Curated content for Christians
How to Read a Book – “Reading a book seems like a pretty straightforward task, doesn’t it? And in some cases, it is. If you’re reading purely for entertainment or leisure, it certainly can be that easy. There’s another kind of reading, though, in which we at least attempt to glean something of value from…
The Incredible Disappearing Evangelist – Smithsonian magazine tells an interesting story from days gone by. “Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist, faith-healer, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church and builder of the Angelus Temple, was believed to have disappeared during a swim on May 18, 1926. In the hours that followed, rescuers were sparing no effort to…
The Power of Stories – I enjoyed this interview with Mark Gilbert. He wrote a book titled Stepping out in Faith which is a compilation of stories from people who have left the Roman Catholic church as they’ve sought to follow Jesus. An Exceptional Dad – This is a good one: “I don’t want to…
7 Ways Fathers Provoke Their Children – “The Bible tells fathers to do two things: bring children up in the ways of the Lord and do not provoke them. How can a father avoid provoking his child?” Here are 7 ways dads may provoke their children. F-35 – Here’s an interesting article on the long-awaited,…
A Guide to Metadata – The NSA scandal has often involved the word “metadata.” This article at the Guardian shows you what kind of information can be stored every time you send an email, snap a photo, and so on. A Story Already Told – “I listened to that friend describe utter heartbreak and, in…
Three Buzzwords – “When writing and speaking about Christian themes, it can be easy to adopt the popular language associated with an idea without realizing the implications of the words we use to describe, teach, or communicate these concepts. It’s important for us to think through the way we talk and grasp the influence that…
Filled with Frogs – Mark Altrogge: “If Pittsburgh were overrun by frogs, and even the Steelers had frogs in their bedrooms, I don’t think I’d forget that. But God knows our tendency to forget, so he warned Israel about forgetting his mighty deliverance. And you know what? They forgot.” The Sufficiency of Scripture – The…
Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Seminary – “When I started seminary in 2009, I didn’t know anybody who had done it before and was too thick-skulled to ask for advice. So while I think the following advice is worthwhile for anyone considering or already in seminary, I was slower to learn most…
The Newest Evangelizer – I found this an interesting article: “Is Jim Gaffigan technically employed by the Catholic Church? The thought occurred to me in a week during which I saw the awesome Catholic comic speak in person and did some reporting about the church’s major new outreach effort it calls ‘the new evangelization’.” The…
The Genius of Tyndale – From The Telegraph: “William Tyndale was burned at the stake for translating the Bible into English. He loaded our language with more phrases than any other writer before or since, says Melvyn Bragg.” Realistic Lincoln – “Hollywood special effects artist Kazuhiro Tsuji has made ‘Portrait of Lincoln, ‘a hyper-realistic bust…
Everything I Know About Pastoral Ministry – Thabiti Anyabwile: “Nearly everything I think I know about pastoral ministry I’ve learned from someone else. Usually the learning has come in one-sentence statements mentioned in almost throw-away lines. Often it’s been driving along in the car talking about life and ministry.” He shares some of those lines.…
A Hundredfold – This is a powerful article. “Homosexuality is an issue I have battled with my entire Christian life. It took a long time to admit to myself, longer to admit to others, and even longer to see something of God’s good purposes through it all. There have been all sorts of ups and…
A Christian View of Suffering – “In a recent lecture delivered at Houston’s Lanier Theological Library titled “Going Beyond Cliches: Christian Reflection on Suffering and Evil”, Don Carson proposes six pillars to support a Christian worldview for stability through suffering” Afraid of Thunder – As a fan of the Blue Jays, I can’t tell you…
The Explicit Gospel – Matt Chandler’s book The Explicit Gospel is free this month at ChristianAudio. Bart Ehrman Is At It Again – “Someone turned my attention to an article in the Huffington Post by Bart Ehrman called ‘Who Wrote the Bible and Why it Matters.’ The essence of the article is an argument that…
The Mirror of Parenting – “For a parent, sometimes looking at our children can be like looking in a mirror. There are some moments when a glance in this mirror can bring amazed joy, and other moments, an ashamed ache. In many ways children reflect both what is lovely and what is ugly in the…
Two Kinds of Funeral – Gene Veith reflects on two funerals he went to and the differences between them. “Our culture does not know how to handle death. We insulate ourselves from it. The dying pass away out of sight. We are terrified of death. And so we sentimentalize it.” The New Purpose of Marriage…
Reformed Expository Commentaries – The Reformed Expository Commentary set is my favorite commentary set. I use the volumes for both sermon preparation and devotion. To mark the release of the newest volume (Philippians) Westminster Books has all of them on sale at 50% off (52% off if you buy the whole OT or NT). You…
Five Lies Sin Tells Me – Stephen Altrogge offers up five lies that sin tells us. Why Coffee Is Called Joe – I learned this a few days ago when listening to a biography of FDR. Why is coffee called Joe? Now you’ll know… A Grassroots Movement in My Church – Kevin DeYoung: “At a…
Firestorm – Here’s a fascinating site: “The photograph of the Holmes family hiding from a violent bushfire in Tasmania was shared around the world. But what became of them? In a unique multimedia project, the family speak exclusively to the Guardian about the day their community was devastated, and the new breed of bushfire that…
Last Inspection – “The soldier bent to his work, careful as a diamond cutter. He carried no weapon or rucksack, just a small plastic ruler, which he used to align a name plate, just so, atop the breast pocket of an Army dress blue jacket, size 39R.” Here is the precise ritual of dressing America’s…