NBA Draft

What a crazy draft last night. I think there were more trades than picks by the end, but let's pick a winner and loser in the draft and those close by. 

Winner- San Antonio Spurs

With no first round pick they got a first round caliber player. They got two steals in the second round with DeJuan Blair and Jack McClinton. I think these guys fit their system perfectly. Blair is a little short but has produced against the best in college. He should get some valuable minutes letting Tim Duncan rest, which will give them a much needed boost in the playoffs. McClinton will be a nice scorer off the bench behind Manu Ginobili and Roger Mason. Add this to the trade for Richard Jefferson and this team has become a favorite to win next year.

Loser-Minnesota T-wolves

What a terrible draft. Did they hire Elgin Baylor or something? If drafting two point guards in the top ten wasn't bad enough they added Ty Lawson to the mix, who they did end up trading to Denver for a future first-rounder that won't even be in the lottery picks. Then a terrible pick with Henk Norel with players like A.J. Price and Robert Dozier still around. I can't even begin to explain how bad this draft was.

Close Calls 

Winners

Milwaukee Bucks- A future great team right here. Potential starting five in years to come- Brandon Jennings at PG, Michael Redd at SG, Joe Alexander at SF, Charlie Villanueva at PF, and Andrew Bogut at C. Coming off the bench you have Luke Ridnour, Jodie Meeks, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Damon Jones. This team could be great in two years if they get a coach.

Memphis Grizzlies-  Three great defensive picks and two offensive threats. Hasheem Thabeet will be one of the most prolific shot blockers in NBA history. This kid could end up being the greatest of all time and he will alter every shot that is put up in the lane. The next two picks is where they shined in my opinion, DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young.  This should solidify this team when you add in OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, and Mike Conley you have a playoff caliber team. This team has been great the last two drafts and look to be a great team in the future.

Losers

Boston Celtics- I still think they should have drafted AJ Abrams to back up Ray Allen. I mean who better to back up Ray Allen then the future Ray Allen? Their pick is untested and really not what they needed. Chris Johnson would have been a nice pick up or even Chinemelu Elonu or Robert Dozier. Any help for KG and Kendrick Perkins down low. Jeff Adrien, Shawn Taggert, and Leo Lyons are still out there for some good defensive help when either of those two guys go down. I hope the Celtics do something else.

Overall some solid role players were taking in this draft and I think we will look back at it as one of the best drafts of the 2000's, but that's just my opinion.

Why Johnny Can't Preach Part 1

As I have recently started a new book, Why Johnny Can't Preach by T David Gordon, I thought it would be nice at least for myself to take down some observations of mine while reading through it. I have only started the first chapter but here are somethings I have noticed so far. 

First I seem to agree on every point so far. I think Gordon has hit the nail on the head as they say. He addresses the number one problem I find in most every church I attend. People cannot preach these days. It disturbs me even more when I hear bad preaching continually at a seminary chapel where the cream of the crop is supposed to be. If the cream of the crop can't preach how can we have confidence that anyone does. 

Second I agree with him that maybe a little more than one percent of preachers out there can preach. People continually accept bad preaching because the pastor does so much other stuff excellently but don't we wish that it was the other way around. I wish for once I would find someone who would say man the preaching here is excellent but he could do better with visitation and some other things. I mean have you ever heard that in your life?!? I think Christianity today would be better off if it were so.

So far in my short read of the book he addresses a problem that dearly needs addressing. He seems to go about it in a civil manner leaving out any slandering or malicious attitude. He seems calm cool and collected and taking head on a great problem of our day. I think this book should be in every persons hands who even thinks about ministry. I pray the rest of the book will go as well as the intro and first couple of pages. If you've read it let me know what you think about it.

M Burgin

NCAA Tourney

This year could be the year. I am going against all odds this year. Louisville is going to lose to the Alabama State Hornets. I think ASU is going to pose a lot of problems for this Louisville team and as a UK fan I would like to see nothing more that for Pitino to be the first coach to have this happen. However here is how my final four works out I have Missouri, Kansas, Texas, and UNC with UNC beating Mizzou in the championship. I know I am going way off the radar here but I if my 16 over 1 comes true this will be it. I think the Big 12 was underrated this year and will prove itself in the tourney. However Hansborough and company came back to win and win it they will. As hard as it will be for me to watch this tourney w/o UK in it, I think this will be the year of the upset. Man I love me some March Madness.

Top Ten Books of '08

2008 was a great year for books, especially those coming out of the Reformed camp. Authors like Scott Clark and Mike Horton delivered big time on a couple of books this year. So as I looked back to the year that was, a year where I saw my last time as a teenager, I wanted to look back on the great books of 2008. So I will start with 10 and work to number 1.

10. Living for God's Glory- Joel Beeke

This book was great. It reminded me of Chosen by God by Sproul only better. It is a great introduction to Calvinism, like Sproul's book, but it goes farther by introducing the Reformed faith more deeply than Sproul did. This would be a great read for anyone who is beginning to look into Calvinism and what it means to be Reformed.

9. Death by Love: Letters from the Cross- Mark Driscoll

This was a great book. It talked about real sin with real people and real struggles with the grace and mercy of the cross. It is a great reminder of sin, not only of the lay people, but especially with pastors.

8. Reforming or Conforming?

All of these writers believe that the very first thing we need, as the church, is a doctrine of the church and a theology of minstry. This is what the book is all about. We need to get back to the Biblical basis of these doctrines not just what the mood of the moment tells us these doctrines are. This is a great book really challenging churches to remember what it is to be a church and why we need to be the Church.

7. Christian Apologetics- Van Til, ed. William Edgar.

This is one of the classics for Reformed Apologetics. Everyone should read Van Til at least once in their life and Edgar's notes don't distract but are actually helpful.

6. Justification- J.V. Fesko

This is a great book covering a great topic. Fesko deals with Justification on nearly every scale. Every chapter is dealing with a different aspect of the doctrine. This is a great read for anyone of the Christian faith.

5. We Become What We Worship- GK Beale

This is a must read for all Christians. Beale deals with the sin that causes all sin in this book. This book is all about idol worship. His whole thesis is just the book title. Whatever we worship is what we will resemble. This is a great book on sin and the problems of sin. I would refer this book to any and all.

4. People and Place- Michael Horton

This is his final series in his covenant theology series. In this final book he discusses the origin, mission, and destiny of the church through the viewing lens of covenant theology. I think everyone who calls himself Reformed should read this. It seems to me that Reformed Baptist would agree with most of what he has said until this book. Horton might be the greatest author of our time and this just adds to that resume.

3. Reformed Dogmatics- Herman Bavinck

This is one of the greatest compilations of reformed theology we have today. I would say next to Calvin's Institutes it is one of the best layouts of Reformed theology. I have only read some of the series but it continues to get better as he continues to paint the full picture of his theology.

2. Christless Christianity- Michael Horton

This book is going to be around for ages to come, not only because it is a good read but the church is never going to stop dealing with this issue. Paul dealt with it in his day, Calvin and Luther did, Augustine did, and now we are. This book is a must read for every single person claiming Christianity. It is a short read with a lot packed in. This book can and will redefine our generation.

Finally we have made it to the top. This has been a great year for authors, especially theologically minded authors, and how can you top the other nine. Well my final author did it in quite the controversial fashion. But coming in at NUMBER 1 is

Recovering the Reformed Confession- R. Scott Clark

This book has topped all others and it is very simple why, because it pretty much contains what all the others talk about. He deals with the quest for both illegitimate religious certainty and religious experience (Horton's CC). He deals with what reformed theology is(Bavinck's, Beeke's, Fesko, Van Til). He deals with the reformed theology, piety, and practice, and what it actually means to be reformed.  He deals with what the church should be and how it should be run (R or C). This book is a great read. It is fairly short and quick for all that is compacted in there. Every single man who is called to ministry should read this. And to those who consider themselves reformed read it twice and make sure you know what it truly means to be reformed.

Here are some books that I have not had a chance to really look at but would love to read

Calvin A Heart for Devotion Doctrine and Doxology, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism GK Beale, Young, Restless, and Reformed Colin Hanson, Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes, Why We're Not Emergent, and Introduction to Systematic Theology Van Til.

Christ-Centered?

How do you classify what is Christ-Centered? How can you tell who is Christ-Centered? This past week on the White Horse Inn the guys talk about the Reveal Study and Willow Creek. These guys continue to impress me and force me to think about the Gospel and what is really is. Growing up as an evangelical the more you did, whether that was attend church or different groups or went out and shared your faith with complete strangers, the more Christ-Centered you were. At the end of the Willow Creek study they have come to the same conclusion. The more Christ-Centered someone becomes the more they do by themselves and the less they need the church. Christianity comes back to exactly what the Pharisees thought that Israel was about, do more and try harder. This seems to be the exact opposite of what true Christianity is about. Christ-Centered Christianity is about what Christ and God have done not what we do. It is that we cannot do anything to please our Holy Father so we need someone to take our place and we stand before God not because we have done good but because Christ has. Anyway if you don't already listen to these guys you should check them out here http://www.whitehorseinn.org

Starting Off

Lately I have been getting into blogs. Blogs like The Riddleblog and the Heidelblog have really encouraged me and have given me tons of resources for my future ministry. They continually have great topics for discussion so I thought I would give it a shot. I have way too much going on in my head and I need a place to put it all down. So here goes my best shot at trying to be academic or what not. In this blog I intend to discuss everything from theology to football and anything that I just want to talk about. I would love to hear whatever your opinion is about whatever I am talking about. Well here goes nothing.