Curated content for Christians
Steven Curtis Chapman’s New AlbumIt seemed appropriate to post a link to this review since I am listening to the album at this very moment. Scott Anderson has written up a review of Steven Curtis Chapman’s Beauty Will Rise. “Simply put, this album is a musical masterpiece. It contains 12 beautifully-written, mostly acoustic songs with…
Six Flags over JesusJared Wilson writes about the new $130,000,000 building program at First Baptist Dallas. “Nobody should fault FBC Dallas or anybody else for building a building. But this isn’t a building. This, and a bunch of other stuff, is Bible Belt Disneyland. This is evangelicalism with more cowbell. This is Field of Dreams…
Multiple Perspectives on Multi-Site ChurchesA panel at Southern Seminary discussed this topic. The participants are R. Albert Mohler Jr., Gregg Allison, Kevin Ezell, Greg Gilbert, and Daniel Montgomery. The Day I Went to ChurchI enjoyed this article simply for the perspective it offers on a person’s first strange and perhaps terrifying attempt at going to…
The Prosperity Gospel in AfricaThis may make you feel sick. Ask John Piper LiveToday from 8 to 11 CT, you can tweet your questions to John Piper. He will be answering them live. See the link for details. Apple’s Magic MouseHere’s a good review of Apple’s new mouse for anyone who is thinking of making…
Logos 4The best gets better with the release of Logos 4 which adds all kinds of great new features. Check out the link for a video introduction. DG FreeThis month’s free audio book from Christian Audio is just a minor book from a little-known pastor: Desiring God by John Piper. US Navy Ceremonial GuardThis is…
William Wallace Was a MonsterIt took fifteen years, but Mel Gibson has finally admitted that his portrayal of William Wallace in Braveheart was pretty much a complete rewriting of history. But even now he still gets Wallace wrong. T4G EarlybirdTomorrow is the last day to qualify for the early registration rates for T4G. As of…
How Willingly Do People Go to Hell?John Piper addresses one of the problems with C.S. Lewis’ teaching on hell. “What sinners want is not hell but sin. That hell is the inevitable consequence of unforgiven sin does not make the consequence desirable. It is not what people want–certainly not what they ‘most want.’ Wanting sin…
Where Do You Stand?Randy Alcorn: “I’ve often been asked, Where do you stand on the Calvinism and Arminianism debate, and what resources do you recommend?” He goes on to describe what he believes and how he got there. Do You Pray?“The following is a timely reminder adapted from an essay by J.C. Ryle, on the…
Open Tax RecordsHow strange is this? “In a move that would be unthinkable elsewhere, tax authorities in Norway have issued the ‘skatteliste,’ or ‘tax list,’ for 2008 to the media under a law designed to uphold the country’s tradition of transparency.” In other words, they release the income statements of everyone in the country. Benny…
Teen-Friendly DawkinsAtheist Richard Dawkins “is penning a new book which will target his most impressionable audience: teens. The controversial atheist, scientist and avid Darwin supporter, is planning to write, What is a Rainbow, Really?, an illustrated book which will take a myth-busting approach to questions about the natural world.” Dawkins ought to read Mark 9:42…
The Problem With Our EconomyAs usual Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes fame) gets it just about right. The USS New YorkThis is a brilliant PR move, not to mention a great way of reusing material. “The Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship, the USS New York was built with 24 tons of scrap steel recovered from…
Should Christians Say Their Aim Is Conversion?John Piper asks this question–a good and fair question in today’s climate. Beware Your Seminary ProfessorsJonathan Leeman offers some good reasons to have a certain wariness toward seminary professors. “None of the rules for academic engagement are bad, per se. But they become bad in the Christian academy when…
Modern Day LepersAli writes about women afflicted with vesico-vaginal fistulas (VVFs). This is a problem almost unknown in the first world but epidemic in the third world. It leaves the women as social outcasts, utterly rejected by their families. Social Media in Real TimeThis site offers amazing counters, showing just how quickly social media is…
Just by way of FYI, I noticed today as I opened up my blogging software that this is my 1000th A La Carte entry. It is a feature I began rather on a whim, but I guess it has had legs. I always get cranky emails when I skip a day or two, and I…
Who Is Francis Chan?Christianity Today features Francis Chan. “According to one comment he made in a sermon, Chan gives away about 90 percent of his income (though his church administrator preferred the phrase “most of his income”). Chan doesn’t take a salary from his church, and his book royalties, which total about $500,000, mostly go…
Finding Time for GodTrue Woman blog addresses the always-difficult issue of finding time for God as a busy mom. “Let me give you a little peek into my life. I have eight children and two in heaven I never got to meet. My kids are currently 32, 30, 27, 23, 21, 18, 15 and 13.…
How Piper Became a PastorJT has the full scoop on this, the 30th anniversary of Piper’s decision to become a pastor. I think I can speak for all of us when we say that we’re glad he was obedient to God’s call! DeYoung, Restless and ReformedKevin DeYoung, like Justin Taylor, has pulled up roots and…
How To Set Up Your DeskMatt Perman kicks off another series dealing with things that most of us don’t think enough about. This time he begins by looking at how you should set up your desk to maximize productivity. Literate ParentsHere’s a web site I’m looking forward to tracking. Sara is providing short reviews of…
1 in 4 Humans is MuslimAccording to a new Pew study, just about 1 in 4 humans in the world is now Muslim. “There are a lot of interesting facts from the 62-page study. One example is that Russia has more Muslims than Jordon and Libya combined. Another is that the Pew Forum estimates the…
7 Reasons I Love Youth MinistryAustin Duncan (of Grace Community Church) offers seven reasons that he loves youth ministry. By Thy MercyIndelible Grace Music has a new CD out. It is called By Thy Mercy and, like all of the Indelible Grace albums, features a selection of hymns set to new melodies. (If you want…