Determine

…and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. —John 2:9-11

We follow and serve a wonder-working God. A God who takes water and turns it into wine. A God who cares about His creation to such an extent that He step into a wedding ceremony to help redeem a dire situation.

So many people love to paint Jesus in their own eyes: a tight-lipped religious guy who doesn’t drink or have any fun.

Jesus really turned the water into real wine, knowing that people would probably drink and get drunk.

But He did so as a picture for us of the New Creation. Jesus didn’t just come to redeem sinners from eternal wrath. He came to inagurate God’s Kingdom, and to show the world tastes and previews of what the New Creation will be like when God restores this broken world.

I haven't read Paul Tripp's classic How People Change but I've heard nothing but good things about it. I assume it contains similar contents to this 10-minute teaching Paul gave recently at the Desiring God conference about how people change.

This is a beautiful rendition of an old hymn by Pacific Gold (formerly Wayfarer).

Check out their new album. They repurpose old hymns with textured, layered sounds and rich melodies and harmonies.

This song from their first EP, The River, draws us into the rich truths of the Gospel, that it is not our good behavior that earn God's love and approval. Our approval solely comes from Christ's work for us.

Here is a masterfully-done music video from the talented John Mark McMillan.

What I really love and appreciate about John Mark and his music is the rawness and honesty that he presents us with. There is no sugar-coating the brutal realities of life. He is real, honest and raw before God.

This is something huge I've been learning in my walk with Christ. There is no room for false religion. We need to get out of our heads and be real with where we are at with life, God, and ourselves. This is the beginning of freedom.

The Resurgence Halftime Show is awesome! Watch it now and use the above link to get access to the files so you can play it at your Super Bowl party with your friends and family that don't know Christ.

I'm tiring of living in a Christian culture of false-fronts and shallow community.

What would it look like for the Gospel to take root in a community? In our churches? Our workplace? Our homes? Our marriages? Our parenting? Our leisure?

As Christians we have the unique privilege of being ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ has made us new and given us new desires and a new destiny. This shapes everything we do and everything we are.

My desire as a follower of Christ is to see the Gospel take deeper root in my own soul, and in my life, marriage, church, work, leisure, family—all my activity. I desire to see not only Jesus made known to all who surround me but my longing is for my life, the life of my family, and the life of my friends to take on the fragrance of the Gospel.

This is what I mean by a Gospel culture. I want the radiance of Christ’s work to be so known, enjoyed, cherished, and marinated in that it transforms the culture around me. That I (and we) by God’s grace could be purveyors of a “Gospel culture”, a place where God’s unmerited, radical, and scandalous grace would be known, enjoyed, shown, and taken to the ends of the earth. A place where it to safe to real about your struggles and identity as we seek to help each other find our identity more completely in Christ. A place where it is OK to fail, as long we help each other up by the power of the Holy Spirit and continuing fighting sin and pressing against the gates of Hell.

I really appreciate Tim Chaddick as a pastor and preacher. This teaching from Matthew 19 about idolatry and Jesus getting personal is a powerful reminder of what true religion is and how God wants to work in our lives.

The apostle Paul challenged Timothy, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

Eric Geiger has some very insightful words here about Christian leadership. He draws out the truth from 2 Timothy 2:2 that we are to look for "faithful men" (people that possess character) and pour into them so they will be able to teach and be fruitful for ministry. We aren't to approach this task the other way around, looking for men of skill and then trying to build character.

Instead the Church often looks for pure talent to fill roles and holes in their organizational structure. Maybe this is some of what Paul meant in 1 Timothy 5:22: