will rock your mind and change your missiology…for good.

Practical

  • A Praying Life, Miller – one of the most realistic, encouraging, prayer inspiring books I have read in a long time.
  • You Can Change, Chester – an accessible, transforming book on gospel centered change
  • Relationships: A Mess Worth Making, Lane – great book on how the gospel shapes and renews all kinds of relationships from family to friends.
  • How People Change, Lane – more nuanced, technical book on how the gospel can lead us into cross-centered change

Theological

  • Justification, N.T. Wright – thoughtful reflections on Justification that aim at keeping the gospel central, clarifying previous statements on justification, and a much needed emphasis on the Spirit in Justification.
  • Christ, our Righteousness, Seifrid – excellent contribution to the NPP debate, particularly his contribution to justification as resurrection, not imputed righteousness
  • Romans, Moo – superb commentary on Romans

Living in Community

Posted on May 13, 2009

This week has been a great week for us to experience the grace and power of Christian community. Since I returned from Dallas we’ve had a steady stream of prayers, texts, calls, and helps. In addition to what I listed above, our City Group has served us with abounding grace. Chris is cooking a meal for us tonight, Dodsons are watching our kids for a brief anniversary weekend getaway, the Nixons took our kids yesterday so we could sleep and have some time to talk this trial through, to share our reflections on how God wants to change us through all this.

It’s been remarkable to watch how God has steadied Robie through a scary time, how she is reprioritizing things for the kingdom, and to simply enjoy my most wonderful, precious, companion, friend, wife and mother. I’ve been challenged to trust the Lord with everything from my wife to our church, to fight impatience with grace, to soak in Scripture, to love freely, to live my faith out loud more.

Today is our 9th Wedding Anniversary and man has it been an amazing 9 years! So grateful for Robie. She loves me so well, serves our family so faithfully, and has followed, supported, encouraged, and counseled me through one of my greatest challenges, starting Austin City Life as a very imperfect, broken, limited man. From sewing to running, Robie lives life uncorked, overflowing in joy and creativity. Man, my life would be so boring without her! I love you, hon!

Here’s to nine years of remarkable grace, joy and adventure…and to a community of grace focused on Jesus and living out his mission!

While you are at it, check out Dallas Willard on technology and community.