People learn what I’m excited about

“If I have learned anything in 35 or 40 years of teaching, it is that students don’t learn everything I teach them. What they learn is what I am excited about, the kinds of things I emphasize again and again and again and again. That had better be the gospel.

If the gospel—even when you are orthodox—becomes something which you primarily assume, but what you are excited about is what you are doing in some sort of social reconstruction, you will be teaching the people that you influence that the gospel really isn’t all that important. You won’t be saying that—you won’t even mean that—but that’s what you will be teaching. And then you are only half a generation away from losing the gospel.

Make sure that in your own practice and excitement, what you talk about, what you think about, what you pray over, what you exude confidence over, joy over, what you are enthusiastic about is Jesus, the gospel, the cross. And out of that framework, by all means, let the transformed life flow.”

– Don Carson.

SMBC 2011 Preaching Conference

Learn about plans for the 2011 SMBC Preaching Conference, May 2–5.

Heidelberg Conference on Reformed Theology audio

The 2010 Heidelberg Conference on Reformed Theology was held (in Heidelberg, of course) October 27–29.

Speakers were Derek Thomas, Carl Trueman, Jon Payne and Sebastian Heck.

The audio of the talks (and some video) is now available on their website.

Very helpful in thinking about what we do in church. h/t Thabiti Anyabwile.

A Portrait in his Actions: Thomas Moore of Liverpool

(Re-posted.) Moore College lecturer, Rev Dr Peter Bolt, is launching Part 1 of his biography of Moore College benefactor, Thomas Moore, during the Liverpool Bicentenary celebrations next month.

The book will be launched by the Governor of NSW, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO, on Monday 22 November, 5pm at the Liverpool City Library.  Everyone welcome.

More info and order form from the Moore College website.

Dr Megan Best’s Synod speech on the Euthanasia motion

In the ongoing debate on Euthanasia, Dr Megan Best’s speech at Sydney Synod last month is well worth reading and circulating.

“I speak as a palliative care doctor. Palliative care is specialty care for terminally ill patients.

Our state and federal parliaments have been asked to consider changing the law to allow euthanasia. We are told that 85% of Australians support such a change. I believe that what this shows us may not be so much how many people support euthanasia, so much as the fact that many people don’t actually know what it is.

Having discussed euthanasia on talkback radio many times over the years, I have come to realise that misconceptions are rife amongst the general public. Confusion abounds regarding what the legalisation of euthanasia means. But first we need to know what euthanasia is not…”

Read Dr Best’s full speech here (PDF file).

The text of the motion to which she was speaking can be seen on pages 1 and 2 of the Business paper for October 19 2010 (PDF).

Stuart Townend on Corporate Worship — notes

On Friday, songwriter Stuart Townend gave a seminar on Corporate Worship at Oak Hill College in London.

Mike Gilbart-Smith (Twynholm Baptist Church, Fulham) has shared his very helpful notes from the seminar at his blog, Loving Church.

Don Carson’s evangelistic talks in Melbourne

Don Carson spoke evangelistically in Melbourne in August.

The “Christ-Expo” was part of the celebrations of Ridley College’s Centenary. The audio files of Dr Carson’s talks are available on the Ridley website:

Monday: How can we see God?
Tuesday: How can we start over again?
Wednesday: How can God Have a Son?
Thursday: How to get the Best Bread in the World
Friday: How can I believe Jesus Rose from the Dead?

He also spoke at St. Alfred’s Blackburn North on Suffering: a theological response.

Audio: Reformation Conference with Stephen Nichols

Last weekend, at the Omaha Bible Church in Nebraska, Stephen Nichols spoke at their Reformation Bible Conference.

All the audio files have been posted here, thanks to Erik Raymond. Total 67MB. Or links to individual talks below:

The Road to Worms: Jan Hus, Martin Luther, and Sola Scripture
Wittenberg: The Life of Luther and Commitment to the Church
Flossenburg: Martin Luther to Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cross and Discipleship
Marks of the True Church with Question & Answer
Sunday morning sermon: Spare Everything But the Word

History comes alive. Great to pass on to members of your church while memories of Reformation Sunday are fresh.

Don’t Waste Your Life — free audiobook

The free audiobook for November 2010 from Christian Audio is John Piper’s Don’t Waste Your Life. Narrated by Lloyd James.

Grab it here. (175MB mp3)

Defence Sunday & Remembrance Day 2010

Sunday November 7th (the Sunday closest to Remembrance Day) is ‘Defence Sunday‘ and prayer is requested for Defence Force Personnel and the Chaplains who minister to them.

The Defence Anglicans website has some useful resources, including Bible readings, prayers and music which could be used in church – as well as a Powerpoint presentation shown at General Synod.

ACL Synod Dinner talk: New Churches

Bishop Al Stewart spoke about New Churches at last night’s ACL Synod Dinner at Chapter House.

We’re thankful to Mark Earngey for posting the video online. You can see a 3 minute excerpt here – but take the time to watch the full 28 minute talk here.

You also can listen to the audio here (10MB mp3 file).

Desiring God 2010 National Conference audio online

The heading says it all. Here.

9Marks at Southeastern Seminary: Biblical Theology

Justin Taylor at Between Two Worlds has posted links to videos of five 9Marks sessions recently given at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina. Details here.

(Bear in mind the videos are large files.)

Shadow Gospel

Just released:

Shadow Gospel: Rowan Williams and the Anglican Communion Crisis – by Charles Raven – a new publication from The Latimer Trust in the UK.

Here’s an extract from the preface:

“Although signs of hope are undoubtedly emerging, a secure future for the Anglican Communion rests on an accurate diagnosis of its present ills. In this account of Rowan Williams’ leadership as Archbishop of Canterbury a kind of tragedy unfolds, in which the weight of an historic institution and the resourcefulness of a deeply learned mind are brought to bear in an attempt to sustain the unsustainable – an illusory middle ground between two fundamentally opposed visions of Anglican identity.   Read more

Tim Keller’s ‘The Reason for God’ DVD

Barry Cooper, from the Christianity Explored team has posted online a trailer for Tim Keller’s forthcoming The Reason for God DVD. Looks to be very useful.

(h/t Justin Taylor, who has an outline of the sessions.)

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