In a feature reminiscent of my childhood in which Sunday supper consisted of a smorgasbord of leftovers and a random assortment of other foods, I bring you an assortment of random items of interest from the past week.
R.C. Sproul offers a brief but helpful answer to the question: Can the Devil Read My Mind?
Social Media and the Fruit of the Spirit – “One of the most unfortunate but telling aspects of social media is the way many Christians use it with little concern for how it reflects on them or their Savior.”
5 Surprising Characteristics of Churches That Are Actually Reaching the Next Generation – “Everyone talks about reaching the next generation of young adults. But what really makes a church effective in reaching the next generation?”
Here’s an interesting and radical idea for a change in how churches reach young people. Have Churches Been Doing Youth Ministry Forever?
5 Thoughts on Why Lighting Will Be the Next Worship War – “Some church leaders and members prefer well-lit worship services, while others prefer a more subdued and darkened facility … Many churches are having internal disagreements over lighting. In some churches it has become contentious.”
“There’s More to Calvinism than the Five Points of Calvinism” – “The five points of Calvinism did not originate with John Calvin, they were not the sum total of his teaching – there’s much more to Calvinism than the “Five Points of Calvinism” – and TULIP is a relatively recent flower.”
Building Church Community the Right Way – An excerpt from The Compelling Community contrasts a natural and a supernatural way to create community in the church.
Here are 5 Strategies for Daily Bible Reading.
Preaching the Tone of the Text – “Every text has a truth. And every text has a tone. To faithfully preach the truth of the text, you must strategically preach the tone of the text.”
“I want to be the best mother I can be, but perhaps the most efficient way to go about this is to remove my child from the center of my universe. Perhaps then I will allow myself to be a holistic human being; and perhaps then I can grant my son that same freedom.” Parenting Persons, Not Projects contains wonderful thoughts for all parents from a mom’s perspective.
Bad News, Indeed provides Albert Mohler’s thoughts on why Playboy‘s decision to cease printing nude magazine photos actually signals a negative cultural change rather than a positive one.
Enjoy this random collection of stuff and be sure to let me know what you’ve been reading or watching that is interesting, enjoyable or helpful.
a pastors ponderings 