What They're Saying 08.19.11

Carlos Montoya Says, 'Real Men Repent' - 'The violent and proud man I once knew was gone, and in his place was a humble and gentle man. A man who still commanded respect, but not through fear. It came through friendship. I’ll never forget the day my dad came to me and confessed his sins against our family and me. He admitted he was wrong in so many areas of his life, and that by God’s grace he would be a better example of what a man truly is. He didn’t only do this with me, but also with so many people he had wronged throughout his life. It was in that moment I learned one of the most important things about being a man.'

Six Characteristics of Spiritual Leadership - Note, this is more for leadership teams than for individual leaders. The principles are still good to pick up, though.'There are six things in the word of Joab that I think should characterize every effort at team ministry in the church: (1) humility; (2) diversification; (3) mutual helpfulness; (4) strength; (5) benefit to God`s people; (6) surrender to God`s sovereign guidance.

Eleven Theses on Spiritual Gifts for Today - 'That said, as the masthead of Credenda cheerfully states, the boundaries of our confessional commitments are smaller than the boundaries of our fellowship. I want to be in fellowship with men like John MacArthur and Mark Driscoll, despite the areas of our disagreements. That would include men who have more use for private spirits (showing them spirit footage) than we do, as well as men who have less use for private spirits (like Drambuie) than we do. and If you read any of this, be sure to read all of it. Or, failing that, if you read only part of it, be sure just to read the parts you agree with, which should help us keep the comments down.'

Questions You Should Ask Your Spouse - 'This past Sunday, I preached about God’s Design for Marriage from Ephesians 5:22-33. At the end, I had a question for each husband and wife to ask the other as a result of what the text says about marriage. I would argue that because these commands are so clear to the husband and wife, they demand a consistent effort to examine your marriage in light of them. Here are the 2 questions I challenged our people to discuss with their spouse.'

Don't Be Hasty to Back Evangelical Politicians - 'Reportedly, Governor Perry has close ties with the New Apostolic Reformation group. Rather than rehearse the reports, you can read and evaluate them for yourself, especially the Texas Observer story and the recent Rachel Maddow report. I’m not suggesting that we should uncritically accept the claims of journalistic neutrality from either source, but this movement—and similar yet less defined sub-groups—will no doubt bring greater disgrace to the cause of Christ in the minds of a biblically illiterate society. You’ll hear more about it in coming months.'