Haven’t seen it all yet, but it’s gonna be good. Matt Chandler is the preacher outsider of my church that I listen to most at the moment, I’m regularly encouraged and convicted through his preaching – currently going through Luke.
Archive for September, 2008
Christian Blog and Web Awards 2008
So… Friday night I did indeed go to London with my best pal Karen to attend the awards ceremony for the Christian Blog and Web Awards. We went to a mini-St. Paul’s Cathedral, a church in London called St. Stephen’s Walbrook. Champagne reception kicked off the evening followed by a 3 course dinner: Goats cheese salady thing, fillet of beef with safron rice and spinach, and creme brulee and strawberies for pudding, alond with nice coffee and plenty of wine.
Sat next to some guys from Release International, up for best news site, and Andy Frost from Share Jesus International. The awards were opened by Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, and then hosted by Jeff Lucas and Maria Toth.
I was up for best young Christian blog (under 25) – and I won – although I don’t know if anyone else actually entered?! So I was the proud recepient of a glass trophy and a Nintendo Wii… so I set that up today and have been boxing, golfing, bowling, and playing baseball and tennis. I needed to get another controller, which was ridiculously expensive, but at least I didn’t have to pay for the Wii (thanks to the Evangelical Alliance)!
I actually already knew I’d won, so it was no surprise… which meant I was able to prepare a joke for the acceptance speech – it was a joke based on sarcasm, the impact was lost as I feel the audience thought I was being serious! Although BIG surprise was the final award – best church website (£1000 prize) – to my shock the (unfinished) Bishop Hannington site (which I have to change because some people at church don’t like black) was shortlist as one of 5 finalists!! It’s the biggest award with by far the most entries, in some ways more impressed to get to the final 5 of the church one than to win the young blogger!
Other awards… I can’t really remember who won, they weren’t written down anywhere – thebandwithnoname won the best music site, and UCCF won the most creative site with Theology Network. Hopefully Premier will put the list on the website next week. Adrian Warnock was runner up for the best leadership blog – afterwards he approached me and made rude comment about my coke-belly, all good banter.
Hopefully there’ll be some picture or video content from the event courtesey of Premier coming soon.
Good Christian Parents
I was fearing the worse when I looked on IPlayer to see a show called The World’s Strictest Parents, this week they go to Alabama… “Naomi and Ross must spend a week under the strict regime of the God-fearing Garnett family in Alabama.” I feared the worse because they put God-fearing in, you know it’s going to just bash the Christian stereotype, it’s going to be Ned Flanders and everyone’s going to laugh at him. To be fair that’s how it started off. Very conservative family, strict rules, room searches, curfews etc. But as the show goes on the impression changes.
Two British teenagers, Ross and Naomi go and spend a week with this family because they’re dysfunctional. Ross is obsessed with MySpace and has big issues with self-esteem and sexuality. Naomi is struggling after bereavement and divorce in her family. At first they hate the rules, the apparent lack of trust, but by the end they are struck by the Dad, Mark. He actually cares about them, he has their best interests at heart, he loves them. He takes Naomi out on a Dad-Daughter date and talks with her, and takes Ross on a Father-Son fishing trip. He talks frankly with them about their struggles and problems, and they open up to him, he doesn’t judge them, he just loves them and wants to help them change.
The point of this post isn’t so much to talk about Christian parenting (what would I know?) or about God, our great Father, but simply to say that there was for once a documentary about American Christians where the stereotype was challenged, in fact they were quite stereotypical, but we saw love, we saw what it means to be a good dad!
Discernment
Just lead a student interactive Bible study on the topic of discernment… here’s where I went:
I suggested that there were perhaps two types of Christian discernment; discernment of God’s will, what we might call guidance, and also discernment of truth, from error – particularly focusing on the truth and error in doctrine, what we believe as Christians.
The second type, discerning Truth, comes with a big premise, namely that there is Truth and error. So already with this premise we are battling against prevailing worldviews: post-modernism that says there is no ultimate Truth, and relativism which says there are many truths – which taken to it’s logical conclusion also affirms there is no ultimate Truth.
So… What is discernment?
Groups looking at: Hebrews 5:11-14, Philippians 1:9-10, Romans 16:9, Ephesians 5:8-10, Romans 12:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, 1 John 4:1
We need to have a good grasp of the gospel to be able to discern truth from error!
What is the Gospel? – 1 Corinthians 15:1-5
Gospel – it’s good news!
It’s apostolic – Paul preached it!
It’s a first-order, fight over, go to the stake issue – FIRST IMPORTANCE!
Cue 6 points nicked from John Piper: Planned, Historical, Objective Accomplishment, Free offer to faith, Application to the individual, joyful eternal future.
Warning against false gospels! - Galatians 1:6-9
It’s not good news – no gospel at all. Perversion of the true gospel. Eternal condemnation!
Case studies
Here’s the PDF handout from the study, complete with case studies – wonder if you can guess who the dodgy quotes are from…
Christian Blog Awards
So a few months ago I hopefully submitted this humble blog to the Christian Web & Blog Awards. Last week I received an email to say that I had been shortlisted in the ‘Young Blogger’ (under 25) category and was invited to attend the award ceremony… it’s on Friday, so I’m going up to London with my good friend Karen for a champagne reception and 3 course dinner. Hopefully a report and some photos will follow.
Interestingly last years winner of the award is a friend of a friend who goes to CCK in Brighton.
In the mean time here’s a little video of what happened last year:
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In other blogging news, there’s an event called God Blogs hosted by the EA happening on 23rd September – the Facebook group is more helpful – speakers are Krish Kandiah, Mark Meynell, Phil Whittall, and Peter Sanlon.
I live to make God smile
I don’t often cry, but it’s hard not to when listening to Gianna Jessen speak of her hope in Christ. Part 1 is her story, a child who survived an abortion, part 2 is a moving call for men to be men, women to be women, and to live for Jesus.
I’d never heard of this lady before, so thanks to Adrian Warnock for blogging it.
Driscoll: Provocative Preaching
From Desiring God.
Desiring God conference – ‘The Power of Words and the Wonder of God’ – begins 26th September
Being a Faithful CU
But the thing I loved most was this. In a day when I have heard famous Christians (evangelicals apparently) scoff at the idea that people will meet Jesus in his word as students give it out and study it, when the mood of evangelicalism in Britain has (as we have seen this summer) been so obsessed with the so-called miraculous at the expense of simply testifying about Jesus, when the world and his mother seems to either think there must be some magic technique for winning people to Christ, or that we are due a wave of blessing to make it happen, I loved seeing a world renowned evangelical stand up and say well done to all the students who will be risking much to open the Scriptures with non Christians this year. “It will be better and harder than you ever thought!”
Thank you JP [John Piper] for travelling round the world to affirm that to all the small struggling CUs of 3 and 4, all the CUs who are scoffed at by uber-trendy servant evangelists and sophisticated chaplains, all the CUs where a couple of people and a Gospel of Mark is all that they have. Sometimes, its just good to know that someone you have heard of is with you.
Mo McCracken – reflecting on Forum
Also, Dave Bish… all you need to know about UCCF Forum 2008, John Piper on Ruth, Missions and lots more!
Preach the Gospel to Christians
When’s the last time you looked another Christian in the eye and said ‘Mate you’re a sinner. I know you have struggles, I know you’re tired but, deep down you’re wicked! That’s your real problem. But Mate – you’re clothed in the righteousness of Christ, carried on His heart before the Father, rejoiced over in the presence of the angels.’
Tom B: Hey Hugh,
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