Contact Kevin DeYoung at joshua.sowin+kev@gmail.com

 

May

15

2012

Kevin DeYoung|5:06 am CT

If We Believe All the Same Things, Why Do Our Churches Seem So Different?
If We Believe All the Same Things, Why Do Our Churches Seem So Different? avatar

Many Christians see the church world in black and white. You have liberals on one side--they are the bad guys who doubt the resurrection and don't believe in the Bible. And on the other side you have the good guys who believe in the miracles, do not waver on the deity of Christ, and want lost people to be saved. We call these folks evangelicals or conservatives or Bible-believing Christians. Give them a checklist of doctrines and they will get almost everything right.

Liberalism is a problem, but squishy evangelicalism is the much bigger problem.

I do not write thinking that churches self-consciously in the tradition of Bushnell, Beecher, and Briggs will do an about face, or that those in the stream of process theology, liberation theology, or feminist theology will abandon ship. I may vehemently disagree with full-on liberalism, but I can respect that there...

 
 
 
 

May

14

2012

Kevin DeYoung|12:00 pm CT

University Reformed Church App
University Reformed Church App avatar



You can download the app here. Thanks to Subsplash for doing a great job with the app and to Barry Peterson from our church for spearheading the project.

Here's the description of what the app can do for you:
The University Reformed Church App is a great place for all things URC, including sermons, blogs, event information and more. Features include:

  • Sermons - Hear weekend sermons from both AM and PM services

  • Listen to conference sessions hosted by URC

  • Blog - Read articles from Senior Pastor Kevin DeYoung

  • Events - Find information for conferences you won't want to miss and learn about what's happening throughout the week to get you plugged in.

  • Bible - Follow the built in reading and memory plan that we use as a church. Read and listen to all of God's Word.

  • Get directions to URC.


University Reformed Church is a Bible-teaching church
...

 
 
 
 

May

14

2012

Kevin DeYoung|6:05 am CT

Monday Morning Humor
Monday Morning Humor avatar

I don't know if these qualify as humor, but they are fascinating. And the badminton intensity is impressive.





HT: Zach Nielsen



HT: Stephen...

 
 
 
 

May

12

2012

Kevin DeYoung|6:34 am CT

As a Mother Nurses Her Children
As a Mother Nurses Her Children avatar

John Calvin commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8:
A mother nursing her infant shows nothing of power or dignity. . . [but] a mother in nursing her children manifests a certain rare and wonderful affection, inasmuch as she spares no labor and trouble, shuns no anxiety, is wearied out by no assiduity, and even with cheerfulness of spirit gives her own blood to be
...

 
 
 
 

May

11

2012

Kevin DeYoung|5:25 am CT

Happy Mother’s Day, or Whatever.
Happy Mother’s Day, or Whatever. avatar

This country loves Mother's Day. We love to honor moms and get flowers. We love to take her out for dinner and make her stand up in church. Americans are the people of motherhood and apple pie.

Just so long as motherhood has no meaning. Happy Mother's Day. Or father's. Or parents. Or gender neutral guardians. Or whatever.

We know who mom is, but do we know what a mom is? Are the two persons (or three? or thirty? or pets?) in a marriage interchangeable? Is there anything beyond biology (and affirming biology is a start!) that makes a mom a mom? When your little girl asks, "What does it mean to be a mommy?" what will you say to her?

One answer is found in 1 Thessalonians 2. Look at how Paul uses parenting as an analogy for his pastoral work.
1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing
...

 
 
 
 

May

10

2012

Kevin DeYoung|6:51 am CT

Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage
Five Reasons Christians Should Continue to Oppose Gay Marriage avatar

Yesterday, to no one's surprise, President Obama revealed in an interview that after some "evolution" he has "concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married." This after the Vice-President came out last Sunday strongly in favor of gay marriage. Not coincidentally, the New York Times ran an article on Tuesday (an election day with a marriage amendment on one ballot) about how popular and not controversial gay television characters have become. In other words, everyone else has grown up so why don't you? It can seem like the whole world is having a gay old time, with conservative Christians the only ones refusing to party.

The temptation, then, is for Christians go silent and give up the marriage fight: "It's no use staying in this battle," we think to ourselves....

 
 
 
 

May

09

2012

Kevin DeYoung|5:44 am CT

What Sermon Prep Really Looks Like
What Sermon Prep Really Looks Like avatar

Monday - I'm so glad it's my day off. Yesterday's sermon was terrible. Maybe this week will be better.

Tuesday AM -  I better get some emails done and get the blog lined up. If I can check a few things off my To Do List I'll really be able to concentrate on my sermon.

Tuesday PM - I wasn't expecting the lunch to go so long and for them to stop by. I'll guess I'll get to my sermon tomorrow.

Wednesday AM - Man, more emails. I need to make a few phone calls too. The agendas also need some work. Sermon prep soon.

Wednesday PM - I forgot--staff meetings all afternoon. I got to buckle down and start on this sermon tomorrow.

Thursday AM - Okay, here we go. Let's get the paper and pencil out and open my Greek Bible. Darn, made the mistake of checking my email and leaving my door...

 
 
 
 

May

08

2012

Kevin DeYoung|12:00 pm CT

Director of Operations Position at URC
Director of Operations Position at URC avatar




We have an employment opportunity at University Reformed Church. If you are interested in this position, please submit an application and resume by May 21.


1. Description of Position

The Director of Operations is responsible for managing, coordinating and overseeing the daily operations of University Reformed Church (URC). Broadly, responsibilities include (1) day-to-day administration and management of church operations and (2) participating with URC leadership, especially the Senior Pastor and Executive Committee, in developing and executing strategic initiatives for URC.

Please click here to view a more thorough description of job duties.

The Director of Operations should be a member, or willing to become a member, of University Reformed Church. The Director is also expected to participate in a URC Small Group, as well as attend Sunday services at URC.

2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

The qualified candidate for Director of Operations is a mature, sincere, godly believer in Jesus Christ.
...

 
 
 
 

May

08

2012

Kevin DeYoung|5:47 am CT

When Paul Sent the Celebrity Pastor
When Paul Sent the Celebrity Pastor avatar

Here is a verse that caught my attention yesterday: "With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel" (2 Cor. 8:18).

There are many things we'd like to know, but don't know about this verse.

1. We don't know who this brother is. Could be Luke, Apollos, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy, or Mark. Others suggest one of the entourage mentioned in Acts 20:4--Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Tychicus, Trophimus, or Gaius. Some names are more likely than others, but at the end of the day we just don't know who Paul has in mind.

2. We can't be sure why Paul did not mention this brother's name. Paul might have been trying to lower this man's profile or maybe Paul hadn't appointed him directly or perhaps this famous brother because was from Corinth or had been instrumental in the...

 
 
 
 

May

07

2012

Kevin DeYoung|10:43 am CT

I Have Succumbed to the Twitterverse
I Have Succumbed to the Twitterverse avatar

The handle is...

 
 
 
 
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