Transcending Culture

Episode 5 Podcast

2008-01-14T13:55:00.000-06:00

The fifth episode of Transcending Culture Radio is now available for listening by using the flash player at the top of the page or by
clicking here.

The main topic addressed in this episode is the rise of Emergent Church Movement. We talk specifically about the ideas set forth by Rob Bell in his book Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. Special guest, Shawn Sammartano, who has studied this book discusses his findings. The podcast has now been extended from thirty to fifty minutes in order to cover this important issue in the church.

To ask Shawn any questions, you can email him at: shawn.e.sammartano@biola.edu

The Emergent Church

2008-01-14T12:56:00.000-06:00

This blog and podcast has primarily been concerned with investigating the dilemma of proclaiming the gospel in a media driven society. When this site was launched last year, its focus turned toward the seeker-sensitive movement since the leaders of that movement pushed the introduction of media presentation within the church setting. Upon the wake up call of the seeker sensitive movement, we also see the torch of the Baby Boomer generation being passed to Generation X. Out of this generation, we are seeing the popularization and spread of the Emergent Church movement within the evangelical church.

What is the Emergent Church? It is a movement that also seeks to integrate media presentation, but it is a movement that is not easily explained since it is a phenomenon that is still arising. Yet to be concise, the Emergent movement claims to have the pure motive of aligning right practice with right belief. The problem is that the movement greatly downplays doctrine and even attacks it. Major proponents of this movement include Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, and Doug Pagitt. The Emergent Church is a topic that will be further explored as this blog and podcast continue. Its ideas and methods (specifically involving media) will be compared with the Biblical understanding of personal holiness and the proclamation of the gospel.

Episode 4 Podcast

2007-11-21T02:53:00.000-06:00

The fourth installment of Transcending Culture Radio is now available for listening by using the flash player at the top of the page or by
clicking here.

Topics discussed in this episode include: The rise of Generation Y, ministry styles of different generations, and the wake up call of the seeker-sensitive church.

Books mentioned in this broadcast include The Younger Evangelicals by Robert E. Webber and Righteous: Dispatches from the Evangelical Youth Movement by Lauren Sandler.

A Wake Up Call

2007-11-06T22:09:00.000-06:00

In what The Way of the Master Radio is calling the biggest story this year in evangelicalism, Bill Hybels has openly confessed that the seeker-sensitive model of doing church is simply not working. In Hybels' own words:

"We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own."

The story is covered by Christianity Today and can be read here. Such news is encouraging to those who have been troubled by the shallowing of the modern church. However, upon listening to Hybel's confession, one only wonders if Bill should have taken the news more seriously. In the clip, he repeatedly mentions, rather tritely, that it "ruined his day." When thousands upon thousands of souls are on the line, Mr. Hybels, it should do more than simply "ruin your day."

The live audio of Hybel's confession provided by The Way of the Master Radio can be heard here.

Recipe for Disaster

2007-10-23T22:40:00.001-05:00

This article at Extreme Theology presents "How to Make a Disciple Casserole" featuring two different "recipes":

The New and Improved Seeker-Sensitive Recipe for Making Disciples

- Heaping Portions of Culturally Appealing Entertainment

- Generous Scoops of Songs That Have Little or No Doctrinal Content

- Buckets of Sermons That Teach Practical Self-Help Lessons and Pop-Psych Mixed With a Sprinkling of Out-of-Context Bible Verses

- The Yeast From a Small Group Study Lead by Un-Trained Lay-People Who Pool Their Biblical Ignorance by Asking the Question, “What Does This Verse Mean to You?”

The Biblical Recipe for Making Disciples - Acts 2:42

- A Tenacious Devotion to the Teaching of the Apostles (God’s Word Proclaimed in Song and Sermon) Under A Trained Pastor - 2 Tim 4:1-2, 2 Tim 2:2

- Fellowship

- Breaking of Bread (Lord's Supper)

- Prayers

Finding a Good Church

2007-09-25T00:27:00.000-05:00

If you are having trouble looking for a good church, or know someone who is, this article from The Way of the Master Radio provides questions that one can ask the pastor of a church before or after they attend. Listed below is the condensed list. The whole article in PDF form with explanations can be found here.

How to Find a Good Church

1. What is man's biggest problem, sin or self esteem?
2. What must a man do to inherit eternal life?
3. How do you deliver the salvation message?
4. How hard is it to become a Christian?
5. How often do you talk about sin, righteousness and judgment?
6. How seeker sensitive is your church?
7. Who do you do church for, seekers or members?
8. Do you dumb down your sermons?
9. What is your mixture of topical vs. expository preaching?
10. Do your sermons emphasize theology or are they just relevant?
11. Describe your youth programs.
12. Describe your evangelism programs.
13. What church growth model do you follow?
14. How much do you give to missions and the hungry?
15. Do you believe the Bible contains no errors or contradictions?

Read the rest by clicking here.

Episode 3 Podcast

2007-09-24T23:56:00.000-05:00

Long overdue, the third installment of Transcending Culture Radio is now available for listening by using the flash player at the top of the page or by
clicking here.

Topics discussed in this episode include: the creation of atheists, hurdles in sharing the gospel in American society, finding a good church, and supplemental Christianity.

Supplemental Christianity

2007-09-23T00:40:00.000-05:00

There have always been "Sunday Christian" churchgoers as well as "Christmas and Easter Sunday" Christians who only show up when expected. But how many of us other Christians are also nominal not only externally but internally? How many of us only treat our faith as a supplement? We only tend to run to God whenever we need something or when something disastrous has occurred. God desires to be the center of all that we are. The message of holiness centers on Jesus' emphasis to, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," (Matthew 22:37). Adapted from a forward floating around the internet, here is a quick assessment:

Why does a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church but such a small amount when you go shopping?

Why does two hours seem so long when you're at church but short when watching a good movie?

Why is it hard to find a word to say when you're praying but there is no trouble thinking about what to talk about with a friend?

Why is it difficult to read one chapter of the Bible but easy to read 100 pages of a popular novel?

Why is it that everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games but does whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?

Why is it that people need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before, but we can adjust our schedule for other events at the last minute?

Why is it difficult to share the gospel with others; but easy to share gossip?

Why is it that we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say but question the words of the Bible?

The answer is that we are warring against our flesh which is self-centered and anti-God. Let us not be like the men who Jesus talked about when he reiterated, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." (Matthew 15:8). It takes a supernatural filling of the Holy Spirit in order to live a fully surrendered Christian life that centers on love for others and for God Himself.

Personal Testimony

2007-08-28T23:53:00.000-05:00

There has been a lack of updates on the site due to some changes in my life lately. I am now attending Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi.

I have sister site to this blog, which will be an outlet for my more personal thoughts and happenings. For my first entry, I have posted my personal testimony which can be read by clicking here. There will be more updates this week.

Creating Atheists

2007-08-10T01:04:00.000-05:00

According to a Christian apologist in this article, modern churches are creating atheists by not answering tough questions posed by young people. This assertion is not a surprise. If you have ever talked to an atheist, you'll find that the typical reason for their unbelief is the lack of reasoning they have been presented with that would convince them otherwise. Too often in youth groups nowadays, great emphasis is placed on corralling and simply entertaining teenagers, as youth pastors scramble to keep them out of trouble as well as compete with MTV. When spiritual teaching is actually presented, too often teenagers are presented with pat answers along with the mis-perception that life only gets better after becoming a Christian. Once tragedy hits, those pat answers fail to meet up to reality. The article goes on to quote 1 Peter 3:15:

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

This dilemma is trickling into adult congregations too, as youth group techniques are being utilized on adults in order to appease them into the church. Seeker-sensitive churches strive to compete with the culture while only offering a watered-down Christianity.

Episode 2 Podcast

2007-08-01T01:54:00.000-05:00

The second episode of the podcast is now available to listen to by clicking the selected file in the player located at the top of the page, or by downloading the direct feed here.

Topics discussed in this episode include: the importance of repentance and faith, tennis and Biblical context, and a reading of The High Calling.

Cherry-Picking Verses

2007-07-25T23:11:00.000-05:00

The most basic and important hermeneutic principle in understanding Scripture is taking into account the context of a selected verse or verses. Failure to acknowledge context can bring about much error. Unfortunately, some of the most popular figures in Christianity are liable of taking Scripture out of context in order to argue their perspective.

In this this article written by Rick Warren, likely the most influential pastor in the country, Warren takes one verse out of context in order to prove his point that "God has a sense of humor." The article states:

"One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 2:4, 'The One enthroned in heaven laughs.' Isn’t that a great verse? God has a sense of humor. God laughs! Have you ever seen the face of an orangutan? God thought that one up! That proves he has a sense of humor. Do you want to be more like God? Learn to laugh."

It is thanks to Slice of Laodicea in this post who points out that it is for a completely different reason that God is shown as laughing in this verse. See the context:

"Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
'Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.'

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
'As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.'"

It is for a completely different reason that God is shown as laughing, He is mocking the audacity of the wicked. This verse is nowhere near the simple allusion that "God has a funny bone."

Rick Warren is notorious for cherry-picking verses out of context in order to make his point. In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren uses almost a thousand quotations from Scripture, but many of them are single verses or only segments of verses scattered into the middle of his writing. Worse of all, Warren pulls these quotations liberally from fifteen different Bible translations (See for yourself on page 325 from Appendix 3: Why Use So Many Translations?) Warren's defense, as stated in the book, is that "nuances and shades of meaning can be missed, so it is always helpful to compare translations." This is true to a degree, but are we then left to rely completely on Warren's judgment in his selection of the "proper" translation on each verse he plucks out of the barrel and tosses into his argument? Warren also contends that quoting specific phrases rather than the whole verse was the custom of Jesus and the Apostles. True again, but Rick Warren is not Jesus nor is he is one of the Apostles.

This is yet another example of why it's important to keep a Bible handy whenever reading any writing that quotes Scripture. In doing so, the quoted verse can be illumined by the light of its own context. The Bible can and does speak for itself.

The High Calling

2007-07-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

This is an inspiring piece, entitled The High Calling, and is by an anonymous author who describes the deepening journey into holiness. It's a powerful reminder that a life devoted to God is all about Him and not about us:

"If God has called you to be truly like Jesus, He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility and put on you demands of obedience that sometimes will not allow you to follow other Christians. In many ways He will seem to let other good people do things He will not let you do.

Other Christians, and even ministers, who seem very religious and useful may push themselves, pull strings, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do these things. And if you attempt them, you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent. Others can brag about themselves, about their work, about their success, about their writing, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing; and if you begin bragging, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works. Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may only supply you daily, because he wants you to have something far better than gold – a helpless dependence on Him – that He may have the privilege of providing your needs daily out of the unseen treasury.

The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden away in obscurity, because He wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade. God will let others be great, but keep you small. He will let others do a work for Him and get the credit for it, but He will make you work and toil without knowing how much you are doing. And then to make your work still more precious, He will let others get the credit for the work which you have done, and this will make your reward ten times greater when Jesus comes.

The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, with jealous love, and rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasted time, which other Christians never seem distressed over. So make up you mind that God is an infinite Sovereign who has a right to do as He pleases with His own and needs not explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you. God will take you at your word; and if you absolutely sell yourself to be His slave, He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things you cannot do or say.

Settle it forever that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand, or closing your eyes in ways that others are not disciplined. Now when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of heaven."

-Anonymous

Repentance + Faith

2007-07-14T23:44:00.000-05:00

Repentance is an important facet that is typically deemphasized in many of our modern gospel proclamations. Unfortunately without repentance, there cannot be complete faith in Christ, faith which is imperative for salvation. In witnessing to people, I have found few who don't “believe in Jesus” in one form or another. The difference between them and the true Christian is the fact that they are simply not living holy, Spirit-filled, changed lives—they are not “born again.” It is my contention that this is the result of a teaching known as “easy believism,” which has been misunderstood as the idea that all one has to do to inherit eternal life is to simply believe Jesus.

Scripture reminds us that “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19). Full belief is faith and trust that Christ died for one's sins which is critically tied to the gift of repentance, which yields fruit. John the Baptist cried in the desert to “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). It is not a simple belief that Jesus existed, or one-time prayer, it is a lifelong surrender in continual repentant belief resulting in a holy life devoted to God.

John Wesley explains well this important relationship:

“Repentance and faith exactly answer each other. By repentance we feel the sin remaining in our hearts, and cleaving to our words and actions: by faith, we receive the power of God in Christ, purifying our hearts, and cleansing our hands.

By repentance, we are still sensible that we deserve punishment for all our tempers, and words, and actions: by faith, we are conscious that our Advocate with the Father is continually pleading for us, and thereby continually turning aside all condemnation and punishment from us.

By repentance we have an abiding conviction that there is no help in us: by faith we receive not only mercy, but grace to help in every time of need.

Repentance disclaims the very possibility of any other help; faith accepts all the help we stand in need of, from him that hath all power in heaven and earth.

Repentance says, ‘Without him I can do nothing:’ Faith says, ‘I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.’”

(From “The Repentance of Believers,” Sermon XIV)

Using the Law

2007-07-12T01:38:00.000-05:00

No other ministry has had such a large impact on me than The Way of the Master ministries. The ministry is headed by Ray Comfort, whose primary evangelistic emphasis is the use of the Law, or the Ten Commandments in evangelism. Most evangelistic methods start by immediately sharing the message of grace with a simple "God loves you" or "Jesus died for you." The problem is, is that grace does not make sense unless the concept of justice is also understood. By going through the Ten Commandments with a person before telling them about the cross, the knowledge of their sin is made known to them along with the holiness and righteousness of God. The reason why Jesus died is made much more clear. The holiness of God is exalted in order to show our unholy condition, and the extent of God’s kindness is magnified, showing the sacrifice Christ made in order to restore us into a right relationship with God.

This is a teaching that has completely deconstructed and reconstructed my theology. I have carefully examined the scriptural support for this myself and have been blown away by the questioning of why I never saw this in the New Testament in the first place (see Romans 1-4, and Galatians for yourself). This is an approach that is very Biblical and was used by the greatest preachers of the gospel throughout history. John Wesley himself advocated using the Law before sharing the Gospel:

"To slay the sinner is then the first use of the Law--to destroy the life and strength he trusts in and convince him that he is dead while he lives, not only under the sentence of death, but actually dead unto God, void of all spiritual life, 'dead in trespasses and sins.' The second use of it is to bring him to life and to Christ so that he may live...the Law acts the part of a severe schoolmaster…and so constrains the sinner, stripped of everything, to cry out in the bitterness of his soul..."I am damned; but Thou hast died." (From "The Original, Nature, Property, and Use of the Law," Sermon XXXIV).

Hell's Best Kept Secret is The Way of the Master's introductory teaching and can be heard here.

Easy Jesus

2007-07-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

I came across this shirt while flipping through a Christian bookstore catalog. In the small text, it also states "Life's Problems: ONE SOLUTION." I always wonder how effective such so-called evangelistic "Jesus gear" is in reaching the unregenerate. This shirt in particular shouts the mantra of the modern gospel, that Jesus is the answer to all my problems. In actuality, Jesus is the answer to our sin problem, but without proper use of the law (the Ten Commandments) in evangelism, most nonChristians don't even know what a sin is. As a result, some are apt to believe that Jesus is the answer to career problems, money problems, family problems, etc. While wisdom and discernment in these areas grow in the life a Christian, and even joy and peace are imparted in the midst of tribulation by the Holy Spirt, simply advertising Jesus as a life therapy coach greatly downplays the glory of the gospel.

While the formula of repenting and putting our faith in Christ has been made easily available, it is actually very hard for us to do so. It's hard to believe at times, even for the seasoned Christian, which is why Jesus said the road is narrow. Jesus himself even said that times would be tough for believers, and that some would even suffer some of the same persecution he did. Most of us in America have been protected from persecution, but many still suffer from depression, cynicism, and just plain disatisfaction with life. Americans are generally more concerned with the here and now than eternity. So as a result we have erroneously melded the chasing of the American Dream to the gospel itself.

First Official Podcast

2007-06-27T17:59:00.000-05:00

The first episode of Transcending Culture Radio is now podcasting. You can listen to the show via the flash player located at the top of the site or listen to the direct feed here.

The main topic for this broadcast focuses on what the name "transcending culture" means. Other topics include: Christian bookstores and God's wonderful plan. Feel free to comment and leave questions.

Spurgeon and Surgeons

2007-06-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

"Ho, ho, sir surgeon, you are too delicate to tell the man that he is ill! You hope to heal the sick without their knowing it. You therefore flatter them;and what happens? They laugh at you; they dance upon their own graves. At last they die! Your delicacy is cruelty; your flatteries are poisons; you are a murderer. Shall we keep men in a fool's paradise? Shall we lull them into soft slumbers from which they will awake in hell? Are we to become helpers of their damnation by our smooth speeches? In the name of God we will not."
- Charles Spurgeon (From his sermon, Coming Judgment of the Secrets of Men, 1885)

The Positive Bible

2007-06-22T16:42:00.000-05:00

There is great news for people who only want to be encouraged without being faced with the reality of judgment, sin, repentance, and hell. It's The Positive Bible. Compiled by Kenneth Winston Caine, the Positive Bible promises that if you, "Turn to any page in this book...You will be greeted with a Biblical passage that offers hope, help, and encouragement."

It is certainly understandable that the idea of God's wrath is very offensive to the non-Christian, and to our sinful nature. People want to be affirmed, not offended. Yet how can anyone be radically changed, and reborn of the Spirit unless they face the harsh reality that they must repent, and recognize they deserve God's wrath, in order to understand grace? It is then, that the meaning of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf illuminates, and the message of the gospel becomes good news indeed.

“It is because God’s wrath is real that His mercy is relevant. Unless you have a real wrath, a real anger, the Biblical concepts of long-suffering, of mercy, and of grace are robbed of their meaning.” - Ravi Zacharias

Sermons for Sale

2007-06-21T01:43:00.000-05:00

John Wesley once remarked in one of his journals about a comrade who said, "Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago."

Unfortunately, nowadays we live in a time when some, if not most, pastors do not write their own sermons to begin with. It is becoming increasingly more popular to actually buy sermons online written by popular speakers and authors such as Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. This shocked me the first time I realized this and it should shock most faithful Christians who are regular church attendees. What happened to the days when godly men used to rely on the exegesis of Scripture itself upon which the Holy Spirit would descend upon them in a such a mighty way that it sparked revivals throughout whole communities? Paris Reidhead, in his sermon "Ten Sheckles and a Shirt" said of John Wesley's preaching:

"Wesley was a preacher of righteousness that exalted the holiness of God...When he would exalt the holiness of God, and the law of God, and the righteousness of God, and the justice of God, and the wisdom of His requirements, and the justice of His wrath and His anger, and then he would turn to sinners and tell them of the enormity of their crimes and their open rebellion and their treason, and their anarchy. The power of God would so descend upon the company, that on one occasion it is reliably reported that when the people dispersed there were 1800 people lying on the ground, utterly unconscious! Because they had a revelation of the holiness of God and in the light of that they’d seen the enormity of their sins and God had so penetrated their minds and hearts that they had fallen to the ground."

We need that kind of preaching again today.

Regrettable Relevance

2007-06-14T23:01:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that the popular ethic now in modern American Christianity is to make the gospel relevant to contemporary secular culture. I have never had a problem with style in so far as the message is completely intact. But the problem is that such attempts have the tendency to override the gospel message itself in order to pass it off as more palatable.

This has resulted in the mass epidemic of watering down the gospel in today's American church. This clamor to keep up with the culture is not something new, as this article from A Little Leaven shows. The site regularly showcases "A Graveyard of Relevance" showing a random selection of the church's past lame attempts at connecting with the culture.

Study Shows How Media is Affecting Values

2007-06-13T00:59:00.000-05:00

A special report released this week from CMI (The Culture and Media Institute) only seems to confirm suspicions that the media has had a negative impact on our society. According to the study:

"74 percent of Americans believe the nation’s moral values have declined over the past twenty years, and large majorities hold the media responsible for contributing to that decline."

The study polls individuals and gathers opinions and information noting the amount of television each person admits to watching. The study goes on to conclude: "According to the survey, the more hours people spend in front of the television, the less likely they are to accept personal responsibility for their own lives and for their obligations to the people around them. They are less likely to conduct themselves honestly, and they are more likely to hold permissive attitudes about moral issues like divorce, extramarital sex, homosexuality and abortion. They are less likely to honor Godly values and religion in public life."

Don't tell me that media-viewing habits have no effect on personal holiness.

To read the full report, click here

God's Wonderful Plan

2007-06-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

The hook of the modern gospel typically includes the promise that "God has a wonderful plan for your life." Unfortunately most people may tend to believe this on their own terms. God does have a wonderful plan, but it is always on His terms alone. God does not promise us deliverance from trials and tribulations, in fact Jesus promised the opposite (John 15:18-25). What is God wonderful plan for your life? It's more than mere happiness, or the fulfillment of dreams. It is the radical call to being conformed into His likeness in order to be used by God and for His glory. This may and will include hard times, unanswered questions, and even persecution, but it also includes the promise of the power of His Holy Spirit who imparts His hope and peace.

Simply saying "God has a wonderful plan for your life" without mentioning the other half of the story implies and conjures worldly expectations to the unregenerate sinner. This is an excellent video on this subject from the series, "A Workman Approved By God" from CrossTV.

Choose the Classics

2007-06-10T01:30:00.000-05:00

While browsing at the local Berean Christian [Book]Store today, I came across the current top selling Christian books:

1. "Love and Respect" - Emerson Eggerichs
2. "Facing Your Giants" - Max Lucado
3. "Prayer: Does it Make Any Difference?" - Philip Yancey
4. "Heaven" - Randy Alcorn
5. "The Purpose Driven Life" - Rick Warren
6. "The Apocalypse Code" - Hank Hanegraaff
7. "Captivating" - John Eldredge
8. "The Power of a Simple Prayer" - Joyce Meyer
9. "Skin" - Ted Dekker
10. "The Most Important Person on Earth" - Myles Munroe

Some of the biggest frustrations with Christians bookstores are: first, the lack of spiritual depth offered (which is debatable with some of the very titles listed above), and second, the price of the books themselves (most of those listed above average around $24.99). Meanwhile, the true riches offered at the Christian bookstore are usually found right in the bargain bin. Many of the great Christian classics sell for under $10 and are apt to offer more spiritual depth than the latest Christian bestseller. Ten books I found today fitting this category:

1. "The Pilgrim's Progress" - John Bunyan
2. "Foxe's Book of Martyrs" - John Foxe
3. "My Utmost for His Highest" - Oswald Chambers
4. "A Plain Account of Christian Perfection" - John Wesley
5. "Orthodoxy" - GK Chesterton
6. "The Confession of St. Augustine" - St. Augustine of Hippo
7. "The Imitation of Christ" - Thomas a Kempis
8. "Morning by Morning" - Charles Spurgeon
9. "The Normal Christian Life" - Watchman Nee
10. "Humility and Absolute Surrender" - Andrew Murray

The words of C.S. Lewis sum it up best: "This mistaken preference for the modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant than in theology...Now this seems to me topsy-turvy. Naturally, since I myself am a writer, I do not wish the ordinary reader to read no modern books. But if he must read only the new or only the old, I would advise him to read the old...A new book is still on its trial and the amateur is not in a position to judge it. It has to be tested against the great body of Christian thought down the ages, and all its hidden implications have to be brought to light." (From C.S. Lewis' Introduction to St. Athanasius' "On the Incarnation")

The Purpose of this Blog

2007-06-08T18:06:00.001-05:00

Transcending Culture is a blog and podcast attempting to analyze the dilemma of proclaiming the gospel to our media driven culture. American Christians are surrounded and inundated by the superficial attractions of the postmodern world. To add, the church itself is failing to step up to the plate in addressing this issue effectively, thus adapting to the culture. But Jesus is more than culturally relevant, He transcends culture itself. We as Christians are also called away from our worldy passions in order to be radically changed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, set apart from the world but still ministering to it, as the Lord calls us to absolute surrender in holiness to His will. In the form of frequent articles and periodic podcasts, we will survey current trends in popular culture and Christianity and examine their intersection or collision with Christ's radical call to holiness.