The fourth chapter of Ephesians deals primarily with unity within the body of Christ. Through the first three chapters of the book Paul has been laying the theological framework for the life of good works that he describes in the final three chapters. The first topic he discusses in this regard is unity. He encourages…
Into the Light – “A few years ago, a friend of mine was keeping a very serious temptation in the dark. His friends and his pastor often asked questions about things that didn’t line up, but instead of seeing those questions as evidence of God’s mercy at work in his life, my friend continued to…
Apple’s iOS continues to mature as a platform. It has now spawned hundreds of thousands of apps, many of which are very useful to Christians. Along with my friend Travis Carden, I’ve gathered a pretty good list of some of the best of the best. Unless otherwise noted, all of these apps are free.
Unemployment – The Guardian has an interesting (and revealing) article about the true picture of U.S. unemployment. “US unemployment data is set to show the jobless rate steady at 9.1% – but a broader analysis puts the true rate at 16.5%.” The Passion of Gaga – “Lady Gaga is not just a stage name; it’s…
As far back as six centuries before Christ, soldiers have been taught a simple strategy: know your enemy. It was the famed Chinese general and strategist Sun Tzu who coined the phrase, and it reveals an important truth. If forced to do battle, an army gains a distinct advantage by knowing everything about who it…
Supply-Chain Secrets – I found this article just fascinating. It deals with Apple’s ability to completely control the supply chain and, with it, to gain huge advantages as a company. For/Against Calvinism – Monergism Books is offering a great discount on the For and Against Calvinism 2-pack (one book by Roger Olsen, one by Michael…
R.C. Sproul’s book Now, That’s a Good Question has always been a favorite of mine. When I’ve got a basic question about the Christian life, it’s often the book I turn to first. Here is his answer to this question: How can I prevent my personal Christian growth from becoming stagnant? There’s only one absolute…
The Lost Art of Meeting a Spouse – “When it comes to finding your soul mate, lots has changed in the last several years. With the rise of online dating, over 30 million people are now looking for love online. In fact, online dating sites have now passed up every other way married couples meet,…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by CBD Reformed. And not surprisingly, they have put together a pretty good package. As always, there are 5 prizes to win and each prize will contain 3 books. They are: Here is the description for Keller’s latest book: Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York…
I am on my way to Sacramento, California this morning (with a ridiculous wake-up time of 3:55 in order to make it to the airport for 5:00 in order to make it to my flight at 7:00 in order to make my Chicago connection at 10:00 in order to get to Sacramento by 12:30 in…
Today we come to our second-to-last reading in John Stott’s classic work The Cross of Christ. We are in a section that discusses some of the implications of the cross, or, as Stott phrases it, “living under the cross.” He wants us to know that the cross directs our conduct in relation to other people…
Idealized Domesticity – I really enjoyed this article, largely because of the way it cuts to the heart of a matter. “In trying to help women feel better about doing laundry instead of office work, though, these authors have set up an unbiblical alternate ideal. Their musings about sacramentalism, euphoric experiences during mundane chores, or…
The more I grow in my knowledge of the Lord (by his grace) the more I see the utter centrality of the church, the local church, in his plan for his people. The more I learn of him, the more I see what a jewel the church is–what a blessing, what an honor it is…
World Population Grows (Older) – “On this crowded, hot, trampled planet, one of the most vexing trends is something countless numbers of us see when we look in the mirror: We’re going gray. The United Nations has declared that the human population will hit 7 billion Monday, and an expanding percentage of those people are…
It’s November 1 today, and that means that I’ve got a whole new batch of amazing desktop wallpaper designs for you to download. Thanks to each of this month’s designers for sending along some amazing work (and for a couple of young, future designers as well). A few notes: 320 x 480 is for your…
Harper + Nelson – “The publishing world, and particularly the Christian publishing world, is abuzz because of the announcement today that HarperCollins (the third largest trade publisher in the United States) has purchased Thomas Nelson (which claims to be the seventh largest trade publisher). With Zondervan and HarperOne already under the umbrella of HarperCollins (which…