Martin Downes, editor of Risking The Truth, provides “A biblical, theological, and pastoral assessment of heresy” drawn from 2 Corinthians 11 on his Against Heresies blog.
One of his observations:
“The form that doctrinal error takes is to retain the right theological language but to substitute its content with alternative meanings. This is the burden of verse 4. If we listen without discernment, we will assume that preachers who speak of Jesus, the Spirit and the gospel, are to be considered orthodox. But which Jesus, which Spirit, which gospel are they speaking of? That is Paul’s concern.”
Downes’ blog is pastoral and irenic in its tone.
Phil Johnson offers some thoughts on “Peanut Butter Passion”.
The title refers to a situation where “a youth leader had a teenager with hairy armpits smear gobs of peanut butter on his underarms; then the youth pastor asked for volunteers to lick it clean and swallow the peanut butter. The youth leader uses skits like that to “shock and astound.” [so as] to start “a buzz that [will] go viral, [so] that teens [will] text and Twitter about [it].” And notice what the youth leader said about his strategy: “The idea is to get students here to meet our Savior. They are getting all this crazy stuff out there in the world all the time. We are trying to show them that God is cooler.”
For the brave of heart Johnson includes some links to the relevant activity along with a couple of others.
The point is that there is a difference between “stir[ring] artificial passions by making God seem “cool” rather than simply uplifting His glory and letting the grandeur and majesty of our God move people’s hearts to more legitimate expressions of deep passion.”
Many of us know Christians who are in recovery from the emotional manipulation of spiritual experience oriented churches. These folk appreciate a Bible centered and driven Christianity and can’t understand why churches that have such an emphasis would tinker around the margins of emotionalism.
Tim Chester provides the Good Book Company’s outline of Gospel Centered Family, a booklet coauthored by Chester.
Here’s part of the outline:
Introduction
Part One: A Gospel-Centred Family
1. Gospel-centred families
Your family can show how great it is to live under God’s reign of love.
2. Gospel-centred hopes
Knowing God is far more important than getting on in life.
Part Two: A Grace-Centred Family
3. Disciplining a parent’s heart
The biggest obstacle to good discipline is our own selfish hearts.
4. Grace for a parent’s heart
Trying to be a good parent will crush you if you don’t embrace grace.
5. Disciplining a child’s heart
Changing hearts matters more than controlling behaviour.
6. Grace for a child’s heart
Don’t train your child to be a legalist.
7. Children as a gift
Make sure you enjoy your children!
Part Three: A Word-Centred Family
8. Living the word
Teach your children about God in the context of everyday life.
9. The word and other voices
Shape what younger children watch and how older children watch.
10. Praying the word
Teach children to pray by praying with them.
Part Four: A Mission-Centred Family
11. A bigger family
We belong to two families.
12. A Serving Family
Children are not the centre of the world.
Lastly, this is a church resource as much as a pastoral resource, but since most pastors probably double as their church’s mission coordinator Matt Rogers provides “10 Ways To Encourage A Missionary” at The Gospel Coalition.
Rogers arrived at this list through direct contact with missionaries and includes direct quotes from their responses to illustrate the points.
For instance, the suggestion: ‘Send real mail’ is supplemented by the practical suggestions:
“Send a small care package. Some little fun food items that we can’t get where we serve is a good idea.”
“One idea is to send a special package before an American holiday (like Thanksgiving) filled with things that we can use to decorate for that holiday.”
“Send us a birthday card. This doesn’t have to be some long handwritten note, just a little card – maybe even printed at home.”
“Real mail is always special. Really, the thing with real mail is more than just getting some nice stuff from home (which is nice), but it seems a more tangible reminder that the people I love and miss love and miss me too and are thinking of me.”
And ‘Seek to encourage them when they are on [home] assignment’.
“Let us talk to you and your congregations, and small groups. We want to share what God has been doing and would love the opportunity to talk about it, raise awareness and hopefully gain more prayer support.”
“Invite us out to lunch or dinner. Nothing fancy is needed. Remember we’ve just been in places where we may not have been able to even enjoy a little Mexican food.”
No missionary mentioned this to me in emails, but I know it is a blessing when someone shares their summer home or cabin for a missionary family to get away and relax for a few days.
“Let us know about any good books that are must reads. Tell us about any good resources that may benefit our personal growth or ministry work: things like conferences, training for ministry/leadership, and so forth.”
mgpcpastor's blog 
Thanks Gary. I will read Downes article. But I totally agree with the bit that you’ve included. I know some good people who have visited a church, asked the Pastor what the priorities of the church were, been told that it was preaching the word and living with the gospel at the centre, and who have thought that all was well. Time has passed and it has become clear that all is not well.
This problem particularly exists in small cities where there aren’t many evangelical churches. To find someone who claims to be “evangelical” and “christ centred” is such a relief that too often the heresy radar is dismantled and put away.
Al
I liked Downe’s book ‘Risking The Truth’. The people he interviewed had much to say that was pastorally sensitive and theologically accurate.
Because it’s a book of interviews there are names you’ll know and others you don’t, and you can dip in and out of it at any place that takes your interest.
We’re a smaller town again so the ripples that folk cause in our churches are more pronounced because easy transfer options are thin on the ground. But anytime I think that the ‘distinctive’ types who get attracted to reformed churches are in a class of their own my pentecostal friends here tell me stories that make my hair curl!