Suffering Will Be Healed
I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidian mind of man, that in the world’s finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, for the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood they’ve shed; that it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify all that has happened with men.
-Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
Three-Son-Mommas
I don’t know how many mothers of three sons read this blog, other than my wife (actually, she hasn’t read my blog much since the arrival of two sons), but here’s something for all you three-son-mommas out there.
My friend Toby Kurth sent me this. He got it from somebody who got it from somebody who apparently spotted this in a book called The Mother’s Almanac.
There must be a special place in heaven for mothers of three sons. You certainly can tell them on earth. They’re those ladies with amused, bemused faces and an amazing tolerance for disaster – for they have learned that shouting doesn’t help.
No other combination of children, not even twins, can create so much chaos or camaraderie. Even the most introspective child will join the team – them against you – and like all good players, they encourage each other to bigger feats of daring.
We recommend the advice of so many successful mothers of three boys. Give them as much outdoor playtime as possible, and indoors, set up two rooms: one for sleeping, with nothing but beds and bureaus, and the other for playing, with much climbing equipment. With three children, one is bound to be quieter than the others and he probably will need a corner somewhere else.
You will be frazzled in the early years but when your boys grow up, we think you’ll find yourself perhaps more treasured than most other mothers.
CPC Farewell Sermon: A Tale of Two Cities
This past Sunday I preached my farewell sermon at Central Peninsula Church. This was a special day for me, an unforgettable Sunday of saying goodbye to a church I love. Many men would kill for the opportunity I was given at CPC: arriving here as a 27 year-old punk and being handed incredible freedom to preach, lead, pastor, and develop.
In many ways this message sums up my four years of ministry at CPC and my heart for the church. It also briefly summarizes the history of God’s call on my life and what’s coming next.
Give it a listen: A Tale of Two Cities, Genesis 11:1-9.
I will always have a deep connection with CPC and I’m forever indebted to how this church has loved and marked me and my family.
Photo: Prokopets Studio
My 3 Sons
After the ultrasound on Friday I took my family out to breakfast to celebrate the news: Buzzard baby #3 is a boy! Assuming all goes well with this pregnancy, I will have 3 sons to raise. I count it an honor that God has entrusted me with the responsibility of raising 3 boys to be (Lord willing) brave, godly, gospel men. The past two generations of Buzzard men are, it seems, only capable of making boys.
For a time we will have 3 boys under the age of 4! Pray for us.
I follow in the footsteps of some incredible people who’ve also had 3 sons:
-Adam (but I’m hoping my oldest son doesn’t murder my second son)
-Noah (but I’m hoping one of my sons doesn’t walk in on me drunk & naked and end up receiving a curse from me)
-My good friends: Dan Palmer, Toby Kurth, and Jordan Kauflin (All of which I’ve officially challenged to a “Me & My Three Sons” competition. I’m fully confident the Buzzard men will win these competitions. The Kauflins are from the east coast, so they’re kind of soft. The Kurths have to great of an age gap between their 1st and 2nd sons, so they won’t have good team unity. And the Palmers live in Sacramento so they don’t have any good sport teams in the area to set the tone for them, The Sacramento Kings just aren’t very impressive).
Many adventures are ahead!
Thoughts on Facebook Privacy Issues
Ed Stetzer offers some compelling reasons to re-consider your usage of Facebook.
The Story of Zac Smith
Most of you have probably seen this video already. In case you haven’t, watch it. It’s a moving story.
My wife and I watched this video of Zac and his family this past Sunday, the same day that Zac passed into eternity. Zac’s faith in God is exemplary. Pray for this young family.
The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.
Train Your Men to Preach
Train your men to preach.
2 Timothy 2:1-2 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
In the ministry I lead to Bay Area twentysomethings I’ve trained up 6 other men to preach God’s Word to us. Here’s a brief introduction to these 6 men.
-Francis: Church ministry intern, student, and c0-flower shop owner. Mid twenties. Married. Christian for 4+ years. Chinese. Raised in the Bay Area. Preaches 4-5x per year.
-Ryan: Architect. Mid twenties. Married. Christian since childhood. White boy. Raised in the Bay Area. Preaches 2x per year.
-Daniel: Engineer. Mid twenties. Married. Christian since childhood. Chinese. Raised in Sacramento. Preaches 1x per year.
-James: Coast Guard pilot. Mid twenties. Married. Christian since adolescence. White boy. Raised in Minnesota. Preaches 1x per year.
-Victor: Contractor. Mid twenties. Married. Wife pregnant with their first kid. Christian for 3+ years. Palestinian & Japanese. Raised in the Bay Area. Preaches 1x per year.
-Mike: Personal Trainer. Mid twenties. Married. Christian since adolescence. White boy. Raised in San Diego. Preaches for his first time tomorrow night.
It’s been a joy to train up these 6 men to preach the Bible to us (some needed/need more training than others). God has used them in a mighty way among us. Some of these men will be carrying some of the load as I now leave my role at Central Peninsula Church. I’m so thankful these faithful men are in place, entrusted with the gospel and able to teach.
The Gospel vs. Religion
I had this Gospel vs. Religion list typed up from Tim Keller’s Gospel in Life curriculum (which is excellent; make sure you get the DVD and the study guide).
Here’s a pdf of the list: religion_gospel
A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World
I want to buy Stephen Mansfield’s new book, The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World.
Check out the video introduction:
HT: JT
How Can I Compete With Internet Sermons?
Read this great post by David Murray, How Can I Compete With Internet Sermons? An excerpt:
How can “ordinary” pastors compete with the vast range of well-known and greatly gifted preachers who are just one mouse-click away from everyone in their congregation? I know this is a sore point for many discouraged pastors. They visit their flock and all they hear are comments about the latest Internet sermon by Pastor Faimus and Dr Bigname. The only sermons that people seem to get excited about are ones preached hundreds of miles away!
However, I want to remind pastors of a huge advantage they have over the “popular” preachers of our own day. That advantage is, simply, personal relationship.
…Maybe, instead of spending a further ten hours on perfecting your blockbuster sermon, you should spend ten hours visiting your flock. That could give your sermons new power in your hearer’s lives. And remember, though we are blessed to live in a time with wonderful conferences and 24/7 Internet sermons, God primarily saves and sanctifies sinners through long-term pastoral relationships in the local church.
