Last October a group of 138 muslim clerics compiled a quite lengthy document entitled, “A Common Word Between Us and You” (available here), in which they outlined what they believed to be some core common ground between Christianity and Islam. In response to this open letter The Yale Divinity School’s Center for Faith and Culture put together another document: “Loving God and Neighbor Together: A Christian Response to A Common Word Between Us and You” (available here), which was endorsed by over 300 Christian leaders including Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, Brian McLaren and others.

In this post I have included some comments of my own about one aspect of these documents, as well as an embedded video by John Piper which accurately and passionately expresses what our thinking and response to such statements ought to be. I’ve also included a link to an article by Piper about how Christians ought to relate to people of other faiths.

I hope you find these resources helpful in building discernment and gospel-centered thinking for your life and ministry. Click here for the whole article, video, and links.

Some weeks ago, Pastor Craig preached a couple of sermons on God’s ingredients for a grace filled life, and drew a comparison to the views of author and preacher Joel Osteen, along with some comments in his best-selling book, Your Best Life Now. As this video reveals very clearly, Osteen is notoriously “safe” (and sadly heretical) by avoiding making any negative comments about the faith and beliefs of Mormons in general, and Mitt Romney in particular.

See more of my comments on this sad interview here …

Brian

I have been reading Wayne Mack’s book on prayer, Reaching the Ear of God. I recommend it. As I was reading recently I ran across this extended quote that outlines the horrors of the crucifixion as a proof of how serious sin is, and how God views all sin as an abomination. This excerpt is from pages 248-249.

…sin is serious because of what Christ had to do to remove it. In order for our sins to be forgiven, Jesus Christ had to be born a man, had to experience abuse and mistreatment throughout his life, and then had to die a cruel death on a cross…

Read on for the rest of this horrifying, yet encouraging, description of Christ’s death on behalf of men…

Last week, I discussed the apostle Paul’s exhortation to walk in a manner worthy of the gospel, and I tried to show this exhortation includes an appeal to live a local-church-centered life. A life that shows the worth and value of the gospel is a life centered on the local church. You could say it this way: If your life is gospel-centered then it must be local-church-centered. Let me tell you what I mean with several practical, pointed statements:

• If you aren’t a part of a local church, you are not living a life worthy of the gospel. You are making the gospel look cheap.
• If you aren’t characterized by meeting the material and spiritual needs of members of your local church, you are not living a life worthy of the gospel. You are making the gospel look cheap.
• If you are not emotionally involved with members of your local church, you are not living a life worthy of the gospel. You are making the gospel look cheap.
• If you treat the members of your local church the same way you treat your co-workers and neighbors, you are not living a life worthy of the gospel. You are making the gospel look cheap.

A gospel-centered life must be a local-church-centered life. Click here to read more…

We are giving to help a Christian brother, Ken Mick, Jr., get a new kidney. Ken is a pastor at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Savoy, MA. He has a wife and 4 children. He has Polycystic Kidney Disease and needs our help! Rich Thorburn, a friend of mine and fellow member of my church, has volunteered to give one of his kidneys to Ken, but that puts Rich out of a job for at least a month. We need to help Rich so he can help Ken. Let’s do it!

So far, we have…click here to see !