God, Marriage, and Family | Andreas J. Kostenberger

Crossway have recently launched the 2nd Edition of God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation by Andreas J. Kostenberger. You can find out about the book here. It comprehensively deals with the Old Testament, the New Testament and current topical issues. I’m currently studying Christian Ethics at college and it’s a useful text for a theological college student, but I think it’s not beyond the average reader. I know of a number of churches that use this as required reading for couples before they get married. Marriage is currently under attack in our world… there’s no better time to be acquainted with God’s good plans for  relationships than now!

Here’s a blurb from the product website:

The release of the landmark first edition of God, Marriage, and Family provided an integrated, biblical treatment of God’s purposes for the home. Since then, explain authors Andreas Köstenberger and David Jones, the crisis confronting modern households has only intensified, and yet the solution remains the same: obedience to and application of God’s Word.

In the second edition of God, Marriage, and Family, Köstenberger and Jones explore the latest controversies, cultural shifts, and teachings within both the church and society and further apply Scripture’s timeless principles to contemporary issues. This new edition includes an assessment of the family-integrated church movement; discussion of recent debates on corporal punishment, singleness, homosexuality, and divorce and remarriage; new sections on the theology of sex and the parenting of teens; and updated bibliographies. This book will prove to be a valuable resource for personal and group study, Christian counseling, and marriage and family courses.

Get your hands on a copy:

Crossway | Amazon | Booko | Browse the whole book online

I’m Sorry Anna Nicole

“Men must have the political courage to work to end all forms of violence against women, especially the commercial sexual exploitation that is fueling sex trafficking. Male leaders have an enormous task, because their work will be done in a cultural context that has constructed their manhood around the pornification of human sexuality. Click on the link at YouTube [below] to watch an example of this leadership: Jonathan Walton reading his poem, “I’m Sorry Anna Nicole”, at a recent CATW event in New York on December 2, 2009.”

Find out more about the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW)

(h/t ben via twitter)

Tiger Woods, Sexual Sin and Choosing Heroes

Tiger Woods has fallen. I have no intention of having a pot shot at him or removing my sponsorship dollars. Here are two things I’ve been reflecting on amidst the media storm:

tiger woods

  1. Sexual sin is costly. Do you travel* alone for sport, business, preaching, holidays or the like? Count the cost of sexual sin, don’t put yourself in stupid situations and establish accountable relationships. (*This applies even if you’ve never left your home town).
  2. Choose your heroes carefully. Don’t put too much hope in people. Even heroes fall. I remember as a teenager being crushed when some of my heroes were exposed for their shadiness. I’m no longer surprised when a public figure or even a personal friend is exposed. My hope is in the One Man who will never be exposed for corruption or deceit. Trust Jesus – he won’t let you down.

Counting the Cost of Sexual Immorality

I’m scared of sexual immorality. Am I planning on committing adultery? No!! I love my wife, she is more precious to me than anyone or anything else on this earth. I also know that God’s plans for sex are within marriage and that this is good. So why am I scared? Because I know the deceitfulness of my own heart and that I’m capable of great sin given the opportunity. My prayer is that God would keep me (and you) from impurity.

no!

Randy Alcorn and Alan Hlavka have thought through specific consequences resulting from the immorality of a pastor. This really is essential reading. Here’s my plan:

  1. Re-read Proverbs 6 (see below) and God’s wisdom on fleeing from adultery;
  2. Re-read Alcorn’s blog post;
  3. Copy it and customise it for me;
  4. Print it out and put it in some prominent places;
  5. Pray.

It might be wise to do the same!

Proverbs 6:20-35 is below…

Continue reading “Counting the Cost of Sexual Immorality”

Love more than one

Here’s an ad from a jeans store window. It reminded me of a certain rugby league scandal. Which came first: rugby league players engaging in group sex? Group sex being used to sell products? Or group sex by ‘consenting’ adults being generally accepted?

Love more than one

Is sex more like a Porsche than a Datsun?

John Dickson has 3 books that every teenagers needs to read: Hell Of A Life; A Sneaking Suspicion; and Hanging In There. The following is a famous illustration (I recently used in a talk) of John’s from A Sneaking Suspicion about how we should view sex…

“My first car was an orange Datsun 1200. It got me from A to B, but it really was a rust bucket. It only cost me a thousand bucks, so I didn’t treat it too well and had no problem lending it out to any of my friends. I figured that if they crashed it, it was no big deal. Suppose though, I owned a Porsche 968. I can assure you, I’d care for it with my life and certainly wouldn’t lend it out. In my mind, such a valuable machine deserves the utmost care. But what’s this got to do with sex and relationships?

Continue reading “Is sex more like a Porsche than a Datsun?”