The Big Picture – The Big Picture has a gallery of photos of the devastation in Oklahoma. Also, these before and after pictures are startling and display the power of the storm. Modern Parables 2 – I have often expressed my appreciation for the Modern Parables series of films. Well, they are now using Kickstarter…
Why You Should Not Listen to Me – Thabiti Anyabwile: “Influence. It’s a funny thing. It’s inescapable–someone will always be perceived to have it or not have it, to either use or misuse it. We complain about it, but we also want to be influenced.” Be sure to read why you shouldn’t listen to him.…
I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Of all the books I have received recently, here are the ones that appear most noteworthy. Rhythms of…
Two Sets of Wants – A reader directed me to a new blog and I found a great post there on parenting. A dad writes about his two competing sets of wants for his children. Good stuff! A Writer’s Confession – “I’ve been reflecting lately on the real dangers of being a writer. One of…
Baseball and the Christian Walk – Because baseball season is nearly upon us. “The reality that baseball is a game of managed failure for every player, even the great ones, is one of the reasons the game imbedded so deeply in the fabric of American culture.” Page CXVI – Page CXVI, which is a project…
The Brutal Side of Papal Politics – This article looks at the brutal politics involved in choosing a new pope. “From champion of married priests to disgraced churchman within 72 hours, O’Brien’s trajectory is stunning but also emblematic of the frenetic and fever-pitched campaigning that occurs during the tiny window between a pope’s death or…
Writing Is Easy – Peggy Noonan on writing and speaking: “If you try to write ‘good lines’ you’ll likely wind up with strings of dumb, unconnected applause lines. The audience will probably applaud—crowds of supporters are dutiful that way, and people want to be polite—but they’ll know they’re applauding an applause line, not a thought…”…
Pastoral Confidentiality – There have been various articles about pastoral confidentiality. I really appreciate what Tom Ascol says; he seems to strike a healthy balance between the extremes. Boycotting Companies – R.C. Sproul Jr. answers this question: “Do Christians have a moral obligation to boycott companies that support unbiblical causes?” D.A. Carson on Complementarianism –…
He Smelled of Urine and Infection – “Amy Julia Becker recently linked to the story of a couple named Greg and Tesney who adopted a son, Kirill, from Russia. I would say the story of his condition when in Russia was ‘heartbreaking,’ but I would not be doing that word justice.” $5 Friday – Ligonier…
This is the nineteenth installment in a series on theological terms. See previous posts on the terms theology, Trinity, creation, man, Fall, common grace, sin, righteousness, faith, pride, election, revelation, atonement, adoption, sanctification, incarnation, idolatry, and the church. In a lecture titled “The Meaning of Holiness” (video), R. C. Sproul identifies two major scriptural meanings…
Rape, Sexual Assault, and Consent – In light of recent headlines, The Resurgence blog asks this question: What is sexual assault? Justin Holcomb gives a practical and pastoral answer based on a book he wrote on that very topic. UPS Worldport – This article (and video) may appeal to your inner geek (or engineer, for…
America’s Most Important Economic Lesson – R.C. Sproul Jr. has put a lot of effort into thinking through economics from a biblical perspective. In this article he suggests the most important economic lesson America should learn. More Gospel Centered Than Thou – Mark Lauterbach has been thinking about gospel-centeredness and raises a few possible concerns…
Halloween and Evangelical Identity – Russell Moore takes a light-hearted look at Evangelicals and Halloween. “I tried my hand at explaining the spectrum, with tongue in cheek, using Halloween as a Rorschach test. I posted it over at the First Things group blog. Here goes.” Luther and the Reformation Free – Ligonier Ministries is giving…
I Want to Die in the Trenches – “The local church is the front line of ministry. In the battle against the spiritual forces of evil, the church is the trench. Christ’s bride is dug in, charged up, and ready to die for the freedom of souls. I relish the trench. It’s messy, at times…
I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I publish occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Or even if I am able to review the book, it’s always good to get a second opinion. So here are…
Praying for Your Pastor – “One of the great encouragements in my ministry is knowing that many at Redeemer regularly and frequently pray for me. There are a number of ways we should be praying for our leaders in the church, but as we approach Sunday I want to encourage you to pray for your…
Questions the TDSB Is Not Answering – As his church deals with having to leave the public school they rent, Julian is asking questions that the school board is not answering. Calvary Love – Here’s an artistic take on John Piper’s most recent poem which is titled “Calvary Love.” Read the Text – Paul offers…
22 Ways to Humble Ourselves – “Christians should be the most humble people on earth. We should be so because we have come to know something of God’s infinite greatness and our own unworthiness before him. Here are some reasons why we should humble ourselves before God and some suggestions on how to do it.”…
R.C. Sproul has a long history of making a stand for truth. He has an equal history of standing firm against error, using his ministry platform to refute errors that are seeping into the Evangelical church. On several occasions he has reacted to those who have sought to minimize the differences between Protestant theology and…
The Westboro Cult – I’m all for this. It is abundantly clear to most Americans that the “Westboro Baptist Church” is neither “Baptist” nor a “church” according to any commonly accepted meaning of either word. As a Christ follower, and a long time church attender, I enter this plea to stop using the phrase “Westboro…