Being a positive influence…
Some one challenged me recently that not enough of what goes on at proGnosis (and the rest of the Christian blogging world) was very positive. As in, “An awful lot of what you guys write about is, ‘the problem with this is…’”
Actually I thought it was a fair point, a lot of what we write about is in that vain (although I still reckon if you trawl our archives there’s a lot of positive posts, my series on reasonable faith for example).
Anywho, I thought I’d take the time to share some guys who’ve been a real positive influence on us here at proGnosis and can hopefully be a positive influence on you guys.
I’ll start off with the preacher whose probably impacted me most over the last year, Mark Driscoll. You can download all his sermons, audio or video, from the Mars Hill Seattle site. What’s most evident with Mark is his passion and ability to preach the gospel and be enjoying it.
I know a lot of the guys also listen to Tim Keller over at redeemer Church. Carson loves him and so does proGnosis. A very good communicator with some great takes on scripture and culture.
Then there’s those over at Sovereign Grace. JT is a big fan of them, maybe he can fill you in as to how they are a help to him.
John Piper is always a good one to mention, I think you get his stuff through the Desiring God website.
Which preachers, authors or theologians are helping you at the minute and why?
Good post dude. For the record i have loved pretty much every one of proGnosis’s blogs. Fantastic stuff and by and large you do keep the balance right on negative/positive. I am particularly into Piper and Driscoll at the moment, I also want to get into some Martyn Lloyd Jones. Soon on the list is RC Sproul - the holiness of God. Don Carson is always good… the desiring God website has loads fo good stuff in its Conference resources section….
Nice to see a bit of encouraging influence-sharing going on, well done.
It’s a bit sad to see that we all seem to be crossing the Atlantic and looking to the big-timers for our theology though….why the lack of Brits in your list there Sammy?
Brits… King Gwyn is amazing; Pope Olyott is mind blowing; Any of the Adams brothers are legendary. Those are the guys I look to in Wales. Over the boarder would be the Proclamation Trust boys; the Roger Carswell posse; and of late the cheesy 80’s Australian pop group (Crowded house).
When you think of it there are loads of good guys out there.
Oh, and John Maxwell…
Jonathan Thomas is top of my list…
Well for a start I listed my favourite preachers, not theologians, there is a difference.
Secondly, without saying JT, I haven’t found anyone I like listening to/reading in the UK!
You can hardly call your two posts on reasonable faith a series. Heck, it’s not even a mini-series…though in the spirit of this blog, they were good and helpful and enjoyable!
A person who’s had a very positive influence on me for some time is Jesus Christ. Honestly, if you guys haven’t checked him out you really should! (I appologise profusely for what I just said!)
On the purely human scale of influence, Dan Kimball has probably been most influencial, then Robert (Bob) Letham, John Kendall. I had tea yesterday with Tim Chester and then went to a pub quiz with him. He seems cool and the kind of person I should be more influenced by…I may look into being more influenced by him this year…!
Actually, it was three, and it ain’t finished!
I’m sorry to hear that no-one in the UK is appealing to you at the moment Sammy. I suggest you check out some of JT’s recommendations, if you haven’t already. And even if you have, maybe give them a second go. Or read the Evangelical Magazine (I don’t get paid more for plugging it, and I do REALLY read it, honest!), there have been some great articles recently. However, as Jonny so rightly pointed out, Jesus trumps Spencer Cunnah anyday, and I’m sure it doens’t bother him one bit.
If none of that convinces you that God’s at work in his men over here, then fear not! I happen to know that’s there a new crowd making there way onto the scene who seem to be rather gifted. So many people have been mourning the end of an era as The Great Men of Wales have been retiring and going to Glory. But I for one am not discouraged. There’s great potential in the younger generation. I have the priveledge of hearing many of the WEST students do their thing, and there’s a great deal of God given talent around here.
So who knows, maybe in 15 years time all the talk will be of Raine, Clewer and Roderick, to name but a few!
Yep, I agree with all that. Nice one Lowri.
Although I’m sure the WEST trinity (Clewer, Raine and Roderick) are too humble to reply.
My only criticism would be their style. Johnny needs a haircut, Roderick needs a chest hair cut, and Clewer … well, he’s perfect as he is (and on placement with me at the mo’, so I need to be nice about him).
It’s not that I don’t think God’s at work through men in Britain (and Wales especially), it’s just aside from JT, no one really captures my interest.
Now, as an analogy, I’m not saying the quality over in the Guinness Premiership isn’t high, just I’d prefer to poke my head with a stick than sit watching that mind numbing 80 minutes they call rugby.
(I think it was too string an analogy, I hate Guinness Premiership rugby, I don’t hate British preachers/theologians)