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The journal journey

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If you’re familiar with Logos Bible Software, you’ve probably heard at some point about their massive Theological Journal Library, published by Galaxie Software. This set is now up to 10 volumes, which would cost thousands of dollars in the equivalent print editions and would take up 75 feet of shelf space!

I’ve been a fan of the Journal Library for several years, and have been purchasing each new volume as they become available. I have used it many times to do searches by Scripture reference, but also feel like I’ve barely begun to tap into its full potential.

To help change this, I have an idea for a new reading club called the “Journal Journey.” I will select one article from a theological journal each month to read and discuss on this blog. For our first month together, we’ll read the following:

Mare, W. Harold. “Guiding Principles for Historical Grammatical Exegesis.” Grace Journal 14/3 (Fall 1973): 14-25.

This article by Professor Mare is listed on Dr. Bill Barrick’s “Past Periodical Punch” reading list, and since it deals with basic principles of Bible study and exegesis, I think it’s the perfect place to start. Just read the article in the next few weeks, and I will blog on it the first week in December.

If you would like to obtain a copy of this article to read along and join the discussion, there are several ways you can get it:

Here’s a listing of all the journals included in the Journal Library, Volumes 1-10:

  • Ashland Theological Journal (Volumes 1-37)
  • Bibliotheca Sacra (Volumes 91-163)
  • Bible and Spade (Volumes 1-12, 1-13)
  • Chafer Theological Seminary Journal (Volumes 1-12)
  • Christian Apologetics Journal (Volumes 1-5)
  • Conservative Theological Journal (Volumes 1-10)
  • Conspectus (Volumes 1-3)
  • Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal (Volumes 1-11)
  • Emmaus Journal (Volumes 1-14)
  • Faith and Mission (Volumes 1-23)
  • Global Journal (Volumes 1-2)
  • Grace Journal (Volumes 1-14)
  • Grace Theological Journal (Volumes 1-12)
  • Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Volumes 1-11)
  • Journal of Christian Apologetics (Volumes 1-2)
  • Journal of Dispensational Theology (Volume 10)
  • Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society (Volumes 9-49)
  • Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society (Volumes 1-19)
  • Journal of Ministry and Theology (Volumes 1-10)
  • Masters Seminary Journal (Volumes 1-15)
  • Michigan Theological Journal (Volumes 1-5)
  • Reformation and Revival (Volumes 1-13)
  • Reformed Baptist Theological Review (Volumes 1-3)
  • Review and Expositor (Volumes 70-103)
  • Southern Baptist Journal of Theology (Volumes 1-10)
  • Trinity Journal (Volumes 1-26)
  • Westminster Theological Journal (Volumes 1-68)

By the way, Volume 11 just went on sale in the last week. This costs $50 and will be an add-on to the other 10 volumes.

Uncategorized

A practical thinker

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I just ran a “Typealyzer” analysis of my blog, and it labels me as a “Mechanic” who is a “practical thinker.” Here’s my profile:

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Hey! I guess church life is pretty fun, adventurous, and risky stuff! Being a pastor is a high and challenging calling, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

It’s also interesting to see how some of my favorite bloggers rate in the Typealyzer test:

Al Mohler – a thinker (no surprise there!)
Justin Taylor – a thinker
Tim Challies – a thinker
Logos blog – a guardian
Michael Hyatt – a mechanic
Walter Price – an idealist
David Sqyres – an idealist
Bret Capranica – a duty fulfiller
Jessica Pham – a performer

Culture

Benefits of a recession

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Tired of all the bad economic news? Michael Hyatt shares ten benefits of a recession:

  1. It causes you to get more creative.
  2. It forces you to make the tough decisions.
  3. It thins out the competition.
  4. It makes you realize you can’t take anything for granted.
  5. It reminds you that real wealth isn’t about the stuff you own.
  6. It fosters out-of-the-box thinking.
  7. It makes it easier to abandon business-as-usual.
  8. It brings you back to the basics.
  9. It accelerates change.
  10. It causes you to be less wasteful.

That’s a positive way of looking at it! On the other hand, if the government keeps bailing every industry out, we are going to lose some of these corrective measures that the free market will naturally take.

Several of these benefits apply to the church as well. While I don’t “enjoy” these tough economic times, it has caused our church to become better stewards of what we have, and to think creatively about how to do ministry in the most effective way possible. For example, we switched from color bulletins to black-and-white, and installed window unit air conditioners in our offices that saved us hundreds of dollars this summer. If our budget hadn’t been tight, we may not have made these simple, cost effective changes.

Culture

In God we do not trust

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Last Tuesday, Mark Driscoll offered some excellent thoughts on the Presidential election. Without realizing it, Americans are longing for a savior who will atone for their sins, and they are yearning for a king who will keep them safe from terror.

Here’s an excerpt:

People are longing for Jesus, and tragically left voting for mere presidential candidates. For those whose candidate wins today there will be some months of groundless euphoric faith in that candidate and the atoning salvation that their kingdom will bring. But, in time, their supporters will see that no matter who wins the presidency, they are mere mortals prone to sin, folly, and self-interest just like all the other sons of Adam and daughters of Eve…

The conclusion for pastors:

…I would encourage all preachers to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and repentance of personal sin. He alone can truly atone for our sins. He alone can deliver us from a real hell. He alone is our sinless and great King. And, he alone has a Shalom kingdom to offer.

You can read the whole article here.

HT: Luke MacDonald

Shepherding

Inland Empire Meeting

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In church life, meetings are necessary (I’ll refrain from calling them a “necessary evil”). But we should never have meetings just for the sake of having meetings; time is too precious. And as much as possible, leaders should try not to make meetings long and boring.

Meetings, like every other aspect of church ministry, are an opportunity to worship God. They should be conducted joyfully, peacefully, and for the purpose of edification. And I believe this was accomplished at the Inland Empire Association annual meeting last week.

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, I and another family from our church attended the annual meeting for our Southern Baptist region. Here are three things I appreciated:

  1. Hospitality. This year’s meeting was hosted by First Baptist Church (Primera Iglesia Bautista) of Moreno Valley. This church did a fantastic job of showing Christian hospitality. Young and old were working side-by-side to serve all the guests. No detail was overlooked. Parking lot attendants waved flashlights, greeting people and offering directions. A delicious Mexican meal was catered, complete with chips and salsa at every table. Tables were set up outside in the courtyard to create a nice ‘alfresco’ dining experience. Servers were standing by, offering coffee, and taking our plates as soon as we were finished. The whole atmosphere was relaxing and conducive for fellowship, which brings me to the second point.

  2. Relationships. If our association just wanted to give an annual update, they could save a lot of time and money by e-mailing everyone the Book of Reports. But that would miss one of the most vital elements of ministry: building relationships. One of the highlights of last week’s meeting was carpooling with the Poes from our church, then visiting with Pastor Pete and his assistant Doug during dinner. Pete is a pastor in Ontario, and it was a delight to learn about his church and his passion for VBS and prison ministry. It was also nice to briefly see Walter Price from Fellowship in the Pass, David Sqyres from Palms Baptist Church, Tony Brown from One Eighty Ministries in Joshua Tree, and Rex Shaver and his assistant Michael from Wonder Valley Community Church.

  3. Organization. The meeting had a tight schedule, and for the most part, they did a good job sticking to it. From what I could tell, every report was limited to 3 minutes. These were interspersed with some congregational singing and a video presentation. The music was appropriately upbeat, though I would have appreciated a more cross-centered emphasis in the lyrics. Reports were pre-printed in the book, along with a calendar of events for the upcoming year. It was all sort of a whirlwind, but I think it was just enough to give us a sampling of what God is doing across the region. Some of the reports were repetitive from last year, which might discourage people from attending year after year, but thankfully the meeting only lasted two hours total. I wouldn’t agree philosophically with everything these churches are doing, but it did illustrate the diversity of the Body of Christ and the importance of engaging the lost in each community.

Overall, it was a good meeting. I think our Director of Missions did a fine job planning and executing the event. I’d encourage others in our association to attend next year. Hopefully, we’ll be back at First Baptist Church for more of those tamales!

Thoughts on Life and Leadership