Mind Dump

A couple of times a week I run up to Mt Adams. My route is either across the People Bridge and up to Mt. Adams. Sometimes I feel energetic and go from Newport to Covington back into Cincy and up to Mt. Adams and back to Newport.


I have found the esv.org website invaluable as I plod my way from cover to cover in 2008. One helpful hint is if I am not in a reading mood I can listen to Max McClean read to me.

I have been enjoying our Gravity AM sermon series. It has been an overview of the Doctrines of Grace. The D.O.G. generally breaks down to Radical Rebellion, God's Free Choice, Success upon the Cross, Guaranteed Success of Grace, Following Jesus as a Result of Grace.
These doctrines are often considered 'Calvinism'. The thing about that view is Calvin did not originate 'Calvinism'. It was Waldensian doctrine 400 years before his birth. It was Augustinianism 800 years before the Waldensians. It was NT doctrine 400 years before Augustine.

Calvin did not give birth to the doctrines of grace. He systematized them. He was an organizer of the doctrine as set forth in the Bible.

This is odd... there has been no music, books or movies that have really grasped me lately.

Coming up on 10 years...

Alright, this may be a little early but lately I've been thinking of the changes pastoring for
10 years have made. For clarity's sake the anniversary date won't be until August 2nd. But, I became interim pastor on Feb 2nd 1998 and rolled into the pastorate uninterrupted in August 1998. For all practical purposes 10 years is about right.

So what tell all dirty secrets can now be revealed?
*I am glad I didn't know in the beginning how hard it could be. It can be brutal.
*I couldn't have imagined some of the things I have seen God do.
*All the pastor can do is lead people to the opportunity to grow. He can't be responsible for
how they respond to that opportunity.
*God has placed some incredibly gifted and faithful people in our church.
*In the words of John MacArthur there has been a time when, "I would have moved on if God
had provided some place to go."
*I spent about 6 mos being very angry. I'm glad that passed.
*With 10 years of hindsight I am glad God made me tough out the hard times. They have been
great lessons of friendship, leadership and commitment.
*Church and by extension church leadership is like baseball...a lot of waiting for something to
happen and then something exciting happens.
*I'm glad I have my zeal tattoo that reminds me of my family Zak, Eli, Alyson and Lisa. Too many pastors place their family low on the priority list. They are always on my left arm. In Isa God talks about having His people tattooed on His hands. In Rev. Jesus has a tattoo on His leg. Also it represents Isa 42:13.
*I am glad my children have been raised in this church among our people and not somewhere else.

Any other great confession you will have to wait for the movie.