Five Hours On The Road...Five Sermons

This last year of so, since I got an IPod Nano, I've really enjoyed traveling. What I mean is, I enjoy the driving part - a lot. I've gotten in the practice of loading up the Nano with more mp3 sermons than I can possibly listen to - sermons that I hand-pick because of specific topics I'm working on in my life, or certain things I'm dealing with in ministry, or the latest conference messages from some of my pastoral heroes.

This trip has been no different. It takes five hours to get from our house to Onalaska, Wisconsin, and I was able to listen to five one-hour sermons. One by C. J. Mahaney, two by John Piper, and two by D. A. Carson (links below). These men are giants of the faith, and towering examples for those of us in the ministry. I so enjoy learning from them. These messages are excellent examples of why the above statements are true. I hope you take the time to listen to them - or at least bookmark them so that you can put them on your Nano for your next trip...

(1) C. J. Mahaney, "The Holiness of God" [from perhaps 25 years ago!]

Apparently C. J. had just recently read R. C. Sproul's The Holiness of God, and was greatly affected - as evidenced by the passion exhibited in this sermon. If you need to hear of the holiness of God, and hear again why it is not unjust for God to have killed folks in the Old Testament, then proceed. You will benefit from this sermon.

(2) and (3) John Piper, "Jesus and the Rescue of Joy (Parts 1 and 2)" [Boston, April 19, 2009]

Have you seen the Piper DVD series, "The Blazing Center"? This is that series in a nutshell, but in two sermons (with a short-but-great Q&A at the end of the second sermon). Great content here. Why is it okay for God to orchestrate and demand the worship of Himself? How are His glory and our pursuit of happiness reconciled? Can they be? And, if we are to pursue our joy in God and at all costs, doesn't that simply produce really selfish and unloving Christians? ...Piper answers all of these questions masterfully here.

(4) D. A. Carson, "The Cross and Christian Ministry (Acts 17:16-34)" [October 8, 2006]

What was Paul's evangelistic or gospel-telling strategy in a polytheistic and pluralistic and relativistic culture, and a culture that literally has no awareness of the greater biblical narrative? Proceed. It's interesting how our current cultural environment is looking more and more like the First Century...

(5) D. A. Carson, "Motivation for Ministry" [Australia, September 1, 2008]

An exposition of 2 Timothy 1 and 2. What ought to motivate the Christian minister?