Barnabas Piper's Blog, page 71
October 30, 2017
New Happy Rant: LIVE in Louisville, Part 1
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas have climbed the mountain, achieved greatness, MADE PODCASTING HISTORY. It is the first of three episodes from Live in Louisville where they gathered with 80 of their closest friends for sheet cake, coffee, and decadence as well as conversation about a whole variety of topics.
We’d like to thank our sponsors who helped make this event happen, provided give-aways, and supported our efforts – David C. Cook publishers, The Christian Standard Bible, Lagares Roasters Coffee, and Missional Wear.
To listen you can:
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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 #167
October 26, 2017
3 Things I Like This Week – October 26
Each week I will 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.
1. “Sometimes I Cry” by Chris Stapleton
Just listen, then listen again, and a third time too.
2. Gardettos
[image error]Gardettos are simply the best snack. They are like chips, but with muscles. Like Chex Mix, but for grown-ups. They have faithfully accompanied me through many road trips and football games. When lunch has been pushed to the fringes of an otherwise busy life Gardettos are there for you. They have neither too much of anything nor too little and the only disappointing aspect is when they run out.
[contact-form]
3. John Steinbeck Audio Books
[image error]I am an avid audiobook listener, and John Steinbeck’s books stand out as the best I have listened to. The performer of an audiobook makes an enormous difference, but it seems to me that regardless of reader, Steinbeck’s books were meant to be read aloud by one person for the appreciation of others. I’ve listened to East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath and they are brilliant, bleak and brilliant. His sentences are so sharp and his characters so real that even something as miserable as jogging becomes enjoyable while listening to these (at least from the neck up).
October 24, 2017
He Reads Truth: How Great a Love
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 1, 2, and 3 John. You can find the full plan HERE.
1 John 2:28-29, 1 John 3:1-10, James 1:19-27, John 3:1-15
My daughters bear a striking resemblance to me and an even more striking resemblance to each other. They are three years apart in age, and the younger one looks exactly like the older one did at the same age. When I show up at their school, their teachers say things like, “Yep, they’re yours alright.” The family resemblance is strong.
Family resemblance isn’t just genetic, though. It’s spiritual too. In 1 John 3 we are told that we are children of God, born of Him. As a mark of God’s great love, we are His children. Jesus explained this to Nicodemus as being “born again” (John 3:3). This phrase is one that has almost been clichéd out of any meaning, but think about it: born again. Nicodemus was a religious teacher and he was utterly baffled by this imagery. We should be too. How can a person be born, grow up, then be born again? By the Holy Spirit, Jesus says. That’s how. Our new life as children of God is a miracle of the Holy Spirit; we are remade as people.
In being made new—in being born again as God’s children—we take on a family resemblance to Christ, God’s Son. If we are His children, we are no longer marked by sin. We don’t look like sin; we look like Christ. This doesn’t mean that we never sin. It means that the defining characteristics of our life—the things that stand out, what people remember us by, and the shape of our personhood—is holy and Christlike. If someone met Jesus, they would look at us and say, “Yep, you’re His.”
Practically, what this looks like is to be “doers of the Word” (James 1:22). We know what it means to follow Jesus because He told us. We know what it means to pursue holiness because He told us. It’s all in the Bible. And as children of God, we go from just being hearers and knowing something about it, to living by it. It’s the family story and the family expectations.
Being a child of God means being transformed. That is what “born again” means. It’s more than a profession of faith; it’s a new life in the Spirit. And it’s a life that resembles Jesus as we live out His Word daily. Yes, we will sin. But when we do, we know that we are still family and that Christ has made a way for us to be forgiven and accepted as children of God.
October 23, 2017
New Happy Rant: Fixing the Holidays, Why Even Podcast, and Childhood Memories
In this episode of the Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas do as they do and get a little reflective, a little curmudgeonly, a little sarcastic, a little meta, and a little fun. They discuss the following.
What is one thing we would change about the holidays?
Why even do a podcast if everyone with a social security number is now doing one?
What is a favorite childhood memory we always come back to?
Visit HappyRantPodcast.com to get your Happy Rant signature roast coffee from Lagares Roasters and your Happy Rant gear (mugs, moleskins, shirts, and more)
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 #166
October 19, 2017
3 Things I Like This Week – October 19
Each week I will 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.
[image error] 1. God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell
This is a beautiful book showing kids (and adults too) God’s perfect intent in creating people of different races, cultures, gifting, and preferences and God’s perfect rescue plan to redeem those people after they screwed things up. It is a magnificent depiction of God’s image being reflected in all people and the gospel being the salvation for all people too. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and fun. It’s the kind of book any parent should get for their kids and that makes a perfect gift. Shoot, I think it is so good pastors should read it to their congregations from the pulpit on a Sunday.
[image error] 2. Worthy by Beautiful Eulogy
This new album drops on 10/20, and is so good. I love what Courtland, Braille, and Thomas do lyrically and musically. It is a unique sound with rich truth – hip hop, but not like any other sound I’m aware of. I love how low key and melodic the sound is and how deep and honest the lyrics are. You can get it wherever you like to download your tunes.
[image error] 3. Digit Savings
I don’t have a great history of being disciplined to save money. Sorry, Dave Ramsey. I found digit a couple years ago and have found it super helpful. It is automated savings based on the status of whatever bank account you tie it to. You can tell it to save more or less aggressively, and you can manually deposit money as well. In all, I found it to be a really helpful tool for emergency savings or saving for a specific expense.
3 Things I Like This Week
Each week I will 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.
[image error] 1. God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell
This is a beautiful book showing kids (and adults too) God’s perfect intent in creating people of different races, cultures, gifting, and preferences and God’s perfect rescue plan to redeem those people after they screwed things up. It is a magnificent depiction of God’s image being reflected in all people and the gospel being the salvation for all people too. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and fun. It’s the kind of book any parent should get for their kids and that makes a perfect gift. Shoot, I think it is so good pastors should read it to their congregations from the pulpit on a Sunday.
[image error] 2. Worthy by Beautiful Eulogy
This new album drops on 10/20, and is so good. I love what Courtland, Braille, and Thomas do lyrically and musically. It is a unique sound with rich truth – hip hop, but not like any other sound I’m aware of. I love how low key and melodic the sound is and how deep and honest the lyrics are. You can get it wherever you like to download your tunes.
[image error] 3. Digit Savings
I don’t have a great history of being disciplined to save money. Sorry, Dave Ramsey. I found digit a couple years ago and have found it super helpful. It is automated savings based on the status of whatever bank account you tie it to. You can tell it to save more or less aggressively, and you can manually deposit money as well. In all, I found it to be a really helpful tool for emergency savings or saving for a specific expense.
October 16, 2017
New Happy Rant: Pulpits, Preachers, Magazine Writing, and What We’re Reading
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas discuss the following:
The other Jarrid Wilson
Assigning pulpits to preachers
What Ted judges people for
If we could write a regular column in one publication all time, what would it be?
What we’re reading
Visit HappyRantPodcast.com to get your Happy Rant signature roast coffee from Lagares Roasters AND to sign up for Live in Louisville, coming this October. It’s really happening, and we’d love to see you there!
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 #165
October 10, 2017
He Reads Truth: Mark – Belief and Unbelief
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 on Mark. You can find the full plan HERE.
Mark 6:1-56, 2 Kings 2:11
“I remember when you were just a little tyke! You used to cruise around this neighborhood on your bike and cause all sorts of trouble.”
One visit to the town you grew up in and you’ll hear something like this. It even happened to Jesus. The problem was that Jesus wasn’t just in town for the holidays; He was on a mission to save the world and He wanted to begin with those He knew and loved most.
Instead, all He got was “Isn’t that Mary’s boy? I think He made me my end table a while back.”
The closeness of the people in Nazareth to Jesus blinded them to His identity. They could not hear the truth or power of His words, and He could not do any miracles there, because of their unbelief. All they could see was the son of the carpenter.
So Jesus gathered His twelve disciples and commissioned them to take His mission to other parts of Israel. And did they ever – preaching with power, seeing people repent, and even casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
It was a shame that the people of Nazareth missed out, but the story turns here. The mission is progressing nicely. Right? Well, about that…
In a remote place, Jesus preached to a crowd of 5,000 men and likely as many women and children. They are hungry; so He told His disciples, those same twelve, to feed the people and they panicked. “How can we? Should we spend half a year’s salary on food?” So Jesus miraculously provided. Only this time, it was the disciples who did not believe.
Hours later, as they sailed to their next stop through high seas and strong winds, Jesus came walking across the water toward them. When they panicked and cried out, “It’s a ghost!”, Jesus reassured them. Still, the disciples did not believe.
It’s easy to look at the people of Nazareth and shake our heads at their hard hearts. It’s easy for us to look at the disciples and tsk tsk just a little. How could they preach and perform miracles and still not believe? What we should see is ourselves. We should see our own blindness and unbelief and our own ability to overlook the great things Jesus has done. We, too, see miracles and brush them off or fail to understand. We see them in Scripture. We see them in our own salvation. Yet still we panic. We doubt. We wander.
Thankfully, Jesus provides and reassures and draws us close to Himself. He continues to reveal Himself to those seeking to believe, so that over time we truly can.
October 9, 2017
New Happy Rant: Hef, Hell, Greetings, and Judging
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas rant about the following:
Pastor’s making points about hell and eternity when guys like Hugh Hefner die
How do we describe a person we like? Do we go the celebrity route of “delightful” or “lovely”? Or do we go the “good guy” route?
What do we judge other people for enjoying?
We’d like to thank our sponsor, The Good Book Company. They are highlighting Trillia Newbell’s new book, God’s Very Good Idea. It is a beautiful book showing kids (and adults too) God’s perfect intent in creating people of different races, cultures, gifting, and preferences and GOd’s perfect rescue plan to redeem those people after they screwed things up. It is a magnificent depiction of God’s image being reflected in all people and the gospel being the salvation for all people too. Get yours today!
Visit HappyRantPodcast.com to get your Happy Rant signature roast coffee from Lagares Roasters AND to sign up for Live in Louisville, coming this October. It’s really happening, and we’d love to see you there!
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 #164
New Happy Rant:
In this episode of The Happy Rant Ted, Ronnie, and Barnabas rant about the following:
Pastor’s making points about hell and eternity when guys like Hugh Hefner die
How do we describe a person we like? Do we go the celebrity route of “delightful” or “lovely”? Or do we go the “good guy” route?
What do we judge other people for enjoying?
We’d like to thank our sponsor, The Good Book Company. They are highlighting Trillia Newbell’s new book, God’s Very Good Idea. It is a beautiful book showing kids (and adults too) God’s perfect intent in creating people of different races, cultures, gifting, and preferences and GOd’s perfect rescue plan to redeem those people after they screwed things up. It is a magnificent depiction of God’s image being reflected in all people and the gospel being the salvation for all people too. Get yours today!
Visit HappyRantPodcast.com to get your Happy Rant signature roast coffee from Lagares Roasters AND to sign up for Live in Louisville, coming this October. It’s really happening, and we’d love to see you there!
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 #164
