Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 57

New Happy Rant: Society is Going to Pot

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted and Barnabas soldier on without Ron (globetrotting as usual) and bring the rant back to the Rant about the following:

Outlawed gym class games
Protecting kids from embarrassment
Ordering quinoa burgers
SO MUCH MORE

We’d like to thank our sponsor – Noah’s Event Venue. Noah’s offers fantastic venues for churches to expand, to plant, or to start a campus and comes equipped with high end A/V, classroom space, and all the general meeting needs churches have (aside from a pour-over bar and leather aprons) – though they do have coffee/cafe services! They have multiple venues across the country in most major metro areas, so if you are a church leader looking for space to grow, plant, or move your congregation check them out

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
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Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

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Episode #211

Happy Rant Sports Episode #16 – Fantasy Football Prep, Becoming a Fan, and More

In this episode of the Happy Rant Sports Podcast Ted and Barnabas go all in on football.

Manziel Minute
Preparing for the fantasy football season as Ted comes out of retirement
Fantasy football team names
How we became fans of our respective favorite teams
Book recommendation

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
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Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

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Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
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Episode #16

New Happy Rant: Fallen Leaders, Goodbye Great Books, Tim Keller, and Pop Music

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

How do we trust past content from fallen leaders?
Where have all the timeless books gone?
How will history view today’s leaders?
Justin Bieber reads The Meaning of Marriage?
What is Tim Keller’s taste in pop music?

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

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Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
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Episode #210

3 Things I Like – August 24

Each week I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

Tommy Boy

[image error]A few years ago I was with some college students and I quoted this movie. I don’t remember which quote, there are so many after all. All I was met with was blank stares. They did not know the movie, and they barely knew Chris Farley! I was heart broken for their sake and because in that moment I felt very, very old. Since that time I’ve learned that what was an iconic comedic film of my youth, a movie that has shaped both my vernacular and some friendships, has been missed by many of my peers as well. A travesty, I say! A shame! A sham! This must be remedied forthwith. And anyone who refuses to take part in this glorious laugh fest, well, their head is made of thick candy shell.

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich by Mark Kriegel

[image error]When a fascinating, enigmatic cast of characters encounters a gifted biographer something special happens. This is just such an instance. I’m a committed basketball fan, but I knew few details of Pete’s life and almost nothing of his father, Press Maravich, either. Their combined, symbiotic and parasitic relationship is heartbreaking and fascinating. To read a non-Christian author describe Pete’s transformation when he met Christ is equally fascinating – almost like reading about him meeting a unicorn. Kriegel finds it magnetic, but not totally believable. The lives of Pete and Press Maravich were captivating and tragic, with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. They were transcendent in their craft of basketball and struggled at nearly everything else. And Kriegel captures it magnificently.

“If Trouble was Money” performed by Gary Clark, Jr.

A classic blues song performed by a magnificent blues musician will absolutely wash all your blues away. Turn this one all the way up.

He Reads Truth: God’s Promise of His Spirit

I have the privilege of contributing to He Reads Truth, a website of whose purpose is “To help men become who we were made to be, by doing what we were made to do, by the power and provision that God has given us to do it, for the glory of Jesus Christ.” They do this by providing scripture reading plans accompanied by reflections that can be accessed for free online or purchased as print books. For those of you looking to engage scripture in a fresh way – either because you are dried up or have been away from it, these studies/plans will refresh your soul and engage your mind.

What follows is one of the pieces I wrote for the plan on Joel, Amos, Obadiah, & Micah. You can find the full plan HERE.

Joel 2:18-32, Zechariah 10:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:2

“Because I said so.”

This was a sentence I loathed as a child. Whenever my parents or teachers said it, I could feel my hackles rise, and I don’t even have hackles. It felt like such an in-your-face display of authority. Why must I do this thing? Because they said so. That didn’t feel like a reason. It felt dismissive, even if their position of authority gave them every right to command me without providing what I deemed a proper explanation.

Today’s passage from Joel essentially says, “Because I said so”—but with a twist. Instead of it being a blunt or dismissive command, it is a promise. Because I said so. Who? God. That is, after all, what the entire sentence is hinging on: The person who makes the promise determines its validity and efficacy. And in this case, God is the one making the promise.

Israel was under duress from invaders, as judgment for their own rebellion against God. They were in captivity, facing starvation, and had lost their home. So, as they’d done throughout the Old Testament, they cried out to God, and, as He’d done throughout the Old Testament, God listened. He offered them a glorious promise of feasting and health, of vindication, and of fullness. The people could “rejoice and be glad, for the Lord has done astonishing things” (Joel 2:21).

They could rejoice because He said so—the same God who had done astonishing things dating back to the creation of the world. This passage echoes of those things. It echoes of Jubilee (Leviticus 25)—a freeing and redeeming time—when God promised Israel, “I will repay you for the lost years” (Joel 2:25). It echoes of the burning bush and of Sinai (Exodus 3;19-24). These are markers, reminders of God’s sovereignty, which prove that He is the Lord and there is no other (Joel 2:27).

Throughout the Minor Prophets, God threads these I AM—or “Because I said so”—phrases so people will know the promises are true. He reminds the hearer repeatedly, “I am the Lord.” Why? Because in times of trial (and in times of ease) we forget. We forget who we are and whose we are. We forget what God has done in the past and lose sight of His help both now and in the future.

But God knew this about us, and so He promised the pouring out of His Spirit (Joel 2:28,32)—“the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15), and the seal of God upon those who love Him (Ephesians 1:13). He gave us His Spirit to remind us of what’s true.  

God has promised us restoration and redemption. But He also promises us Himself. And just like He did for Israel through the prophet Joel, He promises to deliver us to fullness, joy, and health, too—a Jubilee to those who belong to Him. That is our future promise. And though we don’t know when it will come true, we can trust Him to bring this, and all of His promises, into fruition, because He said so.

The Gospel and Curiosity

“Curiosity and the gospel are not two things we usually associate with each other, and I think that might be part of our problem in the church. It’s at least indicative of why our churches often have a culture that doesn’t really reflect the gospel.”

So how does curiosity help create a gospel culture in the church?

I do my best to answer that question in this video I recorded for The Gospel Project, a Bible Study Curriculum designed to help people of any age understand the redemptive story line of Scripture. I start with what curiosity is and why it’s so significant in how we understand scripture and God. I then touch on curiosity in personal life and relationships, in how we interact with culture, in how we approach crossing cultures, in our spiritual lives, and in ministry.

[image error]For more on curiosity in life and ministry check out my book The Curious Christian: How Discovering Wonder Enriches Every Part of Life. If you are interested in seeing what kind of curious person you are (or are not) visit CuriousChristianBook.com and take the short assessment.

New Happy Rant: Diets, Aging, and Identity Condiments

In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas take on the following trends:

The death of foods at the hands of murderous millennials
Identity condiments – what are they and how do they work?
Men discussing diets and where all the real men went
Burger diets

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
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Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #209

3 Things I Like – August 17

Each week I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

1. Queen of Katwe

[image error]I sat down with my daughters to watch this expecting a feel-good story out of the standard Disney mold, replete with sap and stereotypical characters and a predictable happy ending. None of which is bad, it’s just a specific genre that is pretty meh. Boy, was I wrong. It is a rich, nuanced depiction of struggle, hope, victory, disappointment, and culture. It showed the gravity of poverty and hopelessness and the power of persistence in hope and faith. The characters are fully human, not caricatures, and they are likeable. The acting is brilliant across the board,  so much so it’s hard to point a specific performance that stands out. And I think the most powerful, remarkable aspect of the film was the depiction of culture and context in its breadth – the broken and the beautiful, the poverty and richness both materially and in humanity. So yes, it was a feel-good film but one with substance that will stick to your ribs and your mind.

2. The Chris Farley Show by Tom Farley Jr.

[image error]Chris Farley has probably made me laugh more often and harder than any other comedian. He was brilliant comedic actor on SNL and then in films with more than his fair share of physical hilarity thrown in by being enormous and agile all at once. And he was a truly tragic figure too. His death was the first I can remember by a celebrity that truly devastated me. This biography is an oral history of his life, and it is spectacularly done. Oral histories tend to bog down and become a slog, but this one is on point. It reveals Farley in his complexity and genius and tragedy. It details his childhood and rise to stardom. His fellow SNL actors regale you with stories, both amusing and tragic. In the end you love him more after reading it and are more confused and saddened by his demise too. It is a fantastic read.

3.

(This is on , a paid subscription site. It costs $3/month and the is the BEST sports writing on the internet. You should sign up.)

Randy Moss is the most dominant football player ever to play for a Minnesota team. He is the most dominant wide receiver in NFL history. (Jerry Rice is the best and most accomplished, but peak Moss was the most unstoppable.) He broke the rules of what WRs were supposed to be able to do, he broke defenses, and he broke cornerbacks’ wills and ankles too. This article is an oral history of his rise to stardom beginning with his first training camp, a historic breakout rookie year, and particularly his destruction of the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys (both of which I take IMMENSE pleasure in. I watched all those games as a 15-year-old and still have the marks from all the times my chin hit the floor in awe. Any football fan will appreciate this article, and Minnesota fans will love it.

Happy Rant Sports Episode #15 – Misery in Montreal, Make Football Violent, and NFL Predictions

In this Episode of Happy Rant Sports Ted and Barnabas suss out and rant about the following:

Johnny Manziel’s inauspicious – ok, horrific – first start in the CFL
Andrew Sendejo’s “Make Football Violent Again” hat
NFL Award predictions (of awards we mostly made up)

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #15

New Happy Rant: The Frank McKinney Episode

In this unique episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas wander to and fro through a single topic – the epic work of Frank McKinney. Who is that, you ask? We are here to tell you. Frank McKinney:

Is the author of multiple books in multiple genres, including one he created.
Is a Real Estate Artist known for creating images of multi-million dollar beach-side homes.
Has a very Kid Rock/Brett Michaels vibe about him.
Has written a new book called “The Other Thief” which promises to be . . .an experience.

Be sure to visit HappyRantPodcast.com where you can:

Order fresh roasted coffee from Lagares Roasters
Order your Happy Rant swag from Missional Wear (Use code RANT to get discounts on swag and/or shipping)

Please consider supporting the podcast financially as well. We have set up a Patreon page, and your donations help us cover production costs, do live events, and grow the podcast by trying some new things. Oh, and of course there are perks for those who commit to helps us such as free books and coffee!

To listen you can:

Subscribe in iTunes.
Listen on Google Play
Listen on Stitcher.
Leave us a rating in iTunes (it only takes 1 click and it really helps us).
Listen using the player below.

Episode #208