Blogs

Pastor, Aim to Preach Simple Sermons
I could not agree more.

Relative to the amount of time preachers spend in critical study of a text, how much attention is given to attaining simplicity in preaching? I’ve come to believe that faithful preaching is marked by simplicity. And simple preaching best serves others by communicating the point of the passage in a clear and Christ-centered way.

How to Block All the Troubling Stories in Your Social Media Feeds
“Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to keep up with family and friends, and even a bare minimum of news, without being forced to see every dreadful thing that the Facebook sidebar throws in your face? Well, there is. It’s called Sadblock, a browser extension that will hide all the sad and troubling stories in your newsfeed.”

Withering Wives – Practical Theology for Women
“Today, husbands, I encourage you to look over at your wife and notice her. If she is withering, take the steps you need to stir up your own love and concern for her and then minister grace to her that will revive her. Christ in you equips you to minister this grace to her.”

Stop Acting Like Technology Holds You Hostage
“Never assume the newest invention is “inevitable.” Retain your humanity. Resist the robotic. You are free.”

The Pragmatic Benefits of God-Given Sexual Boundaries | Stand to Reason
“If God exists and He created us, He designed our sexuality. And if God is good, then He designed our sexuality for our benefit. Not only is this true, it has pragmatic benefits when we align our lives and behavior with our design. And recent sex scandals illustrate the destructive nature of doing things mainly because they give us pleasure rather than making wise choices that lead to our wellbeing.”

Remarkable Bible Memorization | Crossway Articles
Vern Poythress’s son with a beautiful testimony to his father:

“Eventually, I was able to goad out of Dad more precisely how much of the Bible he had memorized: the entire New Testament, the Psalter, the second half of Isaiah, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon, all the Minor Prophets, Ruth, and other select portions of Old Testament narrative. That comes to around half the Bible, at least as far as direct memorization is concerned. I then discovered that in order to keep it from fading, he tries to make a daily practice (who knows where he finds this time) to review six chapters of memorized material, in addition to his daily review of Hebrew vocabulary flashcards.”

How Reading Cultivates Empathy in Leaders
“The most effective way to cultivate empathy, not surprisingly, is by interacting with people. Through the ups and downs of life, as we laugh and cry with our friends and family, we begin to empathize with our brothers and sisters. But there’s another surprising way we can cultivate empathy—through reading.”

Book Review: All That Is in God by James Dolezal
Keith Mathison’s review of James Dolezal’s book, All that is in God.

“Thousands of theological books are published every year, and it can be difficult to know which among these books deserve our time and attention. Dolezal’s book is one of those books that deserves attention. It is an important work. The contemporary departures from classical Christian theism are no minor matter. These doctrines are influencing the next generation of pastors who will, in turn, fill the pulpits of the church. This is why it is important that those in the pews of these churches be aware of what is going on and be able to recognize departures from historical biblical orthodoxy when they see it.

Here’s John Frame’s response to the book, followed by Mark Jones’s and Kevin DeYoung’s.

Kindle Books

The Unexpected Journey: Conversations with People Who Turned from Other Beliefs to Jesus by Thom S. Rainer $2.99.