Matt Chander: The Bible Is Not About Us

God's Goodness in Your Pain

The Gospel Coalition:

Around The Web-April 22, 2016

Matt Chandler says Christians need not worry since God already knows who's the next U.S. president

Baptist Church Ordains First Openly Transgender Preacher

Utah declares pornography a public health hazard

Making Evangelism a Habit by Tom Johnston

“The Jungle Book” and the Doctrine of Adoption by Russell Moore

Servants of Grace has the issue of Theology for Life available to download on The Doctrine of Grace

Jen Wilkin's new book, None Like Him, is now available

Westminster Theology Seminary has put a book together called Seeing Christ in All of Scripture

Do We Participate in Our Own Salvation? by Andrew Shanks

The guys are Popcorn Theology discuss Season 2 of Daredevil

Kevin Halloran shares his thoughts on Together for the Gospel and #Despierta16

Tim Challes' new book, Visual Theology, is on sale for $10.00.

Should Baptisms Be Spontaneous?

There were times in church history that before people were baptized, there was a period of instruction. Many churches will require a new convert to take a class before being baptized so they understand what this means. Other churches just do it on the same Sunday they get saved. I visited a church that just had a Disciple Now weekend for their youth and they baptized every individual that made professions of faith.

This has been a great debate in the church for the past few years and I don't think its going away anytime soon. In this video, Matt Chandler, Matt Dever, and Darrin Patrick talk about this very issue.

Around the Web-September 4, 2015

“In this World You Will Have Trouble” — Welcome to Rowan County by Albert Mohler

What You Should Know About the Kentucky Clerk Marriage License Controversy by Joe Carter

Don’t Let The Media Control Your Experience of Election 2016 by Trevin Wax

The Gospel Coalition Launches New Podcast Network

God, You've Got The Wrong Guy by Tim Challies

How Do You Know If You're Discontent? by Erik Raymond

God takes great delight as Matt Chandler explains in this short video.



Russell Moore, Colin Hansen, and Tim Keller talk about speaking with people who disagree with us.

Around The Web-May 29, 2015

The guys over at The Reformed Pubcast has created a new website called The Reformed Pub. Check it out.

When Your Heart Isn't In It by Joe Thorn

Why Are Behaviors the Bible Condemns Considered ‘Morally Acceptable’ by Christians? by Joe Carter

What Are Justification and Sanctification? by Guy Waters

Matt Chandler Apologizes for Lack of Compassion in Church Discipline Cases

A Requiem for the Boy Scouts by Albert Mohler

How many of you have seen the "Thug Life" videos? Have you seen the ones put together by Baptist Humor? I would like to share a couple of my favorites featuring Voddie Baucham, Steven Lawson, and John MacArthur.

Around The Web-June 20, 2014

Why Give Away Worship Music by Stephen Miller

Should Pastors Talk Politics from the Pulpit? by Russell Moore

Pursuing God's Vision for Marriage by Gloria Furman

A Rhythm of Remembering and Rejoicing by Matt Chandler

Paul Tripp on how to make missions fit into your schedule.

Book Review: Recovering Redemption by Matt Chander and Michael Snetzer

When it comes to redemption, some Christians have the idea they have to redeem themselves by some external activity. We have the tendency to focus on what we can do better as a Christian if it were some kind of job evaluation. When employees get an evaluation from their employer, it is always about what they are doing what right and what areas could use some improvement. Other evaluations go so far as the employee feels like he/she will lose their job if they do not do better.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about what you can do to get better. The gospel is about what God has done through Jesus because you will never get better on your own. Matt Chandler and Michael Snetzer discuss the changes the gospel brings in their book, Recovering Redemption. The book begins with the beginning. In other words, we have to go back to the book of Genesis to see why mankind is so screwed up. The Fall of man shows us why we can never get better. We can never get better because we look inside ourselves not outside for redemption.

Of course what book about the change the gospel brings if you do not write about the gospel. Chandler and Snetzer devote one chapter explaining the gospel to their readers. The rest of the book deals with struggling with sin, the benefits of our faith in Jesus, and fighting fear. The epilogue of the book deals with the call that every Christian is called to do: make much of Jesus. That is not just inside the walls of a church, but that is also in our day-to-day lives. Our marriage should be all about Jesus as well as our finances. Our lives should not be one that worships and adores God, but also be on mission for him.

Every time Matt Chandler writes or speaks, I listen. He has incredible boldness and heart for the gospel that he is not afraid to address issues that will make most preachers blush. Michael Snetzer adds incredible insight as well as his own story of grace. This book should be read by every Christian whether you have been a believer for 1 month or 50 years. This book is a top contender for my top 5 list of 2014.

Thanks Broadman & Holman for letting me review this book.

Video: The Miracle of Grace by Matt Chandler

This sermon from Romans 8 by Matt Chandler was preached at the Liberate Conference held at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.



Books by Matt Chandler:

The Explicit Gospel

Creature of the Word

To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain

God's Goodness in Your Pain

Recommended Reading:

Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

Torn To Heal by Mike Leake

Suffering and The Sovereignty of God

Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian

If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn

What Does It Mean To Be Gospel-Centered?

What Does It Mean to Be Gospel-Centered? from Crossway on Vimeo.

Around The Web-August 9, 2013

Joe Thorn and a few friends write about what books all pastors should read

Ten Things Pastors Like Least About Their Jobs by Thom Rainer

Uniquely Wired, Uniquely Placed by Matt Chandler

9 Things You Should Know About Human Trafficking by Joe Carter

Rodney Stark says that attendance in local churches are at an all-time high in American

The Cross Was Part of the Plan

The cross of Jesus Christ was not some surprise, not some plan B for God, but rather the plan known about within the Godhead since the beginning. God's response to the belittlement of his name, from the beginning of time, has been the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on a Roman cross.

Acts 4:27 tells us, "For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel..." Now, for the record, that's everyone in the world.

It would be like me saying, "You Americans and all other peoples of earth." This is everyone. Everyone involved in the crucifixion has been just been named here. But look at how it continues in verse 28 "...to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." Whose hand and whose plan? God's plan.

The cross of Christ was God's idea. The death of Jesus was God's idea. From the first day, when God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, in perfect unity, said, "Let us make man in our image" (Gen. 1:26), the cross of Christ cast its shadow across all of eternity. It was the predetermined plan of God. The death of Jesus, wrath-absorbing cross of Christ, was the plan of God before creation.

The cross now stands at the central tenet of all we believe about salvation.

Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel

Around The Web-July 5, 2013

Beasts, yet Cowards by Joe Thorn

Aaron Armstrong reviews Eric Mason's book, Manhood Restored

10 Things Every Christians Should Know About Islam by Zane Pratt

Broad Coalition Says Contraception Mandate a Religious Liberty Threat

A couple of years ago, Matt Chandler was preaching at one of the Acts 29 Bootcamps talking about fulfilling your ministry when he does an impersonation of Mark Driscoll.

The Gospel Forms The Church

Without a proper understanding of the gospel, people will miss the big biblical picture and all the joyful freedom that comes from living it. They will run from God in shame at their failures instead of running toward Him because of His mercy.

Just as a river forms distributaries, the gospel forms the Church. The distributaries do not form the river, just as the Church does not form the gospel. When a church confuses the order, she loses her true effectiveness. When a church chooses something other than the river of the gospel as the driving force behind her teaching, programming, staffing, and decisions, she empties herself of all power. Instead of becoming a distributor of life, she becomes a distributary of death. She doesn't really have anything to offer...Although the gospel does impact everything, everything is not the gospel. If everything about Jesus and the Bible becomes "the gospel" to us, then we end up being gospel-confused rather than gospel-centered...The gospel centers us on Jesus' person and work or it isn't the gospel...Ultimately, the gospel is not a nebulous or ethereal concept, but Jesus Himself.

The gospel. What is it, really? In its simplest form, the gospel is God's reconciling work in Christ-that through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, God is making all things new both personally for those who repent and believe, and cosmically as He redeems culture and creation from its subjection to futility...The gospel also forms the church. Scripture says Jesus "gave himself up" for the Church (Eph. 5:25 ESV), buying the church "with his own blood" (Acts 20:28 ESV), in order "to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14 ESV).

Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, and Eric Geiger - Creature of the Word

Matt Chandler Sermon Jam-The Gospel

Around The Web-April 12, 2013

Arkansas Senate Moves To Defund Planned Parenthood

Christian Leaders Appalled At Hurtful Responses to Rick Warren Family Tragedy

The Main Reason for Declining Church Attendance: Children's Sports?

Powerful words from Matt Chandler:



A story of a man living with Cerebral Palsy from The Austin Stone:

How Your Church Can Grow in Evangelism

A great conversation between Mark Dever, Matt Chandler, and Darrin Patrick:

Trailer to Creatures Of The Word

One of the most talked about book that church leaders are looking forward to read is Creatures of the Word by Matt Chandler, Josh Patterson, and Eric Geiger. I know this is one book I will be picking up soon. Until then, here is the trailer for the book:

Does Church Size Matter?

I have been apart of small churches and large churches. Many people judge a church by its size and some Christians will choose what church to serve based on their size. Mark Dever, Kevin DeYoung, and Matt Chandler discuss about church size in this video:


Does Church Size Matter? from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.