Praying for Politicians - “Having been a minister for twenty-six years and an editor of a church magazine for some of that time, I can safely say that there is no subject more likely to get you into controversy than the troubled relationship of the gospel to politics, unless you dare to touch the modern-day idol of people's children.” That’s a good start to a good article.

Romans 12:1-2 - I don’t think anyone could ever exhaust the riches of Romans 12:1-2. Here is a short take on how that text provides the why, what and how of Christian living.

Google Glass - Expect to see the media inundated with articles about Google Glass in the days to come. This one makes the rather obvious comparison to Orwell’s Big Brother but then asks, “what would you say if instead of it being Google Glass, it was Government Glass? A revolutionary way of improving public services, some may say. Call me a cynic, but I don't think it'd have much success.”

Top Ten Sentence Slip-Ups - “Creating correct sentences is a technical process that offers set guidelines for getting the structure right. Within those guidelines, we have the opportunity to flex our creative muscles in all kinds of unique ways (and even to occasionally burst the bounds of those guidelines if we have good reason for doing so). But in discovering how and where to flex in order to tap our prose potential without inappropriately bursting those bounds, we should first learn to spot the most prevalent sentence slips-ups and know when to eliminate them from our stories.”

Photographer’s Notebook - Note: There are some [non-sexually] graphic photos in this gallery. “It’s been 10 years since U.S.-led forces waged war in Iraq. In this collection of some of Reuters iconic images from the conflict, the photographers provide a personal account of the events they captured.”

Read the Fine Print - Trevin Wax says that we need to read the fine print before agreeing to any kind of “marriage equality.” “As the Supreme Court considers the merits of adopting or banning same-sex marriage, many politicians are voicing their support for changing the law. But just as smart shoppers know to look beyond an advertisement to read the fine print, Americans should look beyond the surface issues to the surprising details no one is discussing.”

Most people are brought to faith in Christ not by argument for it, but by exposure to it. --Samuel Shoemaker

Vatican Files - Writing for Reformation21, Leonardo De Chirico has a very helpful article on the new pope, why he was elected, and some of the challenges he will face. This is part of a long series De Chirico has been writing on Roman Catholicism. Meanwhile, Steve Meister reminds us that Humble Popes Don’t Exist.

The New Cultural Acceptance - “The new mark of being culturally acceptable is affirming homosexuality as virtuous (not merely okay, but virtuous, even exemplary). This is the litmus test. I don't think many of us expected that it would so quickly fill this role, but it has. The mark of being a progressive, kind, socially courageous person today is simply this: affirming same-sex marriage.”

Optional Extras - If you travel by air, you may want to keep this handy. It is a list of which extras are worth paying for and which are not.

4 Ways We Need to Grow in Evangelism - J.D. Greear: “If evangelism is not something that we do well as a church, everything else that we do will be sterile. To that end, during the Summit's last all-staff meeting, we discussed what hindrances were getting in the way of evangelism at our church, and how we could grow in those areas. We were all able to learn from each other's experiences, and we identified four broad areas that we, as a church, need to grow in”

Diet Soda Will Kill Us! - Here is a brief history of our relationship with artificial sweetners and whether or not they are going to end up killing us.

Counterfeit Gospels - The Kindle edition of Trevin Wax’s book Counterfeit Gospels has been marked down to $4.99. And remember that Bryan Chappel’s Christ-Centered Preaching is down to $3.99.

Sacred Mystery - I have not seen any of History Channel’s series on the Bible. Almost all the reports I’ve read, whether from Christian sources or mainstream, have been negative. And still it’s a hit. Here’s a slightly snarky take on how on earth the show has done so well.

Many a man’s knowledge is a torch to light him to hell. --Thomas Watson

Here Come the Radicals - Matthew Lee Anderson makes some interesting observations about contemporary Christianity. “David Platt, Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne, and now Kyle Idleman are dominating the Christian best-seller lists by attacking our comfortable Christianity. But is ‘radical faith’ enough?”

5 Myths About Bible Translation - Dan Wallace covers five common myths related to translating the Bible. This has been a major area of attack against Christianity in recent years as people have tried to undermine the credibility of the Bible.

Honest Atheists - Speaking of attacks against Christianity, this is quite an interesting article that affirms atheism but also affirms the awful consequences of godlessness. “That godlessness might be both true and terrible is something that the new atheists refuse to entertain, no doubt in part because they want to sell books -- and greeting cards do a brisk business.”

Not the Ones God Has Been Waiting For - “I don’t think any temptation more sweetly seduces young evangelicals. It seems every new wave of church leaders seeks to rebrand Christianity over and against its previous generations or misguided contemporaries. As the Religious Right has lost influence, traditional evangelicals have become a big target. As Timothy Dalrymple wrote last year ‘if you are selling scorn of conservative evangelical Christians, the market is hot.’”

Toy Stories - This photographer traveled around the world simply shooting pictures of children with their toys.

The Story Behind the Photo - Here is the story behind one of World War 2’s iconic photos.

No verse of Scripture yields its meaning to lazy people. --A.W. Pink

Christ-Centered Preaching - Bryan Chappel’s Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon is on sale in the Kindle edition. It’s down to just $3.99 and is well worth that price.

When the Black Dog Howls - “The term ‘black dog’ was used by Winston Churchill to describe depression and, though it predates the British prime minister, is the sum total of familiarity most seem have with it. Regardless of who coined it, ‘black dog’ is as apt a descriptor of the frustrating experience of depression as there is. Ask anyone who deals with it regularly.”

Hallel Psalms - Cardiphonia crowd sources songs around a certain theme and then releases them as albums. “‘Hallel Psalms’ is our sixth ‘flash mob’ compilation. This collection of songs meditates on Psalms 113-118 often called the ‘Egyptian Hallel.’ They were traditionally sung during passover, were sung by the disciples at the last supper, and make a fantastic set of texts to guide worship and devotion during Holy Week (March 25-30).”

A Web of Wisdom - Jeremy Walker has put together a whole series of articles on using social media well. “Can we use social media to the glory of God? That question drives the answers to the may and the must of social media engagement. I think that, were he available to offer an opinion, the apostle Paul would suggest, in essence, that we may use social media and that, if we do, we must do so to the glory of God.”

Transubstantiation - C. Michael Patton offers give reasons that he rejects the doctrine of transubstantiation.

Chinese Abortions - “Chinese doctors have performed more than 330m abortions since the government implemented a controversial family planning policy 40 years ago, according to official data from the health ministry.”

How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet will heaven be when our journey is ended. --George Whitefield

An Encouraging Word - Andy Naselli dug up some encouraging words for young mothers. “Martyn Lloyd-Jones once spoke with a group of medical students who complained that in the midst of their training and the ferocious work hours they really didn't even have time to read the Bible and have their devotions and so on.” You’ll need to keep reading to get to the part for mothers.

Consider Yourself - On Wednesday I shared an article about polemics. This article from Burk Parsons would have been a good fit with it. “Controversy is the plight of sinners in a fallen world, who were originally created by God to know the truth, love the truth, and proclaim the truth. We cannot escape controversy this side of heaven, nor should we seek to.”

Josh Garrels - Josh Garrels has put all his music for free on NoiseTrade. You won’t regret downloading Love & War & The Sea In Between.

Monergism Books Sale - Monergism Books is moving and clearing out their stock. You can find details at the link.

Rob Bell’s New Book - David Steele has quite a good review of Rob Bell’s new book What We Talk About When We Talk About God. While on the subject of book reviews, the Washington Post has a very interesting review of McGrath’s new biography of C.S. Lewis.

Wide Web World - This is quite an interesting video made entirely of Nokia 3D maps. It’s essentially a flyover of some of the world’s great cities (including Toronto). 

It is very rare for the spirituality of a group of Christians to exceed that of its leaders. --John Benton

The Next Bible - “Scripture? There's an app for that. In his first column for The Daily Beast, Obama's former faith adviser talks to the tech-savvy entrepreneur bringing the gospel to a new generation of Christians.”

Cross - Cross is a new conference targeted at teens and twenties. Thabiti introduces it.

The NT’s Favorite OT Stories - “The last time I read through the New Testament, I decided it might be fruitful and interesting to keep track of all of the occurrences where the author made reference to narratives in the Old Testament. And since this week's fighter passage makes reference to the Great Cloud of Witnesses, I thought it would be an appropriate time to post the list.”

Transform Quebec - Is your church interested in helping to plant new churches in unreached areas? “Transform Quebec is a vision to catalyze church planting in the province of Quebec in order to reach a maximum of Quebecers with the transforming message of the Gospel.”

Major Causes of Death - Here is a visualization of the major causes of death in the 20th century. Of course they left out abortion…

It does not take a big man to push over a straw man--little men are up to this simple task. --Robert R. Booth

Your Baby’s Ugly - “Being a preaching professor is like getting paid to tell a mother that her baby is ugly. It might be the truth, but it's not a truth anyone wants to hear. Most guys I have taught dread my comments and cringe when I tell them they missed the point of the text or seemed unprepared. They tire of hearing me tell them they lack energy or failed to establish a connection with the audience.”

One Man’s Strong Will - Zach pulls together an article from the New York Times and one from D.A. Carson.

A Friendly Reminder - I’ve written about this several times in the past and am glad to see Jesse Johnson doing the same. “Our age is an ecumenical one, and thus it is likely that many are ignorant of the fact that until about 50 years ago, most Protestant leaders viewed the Pope as the anti-Christ.”

Black & Tan - I am looking forward to Thabiti Anyabwile’s take on Douglas Wilson’s book Black & Tan. Here is part two.

Penguin Fail - I know, I know, I’m supposed to give you useful articles and information. But sometimes I think we all just need to start the day right and watch penguins being clumsy.

The Most-Disobeyed Commandment - David’s exactly right here. American Christians, we are looking at you, because this seems to be one of your obvious struggles!

A New Reformation - From Steve Lawson: If there is to be a new Reformation “there must be a new generation of heralds, men like Martin Luther, who are bold and biblical in their pulpit proclamation. They must have a high view of Scripture, a high view of God, and a high view of the pulpit. Each of these fundamental commitments is indispensable.”

We can stand affliction better than we can stand prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. --D.L. Moody

When Evangelicals Awoke - The title of this article is a little bit dense, but don’t let that intimidate you. “How the Evangelical Church Awoke to the Abortion Issue: The Convergent Labors of Harold O. J. Brown, Francis Schaeffer, and C. Everett Koop.”

The Glory of God - The Glory of God is now on sale in the Kindle edition. It includes contributions from Andreas Kostenberger, Tremper Longman, Richard Gaffin and others. Other current deals include: The Mystery of the Holy Spirit by R.C. Sproul ($2.99); Give Me This Mountain by Helen Roseveare ($2.99); Caught in the Crossfire by Mary Aitchison ($2.99); The Trials of the Theology by Brian Rosner & Andrew Cameron  ($2.99); Standing Strong by John MacArthur ($3.03); Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian ($4.49); The Deep things of God by Fred Sanders ($3.82); Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis ($1.99); Think by John Piper ($4.61).

A Great Place to Begin - David Powlison on prayer: “For example, the Bible's prayers are rarely about health, travel mercies, finances, doing well on a test, finding a job, or the salvation of unsaved relatives. Of course, these are legitimate things to pray for, but they are a minor emphasis in Scripture. Even so, these topics typically dominate most church and small group prayer requests. They easily miss the real action of God's dealings with his beloved people.”

It Could Happen To You - Mez McConnell was rocked when a close friend who was also a pastor admitted that he was having an affair. Mez looks for lessons and warnings.

How Reliable Is Your Memory? - Andy Naselli offers three interesting facts about your memory: it might not be as accurate as you think, it tends to privilege you, and it may result in a relational impasse.

Life Is Too Short - Timmy Brister says that life is too short to be in a hurry. I think we could all benefit from considering the spiritual implications of being in a hurry, and Brister at least gets us started in doing that.

Jesus gave his life for me, to take my life from me, to live his life through me. --Alistair Begg

Sex in the Sermon - Melissa Kruger writes about the Bible’s frank discussions of sexuality. “While parents have a clear duty to initiate these discussions with their children, they also need the church to provide repeated input and guidance. Deliberate preaching of the ‘whole counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27) will naturally encourage parents to continue these important conversations. God’s Word is not prudish about sexuality. It is careful to illustrate the pitfalls and the trappings, as well as the beauty and the blessing.”

Identities - This is a fascinating photo gallery from a photographer who finds old portraits and then shoots their subjects in the same pose many years later. It so clearly displays the inexorable march of time. It makes me think of Ecclesiastes 11 and 12.

The Day of Atonement Was a Copy - “It is common to think of the Old Testament ritual as providing the model that Jesus' priesthood subsequently copied and fulfilled.” Sinclair Ferguson explains that this is actually completely backward.

Japan’s Earthquake Before and After - Here is a series of before-and-after interactive images of Japan’s earthquake. You can click on each one to see the image fade from before (2011) to after (2013).

CBMW - Last week the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood made 5 big announcements. You may want to see the recap as they essentially reboot that ministry.

Google Hacked Our Imaginations - John Dyer writes about Google Glass (if you haven’t heard of it yet, you will very soon!) and how Google is trying to normalize something very unusual. It’s a very good article.

A Sweet Legacy - When I speak about technology I usually mention that almost half of young women check their cell phone before they get out of bed. In this article John Piper admits that he does the same, though for a pretty good reason.

Set a strong guard about thy outward senses. These are Satan’s landing-place, especially the eye and ear. --William Gurnall

Seven Things to Pray For Your Children - Jon Bloom offers seven helpful, specific things to pray for your children. “Some years back a good friend shared with me seven Scripture texts that he and his wife prayed for their two daughters from the time they were infants. The girls are now grown. And it's beautiful to see how God has (and still is) answering the faithful, specific prayers of faith-filled parents in the lives of these young, godly women.”

On Sermon Conclusions - H.B. Charles Jr. offers seven tips for crafting a powerful conclusion for a sermon.

The Professor and the Bikini Model - “A world-renowned physicist meets a gorgeous model online. They plan their perfect life together. But first, she asks, would he be so kind as to deliver a special package to her?” It’s an interesting article, and an interesting glimpse into the mind, if you want to read something a little bit longer.

Battling Sinful Sarcasm - “A friend recently introduced me as her ‘sarcastic friend.’ She said it was my sarcasm that convinced her we’d hit it off. Isn’t that how Jesus said we would be known? You know, by our sarcasm?” Ouch.

Marilynne Robinson - “The author of Gilead and When I Was a Child I Read Books says that after Housekeeping, her greatest fear was writing a fraudulent book simply to escape the embarrassments of having written only one novel.”

Eerdmans - Eerdmans is having an inventory-reduction sale. There are some good books there at significant discounts.

Rewards in Heaven - Are rewards in heaven based on our efforts or on God’s grace? C. Michael Patton answers.

Seeing is not believing. Seeing is seeing. Believing is being confident without seeing. --G. Campbell Morgan