tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118891452011-10-29T17:07:53.943+10:00<b><i>And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.</i></b><br><br> A Christian Blog about doing gospel-centred, missional, community-focused churchMick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.comBlogger2511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-51556553996578033102010-10-19T21:59:00.002+10:002010-10-19T22:18:20.170+10:00

Yesterday I blogged about Jesus' parable of the Kingdom being like a mustard seed; I just couldn't ignore the subsequent parable of the yeast. As a keen home bread baker who uses lots of natural leaven (the above picture is of my first "sourdough" loaves), I get the image of a tiny amount of yeast affecting a large amount of dough.However, Joel Green makes a point that I would have totally

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-40938949735642116952010-10-18T22:25:00.003+10:002010-10-18T23:15:12.726+10:00

I was talking to a friend about the nature of God's Kingdom; decided to give a bit of thought to Jesus' parable of the mustard seed (found in Mark 4, Matthew 13, and Luke 13:18-19). Luke's rendition (from the ESV):18 He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-1397405600443941492010-08-15T08:33:00.008+10:002010-08-15T20:27:18.022+10:00

I know I started this series in April; I'll see if I can pick it up again now.Some time back, Tim Keller wrote a piece called "A Biblical Theology of the City", and in it he says:This city is the Garden of Eden, remade. The City is the fulfilment of the purposes of the Eden of God. We began in a garden but will end in a city; God's purpose for humanity is urban! Why? So the city is God's

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-28500517518768460432010-08-08T08:40:00.006+10:002010-08-08T20:05:00.464+10:00

Richard Bauckham's book "The Jewish World around the New Testament" is a large (500 pages) collection of 23 essays from 30 years of research. The introduction begins like this: Most New Testament scholars would now agree that the New Testament writings belong wholly within the Jewish world of their time... Their God is unequivocally the God of Israel and of the Jewish Scriptures that they

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-81755646960508677432010-04-22T22:47:00.001+10:002010-04-22T22:49:12.469+10:00

Another post on Scot McKnight's blog that you've just got to read - "Missional Pizza".

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-60183461395921884672010-04-19T21:21:00.002+10:002010-04-19T21:27:09.831+10:00

Scot McKnight has a review of an interesting-sounding book called The Naked Anabaptist. He gives this superb list of seven elements that "make up what Anabaptism is":1. Jesus is example, teacher, friend, redeemer and Lord. Anabaptism is Jesus-centric; he is to be followed and worshiped.2. Jesus is the focal point of God's revelation. Jesus-centered Bible reading and a community of followers is

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-51020511656702376502010-04-14T20:07:00.002+10:002010-04-14T20:34:10.608+10:00

Continuing the series on gospel and agriculture, we're thinking about problematic narratives: unfortunate readings (or failure to read?) of the Biblical story.Example 1Recently, on an online discussion forum, a fairly mature Christian remarked that if animal species were wiped out but it enabled his kids to play safely in that area, then so be it. When pressed on God's ownership of the earth, he

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-83865080552663392502010-04-14T01:23:00.002+10:002010-04-14T22:40:02.078+10:00

Second post in my series on Gospel and Agriculture - perhaps it might be beneficial to get rolling with some real-world footage to illustrate something of what we're talking about here, before digging into the Biblical narrative.First up, Geoff Lawton's funky video on their initial project in Jordan. This is a Permaculture project that involved turning around a 10-acre piece of salted desert into

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-85208958333558321242010-04-12T21:38:00.002+10:002010-04-12T21:54:49.788+10:00

I'm interested in sustainable agriculture - I have been for around 20 years, with varying levels of interest over that time. One thing that I've consistently noticed though, is that it's an area that the church lacks interest in.Recently, I've had an increasing interest in this area - the global needs are massive! We were all exposed so clearly to the deforestation in Haiti in the media coverage

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-39669659252479138272010-03-13T21:18:00.003+10:002010-03-13T21:39:17.979+10:00

Cool; my book's available now - I'm just waiting for my copies to arrive.The title is "The Gospel: God's Power for Salvation", and it is a study (in 10 parts) for small groups.Anyone who was with us at Chayah Gospel Church will recognize the content (under a different name) - this book comprises 4 "units" covering the gospel itself, an overview of the Bible story, the nature of idols, and some

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-33240969445985014482010-03-03T16:44:00.005+10:002010-03-03T20:52:25.940+10:00

I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've participated in a "Blog Tour" - I love new blogging experiences! But that aside, I'm really excited about a new book that's just been published called Tending to Eden: Environmental Stewardship for God's People.Tending to Eden is written by Scott C. Sabin, who is the Executive Director of Plant with Purpose, a Christian organization who recognize the

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-10845519738436892252010-03-02T21:52:00.002+10:002010-03-02T22:01:01.655+10:00

There are some huge, desperate, urgent issues in the world related to agriculture - I suspect that the church is not engaged with them as much as it could/should be, and I would like to blog about that if I can manage it.For now, some links to some organisations that seem to be "getting their hands dirty":Foundations for Farming, in Africa.Plant with PurposeECHOCheck 'em out!

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-58597537839883516322010-03-02T21:34:00.001+10:002010-03-02T21:38:14.609+10:00

There's an enormous need for improved cooking stoves in the developing world - this video shows off a stove I made recently along with some Aussie cooking:

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-87748996571919507822010-02-13T21:55:00.002+10:002010-02-13T21:58:58.554+10:00

The "Internet Monk" Michael Spencer, who has cancer, posted something quite profound this week regarding the good news of resurrection - read it here.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-68883005522550285092010-01-29T21:20:00.002+10:002010-01-29T21:24:14.572+10:00

One of my goals for this year to read and listen to some voices from the two-thirds world, particularly theologians. This message from Oscar Muriu (Nairobi, Kenya) is impacting, as he draws lines from Christ's incarnation to our missional calling:Money and Power: Oscar Muriu from Urbana 09 on Vimeo.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-61237651123109289512009-12-18T20:22:00.002+10:002009-12-18T21:00:24.677+10:00

Part 4 of my current blogging on the Gospel according to Luke - what does "eternal life" mean in Luke?In Daniel 12, the term is used for the first time (in the ESV translated "everlasting life"):At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-21972112411928129092009-12-16T21:47:00.002+10:002009-12-16T22:36:58.295+10:00

Part 3 in my series on Luke, I find it fascinating and inspiring how the birth announcements in Luke (i.e. births of John the Baptist and Jesus) are so fully tied up in imagery from the Abraham narrative. Luke has woven this into the story in a complex way whereby there is not a one-to-one mapping between characters in the Abraham narrative (in the usual pattern of typology), but rather "evidence

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-24613392120449708062009-12-15T22:27:00.004+10:002009-12-15T23:01:45.215+10:00

I've been studying Luke's Gospel account for some months; haven't really known how to approach blogging on it and have now decided to approach it via ad-hoc topics. This will form post number two in the series.In Luke 19, Jesus passes through Jericho and interacts with Zacchaeus, who offers restitution for money he has received dishonestly. Jesus then says:"Today salvation has come to this house,

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-66983055148831953592009-12-06T22:12:00.000+10:002009-12-06T22:13:48.796+10:00

Seriously, check it out...The Gospel Demands Radical Giving - David Platt from Together for Adoption on Vimeo.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-91582735748941673692009-10-10T23:40:00.002+10:002009-10-10T23:52:05.957+10:00

I went to hear Brian McLaren speak on Thursday night at a World Vision event. I think I must be part of a very small set of people who have gone to hear both Mark Driscoll and Brian McLaren speak in the last year :-)Brian is a brilliant presenter; his communication ability amazes me. I really like his thinking about the nature of God's kingdom coming - what it might look like for God's will to be

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-32094528834732275542009-09-17T22:32:00.003+10:002009-09-21T16:55:27.283+10:00

The other day I blogged an outline of my sermon on Nehemiah 5; someone asked me about some of the more general themes in Nehemiah I'd been thinking through, so that's what this post is about.Specifically, in approaching Nehemiah I was asking a few questions:What's a reasonable way to apply Nehemiah's wall-building to the church today? Is it reasonable to take the wall building as a metaphor for

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-66342332752511495572009-09-15T21:34:00.004+10:002009-09-15T22:19:59.654+10:00

This past Sunday I preached my first sermon in well over a year and a half - found it really difficult for all kinds of reasons, including but not limited to being out of practice and also the fact that my presentation laptop blue-screened during my intro and also failed to display the video at the end.The sermon was called "Something's Coming: Nehemiah, a Blip on on the Radar".I thought I'd blog

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-8394475935636567252009-08-19T22:50:00.005+10:002009-08-19T22:56:07.998+10:00

I'm spending several months in Luke's Gospel (not so much Acts, although a lot of the reading material I'm going through spans both). Here's the reading list as it currently stands:The Gospel of Luke, by Joel Green: This NICNT commentary by Joel Green is widely respected. I used it extensively a couple of years back for some preaching on Luke's parables, but haven't read it in its entirety until

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-89316536069216109162009-08-14T22:28:00.002+10:002009-08-14T22:33:51.508+10:00

I haven't blogged here for a while now - haven't felt too well over winter, but I'll be getting right back into it soon as I've been thinking through a multitude of themes in the Gospel according to Luke.Just wanted to point out my other blog - backyard permaculture - which is a bit of a pictorial coverage of what we're doing with our backyard. This is also something I'm very interested in from a

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-9953337002299978992009-06-30T10:02:00.000+10:002009-06-30T10:02:02.556+10:00

Galatians seems to be most often read "soteriologically" - that is, the reader is looking for what the book says about how people "get saved". What does it look like, though, to read Galatians "missionally"? What does the book of Galatians tell us about God's mission, and how does that mission underlie the themes found within this book?This is my 20th post on the book of Galatians - I've loved

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-74315924882377040032009-06-29T21:20:00.004+10:002009-06-29T22:01:52.842+10:00

There are lots of gospel definitions around the place - Trevin Wax has collected a number of them on his blog. Trevin also has this excellent post about the "both-and" nature of kingdom and atonement in the gospel. More recently, Mike Bird had this post on Wright/Piper where he quotes one of Wright's recent gospel summaries as:"The gospel is the royal announcement that the crucified and risen

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-72134261913240628272009-06-25T03:33:00.002+10:002009-06-25T13:51:10.982+10:00

Galatians has a lot to do with table fellowship - probably more than is often admitted. In this post I want to do a brief sweep of the role of meals through the Bible, and consider how the Galatian situation fits in and what we might learn from it.This is post 19 in my series on Galatians. I've tried to break down the role of meals into various periods of Biblical history, as laid out in the

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-91548774898418242662009-06-21T00:03:00.000+10:002009-06-21T00:04:17.007+10:00

Last Saturday night we had the launch of our new DVD - it's a 6-week curriculum for small groups called "A Question of Mercy: Gospel Application to Issues of Justice and Mercy" (available from http://citygospel.net).We held the launch at Jagera Hall, which is an arts centre named after the Jagera people, who are an indigenous Australian people group.There's a photo here of myself and Steve in

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-75756746924939643092009-06-18T21:46:00.002+10:002009-06-18T22:29:17.426+10:00

This is part 18 of my random posts on the book of Galatians (although super-observant readers would obviously notice there was no part 15).One of the most fascinating aspects of the New Testament for me is the way that Israel's story is retold from time to time in a radical way.An example of this is in Luke 15 - the parable of the prodigal. Kenneth Bailey has written an entire book on this (Jacob

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-15309778334202665932009-06-18T11:39:00.002+10:002009-06-18T12:41:08.151+10:00

This is a discussion that I've been meaning to have with a friend of mine - and having seen this very thought-provoking post on Scot McKnight's blog (noting that the post is actually by Dr. Mary Veeneman), I think this is a great starting point.Veeneman is reviewing a book that covers wider issues of the relevance of the church, but in this post she focuses on environmental issues and whether

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-62858918920078267522009-06-17T21:27:00.006+10:002009-06-17T22:23:11.169+10:00

This is the 17th post in my series on Galatians.One theme that strikes me about the book of Galatians is the "trajectory of works" - it's a letter that is, in so many ways, all about works.Beginning with Paul's calling to a life of mission and ending with his body bearing the "marks of Christ", this letter is pushing toward a goal of a Christ-like community living lives of loving service and care

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-87947600832391892922009-06-16T06:25:00.001+10:002009-06-16T06:25:00.330+10:00

I'm up to post number 16 blogging about Galatians.How do we define legalism? I've heard a few good definitions (sometimes by way of example) in the past. Here I want to offer a definition. Note that I see this as one possible definition of legalism, not the definition!Legalism: A belief that the law is powerful.I see this stated specifically in Galatians 3:21b:For if a law had been given that

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-91389228937330172472009-06-13T06:00:00.001+10:002009-06-13T09:31:34.818+10:00

Some interesting discussion came up with a friend today as to whether Jesus claimed that he would destroy the temple? I think he most likely did - I'm basically going to summarise N. T. Wright's reasoning from Jesus and the Victory of God here:Mark 14:58 and Matt 26:61 indicate that false witnesses claimed they heard Jesus say he would destroy the temple. John 2:18-20 on the other hand has Jesus

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-50152975527676355882009-06-10T17:37:00.004+10:002009-06-10T18:20:18.129+10:00

Still blogging about Galatians....In Chapter 1, Paul tells us that he doesn't proclaim "man's gospel" - but rather a gospel he received directly from Jesus.The really astonishing thing about all this is that he didn't go up to Jerusalem immediately after receiving this from Jesus, but went into Arabia. It was several years before he went and spent 15 days with Peter (and at that time met James).

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-51654936824524886682009-06-09T17:21:00.004+10:002009-06-10T18:21:01.819+10:00

This is my 13th post on Galatians.In Part 12, I wrote about the law and its specific role for Israel. This time I want to press the issue a little in terms of the importance of understanding the very Jewish nature of the Messiah - and why the church must deepen her own grasp of the role of Israel and in turn the role of the one in whom Israel is summed up or fulfilled.In this paper, Tom Wright

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-18308485863455905102009-06-08T08:48:00.006+10:002009-06-10T18:21:40.360+10:00

This is part 12 in my blogging series on Galatians.Galatians 3:23-29 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-74308084137749641492009-06-07T21:13:00.001+10:002009-06-07T21:13:00.514+10:00

I've been having a ball in Galatians for a while - trying to organise some of my thoughts into blog posts has been a bit tricky, but this is my eleventh post in a series.One of the great themes running through Paul's letter is that of flesh - it's an important word, because Paul uses it in a number of ways and he uses it very intentionally. It's easy to overlook this, especially when English

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-51250649715436785162009-06-05T22:13:00.000+10:002009-06-05T22:13:13.662+10:00

Kenneth Bailey, in his treatment of Jesus' birth narrative, makes some brilliant points about Joseph and why he was said to be "a just man" (Matt 1:18-19). One of the questions we ask in our DVD is "What is Justice?", and Bailey's thoughts here contribute well to that discussion.Bailey points out that Joseph must go "beyond the ethical expectations of the law in his obedience to a higher

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-79486961643425460902009-06-05T17:20:00.008+10:002009-06-05T20:39:52.909+10:00

Over on the Jesus Creed blog, Scot McKnight has been summarising N. T. Wright's recent book, "Justification".Today in his 15th post on this subject, he looks at Wright's take on Romans 2:1-16Romans 2:1-16 1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-88194817815230566402009-06-04T21:31:00.004+10:002009-06-04T22:45:38.348+10:00

Look, I know this is getting discussed all over the place, but I really had to say something about the American Patriot's Bible, particularly in the midst of studying the book of Galatians (with its treatment of the gospel for all the nations and the destructive issue of nationalism).I really don't see any good reason to publish something like this, and I see lots of reasons against it. I'm not

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-69351371164443495492009-06-03T03:03:00.000+10:002009-06-03T03:03:00.821+10:00

This is the tenth post in my ongoing blogging about Galatians.The question I want to think through is the origin of the gospel. It's regularly accepted that "kingdom of God" is terminology that is undefined in the NT and that we need the OT background to really get what it means - but the term "gospel" is taken for granted to hold a certain meaning (which shifts around a fair bit from place to

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-7041970167628337432009-05-27T02:43:00.000+10:002009-05-27T02:43:00.166+10:00

Here's another preview clip from our newly-released DVD series, "A Question of Mercy: Gospel Application to Issues of Justice and Mercy".This clip comes from Part 2 on the DVD, where we try to encourage some thought about our personal tendencies to lean to the left or the right. It's an attempt at being an even-handed parody to help us observe tendencies within ourselves.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-3528777277707728632009-05-25T20:23:00.004+10:002009-05-25T22:57:50.808+10:00

This is my 9th post on Galatians.In Chapter 3, Paul answers the obvious question that arises - "why then the law?":"It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one."This passage is infamous because of the huge variety of

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-45791164936011964152009-05-23T21:45:00.004+10:002009-05-23T23:31:54.050+10:00

This is part 8 of my blogging about Galatians.We looked previously at a couple of apocalyptic themes - the gospel of Christ as liberation from slavery (to the "age"), and the birthing of a Christ-formed community. This time we'll have a bit of a think about another theme that has obvious apocalyptic overtones - the new creation.In Galatians 6:14-15, Paul wrote:But far be it from me to boast

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-61944215753257243972009-05-22T23:31:00.005+10:002009-05-22T23:42:10.173+10:00

So, it seemed like we'd never get there - but the DVD is complete!!!Steve and I have finally finished a year's work - "A Question of Mercy: Gospel Application to Issues of Justice and Mercy"This is a DVD-based curriculum mainly intended for small groups to think through a whole bunch of issues around justice and mercy.The DVD has almost 3 hours of content split into 12 parts and is best used as a

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-91664369931779931042009-05-20T22:26:00.002+10:002009-05-20T23:13:05.715+10:00

This is the seventh part of my series on Galatians. I previously posted about the apocalyptic nature of the gospel in Galatians; liberation from slavery.In this case "apocalyptic" is not intended to mean impending doom, but rather the breaking in of a new age. As we read Galatians we need to ask the question, "what time is it?" - because a whole lot of Paul's argument is tied up in the fact that

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-62213400407076244732009-05-18T21:56:00.003+10:002009-05-20T23:14:10.730+10:00

This is the sixth part in my blogging about Galatians.When it comes to Biblical Theology, there's plenty of material in Galatians - most obviously relating to the role of the Law from a redemptive-historical viewpoint, the covenant with Abraham, and the allegorical take on Hagar and Sarah.However, I want to begin by thinking through the calling of the Apostle Paul to a specific ministry from a BT

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-86734794439306782572009-05-16T23:18:00.004+10:002009-05-18T21:56:57.280+10:00

In doing some web surfing relating to my previous post, I came across this gem:The idea that the acme of theological achievement was reached in 17th century Reformed confessionalism leads many people to reject the idea that the major Reformed confessions were products of their own time that may be revealed to have serious weaknesses. I think that many Reformed people are scared by the notion that

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-31643577563422758862009-05-16T21:32:00.003+10:002009-05-16T22:50:00.782+10:00

This is the fifth part of my study of Galatians.I know there's been some controversy around the whole "New Perspective on Paul", and in some ways the whole deal has become so hot it gets difficult to mention certain authors' names in certain contexts, but I've found that the more I dwell in Galatians, and particularly as I've tried to examine a wide range of authors on this book (as well as

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-88183480553401729632009-05-13T21:21:00.004+10:002009-05-16T21:31:40.201+10:00

This is Part 4 of my study of Galatians.In Galatians 1:3-4, Paul gives a brief but dense (i.e. there's a whole lot in it) proclamation:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,There's much to unpack in here, but the specific aspect I want to focus on here

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-10483541363802207872009-05-13T02:00:00.001+10:002009-05-13T21:20:46.743+10:00

This is part 3 of my study in Galatians.The "anathematical paradox" - what could that possibly mean? Did you know anathematical was a word? I didn't - just thought I'd try googling it.Anyway, in Galatians 1:9, Paul uses the word anathema (translated accursed in ESV):As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-50084737584787421322009-05-12T21:43:00.003+10:002009-05-12T21:47:11.499+10:00

I just got Derek Webb's latest promo email about his new album Stockholm Syndrome. Apparently the record company doesn't like one of the songs, and he thinks that's an important song, so he seems to be plotting some kind of contract-breaking move...I'm a big fan, and I think that Webb is generally doing the right thing by pushing some of these boundaries - I just hope he doesn't get any

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-31464736893326418062009-05-12T04:11:00.002+10:002009-05-12T19:58:47.395+10:00

This is part 2 of my series studying through Galatians.In Galatians I see some stunning parallels with themes in Luke's gospel account, especially in the them of Jesus' reception of sinners and his meals with sinners. Jesus was willing to welcome "sinners" (specifically, Jews who were not living faithfully under Torah/law) - and this really, noticeably disturbed the Pharisees and the

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-76450564883489639382009-05-09T22:46:00.003+10:002009-05-09T22:53:33.522+10:00

How can we proclaim the gospel to those whose lives are "immensely broken"?I've had many discussions with Christians over the nature and scope of the gospel - can it be distilled as "you're a sinner who can be forgiven by Jesus", or is it a much more vast gospel about Jesus the Messiah? This generally seems a bit foreign to people until they're face-to-face with really, really broken, needy

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-53173295345233512962009-05-08T23:19:00.012+10:002009-05-08T23:57:38.338+10:00

That's what was cooking!This recipe came from Gourmet Traveller. I love the recipe because it's unusual, delicious, and because beef cheeks are the cheapest cuts of beef around but when slow-cooked (12 hours for this one) they transform into something so, so yummy!I pretty-much followed the recipe, except for adding vegetables. 

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-77877198861151243992009-05-07T22:23:00.001+10:002009-05-07T22:25:06.682+10:00

Something's cooking. It smells amazingly delicious - and you'll have to wait to find out what it is...

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-39431968806753408432009-05-07T16:45:00.002+10:002009-05-07T16:51:58.936+10:00

I know this news is a few days old, but it really surprised me to hear that: Steve Timmis, co-author of Total Church, will direct a new Acts 29 Network in Western Europe... Steve is handing off The Crowded House duties, an alliance of gospel communities in Sheffield, England to focus on establishing a wider network of churches planting new churches all across Western Europe.This strikes me as

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-3942298205661148772009-05-07T12:37:00.003+10:002009-05-07T12:47:05.795+10:00

Our family recently moved to a suburban area on the south side of Brisbane, largely to be part of a church community that we're really excited about - Grace Community, Brisbane.This church is part of the Newfrontiers family of churches (of which there are over 500).We're excited about the values both of the local church and of the global family - particularly the high value placed on both Word

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-79062329098496182902009-05-03T20:17:00.003+10:002009-05-03T21:08:30.454+10:00

I don't get a lot of comments on this blog (especially since I stopped blogging for about a year) - with the notable exception of this post on Asperger's Syndrome.A number of people have commented against that post looking for resources on Asperger's Syndrome from a Christian perspective - so I'll try to give some kind of answer here.Firstly, I haven't found a massive amount out there that's

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-28979095815123625402009-04-28T22:11:00.019+10:002009-05-01T23:33:52.760+10:00

As I recently posted, I've been concentrating my reading on Paul and Galatians recently. This is a quick overview of the material I have been reading:Tom Wright - JustificationI read this book last month and it started me off down this path.This is specifically a response to Piper, so in one sense is unfortunately a bit coloured by that.However, there are some really important themes mapped out:

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-32514569657659924372009-04-28T22:07:00.014+10:002009-07-21T20:22:51.099+10:00

Recently I decided to structure my reading a bit for the coming months, with a focus on the following parts of Scripture:Paul, particularly Galatians and RomansThe Gospel According to LukeIsaiahGod willing and assuming I find the time, motivation etc., I'll start blogging about some of my studies in Galatians - this post can be a placeholder to link to the series.Galatians Part 1 - Reading

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-18329139577211536772009-04-25T16:49:00.012+10:002009-04-25T17:51:42.741+10:00

At least one friend of mine was recently interested in some resources that may be helpful in working through some of the issues surrounding the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life and in Christian gatherings. I've tried to put a few things together here that either I have found useful or someone has recommended to me.Books - I'll start with books that I've found really helpful, starting

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-7546617307467716602009-03-09T21:07:00.003+10:002009-03-09T21:11:30.397+10:00

After a full year of work, we're almost done! The "A Question of Mercy" DVD is very nearly complete - yesterday marked the filming of the (hopefully) final bits of footage.Next steps - some editing, get the website ready, finalise the cover design, and a launch evening :)

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-48865181000381973352008-07-03T11:57:00.003+10:002008-07-03T15:39:54.051+10:00

No, it's not Derek's new band - it's his new distribution mechanism. Gotta love it! Haven't heard the album yet - just about to...* UPDATE - listened to it, loved it :) *

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-9132488400333487492008-06-02T22:00:00.002+10:002008-06-02T22:03:27.294+10:00

Wow - first post since Feb 21...I know that the emails have been flying all over the place about this, but in case someone happens to see this and hasn't seen the emails, Mark Driscoll is doing a couple of events in both Sydney and Brisbane (and perhaps elsewhere, I have no idea???).I put the links up on the CityGospel.net site - check it out for details and see you there :)

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-85140182559447506692008-02-21T16:20:00.006+10:002008-12-11T12:30:22.671+10:00

Well, we've arrived at a pretty bizarre place - the decision to discontinue Chayah Gospel Church. In many ways it was a really hard decision for us to have to make, but in many ways it was the easiest of all the decisions to date and seems to present the most hope for the future. I really see God's hand in leading us to this.I tend to read a lot of books - but I haven't read one yet that tells

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-53012379117027745742008-02-15T17:09:00.004+10:002008-02-15T17:42:57.660+10:00

After Rory's recent post about Lessons Learned in the UK # 7: Gospel Intentionality, I was prompted to do some thinking (which for me usually involves writing LOL) about the whole theme of gospel intentionality. This is terminology that comes out of Total Church - the following quote I find particularly meaningful:"...the ‘ordinary’ is only a vehicle for Christian mission if there is gospel

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-79806791412082423172008-02-13T16:54:00.002+10:002008-02-13T17:01:50.789+10:00

In the last couple of days, I've had a few people asking my thoughts about Rob Bell's NOOMA DVD's - as well as Bell's teaching overall.I've not watched the DVD's (and can't see myself doing so, given the price) but I thought I'd just link to this review by Greg Gilbert. I think it's a well-researched and charitable review, and it raises a bunch of valid concerns. If you're wondering about the

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-46904412156578414952008-02-04T21:26:00.000+10:002008-02-04T21:37:57.328+10:00

The latest Koorong catalogue lists the Gospel According to the Old Testament books at 2 for $20, which is a really cool price (they're normally $16.95 each). The sale goes from Feb 6 to March 29.So far I've only read "Faith in the Face of Apostacy" by Raymond Dillard, which finds a testimony to Christ in the ministry of Elijah and Elisha. I'm really keen to read the others though; I think there

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-29542638366127150692008-02-02T19:14:00.000+10:002008-02-02T19:37:45.712+10:00

Something that's been on my heart for quite a while has finally launched - the CityGospel.net online community. From the website:CityGospel is a loose network that aims to promote some unity between missional churches in Australia that share a passion for the gospel. The goal of CityGospel is to facilitate discussion and event notification, so that those involved in the proclamation of the gospel

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-72435463021864713272008-01-31T17:42:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:22.850+10:00

I love Dave Harvey's book, When Sinners say "I Do".Dave has done a series of short interviews on YouTube where he explains his reason for writing each of the chapters. It's a really great summary of the themes of the book, and brings out some excellent applications of the gospel and certainly exalts Christ rather than the author.We watched the full series of interviews in our small group this

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-6906005400580590732008-01-25T16:13:00.000+10:002008-01-25T16:20:12.212+10:00

I've been asked to go on the radio on Sunday night (Brisbane station 4BC at 7PM) to participate in their "Philosophy Hour".Apparently they get in 2 guests with diverse religious stances and ask about how their religious organisation would face various big issues. I'm really excited about the opportunity to speak about Jesus to whatever people in our city may be listening at that time.Please pray

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-90448340389356444042008-01-16T21:25:00.001+10:002008-02-15T17:09:06.615+10:00

The latest email newsletter from the CCEF has an article on Aperger's Syndrome. It's only fairly short, but it probes some of the issues around AS really well.Having a son who has been diagnosed with AS, this is a big deal to us. We've got some of the better secular books that are available and we're getting some professional help at a local clinic that specialises in AS, but some of the

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-76013702959751971942008-01-12T23:20:00.000+10:002008-01-12T23:39:45.120+10:00

My good friend Steve has written an excellent article Then shall your light break forth like the dawn. Steve says:Influenced to a large extent by our theology and church tradition, we can often tend either to major in the need for proclamation of truth, or in the need for radical love of the poor. More conservative Christians will usually major in the first of those; contending for and

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-80100523603539711512007-12-31T09:30:00.000+10:002007-12-31T09:46:31.239+10:00

Trevin Wax has blogged a very detailed set of posts on Piper's "The Future of Justification", which in turn is a critique of NT Wright's theology.These posts are worth working through; I'd at least recommend these two:What is “The Gospel” Anyway?The Gospel is “Jesus is Lord”This is such a critical issue for the church to grapple with - what is the gospel anyway? I think it's way too easily

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-38201846202033634842007-12-29T21:20:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:23.047+10:00

Our sermon series for the new year is "The Daily Grind: Does Jesus Speak to Everyday Life?". We intend to answer that question with a resounding "yes!" and to show how the gospel of Jesus is applicable to every part of our lives.The lessons in the series are:The daily grind; Jesus and everyday lifeDoing life together; Jesus and communityStill got the blues; Jesus and a new songUntil death us do

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-1307670076216459072007-12-26T16:14:00.000+10:002007-12-26T16:17:46.709+10:00

At this time of year there's lots of talk about the "real meaning of Christmas", but does this assumed "real meaning" measure up with Scripture? I wrote a bit of an article on this, probing some ways that the incarnation of Jesus might speak to us.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-62461701484620241372007-12-17T20:44:00.000+10:002007-12-17T17:14:01.340+10:00

I've been meaning to post some stuff for quite a while with some links to various resources that have really helped my thinking over the last few years. There's stacks of different things out there, but I'll just try to throw together a bit of variety here:Reform and Resurge LessonsThere were some lessons at last year's Reform and Resurge conference that I've found amazingly helpful and I've seen

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-607365747946350432007-12-16T21:34:00.000+10:002007-12-16T21:47:54.323+10:00

Just as you were giving up all hope - unit 4 of the Gospel and Mission classes has finally been published! Unit 4 is all about "Gospel-Centred Interpretation", and it has two lessons (the second one should probably span a couple of sessions though, although I've taught it in single sessions three times now). These lessons work through the reason why we should interpret all of Scripture with Jesus

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-24503976813237251832007-12-12T21:57:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:23.261+10:00

Back in the day, I posted some thoughts on "patternism" - the misguided belief that, in the way God provided an exact pattern for the construction of the tabernacle, the New Testament gives an exact pattern of "acceptable worship". Only problem is, nobody agrees on what the exact pattern is!Today Laurie pointed out something that Noel Due says in his book Created for Worship:While we need to

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-5172742086979144462007-12-11T16:16:00.000+10:002007-12-11T16:29:14.925+10:00

Drew Goodmanson has this really interesting post on Soma Communities and their particular view of communicating the gospel in story.I find this particularly interesting, and I've got a few random thoughts associated with it:Jesus taught in story - but we seem to distrust the whole paradigmThe church should be able to communicate gospel truths in culturally-relevant ways. The article lists amazing

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-44515576492500246772007-12-06T20:38:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:23.593+10:00

I'm really excited about some books that have been recently published.The first is Preaching Christ from Genesis, by Sidney Greidanus. If you're not familiar with Greidanus, he's written some brilliant books in the past - The Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text and Preaching Christ from the Old Testament. Both of those books were amazingly helpful to me a few years back as I was trying to get a

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-11892227804130473392007-12-05T20:22:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:23.934+10:00

Sufjan Stevens is playing in Brisbane at the Tivoli on Thursday January 10 (ticket details here).After reading so many blog posts about Sufjan (especially from Steve McCoy), I couldn't resist checking out some of his songs. Perhaps not for everyone, there's no doubt that this guy has an incredible musical gifting - one comment on YouTube said that Sufjan almost made him like Christians, which

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-25784855272248802052007-11-26T14:16:00.000+10:002007-11-26T14:26:47.333+10:00

A big HT to Tom White of Grace Church in SD who prompted me to listen to this really impacting sermon by Rick Gamache. The sermon is from a recent seminar on manhood, but the sermon itself doesn't really dive into that topic. Rather, it outlines some key points of the gospel (mainly from Romans 5) to prepare the attendees prior to dealing with the exhortation to become more godly men. I found it

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-62554648455114799302007-11-21T21:16:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:24.572+10:00

The entire audio book of Jonathon Edwards' The Religious Affections is available for free download here this month. Big HT to Steve McCoy.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-23188147886766111492007-11-20T22:44:00.000+10:002007-11-20T22:57:39.107+10:00

Cool - we just had our first ever thanksgiving meal; true it was a day or two early, but who's counting?We had 20 people around a massive table that took up our whole living area - actually 3 tables put together. Our American house guests cooked all kinds of yummy thanksgiving food, including pumpkin pie.I love having these community times and starting to draw various kinds of "neighbours" into

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-61846591882519558482007-11-13T10:36:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:24.734+10:00

We've had quite a few guests in our house lately - right now there are four adults staying with us - Shasta and Carisse (from the USA) downstairs, Kara (from Sydney) also downstairs, and Geoff is upstairs on the fold-out sofa. Amazingly, between the four of them they have five computers with them.Last night Geoff and I were trying to connect his work laptop to the wireless router when we noticed

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-40104323211821890632007-10-19T21:04:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:26.828+10:00

Last night, my buddy Steve and I spent a few hours photographing a few parts of our beautiful, broken city of Brisbane. This first shot is the city, viewed from the Storey Bridge. You have to be on the right part of the bridge to take slow photos because the whole thing vibrates with the traffic.The next shot is the cliffs at Kangaroo Point, a mega-popular place for rock climbing - both day and

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-76015828202571794562007-10-03T19:37:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:27.615+10:00

We're back!Finally made it back to Brisbane on Wednesday morning - via Fiji because of fog delays, which added a few hours to the trip. That made it a little difficult with overtired kids, but we're blessed way more than we deserve!God really did bless us in this trip. We had a crazy time where we did a whole bunch of tourist stuff - which is something we've never done. We did Disneyland and

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-71361430255824990422007-10-01T16:06:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:28.268+10:00

Tonight we were amazingly blessed by being able to get to the Casting Crowns gig at Anaheim Convention Center, in the third row.We missed out on John Waller's set - it must have been a short one because we were only marginally late for the whole thing. Also missed out on buying a copy of his album, because they only had a small box of them and sold out immediately.I love his song, "Still Calls me

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-57099684685579217732007-09-30T15:23:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:29.727+10:00

I don't usually post photos without some more profound purpose - but there's a first time for everything.We're in San Diego right now, having a wonderful family holiday and visiting some amazing churches and spending time with some really great brothers and sisters in the Lord. I've learnt huge amounts about church planting and church building - but that's not what this post is about.The other

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-53343250065846500382007-09-27T16:08:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:30.737+10:00

I know I'm treading on sensitive ground by using this title, since it's "owned" by John Stott's book on preaching - where he applies it to the concept of the preacher standing between the biblical world and the world of his local cultural context, with the task of bridging the gap.I'm talking about two very different worlds - today we went to Mexico, to the city of Tijuana, and I'm talking about

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-44042232587281856322007-09-12T22:34:00.000+10:002007-09-18T21:22:44.500+10:00

I absolutely love Chayah Gospel Church!The reason that I love our church is the same reason as Paul thanked God for the Colossians:We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-48117036821037007712007-08-31T09:11:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:30.879+10:00

Finally! Our church has a name - Chayah Gospel Church.It's so exciting to be forming an identity :)Our website has some articles about what we're about, as well as what we've been up to. It also explains what the name means.

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-11582436104449517442007-08-30T16:17:00.000+10:002007-08-30T16:22:46.319+10:00

Cool - Sovereign Grace Ministries have made their message MP3's (sermons, conference lessons etc) free for download.Even more cool - Bob Kauflin has put together a list of recommended lessons by category, so that you don't have to download thousands of lessons and never get around to listening to them.Bob's categories are pretty diverse - from songwriting to theology, there's plenty there: check

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-33183542572506647762007-08-27T21:45:00.000+10:002007-08-27T21:55:28.484+10:00

There's another great article by Tom Wells up on the Resurgence. This one's on "Preaching the Kingdom of God". The reason I love this article is that it sums up exactly the kind of understanding of the kingdom we've come to in recent years and that understanding has been completely transforming for our faith.Wells is subtly provocative in his opening, saying firstly:Not long ago I had a visit

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-83600645324612882042007-08-16T07:53:00.000+10:002007-08-16T08:10:27.348+10:00

Mark Lauterbach is making some typically apt comments about the essential nature of fellowship. We're currently preaching a series on Parables of Jesus, and I find some very clear truth regarding fellowship present in Luke 12:Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me." But he said to him, "Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-32801669845080245792007-08-14T18:47:00.000+10:002007-08-14T18:54:29.077+10:00

Bob Kauflin's post on baptism is worth reading - both regarding the doctrine and practice. His description of baptism brings out much of the richness of the gospel symbolism:"it is the biblical sign that a person's sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus, and that we've been united with Christ in his death and resurrection (1Cor. 6:9-11; Rom. 6:3-4). It also seals that fact that we've

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-47279286446566111162007-07-29T22:54:00.000+10:002008-12-11T12:30:31.515+10:00

With all the talk over at Kaleo about triperspectivalism, I thought I'd post something myself - in this case, three perspectives on the application of the gospel to an individual.This came out of thinking through Richard Bauckham's triperspectival view of God's mission from the general to the particular - the historical, geographical and social perspectives. It struck me that the gospel can be

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11889145.post-21122548825638372952007-07-23T20:21:00.000+10:002007-07-23T20:27:43.997+10:00

David Fairchild posted this a while back; I've finally got around to linking to it. It's a very thought-provoking analysis of a list of top church-planting churches. David notes:What does this say about the concern most church planting strategists have when they tell us to shy away from strong theology? I believe it shows us that without a good theology of God, the world, and the self, we really

Mick Porterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06281249383989684689noreply@blogger.com0