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I really think that understanding common grace is vitally important to keeping a humble outlook on the world.

We did nothing to deserve to live. We did nothing to put this planet exactly the right distance from the sun to make it a comfortable temperature. We did not create an atmosphere that sustains life. We did not put the moon in orbit just the right distance way to keep the tides and the winds going. Everything that we have is an absolute gift from God. Most folks take all of this for granted. When people die, we call it a tragedy, but in truth it is a miracle that we live at all.

Once we have something, we think we deserve to have it. But if we don't deserve to exist, how can we deserve anything that we have? We don't. We need to be thankful for everything.

I see this played out in a smaller scale with the economy. The banks made a massive amount of loans. The money that was loaned out was spent - on houses, on factories, on products that those factories made... All of this spending created jobs. Turns out that the banks where not so wise to make all of those loans. The banks recognized their error, and they stopped giving out so many loans.. As a result, it is harder to build houses, build factories, and buy stuff that the factories make. Jobs are going away.. Everyone is mad at the banks. But if the banks hadn't made the loans in the first place, the jobs wouldn't have been there to lose.. We are unthankful for the blessing, taking for granted the fact that for quite some time we where able to have something that we couldn't have had, if it hadn't been for the banks.

Posted by Josh Reighley at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments ()

Mark Driscoll has been getting a lot of press lately. It really annoys me how people feel absolutely fine disparaging him in their ignorance. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms that people could raise. And some folks are, but the vast majority are spouting off without bothering to watch or listen to anything that doesn't make the highlight reel.

He is getting all kinds of heat from folks because he dared to preach a series out of the Song of Solomon. Most of the critics didn't bother to watch the series. Driscoll preached the series about how a husband and wife should love one another. Yes, sex was a component, But it really was not the main focus of Driscoll's sermons.. His sermons where more about serving one another, caring for one another, protecting one another etc.

I watched the whole series. I didn't think it was his best preaching. I think some of the sermons had too narrow of a focus to keep a 13 year veteren of marriage like myself totally engaged. I found the background graphics to be distracting. There where however a few very convicting points, that have already changed the way that I treat my wife and kids.. Nobody is talking about those points.

What everyone wants to talk about is the impromtu answers that Driscoll gave to questions sent in via text message by his audience after his sermons. They watch these clips, then use them to confirm their arrogant and ignorant belief that Driscoll only wants to talk about sex. In fact he didn't pick the topic. Shouldn't a preacher be allowed to address the questions of his congregation openly and honestly?

Driscoll was actually quite upset at the content and character of the questions. He rebuked his congregation over the heart attitude that was coming through in the Q&A.. Watch --

If there was one thing that stood out about the whole series, it was that clip. And most of the critics don't even know it happened, because they are too comfortable in their arrogant ignorance to watch enough to understand the actual context and heart of the series that they are spouting off on their blogs about.

Posted by Josh Reighley at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments ()

Had an interesting conversation with Nathan (5 going on 6) today. I don't remember exactly how it came about, but he does not believe that sponges live in the Ocean. I asked him why, and he said that Spongebob is make believe.

I asked him about Squidward, and Patrick, and he admitted that indeed Squid and Starfish where Sea-Dwelling creatures. But Sponges live in the sink.

I think us adults tend to make the same error quite often.. We through out the baby with the bathwater. We believe some things, and we don't believe others. Not for any solid reason either.

Discernment is a precise science.

Posted by Josh Reighley at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments ()