What They're Saying 06.09.11

Kevin DeYoung writes 7 theses on celebrity pastors, Owen Strachan follows up with some reflections, Justin Taylor links to a book for ordinary pastors, and The Gospel Coalition actually honors one for their Ordinary Pastors Project.

"There are stupid reasons to wait in line to talk to a popular person. But there are God-honoring reasons too. Many people simply want to say thank you, or ask for prayer, or get a quick piece of advice. Judgments easily turn into judgmentalism when we don’t know all the facts (1 Sam. 16:7). If in our desire to warn against the cult of personality we forget that God uses persons, we won’t be doing the church any favors. Or God for that matter."

Monergism has a great resource available for people who want to learn more about the canon - the books that made it into the Bible. Why didn't others make it? This resource will educate you.

"Over the years I’ve written a number of occasional pieces on the Protestant canon of Scripture. These were frequently written in response to Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox attacks on the Protestant canon of Scripture. Oftentimes I summarize or quote from various scholars to make their scholarship available to readers who may not have ready access to their works. John Hendryx has kindly offered to collate this material in the form of an ebook."

Desiring God Interviews Pastor Justin Holcomb about his book, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault. If you counsel sexual assault victims, get this book.

"Books like that by Holcombs are to be welcomed and to be read, even though the content can only be described as at times very harrowing. They also, I hope, help those like myself, with little experience in such areas, preach with more sensitivity to a congregation where, statistically at least, these matters are almost certainly of more than mere abstract concern."

Stephen Um Writes on Discipleship and the Idols of Family and Culture

"While society itself, our local communities, and even our families may be demanding that we give our primary devotion to them, the call to discipleship always includes a drastic re-ordering of that which is most precious to us, and may sometimes include a departure from those things that refuse to come under the rule of our new Master."