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The Best of September

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I’ve been at this blogging thing for quite a long time now—it’s coming up on ten years. I’ve been at the daily blogging thing for almost as long. This means that I’ve got an extensive backlist of articles from years gone by. I thought it might be fun to pull out some of the articles I wrote in previous months of September, stretching all the way back to 2004.

2011

Spiritual Abuse and More on Spiritual Abuse – This has become quite a big topic in the church today.

Honor, Respect & Taxes – It’s one thing to pay taxes; it’s another to respect the ones who levy them.

2010

What I Hate About Blogging – I must have been having a bad day.

On Being a Dad – I love being a dad (most of the time).

2009

The Truth About Canadian Health Care – Don’t let them tell you otherwise. We aren’t doing too badly up here.

On Visiting Saddleback Church – About the time I visited Saddleback and met Rick Warren.

2008

Calvinism and Evangelism – What we are to do and what we are not to do in evangelism.

Who Shapes Your World? – It’s always a little disappointing to see who TIME chooses as the people who are shaping our world.

2007

Spoilt for Choice – This was one of the seeds that eventually grew into The Next Story.

Bludgeoning with Providence – There is a way Christian leaders try to convince you they know God’s will for your life.

2006

It Is Good to Thirst – Yes it is.

Planned Neglect – There isn’t room for everything, so you need to plan to neglect something.

2005

The Enemy Next Door – This was an important one to me back when I wrote it.

The Infinite Value of Scripture – This is an old favorite. I think the metaphor made it into one of my books.

2004

Worshipping the Seeker – There are quite a lot of articles like this one in the early days of my site; in those days I was at a seeker-sensitive church and just starting to understand what that meant.


  • Optimistic Denominationalism

    Optimistic Denominationalism

    It is one of the realities of the Christian faith that people love to criticize—the reality that there are a host of different denominations and a multitude of different expressions of Christian worship. We hear it from skeptics: If Christianity is true and if it really changes people, then why can’t you get along? We…

  • A La Carte Collection cover image

    A La Carte (April 24)

    A La Carte: Growing in hospitality / What happens when the governing authorities are the wrongdoers? / Transgender meds for kids? / 100 facets to the diamond of Christ / Spiritual mothers point us to Christ / and more.

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    A La Carte (April 23)

    A La Carte: Climate anxiety paralyzes, gospel hope propels / Living what God has written / How should I engage my rebellious child? / Satan hates your pastor / How to navigate our spiritual highs / The art of extemporaneous preaching / and more.

  • The Path to Contentment

    The Path to Contentment

    I wonder if you have ever considered that the solution to discontentment almost always seems to be more. If I only had more money I would be content. If I only had more followers, more possessions, more beauty, then at last I would consider myself successful. If only my house was bigger, my influence wider,…

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    A La Carte (April 22)

    A La Carte: Why my shepherd carries a rod / When Mandisa forgave Simon Cowell / An open mind is like an open mouth / Marriage: the half-time report / The church should mind its spiritual business / Kindle deals / and more.

  • It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    It Begins and Ends with Speaking

    Part of the joy of reading biography is having the opportunity to learn about a person who lived before us. An exceptional biography makes us feel as if we have actually come to know its subject, so that we rejoice in that person’s triumphs, grieve over his failures, and weep at his death.