Through the past couple of weeks I have been fighting for joy, fighting to find joy in the journey. It has been one of those times that I’ve been longing for God but have seemingly found so little of him. And so this morning, when I opened up The Valley of Vision, as I so…
A little while ago I was sorting through my files and found a document where I had jotted down quotes from four different books I had read at just about the same time. They are vastly different books so it was kind of interesting to me to see the juxtaposition between each of the quotes.…
It’s Friday and that means I’ve got another Free Stuff Friday for you. This week’s sponsor is The Good Book Company (www.thegoodbook.com) which produces some great, practical resources that help Christians grow in their faith and reach out to others with the good news of Jesus Christ. Their Good Book Guide Bible studies cover a…
Divorcing Fact From FictionMacArthur does a good job answering the claim that divorce rates are no better among Christians than among others. “I don’t believe it, and in fact, I believe that is to dishonor the Lord, to say that the power of Christ is zero in a marriage–the power of the Holy Spirit in…
It is time to announce the next classic book of the Christian faith that we will be reading together. The impetus for this project was the simple realization that, though many Christians want to read through the classics of the faith, few of us have the motivation to actually make it happen. This program allows…
Preaching CurriculumBiblical Preaching looks to a book called “Explosive Preaching, where the author describes the one-year curriculum he helped to design for a house-church movement in China. The radical design is worth sharing, not only for those who share my fascination with things academic, but for all of us as a good nudge in our…
Some time ago I was reading the site of a Roman Catholic apologist and read a statement that showed a misunderstanding of Protestant theology. And there may be good reason for this error. The author said simply, “Protestants do not believe in confession.” The statement is correct only insofar as Protestants do not practice auricular…
A Life of HumilityDoug Nichols, founder and international director emeritus of Action International Ministries, shares a great little story from his life (and the life of Francis Schaeffer). 50 Factors Within Nations that Determine Their Wealth or PovertyThis looks like a very interesting series. It was taught by Dr. Wayne Grudem over four weeks at…
Martin Luther got it right when he said, “No theology is genuinely Christian which does not arise from and focus on the cross.” The cross of Christ is the very center point of the Christian faith; indeed, it is the very focal point of all of history. No event will or can be more significant…
Memorial Day 2009Boston.com has another one of their great photo essays, this one commemorating Memorial Day 2009. A Mother’s Heart for Two Brave ChildrenA year after the tragic death of Maria Chapman, her mother, Mary Beth Chapman, reflects on all that the last year has brought. Ida: Humankind’s Earliest Ancestor! (Not Really)TIME Magazine offers some…
Some time ago a friend sent me a little gift she knew I would enjoy. It is a small book, published in 1959 titled Soul-Winning Made Easy and subtitled (The Encounter Method). It was written by C.S. Lovett who founded Baldwin Park Baptist Church (which, strangely enough, was later renamed Personal Christianity Chapel). This book…
Why Memorial Day Is Worth RememberingRev.Kev. tells us why Memorial Day is worth remembering. The Climate-Industrial ComplexWSJ: “Some business leaders are cozying up with politicians and scientists to demand swift, drastic action on global warming. This is a new twist on a very old practice: companies using public policy to line their own pockets. The…
There are a couple of songs we sing in church for which I’ve seen only the barest information. In our bulletin we generally record at least the author, composition date and name of the tune. For these songs we’ve got nothing (except, in one case,the author’s name). I thought I’d put them up here today…
Here is another roundup of a few books I have received but have chosen not to review. Also, this week I’ll list some of the books I’ve received–ones for which I’ve not yet made a decision either way. Encouragement: How Words Change Lives by Gordon Cheng. This little book, published by Matthias Media, seeks to…
It’s Friday and that means I’ve got another Free Stuff Fridays for you. This week’s sponsor is Ligonier Ministries which I’m sure you know primarily as the teaching ministry of R.C. Sproul. Everyone knows that Dr. Sproul has written many, many books over his career (60 titles and counting). What you may not know is…
This is a topic I’ve written about before, but one that has been on my mind again lately. I’ll be interested in your feedback on it. Ted Wallis, a doctor in Austin, Texas, recently came upon a lost child in tears in a mall. His first instinct was to help, but he feared people might…
Dan Brown’s AmericaAn interesting Op-Ed from the NY Times. “It isn’t just that he knows how to keep the pages turning. That’s what it takes to sell a million novels. But if you want to sell a 100 million, you need to preach as well as entertain — to present a fiction that can be…
On this, the final day of the reFocus Conference here at Moody Bible Institute, we heard first from Henry Blackaby who is the Founder and President Emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International in Atlanta, GA. More on that in a moment. In the day’s middle session Crawford Loritts brought a sermon on the necessity of the…
Day three of the reFocus conference began with a talk from Ken Davis. Ken is a humorist–a comedian, really. I don’t quite know what to say about this session. He drew out a couple of messages he wanted to communicate to the pastors here and did it with a whole lot of laughter. My best…
Christians Suffer in the Delivery RoomChris Brauns offers a reflection on suffering. “Would you not agree that there is a fundamental difference between pain in the cancer ward and agony in the delivery room? One is suffering that brings life; the other is that of death.” Compassion TodayThe current edition of Compassion Today has a…