Blogging Theologically

Theology for real life

Ligonier

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Links I like

Links

Kindle deals for Christian readers

 

 

 

 

Today is also $5 Friday at Ligonier, where you’ll find a number of great resources for sale, including:

  • Thomas Manton by Derek Cooper (paperback)
  • Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism by R.C. Sproul (hardcover)
  • The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit Teaching Series by R.C. Sproul (audio download)
  • Recovering the Beauty of the Arts Teaching Series by R.C. Sproul (audio and video download)
  • Pillars of Grace by Steven Lawson (ePub)

$5 Friday ends at 11:59:59 tonight.

Don’t Be Too Quick To Look For Fruit In New Believers

Mark Altrogge:

When we believe in Jesus we have eternal life. We can’t lose this life. But this grace of God in believers often seems to be little more than a spark. Sometimes it takes a long time for Jesus to fan it to a full flame. And as Richard Sibbes says, that small “measure of grace” is often mixed with “much corruption” and like smoke, can be offensive. Yet Christ will not quench that faintly burning wick.

This means we shouldn’t be too quick to look for fruit in new believers. Yes, some people come out of the gate like gangbusters, turn wholeheartedly from sin, and begin to share the gospel like zealots. But others, like myself as a young believer, though they have the spark of grace, put forth a lot of smoke and change very slowly.

Hand Lettering Co. 

If you’re looking for nice art, this is a great site to check out.

From the people of the cross to ISIS

Hanging Out With Your Friends is Not the Church

Aaron Earls:

Increasingly, I see younger evangelicals (like the one in this Relevant blog post) wondering if they can call their spiritual hang outs with friends a congregation. They are exploring the question: What is church?

Why You Should (Literally) Look at the World Upside Down

Trevin Wax:

It’s a figure of speech to look at things “upside down” in order to get some perspective. But what if there’s more here than just a clever turn of phrase? What if we can’t actually see our world in proper perspective unless we’ve seen it upside down?

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Links I like

Links

Kindle deals for Christian readers

A few Kindle deals today:

Faithlife has made Brevard Childs’ commentary on Isaiah April’s free book of the month for Logos Bible Software. Christian Audio’s free book of the month is Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand. And for a limited time, Reformation Trust and Ligonier Ministries have made the audio edition of The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul free.

From a Symbol of Fear to a Symbol of Faith

Keith Mathison:

I sometimes wonder how many Christians stop to think about how incredibly odd it is that crucifixes are used as works of art. Crucifixes adorn church architecture, classic paintings, sculpture, and even jewelry. But consider for a moment what a crucifix was originally. It was a means of execution. In fact, it was and is one of the most ghastly means of execution ever devised by man. So horrible was it that it was reserved for the lowest of the low: slaves, pirates, and rebels. Roman citizens were exempt. Cultured Romans considered it unworthy of discussion in polite company. Yet today we wear this symbol of degrading and humiliating death around our necks. The jarring nature of this is not immediately apparent to us because over time, the symbol of the cross has lost many of its original connotations. To get some idea of the oddity, imagine seeing people wearing necklaces with images of a guillotine or an electric chair.

What happened, then, to account for the change?

Not My Will Be Done

Jon Bloom:

No one understands better than God how difficult it can be for a human to embrace the will of God. And no human has suffered more in embracing the will of God the Father than God the Son. When Jesus calls us to follow him, whatever the cost, he is not calling us to do something he is either unwilling to do or has never done himself.

10 Reasons Big Easter Giveaways Are Unwise

Jared Wilson:

I’m not against “Easter egg hunts” and kids having fun and all that, but I think the sort of large-scale, giveaway promotion that takes over this time of year in the church calendar is profoundly unwise and in many cases very, very silly. I want to offer ten general reasons why, but first some caveats: I’m not talking about a church giving out gifts to visitors. Gift cards, books, etc. to guests can be a sweet form of church hospitality. What I’m criticizing is the advertised promise of “cash and prizes” to attract people to the church service. Secondly, I know the folks doing these sorts of things are, for the most part, sincere believers who want people to know Jesus. But I don’t think good intentions authorize bad methods. So:

Ten reasons luring people in with cash and prizes is not a good idea.

Respect Your Audience

Barnabas Piper:

Much of how to do this is nebulous, psychological, and relational rather than technique driven. It looks different from person to person and even from audience to audience. You will inevitably communicate differently to school children than to professors than to moms than to incarcerated felons – but not as differently as you might think. The suggestions below apply to all cases and have more to do with mindset than style or steps to take, and it is up to you, the communicator to determine how to apply them in every situation uniquely, but I hope they are helpful for those preach, teach, write, or otherwise publicly communicate.

Jonah and the fail

This is fun.

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Links I like

Links

Kindle deals for Christian readers

Also, today is$5 Friday at Ligonier Ministries, where you’ll find a number of great resources on sale, including the following by R.C. Sproul:

  • The Work of Christ (Hardcover)
  • Building a Christian Conscience teaching series (audio & video download)
  • Moses and the Burning Bush teaching series (DVD)
  • 1-2 Peter (ePub)
  • The Prayer of the Lord (ePub & MOBI)

$5 Friday ends at 11:59:59 tonight.

Federal Court Defends—and Broadens—Ministerial Exception

Joe Carter:

Earlier today a federal appeals court handed down an important ruling that protects the liberties of religious organizations.

In the case of Alyce Conlon v. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit rejected a plaintiff’s attempt to enforce state and federal gender discrimination laws on one of the nation’s largest Christian campus ministries.

The “Plus One” Approach to Church

Kevin DeYoung:

Are you just starting out at a new church and don’t know how to get plugged in? Have you been at your church for years and still haven’t found your place? Are you feeling disconnected, unhappy, or bored with your local congregation? Let me suggest you enter the “Plus One” program of church involvement.

I don’t mean to sound like a bad infomercial. Here’s what I mean: In addition to the Sunday morning worship service, pick one thing in the life of your congregation and be very committed to it.

 Advice to Young Pastors from R. C. Sproul, Tom Schreiner, and Carlos Contreras

This is helpful.

The Girl in the Tuxedo

Jean Lloyd:

The photo is from many years ago. I know because I am the girl in the picture. As I think back to that night, I can’t help but wonder how that girl’s life—my life—would have been different if the dance had taken place in 2015 instead of 1985.

I can’t help imagining the scenario that teenagers struggling with their sexuality face today . . .

HT: Tim

The Problem of Your Choices

Barry Cooper:

Every time I call FedEx, I end up conducting the entire conversation in an accent that can only be described as the unholy offspring of John Wayne and Judi Dench. The talking robot, who is trying extremely hard not to laugh, keeps asking me to repeat myself. For a Brit, it is absolutely humiliating. It’s as if someone has implemented the whole system as payback for nearly two centuries of colonial rule.

The last time it happened, it occurred to me that this nightmarish limbo is a familiar place for many of us. Making choices and moving on with our lives seems increasingly difficult. We find ourselves paralyzed: unable to make choices about relationships, dating, marriage, money, family, and career. I want to suggest that if we feel unable to make these choices, it’s not because we have the wrong accent. It may be because we’re worshiping the wrong god.