Early Bird Pricing for Michael Card’s Matthew: The Gospel of Identity Conference and Concert ends FEBRUARY 25!

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Just a reminder that early bird pricing for Michael Card’s April 25-26 conference on the gospel of Matthew at Christ Church and his April 27 concert at East White Oak Bible Church ends February 25.

You can purchase conference tickets (which includes the concert) at: http://store.michaelcard.com/conference.aspx

You can purchase concert only tickets at:http://store.michaelcard.com/concerttickets.aspx

Conference (includes the concert) tickets are now $48; after February 25, $58. Tickets for the concert only are now $13; after February 25, $18.

Please write me at bntpence@msn.com if you have any questions about these events.

Recommended Resource

To prepare for Michael Card’s conference on the gospel of Matthew, I’m reading R.C. Sproul’s St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary on Matthew. This book contains the written version of 128 sermons on Matthew that Sproul delivered at his home church of St. Andrews in Sanford, Florida, where he has been pastor since 1997. This volume is part of a series of books containing Sproul’s sermons from Saint Andrews. The sermons are very easy to read and can be used for devotional reading.

~ UPDATED PAGES ON THE BLOG ~

Concert Review of Fernando Ortega at First Baptist Church in Pekin

Movie Review of August: Osage County

The Leadership Library ~ The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Andy Stanley

Leadership Book Club

WEEK FIVE 

As we continue working through John Maxwell’s classic book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, this week we’ll look at the following two laws:

• The Law of Timing: When to Lead Is As Important at What to Do and Where to Go
• The Law of Explosive Growth: To Add Growth, Lead Followers – To Multiply, Lead Leaders

 

~ THIS AND THAT ~

• If you participate in a lot of online meetings, you may enjoy this humorous video which hits a little too close to home: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYu_bGbZiiQ&feature=youtu.be
• Dr. Melody Green recently spoke at the Ithaka Fellowship on “Tolkien and the Hobbit”. You can listen to her talk here.
• Here’s a good article on how to pray for your church as we start the new year: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/5-ways-to-pray-for-your-church-family/
• John Piper and Desiring God updates:
  • A Great video featuring Francis Chan, John Piper and John Ensor: Stand for Life 2014
  • Short article and three minute video from John Piper on “God Doesn’t Want You to Worry”, based on Philippians 4:6–7 from Desiring God:  http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/god-doesn-t-want-you-to-worry
  • and also a seven minute video from John Piper titled “The Doctrines of Grace are My Life” – http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-doctrines-of-grace-are-my-life
  • John Piper released his latest book A Godward Heart: Treasuring the God Who Loves You, a book of fifty short articles or meditations, on January 21.  It follows A Godward Life and other Piper books of short articles. We’ll review the book in the future. Read about the new book here: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/what-we-confess-with-our-clothing
  • Check out this article from Desiring God on “Three Tips for Better Bible Reading: http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/three-tips-for-better-bible-reading
• The song “Alone Yet Not Alone” (from the film by the same name), has been nominated for an Oscar, and will be performed on the telecast. The person who performed the song in the end credits is none other than Joni Eareckson Tada, one of my favorite and most respected authors. As I write this, the song is charting at #32 on iTunes “Christian and Gospel” chart. Read more here: http://www.christianitytoday.com/gleanings/2014/january/oscar-best-song-alone-yet-not-alone-joni-eareckson-tada.html?utm_source=ctdirect-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=9449742&utm_content=241483140&utm_campaign=2013.

Read about Joni’s reaction to the Oscar nomination here: http://www.worldmag.com/2014/01/joni_eareckson_tada_oscar_nod_is_incredible

• MovieGuide.org writes “When Calls The Heart is a beautiful, exciting TV series about a wealthy young woman who comes to teach in an isolated coal-mining town in 1910 Canada. The first episode, “Lost and Found,” is absolutely beautiful and very entertaining, with a strong Christian, moral worldview and no objectionable content. Read more here: http://www.movieguide.org/reviews/when-calls-the-heart-lost-and-found.html
• In Christian movie news from Men of A.I.M. – http://www.menofaim.org/movies/
  • Gimme Shelter opened 1/24 at Carmike Grand Prairie 18.  Incredible pro-life film that also addresses the pain these decisions can cause in men looking back on these decisions, but the focal point is on a Christian shelter for pregnant teenagers providing a family to one another.  Read this article from World magazine about the film: http://www.worldmag.com/2014/01/another_juno
  • Ragamuffin: The True Rich Mullins Story:  Recently added a SECOND showing in the Peoria region.  Now playing February 3 at Eureka College and February 23 at Riverside Community Church.  (click locations to purchase tickets)
  • A Kewanee actress is in a film The Current that plays one night only February 6 at Carmike Grand Prairie.  They have already sold out one theater so we got bumped to a larger room – 44 seats left!  Buy The Current Tix here.
  • Oscar Nominee:  The title song from Alone Yet Not Alone sung by Joni Eareckson Tada has been nominated for Best Original Song – much to the surprise and disappointment of many in the industry.  We hope to see this film open in Peoria June 13, but need several hundred tickets sold to do so.  It’s a film based on a true story from during the French & Indian War in 1755.  BUY tickets to Alone Yet Not Alone here
• You may have seen or heard about Blackfish, the controversial documentary that is critical of Sea World. This has led several music artists, including Willie Nelson and the Beach Boys, to back out of commitments to perform at Sea World. Recently, the family of the trainer who was killed by a killer whale at Sea World distanced themselves from the documentary. Read more here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-sea-world-blackfish-statment-20140121,0,6739959.story
• The 56^th Grammy Awards were presented on January 26. Congratulations to Mandisa who won Best Contemporary Christian Album for Overcomer, as well as the Best Contemporary Christian Music Song for “Overcomer”.  See all the winners here: http://www.grammy.com/nominees
• “Invisible”, a new song from U2, will be available for a free download on February 2, Super Bowl Sunday. Read more here: http://www.u2.com/news/title/invisible-free-for-red