by Bret Capranica | Mar 24, 2010 | Featured Articles, Southern Baptist Issues, The Gospel
I am preparing my mind and hopefully my heart as well for what God is doing in the Southern Baptist Convention through the Great Commission Resurgence. I am hopeful, but still wanting to know more. So, this post will be a parking lot for compiling what I think are significant resources across the web that address this subject. I’m interested in reading all the angles and sides on this issue, so my linking here does not mean my own endorsement of any particular persuasion. I am favorable to the GCR’s work and am trying to be diligent in digesting its implications and thinking (even discussing) through them. If you know of significant resources, please leave them in the comments or e-mail me. I’m happy to take a look. Background: Timmy Brister, “The Backstory to the Great Commission Resurgence“ Information: The Official Great Commission Resurgence Website Commentary: Baptist Messenger Video Interviews (some interesting GCR interviews you will find here) Baptist Press Articles on “Great Commission Task Force” Tom Ascol, “My Take on the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force Report“ Tom Ascol, “Why Southern Baptists Need a Great Commission Resurgence“ Bart Barber, “How to Resurge“ Todd Benkert,”Thoughts on GCR Component # 2 – NAMB Refocus“ David Dockery Podcast on GCR Nathan Finn, “The Spiritual and the Structural Coincide: Some Thoughts on the GCR.” Nathan Finn,...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 22, 2010 | Charismatics, Preaching, The Gospel
What can I say – this is fascinating, disturbing, and confusing to...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 3, 2010 | Featured Articles, Ordinary Pastor, The Gospel
Last June, the Southern Baptist Convention authorized the President of the Convention to appoint a task force that would essentially re-imagine how we operate and function. Thus was born the Great Commission Task Force. Last week, the Task Force’s first report was given. Kelly and I watched it together just after it was released. I have yet to form significant opinions (significant as an ordinary pastor can have) worth public comment about it, and will be giving more time to reading the report and talking to some involved. I am excited for possible changes that will enhance our focus as a Convention, and concerned about how the implications of the Task Force will be applied. The Task force will present its final report in a few months and it will be considered at the June annual meeting in Orlando. Below is the video report of the Task force. GCR Progress Report from GCR on Vimeo. Here is the written report. Albert Mohler posted some thoughts on it today. Any thoughts from any of you as of...
by Bret Capranica | Mar 2, 2010 | The Gospel
John Stott suggests our approach to worship, and thus the cross, may be filled with too much levity. What do you think of his comments: Unhappily, even in the church we seem to have lost the vision of the majesty of God. There is much shallowness and levity among us. Prophets and psalmists would probably say of us that “there is no fear of God before their eyes.” In public worship our habit is to slouch or squat; we do not kneel nowadays, let alone prostrate ourselves in humility before God. It is more characteristic of us to clap our hands with joy than to blush with shame or tears. We saunter up to God to claim his patronage and friendship; it does not occur to us that he might send us away. It must be said that our evangelical emphasis on the atonement is dangerous if we come to it too quickly. We learn to appreciate the access to God that Christ has won for us only after we have first seen God’s inaccessibility to sinners. We can cry “Hallelujah” with authenticity only after we have first cried “Woe is me, for I am lost.” As Brunner put it, “where the idea of the wrath of God is ignored, there also will there be no understanding of the central conception of the Gospel: the uniqueness of the revelation in the Mediator.” Similarly, “only he who knows the greatness of wrath will be mastered by the greatness of mercy.” If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his then of course we see no need...
by Bret Capranica | Dec 1, 2009 | Evangelism, The Gospel
Here’s a great and encouraging video of John MacArthur describing his recent opportunity to see his football coach from 50 years ago come to Christ. What do you think about MacArthur’s approach? John MacArthur – Study Video from Together for the Gospel (T4G) on Vimeo. HT: Together for the...
by Bret Capranica | Nov 24, 2009 | Evangelism, The Gospel
I just finished reading Kevin DeYoung’s latest blog-post, “The Gospel Old and New.” Excellent. Well said. It fueled my heart’s passion for the heart of the gospel in light of the emerging competitors. Here’s the opening: Have you heard the New Gospel? It”™s not been codified. It”™s not owned by any one person or movement. But it is increasingly common. The New Gospel generally has four parts to it. It usually starts with an apology: “I”™m sorry for my fellow Christians. I understand why you hate Christianity. It”™s like that thing Ghandi said, “˜why can”™t the Christians be more like their Christ?”™ Christians are hypocritical, judgmental, and self-righteous. I know we screwed up with the Crusades, slavery, and the Witch Trials. All I can say is: I apologize. We”™ve not give you a reason to believe.” Then there is an appeal to God as love: “I know you”™ve seen the preachers with the sandwich boards and bullhorns saying “˜Repent or Die.”™ But I”™m here to tell you God is love. Look at Jesus. He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors. He loved unconditionally. There is so much brokenness in the world, but the good news of the Bible is that God came to live right in the middle of our brokenness. He”™s a messy God and his mission is love. “˜I did not come into the world to condemn the world,”™ that”™s what Jesus said (John 3:17). He loved everyone, no matter who you were or what you had done. That”™s what got him killed.” Be sure to read the whole...
