Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 47

New Happy Rant Sports: Michael Jordan, Manhood, and Leadership

In this episode of the Happy Rant Sports Episode Ted and Barnabas discuss a variety of topics:

Panning the Packers’ draft
The Last Dance
90s Sports hate mail
Jerry Krause’s success
Pathological competitiveness
Manhood and Pride
Different Leadership Styles over the years

Get Your Coffee

[image error]WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

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Episode #42

4 Differences Between Believing and Unbelieving Doubt

The word “doubt” is an uncomfortable one in most Christian circles. It’s something that is frowned upon or even condemned in many church circles. But that doesn’t stop us from doubting; it just makes doubting shameful for many of us. We don’t know what to do with it, who to talk to about it, or how to talk about it. We just know that our questions feel like they are pulling us away from God.

But what if they aren’t? What if doubt isn’t inherently wrong? And what if doubt is something that doesn’t necessarily undermine our faith but can actually lead us deeper into faith? How we respond when we doubt determines whether it is “unbelieving doubt” (that which leads us away from faith) or “believing doubt” (that which leads us to deeper faith).

Here are four ways to distinguish unbelieving doubt from believing doubt.

1. Unbelieving doubt asks questions in order to challenge. Believing doubt asks questions in order to learn.

Think about a prosecutor asking questions of a witness. He isn’t asking questions to learn something but rather to disprove something, to make a point. He has the answers already and is challenging the witness. This is the attitude of unbelieving doubt. It puts God on the witness stand and treats Him as if He owes us answers and as if we are the authority.

Now think about a young child asking her parents questions. She has total trust in their ability to answer and is simply seeking to learn and understand. This is what the Bible calls “childlike” faith and is a good example of believing doubt. It isn’t sure. It doesn’t know. But it asks with trust in the one who has authority and power.

2. Unbelieving doubt takes questions to anyone but Jesus. Believing doubt takes questions directly to Jesus.

When we doubt in an unbelieving way our instinct is not to seek the Lord in prayer or through His Word. Our instinct is to hide our doubts, to pose questions to friends, to seek experts, to read, to explore. While all of these (except hiding) can help us, we usually make the mistake of doing them in lieu of going to Jesus. Whether it is out of guilt or arrogance (or both) we turn away from Him and act as if He doesn’t hold the keys to belief. We disregard and dishonor Him by thinking we can find a better solution anywhere than in His Word and His presence.

Now consider the father from Mark 9 who brought his demon possessed son to Jesus, the father who uttered that simple, profound prayer— “I believe; help my unbelief.” He came to Jesus as a doubter. He expressed his doubts to the Son of God. And he asked for help with them. He was not rock-solid confident. He wasn’t certain. He doubted, and he came to Jesus with that doubt in his time of need. And Jesus helped him, as He will for every doubter who comes to Him. This is the response of a believing doubter.

3. Unbelieving doubt questions God’s character because He is beyond our understanding. Believing doubt trusts in God’s character because He is beyond our understanding.

At its base, doubt is simply not knowing something, not being sure. And it is inevitable because we are finite and sinful people who are called to trust in an infinite and perfect God. We simply can’t understand everything about Him. We will encounter numerous aspects of God’s character, plan, and work that befuddle us because His “wondrous knowledge is beyond” us (Psalm 139:6).

So here’s the rub: when we are befuddled, do we see that as reason not to trust God or do we see that as evidence God is eminently trustworthy? Unbelieving doubt sees mystery as a threat and as ominously untrustworthy. When it doesn’t understand something about God it sees that as a mark against God’s character.

Believing doubt, on the other hand, reflects Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” When believing doubt encounters the unknown it responds with faith—resting in what it does know about God’s character and promises from His Word to find confidence in what it doesn’t understand. The mystery is not a threat but rather a promise that God is working in ways beyond our limited capacity to see and understand.

4. Unbelieving doubt says, “not Your will, but mine be done.” Believing doubt says, “not my will, but Yours be done.”

Adam and Eve were the original unbelieving doubters. They listened to what God told them and decided they knew better. Unbelieving doubt is willful rebellion against God just like theirs. It is the insistence that we know better than God and would be better off if He did things our way. Ultimately it seeks to subjugate God to our authority.

Christ sets the example for the believing doubter. In our moments of greatest uncertainty and in the face of our biggest fears and questions we are to respond as He did in the garden of Gethsemane: make our plea to God for help and then submit to His perfect will. We will not always get our way. We will not always get clear answers. But God will always hear us and respond to us. He will give us what is best and what we need. And, on top of His example, the work of Christ Himself gives us this assurance. 

[image error][image error]For more on faith and doubt check out my book Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not The Enemy of Faith and the accompanying 6 session small group study.

This article was originally published at LifeWay Voices and is used with permission.

 

New Happy Rant: THE MOST IMPORTANT PODCAST

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do what they always do and wander to and fro through various topics:

We we don’t record with video
Get out of your own way
The Hollis Co. vibes
The Happy Rant Co. and our positions in it
The most important book of your LIFE
Vulnerability voice: still ruining everything

Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Dwell Bible App. Dwell is a Bible listening app that we love! If you are looking for a convenient, fresh way of spending more time in God’s word Dwell is ideal. Go to https://dwellapp.io/happyrant to get 33% off your subscription.

Order Your Coffee

WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #295

5 Differences Between Real and Fake Authenticity

I’m loath to even make an attempt at redeeming or defining the word “authenticity.” It’s a buzzword that’s been used and abused to the point of relative meaninglessness.

But it’s a word that matters and that is worth using well. By definition, it is a word that reflects truth and genuineness—things we need as followers of Christ.

These days we see “authenticity” used prevalently as an excuse to express opinions or feelings with any choice of language, regardless of time or place or audience. “Authenticity” is used to build personal brands for social media influencers.

But authenticity used in either of these ways is decidedly inauthentic; rather it is a defense mechanism or a curated presentation of one’s self.

In a small group context these faux versions of authenticity are detrimental at best.

They hinder relationships. They suppress honesty. They dominate a conversation so those who really need help and a listening ear aren’t heard.

Ultimately they distance people from one another instead of doing what honest authenticity does, drawing people into real relationships before Christ.

Here are five differences between genuine and fake authenticity.

1. Fake authenticity seeks to be known of. Genuine authenticity risks being known.

Are you sharing to present an image or to be honest about what is really going in your heart or life? Are you curating openness so people feel pity for you or are you admitting you need help?

They often sound the same, and it’s the motive that is the difference. The biggest difference is the vulnerability and risk each is willing to take.

Fake authenticity may sound like it is taking risks, but they are calculated, avoiding the costliest admissions of failure and need.

Genuine authenticity is willing to put all the hard, ugly things in the pen for the sake of being truly know, loved, and helped.

2. Fake authenticity burdens others. Genuine authenticity shares burdens.

One version of authenticity only thinks of offloading burdens, getting things off its chest, and venting.

It takes burdens and places them directly on others but never shoulders their burdens. It is honest in what it says, but not humble and caring toward others.

Genuine authenticity stems from a humble heart that considers others and recognizes burdens must be shared.

It’s an exchange of honest help and depending on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and strength.

3. Fake authenticity is defensive. Genuine authenticity is open to counsel and correction.

The version of authenticity that’s become prevalent is one that announces its opinions and feelings with impunity and acts as if they are right simply because they are spoken.

It may offer a window into the sharer’s soul, but it’s a locked window to keep everyone out.

It gets defensive when people get too close with follow-up, prayer, and especially advice or correction. It wants to be heard, but not changed.

Genuine authenticity shares for the very purpose of hearing from God’s people. It recognizes a need for direction and prayer.  

4. Fake authenticity doesn’t care about offending. Genuine authenticity considers others’ feelings and well-being.

“No offense, but. . .”

“. . . but that’s just my opinion”

Fake authenticity leans heavily on phrases like this in order to speak “honestly” while also taking liberty to be a jerk.

The words may be true, but the heart behind them is hard and inconsiderate.

It speaks hard truths in hard ways with little thought as to who is listening or how it will be received. Genuine authenticity speaks the truth with love.

It considers how words will land on listeners’ hearts. It’s authentic in its kindness and consideration, not just its opinions and declarations.

5. Fake authenticity disregards others’ privacy. Genuine authenticity protects others’ stories and privacy.

Many times other people play a key, but negative, role in the stories we share. How we discuss them is a significant indicator of whether our authenticity is real or fake.

A willingness to be “authentic” about other people’s failures and sins is a clear sign of fakeness.

We use it to make ourselves look better and to tilt others’ impression in our favor. And we’re hurting others as we do it.

Genuine authenticity speaks the truth without gossip or slander. It doesn’t make us look better than we are or shift blame. And it’s willing to love in a way that “covers a multitude of sins.”

This article was originally published at Facts & Trends and is used with permission

Image by vivienviv0 from Pixabay

New Happy Rant: Zoom Personas, Yachtsmen, and Tom Cruise Roles

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do what they always do and wander to and fro through the following topics:

Various Zoom personas that annoy us
Joel Osteen’s Zoom persona
Ted the wharf guy
John Piper, consumer of fun
Why we dress the way we do
Leather jacket vibes
Tom Cruise’s greatest roles and performances

Sponsors

Thank you to The Gospel Project for sponsoring the podcast! If you are looking for excellent church curriculum for kids, students, or adults check them out. Also, check out their new ebook written by Aaron Armstrong & Chris Surrat called The Church is a Family at gospelproject.com/happyrant. It is FREE for you listeners.

Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Dwell Bible App. Dwell is a Bible listening app that we love! If you are looking for a convenient, fresh way of spending more time in God’s word Dwell is ideal. Go to https://dwellapp.io/happyrant to get 33% off your subscription.

Order Your Coffee

WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #294

New Happy Rant Sports: NFL Draftapalooza

In this episode of the Happy Rant Sports Podcast Ted and Barnabas talk all things NFL Draft:

The Tua risk
QB projections and busts
Players we’re excited to watch
Who should the Vikings take?
Players who’ve been called busts but aren’t
Positionless football
Favorite sleepers

Get Your Coffee

[image error]WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #41

New Happy Rant: Aggravating People, New Villains, and Built-In Bookshelves

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do what they always do and wander to and fro through the sussing out of a variety of topics:

Who we’re aggravated at these days?
We need a new villain these days
Peeking into people’s living spaces
Why pastor’s love 1980s built-in book shelves
Persona clothing for church leaders from suits to tweed
How will kids remember this pandemic?

Sponsors

Thank you to The Gospel Project for sponsoring the podcast! If you are looking for excellent church curriculum for kids, students, or adults check them out. Also, check out their new ebook written by Aaron Armstrong & Chris Surrat called The Church is a Family at gospelproject.com/happyrant. It is FREE for you listeners.

Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Dwell Bible App. Dwell is a Bible listening app that we love! If you are looking for a convenient, fresh way of spending more time in God’s word Dwell is ideal. Go to https://dwellapp.io/happyrant to get 33% off your subscription. They are also offering Dwell FREE to churches for the next two months. Email them at Covid19@dwellapp.io for details.

Order Your Coffee

WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #293

New Happy Rant: Quarantine Best Practices

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas suss out the following topics:

Quarantine Side hustles and skills
Different Types of Quarantine Personas
Pastors and leadership

Sponsors

Thank you to The Gospel Project for sponsoring the podcast! If you are looking for excellent church curriculum for kids, students, or adults check them out. Also, check out their new ebook written by Aaron Armstrong & Chris Surrat called The Church is a Family at gospelproject.com/happyrant. It is FREE for you listeners.

Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Dwell Bible App. Dwell is a Bible listening app that we love! If you are looking for a convenient, fresh way of spending more time in God’s word Dwell is ideal. Go to https://dwellapp.io/happyrant to get 33% off your subscription. They are also offering Dwell FREE to churches for the next two months. Email them at Covid19@dwellapp.io for details.

Order Your Coffee

WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #292

New Happy Rant Sports: 90s Basketball and the 1990 Dunk Contest

In this episode of The Happy Rant Sports podcast Ted and Barnabas revisit their love of 1990s basketball and break down the 1990 dunk contest. They discuss the following:

First favorite teams
Weird 90s guys we have an affinity for
The awesomeness of the 1990 dunk contest (except the judges sucked then too) – Contestants were Kenny Battle, Rex Chapman, Scotty Pippen, Billy Thompson, Kenny Smith, Kenny Walker, Shawn Kemp, and Dominique Wilkins

Watch the contest here:

Get Your Coffee

[image error]WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #40

New Happy Rant: Fetishizing Farming, Homeschool Dadding, and American Idealism

In this episode of the Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas suss out the following topics:

The rise of chicken raising
How Americans fetishize farming (thanks Wendell Berry)
Learning to homeschool dad
Why American’s are idealisitic about the changes this pandemic will bring
Public shaming for being in public

Sponsors

[image error]Check out Our Good Crisis: Overcoming Moral Chaos with the Beatitudes by Jonathan K. Dodson from IVP. Dodson examines each of the Beatitudes in the context of the new morality that buffets our society today, presenting a compelling portrait of the truly good life, both personal and social. Jesus’ vision of the good is stunning: heaven meets earth, mercy triumphs over judgment, peace transcends outrage, grace upends self-righteousness. Here is an account, not of dos and don’ts, but of genuine moral flourishing.

Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Dwell Bible App. Dwell is a Bible listening app that we love! If you are looking for a convenient, fresh way of spending more time in God’s word Dwell is ideal. Go to https://dwellapp.io/happyrant to get 33% off your subscription. It comes out to about $20 for the entire year.

Order Your Coffee

WE ARE COFFEE MOGULS AGAIN. We’ve joined forces with Redbud Coffee, based out of Auburn IL, to bring you deliciously roasted and beautifully packaged coffee. Check out their variety of roasts and be sure to use the code HappyRant at checkout to get a 10% discount off your purchase.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order your Redbud coffee
Connect with Ted, Ronnie, or Barnabas to speak for your church, organization, or event
Support the podcast through our Patreon page . This helps us cover production and hosting costs so we can keep this thing rolling

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher
Listen via just about any podcast app/streaming service out there
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #291