"The Garage"

Last month a group of men met in "the garage" for part 3 of the series of biographical surveys by Pastor John Piper on (dead) men from church history. After feasting on breakfast burritos, courtesy of my wife Cyndie (thanks babe!), we listened to Piper go off on John Newton: The Tough Roots of His Habitual Tenderness(manuscript link)...and man-o-man, what a rich, full, Christ-exalting time we had together learning what the Word of God teaches about God and His grace and how to speak (and live) the truth in love as Ephesians 4.15 describes... let me tell ya, this hit the proverbial nail on the head!!
Here's a taste (although you gotta hear it preached):

It seems to me that we are always falling off the horse on one side or the other in this matter of being tough and tender—wimping out on truth when we ought to be lion-hearted, or wrangling with anger when we ought to be weeping. I know it's a risk to take up this topic and John Newton in a setting like this, where some of you need a good (tender!) kick in the pants to be more courageous, and others of you confuse courage with what William Cowper called "a furious and abusive zeal."[2] Oh how rare are the pastors who speak with a tender heart and have a theological backbone of steel.
I dream of such pastors. I would like to be one someday. A pastor whose might in the truth is matched by his meekness. Whose theological acumen is matched by his manifest contrition. Whose heights of intellect are matched by his depths of humility. Yes, and the other way around! A pastor whose relational warmth is matched by his rigor of study, whose bent toward mercy is matched by the vigilance of his biblical discernment, and whose sense of humor is exceeded by the seriousness of his calling.
I dream of great defenders of true doctrine who are mainly known for the delight they have in God and the joy in God that they bring to the people of God—who enter controversy, when necessary, not because they love ideas and arguments, but because they love Christ and the church.

We topped off our time with some meaningful discussion and prayer, bringing so much home with us to consider and pray about throughout the week! Time well spent.

On tap next month? John Calvin: The Divine Majesty of the Word
This biography is perhaps the most foundational one of the series, so if you can, consider coming on September 17. May God use these resources to blow us away! (Free CD for the asking...)
Peace in Christ...