Cheers Dan

An update from Matt Chandler, including this quote from Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed:

Nay, after conversion we need bruising, that reeds may know themselves to be reeds, and not oaks; even we need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to bt us see that we live by mercy; and that weaker Christians may not be too much discouraged, when they see stronger ones shaken and bruised. Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly. This reed, till he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than pith. ” Though all forsake thee, I will not,” &c. Matt. xxvi. 35. The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroical deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the Church so much as their falls and bruises do.

It was discovered that Matt Chandler had a brain tumour and needed immediate surgery, that happened on Friday. It sounds like since then he’s been making good progress… but keep praying.
You can find updates from The Village Church and on Twitter.

But whatever you do, go and watch the video he recorded before surgery… Christ is All.

Right now there’s a conference happening in the States, in Durham, North Carolina, called Advance 2009.

Piper, Driscoll, Chandler, Stetzer, Chapell and a few others…

I’m guessing that full audio/video will be available at a later date, but the audio is being made available straight away on Desiring God… listening to Chandler ranting, his intro makes me laugh becuase he has “a picture of Dr. Piper on his fridge”.

I’m a bit of a Matt Chandler ‘fan’… his teaching via podcast has often been a great encouragement to me. The good news is that he’s still preaching through Luke (part 39), although he’s been doing some thematic stuff on the Church and repentance… on the subject of thematic preaching Matt has a classic quote:

“I’ve got no problem with thematic preaching, as long as it’s done exegetically!”

I’m always intrigued by what makes people like Matt Chandler tick, below I copy Matt’s FAQ page from the Village Church…

Also, check out his blog…

What books have been most influential in your life and thoughts?

1. The Bible
2. Desiring God and Pleasures of God by John Piper
3. Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
4. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
5. Anything by C.S. Lewis but especially The Weight of Glory
6. Anything by Jonathan Edwards but specifically Religious Affections
7. Anything by John Owen but especially The Mortification of Sin

What ideas have strongly influenced you?

1. Christian Hedonism – The idea that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him has absolutely ruined me. It shook me out of trying to be good and created in me the questions: “Does this stir up my affections for Christ?” and “Does this rob me of my affection for Christ?”
2. Missional living – The idea of intentional living and contextualizing the Gospel for this generation and culture as well as engaging the world instead of isolating ourselves from it have shaped my preaching and living.

What books do you recommend for Pastors?

1. The Bible – I understand the need for books on leadership, theology and history. My hope is that you would feast on the scriptures, feel the angst and awe and be overwhelmed by the Gospel of our great God and King. This book is life changing and sufficient.

What books are you currently reading?

1. The Divine Commodity by Skye Jethani
2. God, Marriage, and Family by Andreas Kostenberger
3. Total Church by Tim Chester
4. The Study of Evangelism by Paul Wesley Chilcote
5. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
6. Hearts and Minds by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner

What books have you read recently?

1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels By Craig Blomberg
2. In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer
3. Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity by Mark Noll
4. Culture-Making: Recovering our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch
5. Till We Have Built Jerusalem by Philip Bess
6. Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
7. The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like Minded America is Tearing us Apart By Bill Bishop
8. Who’s Your City? by Richard Florida
9. Approaching the Heart of Prophecy by Graham Cooke