Daily Links 4-29-14

In today's roundup: chocolate is good for you, bookplates from famous libraries, how to destroy a church, and more.

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Destroy a Church in 4 Steps. Tim Challies digs into 2 Timothy 4 and shows how a church can easily self-destruct. Sadly, this is the type of thing that is happening all too frequently among churches in America.

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Another thing that unfortunately has become all too common: pastor scandals. But as this article points out, a full and public repentance is the best way to move forward.

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I totally agree with this: it's time to kill the media stereotype of incompetent fathers.

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A gallery of bookplates of 31 famous men.

The bookplate of Sherlock Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

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Science once again proves what we know: chocolate is good for you.

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Are we expecting too much or too little from the church?

I am convinced that many professing Christians are simultaneously expecting too much and too little from the church. We are now in something of a “tail wagging the dog” scenario. Many people have expectations so church leaders aim to accommodate them. If one church won’t meet their preferences they can go to another. This becomes a significant long-term problem.

The church’s role is really quite simple: to make and train disciples. If we do this then we will create a culture where friendships grow out of the gospel rather than in spite of it. Other programs will see their rightful place in the life of the Christian. As Christians we should all work together to raise the gospel flag above the other markers of identity and heartily salute it then we would be well on our way.

Read the whole thing.

Daily Links 4-3-14

Your daily dose of fun links from around the web. In today's edition: Pixar hidden goodies, baseball's new instant replay system, a class act, and more,

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The interconnectedness of everything: 30 Easter Eggs you will find in Pixar movies. Only goes to show what geniuses those folks are. (Hat tip: Wardrobe Door)

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Kids say the darnedest things especially in bookstores. Prepare to be heartwarmed. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Baseball's instant replay system was supposed help umpires get calls right. Except when it doesn't. My prediction is there are going to be a lot more stories about an overturned call being a deciding factor in a lot of games this season. That is not what Bud Selig wanted.

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When Platt wasn't enough. I really like this insight on why a church needs a flesh and blood pastor:

These days, Christians can slip into treating preaching like a consumer commodity and preachers like buffet selections. With the internet, a believer can choose a different style and a different preacher for every mood and preference. 

However, my church realized they needed a pastor. A flesh and blood pastor is crucial for the local church because preaching is an act of spiritual warfare. A pastor is a shepherd who fights in the trenches next to his sheep, defending them from the wolves. You can’t simply phone that in! Only an in-person preacher can bear the burdens of the congregation, weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. That’s what we see clearly in Scripture. Preaching and teaching are normative functions of the shepherding pastor (1 Tim 3:2b, 5:17, 2 Tim 4:2, Titus 2:1).

That is to say,pastors care for the flock by preaching and teaching, rebuking those who contradict sound doctrine (Titus 1:9). Can a preacher disconnected from a local church—in fact, completely oblivious of it’s existence—defend that flock from false teaching? Can he fend off the wolves? Can he shepherd the flock, exercise oversight, or rule well? 

A church ought to receive preaching from a man who knows the church’s struggles, their strengths, their needs, their victories—in short, knows them. True biblical preaching not only rightly interprets the Word, but it also lands and applies uniquely and specifically in the people who are sitting under that Word.

Hat tip: Challies

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Follow the truth:

Given what is taking place in the world today, do we have any indications that to follow Christ will become more and more comfortable? The Bible Belt, long the cultural bastion of “biblical values,” has long been heading toward the spiritual ruins of post-Christendom. Cultural Christianity is wasting away. And the outside world is becoming more and more hostile to the things of faith. Even some professing Christians are becoming hostile to those who will not move according to the shifting winds of the culture. And if God is doing anything in ordaining these cultural shifts to come to pass, it may be this: We are finding out who the real Christians are. (Even today, some are announcing in anger and embarrassment that they will never again call themselves evangelical, to which we must respond with all sincerity and soberness, “Thank you.”)

Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong

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Class act: Ed Sheeran grants a dying teenage girl's request by serenading her during her last minutes of life.

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Searching for a mentor? Look no further than your bookshelf.

It has become apparent to me that many people, especially young Christians seeking maturity, desire for someone to come alongside them and mentor them. I myself have profited immensely from sitting underneath the godly influence of men of faith. I believe it is a noble and holy thing to seek out men and women of faith that may speak truth into your life. You can pursue these people through getting involved in community and service. As you meet seasoned saints, you can ask them to carve out time to meet with you. However, in a church context where we have significantly more young people desiring a “mentor” than we have people who have walked through a long life of faith in God, we must be aware that there will not always be men and women of this stature at our disposal. 

We hope that a mentor will share their life with us, speak truth, lead us to pray and worship, share with us a greater knowledge of Scripture and offer insight into living a godly life. I believe that a great book can do some of these things. Your shelves can be overflowing with mentors.

Daily Links 3-10-14

Here's a collection of links to help start off your week: remembering C. S. Lewis, gifts for grammar geeks, why community is so hard to find, and more.

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Reflections from Douglas Gresham about his stepfather C. S. Lewis.

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A collection of gifts for grammar geeks.

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There's a secret corporation that controls America. Well, not exactly but that's almost right.

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Why do we have such a hard time finding community?

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In praise of long pastorates. I'm of the opinion that pastors should look to plant themselves in a church and stay there. (Hat tip: Challies)

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A collection of kitchen gadgets for the Firefly fan.

Daily Links 2-12-14

In today's edition: looking away from worthless things, happiness and marriage, an uncommon brotherhood, and more.

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Looking away from worthless things:

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about Psalm 119:37: "Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your way." 

God asks us to meditate upon things that are true, right, noble, pure, excellent, lovely and praise-worthy (Phil 4:8).  But in today’s modern world, it is all too easy it is to fill our minds with frivolous, meaningless, worldly distractions even if we aren’t trying to.  The moment we walk into a restaurant, mall, or grocery store, our senses are typically bombarded with worldly images, sensuality, and pop-culture icons.  Even if we don’t willingly participate in these things - the sights, sounds, and worldly messages we encounter can easily clutter our minds and undermine our ability to be solely focused on Jesus Christ. 

I have learned firsthand that it’s not enough for me to merely “disagree” or “disapprove” of the worldly images and messages that seek to assault my senses, but to proactively turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things, as Psalm 119 prescribes.  I may shake my head and say “Tsk, tsk!” while studying a magazine cover that celebrates impurity or watching raunchy images float across a television screen.  But this does not protect my mind from the damaging effects of those things.  And while it’s not possible to walk around blindfolded, I do have the ability to look away as soon as I encounter an image or message that is opposite of God’s Truth. 

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Innovation alert: 7 simple improvements that perfected everyday products. These are really neat.

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"Happiness is the result of a healthy marriage. It is not the reason for marriage."

The point of marriage isn’t to find our missing half. It’s to help each other become all God intended. Our future, real selves. In marriage, two people partner to that end. They see the best in each other—the person God created them to be—and they push and pull each other toward that goal. 

Don’t get married because you think he or she is “the one.” Trust me, they’re not. There’s no such thing! But do get married when you see who God is making somebody to be, and it lights you up. When you want to be a part of that story of transformation, that journey to the future. When you are well aware it will be a long and bumpy ride, but you don’t want to miss one mile. Because you believe in God’s calling on them, and you want in. 

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Always treat your girlfriend right: A World War II case study. Some food for thought in how we treat each other in relationships.

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An Uncommon Brotherhood. The true story of the Four Chaplains - men of different faiths who came together in a time of crisis to provide comfort to those in need.

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Why preach through books of the Bible?

I had a conversation with a minister friend who had been involved in discussing what pastors were preaching in their churches. While most seemed to agree that exposition of the biblical text must have priority in the church, few thought it wise to preach consecutively through books of the Bible—particularly with series that extended beyond twelve weeks. I understand the challenge of longer series but also see the value in the long run. The forty-four sermons that I preached through Ephesians in 1990–91, literally transformed my life, theology, and congregation. Eight or ten sermons would not have sufficed to uproot faulty theology and set us on a right course. The fifty-two sermons in Hebrews in 2000–01, sharpened our understanding of the gospel and its application to the whole of life.

Hat tip: Aaron Armstrong

Daily Links 2-5-14

In today's post: the value of a church having multiple pastors, Teddy Roosevelt's rules for reading, some thoughts on Gimmie Shelter, and more.

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Thom Rainer makes some excellent observations on the value of a church having more than one teaching pastor. I have been fortunate to be part of a couple of churches that had more than one teaching pastor and I can affirm everything Rainer writes in this article.

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For baseball fans, a rare color photo of Ty Cobb. Spring training starts next week. We don't have too much longer to wait.

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Teddy Roosevelt's ten rules for reading. These are some interesting guidelines to follow when selecting books to read.

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Gimmie Shelter explores the world of young women who are getting pregnant, end up on welfare, and those who seek to minister to them. It seems like unusual subject matter for a major Hollywood film. (Hat tip: Re: News)

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Is religion losing ground to sports?

While teams and fans are building powerful, cohesive communities — think Red Sox Nation or the legions of University of Alabama faithful who greet one another with “Roll Tide” — churches are losing followers. According to a 2012 survey by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and Duke University, 20 percent of Americans “claimed they had no religious preference,” compared with an unaffiliated population of 8 percent in 1990. Roughly two out of three Americans, a 2012 Pew report noted, are under the impression that religion is losing influence in the country. 

Sports are on the opposite trajectory. Fifty years ago, just three in 10 Americans considered themselves sports fans. By 2012, that proportion exceeded six in 10. Tens of millions of U.S. viewers tuned in to regular-season National Football League games last fall, with the most popular match-ups attracting upwards of 30 million viewers. Nearly 3 million people watched the National Basketball Association’s Christmas Day games. And for devotees of these and other sports, lifelong loyalty to a certain city and team is de rigueur. “Once you choose a team,” sports commentator Bill Simmons says, “you’re stuck with that team for the rest of  your life."

Simmons was half-kidding, but sports are clearly attracting strong adherents as religion is shedding them. This raises the question: Are Americans shifting their spiritual allegiances away from praying places and toward playing places? 

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A free online study on learning leadership from film.

Daily Links 1-22-14

In today's edition: the sinner's prayer, a theological toolbox, Sherlock returns, doing hard things, and more.

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Relevant Magazine asks whether the Sinner's Prayer is biblical. The short answer is no. The much longer answer which the article provides is that our focus on the sinner's prayer dilutes the power of the gospel by diminishing the much larger story of how God is at work.

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A Theological Toolbox that every pastor (and for that matter, every Christian) ought to have. I have used the theological triage tool that he references in the article time and time again. It's been an invaluable resource for us especially given some of the issues we have faced over the past few years.

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In honor of the return of Sherlock earlier this week, here is a collection of terrific swag.

A Sherlock themed messenger bag

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Continuing the introvert/extrovert discussion: 7 Ways Extroverts Can Help Introverts and 6 Lessons Extroverts Can Learn from Introverts.

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Why are pastors pulling so many stunts?  Part of it has to done with churches focusing more on entertainment than teaching Scripture.

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19 hard things you need to do in order to be successful. This is a good list to keep in mind.

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Daily Links 12-18-13

Good morning! In today's roundup of links: bestowing a long overdue honor, surprising ways to make decisions, Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks, Tim Keller on pastors who write books, and more.

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Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre are all being inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame next year for their managerial careers and rightly so. But there's another inductee who is receiving some long overdue recognition as well: Roger Angell. Follow the link for a sampling of his terrific work. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Six surprising ways to make decisions. It's an interesting list.

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Another interesting review of Mansfield's Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self.  Perhaps most interesting is that it is written by a woman.

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Disney celebrates sisterly love in Frozen. Haven't seen it yet (at least as of the writing of this post) but plan to take the family soon.

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Speaking of Disney, another movie I am looking forward to seeing is Saving Mr. Banks. Here's a list of 10 things you should know about this real life story.

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Tim Keller on whether pastors should consider writing as part of their ministry and when they should start to write books:

Pastors can write as a valid part of pastoral ministry. It is part of the ministry of the Word. The ministry of the Word does not mean only the spoken word. But when they should write is the question.

I don't think ministers should produce much in the way of book-length writing in the first half or even two-thirds of their ministry. Why? 

1. Because they are still growing in their wisdom and understanding of the Word, and they are likely to change their mind on some things. 

2. Because (yes) it will distract them from the two main ways they can grow into wise and skillful ministers with something to say. Those two things are regular preaching/teaching and a lot of pastoral involvement. 

3. I think younger ministers should earn their credibility through building up some fruitful and effective ministries. That takes literally all one's time for a long time. They should not divert valuable time for ministry to writing. I know that if a young minister sees his church grow rapidly he will be bombarded with offers to write books, but even if his church grows to thousands of people by the time he is in his early 30s, he is still not really time-tested, nor does he yet have the insights and knowledge of the Bible he will have later.

4. If you wait to write until you are older, the writing will go much faster, because you will have reams of material and many layers of thought about a lot of subjects and texts. Writing a book in your 50s will go twice as fast and be twice as good as if you try the same book in your 30s. It's just good stewardship to wait.

Hat tip: Justin Taylor via Twitter

Daily Links 12-11-13

A daily roundup of interesting things found on the web. In today's edition: two perspectives on preventing an affair, ghostwriters, pastors who write books, thoughts on modesty, and more.

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Two different perspectives on preventing an affair. First, Tim Challies shares some thoughts from a recent conference. Then the Christian Pundit weighs in with a female's perspective. Both of them make an important point: as with any other temptation, it is important to be proactive in dealing with sin. Thus it is best to have a strategy for dealing with temptation when it arises. (Related recommended resource: Hedges by Jerry Jenkins).

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This is an interesting infographic:



Source: TopMastersInEducation.com

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This is an interesting take on modesty and an attempt to debunk some of the myths surrounding it. I'm always fascinated to hear a woman's perspective on this issue.

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Aaron Armstrong shares a few thoughts on the dangers of ghostwriting. I was not aware how common a practice this is in evangelical circles. In a related post, Kevin DeYoung has a few words for pastors who write. Two quotes worth highlighting:

There is nothing wrong with being a writer first, but that’s simply not the calling of a pastor. I need to be a faithful preacher and a caring shepherd before I am a good writer. I’m very fortunate to have a church that values study and supports me in my writing. But I owe it to them, and to my calling as a pastor, to make sure that I do not become an author who pastors a church on the side.

Agreed. I wonder about pastors who are prolific writers and how they can manage to churn out books and shepherd a church at the same time.

Then there is this:

Whether in sermons or in print, it’s not okay for pastors to take credit for something that is not theirs. Granted, the lines can be blurry. But that doesn’t mean the line doesn’t exist. And just because it feels like the sin of sloth more than the sin of theft doesn’t make it less of an error.

Having personally encountered this situation I can tell you that this is a huge problem. Our churches need to be holding our pastors accountable to prepare their own sermons.

Daily Links 9-11-13

Reflections on 9/11, more on Vin Scully, a new way to protect your family from pornography and more in today's roundup of links.

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Where I was on 9/11. I wrote this originally on the five year anniversary.

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Vin Scully is truly the heart of Los Angeles.

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If the router sold by Pandora's Hope really delivers on its promise to filter out internet pornography it could be a good option for protecting your family. A review is here.

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Making an argument for shorter sermons. I'm not sure I'm in total agreement here. It seems to me the more important question is the content of the sermon rather than the length.

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How to criticize a preacher. Yes, there is a time and place where you may need to confront your pastor over something he said from the pulpit. These are good questions to ponder before having that conversation.

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How important is the style of music a church sings? Actually, the article's first point is the more important consideration:

Most important are the truth of the words being sung. Since a church sings music in order to worship God, our songs should function like a musical confession of faith. Those confessions of faith should contain substantial truth about God, or else we’ll hardly be worshiping at all.