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Anyone who has ever heard the good news of the gospel is sooner or later confronted, perhaps in a moment of trepidation, with the question—How do I know if I am really saved?  The question itself can be alarming, if not paralyzing.  And even the most stalwart leaders throughout church history are not exempt from such doubts.

Which is precisely what makes my friend and pastor J.D. Greear’s latest volume so universal in scope and application.  Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart successfully tackles the topic of conversion and the concept of assurance for the human heart. 

As with Gospel, Greear is keenly averse to empty religion, often evidenced by formulaic prayers and ritualistic processes.  Behind this sensitivity lies a pastor’s genuine concern for the souls of his flock.  It’s obvious that Greear doesn’t want anyone to substitute a mechanical decision for a real encounter with the person of Jesus.  Thus, the premise of the text is simple—a call for readers to stop asking Jesus into their hearts, coupled with an open invitation to start resting in the finished work of Christ (11).

Greear exudes pastoral incisiveness.  Knowing firsthand the nebulous nature of spiritual conversations, his explanations are clear, compelling, and downright refreshing.  In fact, one of the strengths of Stop Asking Jesus is Greear’s ability to supply gospel-fueled motivation.  Those once dazed and disarmed by a cultural Christianity are confronted with a clear view of the love of God displayed in the gospel and prompted to act. 

Of particular importance is Greear’s mantra of “once saved, forever following” (87).  Herein lies the gem—one’s present posture is far more significant than a past moment.  Cultural Christianity, especially in Greear’s southern homeland, has a tendency to cling to a previous decision as the basis for confidence and assurance.  Greear appropriately concludes that one’s present posture towards Jesus is what truly yields lasting assurance.

My one critique of Greear would be the individualistic implications of Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart.  While he remains biblically faithful in every respect, the battle for biblical assurance is not one to be fought in isolation.  Scripture is replete with exhortations to speak the truths of God to one another regularly.  Some acknowledgement and application for the Christian in community would have been helpful.

Nevertheless, as a pastor, I found the text personally engaging and theologically enriching.  Greear’s explanations of belief and repentance shaped how I now articulate such terms.  Further, the appendices serve as practical and appropriate answers to tangential theological issues. 

The truths presented in Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart are a timely message for Christ-followers today.  I fully expect this text to be an influential resource for shaping more lifelong disciples of Christ in our generation.

The time has come for us to pull back the curtain and unveil Jesus In My Place, the latest project from the Summit Worship team.

We created this project with you in mind.  Seriously.  You.  This record is a valuable resource for you, and here’s a couple of reasons why we want you to own Jesus In My Place…

First, our prayer is that these songs deepen your personal worship of Jesus.  The Christian life is ultimately a life of worship, and nothing fuels worship like dwelling on the glorious gospel of Christ.  That’s why every song on this record was written and compiled with one purpose—to display the gospel’s life-changing power.  Wherever you are and wherever you go, these songs will help you rehearse the marvelous truths of the gospel, allowing the Holy Spirit to stir your affections for Jesus. 

Additionally, this album is a catalyst for gospel conversation.  At the Summit Church, Jesus In My Place has become a powerful and concise way to articulate the gospel.  Our Summit Small Groups even unpacked this phrase for five consecutive weeks earlier this year, praying for opportunities to share the message of Jesus In My Place with others.  These song lyrics can bolster your gospel fluency, leading to a greater appreciation for Jesus and confidence in your ability to share this good news with others.  Even the way that I personally understand and articulate the gospel has been significantly impacted by the phrase “Jesus In My Place,” as well as the other songs on the album.

In an age where many people may never set foot in a church building, we’ve put the message of the gospel in an easy-to-share format.  So, practically speaking, we encourage you to give this project to friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors.  Almost everything (from the title to the cover art to the lyrical content) is a natural opportunity to initiate conversation about what really matters—Jesus.

Jesus In My Place CD’s will be on sale this weekend at every campus of the Summit Church.  If you don’t live in Raleigh-Durham, the record will be available on iTunes this Tuesday, May 1st (link will activate May 1).

Lastly, I invite you to join us for a special night of worship, as we launch Jesus In My Place by celebrating the gospel together on Sunday April 29th at 6:00 PM.

Pray with us, that we would all grow in our ability to see and savor Jesus Christ and that many would come to know Him by professing “Jesus In My Place.”

This project began over a year ago… & now it’s shrink-wrapped in my hands (Taken with instagram)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4, ESV)

Joy.  The foremost thing lacking in the Church’s worship today might be joy.  We’ve all seen it—worshippers of Jesus gathering together on the weekend with drab faces and downcast eyes, arms folded, and many even refraining from singing altogether.  

Here’s the problem… far too often we relegate joy to pure emotion and assume this elusive emotion is either present or not and there’s nothing we can do about it.  The danger in this perspective on joy and worship is the disassociation of Joy with Truth.

In his A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Eugene Peterson articulates: “Laughter is a result of living in the midst of God’s great works. … The joy that develops in the Christian way of discipleship is an overflow of spirits that comes from feeling good not about yourself but about God.”

So often, our lack of joy betrays our own self-centeredness.  

Take heart.  There is Hope for us all today.  Take your eyes off of yourself, your circumstances, and your emotions.  Fix your gaze upon the majesty and glory of God in our Lord Jesus Christ.  When we consider the goodness of the gospel, how can our hearts not overflow with joy?

Most of you reading this post will gather with other followers of Jesus this weekend to worship.  Don’t just go through the motions.  Again.  Remember the gravity of the gospel. In our worship gatherings at the Summit Church this weekend, we will encounter this Truth: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Your sins are forgiven.  Jesus is alive.  The gospel is Good News for you today.

Worship with joy.

Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs is perhaps my new favorite book on marriage. 

The title of the text is a summary of the thesis, grounded in Ephesians 5:33—However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.  Eggerichs explains that to make a marriage work the way God intended, men should take extra care to love their wives and women should take extra care to respect their husbands.  He appropriately acknowledges that love and respect are needed by both spouses, but each gender has a propensity to neglect one over the other.

I enjoy reading books on marriage, and what stands out about Love and Respect is the comprehensive approach taken by Eggerichs.  He manages to intertwine many insights into a cohesive thesis, replete with stories and practical applications.

While Eggerichs excels in many areas, I found the book somewhat lacking in gospel-centered theology.  This might be my only significant critique of the text.  The book seems to cater to a hurting audience searching for the easy button to transform their respective marriages into a positive and encouraging fairy tale.  But, this is mostly in the way the book is packaged, not necessarily in the content itself.  As Eggerichs’ himself affirms: “In the ultimate sense, your marriage has nothing to do with your spouse. It has everything to do with your relationship to Jesus Christ” (279).   

All in all, Love and Respect is a robust resource to spark introspective thoughts, as well as conversation with your spouse.  Eggerichs may not have all the answers in one book, but he does a phenomenal job of asking the right questions.  

Two months ago to the day, Nathan Angelo released his latest record Acoustic Review and watched it climb up the singer/songwriter charts on iTunes.  While I’ve wanted to mention Nathan’s music on the Rhythms blog for quite some time, it’s no coincidence this post comes just before the loveliest of holidays…  

Nathan Angelo has a head-turning voice that grabs your attention, and Acoustic Review is Nathan at his best — a sampling of his best songwriting, with minimal instrumentation to spotlight his uncanny voice.  Owning this album is like commanding a private living room show from Mr. Angelo himself.  As he does so well in a live setting, Nathan captivates you from start-to-finish with these 8 tracks.

Even if your library is inundated with singer/songwriters, you’ll want to add this record to your collection.  Acoustic Review is simply “instant vibe.”  Pianos, acoustic guitars, light percussion… an impressive mood-setter for a solid half hour.  Somehow it embodies both sunny days on the open road and rainy days in a coffee shop. Furthermore, what sets this record apart is cohesiveness.  The instrumentation is consistent for almost every song, yet there’s a noticeable balance and flow in the album’s energy.   

If you’re unfamiliar with Nathan or his music, Acoustic Review is the perfect introduction… showcasing a blend of pop rhythms, R&B smoothness, and the charm of an acoustic singer/songwriter.  For more, check out the Nathan Angelo website or follow @NathanAngelo on Twitter.

Eugene Peterson caught me by surprise. His text Eat This Book: a Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading was one of the highlights from my 2011 reading list.  I purchased the book hoping to glean practical wisdom from a seasoned Christ-follower to apply in my daily walk with Jesus.  Peterson’s exploration of lectio divina (“spiritual reading” in Latin, describing an approach to Bible-reading established in the early church) yields insight and fruit for disciples of Christ today.  I’ve long been intrigued by lectio divina and have often approached the Word of God through this hermeneutical lens.

But, my biggest takeaway from Eat This Book? The value of paraphrase.  You see, I’m guilty of having considered paraphrase to be watered-down versions of the Text.  And, as a result, I readily have chosen more word-for-word translations.

Peterson shares the story behind The Message, his popular translation of Greek and Hebrew Scriptures into “Americanized English” (his words, not mine).  He first began this mammoth project as a pastor, striving to connect the book of Galatians to his flock.  Peterson’s new translation ignited a fresh wave of enthusiasm for the Word and sensitivity to the Spirit in the congregation.

The translation process is not something to gloss over or take for granted, as Peterson explains:
“Translation is interpretation. Always. It is interpretation because words convey far more meaning than the dictionary assigns them. Words have histories, emotional associations, story-influenced connotations. And interpretation requires—to one degree or another—paraphrase” (173).

In fact, Peterson himself was impacted by J.B. Phillips’ paraphrase in 1948, “sowing seeds that would be harvested nearly 60 years later as The Message” (175). 

While reading this section of Eat This Book, the Spirit of God challenged my neglect of paraphrastic translations.  Thus, by God’s grace, I’m setting a goal to read through the entire Bible in Peterson’s translation by the end of 2012.

I must confess, my first experiences with The Message have been a delight.  I still resource other translations as I study and pastor, but devotional reading in The Message has become joyful and deeply personal.

If you’re in a spiritual rut or simply want to explore a new facet of God’s magnificence, join me in reading The Message this year… and let us enjoy the value of paraphrase together!

Moved today by Rudyard Kipling’s “L’Envoi” (1886), especially the final stanza, calling us to create for the Master’s Praise…

When Earth’s last picture is painted and the tubes are twisted and dried,
When the oldest colours have faded, and the youngest critic has died,
We shall rest, and, faith, we shall need it — lie down for an aeon or two,
Till the Master of All Good Workmen shall put us to work anew!

And those that were good shall be happy: they shall sit in a golden chair;
They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets’ hair;
They shall find real saints to draw from — Magdalene, Peter, and Paul;
They shall work for an age at a sitting and never be tired at all!

And only the Master shall praise us, and only the Master shall blame;
And no one shall work for money, and no one shall work for fame,
But each for the joy of the working, and each, in his separate star,
Shall draw the Thing as he sees It for the God of Things as They Are!

Romans 1:16 (ESV) “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…”

Powerful.  The gospel by its very nature is powerful.  And when the truth of the gospel enters a human heart, the transformation that follows is indeed powerful. 

Yet, many Christians struggle to live a life that reflects the power of the gospel (à la Philippians 1:27).

J.D. Greear’s Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christ Revolutionary, released by B&H in October 2011, is a timely resource to aid readers in discovering or recovering the power of the gospel in their everyday lives.  Many Christians often find themselves mired in religious behavior, hampered by temporary and mechanic change.  With an engaging style and convincing perspective, Greear successfully explains the process of organic, gospel-centered transformation.  The key lies in beholding the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ, allowing the truths of the gospel to saturate one’s hearts daily.

Gospel is this burgeoning pastor’s calling card, as Greear’s followers will attest.  The book is the amalgamation of his best illustrations and catchiest phrases, all condensed into one potent text. 

Greear’s strengths in Gospel include:

Engendering a deep love for Jesus.  Like any good sermon, readers of Gospel walk away worshipping Jesus (90).  In some sense, this is Greear at his best—leading us into the worship of Jesus.  We hear his heart early and clearly: “articulating the gospel is good, but having it captivate you is better!” (9).  The explicit goal of his text is to abide in Jesus (14).  After all, true religion is purely more of God! (32).  Mastering some blueprint of “gospel-centeredness” is certainly not the focus of the Christian life; the goal is quite simply to enjoy the presence of God Himself! (255).

Identifying potential pitfalls.  Greear not only provides a remedy, but helps identify the potential pitfalls that can ensnare believers.  In particular, Satan’s most effective weapon is getting us to take our eyes off of what God has declared over us in the gospel (50).  Another helpful resource is the thorough and accurate “idolatry test” questions (71-75), intended to help identify sinful strongholds.

A healthy approach to spiritual disciplines.  As an antidote against mechanical legalism, Greear provides clear insight on how to approach commands in the New Testament and how to work in response to the gospel.  In Greear’s words, what we prize the most, we pursue the hardest (72), ceasing sin is a by-product of seeing God (97),  and those who believe show it by becoming (113).  We must realize that what we practice furthers growth in us.  If we watch more TV, we’ll breed laziness and apathy (196).

Gospel-centered worship is for the Church.  Pastors and church leaders will appreciate Greear’s charge to churches, listing signs of churches that “get it right” from the book of Acts (230-233).  These signs are love and unity in the church, joy, generosity, and miraculous answers to prayer.

Prayer and the gospel.  Prayer is the constant motif interwoven throughout Greear’s text, as prayer is an essential ingredient of abiding in Christ.  Greear’s four-fold gospel prayer is a rich resource for learning to abide in the gospel daily.  Additionally, he provides insight into how Christians should process (un)answered prayers (179).  Prayers (and one’s response to prayers) must always remain grounded in the truths of the gospel.  Answered prayers show God’s power, whereas unanswered prayers show God’s value (182). 

The bottom line?  Greear’s Gospel is one of my favorite books from 2011.  The book is a humorous and balanced read, providing theological depth with clear applications.  The text is disseminative—accessible enough to provide even non-Christians with their first glimpse at the glorious gospel of Jesus, yet robust to sharpen even the most seasoned followers of Christ. 

J.D. Greear’s Gospel is the discipleship resource that I’ve sought for years as a pastor—a text that instructs individuals, families, and churches how to abide in the glorious love of God, with deep roots in John 15.  I can already see myself returning to Gospel frequently because of the way this book illuminates the power of the gospel and softens my heart to the grace and mercy of God displayed in Jesus Christ.

Describing music is often tortuous.  So, in an effort to provide you with my “best of” list from 2011, these are the most memorable selections from my library in the past year.  These are the songs that got stuck in my head, the melodies I subconsciously sung and hummed day in and day out, the beats most often manifesting themselves on my steering wheel / dashboard / desk…

Without further ado, my musical recollections of 2011:

10 Most Memorable Albums
1.  Parachute - The Way It Was
2.  Mat Kearney - Young Love
3.  Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
4.  Bethel Live - Be Lifted High
5.  Matt Papa - This Changes Everything
6.  Adele -  21
7.  Switchfoot - Vice Verses
8.  Josh Garrels - Love & War & the Sea in Between
9.  The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow 
10.  Gungor - Ghosts Upon the Earth

25 Most Memorable Songs
1.  Gym Class Heroes - “Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine)”
2.  Death Cab for Cutie - “You Are a Tourist”
3.  Coldplay - “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”
4.  Parachute - “White Dress”
5.  Lecrae - “Chase That (Ambition)” 
6.  Shane & Shane - “The One You Need”
7.  Bethel Live - “Furious”
8.  Tim Hughes & Phil Wickham - “At Your Name”
9.  Adele - “Rumour Has It” 
10.  Matt Papa - “The Lord is a Warrior (feat. Shai Linne)”
11.  Mutemath - “Prytania”
12.  Nathan Angelo - “Born to Love You”
13.  Mat Kearney - “Count on Me”
14.  Matt Redman – “Holy”
15.  Kristian Stanfill - “My Reward”
16.  Shai Linne - “Mercy & Grace (feat. Timothy Brindle)”
17.  John Mark McMillan – “Economy”
18.  The Civil Wars – “Barton Hollow”
19.  Elevation Worship – “Give Me Faith”
20.  Phil Wickham – “Sun & Moon”
21.  Austin Stone – “Praise to the Lord (feat. Aaron Ivey)”
22.  All Sons & Daughters – “All the Poor and Powerless”
23.  Matt Wertz – “Running Back to You”
24.  Gungor - “When Death Dies”
25.  Hillsong United - “Search My Heart”