Don’t Miss List: Biblical Authority, David’s Greatness and A Question about Heaven

For the Bible Tells Me So: Biblical Authority Denied Again

Al Mohler Jr. brought up his concerns with Pastor Andy Stanley’s views about relying on Scripture and how it poses the same problem as theological liberalism did many years ago. Mohler writes:

Let’s be clear — Andy Stanley does not mean to deny the central truth claims of Christianity. In his message, “Who Needs God? The Bible Told Me So,” he affirms the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. But he does so while undercutting our only means of knowing of Christ and his resurrection from the dead — the Bible.

And he does so directly and without risk of misunderstanding. In his message he stated: “So I need you to listen really carefully and the reason is this — perhaps you were taught, as I was taught, ‘Jesus love me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’ That is where our trouble began.”

Mohler has much more to say about Stanley’s recent sermon and I think, given Stanley’s influence in Christianity at large, it would be wise to read his entire post.

Don’t Miss List: Stanley Bashes Small Churches, Break up with Osteen and More

Andy Stanley Claims People are ‘Selfish’ for Choosing Small Churches

There’s an uproar going on after North Point pastor Andy Stanley bashed small churches and insulted people who choose them by calling them “selfish” and claiming they don’t love their kids.

There’s a ton of reaction online, including this one.

Here’s mine … the Bible tells pastors to be shepherds, not CEOs. Stanley and other mega-church pastors are CEOs due to the sheer size of their churches. I’ll take my tiny little church and its verse-by-verse Bible teaching and pastor who knows my heart for truth and actually listens if I’m concerned by a song we’ve used or if I don’t agree with something he says. I’ll take that anytime over a megachurch and a false teacher like Stanley who openly rejects the biblical calling for a pastor.

10 Reasons to Break Up with Joel Osteen

The Messed Up Church blog has 10 compelling reasons to “break up” with Joel Ostend’s teaching.

Don’t Miss List: ‘Risen,’ Adam, Shepherd Pastors, the UCC and More

The internet is just so full of things. And it’s been some time since I put a list together, so please bear with me this week.

Risen, Reviewed by Michael Coughlin

Michael Coughlin watched and reviewed the new movie, Risen, and his post is available at Michelle Lesley’s site. I saw the film for myself on Sunday afternoon and found Coughlin’s assessment hit the mark. If you’re considering seeing it, check out his review first.

My own brief thoughts about the film: great acting, cinematography and a gripping story that affirms that Jesus did in fact rise from the grave. It also does confront a nonbeliever with the truth of Jesus’s deity, a truth that demands a response: believe and follow or reject it. If was also considerably more accurate in its history and plausible in its fictional parts, than many other made for TV or cinema movies about the Bible or Jesus Christ. It was not perfect though.

My gripes about the film were mostly small, with these notable exceptions: there was little indication of why Jesus died on the cross (Because our sins separate us from God Jesus sacrificed himself to redeem us from our sins and restore that relationship with God if we repent and believe in Him.) and no real mention of sin or repentance (that I could spot with one viewing). As a result it lacked a clear gospel message for the viewer to understand (and accept or reject). Second, the portrayal of Jesus as all about “love” was what I would consider incomplete truth. Certainly Jesus was loving, sacrificing himself for our sins was the greatest demonstration of love in all of history. But he also made it clear He would someday judge the world, and those who did not believe in Him (for example: Matthew 25).

Don’t Miss List: Stanley’s Continued Slide, Peace with God, True Love and More

I missed a lot while I was away so this is a smattering of things from recent weeks about Andy Stanley, discernment and the A.D. TV show, love, peace with God and atheism.

10 Reasons for Biblical Literacy

The Christian church today (as it always has been) is buffeted by false doctrines. This is no surprise, since the New Testament repeatedly warned us this would happen. But when I look at the problem and try to discern the root causes I can think of a few. One of the roots I see is the astonishing level of biblical illiteracy even among those who identify as Christians. 

Two Important Podcasts from F4F: Andy Stanley Attacks Biblical Church Model, Promotes Postmodern Retelling of Church History

These two podcasts from Fighting for the Faith are so important. Andy Stanley is an incredibly popular pastor with a massive Atlanta church. But in his latest sermon serious he’s making some grave errors and accusations against truth and the biblical model of church.

Don’t Miss List for Valentine’s Day Weekend

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone. Before I get caught up spending my evening with one of Jane Austen’s finest stories, I have a don’t miss list for you.

Can the gospel be made attractive? Should it be attempted? A biblical response.

There is a rampant problem among the Christian church at large today that some might call the “attractional” model of church. More people are probably more familiar with the term “seeker-sensitive.” This is also a philosophical tenet of the Church Growth Movement which you can learn more about in my post from a couple days ago.

Too many churches and church leaders think if they make church more appealing to non-Christians they’ll attend and eventually be converted.

This is s driving philosophy of nationally known pastors like Rick Warren, Bill Hybels and Andy Stanley and their respective mega-churches. Stanley’s writings and interviews have made it clear he thinks the church should be for the “unchurched.” He’s even claimed pastors are no longer supposed to be shepherds of their congregations.  And Warren speaks freely about the fact that he set out to build a church for “Saddleback Sam,” actually polling people to find out what they wanted in a church.

Cracks in Andy Stanley’s Foundation

I recently saw someone favorably repeat this Andy Stanley quote on Facebook. “[W]e must teach the next generation the FOUNDATION of our faith is an EVENT not a BOOK.”

Apparently, he said this back in June but since I missed it then I’ll comment now.

Don’t Miss List: A Video for Maundy Thursday, Film Discernment and More

It is Maundy Thursday so that’s where this don’t miss list will begin.

John 13:1-38 ESV “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”