February is (almost) here, and to get the new month started right, here are some wallpapers calendars that will dress up your computer, tablet or cell phone. This month’s wallpaper is provided in partnership with Global Missions Media and Church Plant Media. A few notes: Your desktop or laptop may take any of the sizes,…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by Christian Focus. They have lots of brand new books to begin the new year and they’d love to give some of them away. They have 5 prize packages ready to ship anywhere in the world. Each of those 5 prizes contains a copy of these books: Again,…
Superbowl Fact-Checker – “Super Bowl myths. You’ve heard them all before. You’ve probably even passed them along to friends and family (I know I have). While Scripture forbids us from spreading a false report. (Exodus 23:1), sometimes, because of lack of information, we unintentionally pass along false reports in the form of myths and urban…
I once had a job I hated. Day after day I sat in a windowless basement office surrounded by hot, noisy computers. Day after day nothing happened. I had no major projects to inspire me, no big goals to work toward, no clear mission to fulfill. It was a bland and boring existence down there,…
How To Keep Your “I Do” In The Present Tense – This is a powerful one. “Don Henley of Eagles fame once sang, ‘I had a good life, before you came.’ And so it was with me. I was single. I pastored the little white Church on the corner…” And then he met her. A…
Of all the casualties the church has suffered in recent decades, I wonder if many will have longer-lasting consequences than the loss of the evening service. There was a time, not so long ago, when many or even most churches gathered in the morning and the evening. But today the evening service is increasingly relegated…
Authenticity, Honesty, and the Stay-At-Home-Mother – Here’s a challenge: “The mommy wars have made great advances in battling the false fronts of picture-perfect blog posts, where dinners always look fabulous, children are always beautifully dressed, and husbands always come home with roses. But we’ve replaced those filtered versions of our lives with other versions…” Church…
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. Life in…
A couple of years ago I began to share some infographics I titled Visual Theology. Through those infographics, and with the help of some talented graphic designers, I explored some of the great doctrines of the Christian faith: The order of salvation, the attributes of God, the Trinity, Reformed theology, the books of the Bible,…
Why Doesn’t God Answer My Prayers? – “Many people have wondered why our all-powerful and loving God doesn’t answer the prayers of His people.” We have all wondered it at one time or another. This article provides a helpful take on it. How Can It Be – You’re treading on sacred ground when you add…
I sometimes find myself grumbling a little bit about the state of publishing today, and especially the state of Christian publishing. Many of the big publishers have been gobbled up by corporations whose primary concern is not the glory of God but the health of the bottom line. Some of the medium-sized publishers seem to…
Those Dragons Underneath Our Beds – Matthew Westerholm shows that how we approach a situation reveals what we expect to find and then applies that to our approach to our worship services. Music and Alzheimer’s Patients – This is a fascinating video which displays some of the power of music. A non-responsive Alzheimer’s patient listens…
I am in the midst of a series of articles on the seven ecumenical councils of the early church. These councils commenced with the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and concluded with the Second Council of Nicaea in 787. Between these two events were five more, each of which attempted to understand and establish…
Caught on Email – You’d think people would catch on eventually, but as this article proves, people continue to get trapped by their own emails. How to Jesus Juke a Justin Bieber Story – Joe Carter means to be thought-provoking here. Dodging Haymakers Outside the Abortion Clinic – Owen Strachan: “My welcome-to-ministry moment at the…
This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by 10ofThose. 10ofThose exists to To support Christian mission through the provision of quality Christian resources. They produce small but excellent books and try to provide them to churches at the lowest possible prices. Today they are giving away 5 prize packages, and each will consist of 5…
Why I Am a Cessationist – Thomas Schreiner has written an article explaining why he is a cessationist (who believes the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit are no longer operative). Sam Storms has written his defense of the opposite perspective. 55.8 Million – Here’s just one way of understanding what it means that 55.8…
Please order my book and film Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History.
Hurry! – Yup. “Busyness is talked about a lot. We take on too much. We don’t say no to anything, because being busy makes us feel important. Look how much I’m doing! But for me? I rush because I’m lazy.” The Prideful Pursuit of Humility – “Pride and self-doubt are really two sides of the…
THE “CORNERSTONE” OF A CHURCH WEBSITE Grace and peace to you from Church Plant Media. A few months ago we shared some thoughts here about how A Church Website = an Online Building. In that post we encouraged people to consider how certain aspects of a brick-and-mortar meeting space can help people understand the form…
My children are growing up fast and, between you and me, they’re growing up a little bit faster than I had expected. My son is thirteen now, just a half school year away from being in high school. I sometimes find myself remembering when I was thirteen, and the kinds of things I awakened to…