A La Carte (May 18)
Good morning! May the Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.
There are some really good Kindle deals today that include A Puritan Theology and Stott’s study of the Beatitudes.
Recovering an Erased Gospel
“Two hundred years ago, a nobleman on the Greek island of Zakynthos presented a visiting British soldier with a handwritten copy of the readings from the Greek gospels used in church services. On his return to London, General Colin Macaulay gave this manuscript, Codex Zacynthius, to the British and Foreign Bible Society.” Thus begins a really interesting article.
The Internet Is More Powerful Than the Printing Press
“Okay, so I know this is going to feel like a bad-opinion hot take, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. The internet is the most consequential technological advancement in human history.” I think I’d tend to agree, though obviously it’s still early days.
Create cultures not strategies
“Whatever our strategy is, no matter how strong it is, no matter how well discussed and diagrammed it is, it’s effectiveness depends on the culture of the organisation with that strategy. Put simply the culture of a church or organisation is where our strategy either stands up or falls flat on its face.”
Why You Should Read More Biographies
“In recent years, however, I’ve made an intentional effort to read more biographies, and now I’m hooked! In fact, I’ve come to believe that good biographies are essential for every library, and I regret not reading more of them when I was younger. Here’s why.”
How to Wait Patiently for the Lord’s Return
“The days are evil, and some professing Christians are wandering from the faith. Others are sick, and many are suffering. Considering all of this, be patient until the coming of the Lord (James 5:7).” Here’s how to be patient as we await that day.
Why Gentleness in Ministry Matters More Than You Think
“Preparation for ministry involves more than intellectual-doctrinal development. It also involves the development of one’s character.” Michael Kruger explains the importance of gentleness for ministry.
Flashback: Two Questions To Ask about Your Apps
As I’ve thought more and more about my apps and my commitment to them, two questions have been both challenging and illuminating.
There is something very strange in the tendency, which seems so common in human lives, to hide the joy and tell the misery. —J.R. Miller
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A La Carte (December 29)
May the Lord bless and keep you today.
Westminster Books has a lot of great deals in their year-end clearance sale.
Logos users, remember to grab the free and nearly free books of the month before it’s over.
Biblical Archaeology’s Top 10 Discoveries of 2021
CT has a roundup of the year’s top discoveries in biblical archaeology.
Between a Hamster and a Hard Place
Dan DeWitt turns an unfortunate Christmas gift into a lesson about the holiday season. “This is life though, isn’t it? We have Christmas. We celebrate. We enjoy the moment. And then real life rushes at us without as much as a warning.”
4 Questions for Your Bible Reading in 2022
Glenna Marshall offers four common but important questions to ask of your Bible reading. They are designed to help you read with greater intentionality.
4 Things Believers with Bipolar Disorder Want You to Know
Lieryn Barnett: “It’s difficult to know how to help or respond when you learn someone in your church family is suffering from bipolar, but a good place to start is striving to understand the struggle. Here are four things to know as you walk beside your brother or sister.”
Resolve to Grow in Godliness in 2022
There is some good counsel here, courtesy Jerry Bridges, about resolving to grow in godliness.
Photographer’s Solar Photo Reveals the Twisted ‘Surface’ of the Sun
PetaPixel has a fascinating new photo of the sun taken by an astrophotographer.
Flashback: How Should Christians Use Guns?Revisiting an old debate and some of the positions that were advanced…
Every Christian is either a missionary or an imposter. —Charles Spurgeon
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A La Carte (May 4)
Today’s a big day—the day Michaela finishes up high school. And just like that, our family is done with high school forever.
There are several new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Behind-the-Scenes: Christian Publishing)
Brothers, We Can Do Better
Erik Raymond: “Recently, the priority and practice of expository preaching have been recovered. I praise God for this development. At the same time, I’m concerned that our expositional reformation hasn’t gone far enough.”
“That’s Just Your Interpretation”
Kevin DeYoung considers issues of biblical interpretation. “In our day, that debate is not a technical theological controversy about popes, councils, and the magisterium. But the question is just as important because an implicit denial of the clarity of Scripture goes hand in hand with the diminishment of the study of Scripture.”
Knowing is Superior to Uncertainty
“In our society, to say that you actually know something is considered prideful, narrow-minded, and completely ignorant. The proper thing, says society, is to be a little uncertain about things. You can’t know everything, so you shouldn’t claim to know anything. Well, I just need to say this out loud: Knowing is superior to uncertainty.”
What can we learn from the ministry of J. Gresham Machen? (Video)
Robert Godfrey provides just a bit of an introduction to a key Christian figure from the early twentieth century.
The Power of Encouragement
“She started her statement casually, ‘I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times before, but…’ and then she raised my spirits with a thoughtful encouragement about how my co-lead pastor (Greg) and I complement each other as preachers. And no, I had never heard that encouragement quite that way before.” Few things cost less but accomplish more than a bit of well-timed encouragement!
Thankful God Is Not a Stranger
“In my early Christian life, when something negative happened, I’d be shaken. I wonder if this was happening because I’d done something wrong. I’d feel that God was far away. I knew He loved me, but I didn’t feel so loved. I’d ponder all the ‘what ifs,’ which would shake me up even more.”
Flashback: 6 Very Good Reasons to Consider Your Short Little Life
Our lives are short. They are, in the words of the author of Ecclesiastes, little more than vapor, dust blow by the wind. Yet the very thought that could dismay or depress you, can also motivate you. Here are some blessings that will be yours when you pause to consider your short little life.Every sorrow borne in simple faith is helping others bear their sorrows. Every burden victoriously carried is helping men and women to be braver. —George Herbert Morrison
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Who is Jesus?
This week, the blog is sponsored by the D3 Winter Conference, hosted by Boyce College. This year’s conference is designed to help high school students answer, with biblical fidelity, life’s most essential question: “Who is Jesus?” Registration is underway now for the March 10-11, 2023 in-person event.
Who is Jesus? Your answer to that question will ultimately determine your eternity. Yet, that is a question that Christians and non-Christians have been asking for more than 2000 years. As generations come and go it is vital that each new generation of Christians be challenged and equipped to answer this age-old question. Furthermore, it is paramount that younger (or newer) Christians answer this question from a biblically informed perspective. Who is Jesus according to the Bible?
In this current cultural climate, it is not uncommon for parents and pastors to wonder, is the younger generation of Christians prepared to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3)? In other words, is the 9th grader in your church youth group ready to defend their faith? Is the high school senior ready to articulate from a biblical worldview the person and work of Jesus on a college campus? These are urgent and timely questions for the next generation.
Today, Christians young and old are faced with competing ideas and claims concerning the identity of Jesus. Was he simply a wandering teacher? Was he a mythical figure used to pass down moral and meditative thoughts? These notions and others are commonly expressed in popular culture. Furthermore, many people, when talking about Jesus are prone to emphasize and highlight the qualities that best justify their personal opinions and perspective. Some want to emphasize his love, others his forgiveness, others his willingness to stand against the religious and political rulers of the day, and some are content to merely quote the words of Jesus that best serve their agenda.
So, back to the original question, Who is Jesus? At the outset of 2023, one could argue that it has never been more important for the next generation of Christians to be able to answer that timeless question. At the D3 Winter Conference we will challenge and equip high school students from the Bible to rightly understand and confidently respond to the question: Who is Jesus? Main speakers will include Drs. R. Albert Mohler Jr., Jimmy Scroggins, Paul Akin, and Rev. Scott Long. Breakouts will be led by Drs. Jeremy Pierre, Dustin Bruce, and Curtis Solomon. Over the course of the conference we will discuss the person and work of Jesus, the significance of his birth and death, be challenged by his words and commands, and discern what it really means to follow Jesus today.
At Boyce College and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, we are passionate and intentional about equipping the next generation of Christians to serve the church and fulfill the Great Commission. One of the ways we seek to accomplish that purpose is through the D3 Winter Conference. This conference is designed for Christian high school students to develop and mature in their faith. The D3 Winter Conference will take place in Louisville, Kentucky on March 10-11, 2023. We look forward to seeing you there!
