Archive for May, 2011


May 30

Audio for June: 90 Days Through the New Testament Begins Wednesday

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Miscellaneous

Wednesday is June 1 and June 1 begins our 90 days of listening through the New Testament together. For an overview of the plan, visit the landing page or download the brochure.

In Sunday’s message, “Partners in Crime,” Ryan pointed out how normal it was in the first century for believers to hear the word read out loud, evident when Paul wrote in Colossians 4:16, “when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans.” Hearing was the main way that Christians received the Word of God for many centuries. God, in His wisdom, chose to reveal Himself in words at a time before the printing press was invented. We can assume, then, that hearing is not only a legitimate but an important means of receiving God’s Word. It also happens to be particularly neglected in our time.

Some will read the Scriptures out loud, perhaps with their spouse or children. Others will listen in the car or at the gym with an iPod. If you’d prefer to read instead of hear the Scriptures, that’s just fine, but listen if you can.

Last week we introduced the plan on the blog and outlined a number of ways to obtain audio. Visit our 90 Days Through the New Testament landing page for more details, including instructions for how to obtain audio, a listening schedule, and help for how to pray as you read.

In the days ahead our schedule page will be updated with audio links all the way through August. For now, here are links for audio in the ESV narrated by Max McLean through the month of June using Bible Gateway’s helpful audio player.

May 25

God Speaks, We Listen: 90 Days in the New Testament

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Sermon Preview,Vision

This Sunday, Ron introduced a plan for DSC to listen through the New Testament together in 90 days.

With the exception of Sunday mornings, the majority of our Bible intake is through reading, made wonderfully possible by the wide availability of the printed Scriptures. But this means we don’t hear the Word of God read very often. Passages like Romans 10:17 remind us of how normal it was to speak of hearing the Word of God during the time when the Scriptures were written, “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

So, from June 1 to August 31, we will listen to the New Testament together for an average of 12 minutes a day, with July 1 and August 1 as catch-up days. In addition, this summer’s Sunday sermons will be a series of New Testament book overviews which follow the books we’re reading together.

Of course, you can certainly read through the New Testament with us, but if you do plan to listen, here are some ways to obtain audio:

If you have never listened to the New Testament before, we encourage you to try this out as a fresh way to integrate God’s Word into your daily routine. This is good for spouses to do together, and it’s good for parents to do with children.

Brochures and reading plans are available at the Information Center and through the church office. We will also post a pdf of the series brochure in a follow up post next week on the blog.

May 23

“You know neither the day nor the hour”

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Link

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus made it abundantly clear that we won’t know the day or hour of his return until he returns: Concerning “the day or the hour,” Jesus says, “no one knows” (Matthew 24:36, 25:13)

So how is it that Harold Camping and his followers could so certainly and earnestly expect the return of Christ on exactly May 21? How could they say, “The Bible guarantees it”? Can the Bible really be understood, or is it just a bag of unclarity and contradiction?

Ahead of May 21, W. Robert Godfrey published a five part series explaining how Camping reads the Bible and how Camping came to read the Bible that way: “The End of the World According to Harold Camping“ Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

In Part 1, Godfrey shows the connection between Camping’s educational background and his method for reading the Bible:

Camping was a bright and studious man who had been educated as an engineer. In the 1950s he owned a very successful construction company which built churches as well as other significant buildings. This educational background is critical to understanding Camping. His education was not in the liberal arts or theology. He had not been prepared to read literature or ancient texts. He knew no Greek or Hebrew. He was not formally introduced to the study of theology. His reading of the Bible, as it evolved over the decades, reflected his training in engineering. He reads the Bible like a mathematical or scientific textbook.

In addition, Timothy Dalrymple has written a helpful response to those who propagated and believed this false teaching, “A Letter To Harold Camping and Those Who Expected Judgment Day.”

In light of all this, it’s good for us to remember that there is nonetheless a day and an hour when Jesus will return. Until then, according to Matthew 24-25 we are to be wakeful, ready, faithful, wise, and watchful for his coming.

May 18

Sermon Follow-up: “Work unto the Lord”

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Sermon Follow-Up

In Sunday’s sermon, “Work unto the Lord,” Ryan preached from Colossians 3:22-4:1, where Paul addresses the relationship between slaves and masters. In the first half of his message, Ryan developed three points at length to clarify what Paul did and did not mean by addressing “slaves” and “masters”:

  1. Roman slavery was not exactly the same thing as American slavery
  2. These categories (slave/master) are descriptive not prescriptive
  3. What is prescriptive in this passage goes beyond cultural norms

Both are image bearers. In God’s sovereignty, both have a unique station in life. Both have the same Master in heaven. Both are serving the Lord Christ.

We do well to understand the meaning of “slaves” and “masters” in Paul’s context and listening to Ryan develop his three points will help. But we can’t miss the significance of Paul’s instructions for us. In our immediate context, this text speaks into the boss/employee relationship, even if the parallel is not exact. In whatever our station, we are to work obediently, honorably, heartily, worshipfully, expectantly, and with love.

But Paul’s instructions also speak to our concept of vocation itself. In his article, “Hands On,” Doug Wilson thoughtfully fills out Bible’s teaching on the essential dignity of all work:

All craftsmanship, diligence, and hard-working hands are from the Lord. The work might be close and tight, like cunning embroidery, or it might take place on a large and grand scale, like designing and building a suspension bridge. . . . Hands on the keyboard writing a poem or a novel. Hands framing a house. Hands on a drafting table, designing the next generation of space shuttle. Hands under the hood of a car. Hands creating a glorious watercolor. Hands ministering to the sick. Hands picking up the living room. Hands making love. Hands holding a scalpel and removing a tumor. Hands skillfully typesetting a book. Hands pushing a lawn mower. Hands buttoning up a small child’s coat. Hands cutting hair. Hands cradling a hunting rifle. Hands arranging a table setting and bringing a platter of hot food. Hands positioned perfectly on a basketball while playing “horse” in the driveway. Hands laying brick. . . . We are to give ourselves to handiwork because we are His handiwork.

On the subject of vocation, we recommend the following books:

Also, a number sermons are available for download on the topic of “work and vocation” on the Messages part on this site.

May 16

New Website for Redemption Church

2011 | by Trent Hunter | Category: Recommended Link

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We’re excited to share about the launch of a new website for, Redemption Church, DSC’s first church plant. This site is very well done. Lord willing, Redemption Church will launch on January 22, 2012, which is only eight months away.

Help get the word out about Redemption Church’s new site by participating in their recently announced book giveaway:

In celebration of our new website and our up and coming church plant we want to give you the chance to win some great books, and for locals a pair of David Crowder tickets.

Over the next few months you will have the chance to win any or all of these books. All you have to do is like our FaceBook page, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our RSS Feed, or share about this giveaway on your blog. Once you have done that fill out the form below and we will pick a our first winner in one week.

This week’s giveaway is a Tru Tone ESV Study Bible.

Here’s a list of all the books we are giving away:

Christ Formed in You by Brian Hedges
Church Planter by Darrin Patrick
Collected Writings on Scripture by D.A. Carson
Desiring God by John Piper
ESV Bible Commemorative Edition
For the City by Darrin Patrick & Matt Carter
God is the Gospel by John Piper
Holman Christian Standard Bible
In My Place Condemned He Stood by J.I. Packer and Mark Dever
Note to Self by Joe Thorn
One to One Bible Reading by David Helm
Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology by Mark Dever et. al.
Red like Blood by Joe Coffey and Bob Bevington
Redemption by Mike Wilkerson
Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman
Taking Hold of God by Joel Beeke and Brian Najapfour
Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis

If you have questions about DSC’s church planting strategy, visit our new Church Planting FAQ page.