Latest update on missiologically mapping Ireland now out! I'd love your feedback (and help if you can spare it!) Please share if you can! [Link in Comments]

You are not suffering from anything that a good resurrection can’t fix. — D. A. Carson

Over the next while I will be aiming to organise and update missiological research done in Ireland around 10 years ago. This will, God willing, identify churches in Ireland, but also highlight Gospel need in the country. I will share updates on: gluntaresearch.substack.com

In his excellent book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, historian Carl Trueman argues that the dominant worldview of the contemporary secular West is what he calls “expressive individualism.” This is the idea that “each of us finds our meaning by giving expression to our own feelings and desires” (46). The Enlightenment philosopher Rene Descartes is famous for the dictum, “I think, therefore I am.” Expressive individualism is captured by the motto: “I feel, therefore I am.” Or perhaps, “I am what I feel I am.” “And,” the reasoning goes, “in order for me to be my authentic self, I must give unfettered expression to those feelings. And because I am my feelings, any contradiction of my psychological beliefs about myself—any failure to affirm and validate those feelings—is a hateful threat to my very self. It is violence against my personhood.” That is western culture over the last 15 years, especially as promoted by the political left. It’s why “speech” is called “violence.” It’s why words are spoken of as being “weaponized.” Everything is a weapon if I am under attack when my feelings aren’t affirmed. Any lack of wholehearted affirmation and even celebration of my feelings—and certainly the notion that my feelings ought to change in order to be brought in line with objective reality—is virtually the same as wanting me to die. It’s not difficult to see the implication: I have to kill you before you “kill” me. There is a straight line between the deification of one’s own feelings to the political assassinations (and attempts) that we are now seeing more of. But the answer is to this is: you are not your feelings. You are what God your Creator says you are: a creature, made in His image, male or female as He has designed you, created to glorify and honor Him. And yet you have fallen into sin and corruption through disobedience to God’s law, and that disobedience earns you the just penalty of eternal punishment for your sins in hell. But the Father has sent His Son into the world, (1) to live the perfect life of obedience you and I have failed to live, and (2) to die the substitutionary death that you and I were required to die (but couldn’t survive), bearing the penalty of divine wrath that sin deserves, and (3) to rise from the grave in victory over sin and death. And He promises that if you will turn from your sin and trust Christ alone for your righteousness before God, your sins will be forgiven. If you repudiate yourself and find your identity in Jesus, He will replace the sinking sands of your feelings with the solid rock of truth. And He will be to you all the satisfaction and fulfillment that you could ever wish. Expressive individualism is willing to take the lives of others in pursuit of self-actualization. The Gospel is: Jesus was willing to surrender His life in pursuit of others’ salvation. We live consistently with that Gospel when we lay down our lives to pursue others’ freedom. A nation can only survive on one of those worldviews. The answer to our country’s brokenness is the Gospel of Jesus Christ alone.

Faith and Flaws: A Conversation on Ireland's First Missionaries An evening of lively discussion, open to all. Robert Strivens will also be teaching our Church History I module the 22nd-27th. Find out more at munsterbiblecollege.ie

Including congrats to our son Christopher Depping who got his leaving cert results today - thank you @ccs_info

Our Open Day is just two weeks away today! Here is a bit of a sneak peak at what you can expect our Training Centre to look like for a day full of fun! Be sure to grab your tickets for just €5 here: shop.guidedogs.ie/collection… Don't miss out! #ChangingLives

We did home socialisation for Odell (yellow lab in the pic) for one week when he was 8 weeks old. There are so many great ways to volunteer and help with the @irishguidedogs

Spanish Galleon en route to Cork Harbour. Some 400 years behind schedule, but better late than never I guess… echolive.ie/corknews/arid-41…

This Saturday in Carrigaline, Cork at 7.30pm for teens and young adults Author, blogger and elder Tim Challies on the "The Next Story - Faith, Friends & Family in the Digital World" If you're interested in you or you church youth or young adults group joining let me know.

Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God In our next Delaune Lecture, author and blogger Tim Challies will be sharing the story and message of the book he wrote after the sudden loss of his son. Sunday, 18 of May, 5pm in Carrigtwohill Community Centre

Highly recommend this module to anyone that is interested in theology and the scriptures.

Appearances of the resurrected Jesus: –Judea –Galilee –town –countryside –indoors –outdoors –morning –evening –by appointment –no appointment –hill –lake –to men groups –to women groups –to individuals –to 500 –sitting –standing –walking –eating –talking (via @DrPJWilliams)

WOW! Speechless. We are through to the quarter-finals of this season's Champions Cup! Thank you to all of our incredible travelling supporters who kept us going throughout! #SUAF 🔴 | #LARvMUN

We're excited for this!! @WillSliney

🥹 Legends. #SUAF ☘️ | #ITAvIRE

They’re here!!! Author copies of The Language of Rivers and Stars arrived today from @thegoodbookuk ! It’s wonderful to finally have it in my hands!! Release day is the 1st of May, and preorder is already available

Join us this Sunday for our next Delaune Lecture where Mez McConnell from 20 Schemes Scotland will share about the church in hard places

I’ve decided to start answering questions my wife asks me like a politician. “Did you take out the trash?” “First of all, let me be clear: I support trash being taken out. I have always supported trash being taken out. It is imperative that the trash we have in the house be taken outside and put into the trashcan.”

A summary of a move from skepticism to belief...for the curious.