How social media made me a better person
Somebody else wrote something along similar lines recently, but I can’t remember his name.

Radical Christianity: A Call to Legalism or a Call to Live?
Ed Stetzer rounds up the recent debate and sums up: “In other words, let’s be missional and radical. Let’s be careful about making it legalistic. But let’s not be afraid to tell a consumer-driven church that has commodified the gospel that the Christian life is rooted in much more than personal comfort.”

How far is too far?
Tim Challies tackles another easy subject, and comes up with some challenging answers, or should I say, questions.

Preparing for the Future in the Age of Facebook
I’m not convinced Facebook has a long-term future, but Alex Chediak’s points can apply to most Social Media, which shall always be with us.

Listening well as a person of privilege
You won’t agree with everything here, but what a great series on how privileged majorities should listen to oppressed minorities.

Finding a real God in a chasm of uncertainty
In a world distorted and shattered by schizophrenia, one man clings to mercy and grace.

Here’s a video of Adrian Warnock and Amy Simpson discussing mental illness and the church.

Here’s Bob Kellemen with A Biblical Counseling Perspective on Mental Illness.

Lessons learned in the dark valley of depression. Great summary of a wonderful testimony.

And while we’re at it, here’s a quite stunning infographic on schizophrenia.

Source: BestMedicalDegrees.com

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Idle of the Heart
Joe Thorn challenges jobless and aimless young men.

Admiration – and a word of caution – for Angelina Jolie
Never thought I’d link to a post about Angelina Jolie, but her decision to have a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer has raised many challenging questions.

A $7,000 Online Masters Degree
The Georgia Institute of Technology plans to offer a $7,000 online master’s degree in computer science to 10,000 new students over the next three years without hiring much more than a handful of new instructors. And here’s a book review of Is College Worth it?

How fishing helps veterans heal – and land jobs
More reasons to spend some time on the water.

In praise of a former homeschooling Mom
Marty Duren pens a beautiful eulogy to his homeschooling wife which many men, including myself, can put a hearty Amen to.

American Church Planters in Scotland?
Mez answers the question: “Can Americans really get past their culture, move to the poor areas of Scotland and plant churches there?”

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How has faith shaped our view of mental illness?
A treasure trove of contributions at Adrian Warnock’s blog.

Church History in an Hour
Mike Reeves squeezes 2000 years into one hour.

Journal of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
What an amazing online resource. Every JBMW journal online, indexed, clickable. And on the CBMW blog you can read Modesty and Legalism.

Financial Advice Graduates Need to Hear
R.C. Sproul Jr. with some life-changing advice. Wish I’d read this 25 years ago.

7 in 10 Christians killed last year came from one country
You’ll be surprised which one.

Tragic Worship
Carl Truman: “The problem with much Christian worship in the contemporary world, Catholic and Protestant alike, is not that it is too entertaining but that it is not entertaining enough.”

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Sorry, College Grads, I Probably Won’t Hire You
“If you’re at all interested in media, technology or related fields, please learn a little computer programming.”

Laptop U
Extensive essay on the impact of MOOCs and digital technology on the classroom.

What does the highest paid public employee in every state have in common?
Click on the link to find out. What does this say about us?

The purpose-driven wife (and other sermon titles)
Peter Grainger challenges us to become more creative in our sermon titles. Along similar lines here’s Michael Hyatt on Four Strategies for Creating Titles that Jump off the Page.

There is Hope!
Greg Lucas guides us through one of the most harrowing disability stories I’ve read and into the hope of the Gospel.

My problem with Life of Pi
Joel Miller: “Like the version of events at sea, Pi constructs his own version of God. It’s a fantastical and nonsensical version, but it’s his. The problem is that it no more honors the Jesus Pi claims to love than his fantasy honors the memory of his mother who was murdered and thrown to sharks.”

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Lack of sleep blights pupils education
The United States has the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9 and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13 and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being adversely affected.

The danger of heart neglect
Joe Thorn warns of three dangers

Crazy Talk: How we characterize mental illness
Amy Simpson argues that the church should be leading the way in de-stigmatizing mental illness.

Should we interpret Bible verses literally or figuratively?
This is a helpful starting guide to five different kinds of biblical literature and the different approaches each requires.

What is typology?
Another helpful primer on interpreting the Bible.

The little things I’ll miss
Barry York reflects on what he’ll miss when he leaves his congregation to become professor of practical theology at theReformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh.

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Toward a Counter-Cultural Community
Tim Brister describes 11 aspects of “societal segregation” with a view to calling the church to biblical de-segregation.

Full text or notes?
Tim Ward lists pros and cons of both methods and then proposes that preachers do a mixture of both to maintain freshness.

3 Frustrations of Mental Health and the Church
Joe Padilla says that we need to re:THINK church support  so that “The focus is on relieving suffering and revealing Christ.”

A defense against pastoral burnout
Paul Tautges: “Without a plurality of shepherds, both the teaching pastor and the people suffer and do not experience the best the Lord has for them.”

Why we trust the Bible
A new Ligonier teaching series from Steve Nichols. You can watch the first lesson free.

Proverbs for Christian Blogging: Don’t make your audience throw up
Mike Leake applies Proverbs 25:17 to blogging.

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Titus 2 Tuesday
Trillia Newbell interviews my wife, Shona, about being pregnant aged 45. She is now three days overdue!

The Feminist, Pro-Father, and Pro-child case against No-fault Divorce
“In this country you can come home from work and tell your spouse the marriage is over and he or she can do nothing but cry, and fight for the best financial payout possible. Try doing that with Verizon. Or while under contract to buy a home. Or with your gym membership. You’ll get laughed at. Eighty percent of divorces are unilateral. The legal sanctioning of human abandonment must end.”

Apprenticeships could help US workers gain a competitive edge
“Think of the approach as “college-plus.” The classroom courses that apprentices take are at least equal to community college offerings in their occupational tracks. But apprentices can immediately apply what they learn, benefit from employment-based advising and mentoring, and have a chance to gain and demonstrate skills such as reliability, teamwork and problem-solving — all while earning money instead of borrowing it.”

Sex after Christianity
Rod Dreher: “Gay marriage is not just a social revolution but a cosmological one.”

The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin
This looks like a fascinating book by one of the most remarkable women in the world.

Not “That”Kind of Housework
Why many contemporary women are embracing knitting, home cooking, and a variety of domestic arts.

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A Biblical Basis for the Multi-ethnic Gospel
Multiple verses from the Psalms and prophets could be added.

The new legalism
How the push to be ‘radical’ and ‘missional’ discourages ordinary people in ordinary places from doing ordinary things to the glory of God. Along similar lines is The Radical Nature of a Quiet Life.

When can mother relax?
Kim Shay: “This is the reality of parenting; it’s a life long vocation. And we can be thankful for it, because it causes us to draw closer to God, and it gives us opportunity to grow.”

How should we teach our children about the Trinity
Here’s something I wrote on the same challenge: How can I explain the Trinity to a child?

21 skills of great preachers
“For most of my life, when sitting under a great preacher, I’ve taken dual sets of notes, including content on one list, and a separate set of notes on their communication skills. What have I discovered in these 40 years worth of notes? Here’s my summary.”

Want to talk to non-Christians?
Here are six tips from an atheist!

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Does your church inadvertently hurt people with mental illness?
Amy Simpson with some challenging questions for churches. Here are another couple of important contributions to this discussion: Mind, Body, and Medications and The role of language in the stigma of mental illness.

We are family: What African Americans bring to reformed theology
Jemar Tisby: “While it’s true that the African American community can benefit from Reformed theology as it stands, Blacks have much to offer from their own theological and cultural heritage as well.”

How older members brighten the future of the church
Thabiti: “I wonder if others observe a phenomenon I think I see in many churches: people clustering with others in their generation? The 20-somethings spend their time with other 20-somethings talking about 20-something concerns….”

Dear Mr President
A heartbroken mother tells the president how she tried to explain abortion to her disbelieving young children.

Why was Christ veiled in the Law?
Nick Batzig gathers some wonderful quotes from John Owen and Geerhardus Vos.

Everybody is thinking about retirement wrong
The first part of this Forbes article is rather technical, but there are some thought-provoking points towards the end where he argues that “retirement as a cultural concept needs to go away.”

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How to visit someone in the hospital
It really is this simple and should not create the angst-ridden procrastination that is so common.

Mental Illness and the church: Interview with Amy Simpson
Worth reading, especially for Amy’s answer to the question:  ”What is the most important thing you want everyone to understand about mental illness?”

Why professors at San Jose won’t use a Harvard Professor’s MOOC
Important words: “”In spite of our admiration for your ability to lecture in such an engaging way to such a large audience, we believe that having a scholar teach and engage with his or her own students is far superior to having those students watch a video of another scholar engaging his or her students.”

What I wish my pastor knew about the life of a scientist
Fascinating perspective from Andy Crouch about his scientist wife.

Three Cheers for the Twidiocracy
I join with Thomas Kidd as he gives three cheers for Twitter.

5 Ways to Teach your Kids about Sexual Development

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Better than the Beginning
Here’s a podcast interview with Rich Barcellos about his new book on creation. Here’s my endorsement of the book: “Although many Christians have been been engaged in a life-or-death battle to defend the truth of creation against evolutionary attacks coming from inside and outside the church, there has been little exploration of the doctrine of creation in all it’s glorious height, depth, width, and length. Richard Barcellos has begun to remedy this neglect with a God-glorifying, soul-edifying, life-transforming survey of this majestic and practical subject.”

Lauren Chandler on Treasuring the Gospel in your Home
I’ve been so looking forward to Gloria Furman’s new book.

Stewards of Wealth Streams
Four Silicon Valley residents who are wielding their region’s capital for good.

You can’t pack everything into a sermon
But it doesn’t stop us trying.

With mental illness in the family, you don’t get lasagne
No cards. No visits. No fruit baskets. No flowers. No casseroles.

Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission
I’ve just finished Amy Simpson’s new book and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone wanting to get a better understanding of and compassion for those who suffer with mental illness. Here’s the deeply moving trailer for the book.

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How entrepreneurs come up with great ideas
Start by looking at what’s bugging you.

We are a deeply needy people
Timmy Brister: “The diversity of spiritual gifts reveals the incredible depth of our need.”

Preparing College Students for Graduation
Kevin DeYoung with the ABC’s of preparing students for the real world.

5 Ways to Grow as a Homemaker
Plus 97 resources!

Why the doctrine of the atonement matters to the poor
Mez: “There can be a misapprehension in some circles about how we minister to the poor effectively. I was at a conference recently and the discussion centred around handing out food and other necessities.”

A prayer about the law becoming sweeter than honey
Beautiful balance.

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A pastor’s role in evangelism
See also Brian’s new book on Jonathan Edwards’ prayer life. All proceeds of this book’s sales will go to the medical bills of Brian’s mother-in-law who is now terminally ill.

The George Whitefield Principle
“One of Whitefield’s keys to connection was simple: he preached without notes.”

The truth about how much workaholics actually work
About 20% less than they say, apparently.

5 Books on a subject your probably scared to look at
The subject is “The Millennium” and Aaron has some good picks here.

Sexual lines no pastor should cross
Seven negatives and seven positives.

Getting through a preaching slump
This is excellent holistic advice.

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Preach the Old Testament as if Jesus was risen
If you think the Gospel started in Matthew. You only missed it by 39 books.

The Messiah in the Old Testament
“This book transformed my view of the Old Testament and just might be one of the most important books I have ever read.”

5 Challenges to Preaching from the Decalogue
A follow up to 5 Advantages to Preaching from the Decalogue.

How Good is God for the Soul
A beautiful article from Dr Eric Johnson, one of my favorite thinkers, on how to use God’s attributes in counseling.

Sorting out the physical and the spiritual
Dr. Michael Emlet gives CCEF‘s take on the physical/spiritual connection in mental/mood disorders.

How not to say the wrong thing
I don’t agree with everything in this article, but the core principle is a pretty good rule for avoiding saying something wrong in a crisis situation.

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This is bad, but God is bigger
A pastor whose home was destroyed in the Texas explosion draws some ministry lessons.

With bookselling in deep turmoil, book sales are on the rise
Good news for authors at least.

Puritan Seminary News
Here’s an update on our new building expansion project as well as a link to Dr Beeke’s interview about the Puritans with Desiring God Ministries. Our Graduation speaker on May 10 will be Dr Michael Haykin. And registration to our annual conference is now open. This year’s theme is The Glory and Beauty of Christian Living.

Babies & Bathtubs
Shona finishes up her tongue-in-cheek look at being pregnant in America aged 45. If only the wee guy would now decide to appear.

Why George Bush is smarter than you
And here’s a dignified video interview with President and Mrs Bush.

How to focus in an age of distraction
10 things to do before you click.

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Sermonic Echoes
Barry York with four ways to make sermons echo in our hearts and around the world after they’ve been preached.

Brain Malfunction verses Mental Illness
Paul Tautges has a go at helping us find better language for some mental/emotional disorders.

Is it time to overcome our cultural elitism?
“Let us get out from behind our cultural elitism and instead look firmly forward toward a vision of a church that is made up of all nations, all tongues and from every tribe.  Accents of all kinds are welcome here.  Workers from all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds are invited to join us in building healthy gospel centered churches in Scotland’s poorest communities.  The gospel destroys every dividing line.”

Responding to sexual brokenness in our churches and families
Some horrific stats here. And grace.

Christians, Mickey Mouse, and Baseball
Jason Helopoulos with a bullet-point theology of pleasure

The Threat of Gospel Amnesia
Here’s a great extract from a book I’m looking forward to reviewing in the next week or so. It begins: “I used to be a Christian who didn’t think about Jesus. I was bored with him. I remember telling my husband one day that I was tired of hearing him say, “Jesus loves you, Luma.” It all seemed trite and superficial. I wanted, I needed, something deeper.”

5 Tools Needed to Reach Today’s Teens

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How abuse changes a child’s brain
Along similar lines: This is your brain without Dad. And, at last, hope of a blood test for mental illness.

White superiority, Majority ministers, and Minority contexts
I’m afraid that I identify too much with Ethan Seifried. Hoping to speak about this topic today at PRTS chapel. Here’s another challenge from Danny Slavich: Are you ready for our multi-ethnic, multi-cultural future?

What happens when you really disconnect?
Tony Schwartz assures us that if we can push through the pain barrier, there’s paradise on the other side.

Are you Counseling a Saint, Sufferer, or Sinner
Trevin Wax highlights some helpful distinctions from Mike Emlett’s book, Crosstalk.

Mental Illness and Medication
Ed Stetzer continues his helpful discussion of this difficult issue.

I’m just not wired that way
Marc Cortez on the blessings and challenges of being an introvert.

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Apprenticeships need more respect
Some amazing statistics and profound lessons.

They can try to disrupt her funeral but they cannot dishonor her legacy
I was a passionate Thatcherite in my late teens and early twenties, so much so that I campaigned with one of Winston Churchill’s grandsons as he ran for a completely unwinnable seat in one of the most dangerous parts of Glasgow. Michael Milton’s article on Margaret Thatcher and the Boston bombings brought back a lot of memories. Barbara Challies reflects on Amanda Thatcher’s powerful scripture reading at the funeral. Anne was in the Houses of Parliament when the death was announced.

Are biblical counselors sin maximizers?
My friend Bob Kellemen interacts with an article I wrote that attempted to bring differing views/emphases in counseling a bit closer together. You can read my original article here.

Dear Son…
A Father writes to a son about how to pray out loud in front of other people.

When you need help finding an Old Testament Commentary
Remember Tim Challies’ commentaries series as well.

Top 10 ways to ruin your child’s imagination

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7 Reflections on an adoption that wasn’t meant to be
Deeply moving post from Justin Taylor. See and admire the gold of God’s work shining brightly in this dear brother’s life.

The Boston Bombers were outside their house
Interview with Stephen and Emily McAlpin, a Christian couple whose home was caught in the crossfire of 200 rounds last Thursday night.

Keeping our eyes on Christ
Robert Rothwell turns to Hebrews 12 to help him in the fight against distraction.

Discussing & Dealing with Pornography
Four helpful takeaways from Anthony Carter’s discipling of a generation who have been harmed by exposure to porn.

A brief lesson in letter-writing
How do you get people to pick up the phone to enquire is they are eligible for a refund? “Say what you mean; be brief; ask for action; follow up if you hear nothing.” Something for preachers here too?

What can we do to reduce the risk of suicide?
Sound advice from Adrian Warnock. And Hope for the suicidal mind from Paul Tautges.

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How Mollie Hemingway introduced the nation to Kermit Gosnell
Trevin Wax traces the amazing impact of one Christian journalist in calling national interest to a story most mainstream media outlets were trying to ignore.

Mental illness and the church
There may be a few phrases that could be tweaked in this article, but it’s good to see such an influential website dealing so carefully with this issue.

Belief in angry God associated with poor mental health
With the usual qualifier of “this does not explain every case of mental illness.” (HT: Joel Miller)

Cultivate Gospel Conversations by Listening
A much neglected area of Christian discipleship.

Babies and Bathtubs (2)
My wife, Shona, continues her humorous series on being pregnant in America. Today she look at some of the “trendy questions” she’s been asked.

Why pastors quit
Jason tries to slow the quit rate with some biblical encouragements.

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