Jeremy Gwaltney

Destined for Greatness

Books Worth Adding to your Reading List in 2011

The turn of the year is always a time when we think about life improvement – how can I get better? Usually we think in terms of weight and exercise, but its also a great time to think about our spiritual health. I wasn’t a natural reader growing up (in fact my parents usually were either bribing me or enforcing me to read). But over the years, and especially after seminary, I’ve grown to love reading and increasingly see the value of good books in my life. I would encourage you to do the same.

Here are a list of books in different topic interests (with price points) that is worth adding to any reading list. Pick one or two, and make it a resolution this year to read one.

Christian Classics ($10-$20 price range):

The Cross of Christ – John Stott
I’ve often said you should read anything written by John Stott. He’s loving called the protestant Pope in academic circles. This is his best. Few books describe the necessity of Jesus’ death and its application to all the universe as well as this book. Its a must read for any Christian, and a book that will be read by many Christians 100 years from now.

Knowing God – J. I. Packer
This is a great read for someone looking to increase their knowledge and relationship with God, but don’t feel attracted to a formal theology book. It is simple and easy to read, but profound and deep in its content. Like “The Cross of Christ” above, it is a must read and a book that will be read 100 years from now.

Modern and Simple Theological Reads ($9-$20 range)

Pleasures Evermore – Sam Storms
This book has probably done more to impact my spiritual thinking than any other book outside of the Bible. It explains how our relationship with God is primarily about our pleasure because “God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in him.” Yes, it is theological, but it is accessible and easy to read.

What Jesus Demands of the World – John Piper
In this book Dr. Piper examines every command of Jesus in the New Testament. The result is a well-rounded perspective of the Son of God. Any misunderstandings of exactly what Jesus demands, what he offers and how it impacts our lives are gone after reading these pages. As a plus, the chapters are usually only 4-10 pages long, so it makes for very accessible reading; especially for people who might only have a few minutes a day to read.

The Calvary Road – Roy Hessian
I read this book every two years or so. It has a simple message on how Jesus’ life and death is to impact our lives. Pride, self-centeredness, stubbornness, and sin will all be confronted but in a loving and positive way that makes you eager to become more like Jesus. As a bonus, the book is less than 150 pages.

Modern Life-Changers ($10-$15)

Radical Reformission – Mark Driscoll
“We are all missionaries, the question is are we a good or bad one.” This book by Driscoll really challenges the notion the evangelism is something we do, instead of an outworking of who we are. Driscoll discusses how the Gospel is supposed to affect the whole person so that we can’t help but be engaged in the mission that God has called his people to. It is challenging, insightful and practical in its application. Driscoll is both an edgy and funny author, and the book is a lot of fun to read.

Crazy Love – Francis Chan
When we’ve really been impacted by the crazy love of God – one where God’s Son leaves the glories of heaven to die the most brutal death possible for his enemies, us – how can we not respond with crazy love for Christ? In this book, Chan confronts many of the conflicts between normal Christianity and the cultural American dream. However, Chan does it in a gracious way that always keeps the attractiveness of the glory of God as the main focus. Worth the read, but your life can’t help but change if you do.

Intense Theological Reads ($25-$40 range)
NOTE – these books are not for the faint of heart. While a theological education is not necessary to grasp onto the powerful theological truths in their pages, a deep and abiding interest in God’s Word and ways is necessarily to make it through the 500 plus pages of often meticulous details. Very worth the read, but it is reading that is work.

The Mission of God – Christopher Write
This is quickly becoming a theological classic among scholars. It’s central focus is concerning the universal nature of the Gospel. God’s mission was written in His character, and the Gospel is about the redemption of man first and the redemption of the world as a result. Write walks his thesis through both the Old and New Testaments in great details, and then spends a number of chapters applying the Mission of the Gospel of God not only to our personal redemption, but also to issues of social justice, environmentalism, ethics, etc. Great read.

The Meaning of the Pentateuch – John Sailhamer
This is one of the most comprehensive books about the first five books of the Bible available. While it is not a commentary, it goes into great detail about the history of interpretation, the composition, and the theology of the books of Moses. Sailhamer’s treatment of the Law, Covenant, Sacrifices, and the coming Messiah has been revolutionary to modern Old Testament studies. While the book is technical and very detailed, John has an amazingly easy writing style that is very pleasant to read — all 620 pages of it!

Favorite Christmas Traditions #3 – Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was by far the greatest of Christmas traditions. Like many traditions it evolved over time, and only got better with each passing year. Initially, it mostly involved driving around to see Christmas lights and opening one gift before bedtime. By my late teenage years, the tradition was fully evolved to an entire evening affair.

The evening usually began with a rushed trip to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service. Grace didn’t start doing this until my early college years, but it was still a fond memory. Then it was a longer than normal trip back to the house as we would go through a variety of neighborhoods to see the Christmas decorations (usually, dinner was eaten in the car as we spent a solid hour or more looking for lights). When we got home we’d usually change into our pajamas and then gather into the living room. We would then each get one gift to open from the tree.

After the gifts were opened, mom would bring out a variety of cookies, cranberry bread and a cheeseball, as well as hot apple cider. We’d gather again to watch the original 1935 Scrooge Movie – still one of my Christmas favorites and the best Scrooge ever made and best actor to ever play the roll. After the movie we’d head up to bed and all the brothers would sleep in the same room, a tradition that remained until the Christmas before I got married. Then we’d go to sleep listening to the scurrying of mom and dad downstairs setting out the last of the Christmas gifts.

It really is awesome how powerful traditions can be to form lasting family memories. In fact, in 2002 when I got engaged to Tiffanee, we had a long conversation with each other about what to do for the holidays, should we spend them together or apart. We both decided to spend Christmas apart to enjoy one final year of our childhood traditions and memories. We both knew that Christmas 2003 would bring new traditions and experiences. I can still remember the “thank you” my mom gave me Christmas night 2002. She was very excited for Tiffanee and me getting married and the new things to come, but she also felt deeply honored that we’d decided to give those traditions and lasting memories a fitting goodbye. Looking back, we certainly made the right decision.

It is my prayer that the traditions Tiff and I create for our family over the years will be as equally enjoyed and honored by our children.

Merry Christmas,
Jeremy

Favorite Christmas Traditions #2 — Handel’s Messiah

Favorite Christmas Tradition #2 — Handel’s Messiah
This tradition only lasted a very short time — perhaps two or three years. The town of Morrisville used to put on a community choir performance of Handle’s Messiah. They would hire out the solo’s to performers (usually from the NC Symphony) and members of the community would make up the choir and play in the orchestra. We had friends who were in the choir. So we would go and see the performance. It was an amazing way to spend a few hours. The music is amazing, the message breathtaking, and a great reminder of the Reason for the season.

It also helps me to remember that tradition is mostly about making lasting memories. Many of our Christmas traditions took place every year. But this one was only a few years. Nevertheless, the memories are just a fun and enjoyable. Take time to try something new this year. Perhaps a new tradition will emerge.

Blessings,
Jeremy

Favorite Christmas Tradition #1

It’s that time of year when Tradition becomes a major issue. And it should be… as a fan of history, tradition is a way of remembering where you came from and preserving something that is actually important. So for the next few weeks, I’ll post a paragraph or two about my favorite Christmas traditions growing up.

#1 — Putting up the Manger Scene
My dad has wood carved collectors edition manger scene. The figures are hand carved and worth quite a bit of money… so to my brothers and I growing up, there was something magical about putting it up. It was usually a weekend evening. There was usually some type of Christmas music playing. And my brothers and I would always fight over who got to unwrap the package that baby Jesus was kept in and put him in the stable. Usually, this was a difficult task because the baby Jesus package looked exactly like the two packages that help the two sheep for the stable as well — if you guessed wrong… it was baaaad news for you. Sigh.

Usually after we put the scene together, we’d gather around and Dad would read us the Christmas story out of Luke. We were not always perfect in celebrating the Advent Sundays, but always on this occasion we had time to reflect on what was most important about the season — the humble and glorious Incarnation of the Son of God.

Take time to celebrate the season this year and remember our glorious Savior!

Notes from Parenting Night — Parenting and the Gospel

Last Wednesday many of the parents and singles of Grace Church met to discuss the content of our recent John Rosemond Conference. It was a great evening of discussion and applications. Kendrick asked me to share about 10-15 minutes on Parenting and the Gospel. Below are my notes:

Parenting for the Gospel
Jeremy Gwaltney
November 10, 2010

I. MY GREATEST FEAR…
a. as a parent is NOT that my child will become a drug addict, encounter teen pregnancy, or go to prison – while I’m not hoping for any of this.
b. My greatest fear is that I will give them just enough of Jesus, because they will constantly be in a Jesus-based environment, that they miss their desperate need for Him.
i. Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism – God makes me a good person, God makes me happy when I’m sad, God stays out of my way.
c. Much of Christian-based parenting advice and much of Church-based curriculum and ministries are geared toward good, moral people making and not Christ-loving disciple making.

II. GOSPEL-CENTERED PARENTING REQUIRES:
a. A recognition that I as husband/father and Tiff as wife/mother are the chief pastor’s of our children in training them in the ways of God and to God.

b. A recognition that my children, like me, are totally depraved in nature (have no ability to naturally see, love, and obey God), and therefore I must call sin – “sin” as a way of directing them to God.

c. A recognition that I am not responsible for their final destiny in God, they are. I am responsible to direct them to God and declare the consequences of a life with out God.

III. HOW DOES GOSPEL-CENTERED PARENTING WORK:
a. Remember the basic elements of the Gospel – God was perfectly loving and provided a pleasurable environment for mankind, man rebelled against God and received punishment for his rebellion, because of our inability to be reconciled with God, He entered our world in the person of Jesus, took our punishment, death, was raised from the dead, then gives his life to us to fulfill the fact that we can’t live in harmony with God. It is His life that enables us to be restored to God.

b. Six principles based on the Gospel for parenting:
1. First – capture their heart while establishing authority.
a. God does both. He woes us with His mercy, yet He is Holy and there is always an appropriate difference in status.

2. Second – Use God-centered not moral-centered language.
a. So bad behavior is not simply “not nice” it is “displeasing to Mommy and to God/Jesus.”
b. Or we no longer “share” because it’s the “right thing to do” but because “God was generous with us, so we share because God shares.”
c. Family customs/boundaries are more than family preferences and are ways in which God wants us to do things.

3. Third – Transfer their relationship with you to their relationship with God.
a. You do this because “Daddy says so” changes to “We do this because God commands it.”

4. Fourth – Emphasize their inability to be “good” along side your/God’s durability to love them.
a. You want your children to come to a healthy understanding that they can neither please you or God fully in terms of their morality, but neither can they ever divorce themselves from your love.
b. In other words, while sin creates separation in relationship, love always allows an open door for acceptance, approval and restoration.

5. Fifth – Always relate discipline to the issue of Sin and Salvation.
a. So we no longer are declaring “you just don’t behave that way” to “you behave that way because you are a sinner in need of a savior.”

6. Finally, remember that you are their pastor NOT their high priest.
a. You can’t save them from themselves.
b. Therefore, the older they become the more freedom we must give them to make their own mistakes and learn the hard way.
c. The moment we move from pastor to high priest is the moment we sow the seeds of bitterness in their hearts against us.

IV. BOOK RECOMMENDATION:
a. Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tripp and Don’t Make Me Count to Three, by Ginger Plowman.

GraceQuest Fun Night

Last Sunday Night GraceQuest had a Fun Night. Teens came in costumes and enjoyed games like Apple Bobbing, Donuts Fishing, and Water Gun Draw. A Fun time was had by all. Pictures below.

Awakenings of Affection

How affections works is sort of a mystery to me. Last night I got another reminder of this in my daughter Kara. She’s been a little fussier than normal the last few days – a week of late nights, three shots on Friday, change in childcare, and she’s a bit clinging and fussy at home.

Last night I was holding her and leaned into her just a bit and gave her a kiss just above her eyes. She leaned back with an inquisitive look, seemed to ponder something for a bit, then she pressed her forehead onto my lips asking for another kiss. I kissed her and she repeated the pattern – pull back, think, push forward for another kiss. Its almost as if for the first time in her 13 month life she realized what a kiss was. She then pulled back, evaluated it, and decided “I like this” and then repeatedly asked for more. She did this for a solid 5-10 minutes until I finally gave her to her mother. It was a simple, precious and insightful moment.

I couldn’t help but think how this is a reminder of how simply the love of God is. He extends His affection to us, we experience it and decide “I like it” and ask to receive more. When we’ve experience the true affection of God, His pleasures evermore calm all storms, all arguments, all rebellion, and all fear and invites us into a deeper and deeper experience with Him. I pray you feel an increase in the affection of our Heavenly Father as you go through your week.

Blessings,
Jeremy

The Lost Ask Us to Pray

“So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.” – Jonah 1:6

This Fall I’ve been taking some time to study the book of Jonah in great detail. It is one of my favorite books of the Old Testament and a book that I will be teaching for an online Grace College of Divinity class next semester.

This morning I was reading the verse above. The context is Jonah sleeping in the bottom of a ship after fleeing the command of God to go to Nineveh. In an effort to stop his rebellion, God sends a powerful storm against the ship that Jonah is on. The sailors are above throwing cargo overboard and calling out to every god they can think of, hoping that the storm will abate. Meanwhile the one who is responsible for the storm and who is rebelling against the true God is asleep below. That is when the captain finds Jonah and, in amazement and with earnest, makes the statement above.

One of the commentaries I am reading made a very insightful and applicable observation about this verse. One that really challenged me this morning. He said,

“There is extreme irony here: a ‘heathen sea captain’ pleaded with a Hebrew prophet to pray to his God. It is sobering to see one who might be termed an ‘unbeliever’ pleading for spiritual action on the part of a ‘believer.’ The ‘unbeliever’ saw the gravity of the situation while the prophet slept. It is a sad commentary when those who are committed to the truth of God’s word have to be prodded by a lost world into spiritual activity.” – Frank Page, New American Commentary, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, p. 231.

It is a chilling reminder. Here is an unbeliever terrified for his life as he looks at his impending doom in the face of God’s action. There is the prophet of truth, asleep and oblivious to the situation and to the plight of the unbeliever. The prophet is awakened to the voice of an unbeliever begging him to pray to his God for their salvation.

It might not be loud, it might not be often, but I can’t help but think that there are unbelievers in our city begging the people of God to call out for their salvation – or even show them the way of salvation through Jesus Christ. I certainly hope I don’t prove to be a Jonah – asleep and oblivious.

Food for thought.

Blessings,
Jeremy

Five Reasons to Attend the John Rosemond Conference

Five Reasons to Attend the John Rosemond Conference from Grace Church on Vimeo.

Borrowed Blog: Will Gospel-Centrality Go the Way of Fundamentalism?

Yesterday I was at a prayer meeting with our network of churches.  We had a great time praying and interceding for each other.  However, I forgot to do my weekly blog post.  This morning a friend of mine tweeted the blog post below, and I found it very insightful.  The Reformed/Grace Revival of the last 20 years has done many amazing things for the landscape of Christianity in America.  Combined with the Missional movement, it has the potential to really open the doors for another great awakening.   But even in my limited ministry experience, I have seen the rumbling of the “Christ-centered” buzz word that is described below.  I think Toby Kurth’s insight are very helpful.  My favorite statement quote of his is, “What makes me nervous are phrases like “Is he gospel-centered?” or “That is not a gospel-centered church.” Let’s not settle for shorthand. Being “gospel-centered” is a life-long endeavor, not a slogan. It is not the ability to recite a few well-crafted phrases; it is rather the commitment to continually turn away from defining yourself or your church in accordance with anything other than the person and work of Jesus Christ.”

The original blog was posted here: http://www.buzzardblog.com/2010/03/30/toby-kurth-will-gospel-centrality-go-the-way-of-fundamentalism/

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Celebrating Year One

Hailey holds Kara for the first time - 9/29/2009

One year ago today, my wife and I welcomed our second child into the world – Kara. She’s been a joy and delight to have with our family. Happy birthday Kara!

Kara is 1 today - 9/29/2010