A wealthy woman wanted to hire a chauffeur. As each applicant came to be interviewed, she had him drive her along a narrow, winding mountain road with a precipice on one side. All of the drivers, in an effort to impress her with their driving skills, drove as close to the edge of the precipice…
12 Things – Mark Altrogge challenges us with twelve things to do when we’re criticized. “We will all be criticized at one time or another. Sometimes justly, sometimes unjustly. Sometimes others’ criticism of us is harsh and undeserved. Sometimes we may need it. How do we respond to criticism?” 10 Questions – Trevin Wax says…
Love the sinner, hate the sin.” That’s a well-worn Christian mantra, an expression of conviction that even while we stand firm on what constitutes right and wrong, we will continue to love those who do what is sinful. We use the expression to affirm love for others even while expressing that their sin is really,…
He Who Sits in the Heavens – This article has a couple of very insightful points about worry. “I begin to worry because I don’t like unknowns, and I don’t like feeling out of control. To compensate, I often try to keep tabs on all the possible variables that could affect the outcome, flattering myself…
Today we will be introduced to the next big thing–the next next big thing, that is. This afternoon, in one of Apple’s much ballyhooed events, they will take the wraps off what most expect to be the iPad Mini, a scaled-down version of the iPad. The iPad Mini will be smaller and less expensive than…
What’s Your Hurry? – A good article about always being in a hurry: “Through most of the time I’ve been on this earth (51 years), people couldn’t get a constant flow of information and stimulation from electronic screens, much less screens they could hold in their hand wherever they went. Live like that every day,…
Last week my wife and I sat down and watched C.J. Mahaney’s keynote address from the Strengthening Your Marriage in Ministry event at Southern Seminary. His talk was titled “Marriage and Pastoral Ministry” and in it he shares with future pastors some of the lessons he has learned along the way and some of the…
Blind Spots and Lane Changes – Thabiti reflects on leadership: “The problem with blind spots is you don’t see them. Blind spots make lane changes surprisingly dangerous. It happens in leadership, too. Leaders have blind spots. I know I do. We don’t often discover them until we’re making a change, adjusting course. You’re cruising along,…
I suppose it should come as no surprise that the Bible has a great deal to say about anger. Anger is, after all, not only a result of sin but also a common cause of sin. Here is what the Bible has to say: It is good to be slow to anger. Those who are…
I Want to Die in the Trenches – “The local church is the front line of ministry. In the battle against the spiritual forces of evil, the church is the trench. Christ’s bride is dug in, charged up, and ready to die for the freedom of souls. I relish the trench. It’s messy, at times…
This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by CBD Reformed, a company you know well by now, I’m sure. As they always do, they are offering five prize packages, each of which will contain the following three titles: In addition, CBD Reformed is offering a 4-day sale (October 19 – 22) on the following three…
True Contentment – Elisha has a helpful reflection on true contentment. “Really, it’s never about those outer things, even those profoundly good outer things; contentment doesn’t come through a sentimental inventory of the blessings in this life. The abundant good I’ve known has never (yet) been stripped away leaving me with no visible reason for…
It’s funny where life’s little defining moments can come from. It’s so often through words that are so obvious to other people, but somehow they’ve just never stood out to you. As a young man Jerry Bridges was at a Bible study group and heard this: “The Bible was not given just to increase your…
John Piper will Vote – “Having read several articles by people who don’t plan to vote in the presidential election, my conclusion is: I’m going to vote. It seems to me that the good that can be done, presumably by the protest of not voting, is mainly done by talking about not voting rather than…
I’m so busy. You’re so busy. We’re all so busy–so busy that we can’t possibly fit one more thing into our schedules, or one more relationship into our lives. That’s life in North America, or perhaps just life in the twenty-first century. In an article in the New York Times, Tim Kreider says that we…
An Unparalyzed Faith – This is an amazing article to find in a mainstream newspaper. Pastor Robert Shelby was paralyzed in a diving accident. Here is what happened when he realized he was drowning: “I began praising him for his grace, for saving me, sending his son, those type things, praising him for the privilege…
While most of what finds its way into my mailbox is books, I also receive a surprising amount of music. This works out well since I happen to love listening to music while going about my daily work. Here are a few new and noteworthy albums you may want to take a look at. Hymns…
Is it fact or fiction? That is the question everyone asks when they first encounter Jonathan Cahn’s book The Harbinger. The answer is both, I guess–a little from column a and a little from column b. How about this: The Harbinger is meant to be fact presented in the form of a novel; in reality…
He’ll Love Us Now – “It is not hard for me to believe God has put away all my old failures that occurred before new birth. What is hard is to believe that God continues to put away all my present failures that occur after new birth.” Dane Ortlund goes to Romans 5 to find…
One of the interesting and significant new realities of life in a digital world is that we are finding new and original ways of building community. There was a time when community was largely related to and dependent upon geography. Community was based on shared space, so our sense of belonging was tied to the…