Mortification of Spin

Grab a seat in Rust Auditorium at Westminster Theological Seminary where the MoS crew talk with Dr. Kent Hughes at the annual preaching conference. Dr. Hughes has a long track-record of faithfulness behind the pulpit and the pen. He answers on a topic he knows much about: preaching. You'll hear anything from how to preach through pain to how to cultivate humility amidst success. Hughes' answers will both bless and challenge.If you have benefited from this episode of Mortification of Spin then you will enjoy The Glory of Christ in the Proclamation of the Gospel by Kent Hughes, a free audio-download from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals! You can recieve your free gift from Reformed Resources.

Jonathan & David of the Old Testament… were they homosexual or was it just a bromance? Not a new question to a culture tending to attribute sexuality to deep, rewarding relationships… but why is that so? The Gang addresses the need to reinstate friendships to a non-sexual category and what implications this could have on how we think about relationships in the Church. It's a conversation on intimacy, and judging by the way things are headed, Carl may break his Brit-code to hug Todd, marking the best day in Todd's life.If you enjoyed this week's Bully Pulpit on friendship then you will like Feast or Famine by Phil Ryken as a free audio download from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can redeem your free gift at Reformed Resources.

This week, the Gang loiters outside a mega-church conference, enticed by the big-band jams vibrating through the concrete to their high-tops. They've decided to forego the meeting this time because they've gotten "swept away" in conversation about the experience they could be having in there. They raise important questions about the content of today's evangelical Christian praise music: What is it teaching us? Should sound theology stop when we sing? Do we shut our minds off in praise, or should the words encourage active engagement with the word of God? Does Todd think the whole point is to make us feel happy? Seems today's trend is sentimentalism. But what of liturgy and proclaiming biblical truths and actual Scripture? Our hosts have plenty to say about it! Plus, find out if Carl is a Closet Psalmist, when the last time Todd wore a choir robe, and if Aimee has looked upon the wine lately.If you have enjoyed this week's Mortification of Spin then you will like this free audio download, Singing Psalms - An Aid to Preaching by Terry Johnson from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can redeem your free gift at Reformed Resources.

How high should standards be for a pastor and his ministry? Do we rate his success in congregation size, fame, or by how white his teeth are? Standards can be unrealistic and unbiblical when a new pastor comes on the scene, and comparisons can foster a culture of critique and criticism. Bad pastors are a reality. However, the church has a common crisis at hand: are we firing, disrespecting, even "bullying" otherwise competent men who don't live up to our superficial standards? But what if there is a real problem with your pastor? How do you deal with it? If you are on either side of this scenario, tune in as our in-house reverends, Carl and Todd, share helpful resources and advice for both congregant and pastor. As for Aimee, she's packin' heat to keep these boys in their place – one nun-chuck for Todd and one for Carl. If you have enjoyed this weeks Bully Pulpit then you will like this free audio download God's Sovereignty and the Call of the Pastor by Eric Redmond  from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can redeem your free gift at Reformed Resources.Todd Pruitt's series of posts entitled "Battered Pastors":1. http://mortificationofspin.org/mos/1517/battered-pastors-1#.VJGV6cZJFWd2. http://mortificationofspin.org/mos/1517/battered-pastors-2#.VJGV8cZJFWd3. http://mortificationofspin.org/mos/1517/battered-pastors-3-0#.VJGV-8ZJFWd4. http://mortificationofspin.org/mos/1517/battered-pastors-4-0#.VJGWA8ZJFWd5. http://mortificationofspin.org/mos/1517/battered-pastors-5-0#.VJGWC8ZJFWd

Join us at The Dripping Blade Pub, where Paul Levy sips a Welsh cider awaiting the MoS Crew. Levy is the minister of International Presbyterian Church in West London, and he is also Carl Trueman's only friend. Once at the bar, they discuss Francis Schaeffer, L’Abri, and how “a God of love could allow the Welsh.” Levy gets right down to it: he discusses the denominational differences and obstacles of the Church across "The Pond" and why Americans are so enthralled by accents. The Crew talks strategy for pastoral ministry, sermon prep, and pastoral care that spans a variety of nationalities and geographical locales. The big question of the hour: What does Paul think of men who leave the UK to preach in America?If you have enjoyed this weeks Mortification of Spin then you will like this free audio download Church Discipline vs. Evangelism? by Mark Dever from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can redeem your free gift at Reformed Resources.

We live in a culture of "no regrets"… but shouldn't we have some? Even one? The Spinners certainly do and are willing to air out their scarlet letters for a little confession of Spin. Truth is, we've all made mistakes, but could the ones most recently made on the evangelical stage have been prevented? What does today's Church lack that it would embrace false teachers and follow misguided doctrine so blindly? No doubt, Carl, Aimee, & Todd have some ideas. Tune in as they ponder recent events and where the Church needs to pay closer attention to its associations.If you have enjoyed this week's Bully Pulpit then you will like this free audio download Faith and Repentance by Sinclair Ferguson from The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can redeem your free gift at Reformed Resources.

What do zip lines, blonde hair, and free-range chickens have in common with pastoral ministry? Is Carl going to be next year's super-star pastor after his latest tome, Your Worst Life Now? Pastors have a high and difficult calling in their ministry, and whether you pastor 8 or 8,000, congregants have expectations and you have biblical duties. So how do you discern which to prioritize and what boundaries to guard jealously? Does going bald and staying bitter really improve preaching? Grab a front-row seat to a day in the life of Carl & Todd. And per usual, Aimee's sharp-edged questions keep the boys on their toes and you guessing!If you enjoyed this week's Mortification of Spin you will like this free audio download, Faithful and Relevant Pastoral Ministry by Terry Johnson, from the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can find your free gift at Reformed Resources.

Addressing the resignation of high-profile pastor Mark Driscoll, the team discusses a relevant question: Can a pastor be restored to ministry? They offer biblical options to a dismal scenario churches face all too often. As usual, they don't hold back from exposing the underlying issues at hand and the ultimate hope amidst them. What if a pastor seemingly values his reputation over protecting the flock? Hear the gang answer how they'd deal with "bad-boy" pastors and their thoughts on what forgiveness looks like for them.For listening to this Mortification of Spin: Bully Pulpit, the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to give you a free MP3 from Ed Welch entitled, "Peer Pressure and Pastoring." Go to ReformedResources.org to download your free MP3!

Aimee's outnumbered in the city that never sleeps… and it keeps getting balder! But wait, it seems Carl and Todd aren't the only balding stars of this show. Come along as they hit the streets with pastor and author Tim Keller to discuss his new book, Center Church: Doing Balanced, Gospel-Centered Ministry in Your City. How are Christians to engage their cultural surroundings and make a true, lasting impact for Christ? If you're a pilot, how do you go about your high-in-the-sky vocation to the glory of God? Do you pass out tracks to passengers ushered off your plane? It's that unceasing question of Christ and Culture. Listen in as the gang talks to Tim to see if the Transformationalist approach is the answer. By the way, what does Keller, (the bald but not-so-bitter), mean by a "wisdom-contest-counter-contrast community"? More importantly, can Aimee hold her own amongst so much baldness? Let's hope her street-smarts are up to snuff!This week the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals would like to offer Tim Keller's Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering as a free giveaway. Just enter here to win.

What do humanism and creedless Christianity have in common? And what's the need for a creed anyway? The gang throw out their two cents and discuss an article about Bart Campolo, who recently renounced his Christian faith and declared himself an agnostic humanist. Serious blind spots and weaknesses in luke-warm, doctrine-lite theology are exposed on this week's episode, where we find that ethics without doctrine and without Christ simply cannot answer the question of evil, among other universal dilemmas. It's a touchy topic, but thankfully our sensitive, smooth-talking Todd "Barry White" Pruitt sets the tone and keeps it cool.If you have enjoyed this Bully Pulpit, then you will benefit from Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms by Kenneth Jones. Visit Reformed Resources for your free audio download! Barry & Todd: Separated at Birth?