An Interview With an Iranian Pastor – An interesting article on God’s work in a
challenging ministry field.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Listening to Negative People Will Make You Dumb
Listening to Negative People Will Make You Dumb - This is a good note for all those who struggle with maintaining and growing joy in life in Christ.
Anonymous Youth Pastor’s Letter to a Parent
Anonymous Youth Pastor’s Letter to a Parent - Trevon Wax writes, “This is not a real letter, but a compilation of frustrations I’ve heard recently from those who work in student ministry. It is intended to prompt conversation on the responsibilities and roles of youth pastors, their relationship with parents, and the expectations we have of students.”
5 Alternatives to Gossip
5 Alternatives to Gossip - The Bible says, “The words of a gossip are
like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs
18:8, 26:22). The choice morsels are those little bits of food that are hard to
say “No” to and, once swallowed, have a lasting effect on our hearts.
20 Quotes from Walking with God through Pain and Suffering
20 Quotes from Walking with God through Painand Suffering – Tom Reinke writes, “Tim Keller has written one of the year’s most important books (a line I
seem to recite annually). His newest — Walking
with God through Pain and Suffering — is a wise, Christ-centered,
comforting book for readers who hurt, and offers counsel to readers who
anticipate future suffering. It’s a book for everyone, and it releases tomorrow
from Dutton.To mark its arrival, I pulled my favorite quotes from the book and
narrowed the list down to my top 20.”
Saturday, September 28, 2013
A Prayer for Being Claimed by God’s Promises
A Prayer for Being Claimed by God’s Promises - A good prayer thought for the day.
Grace Makes the Medicine Go Down
Grace Makes the Medicine Go Down – Young children will often
reject the medicine that will help make them well. As adults, we often approach
God’s medicine the same way. God’s grace can help.
Friday, September 27, 2013
15 Questions to Help Christians Follow Jesus on Social Media | Unlocking the Bible
15 Questions to Help Christians Follow Jesus on Social Media - Christians sometimes forget that they are to always represent Christ. Social media is no exception. These questions provide a good checklist for personal, spiritual evaluation of our social media activities.
The Danger of Forgiving Yourself
The Danger of Forgiving Yourself - We hear this language often. This article challenges "forgiving ourselves" and points to a biblical model of forgiveness.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
4 Lessons Learned in Nursing Home Ministry
4 Lessons Learned in Nursing Home Ministry - This article reminded me of many lessons I've learned through ministry in nursing homes through the years.
Vatican to Nancy Pelosi: No more Communion
Vatican to Nancy Pelosi: No more Communion - This is an interesting article and good challenge from Jim Denison.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Caring for the Caregiver
Caring for the Caregiver: Most congregations have at least one member who is serving as a caregiver of a loved one. Many caregivers are women. The single mom who pu...
Debatable: Is Football Too Violent for Christians?
Debatable: Is Football Too Violent for Christians? - This series of articles (Debatable) raises tough questions for Christians to consider and encourages prayerful, biblical response. This one is a hot topic.Jesus Is Not Your Sin-Manager
Jesus Is Not Your Sin-Manager – “Christians are not called to shuffle the
decks with our sin. We don’t assume it’s here to stay. We don’t set up programs
and practices to rubber-stamp our sin. We don’t expect our friends to only nod
empathetically when we tell them that we spoke unkindly, ate greedily, or
watched covetously. We’re not able to coast in our spiritual life, rarely
reading Scripture, rarely praying. We don’t approach our church family as if
they exist only to affirm us.”
20 Ways to Know If You are Too Busy
20 Ways to Know If You are Too Busy - We are addicted to "busy". This is a simple list of diagnostic questions and suggestions for addressing our busy lives. It won't get much better until we acknowledge that our busyness is sin and say so to the Lord.
12 Bible Verses for When You Feel Like Giving Up
12 Bible Verses for When You Feel Like Giving Up - Sometimes you feel overwhelmed. These are a good set of verses to encourage you forward.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
The Essential Ingredients of a Growing Faith
The Essential Ingredients of a Growing Faith – (Post
by Andy Stanley). “It’s the fall of
1995 and I’m sitting in a friend’s basement with the original North Point staff
hashing out the mission and strategy statement for our newly formed church. It
was within the context of this lengthy discussion that the subject of spiritual
formation first surfaced.”
The 12 People I Try to Avoid When Flying
The 12 People I Try to Avoid When Flying – Having spent the
better part of four days recently, flying to and from Ivory Coast in Africa,
most of these resonate with me.
8 Commitments for Bible Study Leaders
8 Commitments for Bible Study Leaders - A good challenge to all those who teach the Bible at church.
Don't Cancel That Short-Term Mission Trip
Don't Cancel That Short-Term Mission Trip - The author writes, “Books like Revolution in World Missions and When Helping Hurts have many youth pastors and church leaders ready to throw out the baby with the bathwater of short-term trips. We calculate the $3,000 it costs to send a student to Honduras for a week and start to squirm thinking about all the good we could do with those funds in Honduras—if only the student stayed home.”
Why Do Good Things Happen?
Why Do Good Things Happen? - The good things in the world present as much
a riddle to us as the bad things. Both beckon us to ultimate questions. The
only reason we would obsess exclusively about the issue of pain and evil, while
never pausing to consider the other side of the coin, is the near-sighted sense
of entitlement to which we’re all naturally prone. We take the good things for
granted, as if they are the norm or the default, and the bad things shock our
senses as the inexplicable exceptions.
How to Destroy Your Marriage Before It Begins
How to Destroy Your Marriage Before It Begins - This article is beneficial both before and after you say "I do."
Six Questions That Will Radically Change Your Marriage
Six Questions That Will Radically Change Your Marriage – These are simple and easy to follow.
Use the Bible to Prove the Bible
Use the Bible to Prove the Bible - “I have heard this
many times. It can come from Christians or non-Christians, but it is mainly on
the lips of unbelievers. The idea that the Bible itself is inadmissible as a
testimony to itself. If I were trying to use the Bible to prove the validity of
the Bible, from the perspective of many outsiders, this is circular reasoning.
However, this statement is not only wrong, but completely misunderstands its
own argument and, ironically, makes the very circular reasoning assumptions
that it accuses believers of.”
10 Questions for Better Bible Study
10 Questions for Better Bible Study - Here are 7 + 3
questions you can (and usually should) ask when reading the Bible.
Do You See Who Your Children Really Are?
Do You See Who Your Children Really Are? – If parents embraced this
biblical view, there would be a massive reorienting of our family priorities.
The article begins, “Believe it or not, your children’s first and
foremost identity is not to be your children. Your children were created for a
far greater identity—an identity that will last into eternity. Inasmuch as they
embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, your children were created to be your
brothers and sisters. And so, every child in your household should be seen
first and foremost not as your son or your daughter but as a potential
or actual brother or sister in Christ.”
Biblical-Era Town Discovered along Sea of Galilee
Biblical-Era Town Discovered along Sea of Galilee – This is a significant
find. It is amazing that archeologists continue to make discoveries and those
discoveries continue to affirm the Bible.
How to Mourn with the Parents of Stillborn and Miscarried Children
How to Mourn with the Parents of Stillborn and Miscarried Children - We struggle with what to say and what to do. This article gives simple, helpful direction.
Six Benefits of Ordinary Daily Devotions
Six Benefits of Ordinary Daily Devotions –
Jon Bloom writes about the value of the daily discipline of spending time in
God’s word.
Family Evangelism: Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Family and Friends | Unlocking the Bible
Five Tips for Sharing the Gospel with Family and Friends - It may be our toughest mission field.
Suffering Service
Suffering Service - An article on depression: “I feel
like there’s a weight around my neck, a fog blanketing me. People seem to talk
slowly, and my brain functions on just two cylinders. I go to sleep okay at
night, but I am awake again at 4am, and by the time I get out of bed I will
still be tired. A cup of coffee clears the mist for an hour or two, but then I
am back deeper in it than before. Little problems are starting to feel
insurmountable, and I often wonder, ‘Can I deal with this?’”
Can I Tell You About My Friend Jesus?
Can I Tell You About My Friend Jesus? - Jared Wilson tells about his friend Jesus. He's my friend too!
Crazy Busy
Crazy Busy – In this brief review of Kevin DeYoung’s
book, Crazy Busy, Tim Challies shares several good points made by the
book. “Busyness is a funny thing. We have a love/hate relationship with it, so
that when we are not boasting in it we are apologizing for it, and when we are
not overwhelmed by it we are wanting more of it. We hate what busyness does to
us, how it keeps us from friends and families and how it skews our priorities. On
the other hand, we love that it validates us, as if the fact that we are busy
someone proves our significance.”
Can Evangelical Chaplains Serve God and Country?—The Crisis Arrives
Can Evangelical Chaplains Serve God and Country?—The Crisis Arrives - Al Mohler discusses the challenges to Southern Baptist military chaplains, He writes, "
The answer, at least
from the advocates of the moral revolution, is that evangelical Christian
chaplains must go—and Southern Baptist chaplains must go first.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Bible Study Tools and Resources
Bible Study Tools and Resources - The resources are worth skimming through. You might find some gold.
Yes, God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle
Yes, God Will Give You More Than You Can Handle - "The circumstances in my life had
become overwhelming, everything was crumbling, and my world was falling apart. To
be honest, if someone had come alongside me at that point and tried to reassure
me by saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” I may have punched
them square in the face.
That tired, old phrase often
sounds more like a taunt than a comfort. When we are down and out and feeling
discouraged, hearing those words can cause us to feel like we are not measuring
up. It causes us to ask, “If I am supposed to handle this, then why can’t I
handle it?” The truth is, God never said He wouldn’t give you more than you can
handle."
The Judgment and Mercy of Our Greater Joshua
The Judgment and Mercy of Our Greater Joshua - In the Book of Joshua, we have a picture of the way our greater Joshua will lead us into God's land at the end of human history—with a shout and the sound of trumpets.
Confession
Confession - It's a forgotten spiritual discipline for most these days. We spend much more time on "image control" than on confession. What does it look like in practice?
What Binds Up Broken Relationships?
What Binds Up Broken Relationships - “It doesn't matter
where you live, what you do for a living, or how you spend your free time, you
have experienced, are experiencing, or will experience the wreckage of
broken relationships.”
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The Contemporary Footprint of the American Prosperity “Gospel”
The Contemporary Footprint of the American Prosperity “Gospel” - The "prosperity gospel" is popular and misleading in America. Sadly, it's also one of our major religious exports to the rest of the world. It's making a mess of biblical teaching wherever it exists. There is a two-minute video worth listening to on this site.
7 Things Every Man Needs to Know About Relationships
7 Things Every Man Needs to KnowAbout Relationships – While most of the applications here are focused on
dating, there is plenty for married men to learn.
How Important Is the Doctrine of the Church?
How Important Is the Doctrine of the Church? | Everyday Theology - Spoiler alert! It's important.
Tools for Spiritual Cardiology
Tools for Spiritual Cardiology - The article concludes with a very helpful list of diagnostic questions on why a person may come to doubt their salvation.
Seven Ways to Get in the Word
Seven Ways to Get in the Word – simple steps to getting the word
into you.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Should Christianity Be So Boring?
Should Christianity Be So Boring? - Jon Acuff with a good take on a not topic.
SBC Ethicists: Criteria for 'Just War' Not Met
SBC Ethicists: Criteria for 'Just War' Not Met - Worth reading as we consider intervention in Syria.
Gay Rights vs. Religious Rights: 7 Issues to Watch
Gay Rights vs. Religious Rights: 7 Issues to Watch - The argument is commonly made, "If you are against same-sex marriage then don't marry someone of the same sex. This issue doesn't affect you so why would you oppose it?" This article explains why it does and will affect us all.
Shellfish, Slavery and Same-sex Marriage: How Not to Read the Bible
Shellfish, Slavery and Same-sex Marriage:How Not to Read the Bible - This article comes from an Australian church
leader. “While Australians wrestle with the implications of redefining marriage
to include a union of two persons of the same sex, it would be a much more
enlightened debate if proponents of this novel redefinition did not misuse the
Bible in mounting their arguments. It would be more honest to declare their
disagreement with biblical teaching, rather than pretend by shallow,
ill-informed exegesis that they are following the Bible's primary theme of
love. Here again, Jesus's words are instructive: "If you love me, keep my
commandments" (John 14:15).”
The comments section, below the
article, will give you a good exposure to the non-biblical worldview and the
way the arguments are typically drawn.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
The Difference Between a Christian and Non-Christian
The Difference Between a Christian and Non-Christian - This is a simple, clear description.
“Why is it when I think I’m right, I’m intolerant, but when you think you’re right, you’re just right?”
“Why is it when I think I’m right, I’m intolerant, but when you think you’re right, you’re just right?” - How do you respond to being called "intolerant" for expressing a biblical worldview?
5 Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood
5 Common Expressions I’ve Never Understood – R.C. Sproul Jr. writes, “Common sense may be more
common than sense. There are any number of shorthand aphorisms in the world and
in the church that shape our thinking, but don’t stand up to scrutiny, at least
right away.”
Sample Contracts for ‘Twixters,’ ‘Kippers’ and ‘Boomerang Kids’
Sample Contracts for ‘Twixters,’ ‘Kippers’ and ‘Boomerang Kids’ - “Social
scientists have noticed that more young adults (those between eighteen and
thirty years old) are putting off the responsibilities of adulthood. Adultolescence is
the term that best describes this postponement of adulthood into the thirties.”
I’ve had a dozen conversations with parents about this phenomenon in the
last six months. You’re not alone. Here are some resources to consider. See article…
Friday, September 6, 2013
Abuse Does Not Take Away Use
Abuse Does Not Take Away Use - A good response to a common excuse as it relates to doctrinal issues.
How 9/11 Changed Americans
How 9/11 Changed Americans – Then and Now - It was, as it's been dubbed, "the
day the world changed." And 12 years later, with many national tragedies
and attacks in between, Americans still feel its effects. Barna Group's latest
survey reveals the emotional and spiritual responses of 9/11—from 12 years ago
today—that have changed not only our national culture but also our national
consciousness.
I Don’t Remember Chemistry And I’m Not Homeless
I Don’t Remember Chemistry And I’m Not Homeless – this is a
good word on parenting perspective.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
75 Astonishing Things that Happen at Conversion
75 Astonishing Things that Happen at Conversion – These are worth some meditation time.
Here is the Spring Where Waters Flow
Here is the Spring Where Waters Flow - The following hymn lyrics were originally
published in the Barker’s Bible in 1594. They testify of the value and
sufficiency of Scripture, which is our daily bread.
Leaving Behind Our Little Comforts
Leaving Behind Our Little Comforts – This may lead to discomfort –
in a good way.
5 Important Attitudes to Embrace at Work
5 Important Attitudes to Embrace at Work – Seeing the biblical perspective on work.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Stop Following Your Heart
Stop Following Your Heart - It seems to be the go-to advice often given when others are making significant life decisions. Spoiler Alert...it's bad advice.
Why Do We Need Physical Rest?
Why Do We Need Physical Rest? - As we enter the wearying season ahead, of overscheduled and overly committed lives, this article may help us refocus things.
Thinking Evangelically About Tim Tebow
Thinking Evangelically About Tim Tebow - This is an interesting perspective and as the author notes, will likely get him in hot water with somebody.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
5 Lies Every Twenty-Something Needs to Stop Believing
5 Lies Every Twenty-Something Needs to Stop Believing – Good
to know and good to share. I hear these five things often.
Out of the Mouths of Ducks
It’s even a “vaster wasteland” today. Then…came Duck Dynasty.
9 Ways for Church Leaders to Pray More
9 Ways for Church Leaders to Pray More - This can be helpful for any Christian seeking to grow in their prayer life.
Accidental Pharisees
Accidental Pharisees - This is a book review of
Why Telling Your Story is NOT the Best Way to Share the Gospel
Why Telling Your Story is NOT the Best Way to Share the Gospel - Your story still plays a part but maybe a smaller part than it did twenty years ago. The world is changing...
Recovering Confession
Recovering Confession - "
Monday, September 2, 2013
This Amazing Map Shows Every Person in America
This Amazing Map Shows Every Person in America - Segregation,
diversity, and clustering become very clear when every human becomes a dot.
9 Things You Should Know About Chemical Weapons
9 Things You Should Know About Chemical Weapons - Last week, the Syrian government was accused of using chemical weapons in an attack that killed 1,429 people in Damascus. Here are 9 things you should know about chemical weapons.
Advice to New Christians (and the rest)
Advice to New Christians (and the rest) – Frank Viola provides wise advice for Christians
living in a real world.
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