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

23 Days - “You spend more than three weeks a year looking at your phone, according to new figures that illustrate just how central to our lives the mobile phone has become.” It doesn’t sound like a particularly rigorous study, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is just about accurate. (True of other people, that is; definitely not you or me.)

The Answers Book for Kids - Answers in Genesis has the Kindle editions of their “Answers Book for Kids” series on sale. Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4.

A Job You Don’t Love - “What do you do when you get stuck in a job you don’t love? When you’re waiting for a better one to come along, feel called to stay in certain work, or aren’t yet qualified for a job you think you might enjoy more? Is it possible to keep getting up day after day and actually have joy in your work?”

Chavez’s Last Words - “The head of Venezuela's presidential guard was with Hugo Chavez during his final moments. His report on Chavez's last words paints a picture of a man desperately clinging to life. According to this report, Chavez said: I don't want to die. Please don't let me die.” Denny Burk reflects.

Don’t Skip the Genealogies - Here is a short article to encourage you not to skip over the Bible’s genealogies.

Tweaking Tastes, Creating Cravings - 60 Minutes has a feature on artificial flavorings. It’s half-way fascinating and half-way nauseating.

A Spurgeon Documentary - Several people I know (Adrian Warnock, Aaron Armstrong and Stephen McCaskell are trying to fund a Spurgeon documentary. Here’s a personal note from Adrian.

Self-image, the concept we have of ourselves, must begin not by looking in the mirror but by looking into the face of God. --Sam Storms

A Surrogate’s Dilemma - This is a horrible story from CNN that so clearly displays the horrors of a culture that devalues life in the womb. “Crystal Kelley was offered $10,000 to have an abortion after ultrasounds showed the baby she was carrying for another couple had severe medical problems.”

The Link Between Spirituality and Sexuality - On a similar note, this article is thought-provoking. “[T]here is an embedded creational link between sexuality and spirituality. We were created for monogamy in both, and when a society loses one, it won't be long before it loses the other. Why? Because God would have it so.”

Canada’s Supreme Court Ruling - And again, sticking with a theme, Joe Carter shows why Canada’s recent Supreme Court ruling (which some think may actually be beneficial to Christians) “has potentially broad implications for the Christian witness in Canada.”

The Competition for Coolness - “James K. A. Smith, in an extended analysis of how our habits shape our orientation to the world, reflects on the impact of Facebook and Twitter on teenagers.”

Do Not Chillax - Simon Akam writes a clever article on “adjoinages and the death of the American pun”

Whatever Happened to New Atheism - This article at the Catholic Herald says that the New Atheism is already beginning to fade away. “Even to non-believers, the argument that religion is a damaging parasite seems implausible. In their everyday lives people see that atheism does not explain the fundamental questions and a godless world doesn't make us happier or even more questioning.” I sure hope it’s true! (Note: Though I risk stating the obvious, I do not endorse many of the Roman Catholic answers to those questions.)

Create a Contrast Culture - “Church leaders who stop by our little house of worship in Washington sometimes ask what we have done to produce all the discipling, evangelism, and hospitality they see. What programs are we using? It’s a 20th-century American way of asking the question. Church growth has been viewed in business terms for at least half a century, so the questioner assumes some program has birthed these activities.”

Youth is a time of life wherein we have too much pride to be governed by others, and too little wisdom to govern ourselves. --Henry Scougal

Here are a few new Kindle deals: 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); Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Phil Ryken ($4.99).

Lifestyle Liberalism - “A friend of mine who is generally liberal in his politics, cultural and otherwise, wrote the other day to describe a crisis of sorts that he's going through in his family.” It is always fascinating to see someone realize the inherent insanity of liberalism when applied to all of life.

Smithsonian’s Photo Contest - There are some spectacular entries in Smithsonian magazine’s 2012 photo contest.

A Warped Worldview - Here is yet another good reason to protect our children from pornography.

Jesus Calling - Michael Horton has a very helpful review of Sarah Young’s megaseller Jesus Calling (which, in its various editions, recently accounted for four of the top ten Christian books!). He identifies it as a book that is opposed to the Reformation principle of sola scriptura.

One Family Under God - Tom Ascol offers a balanced and helpful look at children's church and having the whole family (or almost the whole family, since I don’t think he’s opposed to a nursery) worship together.

Made Alive - This is a ridiculously catchy new song. The lyrics are pretty good too. (You can check out the whole album on Amazon.)

The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money. --John Henry Jowett

The Bible - CNN covers Mark Burnett and his miniseries The Bible (which I’m sure you’ve been hearing about). The hotel I was in on Sunday night didn’t offer the History Channel so I didn’t get to see it. Melinda Penner of Stand to Reason offers some positives and some negatives.

Peace that Trumps Tribe - From Kenya: “We sincerely plea for peace in the weeks following these elections. We may be divided on whom we want to be the next president, but we are united in echoing this prayer in our national anthem: ‘May we dwell in unity, peace, and liberty.’ And we call on Christians from across the world to echo this prayer for peace. Pray for peace that is not just superficial or temporal, but a lasting peace that finds its root and foundation in the preaching of Jesus Christ crucified.”

It’s Better to Be Faithful - Mark Altrogge says it’s better to be faithful than gifted. “There aren't many superstars in the kingdom of God. Not many have super gifts. Most of us are just average.  Gifted in small ways. But if we are faithful to use the gifts we have and serve in whatever ways we can, God will increase us.”

The Most Essential Life Skill - David Murray, in a similar vein, writes about the most essential life skill. “Those who are teachable, and remain so, usually succeed. The unteachable usually fail. I've seen that in business, I've seen it in the ministry, I've seen it among students, and I've seen it in my children.”

Were They Drowning? - Bill Mounce takes a really helpful look at a well-known story from Jesus’ life and asks why the translators inserted just one little word.

Tales From the Dugout - Baseball fans may enjoy this discussion with Albert Pujols, Barry Zito and Josh Hamilton, three Christian ballplayers.

Sermons are dangerous things. None goes out of church as he came in, but either better or worse. --George Herbert

Here’s a round-up of current Kindle deals: Standing Strong by John MacArthur ($3.99); Creature of the Word by Matt Chandler ($3.99); Glorious Ruin by Tullian Tchividjian ($4.99); The Deep things of God by Fred Sanders ($4.99); Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis ($1.99); Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart by J.D. Greear ($4.99); Think by John Piper ($4.61).

A Wedding Speech - I enjoyed this little clip of a father giving away his daughter at her wedding.

Passion Week Infographic - “This week's infographic, The Passion Week, is a chronological timeline of the major events that happened that happened during Jesus' last week before he died and rose again.”

Monergism Books - Monergism Books is having an inventory reduction sale. Use the coupon code march2013 and you will receive 15% off your entire order.

Preaching Matters - “Preaching Matters is a monthly video series designed to equip, encourage and inspire those who teach God’s word. Each month we sit down with preachers and ask what they have recently been thinking about and preaching on.” They have just added a couple more interviews.

Leaders of Courageous Character - Ed Stetzer writes about courageous leadership.

Isn't it amazing that almost everyone has an opinion to offer about the Bible, and yet so few have studied it? --R.C. Sproul

Sequestageddon - I guess the best reason to read this article is that Mark Steyn deals so well with the radical overstatement that is happening. “If I understand correctly, by the time you read this, the planes will be dropping from the skies; the drip-feeds in every emergency room will be dry; every creature on the endangered species list will have broken free from our pristine federally manned national parks to be left for roadkill in the potholed asphalt of America's crumbling interstates…”

You’ve Got - This is a great video about a unique business owner.

You’re Leading Worship Too - “There are few things more confusing to me than watching a worship team standing on the platform, and seeing the face of a worship leader who has all of his being in engaged in worship of God. But then as I survey the rest of the team, I see a bass player with a too-cool-for-school scowl on his face or a guitar player with a sheepishly bewildered or bored look on his face. Or a keys player whose face is completely expressionless, glued to a sheet of music.”

Searching for the Seventies - A photo gallery.

The Best Kind of Work - Adam Holz finds some marriage inspiration in an unexpected place.

The Age of the Brag - Here is one parents may do well to read: “The age of the brag is over: why Facebook might be losing teens.” It tells you where they are migrating (which gives you another couple of social networks you may want to keep an eye on).

The Little Flowers - I’ve seen this video twenty times but still laugh.

When we deal seriously with our sins, God will deal gently with us. —C.H. Spurgeon

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 meant to make hymns accessible, is giving away their complete catalog of 74 songs. It’s there for the taking! “To celebrate our 7-year anniversary of making music, we’re giving away our entire catalog of music for the month of March.”

We Are What We Remember - Jim Hamilton read a book I suggested, Moonwalking With Einstein, and has some very interesting applications. As he writes, he demonstrates why it is useful for Christians to read more than explicitly Christian books. (Be sure to read down a little ways.)

Economics Has Consequences - “Economics Has Consequences” is a greatly abridged version of a teaching series from R.C. Sproul Jr. Ligonier Ministries has made this abridged version free to watch online.

Three Generosities - “I think there are three levels of generosity a local church can process through given the gospel's dominion in the place and the leadership's determination to be humble and not insecure.” There is some food for thought here.

Hate Speech Ruling in Canada - This is very encouraging news from my side of the border (though, as always in this world, the news is not all good). “The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously ruled yesterday that a Sasketchewan Christian who distributed anti-gay pamphlets ‘violated the province’s human rights rules.’ However, the ruling encouraged Canadian evangelicals because it also narrowed the definition of hate speech, striking down some sweeping, unconstitutional language.”

Calvary shows how far men will go in sin, and how far God will go for man’s salvation. —H.C. Trumball