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A lot of people ask "why" we do Film & Theology and "how" we approach it, and I hope to address the basic questions - and objections - in this 10-part instructional series. It's my hope that it won't just lead to edification and personal transformation, but ultimately replication leading to more glorification of the God we love and live for.

For more on film & theology, engaging culture and redefining entertainment, go to cinemagogue.com.

"101" establishes the basic premise essential to this engagement: that the one true God of the Universe is not only the ultimate Storyteller, but Protagonist in the greatest story that encompasses all our lives. This explains our image-bearing impulse to be storytellers whether we acknowledge him or not.

Doctrine Book

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe is available now. Read a free chapter and find out more.

The Theology of the Body: Click | View Series

Your Gender Matters

As embodied creatures, human beings are either male or female (Gen. 1:26-27); indeed, gender is a fundamental reality of human existence. God does not create a generic human being and then add on gender; rather, he creates a human being either as a male person or as a female person. Human genderedness means that a man is conscious of and knows himself as a man, he relates to other human beings as a man, and as a man he relates to God.

Similarly, it means that a woman is conscious of and knows herself as a woman, she relates to other human beings as a woman, and as a woman she relates to God. Try as I might, even urged on by my wife, I cannot see life from her—a woman’s—perspective! Human beings are perspectivally gendered—as designed by God.

Accordingly, men and women should be thankful for the gender with which God created them, and any sense of superiority or inferiority because they are male or female is wrong and dangerous. Gender differences should be celebrated, and men and women should learn to enjoy personal, pure relationships with the other gender (1 Tim. 5:1-2).

Sexuality and Marriage

An important aspect of gender, and hence of human embodiment, is sexuality. Indeed, God created human beings as both male and female so that they could fulfill the mandate to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (Gen. 1:28). This universal command means that the majority of people will be married, and the biblical portrait is that marriage is between a man and a woman who commit themselves to living in a monogamous relationship. Sexual intercourse is to be enjoyed within the bounds of this covenantal framework and is designed for several purposes, including pleasure, procreation, a guard against immorality, and unity.

Tragically, the fall into sin wreaks havoc with human sexuality, and Scripture presents instructions intended to help people overcome temptation and failure in this area. For example, Paul denounces sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:12-12), urging Christians to flee from it. Elsewhere (1 Thess. 4:3-8) he commands married people to engage in sexual activity in a God-honoring and spouse-respecting manner while avoiding immorality. The close relationships that Christians enjoy with one another should never be allowed to cross the lines of proper morality so that members defraud one another by taking that which does not belong to them.

Sexuality and Singleness

Paul also addresses the reality of singleness (1 Cor. 7:7-9). This state, like that of marriage, is a gift of God (v. 7). Paul’s preference is that people remain single (v. 8), for celibacy offers many advantages (1 Cor. 7:25-40), including avoidance of troubles and anxieties, and promotion of “undivided devotion to the Lord” (v. 35). The advantages of singleness are many, yet only those to whom this gift is given should remain single (v. 9). Those with the gift of celibacy are not asexual beings who lack sexual desire, but they are able to control those urges by channeling them in God-honoring ways. Lacking such self-control, people should pursue getting married so they are not overwhelmed by sexual desire and thus fall into immorality.

We are certainly aware of the many troubles Christians and the church encounter in this area: rampant sexual immorality, adultery, homosexuality, sexual abuse, pornography, prostitution, and other problems. Cognizant of these many challenges, we should never lose sight of the fact that human sexuality and sexual intercourse between married couples are wonderful gifts from God for his embodied creatures, gifts that should be celebrated and enjoyed.

To be continued.

2010 Seattle Bootcamp

The biggest church planting event we've ever done. September 29-30 in Seattle. Church Planter: A29 National Bootcamp.

Justification by X: Click | View Series

Church Math

As kids, I bet most of us reading this post probably hated math—all the subtracting, borrowing, and dividing. These are all words that make pastors nervous. No wonder teachers called them "problems."

But as we aged and began ministry, something miraculous happened and we suddenly fell in love with numbers. In fact, we learned the whole new subject called "church math," like baptisms, budgets, and Sunday service attendance. The number of things to count became almost endless and almost fun—that is, as long as the numbers were up. But if the numbers went down, especially the Sunday attendance number, our spirits would often go down with them. And that is a problem indeed.

Our Relationship With Attendance

I am not against counting things when it comes to church. The old adage which says, "We count people because people count" may be trite, but it is true. We should count the things that we keep track of. But all of us will readily admit that there is something suspicious going on with our relationship with the attendance figure. I believe it is because, at times, we look to it to justify ourselves and our ministries.

The equations on the chalkboard of our heart usually go something like this:

Lots of people = Visible success in ministry = I am happy

Fewer people = Failure in ministry = I am depressed

Anybody else think that math is a little fuzzy?

Here are a few tips to help us clear things up.

1. Define yourself by what Jesus did on the cross, not what you do on Sunday.

Though we all know this is true, we often struggle to believe it when it counts. To see change happen, we must do what it takes to write this gospel truth on our hearts, so that it is ready when we need it most. As we grow in our ability to use the gospel in daily life, we will be better equipped to fight the enemy's lies.

2. Be careful with counting.

As I said before, I'm not telling you not to keep track of things. I’m simply saying that we recognize attendance records can be like handguns—helpful in some situations and dangerous in others. Ask yourself questions like, “Why am I watching the attendance so closely? For Jesus or for me?” Remember, our worth as followers of Jesus and as pastors is not wrapped up in how many people attend our services, but in the gospel.

3. Be careful with how you define success.

Though our “bigger is better” mentality may tempt us to think otherwise, a big crowd doesn’t necessarily signify a faithful ministry. In fact, as we study the Scriptures we see a number of “successful” preachers who weren’t always surrounded by huge crowds—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and at times, even Jesus. While we can take heart in this fact, we must also guard ourselves from going too far in the other direction as well. Pastoring a small church doesn’t necessarily make us more faithful, just as pastoring a large church doesn’t make us unfaithful.

4. Be part of the solution instead of part of the problem.

Nearly every pastor I know struggles with this issue. Will you join me in serving your fellow strugglers and not let “So what are you guys running these days?” be the first question you ask your pastor friends the next time you talk to them? Ask about their soul, their family, or how they are engaging their community. As we do, I think we will do the kingdom a great service.

Our justification is in the gospel, not how many people attend our services. What are you looking to for your justification today?

Missional Ecclesiology

Re:Train professor Gregg Allison explains the missional church in his blog series on Missional Ecclesiology.

Click through to the Resurgence if you can't see the video.

In this short interview clip, Pastor Mark asks bestselling author Randy Alcorn what people should read if they've never read any of his books and want an introduction to his writings.

Here are the books he mentioned:

Nonfiction:

• The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance (Randy's favorite)
• Heaven (Pastor Mark calls it "the standard on the subject")
• If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil
• Money, Possessions, and Eternity

Fiction:

• Safely Home
• Deception

For Children:

• Heaven for Kids

See all the parts of this interview posted so far.

ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible is our Bible of choice. To show how good the notes are, we’ve posted some free study notes on the Trinity. Read them here.

The Forbearance of God: Click | View Series

Romans 2:4—"Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?"

God not only acts kindly to sinners, but when they misuse his kindness he labors to set them right (Isa. 1:18, Hosea 11:8). It is a sad thing that any who have seen God's judgments on others, and have escaped themselves, should draw from this special mercy a reason for adding sin to sin (Jer. 3:8).

God's Kindness Should Lead To Repentance

The forbearance of God should lead us to repentance. For we should argue that:

1. He is not hard and unloving, or he would not have spared us.
2. His great patience deserves recognition at our hands. We are bound to respond to it in a generous spirit.
3. To go on to offend would be cruel to him, and disgraceful to ourselves. Nothing can be baser than to make forbearance a reason for provocation.
4. It is evident from his forbearance that he will rejoice to accept us if we will turn to him. He spares that he may save.
5. He has dealt with each one personally, and by this means he is able to put it, as in the text, "God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance." He calls us individually to himself. Let each one personally remember his own experience of sparing mercies.
6. The means are so gentle; let us yield to them cheerfully. Those who might refuse to be driven should consent to be drawn.

O sinner, each gift of goodness draws you to Jesus!
Forbearance causes humble repentance to Jesus! Long-suffering waits and woos you to Jesus! Will you not turn from sin and return to your God, or "do you presume on the riches of his kindness?"

Adapted from Charles Spurgeon's sermon notes.

Resurgence Literature

We believe God uses good books to change lives. Re:Lit publishes a growing line of books to fuel the Resurgence. Find out more.