The church and her saints grew quickly when Barnabas encouraged people. We know from 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 that when it comes to growth, some plant, others water, but only God causes the growth. Encouragement serves as one form of watering.

Romans 12:8 teaches us that encouragement is one of the spiritual gifts. Not all have it in equal measure. Barnabas had an extra measure of encouragement in his spiritual DNA. Though some have the gift in a special way, Paul exhorted all believers to be about the work of encouraging others when he wrote: “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). All saints can grow in this area by observing those particularly gifted in encouragement.

What can we learn from Barnabas to encourage us to become more able encouragers? What characterizes the life of an encourager? Here are five characteristics of an encourager that we see in the life of Barnabas (hint: a character study of the man will reveal many more):

1. Encouragers Give Sacrificially. Acts 4:37 records that Barnabas sold a field and brought the proceeds to the apostles’ feet. We know little of his background, but this much is clear, he knew that Jesus had given his own life sacrificially to save him. Out of a grateful heart he wanted to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and give of himself for the glory of God and because he loved people. To be an encourager is costly to self. It may not involve giving monetarily, strictly speaking. It may mean giving of your gasoline, giving of your time, or giving of your energy. But you will always have to give of yourself to encourage others.
2. Encouragers Draw Others Into Ministry. Barnabas saw that Paul was distrusted by the believers in Jerusalem after his conversion (Acts 9:26-28). He embraced Paul because he knew Jesus had embraced him first. Later, after Paul’s time in the wilderness, Barnabas was once again the man to draw Paul back into ministry (Acts 11:25-26). He also drew his cousin, John Mark, into ministry (Acts 12:25). We can surmise that there were many others he influenced in the same way. Do you pull others in alongside you in your areas of ministry? Encouragers do.
3. Encouragers See the Grace of God. Barnabas went to the new church in Antioch. No doubt, there were many people who weren’t fully sanctified there yet. Perhaps they were having trouble finding places to meet or struggled to find childcare solutions during Bible studies, faced financial challenges, sin in the lives of believers, imperfect theology, and squabbles between people. Yet, when Barnabas walked in, Acts 11:23 says he: “saw the grace of God” and he was glad. Is the grace of God the first thing you see each day in the life of your spouse, your children, or others in your church? Do you rejoice in it? Do others know you rejoice in it? Or do you manage to see and comment on whatever is wrong in a given situation or person? It takes people, like Barnabas, who are full of the Holy Spirit and of faith (Acts 11:24) to see first and foremost what God is doing. Then they are able to encourage others to continue in the faith (Acts 14:22).
4. Encouragers Tell Stories. They tell stories of grace just as Barnabas is recorded as doing in Acts 14:27, 15:3, and 15:12. Have you ever noticed how a child’s eyes light up when you tell others a story about that child’s accomplishments? They are encouraged to know you thought so much of the way they hit the ball or played the piano. When we rehearse accounts of the grace of God, the recipients of that particular expression of grace are encouraged, as well as all of God’s people who hear it. Walt Disney introduced his television series of Francis Marion in the late 1950s by saying that the story of Marion had been told around a thousand campfires. Americans still love stories, but I daresay that we have left too much story-telling to Hollywood and have lost the art personally. Have you told a story of the grace of God to someone else today? People love stories. We ought to be a people with a thousand stories to tell – stories of grace exhibited in our lives and in the lives of others. Most of all, we must be ready to tell the story of salvation found in God’s word.
5. Encouragers Expect God to Change People. Paul, who had been so encouraged by Barnabas before, was unwilling to call John Mark back alongside them for a second missionary journey because Mark had bailed out part way through the first (Acts 15:36-40). Mark had been a failure. Barnabas knew that acutely. But he trusted God and believed that God would change Mark. Paul and Barnabas parted ways and Barnabas took Mark while Paul took Silas. The end of the story emerges in Colossians 4:10 and 1 Timothy 4:11 when Paul, near the end of his life, wrote: “Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.” But that is only the end of the story in the immediate sense. The story continues in that we continue to glorify God for his work of changing Mark through Barnabas. Encouragers do not write others off after one failure; they help them back to their feet and trust the God of grace. The result? Lives are changed forever, the church is changed forever, and Jesus Christ is glorified forever.

But here’s the thought that filled my heart with joy: this is how Jesus is building his kingdom. This is how the gospel overtakes the world. While nations rage and kings rebel against Him, Jesus is winning His world to Himself in the most common, least extraordinary ways possible. Through quiet, Bible-saturated conversations at coffee shops. Through very short, very plain times of family worship. Through sleepy sermons. Through prayers no one else will ever know about.

Gather your weapons, stir up your revolutions. Grit your teeth and look mean. You can never beat a king who wins with his pawns.

As I got in line to board the plane in Indianapolis to Chicago, I heard my named called out and turned around to see Aaron.  Two nights before, our congregation had held a special dinner to raise further support for Aaron’s five-month mission trip to S. Sudan, where he was to join with our Cush4Christ team.  That night we had discussed that we were both leaving on Friday, but in my absentmindedness I could not recall my flight time and thought I was leaving much later than he was. Yet here we were both on the same plane and sitting  just a few rows from each other.  As we parted at O’Hare, I told Aaron this was a reminder to both of us that “the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

On my return flight from NC to Chicago, I was seated by a man who, though he was dressed casually, ended up being a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force stationed on a Pacific island.  As we talked, I discovered he was a fellow Tarheel, of Scottish descent, a Presbyterian, and, most importantly, a sincere believer.  An incredibly intelligent and well-read man of history (he had a copy of 1453 he was working on), I thoroughly enjoyed our discussion that ranged from island living to Asian tensions to the Muslim conflict to predestination to raising children for the Lord.  The flight went by quickly.

Then in the Chicago airport I met with my second delay in two days.  The day before it had been a malfunctioning deicer that caused us to have to disembark and, after nearly two hours, board another plane.  The second two-hour delay was due to their need to replace a wheel on the aircraft.  Yet even delays could not spoil this trip.  As I sat on the floor in the crowded gate, a man across from me looked familiar.  I ventured the question, “Are you John Branyan?”  He replied in the affirmative.  Somewhere a few weeks prior, someone had drawn my attention to the video below where John, a comedian, does a brilliant rendition of the Three Little Pigs in Shakespearean-style English.   So I had a great time getting to know him, and even found out in the process he lives in Kokomo.

Who knows?  If this keeps up, I may even start to like traveling.

The book of Galatians challenges the fluffy, feel good Christianity of our day; the type of Christianity known only in terms of calendars with majestic images with uplifting verses; the kind of Christianity equated with bright smiles and neatly kept hair; the kind of Christianity that courteously steps to the side of pluralism or remains quiet in the arena of ideas; the kind of Christianity that would never ever kill a wolf, say a sharp word, or dare offend another.

Galatians is no such book.  It is genuine Christianity.  And as such, it shows us the sanctity, and by extension, the preciousness of the Gospel.

What Makes Paul Livid?       

Imagine the apostle Paul sitting in his study, praying and reading Scripture.  There’s a soft knock on his chamber door.  It’s a messenger with news from Galatia.  Paul thanks the man, turns, unrolls the scroll and begins to read.  His face immediately grows serious.  Upon finishing, he turns back to his desk, rubs his forehead and lets out long frustrated sigh.  The apostle looks upset, if not irritated.  After a period of silence, he prays for what seems like a very long time.  Rising up, he unrolls a parchment, prepares his pen and begins to write.

“Paul… to the churches of Galatia…”

What irritates an apostle?  Does news of sexual immorality fire him up?  Certainly (1 Cor 5).  Does division?  Oh, yes.  Sloppy worship services?  Sure.  But listen, if you really want to fire Paul up, I mean if you really want to get his blood boiling, tamper with the Gospel.  Pervert it.  Twist it.  That, dear reader, unhinges him.

This is seen most plainly in the book of Galatians.  And by adopting our particular methodology, there are a number of insights to be gained by considering the letter to the Galatians as a letter.

How Serious the Tone?

We can gauge the strength of Paul’s passion for the fundamentals of the Gospel by considering a number of points.  Firstly, note the opening verses of Galatians.  Something is missing; something crucial is absent.  In the vast majority of his letters, Paul opens with words of encouragement.  He often highlights the excellent qualities of their faith.  In addition, he openly expresses his thankfulness to God for them, saying, in one way or another, “I thank God for you always in my prayers.”  Even the Corinthians— yes, the chaotic and worldly Corinthians! –receive a warm welcome (1:1-9).

But where is the warmth in the introduction of Galatians?  Yes, Paul opens with some lofty theological truths, but there is little to no hint of pastoral warmth.  Rather he immediately plunges into a scathing indictment.  He says,

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel– not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”  (Gal 1:6-9)

Note Paul’s astonishment.  What amazes Paul?  People forsaking the Gospel?  Not exactly.  He knows there will be some who will walk away.  Rather, he is astonished at how quickly they are deserting Christ.  It’s as if the Galatians are the Israelites waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain.  “Moses is gone, let’s make a golden calf!”

So, yes, Paul is upset and shocked.

We also see his emotions bursting forth elsewhere.  Consider a few examples:

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” (Gal 3:1)

“Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”  (Gal 3:3)

“I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!”  (Gal 5:12)

I think the lesson here is this: There are times when it is right and appropriate to speak sharply.  And if Galatians teaches us anything, it shows us that when the Gospel is being perverted, and especially when that perversion is coming from lips of false teachers, the situation warrants a strong hand.  If we were to stand in the shoes of the Galatians and imagine ourselves receiving this letter personally, we would feel its sting.  It would hit us in the gut.  It would be a mistake, therefore, to act as if the core tenets of the Gospel are negotiable.  And by extension, it would be a mistake to suppose that we should act the part of Christian stoics, as if we shouldn’t feel passionate about the truth; as if we should never express those feelings or express moral outrage and astonishment when that truth is being genuinely threatened.  Paul didn’t.  So neither should we.

But!  But let us be sure that the situation warrants a strong voice.  Paul didn’t have a suspicion about the Galatians, he knew they were flirting with heresy.  And the Galatians weren’t simply in error about a peripheral (even peripherally important) issue, but the very core of the Gospel was threatened.  Paul didn’t suspect a problem.  He knew there was a problem.  Let us likewise be sufficiently informed before setting off a nuke.  And let us be careful to major on the majors and minor on the minors. [Oh, how the Reformed would do well to heed this point.  One need only think of the various theological skirmishes over the past century.  Why do so many tertiary issues get ratcheted up to near a Gospel denying status?  Is God’s knowledge analogical or univocal (Think Clark vs. Van Til)?  Is that subject important?  Well, sure, no doubt it is in its own way.  But should that lead to a split?  Surely not.  Should that controversy elicit language like that which is found in Galatians?  May it never be!]

Call out the Error

Two more points.  First, Paul calls out the false teacher(s) (1:7; 4:17; 5:10, 12; 6:12-13).  He not only points a finger directly at them, thereby showing that he has backbone, but secondly, he directly addresses their error and calumny.  Given Paul’s extended defense of his life and calling (1:11-2:10), as well as his flatly denying that he’s a man-pleaser (1:10; 5:11; 6:14), it’s evident that the false teachers were attacking Paul’s credentials and motives.  But Paul has none of this.  He refutes the claims with evidence and logic.

He also tackles the heresy head on.  A large portion of Galatians is tied up with this (Chapters 2-4).  Here Paul unleashes a number of theological and redemptive historical arguments designed to overturn their view.  He writes forcefully and convincingly.  The idea is to not merely knock down the heresy, but to shame and persuade the Galatians in the process- those brothers and sisters whom Paul is spiritually unsure about (4:11, 20; 5:4, 7). [That being said, he also voices hope (5:10)].

It would seem, therefore, incumbent for us to not only denounce false teachers (which is easy enough), but to convincingly refute their errors.  This requires an adept knowledge of the Scriptures.  But it is more than that.  Our refutations of heresy should be evangelistic, so to speak.  We aim for our audience to understand us.  We want them to be persuaded of the error.  It would be nice if the false teachers repented, but our focus is on the sheep.  Here it’s worth observing that the NT doesn’t appear to be simply concerned with heresy in the abstract, but rather, the NT demonstrates a deep and profound concern for the sanctity of the church.  In other words, the apostles bear their claws when the church is being threatened.  They are concerned about the people under their care.  As such, they don’t write for academic applause, but for ecclesial, sanctified purposes.  They want to see people walk with Christ in truth.  This explains why emotions cannot be divorced from confrontation.  Passion is inevitable.

Concluding Thoughts

When we fly over Galatians and try to see the big picture, it’s quite evident that there are times for sharp words.  But unlike theological message boards, where conversations almost always degrade into serious name calling (and over trivialities), Galatians teaches us what really causes an apostle to grow fierce.  The sole salvific sufficiency of Christ, understood especially in terms of the doctrine of justification, within the clear redemptive historical shifts of salvation history, are of premier importance.  And when this is genuinely threatened, and especially when it concerns those near us or under our care, it’s time to speak bluntly and even sharply.

You might want to check out the following message by Mark Driscoll, a modern day Luther in certain lingual respects:  “How Sharp the Controversy? Christ, Controversy, and Cutting Words.   You can find it here.

And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for… 2 John 1:6-8

The goal of this “postcard epistle” is to guard the elect lady and her children (v. 1) from those who were coming to them with a different gospel (v. 10). Sort of like those government programs that teach the elderly how to spot the scammers and frauds. What caught my eye was the connection between v. 6 (“walk in obedient love/loving obedience”) and v. 7 (“the heretics are coming!”). What connection is John making between these two ideas? Simply: those who obey the great commandments to love God and their neighbor will be protected against heresy.

Thus, to become a heretic, reading ancient or modern heretics isn’t required. There’s no need to find a way to twist the doctrine of the Trinity or the Incarnation. No, all you need to do is walk a path of disobedience to the great commandments of vertical and horizontal love. All you need to do is squelch your love for God. Don’t pursue Him, don’t pray passionately, don’ t dive headfirst into worship. And when you read the Bible, try your hardest not to get too excited, joyful, convicted or repentant.

If you manage to do that–let’s be honest, it’s not that hard–you’re ready to begin loving yourself more than others. Be sure to mask your selfishness well: continue to do good things for others but do it to prove something, maybe  to have something to hold over their heads. Certainly don’t pray for your enemies and try your hardest not to think about them made in the image of God or anything like that. Serve yourself instead. Make worship about you. Indulge your favorite sins just a little. Don’t go too fast–you might get a spiritual ice-cream headache (i.e., “conviction”) and end up repenting. The devil likes slow sin better.

If you’ve gotten this far, successfully setting a path opposite the law of love, just wait. Heresy will find you now. You’ve yeasted and kneaded the dough; just give it time to rise. Doubts about Jesus’ divinity, proud rebellion against the mystery of the Trinity or a pedantic focus on the so-called discrepancies of the Bible will begin to creep into your mind and heart. And some day in the future you’ll wake up and realize that you’ve made it: you’re a heretic now.

—-

Some take-away points:

-Just as all true theology tends toward love of God and neighbor, all heresy will tend toward hate. This may not be apparent at the first analysis but it will be painfully clear at the final one.

-Prayerful obedience to the law of love (i.e., the Ten Commandments or its summary in Mt. 22:37-39) is the best vaccine to heart-heresy. Studying good theology is great but only so far as it leads us to more love.

-At the heart of every sin and heresy is spiritual insanity and illogic. The mother of this insanity is pride, which blinds us to reality. The more we are led by pride, the more blind we’ll be to anything Satan or the world wants to throw at us.

Note: in the original article on the Super Bowl, the sub-point on  idolatry generated the bulk of the comments from readers. The following article addresses that topic specifically. Many readers have expressed interest in an article on sports and the use of the Lord’s Day. Dr. Holdeman has agreed to address that topic in a forthcoming post.

- James Faris

Maybe it is because sports have such a wonderful upside, that they present such a strong temptation to idolatry.  As Tim Keller writes in his book, Counterfeit Gods, “…the human heart takes good things like a successful career, love, material possessions, even family, and turns them into ultimate things.”  The problem is not sports; the problem is our proclivity for making sports ultimate things.  There would be little temptation to idolize sports and competition if there were not something truly attractive there.  One need look no further than the current Jeremy Lin story, which has captivated the imaginations of many sports enthusiasts around the world.  An unheralded bench warmer, who was sleeping on his brother’s couch and probably days away from being cut, got the opportunity to start at point guard for the New York Knicks.  Since he began starting for the underperforming Knicks, they are 7-1 and Lin, a Taiwanese American and professing Christian, who played college ball at Harvard, has averaged over 25 points a game and has become the sports story of the year.  Sports provide a forum for demonstrating courage, honor, selflessness, perseverance, patience, mental and physical toughness, teamwork, self sacrifice, and a host of other excellent qualities.  There are many good reasons for liking to watch and participate in sports.

The problem with so many of us, however, is we can easily become addicted to sports.  Actually, I believe we become addicted to winning.  Have you ever noticed how hard it is to watch any sporting event without choosing a team for which to root?  My daughters will walk into a room and see that I am watching a game and immediately ask, “Who do we want to win?”  Whether we are playing or watching, we enter into the competition and deep down we all know why we compete – to win.  In virtually every sport that I watch I have someone to cheer for: Manchester United in the Premier League, the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, the St Louis Cardinals in MLB, whoever is playing against the Miami Heat in the NBA, Indiana University in any college sport, the Schleck brothers in the Tour de France, whatever NFL team has a Manning on it, and the list goes on.  When my team wins, I am up, and when my team loses, I don’t feel so good.  One of my friends told me that his young son had finally solved this problem by announcing that he always cheers for whatever team is in the lead at any particular moment during a competition.  He can cheer and always win – even if he has to change sides throughout the game!

I think a good indication that our desire to win or a particular sport or sports team has become an idol for us is when our lives become tied to the ups and downs of our teams.  Idols always need to be fed and they tend to increasingly ask you to pay a higher and higher price.  How much time do you spend watching or playing sports?  What are you willing to sacrifice for your sport?  What effect does participating in or watching sports have on you?  What happens to your mood after a loss?  I have seen firsthand how the desire to win can lead to sinful compromise before, during, and after competition.  I recently saw an interview of Tim Tebow in which the interviewer expressed admiration for Tebow’s faith but deep concern that Tebow could say something to the effect that winning was not everything.

I played competitive sports through college.  At various times in my life I have competed in organized soccer, baseball, football, basketball, track, ice hockey, roller hockey, tennis, racquetball, distance running, and inner tube water polo (I was all-league).  I was a college soccer and ice hockey player.  I was the assistant coach of the top prep school hockey team in the country (at that time).  I coached a college ice hockey team (non-varsity) for 13 seasons and retired with a record of 251-116-20.  I love sports, and I especially love winning.  But I also know that I have faced a constant battle to keep sports from becoming an idol in my life.  As all idols do, sports eventually failed me, and it was at that point in my life that God brought me to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  My conversion while I was in college freed me in many ways from the bondage of trying to find meaning and purpose through success in sports.  But the struggle to keep sports in their proper place has continued.

During my years as a college hockey coach, I tried to honor God in the way I conducted myself.  I think, by His grace, I had some success in that.  But I can also look back and see how my desire to win often tempted me to make compromises that were not good.  Anyone coaching a sport at a high level faces incredible pressures.  Overwork, neglect of family, treating players like tools instead of people, anger (at players, officials, opponents, or simply at losing), pride, fear, and many other temptations were constantly knocking at my door.  I have been retired from coaching now for six years.  I look back on those years as some of the most rewarding but also some of the most taxing of my life.  I frankly do not know how anyone can coach at the major college or professional levels today without having to make dangerous compromises.  How can a Christian serve God faithfully in the family, the church, and the community while working 80+ hour weeks during large chunks of the year?  There simply are not enough hours in the day.

When you watch or play sports, appreciate them for what they are – games that allow us to enjoy ourselves and even to pursue excellence if we have special gifts.  We are called to do whatever we do as unto the Lord.  If your participation in sports is leading you to compromise in some way, you must consider whether or not it has become an idol in your life.  Paul says it very succinctly: “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).  The encouraging thing is that he says this in the context of reminding us of what enables us to do just that – the faithfulness of our God who does not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear.  As servants of Christ, let’s show the world how to play and watch without compromise so that Jesus will truly be honored in us.

The Freedom of the Regulative Principle–The regulative principle (that we do in worship only what God warrants, to the exclusion of everything else) has a PR problem. Maybe it’s in the name. Whatever the reason is, Kevin DeYoung’s article on the blessings of worship directed by God is spot on–read and take heart!

Sophie Blackall interview–I thoroughly enjoyed this short, quiet, lovely piece on New York artist Sophie Blackall’s project for the NYC subway. More of her work can be seen at her etsy store and on her blog of drawing her father’s stories. Certain to inspire the artists and doodlers alike.

I hope you’re reading David Murray’s blog regularly. It continues to be a source of encouragement. This post about Martin, the baby of Steven and Jamie Lee (founder of sermonaudio.com), was both moving and instructive: “We often feel like little Martin, don’t we. There are things in our lives we so want to be rid of and free from.” Here is the Lee’s wonderful blog.

In all the ruckus about evangelical sex lately, Ed Welch’s article “An Intrusion into the Christian Bedroom” strikes a wonderful note of clarity and Biblical wisdom: “So we aim for a sanctified sexual imagination, which means we are not aiming for the sexuality that we see in our culture. Instead, we find pleasure in exclusivity and openness.” (warning: obviously, this article isn’t for everyone! Don’t read if it doesn’t apply to you.)

Visual Theology: Tim Challies has been producing an arresting series of infographics that would make great posters for classrooms or church buildings. Check out (1) the order of salvation, (2) the attributes of God and (3) the books of the Bible. On a slightly lighter note, you’d probably enjoy “The Middle-Aged White Guy’s Guide to Christian Rap.”

That is precisely what Eric Metaxas did at the National Prayer Breakfast last week with President Obama in attendance.  It would be worth your time  to watch this 30 minute presentation (you can view it here) of how Metaxas gets thousands of people to reflect seriously on the issue of abortion.  See WORLD’s review “No Pious Baloney” or the National Review’s article “The President and the Prophet” to read how this talk has captured much more attention than the president’s own speech which followed.

Indeed, in aiming for hearts, perhaps the Lord will use Mr. Metaxas’ message to cause our president to examine his own.

Creationists often answer the question very directly and simply: the chicken came first. After all, God created the birds of the air on the fifth day of creation. They then laid eggs which hatched more chickens.

But, the biblical answer is better than either, as my friend Kit Swartz once showed me.

We are told in Genesis 1:11-13 that on the third day of creation:

“God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”

Notice that the plants and trees bore seed and fruit containing seed. God spoke and it was so, in one day.

God’s account of his work on the fifth day is parallel:

“And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.’ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day” (Genesis 1:20-23).

Just as God created mature plants that were already bearing their seed, so we see that the mature birds he created were ready to reproduce, that is, they were bearing their seed. Now we are ready to answer the age-old question:

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The answer? “Both: The chicken, with the egg in it.”

Now, if we could just get a little help on that other age-old question: “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

All Scripture quotations taken from the English Standard Version.

Whatever one may think of Douglas Wilson, these messages are superb (I for one think he wears a white hat, past controversy notwithstanding).

Message one can be found here.  Message two here.

Now if those two messages are part of the main course, don’t forget to dish up some dessert.  And for that you should dive headlong into the two hour long exchange between Pastor Wilson and Pastor Piper.  Similarities and differences in their philosophy of ministry are explored, Christian Hedonism is plumbed, and the subject of pleasure is discussed at great length.  For audio scavengers, it doesn’t get much better than this.  Dive in.  You can find it here.

Must Listen Factor: These are for men.  And they are close to must listens.

Length: The two talks are around an hour.  The dialogue is around two hours.

Difficulty: Moderate to Advanced.