Bully Pulpit: Why Does the Devil Have All the Good Music?

Is anything biblically wrong with enjoying secular music … for the glory of God? Perhaps you're a (closet) secular music junkie drumming to The Who, but it’s all King’s College and Sandra McCracken on Sunday mornings. Certainly we know there’s a line, but it can be hard discerning when we’ve crossed it and started abusing our Christian liberty. Besides, some emotionally charged Christian music is as damaging as Boy George.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled Theology 101: For Christian Musicians by John Hannah. Discount is applied at checkout.

Counseling Wives of Addicts

The toxic effects of Porn addiction go far beyond that of just the addict. What about the wives of addicts? How do they suffer? And what are the Church’s worst mistakes in dealing with the spouse of an unfaithful husband? Today we have Ellen Dykas of Harvest USA to speak to such questions. Ellen is the Women's Ministry Coordinator at Harvest USA which was started and thrives in the heart of Philadelphia, caring for and serving those struggling with sexual issues. Ellen also speaks to parenting children - how do you talk to your explicit material. Today's conversation is a pressing one for the Church to have and one to be continued.Win a free book! We have several copies of iSnooping on Your Kid: Parenting in an Internet World to giveaway.Winners:Marcus W., St. Louis, MOSusan G., Drexel Hill, PAJeff C., Chambersburg, PALinda H., Rockford, ILAshley S., Irmo, SCFrancis L., Tucson, AZPhilip W., Owatonna, MNLee V., Fort Mitchell, KYShane S., Boomfield, CORachelle H., Milton, FL

Bunk History

Henry Ford says: "History is bunk." But does the past give identity to the present? How does understanding history liberate us in the present, and even the future? And as a Christian, is it important to know church history? Today's conversation is right down the alley of our in-house Church Historian, Carl R. Trueman, and he's got the gift of the gab on this one!Win a free audio set! We have a few copies of Justification in Church History to giveaway.Winners:Steve H., Millersville, PATimoteo S., Herndon, VAAndrew J., New Port Richey, FLCaleb C., Salem, ORRobert T., Westchester, ILRebecca M., Mcalester, OK

Clergical Clarification

Church government... Could you pass a quiz on what each office does? Do you think your Pastor is the Ecclesistical CEO? Today the roles and tasks are defined with particular focus on the Elder - both teaching and ruling and what happens when there's conflict between the two. This conversation strikes a chord if you serve on a session, and grants all a bit of clarity about those ruling and teaching over us.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled Curse on the Clergy by Dr. James Boice. Discount is applied at checkout.

Bi-vocation is the New Black

Times are getting tough for Churches and it's not just spiritual strains they are feeling. Should pastors-to-be change their expectations from full-time to part-time pastoral ministry? Bi-vocational ministry may be the latest fashion raising more eyebrows than ever before ... and should be discussed more often in seminary classrooms. Join us in today's casual conversation about the future of the pastorate and the need vocational expectations to change.We have a few copies of The Pastor's Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry by Kent Hughes to giveaway.The giveaway has ended. The winners are:David K., Wayne, NJDane C., Mariposa, CA

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Eschatology … it’s about the already and not yet, a key concept in making sense of our lives, and even more specifically, our marriages. To help us understand this, we have with us today Dr. Gregory Beale, Westminster professor of New Testamemt studies. We ask him some pretty tough questions: How would eschatology explain divorce? How do you prepare young men for the pastorate? And Todd’s itching to know, do all dogs go to heaven?The drawing is closed for  "Hidden But Now Revealed: A Biblical Theology of Mystery" by G. K. Beale.The winners are:-Greg W., Palmyra, PA-Walton G., Clemson, SC-Jason B., John's Creek, GA-Lisa S., Guntersville, AL-Tabitha M., Fernandina, FL-Gary S., Arvada, CO-Brice G., Martinsville, IN-Paul S., San Diego, CA-Billy J., Pall Mall, TN

Bully Pulpit: The Food’s Getting Cold

The Gang are out for a quick bite to eat at K.C.’s Alley. Todd’s struggling, he’s so eager for that first bite of veggie burger. But who will pray, and for how long, and do they even need to pray?! We’ve all found it distracting to bless our food at a restaurant or hesitated to bow our heads before non-Christians, or even with a Non-Christian, yet we are all called to pray, and sometimes it isn’t behind a shut door or in the quietness of our hearts. Today’s a discussion highlights the importance and purpose of public prayers … something we all ought to consider. Enjoy your burger, Todd.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled Holy Prayers of a Righteous People by Phil Johnson. Discount is applied at checkout.

Are You Qualified by Your House?

Household management: It is a Biblical qualification for ministry and one to be taken seriously. So when is one actually disqualified for the ministry by the way he runs his home? What does good management even look like? The finger is easily pointed at children, but maybe it's how the father reacts to his child’s behavior that’s more telling. There's no easy answer on this one, but it's one requiring much discernment in studying Paul’s litmus test in 1 Timothy 3.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled Recovering Pastoral Piety by David Strain. Discount is applied at checkout.

Bully Pulpit: Public Pulpit Prayer

Public pulpit prayer can be real hit or miss these days, even a lost art. So what’s the criteria for a good prayer? Are they best on-the-fly or written, and is it more biblical one way or the other? The 40-somethings answer these and many more questions today and give their usual food for thought.
Resources mentioned on Public Pulpit Prayer:
The Book of Common Prayer
Valley of Vision
Leading in Prayer: A Workbook for Worship by Hughes Oliphant Old
The Pastor in Prayer by Charles Spurgeon
Thoughts on Public Prayer by Samuel Miller
The Pastor’s Book by Kent Hughes.
A Method for Prayer by Matthew Henry
 
 

The Pleasure Principle

Q: What is man's chief end? A: Man's chief end is to live an exciting life of stimulation, importance, void of boredom and monotony. Many Christians could easily spot the fault here, however, more functionally believe this than they’d like to admit. A major misconception thrives in today's contemporary culture in that all of life must be entertaining and the Church has not been spared this impoverished worldview. Perhaps the beloved hymn has it all wrong and we’re more prone to boredom than to wander. Life is frustratingly boring at times and that's not something to escape, just a reality. So let's grin and bear it.The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer you a free MP3 download entitled Ordinary Holiness by Mike Horton. Free discount applied at checkout.