John Starke

Pastor of @ApostlesUptown, married to @jenastarke, author of “The Possibility of Prayer” (IVP) and “The Secret Place of Thunder”(Zondervan)

[John Starke @john_starke]

Swinton offers fresh vocabulary and frameworks for pastors like me have a (1) practical theology of mental health, (2) confront the failures of a therapeutic culture, (3) without sound anti-therapy https://t.co/dKzGP0PXTm

[John Starke @john_starke]

Wow

[Keith Plummer @XianMind]

“At the Epicenter of A.I., Pope Leo’s Warnings Are Dismissed”
https://t.co/tL7FpsK6ew

[John Starke @john_starke]

@collinhansen @DZRishmawy Subtle passive aggressive rebuke

[John Starke @john_starke]

@rhyneputman Tell me you’ve never had KC BBQ without saying you’ve never had KC BBQ

[Jeremy Treat @JeremyTreat5]

My next book comes out in October!

Everyday Discipleship tears down the sacred-secular divide and gives a vision for following Jesus in all of life. It’s about discipleship, but through the lens of meals, work, rest, play, technology, art, science, mental health, and more.

[John Starke @john_starke]

I’m not sure the NT categories of hiddenness and public witness are meant to be in conflict.

[Peter Leithart @PLeithart]

The church can and has survived and even flourished in catacombs and concentration camps.

But hiddenness is not the ecclesial norm. Since the church is a public body, it is better for her to have an inescapable public presence, as she has had throughout the centuries.

The grandeur and beauty of traditional church buildings gives visible architectural expression to the glory of the Triune God.

[John Starke @john_starke]

There’s a temptation in our spiritual formation that I think is especially true in the last few years (decade?) to confuse the repetition of using vogue terms as wisdom.

This is an attractive short cut to public leadership and spiritual authority. I feel it myself.

[John Starke @john_starke]

Started @freyaindiaa’s book today. A punch to heart reading the introduction.

[John Starke @john_starke]

This book has been theologically stimulating, pastorally helpful, personally edifying. Super grateful for it.

[John Starke @john_starke]

I love Sam Allberry, pray for him, and can’t wait to hug him again when I see him next. I appreciate this word from Wes.

[Wes Huff @WesleyLHuff]

So apparently I’m embroiled in some sort of controversy. Let me set a few things strait:

1. I don’t know Sam Allberry personally. We've met in-person a total of once — back in January while I was in Nashville when I did the Shawn Ryan Podcast, where I ran into and took a picture with Sam. When I saw the news initially about his removal from leadership I took that picture down. I had already started to see people commenting that by keeping it up I was implicating myself in his sin. I do not think they were correct. But ironically, said comments were then replaced with ones telling me that by taking it down… I was hiding something and implicating myself in his sin. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

2. I believe the language in the current public statements to be potentially unhelpfully vague. From my (brief though not uninformed) understanding of the details of the situation, what Sam did that disqualified him from leadership was not due to sexual or even a romantic impropriety, but what could best be described as a sinful emotional attachment. This is not to justify it or say that it wasn't disqualifying (I think it probably was). But the lack of clarity has left room for those who desire to gossip, defame, and sinfully speculate online to run wild — which they have.

3. I am genuinely saddened with the internet’s desire to tear down and jump to harsh judgements regarding another Christian’s failing. When someone falls into sin, those who are spiritually mature should work toward their restoration, approaching them with a spirit of gentleness (Gal. 6:1-2). The motivation for restoration carries spiritual weight. Bringing someone back who has wandered from truth saves their soul from death and covers a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20). This isn’t merely about correcting behaviour, it’s about spiritual rescue. The desire to gossip and breed quarrels, which is so obviously warned against in scripture (Proverbs 17:19; 26:17; 2 Timothy 2:14, 23-24; Titus 3:9-11; James 4:1-2) is, to say the least, lamentable and disappointing to see.

4. Sam Allberry is being labelled as “Side B,” this is genuinely confusing to me. To quote Sam in his own words: “Same sex attraction is not a good thing. It is... a consequence of the fall. ...This kind of attraction is not something God designed for us, and it contradicts his design” (Is God Anti Gay, 63). Sam has expressed in multiple places throughout his written work and public talks that he holds to the biblical position of marriage, that homosexual relationships are sinful, and that identifying as a “gay Christian” is incompatible with scripture. To be clear, I don't agree with Sam on all the nuances of how he discusses the issue. But I can only conclude that this attempt to make him into an LBGT advocate comes from either shear ignorance of his public work or some sort of internet-level frothing of the mouth to jump on whoever “we don’t like this week.”

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. - Heb 3:13.

[John Starke @john_starke]

“I have given them the glory you have given me.” John 17

Such a remarkable promise. Can’t believe it.

[John Starke @john_starke]

So… Jena and I have been working together on this book for so long with @ivpress. It’s coming out October 13! Pre-order here:

https://t.co/k4UZVvjpZd

[John Starke @john_starke]

@jasonkovacs @KatieRedfern3 It was a Good Friday

[John Starke @john_starke]

@BethMooreLPM Sometimes we act like it too :)

[John Starke @john_starke]

23 years of marriage today. Can’t believe it.

[John Starke @john_starke]

@matthew_loftus Certainly with that attitude you won’t

[John Starke @john_starke]

“I was so frivolous and blind that it seemed to me a virtue to be grateful and loyal to anyone that flattered and loved me. Damned be such loyalty that goes against the law of God.”
— St. Teresa of Avila

A tough word but the older I get, the more serious this danger seems to me.

[John Starke @john_starke]

Holy Saturday is such a remarkable thing to ponder.

Jesus’ body is still. No breathing. No heartbeat. No functioning organs. No feelings. Completely dormant. Like a seed buried in the ground. All Saturday long his body is like that. Consumed by death.

[John Starke @john_starke]

Maundy Thursday:

I find it really instructive that in the Garden, Jesus wanted Peter to pray with him more than fight for him.

[John Starke @john_starke]

@DZRishmawy Now do 25K