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Saturday dawns, and it brings me to the end of one the most fully-packed weeks I can remember. Well, it will come to an end as soon as I’ve spoken at a pregnancy care centre’s event this morning. And just before I head off, here are some links to get your weekend started: Here is…

The Green Grass Session – Here’s a new (and unexpected) EP from the Getty’s! First Sight – It’s not hard to find a great spiritual metaphor in this short documentary about two sisters who receive their sight. When Your Child’s Personality Annoys You – “God gifts our children with unique personalities. Sometimes we love the…

Twenty-Two Problems with Multi-site Churches – Jonathan Leeman offers “22 misgivings I have about the multi-site model.” His focus is multi-site churches that use video for the preaching. What Is Domestic Violence? – “The month of October has been designated Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The goal of this month is to raise public awareness about…

3 Ways to Avoid the “Children’s Church” Ditch – Sean Sawyers has some wise and winsome comments about children’s church and having children in the worship services. Norway – This is a beautiful time-lapse of Norway. Full-screen and HD it if you can! Worship At A Crossroads – This is great stuff from Jamie Brown:…

The Ata: God’s Narrative Continues – I really enjoyed this film recounting God’s work in Papua New Guinea. Watch it and be encouraged! Five Questions With a Former Muslim – Nabeel Qureshi was raised in a Pakistani-American family and grew up a devout Muslim. Here’s a short but excellent interview with him. Why Keep Sexual…

Why We Neglect Our Bibles – “Many Christians find it difficult to get into a daily habit of Bible reading. So this week John Piper addressed four common causes of Bible neglect in the Christian life, like: ‘I don’t read my Bible because…’” The 6 Ingredients of Jesus’ Bitter Cup – “When Jesus looked into…

Thanks to NavPress for sponsoring the blog this week. Sponsorships are an important part of covering the costs associated with this site. Be sure to check out Growing in Christ. Here’s an article about The Stalkers, people who venture into the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. Denny Burk shares a story about a…

When Someone Reaches Out – Christine Hoover touches on something important here: “The people who tend to struggle to connect are those who take a long while to reach out for the hands that are extended to them.” She offers good advice for joining into the life of a church. Derek Jeter Isn’t the Greatest…

Just a Piece of Paper? – Is marriage just a piece of paper? R.C. Sproul answers. A Pastor’s Reflection on Shyness – I appreciate this reflection on shyness. Are You Intellectually Humble? – “Here are 13 tough questions from Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso to help you get honest about your intellectual character. We hope it offers you…

Are You Leeching the Local Church? – “I continue to grow in my love for the local church. One of the ways God has grown my love for the church is by teaching me that worship is more than showing up.” Wise Decisions about Psychotropic Medications – Here are 6 steps to making wise decisions…

Thanks to Zondervan and Jonathan Dodson for sponsoring the blog this week. Check out Jonathan’s new book The Unbelievable Gospel. Kevin DeYoung has a list of things Jesus Didn’t Say. Halee Gray Scott is concerned when Christians slam one another in the Spirit. Eric McKiddie comments on The Blessings and Curses of Being an Introverted…

The Church Needs Men and Women To Be Friends – Just because there are horror stories, it doesn’t mean we can’t have successful and meaningful friendships between men and women. Mentoring – There are lots of good takeaways in this article on mentoring. How ISIS Works – Here’s an overview of ISIS. 6 Reasons Women…

The Ordinary Church – John MacArthur writes about ordinary life and ordinary church. “God works through ordinary means, ordinary people in ordinary churches, doing very ordinary things.” Friendless Millennials in a Digital Age – This is a worthwhile reflection on Millennials. You Can’t Catch Sin Like A Cold – Barnabas Piper writes about those who…

Gospel Affection – Joe Thorn offers 10 practical ways to show love to one another in the church. “Consider what follows a simple encouragement to press into a life of love in practical ways. A life God has called us to, saved us for, and modeled for us.” The Death of Thomas Cramner – Do…

I have found that for short stretches of time I can convince myself that I am being faithful to God if I define faithfulness in terms of only one behavior.” That is an insight from Nate Larkin, author of Samson and the Pirate Monks, and I think he is on to something. We all have…

What’s All this Gospel-Centered Talk About? – Dane Ortlund: “As far as I can tell the phrase is used in two basic ways. One way is to view all of life in light of the gospel. We’ll call this a gospel-centered worldview. The other is to view Christian progress as dependent on the gospel. We’ll…

I’ll Be Fine – I’ll Be Fine is a short documentary about a family, their home, and the trials of living with a nineteen-year-old son who has autism. It’s very well done. Look and Live – This is an excellent article from Matt Papa. Theological Impatience – “Theological impatience is one of the most troubling…

Thanks to Books at a Glance for sponsoring the blog this week; their sponsorship keeps the virtual lights on for another week! Jeremy Walker writes about Gospel Ripples and the importance of preaching and hearing the gospel again and again. Denny Burk looks at what the Bible says about spanking. Is it a legitimate form…