Blogs

About those “20 Minutes of Action”: 20 Things We’d Better Tell Our Sons Right Now About Being Real Men | Ann Voskamp
“The culture of boys will be boys — means girls will be garbage and you were made for more than this, Son. ”

His students were struggling, so he ‘flipped’ his classroom. Then everything changed. | Robby Berman, Upworthy
“After 12 years as principal of Clintondale High School, Greg Green had a bad feeling: He knew his school was failing its students…”

The Weight of Glory: C. S. Lewis’s Remarkable (and Surprising) Sermon | Justin Taylor, TGC
Justin introduces the first post on the Evangelical history blog which is 75 Years Ago Tonight: C. S. Lewis Delivered a Sermon in Oxford on “The Weight of Glory”

10 Pointers for Preaching a Touchy Issue | Peter Mead, Biblical Preaching
“Sometimes we have to preach something that is potentially controversial or that may not go down too well.  Here are ten pointers to help when that is necessary.”

Russell Moore to Justice Conference: Don’t be Silent on Unborn, Sexuality, and Hell | Chelsen Vicari, Juicy Ecumenism
“During his twenty-eight minute discussion, Moore boldly laid out what it looks like to be a Gospel-centered social justice warrior. He tackled issues ranging from racial injustice, human trafficking, and refugees. But it was his mention of the sanctity of unborn life, sexual ethics, and the reality of Hell that had some in the room squirming uncomfortably in their seats.”

Christian Funerals Can Be Too Happy | Constantine Campbell, Desiring God
“Sometimes our Christian funerals are too happy. Yes, we believe our loved one is with Jesus. Yes, we believe that he or she will rise again. We do not grieve as those without hope. But we still grieve. If Jesus weeps for Lazarus, who he knows will not stay dead for long, it is appropriate that we weep for those who have died. They are with Jesus, but we will not see them again in this life. We will not speak with them or embrace them again here. It is right to grieve — with hope, yes — but still grieve.”

Why Go to Church? 50+ Things You Miss Out On By Not Attending Church | Kevin Halloran
“According to recent Pew Research data, only 35% of American Christians consider attending religious services as an essential part of their faith. Only 28% listed ‘helping out in your congregation’ as essential. The majority of self-proclaimed Christians do not know how to answer the question, ‘Why go to church?’”

Kindle Books

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

Enola Gay: Mission to Hiroshima by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts ($1.99)

Getting Things Done with Evernote by Daniel LeFebvre ($2.51)

Effortless Reading: The Simple Way to Read and Guarantee Remarkable Results by Vu Tran ($2.99)

The Conviction to Lead: 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters by Albert Mohler ($2.99)

The Marrow of Modern Divinity by Edward Fisher ($4.99). Vital companion to Sinclair Ferguson’s The Whole Christ.

New Book

Pulpit Aflame: Essays in Honor of Steve Lawson edited by Joel R. Beeke and Dustin W. Benge. See video below

Video

Pulpit Aflame: Essays in Honor of Steve Lawson

I was recently asked about the kind of qualifications a church should be looking for in a youth group leader. In this case, it was a church looking for a man from within the congregation to fill a volunteer post. Here’s my short answer of non-negotiables.

Converted: He must be born again and love Christ.

Knowledgeable: Formal qualifications like MDiv or even a Bible College degree are not required. But he should have a good knowledge of the Bible and of doctrine. If it’s a confessional church, he should be able to commit to the confession.

Respected: He must have the respect of the kids rather than be an object of their pity or ridicule. Teens and college kids tend to be a bit critical of older people or anyone in authority over them and are often resistant to direction and instruction unless it is from someone they really respect.

Organized: Someone who plans ahead, prepares well, executes tasks, keeps good time, follows up questions, etc. His instruction is clear and structured.

Friendly: He must be relatable, quick to build friendships with the kids, caring, interested, etc. Without that, no amount of truth poured out of his mouth will enter their ears, far less their hearts.

Careful: He must have a guard around his mouth – careful not to speak rashly or angrily – and a guard around his heart – avoiding every appearance of evil when it comes to his dealings with girls and young women (and I suppose we must add, also with boys and young men).

That’s my short answer. What would you add?

As for a book, why not try Gospel Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide (Published by Crossway) $11.65.

I also think Tim Challies’ Visual Theology: Seeing and Understanding the Truth about God ($10.47) would be a great book for a Youth Group curriculum. A Study Guide is in the works.

The Ten Commandments are framed mainly in the negative: “Thou shalt not.” But each negative also implies a positive, and each prohibition of vice enjoins a pleasure in virtue. So, here’s my attempt to re-frame the 10 commandments as 10 pleasures to pursue.

1. Enjoy the pleasure of knowing, worshipping and serving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

2. Enjoy the pleasure of worshipping God in ways that He approves, loves, rewards, and responds to.

3. Enjoy the pleasure of speaking and singing about God’s beautiful persons, names, attributes, and acts.

4. Enjoy the pleasure of six days working in God’s calling for you and then enjoy the freedom of one full day off work to worship God and rest.

5. Enjoy the pleasure of loving and following the leaders God has placed in your life for your temporal and eternal good.

6. Enjoy the pleasure of healthy attitudes and activities that will improve the quality and length of your life.

7. Enjoy every physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual pleasure with the wife/husband God has given you.

8. Enjoy the pleasure of growing wealth in order to provide for your family and to bless others with loving generosity.

9. Enjoy the pleasure of praising others and of promoting all that is true, beautiful, and good.

10. Enjoy the pleasure of being thankful and content with all that God has given you.

When understood in this way, Psalm 1 and others like it begin to make huge sense.

“Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Ps. 119:97).

Blogs

6 Theses on Online Writing and Civility | Jake Meador, Mere Orthodoxy
The challenging subject of online civility.

Songs of Exile | Alexi Sargeant, First Things
More comment on the research into the imbalance in modern Christian songs.

13 Reasons We Need Church History | Matthew J. Hall, TGC
“The church of Jesus Christ remains, as always, a people called to faithfulness in this age as they await Christ’s return and the consummation of his rule in the age to come. Church history is part of that labor of both remembering and anticipating—of living between the times. We tell the truth about the past, give thanks for God’s grace, and repent of sin and failure. But we do it all through the eyes of faith and gospel hope.”

Taking Back Christianese #1: “The Christian Life is All about Being Transparent and Vulnerable” | Michael J. Kruger, Canon Fodder
“Our purpose in this post is simply to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of this phrase.  We will do this by as king three questions:  (1) Why do people use this phrase?  (2) What is correct or helpful about this phrase?  and (3) What is problematic about this phrase?”

Four Ways for Fathers to Engage at Home | Jeremy Adelman, Desiring God
“The impact that engaged fathers have on significantly reducing at-risk-behavior in their children has been well documented. Additionally, fathers who are physically and emotionally engaged lead to increased cognitive development, emotional health, and positive peer-relationships in their children’s lives. This pattern points to God’s design for families to function with men as active participants, not passive observers.”

The Real John Knox | Thomas Kidd, Reformation21

New Book

A Heart Set Free: A Journey to Hope through the Psalms of Lament by Christina Fox

Kindle Deals

The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do by Jeff Goins ($2.99)

The Last Christian on Earth: Uncover the Enemy’s Plot to Undermine the Church by Os Guinness ($1.99)

What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an by James R. White ($1.99)

For the YA readers in your house:

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: Adventure. Peril. Lost Jewels. And the Fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree. (The Wingfeather Saga Book 1) by Andrew Peterson

While researching Matthew Henry over the past six months or so, I’ve discovered that his favorite Old Testament text was Isaiah 1:18: “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

It’s especially the first part of the verse, “Come now, and let us reason together,” that occurs again and again throughout his commentary and also repeatedly in his forty-four other publications. Writing as the age of reason took hold in Western Europe he was at pains to emphasize the reasonableness of God and of Christianity. In 1696 he began a series of sermons on the reasonableness of Christianity, beginning and ending the series with sermons on Isaiah 1:18.

In his commentary on the Isaiah 1:18 passage, Henry shows God’s reasonableness towards His people Israel in a number of ways. He says, here is “a demonstration, at the bar of right reason, of the equity of God’s proceedings with them,” a demonstration that should encourage us also today.

1. God did not simply reject them as hopeless because of their sinful record.

Though God had rejected their services as insufficient to atone for their sins while they persisted in them, yet he does not reject them as in a hopeless condition.

2. God came down to their level to reason with them.

The God of heaven condescends to reason the case with those that contradict him and find fault with his proceedings.

3. God requested evidence of sincere repentance and reformation before he discussed matters further with them.

“While your hands are full of blood I will have nothing to do with you, though you bring me a multitude of sacrifices; but if you wash, and make yourselves clean, you are welcome to draw nigh to me; come now, and let us talk the matter over.”

4. God did not merely criticize them but outlined a way of reconciliation.

Let them not say that God picked quarrels with them; no, he proposes a method of reconciliation.

Blogs

The Gospel Was Given for a Time Like This | Tim Challies
Much-needed Gospel clarity in an age of moral confusion.

Apparently, Christian pop music is peppier than life. | Denny Burk
Denny comments on a recent analysis of popular Christian worship songs.

The Trans-formation Of Women’s Sports | Rod Dreher, The American Conservative
Well that didn’t take long. Welcome to our wonderful new world:

High school girls in Alaska are crying foul after a male sprinter took home all-state honors in girls’ track and field. According to local reports, it was the first time in Alaskan history that a male athlete competed in the girls’ state championships.

Living a Life of Stunning Significance | Richard Phillips, Ligonier
“I have known many Christian men who felt like losers because they were never war heroes, sports stars, or corporate titans. Against this way of thinking (really, this idolatry), I submit the case of Lawrence Dow, servant of Christ.”

One Facebook, Two Worlds, Three Problems | Trevin Wax, TGC
Trevin Wax challenges our dependence on Facebook:

When we are united by outrage, we look and sound just like the world. So let’s think about the long-term formative effect of our Facebook feeds that reinforce our righteousness, and figure out ways to respond with cheerful confidence in God’s good purposes for the world.

Introducing the Evangelical History Blog | Thomas S. Kidd, TGC
As someone who has come to love history rather late in life, I’m so looking forward to this new blog partnership between Justin Taylor and Thomas Kidd.

How Giving Up TV For A Month Changed My Brain And My Life | Stephanie Vozza, Fast Company
“Watching a couple hours of TV a day can have major effects on your brain. So what would happen if you quit cold turkey?”

New Book

Missional Motherhood: The Everyday Ministry of Motherhood in the Grand Plan of God by Gloria Furman

Kindle Deals

For your non-Kindle book buying needs please consider using Reformation Heritage Books in the USA and Reformed Book Services in Canada. Good value prices and shipping.

Coffee: The Epic of a Commodity by H.E. Jacob ($1.99)

Developments in Biblical Counseling by J. Cameron Fraser ($2.99). A couple of endorsements of this book:

“Cautious, canny, and clear, Cameron Fraser’s sympathetic unpacking of this internal debate in Christian counseling is a bonus for the bemused.” — J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, BC

“Cameron knows his subject, writes simply and clearly, and assesses positions in a fair and balanced way. This book will help readers navigate the different approaches in biblical counseling.” — David Murray, professor of Old Testament and practical theology, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The Last Christian on Earth: Uncover the Enemy’s Plot to Undermine the Church by Os Guinness ($1.99)

Beating the College Debt Trap: Getting a Degree Without Going Broke by Alex Chediak ($1.99). This is a must read for anyone in college, going there, or trying to fund kids

Video

Beautiful Testimonies
I’m not a baptist, but I love these pre-baptism testimonies. I especially enjoyed Barbara’s story, the first in the video. She comes from Shawbost, the same Scottish village that my father grew up in, the same village I used to vacation in as a child, and a village I returned to often when I pastored in the Island of Lewis for seven years. Barbara was converted after 70 years of living in worldly pleasure. Watch it (only 9 mins), weep tears of joy, and pray for the unconverted in our own families with new hope. Unfortunately, the video does not allow for embedding, so you’ll have to click through.