2008 CCEF Annual Conference: The Addict in Us All
Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) Announces
2008 Annual Conference - The Addict in Us All
Addiction sounds ominous, and it is. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, and gambling tear families apart and ruin lives. But this conference is about more than the junkie scoring dope or the alcoholic hiding vodka around the house. Even the average person gets stuck in negative behavior patterns. Overeating, shopping, sexual temptation, people’s approval, even love…everyone struggles with something. And everyone faces moments of despair and thinking that change is not possible.
Is it possible to change longstanding behavior patterns? The faculty and counselors at CCEF believe that God can change the despairing and the stuck—no matter what they are struggling with. CCEF’s 2008 Annual Conference “The Addict in Us All” slated for November 14-16, 2008 at the Valley Forge Convention Center and November 13 Pre-Conference hopes to accurately represent what God says to stuck people and those who want to help them.
Keynote CCEF speakers and noted authors Drs. Ed Welch, David Powlison, and Tim Lane, along with Mars Hill Church Senior Pastor/ best selling author Mark Driscoll will lead the weekend to explore how God pursues those who have given up all hope for change. A team of experienced biblical counselors, including CCEF faculty, Dr. Mike Emlet and Winston Smith, will lead general sessions and special sessions on topics that include Addicted to “Yes”: The Approval Junkie; Addicted to Love; Teens and Addiction; and This Is Your Brain on Drugs.
We are delighted to have Keith and Kristyn Getty returning again this year to lead worship. The Gettys continue to tour the world promoting their album, In Christ Alone. www.gettymusic.com.
Since 1968, CCEF has set the pace in biblical counseling teaching people how to explore the wisdom and depth of the Bible and apply its grace-centered message to the problem of daily living.
For registration details visit www.ccef.org and click on “Annual Conference” or call 1-800-318-2186
UFC Welterweight: Oh Canada!
Canadian Georges St. Pierre defends his welterweight title vs. Jon Fitch in UFC 87
Face-Off at the Faith Forum
The following is a reproduction of the August 20 email edition of
850 WORDS OF RELEVANT: Face-Off at the Faith Forum
Rick Warren’s Southern California mega-church, Saddleback Church, has been a repository of surprises over the years. At his AIDS summit in 2006, Barak Obama was a featured speaker. In 2007, Hillary Clinton was. In 2008, Warren specifically invited gay fathers to attend father’s day church services and share a meal with the super-pastor. The stage was set to surprise once again on August 16 when, for the first time ever, the two presumptive Presidential nominees met at Saddleback to answer questions about faith and morality.
The goal of the nominees was no secret to anyone: capture the Christian vote that has traditionally gone Republican without reservation but in this election have remained undecided. With poll numbers running so tight, the religious vote could decide the election. If there were no votes to be gained by talking about faith, the candidates wouldn’t be doing it.
Questions centered on moral issues such as poverty and climate change, issues that didn’t seem to create much distance between the candidates. But things changed when Warren pressed them on the “big two”: abortion and same sex marriage.
When asked to define marriage, Obama appeared centrist. “It’s a union between a man and a woman,” he said. “For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union. God is in the mix.” Obama added that he does support civil unions for gay couples because civil rights should be afforded to others even if he doesn’t share their view. McCain played it safe and said that he would leave the decision up to individual States.
When asked when the candidates believed life began, McCain blurted out “conception” without hesitation. Obama seemed to spin things a little bit. While he said he supports Roe vs. Wade and has always been pro-choice, the goal should be to reduce the number of abortions in America.
“What I can do is say, are there ways we can work together to reduce unwanted pregnancies,” he said. Obama never answered the question.
The Reason for Our Hope
Tonight at Care Groups, we did something that we wouldn’t normally do. While having a lengthy discussion on this morning’s sermon on Galatians 1:1-5, evangelism and gospel proclamation, one of our members brought up the idea of immediately going out to share the gospel.
And so, with unanimous agreement, we went out to the U of L campus to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelievers. It was a great experience that we all needed more of, to step out of our comfort zones, to step up to our own personal fears, and to tell people about the reason for our hope.
13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17)
Do pray for Torrence and Ryan — two sophomore students at U of L who desperately need the gospel of Jesus Christ to save them from their sin.
To blog and Not to blog
Things I will be blogging about this semester:
- The Pentateuch and Historical Literature in the Old Testament
- 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude
- Pneumatology
- Eschatology
Things I will not be blogging about this semester:
- Dating / courtship / relationships
- The Christian and Missionary Alliance (my previous denominational affiliation)
If you've suggestions to add to these two lists, feel free to comment;-)
Book Review & Response: War of Words (Paul David Tripp)
The following is a Book Review and Response of
Tripp, Paul David. War of Words. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2000. 245pp. $14.99.
Copyright © 2008 by Alex S. Leung. All rights reserved.
I. What I’ve Learned
In Paul David Tripp’s War of Words, the biblical counselor addresses one of the most difficult issues in all of counseling: the struggle of communication. Since our God is a speaking God and the Lord of language, he has given us the ability to speak and communicate through words. However, it is necessary to grasp that words do not belong to us but rather God, and for this very reason, our words are to be regulated by God’s word as found in the Holy Bible. On this foundation, Tripp teaches us a few important truths that we ought to embrace in this war of words. For myself, I was reminded about the idolatry of words, the purpose of words, and the choice of words.
The Idolatry of Words
Because we live in a fallen world where the presence of sin is still prevalent, we must admit that there is a war for our words. How is this possible, except that we know that we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces that fill the heavenly realms (39). To get at the heart of the struggle in words is not to find better techniques or methods of communication, but to address the deeper – the deepest – issue behind the things that we say to each other, namely our heart (54-56). For as children of God, we know that it is from the heart that our true desires are revealed. When we say things that are hurtful and unhelpful, we ought to see the heart problem that belies such sin, because in such situations are we given the opportunity and occasion for our true hearts to reveal themselves.
The question thus becomes, What is ruling our hearts and our desires? Is it God, or something else? The truth of the matter is that an “idolatrous heart will produce idol words (56).” Fights and quarrels ensue when we want something and we do not get it from; happiness and appreciation, on the other hand, ensue when others help us get what we want. Tripp admits that with such a mindset, “human conflict is rooted in spiritual adultery (59)” but the beauty of the gospel is in that it gives us a new heart that is no longer slave to the desires of the flesh. I myself am reminded by this very gospel truth, that there should be a consequent change in my behavior, thoughts and motives. (more…)
Book Review & Response: A Quest For More (Paul David Tripp)
The following is a Book Review and Response of
Tripp, Paul David. A Quest For More.
Greesnsboro, NC: New Growth Press, 2007. 210pp. $15.99.
Copyright © 2008 by Alex S. Leung. All rights reserved.
I. What I’ve Learned
In Paul David Tripp’s A Quest For More, the acclaimed biblical counselor, lecturer, and pastor writes a convincing testimony about the universal journey for “more” in life. He navigates through the depths of human heart to unlock what it means to live for the big kingdom of God instead of the little kingdom of self. Instead of writing an exegetical exposition concerning “kingdom” passages or a systematic theology about the “Kingdom of God”, Tripp combines his Nouthetic counseling experience and pastoral insights to form a simple but sanctifying book that meditates on what Christ Jesus truly meant when he called his disciples to seek first his kingdom.
In review of what I have learned from this book, I shall arrange my thoughts into three categories taken from the book: the War of Kingdoms, the Center and Focus, and the Hopeful Satisfaction.
1) The War of Kingdoms
One significant truth that I have learned is about the War of Kingdoms. We are a people who were never made to live for ourselves or the world that we find ourselves in, but on the contrary, we are a people that have been made for transcendence, for “more”, as Tripp beautifully put it. Innate in mankind is a desire to make a difference with our lives, to be part of something big. But the sad part of the story is that because of the sin the saturates our nature, permeates our flesh, and enslaves our hearts and minds, our lives become self-focused instead of God-focused, little kings who rule a little kingdom instead letting the big King to rule his Big kingdom. How can this be, for God has placed in us a desire for transcendence, and made us live for more than ourselves! Consider Tripp’s own words as he reveals to us of our sin:
We were meant to do more than make sure that all our needs are fulfilled and all our desires are satisfied. We were never meant to be self-focused little kings ruling miniscule little kingdoms with a population of one. […] It is a fundamental denial of your humanity to narrow the size of your life to the size of your own existence, because you were created to be an above and “more” being. You were made to be transcendent. (16-17)
Our transcendence is tied directly to the glory of God. More than that, this transcendent glory that we all desire finds its end and purpose in the person of God in Christ. This is a kind of glory that conforms to a lifestyle of stewardship of God’s creation, community among the people of God and love for the truth of God as found in his divinely inspired Scriptures. However, “in a fallen world there is a powerful pressure to constrict your life to the shape and size of your life. There is a compelling tendency to forget who you are and who you are made for” (22).
While sin may cause us to talk about more and only settle for less, this is the very purpose for which God sent his Son – our Redeemer – to earth. Through the justifying and adopting sacrifice of Christ on the cross in our place and for our sins, the LORD has restored us to the God glory that should be central to everything we are and all that we do. Through the atoning blood of Jesus, God has rescued us from a life glories only in our own lives and personal concerns – he has delivered us into a life of Light that lives with him, for him, and through him.
This is the essence of the war of kingdoms: the kingdom of man and of this world has continually been in conflict with the kingdom of heaven and of God (50). By the grace of God, our old way of living for earth-bound treasures and anxiety-bound needs has been miraculously transformed into a new way of living – a life that is “driven by a focus on the transcendent glories of God’s big kingdom purposes (58).” (more…)
Memoirs of a Former Lead Worshiper
Back in January 2004, I took an “indefinite sabbatical” from worship leading. I had been leading music at church since I was a teenaged Christian — since around 1996 — when my home church moved into our own building and started having worship services in English.
If I recall correctly, the sabbatical period lasted about 6 months. I was cleaning my room at home when I was back in Toronto earlier this May, and I found the old journal entry that recorded the thoughts that lead up to the sabbatical. I also recall the issues at hand that lead to the much leaded time of reflection: the congregation I lead 1-2 times/month had lost the meaning of true biblical worship, and the things we sang became only lip-service to a God who certainly deserved a people who carried their crosses.
I had been passionately leading and shepherding the congregation through music with little notice from the pastoral staff for 7 years. In the months (and years) that lead up to my sabbatical, I remember pushing for a deeper spiritual depth in all that we sang, being very frustrated with the music ministry itself. For it didn’t seem like it was growing or maturing in terms of life worship. I was not physically or emotionally drained from leading every month, but I was frustrated about the where all my efforts to direct the teams I lead: nowhere.
Here is the journal entry: (more…)
North America’s Busiest Freeway: Highway 401
Yesterday afternoon, there were some major explosions at a massive propane distribution plant back home in Toronto which led to a shutdown of a chunk of the city’s northwest corner and the evacuation of thousands of residents, many of them elderly. A significant area of the city was closed down for most of Sunday afternoon and evening, shutting down part of the city’s transit system (TTC) and large section of North America’s busiest freeway, the Highway 401 (aka Macdonald-Cartier Freeway / Highway of Heroes).
Whenever the 401 is closed for any amount of time, whether a large or small section of it, it is a cause for concern? Why? Because the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)’s economy is so dependent on the highway. Check out this article which explains the problem: (more…)
What He Must Be… If He Wants to Marry My Daughter
What He Must Be: …If He Wants to Marry My Daughter
ISBN-10: 1581349300
ISBN-13: 9781581349306
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 224
Expected: Feb 28, 2009
All parents want their daughters to marry godly young men. But which qualities, specifically, should they be looking for?
What will you say when that certain young man sits down in your living room, sweaty-palmed and tongue-tied, and asks your permission to marry your daughter? What criteria should he meet before the two of them join together for life? What He Must Be… If He Wants to Marry My Daughter outlines ten qualities parents should look for in a son-in-law, including trustworthiness, a willingness to lead his family, an understanding of his wife’s role, and various spiritual leadership qualities.
Author Voddie Baucham follows up on his popular book Family Driven Faith with this compelling apologetic of biblical manhood. By studying the principles outlined in his book, parents who want their daughter to marry a godly man—as well as those who want their sons to become godly men—will be well equipped to help their children look for and develop these God-honoring qualities.
Should You Pass on Bad Reports? (Tim Keller and David Powlison)
Should You Pass on Bad Reports?
by Tim Keller & David Powlison
One obvious genius of the internet is that it’s “viral.” Information explodes to the whole world. The old neighborhood grapevine and the postal service seem like ox-carts in a speed-of-light universe. (Do twenty-somethings even know what those antiquities once were? In the old days, people had to talk to each other or stick a stamp on an envelope.) Instantaneous transmission produces some wonderfully good things. Truth, like joy, is infectious. A great idea feeds into a million inboxes. But it also produces some disastrous evils. Lies, rumors, and disinformation travel just as far and just as fast.
So what should you do when you hear “bad reports” about a person or church or ministry? We want to offer a few thoughts on how to remain constructive. To paraphrase Ephesians 4:29, “Let no unwholesome words come out of your computer, but only what is constructive, in order to meet the need of the moment, that what you communicate will give grace to everyone who ever reads it.” That Greek word translated “unwholesome” is sapros. It means something that is inedible, either devoid of nutritional value or rotten and even poisonous. It applies to thorny briars or to fish or fruit that’s gone bad. At best, it’s of no benefit to anyone. At worst, it’s sickening and destructive. Consider three things in how to stay constructive.
What Does James Say about Passing Along Bad Reports? (more…)
Creation Museum: Photos Galore!
Here are the photos of my recent trip to the Creation Museum, near Cincinnati.
Click here for a slideshow of all the photos! For the lazy ones, here’s a few thumbnails to whet your appetite 
Why capitalize? The story of me, yself and I
Article in the New York Times, by Caroline Winter. Published: August 3, 2008
Why do we capitalize the word “I”? There’s no grammatical reason for doing so, and oddly enough, the majuscule “I” appears only in English.
Consider other languages: some, like Hebrew, Arabic and Devanagari-Hindi, have no capitalized letters, and others, like Japanese, make it possible to drop pronouns altogether. The supposedly snobbish French leave all personal pronouns in the unassuming lowercase, and Germans respectfully capitalize the formal form of “you” and even, occasionally, the informal form of “you,” but would never capitalize “I.” Yet in English, the solitary “I” towers above “he,” “she,” “it” and the royal “we.” Even a gathering that includes God might not be addressed with a capitalized “you.”
The word “capitalize” comes from “capital,” meaning “head,” and is associated with importance, material wealth, assets and advantages. We have capital cities and capital ideas. We give capital punishment and accrue political, social and financial capital. And then there is capitalism, which is linked to private ownership, markets and investments. These words shore up the towering single letter that signifies us as discrete beings and connote confidence, dominance and the ambition to pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.
England is where the capital “I” first reared its dotless head. In Old and Middle English, when “I” was still “ic,” “ich” or some variation thereof — before phonetic changes in the spoken language led to a stripped-down written form — the first-person pronoun was not majuscule in most cases. The generally accepted linguistic explanation for the capital “I” is that it could not stand alone, uncapitalized, as a single letter, which allows for the possibility that early manuscripts and typography played a major role in shaping the national character of English-speaking countries.
Read the rest of this intriguing article on the capitalization of the pronoun “I” in the New York Times.
Shall Christians date unbelievers who have good morals?
Shall Christians date unbelievers who have good morals?
Consider the following recent comment by Nancy in an old post concerning Christians dating non-Christians:
But what if the person is non-christian, but at the same time as good morals and doesn’t pressure you into things? Are they still grouped together with every other non-christian out there? I mean just because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ and God doesn’t mean they are a bad person. So even if this person is as good and kind as a christian, because they are a non-christian we can’t date them?
The original post and quote is extensive enough to answer this question, but I did respond to Nancy’s question.
I am unsure about whether or not Nancy is a born-again believer or not, but it is sad to think that there are numerous Christians who do think this way and would ask similar questions. To many Christians, this issue is not black and white, and thus it is even scarier to ponder what they believe about what Scripture teaches about homosexual behavior and abortion.
May responses like this encourage us in our evangelism and gospel proclamation, to be motivated to make plain how different and radical gospel living is, to be be compelled by the love of Christ for us to live more faithfully to His Word.
For other posts on this issue of Christians dating unbelievers, see also
Hermeneutics 101
Hermeneutics (hur-muh-noo-tiks) n. [Grk.]: the craft of interpreting Scripture
7 Questions to Ask Every Passage
- Who is the author and who is his audience?
- Why is the author writing and what is his burden for his audience?
- How does this verse connect to the rest of the chapter and the book the
whole storyline of the Bible? - What does the language of the passage highlight and draw attention to?
(e.g., parallels, word pictures, specific details, repetitive words/phrases) - What does this reveal about the nature of God and the nature of
mankind? - How does this passage reveal our need for a Savior and Godʼs
disposition to provide a Savior? - What response or action does this passage call for?
From New Attitude 2008
