Zac Hess

Christ Follower, Husband to Sarah, Father-Jacob, Caroline, Kate, and Luke. Lead Pastor-Grace Polaris Church, Grace MDiv, Southern ThM.

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

I have long admired Ben Sasse as a Christian, thinker, and politician. There is so much for us to consider in what he says, especially for fellow Christians.

Extended interview: Ben Sasse on lessons for America https://t.co/yARsES6ZkW via @YouTube

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Truly amazing and instructive

[Denny Burk @DennyBurk]

Watch all of this. Really listen. These are the lessons we will be reminded of at the judgment—and of what we did with them.

Link to full interview is in the thread.

“Redeem the time, because the days are evil.” -Ephesians 5:16

@BenSasse @DouthatNYT https://t.co/EZo4x85EGL

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

“But let me not be silent from the praise of that grace which could pardon, that blood which could expiate, such sins as mine.” John Newton

[Tom Schreiner @DrTomSchreiner]

I am a bit late on posting this, but here is my review of Preston Sprinkle's newest book

https://t.co/06fkcwucMH

[Jonathan Haidt @JonHaidt]

Many college professors are discovering that students learn less when they have laptops open. Many of us are banning their use in class.

Putting computers and tablets on students desks in K-12 may turn out to be among the costliest mistakes in the history of education

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

This is an excellent video from @MichaelHorton_

What Is the Gospel, Really? Responding to John Mark Comer and Scot McKnight https://t.co/CEjkeGsx8J via @YouTube

[Brooks Buser @BuserBrooks]

70 years ago today these men departed the land of the dying for the land of the living. They gave what they could not keep to gain what they could not lose.

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

@ronniejmartin Praying Ronnie

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Painful to hear. Praying for him and his family.

[Ben Sasse @BenSasse]

Friends-

This is a tough note to write, but since a bunch of you have started to suspect something, I’ll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.

Advanced pancreatic is nasty stuff; it’s a death sentence. But I already had a death sentence before last week too — we all do.

I’m blessed with amazing siblings and half-a-dozen buddies that are genuinely brothers. As one of them put it, “Sure, you’re on the clock, but we’re all on the clock.” Death is a wicked thief, and the bastard pursues us all.

Still, I’ve got less time than I’d prefer. This is hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad. I can’t begin to describe how great my people are. During the past year, as we’d temporarily stepped back from public life and built new family rhythms, Melissa and I have grown even closer — and that on top of three decades of the best friend a man could ever have. Seven months ago, Corrie was commissioned into the Air Force and she’s off at instrument and multi-engine rounds of flight school. Last week, Alex kicked butt graduating from college a semester early even while teaching gen chem, organic, and physics (she’s a freak). This summer, 14-year-old Breck started learning to drive. (Okay, we’ve been driving off-book for six years — but now we’ve got paper to make it street-legal.) I couldn’t be more grateful to constantly get to bear-hug this motley crew of sinners and saints.

There’s not a good time to tell your peeps you’re now marching to the beat of a faster drummer — but the season of advent isn’t the worst. As a Christian, the weeks running up to Christmas are a time to orient our hearts toward the hope of what’s to come.

Not an abstract hope in fanciful human goodness; not hope in vague hallmark-sappy spirituality; not a bootstrapped hope in our own strength (what foolishness is the evaporating-muscle I once prided myself in). Nope — often we lazily say “hope” when what we mean is “optimism.” To be clear, optimism is great, and it’s absolutely necessary, but it’s insufficient. It’s not the kinda thing that holds up when you tell your daughters you’re not going to walk them down the aisle. Nor telling your mom and pops they’re gonna bury their son.

A well-lived life demands more reality — stiffer stuff. That’s why, during advent, even while still walking in darkness, we shout our hope — often properly with a gravelly voice soldiering through tears.

Such is the calling of the pilgrim. Those who know ourselves to need a Physician should dang well look forward to enduring beauty and eventual fulfillment. That is, we hope in a real Deliverer — a rescuing God, born at a real time, in a real place. But the eternal city — with foundations and without cancer — is not yet.

Remembering Isaiah’s prophecies of what’s to come doesn’t dull the pain of current sufferings. But it does put it in eternity’s perspective:
“When we've been there 10,000 years…We've no less days to sing God's praise.”

I’ll have more to say. I’m not going down without a fight. One sub-part of God’s grace is found in the jawdropping advances science has made the past few years in immunotherapy and more. Death and dying aren’t the same — the process of dying is still something to be lived. We’re zealously embracing a lot of gallows humor in our house, and I’ve pledged to do my part to run through the irreverent tape.

But for now, as our family faces the reality of treatments, but more importantly as we celebrate Christmas, we wish you peace: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned….For to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9).

With great gratitude, and with gravelly-but-hopeful voices,
Ben — and the Sasses

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Don’t worry Blue Jays fans… the pain doesn’t go away

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

“A little knowledge OF God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge ABOUT him.”
J. I. Packer

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Important.

[Jared C. Wilson @jaredcwilson]

Jonathan Edwards on 5 marks of genuine revival:
1. Revival of interest in theology & doctrine
2. Revival of commitment to the Bible
3. Central exaltation of Jesus Christ
4. Discernible spirit of repentance
5. Genuine love for God and neighbor

[Kevin DeYoung @RevKevDeYoung]

I don't normally comment on the news of the day, but the shooting of Charlie Kirk is so wicked and so grievous. It's sad to see my own kids affected. Like many Gen Zers, they love his videos. I'm grateful for the many times he clearly and cheerfully made much of Jesus Christ. If you want to honor his legacy, pick up a Bible, read about Jesus, and see what Kirk believed in. May God bless his family. May God bless America.

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Excited for the launch of the Gospel Ambition podcast!

A Healthy Church is Committed to Gospel Ambition https://t.co/6AlCCwUP2N via @YouTube

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

@scottjonespga Amen corner has nothing on 15, 16, 17 at Turnberry.

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

@pastorjgkell Amen

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Excellent

[Kevin DeYoung @RevKevDeYoung]

"We can be known for 'prophetic' political commentary or we can be known for textually careful, biblically rich, theologically deep, church-focused gospel ministry.

Brothers, we can be pundits or we can be pastors, but we likely cannot be both."

https://t.co/9MK8RLJ0RP

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

I resemble this remark…

[Church Curmudgeon @ChrchCurmudgeon]

Five minutes to noon and the pastor’s just starting his third point.

[Zac Hess @zac_hess]

Lovely