He’s Thematic, He’s Charismatic, He’s Systematic … He’s Wayne Grudem!

Here’s a little fun for those of you who’re familiar with Wayne Grudem.

Lyrics:

Why, this man is thematic, he’s charismatic, he’s systematic…
Why he’s Wayne Grudem! (Wayne Grudem)
He did not author Scripture but provides a clearer picture - Oh Yeah!
(Keep reading, whoa keep reading)
Wayne may not be Jesus but he writes mean exegesis - Oh Yeah!
(I’ll buy a copy, I’ll kill to buy a copy)
You put it on the floor and it props open your door,
Or if you need to sit - you can climb on top of it - with Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
Go Wayne Grudem with your intellectual writing style,
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
Go Wayne Grudem you make hard doctrines less of a trial
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
You are extreme, but God’s supreme, oh Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
(There are) many heresies which we now clearly see - Oh Yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Despite him being bald, hundred-thousand copies sold - Oh yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
His six appendices leave you praying on your knees
Although he’s not inerrant, he’s a heresy deterrent - Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
Go Wayne Grudem with your intellectual writing style,
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
Go Wayne Grudem you make hard doctrines less of a trial
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
You are extreme, but God’s supreme, oh Wayne Grudem
Grudem, Grudem, Grudem, Grudem
Grudem, Grudem, Grudem, Grudem Yeah!

Books by Wayne Grudem

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine By Wayne Grudem / Zondervan The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introductory textbook on systematic theology has several distinctive features: A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect Frequent application to life Resources for worship with each chapter Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies

Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know By Wayne A. Grudem, edited by Elliot Grudem / Zondervan God doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you. This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Grudem’s Systematic Theology. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more. Each chapter includes questions for personal review or group discussion.

Bible Doctrine By Wayne Grudem / Zondervan How do we know the Bible is God’s Word? What is sin and where did it come from? How is Jesus fully God and fully man? What are spiritual gifts? When and how will Christ return? If you’ve asked questions like these, then “systematic theology” is no abstract term. It’s an approach to finding answers every Christian needs to know. Abridged from Grudem’s Systematic Theology and made accessible to the average reader, Bible Doctrine covers the same essentials of the faith, giving you a firm grasp on seven key topics: The Doctrine of the Word of God The Doctrine of God The Doctrine of Man The Doctrine of Christ The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption The Doctrine of the Church The Doctrine of the Future Like Systematic Theology, this book is marked by its clarity, its strong scriptural emphasis, its thoroughness in scope and detail, and its treatment of such timely topics as spiritual warfare and the gifts of the Spirit. But you don’t need to have had several years of Bible school to reap the full benefits of Bible Doctrine. It’s easy to understand—and it’s packed with solid, biblical answers to your most important questions.

Technorati Tags: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Doctrine

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I love the North Carolina Coast. My family has vacationed at Emerald Isle, NC for the better part of the last twenty years. I learned to fish and boat in the waters from Bogue Inlet to Beaufort Inlet. If we didn’t live as close to relatives as we do, I’d move down there in a heartbeat. I love the quaint towns, friendly people and beautiful beaches and waterways. I remember as a young boy begging my parents to take me to visit Fort Macon every year. I also remember being drawn to the pirate and ghost stories focused on this “Graveyard of the Atlantic“. I may have outgrown the ghost stories, but I’m still fascinated by North Carolina’s rich coastal history.

A couple of days ago, I had to travel to Swansboro for work. Swansboro’s just a tiny town, but it is a real gem that you could easily spend a couple of days exploring. If you happen to find yourself there, make sure you check out Yana’s Restaurant, which is full of 1950s memorabilia. Check out all of the antique and curiosity shops downtown. Carve out a morning, afternoon or entire day to take the ferry over to Hammock’s Beach State Park located on Bear Island, one of the most unspoiled beaches on the Atlantic Coast.

Before leaving, I had to have a fresh seafood dinner. A local turned me on to T & W Oyster Bar and Restaurant located on Hwy 58 in Cape Cartaret. The food and service were both excellent. I had, of course, oysters. I also tried the grouper, which was some of the best I’ve ever had.

On my way home, I couldn’t miss stopping by one of my favorite cities in North Carolina - New Bern. The downtown homes are beautiful. I wish that Tryon Palace had been open to visitors when I got there. I still managed to snap a few decent photos. I took several pictures of Centenary Methodist Church. I love church architecture and this is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve seen in North Carolina. I also stopped by Union Point Park. My wife, Lauren, and I found Union Point Park on a stop in New Bern Last year. This is a wonderful spot to take your kids for an afternoon or evening. It overlooks a broad span of the juncture of the Neuse and Trent Rivers.

Check out these photos that I took…

Technorati Tags: Fort Macon, Bogue Inlet, Beaufort Inlet, Graveyard of the Atlantic, Emerald Isle, Centenary Methodist Church, New Bern, North Carolina, Swansboro, T & W Oyster Bar, Tryon Palace, Union Point Park, Yana’s Restaurant

Earlier tonight, I attended a meeting of the Triangle J Critical Incident Stress Management Team. One of our discussion topics for the meeting focused on how to address team members who have consistently failed to attend meetings. This becomes a liability concern for our team when deciding whether to use these team members to provide CISM services. We have no way of being assured that a non-attending member will perform services in accordance with team protocols and at a level of expected proficiency. As we discussed these issues, I thought about how they directly correlate with problems with church membership. Just as our CISM team does not want an inactive member to potentially harm the team’s reputation, neither should the church desire for inactive members to damage the church’s reputation in the community. So, what should we do about inactive membership? It was interesting to hear our members’ responses to this question. One response in particular caught my attention - a team member recounted his experience with another organization’s creative means of addressing inactive membership. He said that, when he became a member of this particular organization, they presented him with several form letters to sign. Each of these letters was addressed to himself and signed by himself. A couple of them were letters noting recent absences at their regular meetings and reminding him of the commitment that he made when he joined the organization. A final letter was a notice that he was being removed from the membership due to his inactivity. He said that he thought that this was highly unusual when he signed the letters. He didn’t understand the significance of the letters until he began neglecting attendance at meetings and received one of the letters in the mail - addressed to him and signed by himself! I like the creativity of this means of addressing the problem of inactive membership. Imagine how it would feel to receive an admonishing letter from yourself after neglecting church fellowship. While this is probably not the answer for our inactive church members, it does highlight the need for greater expectations in church membership. Baptist Press has an interesting article on the resolution “On Regenerate Church Membership and Church Member Restoration” passed at the 2008 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting. Read it here. This is a hot topic that desperately needs addressing in many of our churches.

You can find an extensive list of resources on Church Discipline and Regenerate Church Membership Here

Thabiti Anyabwile has written an excellent book explaining healthy church membership. Read Jay Collier’s book review at Heritage Booktalk. Purchase the book below.

Technorati Tags: Regenerate Church Membership, Church Discipline, Inactive Members