Teaching - a bad word?

Mike Reeves 'table talks' with Carl Trueman in the latest podcast from theologynetwork.org, on doctrine. Bad word? A few choice crumbs from the table:

Doctrine is an articulation of God's claim on us.
Doctrine should drive us to our knees - it leads to doxology (praise of God).
God's love is creative and prior - it has the first word. (Gen 1 & 2 Cor 4)
The gospel is a proclamation that Christ has died and risen: it does have practical implications, but it's not a technique. So read books which tell you about God and what he has done - not primarily about you and how your life can be better.

Mike and Carl also take time to consider that common contemporary assertion: doctrine divides (so let's not consider it) - and perhaps you've met people into doctrine who're all arrogant about it - they talk about that too, and the dangers involved.

Now take half an hour to listen over a cuppa / the ironing / making dinner.

Does Reformation doctrine really matter now?

So there was a rumpus and split in the church some hundreds of years ago, and people believe different things. Surely it's not important: we've learned to see past these petty differences, hm? In a wide-ranging conversation, Mike Reeves interviews Mark Dever on the personal and practical implications and value of the Biblical truths mostly rediscovered at the time now known as 'the Reformation', showing just how vital and pastoral these things are. 

The latest UCCF Table Talk, here - as usual, an excellent use of your listening time: easy listening with an edifying twist, an informative skip and a good shake of heart-warming.

What's so good about the gospel?

When the sun rises and warms the birds, they sing. And so, when our hearts are warmed by being reminded of the love of God, we cannot but speak of Him. The gospel - God giving himself in Christ - really is stupendously good news. 

Mike Reeves on John 20.19-23 (and assorted other passages), from UCCF's Forum conference: download here.

What to say?

Where is your God?

A video worth playing a couple of times, on which to ponder:

Bish informs us it comes to us courtesy of UCCF Relay workers Millie (performer), Rael (poet) and Andy (director/cameraman).

[HT: Dan Steel]

Heart-to-heart

In the latest TableTalk from theologynetwork.org, Mike Reeves chats with Peter Mead about preaching, and more broadly, communicating God's word. A heart-to-heart well-worth listening to: teaching the Bible.

Studying theology with the Don

Tabletalk with Don Carson, on studying theology or preparing for future ministry. A helpful listen!

FREE update

Tabletalk - joyful, deep freedom!

Tim Rudge on joyful freedom deep down - that is, sanctification! Definitely worth 25 minutes listen, as Tim chats to Mike Reeves in UCCF theologynetwork.org's latest Tabletalk podcast. The key to joy is abandoning hope - abandoning all hope outside of Christ.

Just victory

Mike Reeves talks with Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach about the cross of Christ in the latest Theology Network tabletalk including how Christ is victor - justly.

I need an alien...

...righteousness. I've been looking with some student ladies at Mahaney's Living the Cross-centred life and today was on battling our inherent tendency to legalism. Is my faith enough? Am I disciplined enough? Is God pleased with me now? The answers are all in Christ. It's alien to me - because God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him I might become the righteousness of God. "Our righteousness consists in Christ's obedience imputed to me because I am unified with Him - I am in Him." (Piper, from Theology Network's latest tabletalk podcast.) Or Bunyan:

"One day as I was passing into the field . . . this sentence fell upon my soul. Thy righteousness is in heaven. And methought, withal, I saw with the eyes of my soul Jesus Christ at God's right hand; there, I say, was my righteousness; so that wherever I was, or whatever I was doing, God could not say of me, he wants [lacks] my righteousness, for that was just before [in front of] him. I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame that made my righteousness worse, for my righteousness was Jesus Christ himself, "The same yesterday, today and, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Now did my chains fall off my legs indeed. I was loosed from my afflictions and irons; my temptations also fled away; so that from that time those dreadful scriptures of God left off to trouble me; now went I also home rejoicing for the grace and love of God."

Jesus said to His Father, of those who would believe in Him through the word of the apostles: "...you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." You've failed today? Of course. But will the Father reject the sacrifice of His Son? Will he reject the perfect righteousness of the Son of Man? Will he not delight in Him eternally? Will he not fulfil every promise in Him? Do not be so arrogant as to think that your guilt can get in the way of what Christ has done.

Freedom!

"I want to break free!"

"The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Jesus [Mark 10.45]

"...whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." - Jesus [Mark 8.35]

Casting Pods to the glory of God

Is evangelism the most important activity for Christians? What society should Christian students prioritise joining on starting at university? How do we engage with culture without assimilation or separation? Clive addresses these and more in the latest evangelism podcast from UCCF.

It's not child's play

Get your own here

John Piper's talks from Forum are now available on desiringgod.org -
Ruth 1 - Sweet and bitter providence (My French relay worker asked what providence is: why did I not think to say, "God's providence is his completely holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing every creature and every action"? I'm out of practice...)
Ruth 2 - Under the Wings of God
Ruth 3 - Strategic Righteousness
Ruth 4 - May the Redeemer's name be renowned

From the World Service night,
As the Father has sent me...
...so send I you.

Pouring out your life in the mud

I sit in an old country house, the sun sinking over tree-fringed fields, with the buzz of students milling below around three large multicoloured marquees and a big top, and the strains of 'It is well with my soul' drifting up to the window in male four part harmony. I'm pretty sure the main voice is Welsh, and would hazard a guess at their being Relay workers. I'm not sure whether they're singing it referring to the weather we've been having, but it may well be significant that the previous song I heard coming from them so beautifully was of an anchor that keeps the soul safe and secure while the billows roll... The rain has been pouring down on the campsite since 750 student CU leaders arrived on Monday for their UCCF training conference, and some would say the defining feature of this year's Forum has been the general descent into mud (never seen the like) and the flooding of tents. But that has not been the defining feature of Forum. What I'll remember this Forum for, more than John Piper's Bible preaching, the big top worship, the workshop I led or the joys of going into it on the back of a week of Relay training conference; what I'll remember this Forum for is the joyful Spirit-ful gospel response of the students to their circumstances. Their neighbours' tent flooded: they serve them and clean up for them. They haven't grumbled or grown bitter. They've got on with joyfully receiving the word which is able to save their souls, and humbly serving each other. They may have bad nights of sleep but they refocus on their Saviour in the morning, praise Him, and love each other. Why? Do they not have rights? They've paid to come to this conference! The answer comes in the song that's now started to ascend from the impromptu Welsh-led quartet beneath my window, whose numbers seem to have swelled: "And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Saviour's blood? ... 'Tis mercy all! Let earth adore!" We have nothing of which to complain.

Bish, of course, is liveblogging Forum - notes on the talks and other miscellanies.

Hearts are trumps

Bish is at it again - a brilliant post on how to do unity in a Christian Union in practice followed a clear how to do unity in a Christian Union in principle. Well worth a read.

'Parachurch' that loves the local church

While I was away on a Greek island on a UCCF summer team, I pondered our relation to the local church. We were seeking to witness to students, both from Greece (mainly Athens) and all over the world. There are 2 local evangelical English-speaking churches on Paros, but none of the students live on the island. We spoke to them of church where they came from for following up their interest, as well as recommending reading the Bible. Mostly, we spoke of Jesus. As a team, Jonathan Clark led us one morning in considering world mission through Ephesians 3.10: God's plan that through the church His manifold wisdom might be made universally known. I pondered that this could be neglected, with a tip-of-the-hat to the effect that 'we're all part of the universal church', or it could be overstretched as the single interpretative lens, so anything not exclusively the ministry / mission of one local church becomes suspect. And I return home to find that, as usual, Bish is thinking and expressing these things much better than me :) See his post, 'Parachurch' that loves the local church - and love your church!

Table Talk

The first of Theology Network's Table Talks has appeared:

In the mid-1500’s the Reformer Martin Luther and his wife Katie became famous for their hospitality. In their home, a big old ex-monastery called “The Black Cloister”, they hosted students, colleagues and friends for meals. With good company, good food, and Katie’s home-brewed beer (and their children tearing about after the dog), Luther and his friends discussed theology, life, and everything - a regular gathering which was recorded as his “Table Talk”.

In the spirit of such refined pursuits, Theology Network is proud to present our very own Table Talk. We’re taking time to settle down by the fire with key evangelical leaders and chat about issues that matter - and we’re releasing it as a podcast so you can download our conversations direct to your ipod. So come and join us at the table - there’s plenty of room!

This one gives us Mike Reeves and Andy Banister on Islam. It brings together a number of things I've gathered over the years as I've looked at Islam, chatted with Muslims and tried to help Christian students know better how to engage with their Muslim friends. In fact just the other night after Birmingham CU's meeting we were chatting about such things. Well worth a listen - because 1) it's good stuff, 2) it brings together many things you'd only get by reading several books and 3) it's easy to listen to even if you'd never think of reading those books!

Design and develop

Web Designer and Web Developer
2 posts
£15K - £18K pa each.
Leicester

Check out our fabulous websites at www.uccf.org.uk, www.bethinking.org and www.theologynetwork.org – could you be the next Designer or Developer working on these sites?

UCCF: The Christian Unions is a vibrant charity which works with students. We are seeking two key individuals to provide design and development of UCCF’s websites. Our websites play a major part in our ministry enabling students to live and speak for Jesus by providing them with opportunities to connect with the different aspects of our ministry, to engage with apologetics and to think theologically, in order to reach their friends and their university and college campuses for Christ.

In the Designer we are looking for someone with an abundance of creativity. In the Developer we are looking for someone with analysis design and project management skills. Both need to be clear communicators with experience of XHTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL, and Dreamweaver and Fireworks or similar. The successful candidates will need to be Christians, as these roles have a Genuine Occupational Requirement.

For an application pack contact Cally Scholes, Recruitment Manager by phone 0116 2551700 or email. Closing date for applications is 5pm Thursday 17 July 2008.