Redeemer Queen’s Park / an honour to be part of this special story. This last weekend was very bittersweet. I preached my final sermon as senior pastor at Redeemer and baptised my friend, Patrick. – at London, England

Dance and game  are  frivolous, unimportant down here; for “down here” is not their natural place. Here, they are a moment’s rest from the life we were placed here to live. But in this world everything is upside down. That which, if it could be prolonged here, would be a truancy, is likest that which in a better country is the End of ends. Joy is the serious business of Heaven. (C.S. Lewis)

“Holy joy will be oil to the wheels of our obedience.” (Matthew Henry)

“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16

WHAT A NIGHT

Honored to host Forming Men Conference at Nashville First. instagram.com/stories/formin…

So thankful for a few days with @SummitCollab. Great teaching and going deeper into the gospel. Time with friends old and new. Amazed at the power of a big vision being placed into the hands of the Living God. Special days.

“The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.” Proverbs 10:28

“for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

“Holy joy will be oil to the wheels of our obedience.” (Matthew Henry)

“God had one Son without sin, but He never had a son without trial.” (Charles Spurgeon)

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:7

That’ll do! War Eagle!

One of the great privileges of parenting is getting to help our kids learn the Christian faith. But where do you start? That’s one of the reasons we created The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids: fifty simple questions and answers designed to help children understand the big truths of the Christian faith and see how they all lead us to Jesus. And now there’s a new way to bring those truths into the everyday rhythms of family life. Coming in January: The Gospel Way Catechism for Kids Flashcards. Each card includes a catechism question and answer, along with Table Talk prompts to get the conversation going and Prayer Practice prompts to help families pray together. Keep them on the kitchen table. Pull one out over breakfast. Take a few in the car. Use them around the dinner table or during family worship. The goal isn’t simply to help our kids memorize the right answers (important as that is!). It’s to give families simple ways to talk about God, pray together, and help the truths of the gospel sink deep into the hearts of our children. amazon.com/Gospel-Catechism-… Really excited for families, churches, and children’s ministries to get these in their hands in January.

Honored to interview my friend Charles Overby at our Faith & Work Lunch on Thursday. Charles worked in journalism for 65 years, mostly in and through Washington DC, and is a strong advocate for First Amendment freedoms. Charles and his newspaper won the Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for their work in Mississippi. The most impressive thing about Charles is how he doesn’t let any of it become the biggest part of his life. He is the very definition of “humble”demonstrated by his constant curiosity and concern for how others are doing and how he can help. So glad to see this emphasis on vocational discipleship emerging. Good days.

Really special night out with Perry at @GMADoveAwards

Love to see it. Nashville First hosting @GMADoveAwards as a sort of staging ground / HQ / pre-show telecast. Marvelling at the creativity of our God. Reflecting on 206 years of faithfulness that allows a church to sustain in a city - all the hands required to build these walls. Imagining the millions (billions?) of prayers that have been prayed in this place and over this ground and how they ripple into a Monday like this. Seeing the power of compounded interest in generational generosity. Thankful for the many hands that make it go. What a story. What a God.

“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.” (G.K. Chesterton)

Savior, if of Zion’s city, I through grace a member am, let the world deride or pity: I will glory in thy name. Fading is the worldling’s pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion’s children know. (John Newton)

“Nehemiah is not the type of leader who avoids sweating. . . . Nehemiah refused to spare himself. . . . Nehemiah slaved with abandon. . . . Nothing has ever been done for God without work. . . . Paul “worked harder than all of them” (1 Cor. 15:10). . . . Wesley often preached several times a day. . . . Jesus . . . once sank into such exhausted slumber on a boat that even a Galilean storm failed to rouse him . . . the one thing all great women and men have in common is that they worked.” (John White)

“I can plod. That is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.” (William Carey)