Today’s Kindle deals include a selection of good books, some for general readers and some for the more academically inclined.
Parents and/or grandparents may want to take a look at this week’s deal from Westminster Books.
(Yesterday on the blog: Why You Really Need To Be Praying For Your Pastor)
COVID-19 and the Power of a Pastor’s Phone
“Research has shown a surge in the technological capabilities and adoption of churches across the country. Even congregations that had never live-streamed a worship service embraced new technology and did whatever was necessary in order to maintain a semblance of community worship. But the most interesting and underreported aspect in these developments has been the reliance on old technology—the phone—in order to keep in touch with church members.”
Christian Colleges: God Wants You to Wear a Mask to Class
CT takes a look at various Christian colleges to see how they are preparing to welcome students back to campus while minimizing the risk of an outbreak. “At Christian colleges across the country, incoming students pledge to comply with biblical standards for belief and behavior. This year, the appeals to love your neighbor and advance God’s mission have been applied to public health guidelines too, as schools ask students to promise to disinfect their dorm rooms, limit social interactions, and wear masks to class.”
A #2020 Confession
I appreciated this prayer of confession.
Clarifying the Bible
Be sure to check out the great new resources for better understanding the Bible over at Clarifying the Bible. (Sponsored)
When to Use Your Language Knowledge
This is a really good article about when to use your language knowledge in a sermon. The answer: very rarely. The explanation? “Appealing to the grammar or the vocabulary of the original languages will likely not prove the point you hope to prove, nor should it persuade the audience you seek to persuade.”
6 Dangerous Social Media Habits for Pastors to Avoid
“Today there are many ways for pastors to disqualify—or at least embarrass—themselves, but few are as easy and fatal as social media. One friend of mine remarked recently that before looking for a church, Christians should check a pastor’s social media feed. That’s good advice.” I can’t deny that I’d do the same!
The Way Home
I was recently a guest on Dan Darling’s podcast where we talked about how Christians should engage online. (You may want to check out his book, releasing next week, titled A Way With Words.)
A Plea to Church Members: Give Your Pastor Grace
This is quite similar to the article I shared yesterday. “Pastoral ministry is already a highly criticized, stressful calling. Add a pandemic and you may have a pastor who is questioning his calling and/or is on the brink of burnout—a dangerous place to be, for sure.”
Flashback: Why We Love to Read
Some books yield nothing but nonsense; some yield nothing but ideas you have come across a thousands times before. But then, at last, you find that one that delivers. There is such joy in it. Such reward.
The law of God, though it can and does teach us the way of holiness, can never bring us holiness. The Lord God alone remains our sanctification.
—Harold Senkbeil
