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Beautiful Churches – This is an excellent article! “We stepped inside and beauty stirred my heart. Worship seemed the only appropriate response. It was clear that an artist had spent months, even years, with tools that chiselled, adorned, and beautified. Each detail, lovingly and carefully carved. In that room, the light glimmered and shone, reflecting…

Christians Are Not Called to Have Amazing Sex – There is some wisdom in this article at Relevant magazine: “While the movement is great at detailing–and exaggerating–the benefits of saving sex for marriage, it is dishonest about the challenges abstinence presents to couples who eventually tie the knot.” Worst Phone Call of My Life –…

Power of Prayer – Here’s the story behind a wonderful photograph. “Moments before I was to walk down the aisle my soon to be mother in law came in the dressing room where my bridesmaids and I were all gushing with giggles and fluttering about finishing last minute details. ‘Sweetheart, your groom has called for…

Who Is the Hero of Your Sermon? – That’s a great question to ask of your sermon. Greg Breazeale explains why. Friday Five – I enjoyed reading this interview with Philip Ryken. They talk to him “about moving from the pastorate to the academy, the future of Christian higher education, and how pastors and scholars…

Does College Cause Young Adults to Lose Their Faith? – Glenn Stanton: “Do the years and experiences of college actually contribute to our young people losing or walking away from their faith? The answer – and the reasons for it – might surprise you.” How the Court Could Rule – The New York Times looks…

The Evolution of the Swimsuit – This is a very interesting video that traces the history of women’s swimsuits and advocates something better than today’s bikinis. (There is nothing in the video that is alluring or inappropriate.) Who Am I? – “We live in an era where personal identity is of great importance to us.…

How to Read a Book – “Reading a book seems like a pretty straightforward task, doesn’t it? And in some cases, it is. If you’re reading purely for entertainment or leisure, it certainly can be that easy. There’s another kind of reading, though, in which we at least attempt to glean something of value from…

The Incredible Disappearing Evangelist – Smithsonian magazine tells an interesting story from days gone by. “Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist, faith-healer, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church and builder of the Angelus Temple, was believed to have disappeared during a swim on May 18, 1926. In the hours that followed, rescuers were sparing no effort to…

7 Ways Fathers Provoke Their Children – “The Bible tells fathers to do two things: bring children up in the ways of the Lord and do not provoke them. How can a father avoid provoking his child?” Here are 7 ways dads may provoke their children. F-35 – Here’s an interesting article on the long-awaited,…

A Guide to Metadata – The NSA scandal has often involved the word “metadata.” This article at the Guardian shows you what kind of information can be stored every time you send an email, snap a photo, and so on. A Story Already Told – “I listened to that friend describe utter heartbreak and, in…

Three Buzzwords – “When writing and speaking about Christian themes, it can be easy to adopt the popular language associated with an idea without realizing the implications of the words we use to describe, teach, or communicate these concepts. It’s important for us to think through the way we talk and grasp the influence that…

Filled with Frogs – Mark Altrogge: “If Pittsburgh were overrun by frogs, and even the Steelers had frogs in their bedrooms, I don’t think I’d forget that. But God knows our tendency to forget, so he warned Israel about forgetting his mighty deliverance. And you know what? They forgot.” The Sufficiency of Scripture – The…

Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Seminary – “When I started seminary in 2009, I didn’t know anybody who had done it before and was too thick-skulled to ask for advice. So while I think the following advice is worthwhile for anyone considering or already in seminary, I was slower to learn most…

The Newest Evangelizer – I found this an interesting article: “Is Jim Gaffigan technically employed by the Catholic Church? The thought occurred to me in a week during which I saw the awesome Catholic comic speak in person and did some reporting about the church’s major new outreach effort it calls ‘the new evangelization’.” The…

The Genius of Tyndale – From The Telegraph: “William Tyndale was burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. He loaded our language with more phrases than any other writer before or since, says Melvyn Bragg.” Realistic Lincoln – “Hollywood special effects artist Kazuhiro Tsuji has made ‘Portrait of Lincoln, ‘a hyper-realistic bust…

Everything I Know About Pastoral Ministry – Thabiti Anyabwile: “Nearly everything I think I know about pastoral ministry I’ve learned from someone else. Usually the learning has come in one-sentence statements mentioned in almost throw-away lines. Often it’s been driving along in the car talking about life and ministry.” He shares some of those lines.…

A Hundredfold – This is a powerful article. “Homosexuality is an issue I have battled with my entire Christian life. It took a long time to admit to myself, longer to admit to others, and even longer to see something of God’s good purposes through it all. There have been all sorts of ups and…