Today marks my 22nd wedding anniversary, though Aileen and I are 550 miles apart! In fact, this is the first of our anniversaries we’ve ever spent away from one another (since I’m still quarantining with my kids in Kentucky)! One week to go…
There’s a pretty good list of Kindle deals today, especially as Saturdays go.
(Yesterday on the blog: Sometimes “Love Your Enemy” Means “Love Your Spouse”)
Culture Check: The Welcome
This is a good reflection on gospel doctrine and gospel culture. “Our church culture should match our church doctrine. The latter shapes and informs the former. Since our primary doctrine is the Gospel, then our culture should align. Do we have a gospel culture?”
The Little ‘C’ Catholic Church Explained
“A multisite megachurch in the suburbs of a medium-sized city decided they wanted to reach the students of the city’s downtown university. What a great idea! To this end, they decided to plant a ‘campus’ of their church two blocks away from the university’s campus. Incidentally, that put them literally next door to my friend Greg’s church. Greg is an excellent preacher. His church has been growing steadily—some might say quickly—through his tenure. It’s even Southern Baptist, just like the megachurch.” That’s revealing…
Remote Work Is A Platform
It’s an interesting one, this. “In-person office work is a platform. It has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some things are easier in person (meetings, if you’re into those), and some things are harder (getting a few hours to yourself so you can focus, if you’re into that).” (Note: one bad word)
Fiery Foundation
“When God was doing his creative work of forming granite, there was heat and pressure. Hot, molten magma. And yet, today, one walks along the rocks and marvels at the beauty of pink granite with black stripes woven throughout. How beautiful! Such is our life with Christ. The heat and pressure are so difficult. What is he doing? How long must we suffer or struggle? How long must we wait?”
What Age Will We Appear in Heaven?
While acknowledging that all we can do with such questions is speculate, I still enjoyed Randy Alcorn’s speculations here. “We don’t have direct biblical teaching on this, but we do have the direct biblical teaching of having real actual human bodies as created by God, not subject to sin and death and suffering. We can expect continuity of appearance, and that just as Jesus looked like the Jesus that He was, we will look like the people that we were. You will look like Tony. I will look like Randy. We will be able to recognize each other, all that.”
The Future of World Christianity Is African
I’ve read lots of articles on this theme of the future of Christianity being African, but I found this rationale especially interesting.
Stand in the Day of Trouble
“How shall we live in a world that is becoming irrational and instinctual literally day by day? How shall we live in a culture that has decided to call good evil and evil good? How shall we live in a world that cannot recognize the wisdom of God in the gospel? The answer is as simple as it is straightforward. We must stand.”
Flashback: The Mark of the Most Successful Worship Leaders
A worship leader serves his congregation best when he chooses songs they can sing and sing well. He is highly attuned to their ability…When he steps back and hears his church singing—really singing—, his joy is complete.
Don’t be discouraged. God has you exactly where he wants you. He knows just how he will use what makes you afraid in order to build your faith.
—Paul David Tripp
