My gratitude goes to my friends at New Growth Press who wanted to be sure you know about Dave Harvey’s new book The Clay Pot Conspiracy. It is a timely book about God’s ability and human weakness.
If you’re a Kindle user, you should be aware that there’s a substantial one-day sale coming on Sunday. I’ve got the deals queued up and you should be able to see them Sunday morning. Meanwhile, the Kindle deals continue today with selections like Rembrandt Is in the Wind.
(Yesterday on the blog: Just the Right Hymnal For You, Your Family, and Your Church)
Why You Can’t Dodge Theological Questions
Jake Meador: “Theological problems are not a distraction from the Christian life. Rather, they are the questions that arise organically out of our attempt to live that life. It is for that reason that you cannot dodge or evade the hard and even annoying questions of Christian theology indefinitely.”
Pursue Your Wife!
Though this article is written specifically for pastors, there is no reason it cannot help any husband.
Using AI for Sermon Preparation
This is a helpful article about AI and sermon preparation. Mark Barnes suggests some specific ways AI may be helpful, even while acknowledging its many limitations. As an aside, I think a key is this: Make sure you tell someone you are using it. That should keep you honest and help you use this new tool well.
Bloated Churches Aren’t Necessarily Healthy Churches
“Church bloat is a consolidation of resources. Similar to what happens during a siege. It is a ‘game of attrition.’ Mega churches have a type of efficiency that results from consolidated resources. They can have fewer pastors per attendee, can repeat church services, and livestream at other campuses. Higher-paying pastoral positions can be supplemented with lower-paying positions. Mega churches have found a way to get the ‘most bang for their buck.’”
Focus [In] the Family
“How will our families thrive if we are not, collectively as a family, becoming increasingly aware of our sin against God and each other? Families are in big trouble when members ignore their own sinfulness and focus on everybody else’s sinfulness. This self-righteous focus undermines the warmth, empathy, sympathy, compassion, partnership, and forgiveness necessary for a healthy family.”
In the Garden of God’s Glory
This is a beautiful piece of writing that celebrates the wonders of God’s creation and the human heart’s response to them.
Flashback: A Few Handfuls for Weary Little Listeners
“Would that preachers would contrive to drop a few handfuls on purpose for the weary little listeners, whose eyes would glisten if their story were to be dropped into the discourse,” he said. “And the parents would be proud to explain that ‘our minister always thinks of the children.’”
Pride is a form of cosmic plagiarism-claiming to be the author of something that is actually a gift.
—Tim Keller
