MMA for the glory of God???? Revisited

After the discussion concerning MMA I thought I would return to the subject by way of a link.
Reid Monaghan posted a blog titled Consumed by MMA
His insight was very helpful. So if you get a chance stop by this bog which is ranked among the top four Christian blog according to a recent poll by Said at Southern.

John 3:16 Conference

I found out over at Ed Stetzer's blog that our very own Dr. Steve Lemke will be part of the upcoming John 3:16 conference later this year at FBC Woodstock. In a letter to Ed Stetzer, Dr. Lemke explains the details of the conference:

Ed,
I’m sure you’re aware of my involvement in the upcoming John 3:16 conference scheduled November 6-7 at FBC Woodstock.
The conference will begin and end with sermons on John 3:16 by Dr. Jerry Vines and by Dr. Charles Stanley. In between, Southern Baptist scholars will be presenting a Biblical response to the well-known tenets of the Presbyterian Synod of Dort:
• Total Depravity - Dr. Paige Patterson (SWBTS)
• Unconditional Election - Dr. Richard Land (ERLC)
• Limited Atonement - Dr. David Allen (SWBTS)
• Irresistible Grace - Dr. Steve Lemke (NOBTS)
• Perseverance of the Saints - Dr. Ken Keathley (SEBTS)
This conference is intended as a majoritarian Southern Baptist response to the “Building Bridges” and “Together for the Gospel” conferences. The announcement of this conference has already provoked considerable buzz and speculation in the blogosphere.
Hope you’ll join us!
Steve Lemke

If anything this should make for a very interesting conference, especially since Calvinism is a hot topic in SBC circles these days. What do you think?

Matt

Cleaning Toilets

Dorm Conversation:
Student A: Yeah I just got a interim job at a local church. I hope it will become full time.
Student B: That's cool! So, are you the interim pastor or youth?
Student A: Neither....
Student C: He's the janitor.....

Yeah I am a janitor, not the most appealing job in the world. I mean who actually gets up in the morning with the great expectation of going to clean toilets?
Well at this point in my life, I do. Honestly, I am proud of what I do. I moved to New Orleans in January. I am currently on a leave of absence from my job of 8 years. My prayer was that God would open a door for me to be able to permanently move to this great city to pursue my PhD. When I first got here I was sharing this with someone and I shoot off at the mouth that I would clean toilets if I had to. They quickly warned me to watch what I ask for...... well, here I am.

Hopefully all Seminary students desire and seek for a way to minister to people. This may seem odd, but I honestly believe my ministry at this point in life is cleaning an old church building; so that, when the people of God show up they can keep their minds on worship and not be concerned about the bathroom being out of paper towels or a small piece of trash on the floor. I am thankful for this job/ministry.
Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink (or clean toilets) do all for the glory of God.

Music that everyone should hear at least once

Here are a couple of music videos that I decided that I simply must share. The first is a cello orchestra. I've heard about guys with cellos rockin like Dokken before, but these guys are incredible. I love their stage presence as well. The second is this guy named Erik Mongrain who is a tap guitar prodigy. Enjoy.

Man, Seminary is so demanding...

I am sure most seminarians have made a comment about how demanding graduate school is on your time and schedule. I know I am often frustrated with the demands. Seminary Survival Guide has posted a quote from William Willimon that is a good wake-up call for those who are often tempted to strike out on their own with finishing their education.

“Sometimes seminarians complain that the seminary’s expectations of them are too demanding, that the course is too difficult, or that it is placing academic burdens upon them that they cannot bear. Perhaps they feel that their sincerity and their sense of vocation are enough to sustain them in their ministry. They are wrong.”
William Willimon, Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2002), 24.

Be sure to check out "Seminary Survival Guide" to find more good thoughts on surviving this stage of God's calling.

The fruits of my surfing this morning

I was surfing the web this morning and I came across some cool stuff that I wanted to share. The first is a cool little hermeneutics quiz. I scored a 55, which they consider moderate. I guess that's been the story of my life so far. I'm too liberal for the conservatives and too conservative for the liberals. However, for some reason I just can't call myself a 'moderate.' I don't know, maybe it conjures up images of sitting on the fence, or a particular political affiliation. At the end of the test they give you a little info about what your score tells you and the scores of some other men in the ministry, like John Ortberg. Anyway the second thing I wanted to share was a video featuring John Piper. If this video doesn't make you feel convicted, something's wrong.


Matt

p.s. Here's a poem that John Piper's son, Karsten, wrote entitled, "Luke 18:25."