In July 2008, Mark Driscoll traveled to England and preached several sermons. Topics range from outlining the missional movement to a swift kick to the groin of young men.

Sermons

Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Luke and Acts
On the Missional Church
On Missional Movements (Acts 1)
Driscoll at Jubilee Church, London, on Loving the City (Jeremiah 29)
Preaching in Brighton
Gospel of Grace vs. Religion of Works
Preaching Jesus
Driscoll Unleashed in the UK!
The Missional Church | London 2008
Movements are Messy: Getting and Staying on Mission
Spirit Led Missions: Following the Luke-Acts Paradigm
Be Radical & Plant Radical Churches! | Church Planter
Be Radical & Plant Radical Churches! | Church Leadership
Be Radical & Plant Radical Churches! | Final Thoughts and Q&A

Any recovery of an authentically biblical understanding of men and women must begin in the Garden of Eden. It is there that we learn about the special creation of Adam and Eve. It is there that we read God's mandate to the first male and female. And, perhaps more importantly for this article's purpose, it is there in the garden that we are able to see the effects of sin and grace on the relationship between Adam and Eve. Of these lessons on the relationship between the sexes, it might be the case that the effect of grace on Adam and Eve's sin-broken relationship receives less attention than some other equally valuable biblical truths recorded in the first chapters of Genesis. This article will explore this perhaps neglected lesson on grace in the garden. It will do so by posing two questions: (1) Why does Adam call his wife Eve; and (2) What lessons does this surprise ending to the narrative of the fall teach us? Although this article will focus on Adam's role in acting in accord with the grace that he has received, other equally important considerations regarding Eve's transformation by grace could be developed as well.

When it comes to the subject of leadership in action, one of my favorite Old Testament characters is Nehemiah. In his book we see every facet of leadership lived out. I admire the depth of his prayer life, his love for God, and his sterling character. I admire his courage in the face of crises, his willingness to make tough decisions, his perseverance to stand for what is right, and his candor in dealing with people. He is a man of prayer, a man of faith, a man of vision, a man of courage and a man of action. We find him praying, watching, working and warring. He's my kind of leader.

I have studied my way through Nehemiah with two groups of leaders, and each time was insightful and challenging. It is a book rich in leadership principles. As to lessons we learn from Nehemiah, J. Sidlow Baxter says, "There is no winning without working, no opportunity without opposition, no triumph without trouble, no victory without vigilance."

Influential Bible scholars pour a lot of their intellectual gifts into tearing up the roots of biblical Christianity. This is not new, but in our culture, the effect of "critical" biblical studies is multiplied. A general suspicion of "organized religion" finds confirmation from "the experts."

Such an expert is Elaine Pagels, Professor of Religion at Princeton University, recognized scholar, and author of the award-winning Gnostic Gospels (1979). This book convinced many that the early Gnostic heretics, who introduced pagan spirituality into the Church, represented a genuine Christian alternative, suppressed by a cold, calculating Church institution. In Beyond Belief (New York: Random House, 2003), Pagels expands this message.

If you look at porn, have looked at porn, or know someone that looks at porn—download this book, print it out, and read it.

This book is now available to download and print as many copies as you like. It's short and should be cheap to print. We'll be making the book available for purchase soon.

A Few Ideas

• Get a few friends together and deal honestly with each other about the subjects of each chapter.
• Once you're done reading, pass it on to a friend.
• Give it to the counseling pastor at your church as a resource.

In a recent interview, singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright surprisingly remarked: "We're so obsessed about debunking Bush in this country that we don't spend time on any other subjects. That's a little depressing." Wainwright's point is that many Americans neglect a whole range of cultural issues, often neglecting political engagement for finger-pointing.

What's more depressing is that many Christians are just as guilty of this charge as non-Christians. As a result, there are few citizens who think through cultural issues critically, and even fewer who think them through redemptively. Here are six ways to promote critical and redemptive engagement with culture.

1. Engage culture prayerfully. I'm not suggesting that we should actually bow our heads and recite a prayer before reading a newspaper or book, watching TV or a movie, or going shopping, though that certainly wouldn't hurt. Instead, we are to live life and engage culture in a spirit of dependence upon God; we are to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). We should approach culture just as we should approach all things: prayerfully.
   
   
   What should we pray? We should thank God for the gift of culture, confessing that all cultures contain truth, beauty, and virtue, asking Him to help us recognize and rejoice in these good gifts, which come down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). Alternatively, all cultures also disdain truth, beauty, and virtue. Thus, we are dependent upon God to enable us to recognize and reject those things that are harmfully false, ugly, and immoral. By asking God to give us the perspective of His Spirit, "the Spirit who searches out all things, even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10), we can begin to discern between the things which are true, beautiful, and good and the things that are false, ugly, and evil.




2. Engage culture carefully. When approaching any given issue, from parenting to politics, we all have our biases. In order to engage culture well, we must strive to avoid the paths of both the sectarian and the secularist, of both blind rejection and uncritical acceptance. This will require careful investigation into the issues we face, taking the opposing view seriously and weighing its merits. Make a habit of hearing both sides of an issue before you baptize your opinions. Be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19).




3. Engage culture biblically-theologically. Why hyphenate biblical and theological? Why not just say "think biblically"? Well, the plain fact is that the Bible does not explicitly address most cultural issues. It does not tell you who to vote for, which school to go to, what movies to watch, whether or not you should date, whether or not to abort your baby, or how to respond to cloning. Instead, the Bible offers theological principles which we can appropriate in order to form opinions and convictions about cultural issues. For instance, there is no verse in the Bible that reads: "Thou shalt not have an abortion." However, the Bible does inform us that God is the author of life and that to take human life is murder, which is prohibited by God. The circumstances surrounding abortion can be complex. A mother's life may be threatened if the life of the baby is not taken. The Bible does not say, "Preserve the mother's life." However, there are principles and practices in Scripture that can help us make wise decisions about cultural and ethical dilemmas.
   
   

   The problem, however, is that we often start with cultural assumptions about what is right, beautiful, and good and go to the Bible to prove them. Instead, we need to bring cultural questions about what is true, good, and beautiful to the Bible, reflect on them theologically and then prayerfully, and carefully form our opinions. Don't begin with cultural convictions and end with biblical proof-texts; end with cultural wisdom by beginning with biblical-theological reflection. Start with the biblical text and reflect theologically on cultural issues. Move from Text to Theology to Culture, not the other way around.




4. Engage culture redemptively. Strive to connect your theological reflections regarding culture to redemption. We can redemptively engage culture in two ways: practically and positionally. To practically redeem, identify what is broken, what is in need of redemption, and take restorative action. Ask yourself questions like "How can I bring the gospel to bear on this issue?" or "How can I restore, forgive, or reconcile in this situation?" For example, if you come to the conviction that abortion is ugly and immoral, think about how you can help those who are suffering from the devastating affects of abortion. Don't just debate others. Volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. Learn how to counsel mothers. Don't become self-righteous and inactive; practice your cultural convictions. Live them out redemptively.
   
   

   Our practice should flow from our position in Christ. Our actions ought to reveal our redeemed identity, not form our identity. Consider the danger of mistaking your newly-formed habits for who you are. For instance, do you think of yourself now as an environmentalist or as a citizen of Zion with an environmental conscience? Do you draw significance from being a "pro-lifer" or from being new creation in Christ Jesus? Ask yourself, "Am I confusing my practice with my position?" or "Am I finding my significance in what I do instead of who I am in Christ?" Guard yourself from subtly allowing cultural convictions to take the place of your identity in Christ. Ground your identity in the gospel and your practice will be more redemptive and more honoring to the Lord.




5. Engage culture humbly. Recognize that you have much to learn from a given culture. Read, converse, and reflect on cultural issues with a teachable heart. Ask God to shape your convictions through whomever or whatever He wills. Avoid proud dogmatism and cultivate humble conviction. Don't put others down who believe differently from you. Consider others more important than yourself without surrendering your convictions. Yet, be willing to revise your opinions through a process of Text-Theology-Culture.




6. Engage culture selectively. Realize and embrace the limitations of your own time, experience, and interests. Spend your time wisely. Don't sacrifice time with God, church, or family in order to become more culturally savvy. Everyone has been created differently, to live a unique life. Make the most of your experience by redemptively engaging culture, but try to avoid making the experience of others your own. There are too many issues in the world for you to become an overnight expert on Christ and culture. Be selective about what you engage.

Summarizing the Six Ways

When engaging culture prayerfully, we depend on the wisdom that comes from the Spirit who searches out all cultures, who can enable us to recognize and rejoice in what is true, beautiful, and good, and reject or redeem what is false, ugly, and immoral. As a result, engaging culture can become an act of communion with God. Relying on the wisdom of the Spirit will also mean careful investigation of cultural issues, being critical of our own biases while maintaining an open ear to the arguments of others. However, we're not left to navigate the turbulent waters of our culture with only prayer and reason. God has given us his Word, a divine and authoritative Text from which we can glean wisdom and theological principles to engage culture.

When wrestling with issues, we must be careful to bring questions, not assumptions, from our culture to the Word, following a pattern of Text-Theology-Culture. This biblical-theological engagement with culture should always lead to redemptive action, restoring what is ugly and immoral from our position as accepted children of God, citizens of Zion. In turn, we can engage culture humbly and selectively, recognizing our limitations and rejoicing in our unique opportunities to engage the world around us.

Finally, try to practice these six ways of engaging culture not just as an individual but in community. To put a spin on Rufus Wainwright's words: Only when the Church in this country becomes obsessed with glorifying God in all things will we critically and redemptively engage our culture on all kinds of subjects.

Continued from Part 2

Questions for Reflection

Where is my first entry point in the grocery store? Do I frequent the prepared food section, the chips section, the beverage section, or packaged food sections? On average how often do I cook for myself? Do I eat on the run or do I take time to enjoy my meal? Do I shove large chunks of food (not chewing your food) in my face not giving time to enjoy the food eaten? Do I at least sit down for a meal or are you standing while eating always in a rush?

Discovery: When it is not refrigerated, iced, watered and cared for as a perishable food it is dead food. Humans cannot live on potato chips, Stouffer’s lasagna, pizza, beer and microwave cuisine and stay healthy.

Microwaving (nuking your food) kills natural enzymes and nutrients in foods and if this is your mainstream diet you are heading for trouble. I am not saying that you have to toss your microwave. However, if you are using it all of the time you are in a serious rut and may have to toss it.

Oh, I often hear “I eat peanut butter and protein nutrition bars, they are healthy aren't they?” Not if you are engorging yourself with peanut butter and protein bars alone it’s not. If you are obsessive over any food to the exclusion of other foods you are cutting yourself short of nutrition and will suffer depletion of vital nutrients to keep your cells and systems healthy. If you deplete your body of these vital nutrients, oh by the way
pure water included, (at least 2 liters per day check out the link) you will become a shriveled prune and your chicken gizzards (those things that hang from your neck) will begin to form real early. I would advise nurturing foods and plenty of water to keep you from this petrified state.

Drinking 1 cup of coffee can set you to lose ½ cup of water. With every serving of alcohol you can deplete your body of 4 cups of water and can cause liver and nutrition impairment. Tobacco use causes unfavorable skin, hair, nails changes, lung disease and other health associated health risks.

Chewy but Creamy

If you do not chew your food appropriately you will experience an increased burden on digestion because the large chunks of food cannot be broken down in the stomach. If you are not chewing you are truly not enjoying your food. One of my professors of nutrition in medical school mentioned a hilarious way to slow down a fast eater. He said tie the forks together with the slowest eater in the house. The fast eater cannot take a bite of food until the slow eater takes a bite. A good old tug on the fork does it every time. Of course, the best teacher is when the digestion can no longer handle the poorly chewed food resulting in indigestion, reflux, cramping and other undesirable symptoms. Good chewing liquefies the food and produces a creamy consistency when swallowing as opposed to chunky hard to swallow blob.

Organic Foods or Not?

—Should I stick with organic foods? Absolutely! I believe that pesticide residues, herbicides, depleted soils, poor irrigated and nutrient deprived farming are contributing factors for so many existing cancers and chronic health breakdown. Keep feeding on live foods and your cell life increases exponentially. Here are helpful links on organic foods, Journal of Food Science study of organic foods and a Consumer Report on organic foods and better choices in selecting organic foods. I recommend you consider prioritizing your food types and that you stay with more alkalinizing foods. Simply, eat more of green leafy veggies and root foods (radish, carrot, turnips, etc), fresh fruits in variety and color, wild fish and organic low fat meats in this order. A good resource to consult is the Alkaline Way approach to eating. This is a good basic reference to get you started in understanding acid / alkaline forming foods.

Food to Chew On

—Enter in at the fruit, vegetable and live food section for this is the narrow way that leads to health and longevity. Wide is the aisle of potato chips, quick and greasy foods which leads to increased risk of free radical damage, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and cancer. Your choice!

Jesus gives us clear direction: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 ESV)

Next…..Wrong Tree Wrong Food! Why do we need “bread” from heaven?

• Mark Driscoll continues the series Free Sex.
• AJ Hamilton gives insights into a Mars Hill Sermon Series Part 1 & Part 2.
• Mark Driscoll Answers: What Is the Dance of Mahanaim?
• Tim Smith works through Psalm 3
• Video:Lindland prediction on outcome of Couture / Lesnar fight
• Dr. Catanzaro explains the eternal feast.