This past Sunday we wrapped up our series through the Gospel according to Mark. The title of the series was, Who Is This Man?. That’s the question Mark writes to answer. Of course, all of the gospels are written to address this question, but Mark’s work is particularly focused on the specific question of the identity of Jesus Christ.

It’s for that reason that when Drew Hodge penned a song of our series, he lifted the title of the series for the title of his song, “Who Is This Man?,” now available on Bandcamp.

If you were with us for one of this year’s Easter services you’ll remember that we heard this song along with a video. Here’s the video with lyrics below:

Lyrics:

Verse 1

Who is this man come to die,
beloved son from on high,
God and man to make us one,
King and a kingdom come?

Verse 2

Who is this man on the way,
power and love on display,
cleansing healing every stain,
washing our guilt away?

Verse 3

Who is this man hanging there
on a tree our shame to bear?
For our sin, for His prize,
the Lamb of God had died.

Verse 4

Who is this man risen high,
once dead now very alive?
Empty tomb filled with light,
this man is Jesus Christ!

Tag

This man is Jesus Christ!
This man is Jesus Christ!
This man is Jesus Christ!

For more songs from DSC, visit the DSC Bandcamp page.

Kevin DeYoung is the lead pastor at University Reformed Church in Lansing, Michigan. Since he began publishing, DeYoung has served the church well through the publication of many timely books. He also writes regularly at his blog hosted at The Gospel Coalition.

One topic DeYoung speaks to from time to time with nuance, insight, and conviction is politics. That shouldn’t be heard the wrong way. He’s not a political junkie who cares more about politics than his work as a pastor. But he understands the real, somewhat complicated, but always consequential role of political engagement for Christians given our opportunities in a democratic republic. He has done a nice job over the years of speaking to Christians concerning their role of citizens of this world, albeit a role secondary to our role as citizens of the next.

A nice example of this would be a piece published earlier this week, “Ten Things to Remember as the Presidential Campaign Season Gets Into Full Swing.” Here are his ten things:

1. We’re not electing a king.
2. Elections matter.
3. Character matters.
4. The best predictor of future performance is past performance.
5. You almost certainly will not have a beer with the next president.
6. The big picture matters more than all the details.
7. The candidates will say something stupid.
8. The media will do very little to help you understand the issues and what each candidate believes.
9. It is extremely unlikely that either party will nominate someone with no political experience.
10. The system could be much worse.

Click here to read DeYoung’s explanation of each point. Here’s his explanation of the last point:

Sure, there is plenty to complain about. The presidential campaign seems interminably long. It takes a boatload of money to stay in the race. We are all stupider because of Twitter and the 24-hours news cycle. And even the best debates are hardly Lincoln-Douglas material. But we do get a say. We do get a vote. We basically get the presidents we deserve. I’d rather have candidates pandering for our votes than dictating the terms of our surrender. Yes, if you want to be president it helps to be rich and famous, but you also have to hang out in New Hampshire all winter and shake the hand of every farmer in Iowa. I like that. There are good reasons to be frustrated with both parties. But with only two major parties, it’s hard to completely ignore most viewpoints. You can’t build a coalition without trying to appeal to a lot of diverse groups of people. So is the system broken? I’m sure it is, but I’m also sure there are more ways than we can imagine to fix it even worse.

DeYoung isn’t the only one to read during election season. He’s not going to write ongoingly about every turn and every issue in the presidential race. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission will be more helpful there. And there are others worth listening to who write and reflect from an explicit or roughly Christian worldview including Albert Mohler, Michael Gerson, Ross Douthat, etc.. The Gospel Coalition will publish a number of thoughtful pieces along the way, and Justin Taylor will drip pieces like these into the line of his blog at The Gospel Coalition:

• “A Conflict of Visions: Or, Why Can’t We All Just Get Along?“
• “FAQ with Robert P. George on the Moral Purpose of Law and Government“
• “This Kind Cannot Be Driven Out by Worldview Training and Legislation: The Place of Prayer and Fasting for the Pro-Life Movement“
• “The 7th Planned Parenthood Video + 4 FAQs“

But mixed in with posts on just about everything else a pastor would care about, DeYoung will provide consistent and timely insight into politics. Here are a few helpful pieces he’s published on Christian political reflection and engagement over the years:

• “Three Self-Evident Truths“
• “What Am I Doing When I Vote?“
• “Five Things Worth Celebrating on Election Day (Plus One More)“
• “A Lockean Philosophy of Government“
• “Do Pro-Life Policies Even Matter“
• “Politics is Hell“
• “What Is Religious Freedom?“
• “The Narrative of Struggle and Political Power“
• “The Three R’s of Christian Engagement in the Culture War“
• “What the Debates Say about America“
• “Christian Principles for Realistic Politics“
• “A Friendly Reminder as the Campaign Season Gets Into Full Swing“
• “Why Are We So Offended All The Time?“

Finally, since this is a post about who to listen to, let me suggest that TV news will be one of the least helpful resources for receiving and processing ideas and the specific views of candidates during this season. This is not to mischaracterize every network or show, but generally speaking TV news is a circus of perception creating and narrative forming media. Generally speaking, TV news does not foster careful or extended thought. Generally speaking, TV news cheapens and askews both good and bad arguments, both good and bad candidates. So, watch, yes. But read more than you watch. Be thoughtful and careful in the coming months.

For a pastor who writes on these things with care, concern, and a critical mind, Kevin DeYoung is worth the read.

You may be familiar with Don Whitney’s books, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and Spiritual Disciplines within the Church. Whitney has given his life and ministry to strengthening Christians and the church in Christ through—you guessed it—spiritual disciplines.

One of these spiritual disciplines is prayer, and Whitney recently published a helpful new book focused on this important dimension of our communion with God. It’s titled, simply, Praying the Bible.

Here’s Kevin DeYoung’s description:

Short, simple, straight forward, edifying. I don’t know anyone in today’s evangelical world more effective at teaching about spiritual disciplines than Whitney. This readable, conversational book will help you pray the Bible in a way that is edifying, easier, and more enjoyable than you might think. Like the best books on prayer, this one makes you want to go somewhere quiet and pray.

Here’s a conversation with Don Whitney posted by Justin Taylor with timestamps below:

[RSS and email readers, click here to view this video]

• 00:00 – What is your ministry background?
• 00:54 – As you travel around the country, what are some of the common complaints you hear from Christians related to their prayer lives?
• 02:19 – What would you say to someone who feels like a failure in prayer?
• 04:40 – What areas of Scripture are particularly conducive for prayer?
• 05:47 – What are the Psalms of the Day?
• 07:55 – Can you illustrate praying through Psalm 23?
• 11:51 – How will praying the Bible help us remain focused in prayer?
• 13:37 – What are the sorts of testimonies you hear from people who have started praying the Bible?

Click here to order a copy.

Over at the DSC Music Blog, Drew Hodge recently posted a call for artwork submissions for an upcoming studio album of DSC music.

Here’s the scoop:

Calling all DSC artists!

We are almost done with This Is Our Song! Now we are ready to start the artwork for the record and we want you to help.
Here’s how it will work:

• We are looking for all types of visual art (paintings, drawings, sketch art, photography, etc.)
• You submit your art to drew@desertspringschurch.org
• We pick what we think best captures the theme and vision.
• That’s it!

So, if your are interested or you know a DSC’er who may be qualified, here is the vision:

This Is Our Song. These are our songs and our stories. These songs come from the life and moments of our church. They cover a range of biblical truths – who God is, what He has done, who we are, our need and response. Christ and His work.

If you could lock into one word – story. His story through us. Every song has a story. Every song tells a story.

Now, capture that with pictures, images, and few words.

Please have your submissions in by August 14th

Let the artistic juices flow, and lets make this record beautiful together!

If you haven’t subscribed to the DSC Music Blog, consider doing so here. On most Mondays Drew Hodge posts a Sunday Recap with songs and texts from that Sunday’s service, including links to songs and lyrics. Here’s an example from July 12.

There are over 400 quotations or illusions to the book of Isaiah in the New Testament. For that reason alone, Isaiah is a good book to get to know. But there are a variety of reasons that Isaiah can be intimidating: it’s 66 chapters long, its organization can be difficult to grasp, and its ancient context can be a bit obscure to us.

There’s no substitute for simply reading and rereading Isaiah. The more you do the more its message will become clear, and the more you’ll hear its echoes as you read the New Testament. That said, there are a number of excellent resources published for a variety of purposes and in a variety of formats.

To help you walk through the text, two resources are worth mentioning. First, Drew Hunter’s, Isaiah: A 12 Week Study, will walk you through the book with questions and provide instruction along the way. Then, in Isaiah by the Day: A New Devotional Translation, Alec Motyer provides his own translation of Isaiah (he’s an Isaiah scholar, so he can do that) and concisely explains the heart of each section as it relates to the whole.

Motyer also has a full readers commentary, titled, Isaiah, in Tyndale’s Old Testament Commentary Series. If you had one commentary on Isaiah, this should be it. If you’re going to be teaching Isaiah or if you’re a university student dealing with challenges to Isaiah’s unity, Motyer’s more technical work is for you: The Prophecy of Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary. Finally, for a compilation of sermons edited for publication by a faithful pastor, Ray Ortlund Jr.’s, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners is excellent.