Bittersweet Farm

Bittersweet Farm

Erasing Hell vs. “No Hell Rob Bell”

Filed Under: Discernment, What I'm Reading

I want to recommend a book I have not yet read. I bought it the other day, but I promised our son Daniel he could read the book first. He is training for ministry in Grand Rapids–the home of Rob Bell (No Hell Rob Bell). Some of his classmates have been enthusiastic about Rob Bell’s heresy about Hell.

He’s been reading Francis Chan’s new book on Hell–Erasing Hell. As we drive along he keeps asking questions and reading portions of the book. He quickly read half the book even while with all the distractions of vacation.

There is a mobile site associated with Francis Chan’s Ministry.

I enjoyed this interview of Rob Bell:

Young People Leaving the Church

Filed Under: Current Thoughts, Discernment, Faith and Family, Village Parson

This morning I came upon this thoughtful article about young people who are raised in the church, leaving the church during their post-high school years. It’s worth your time.

Somehow I have a feeling that young people are not leaving the church because we didn’t have enough rules. They are not leaving the church because we didn’t try to schedule enough “fun.” That is all much of youth ministry has been for the last 30 years. It’s been the Christian “Party Plan.” Now thousands don’t take the church or the things of the Lord seriously.

Where did we ever get the idea that playing games in the musty church basement was the power of God unto salvation?

Why have we allowed ourselves to be seduced again into the idea that organization, rules and manipulation are the power of God unto salvation?

What is it going to cost us before we learn to return to the means of grace and the power of the Gospel instead of our entertainment or our systems?

Read this post on the studies and the statistics.

Jesus is Here. What Do You Want?

Filed Under: Current Thoughts, Sermons

I started this message with a story about a camp memory that came back to me this week.

Title: Jesus is Here. What Do You Want?
Text: Matthew 8:14-17
Series: Matthew’s Gospel
Place: Evangel Baptist Church
Date: July 31, 2011 AM
Speaker: Pastor Kenneth L. Pierpont

Ken Pierpont
Ken Pierpont - Sermons
Jesus is Here. What Do You Want?
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Grand Haven

Filed Under: Current Thoughts

We spent a vacation day at Lake Michigan on Tuesday. It was beautiful. Kyle and Elizabeth met us there with the grandbuddies. We dinner together outdoors and stayed until the sun set and the harbor lights come on. Then we took the long, slow, beautiful walk back along the boardwalk in Grand Haven. It’s one of my favorite places on earth.

Before we parted we clustered together to pray right on the beach while the waves lapped the shore and cool breeze blew in off Lake Michigan. It’s been a very hot couple of weeks, but there in Grand Haven it was as if we were able to turn the temperature and humidity knob to “perfect.”

It was so beautiful to be there and spend time with Kyle and Elizabeth and their beautiful little family, that it brought tears to your eyes.

Jam Pot

Filed Under: Current Thoughts

Yesterday I re-posted a sweet second-hand story from my son, Kyle about a one-in-a-lifetime experience he had on Lake Superior. It reminded me of a family vacation when we drove out to the end of the Kewinaw Peninsula to a place called Copper Harbor at the very end of the finger of the Upper Peninsula that juts out into Lake Superior.

Just before reaching Eagle Harbor was a beautiful waterfall and at the base of the fall a little bakery called the Jam Pot. It was run by seminarians. Sweet spot…in more ways than one.

Thimbleberries on Isle Royal

Filed Under: Current Thoughts, Pondering His Creation

thimbleberriesClassic re-posted from 2009

Matt Steinbeck is a great Christian guy. He is an experienced outdoorsman with a big, red, Dodge truck. Last summer he planned a trip to Isle Royal on the north edge Lake Superior. Kyle, our oldest son was invited to tag along. There were only five men in the party. They lashed a couple canoes to the Dodge and drove to Copper Harbor on the very tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula. From there they took a four-and-a-half-hour, fifty-four-mile ferry ride northwest to the Island. They paddled into the interior of the Island then hiked and portaged across a couple huge interior lakes. [Read more…] about Thimbleberries on Isle Royal

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