Links I like (5/4/13)

The most important type of church. Alistair Begg said it’s a Bible-centered one. Nicole Cottrell disagrees. 

4 ways Christians are getting the gay debate wrong. Jason Collins’ recent announcement sparked lots of talk. Here’s a view by Justin Lee, author of Torn (a book I highly recommend for Christians read to better understand our gay brothers and sisters).

How to stop getting paralyzed and start making better decisions. By Jeff Goins.

Silencing techniques. If you’ve ever silenced anyone with one of these techniques, stop. If you’ve ever been silenced by someone, next time speak up about it.

Christians, we must love our Muslim neighbors, too. Josh Graves took some heat for this—especially in light of the Tsarnaev brothers’ recent atrocity—but he speaks truth. 

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More links I like

Links I like (2/22/13)

As a woman living in the 21th century, I will live as though. . . . A beautiful manifesto that cuts deep into who we really are, from Emily Wierenga.

Why the church should be like the postal service. In this case, anyway. Is your church well-positioned?

When you’re not sure, maybe you need to do something anyway. Jeff Goins says, “Not knowing was never a good enough reason to not act.”

What is love? This video reminds me of how committed my own dad was to take care of my mom with her Alzheimer's. This is love.

(Generic) Prayer Request Generator (ht @Adam Jeske)

Cam Newton helps a military man make a proposal. But listen to how the girlfriend answers. You’ll smile. 

Wanna feel happy? If you don’t know Kid President yet, watch his pep talk video first. Really. He’s awesome. Then watch this one:

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More links I like

Links I like (11/02/12)

How to fit prayer into your overloaded life. “Prayer and the busy, distracted life” by Tim Kerr.

A prayer for enough. A short prayer by Randy Harris asking for “enough pain to allow us to be compassionate, enough failure to be humble in all things, . . .”

The world is watching how we treat each other. How are we doing? What a Google search revealed.

Speaking of which . . . Rachel Held Evans is hiding in your church. You may not recognize her, but don’t dismiss her questions when you hear them. They matter and need to be discussed.  How Don Richie saved lives by looking out his window. And was awarded a medal for it.

Three-point pattern about what we believe about heaven.

6 warning signs we’re becoming Accidental Pharisees. “I’ve found that becoming a modern-day, accidental Pharisee is a lot like eating at Denny’s. No one wants to go there. We just end up there.”

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Links I like (8/18/12)

The spiritual value of wasting time. Oh, how I hate to waste time. But if it’s wasted on another human being, is it really wasted? I need reminding over and over.

Do you own too much stuff? Get clear about what you own and why. It may be costing more than you think.

5 corrosives to faith. The daily, small things can erode our faith more than one or two big events. Consider these from Hebrews 12.

Illegal fines on religion in Kazakhstan. I’ve heard rumblings of this already from friends in Kazakhstan so I’m sad to hear it confirmed here. Pray.

Do we say “gospel” when we mean “Spirit”? I’m still thinking this one through. If you care about words—and we all should—this is a worthy read.

8 amazing Olympic 2012 moments. I’m still watching the Olympics on my DVR (am I alone in this?). So some of these moments I’ve yet to see (and may never). These short stories and pictures are beautiful.

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Links I like (6/8/12)

Giving up hope. This one made me cry. Sometimes you have to stop hoping in one direction to hope in another. From my now (!) in-real-life blogging friend Amy.

Church conflict: Are you the complainer? The never-changer? Practical advice from Ed Cyzewski (I never know where on the web I’ll find Ed next).

It’s entitled what “What Every Husband Should Know about Stay-at-Home Moms”, but it’s really applicable to all moms. Well, all women. Well, all people! We all need guidance out of our inner chaos.

Two things you need to get unstuck. One thing is a vacuum. It’s from Seth Godin so expect concise and pointed. (I love that.)

10 YA books that scarred us for life. I ran it by my girls. They agreed on a few; disagreed on several (me, too). Any scar you? (Um, think Lord of the Flies—I hated that book...). Others include Hatchet, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Chronicles of Narnia (really? no way!), . . .

What desire should shape our prayers? I want to re-read this again and again.

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Links I like (5/27/12)

Odds and ends I found interesting on the web this week:

You’ll never be finished. Make peace with that.

Phillip Phillips won American Idol, and showed us all what humility looks like. Great post and embedded video from Emily Freeman. 

Does Facebook wreck marriages? Well, Facebook doesn’t, but the people who are on it (I’m one) should stay alert to temptations there.

If you ever have to leave a church, here’s some excellent advice on how to do it with grace.

How to thrive in college: from Desiring God
     1) Own your faith, don’t just maintain
     2) Walk with the wise; intentionally cultivate Christ-centered relationships
     3) Train to make a difference; fine-tune skills for your calling

Maintenance for your windows PC: when you’re not sure if you should be doing more (or less) to keep your computer running well, here’s a quick list from Lifehacker I remind myself of periodically.

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Links I like (5/3/12)

Things I found helpful this week on the web:

Start by listening – “When hurting people share their stories, if our first instinct is to dismiss their perspective and defend the status quo, something is terribly wrong,” says Suzannah Paul.

Make a decision already – Do we vastly overestimate the value that a little more information will give us? Al Pittampalli thinks so in “Are you miscalibrating?”

Do say this; don’t say that – Helpful things to say—and not say—when someone is hurting, in this case, from church pains. Kathy’s whole series here is enlightening.

Print vs. Digital Books – 10 more ways we’re changing our reading habits.

When silence is yella’ – You may not agree with everything J.R.Daniel Kirk is saying about women’s roles, but he does make a point for speaking up against suffering (apply it to your issue of choice).

Top 10 introvert myths – um, yes. Myths indeed. Speaking as an introvert, I concur with this list.

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Odds and ends--39

Interesting things I’ve been reading around the web:

1. Are you frustrated with your local church?
I’m deep into Bonhoeffer these days, so this quote from Deitrich Bonhoeffer on Desiring God blog about not being an accuser of your church really got to me.

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2. The newest U.S. mission field...women???
Is the church losing the ladies? Interesting statistics from a new Barna study. 

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3. How formal do you like your worship service? Carl Trueman offers an interesting perspective about formal liturgies.

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4. The Myth of Mutual Submission
I read the chapter referenced, but I’m not sure what I think about it yet. You can see what you think.

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5. A litmus test of whether you believe the gospel:
“If you want to know whether you love religion or whether you love the gospel, check and see how angry you are at God.” Read the rest here.

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Curios—38

1. Don’t make Jesus more of a mediator than he is
by John Piper
Because of Jesus, we can go directly to the Father.

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2. Is being “church nice” really nice?
“Sounds like a lot of churches to me,” by Bill Mounce.

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3. For bloggers: 5 Steps to Captivating Readers
What I liked best was this exercise:
     Describe in five adjectives the message you want
     readers to get from your blog.

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4. The 40 Best TV Theme Songs of All Time
See how many you recognize.

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5. The Good-O-Meter

HT: Sandy

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Curios—37

Bible memory in 2011
Want to memorize with a group? Take this challenge (I’m in!): 

Partnering to Remember:
The 2011 Philippians Memory Moleskine

Goal: Memorize all 4 chapters of Philippians by Easter Sunday. I’m still getting my notebook ready (doesn’t have to be a Moleskine, obviously).

You still have time to get the instructions and the printable pages.

UPDATE:
I just added a “first letters” memory aid here if anyone wants to use it.

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13 tips for sticking to your New Year’s Resolutions
by Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project.

1. Be specific
2. Write it down
3. Review often
4. (more here…)

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You’re never going to get it done.
But be thankful for that. Why? 

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8 Amazing Blogging Lessons from Albert Einstein
Well, lessons for anything.
Lesson 1 is Persevere—“It’s not that I’m smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” Read all eight.

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Trade one big resolution for 10,000 little ones by Paul Tripp at Desiring God.

You and I live in little moments, and if God doesn't rule our little moments and doesn't work to recreate us in the middle of them, then there is no hope for us, because that is where you and I live.

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Curios - 36

What is truth? (via 22 Words and Stick World)

The Shortest Distance between Points by Paul David Tripp.
Two reasons why we get sidetracked from God’s perfect path for us.

New Year’s Resolution? Choose just one word. Try picking a theme for your New Year’s Resolution that is only one word, by Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project.

What is your church most proud of? What is it you celebrate as a group? Better be careful. An article to contemplate at The Gospel Coalition.

Do you speak Christianese? Learn how.

“Maybe you've already tried to learn Christianese but realized it was all in vain. Don't give up. It's time to change your approach!”

Curios - 35

Why do you read?
What’s your purpose? Tony Reinke suggests asking yourself these questions before you open your next book.

and…How do you have time to read so much?
Learn how to capture more reading time, also by Tony Reinke.

Where do ideas come from? A good post by Seth Godin. (Except he forget the biggest source: I’ll add it here… #21 God.)

Why you can’t keep your New Year’s Resolution.
Matt Perman tells you what he thinks. And how you can change that.

31 ways to pray for your child

Make of this what you will:

By Jason Lee via 22 Words

Curios - 34

6 Things Every Christian Blogger Needs to Know by Ann Voskamp.
“Your blog is service, your blog is art, and your blog is worship…
You need not be a gifted writer—you only need make your words a gift.
To Him.” 

Do your live your life Coram Deo?
Maybe you’re not aware of it, but it’s a big deal.

What were you thinking? - You’re Fooling Yourself.
Four looks at our foolishness by Paul Tripp. 

Don’t say this if it’s not true.
You don’t have to say “I’m fine” anymore...from Heart to Heart with Holley.

Photos worth your time.
From National Geographic’s Photography Contest 2010, displayed at The Big Picture.

Here’s a small one:

Oasis. (Photo and caption by Nam In Geun)

Curios - 33

3 ways to cultivate humility by Brian Croft.
He writes it for pastors. Ignore that. It applies to everybody. I especially like # 3.

One short sentence that increases trust.
(Are we really this gullible? I like to think not.)

Improve your writing. Here are 7 ways at Copyblogger.

Successful blogging looks like this.
If you’re a Christian blogger, please read this post from Ann Voskamp.
     “Your blog is not about you.”
     “…You are a successful blogger, the most successful blogger, from the very first day you ever posted, if you simply do it as an act of loving service unto Jesus.”
     “…Because the only platform in the upside down kingdom is an altar.”

I have to laugh:

Curios - 32

The Freedom of Less – How stuff enslaves us physically, psychologically, financially. And how to break free:
1) Declutter, declutter, and declutter some more.
2) Realize you are not what you own.
3) Ask “Why?” before you buy.

100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write by Chris Brogan.
If you get stuck writing, scan Chris’s list. Some won’t be applicable, but many will be.

It’s called 5 Dangers for Young Men, but these dangers apply to us women, too. From J.C. Ryle.

A map of the world using words at Abraham Piper’s. For some odd reason, I’m drawn to this.

A prayer for your week from Holley – what you really need for a new week.

Curios—31

1. What are you saved from?
When Christians say, “I’m saved,” what  do they mean? Saved from what? From God? Read this insightful excerpt from R. C. Sproul’s book, Saved from What?

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2. How NOT to be happy—5 myths destroyed
Do you ever resort to these strategies when you feel down? Gretchen Rubin says these commonly-approved approaches are actually counterproductive to your happiness. Read the full article here that explains why these do NOT work.

1. Comforting yourself with a “treat”
2. Letting yourself off the hook
3. Retreating to your sofa
4. Expressing your negative emotions
5. Staying in your pajamas all day

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3. The old people are coming
See from where with these neat visuals. 
 

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4. 5 dangers facing over-churched kids
by Doug Wolter

1. Familiar stories lose their power
2. Knowledge can promote pride
3. They have learned to pretend pray
4. They don’t feel their lostness
5. They see the ugly side of church

Read more here.

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5. The Digital Revolution
See what a difference 10 years can make.

More here.

Curios—30

1. Praying just got easier

In this morning’s Scripture reading I noticed something that is going to make my praying a lot easier from here on out.

See what Andrée Seu discovers. It’s good.

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2. What are you called to do?

You're not called to be a doctor or teacher or actor or writer or pastor. Yes, you may be called to those things. In fact, I hope you're called to those things!

But that isn't your primary calling.

Read all of “Called to Him” by Mark Batterson on Evotional.com

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3. Should you read if you forget? 

C. J. Mahaney asks, “Is reading worth the time investment when so much is forgotten?”

He answers here. “Read, but not to remember everything. Read because that 1% that you remember has to potential to change your life.”

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4. You tried that; what about this?

We have tried religion, we say, we have tried prayer, and it has failed. Of course it has failed! God is not content to be an instrument in our hand or a servant at our beck and call.

Has it never dawned on us that God is valuable for His own sake…?

Read all of “The One Inestimable Gift” by J. Gresham Machen on First Importance blog.

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5. The black keys
Wintley Phipps explains the black keys of Amazing Grace.

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Curios—29

1. Could your church survive if there were no sermons?
Donald Miller poses this question, then offers some answers.

If a church decided to go a period of time without a sermon, a Sunday school teaching or a seminar or “traditional” Bible teaching of any kind (sitting down to study the book in a classroom style) how would you teach people about God and how would you teach them right theology?

Read the whole article.

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2. Need more reasons to watch less TV?

Here are ten.
See Joshua Becker’s article at “Becoming Minimalist.”

1. It is influencing your worldview.
2. It is influencing your spending habits.
3. It is taking you away from the real people all around you.
4. It is robbing you of precious mental energy.
5. It is costing you money.
6. It impairs your capacity for rational thought.
7. It is bad for your health.
8. It results in less satisfaction with life.
9. It results in less sex.
10. Its opportunity cost is too great.

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3. Can you be ordinary?

Until we are content with being one of the million nameless, faceless church members and not the next globe-trotting rock star, we aren’t ready to be a part of the church.

In the grand scheme of things, most of us are going to be more of an Ampliatus (Rom. 16:8) or Phlegon (v. 14) than an apostle Paul. And maybe that’s why so many Christians are getting tired of the church.

We haven’t learned how to be part of the crowd. We haven’t learned to be ordinary.

So says Kevin DeYoung at Ligonier Ministries, “The Glory of Plodding.”

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4. If there’s no quality
If you’re not really saying anything, Seth Godin suggests:

Write nothing instead. It’s shorter.

But he is saying more.

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5. For all you minivan families out there

From the Sienna Family

Curios—28

1. Don’t look away
Images really don’t change the world.
But when you see them, they can change you so that you will change the world.

Watch the first 6 minutes.

 

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2. Are devotions magic?
If you have your daily devotions, you’ll magically grow spiritually stronger. Too bad it’s not true. Jon Bloom writes “Devotions Aren’t Magic” at Desiring God.

But they do provide this:

1. Soul exercise
2. Soul shaping
3. Bible copiousness
4. Fight training
5. Delight cultivation

Get the details here.

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3. When sitting, just sit
~ from Becoming Minimalist 

myla and jon kabat-zinn on simplicity

When sitting, just sit.
When eating, just eat.
When walking, just walk.
When talking, just talk.
When listening, just listen.
When looking, just look.
When touching, just touch.
When thinking, just think.
When playing, just play.
And enjoy the feeling of each moment and each day.

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4. Will congregational singing survive?
Read what Darryl Tippens says in The Christian Chronicle,
     “Voices, hearts, lungs as spiritual instruments”

Where in today’s culture are people socialized to sing often, naturally, in groups?

…While older Christians may cherish fond memories of robust singing, we cannot assume the young will enjoy the same memories.

Will the next generation continue to sing? Perhaps so, but we have much to do.

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5. Watch it grow
An amazing visualization regardless of the topic.
But it is incredible to watch how Walmart grew.
~ from The Huffington Post

Curios—27

1. Designing through Psalms

I’ve been tweeting through one Psalm per day with Jon Acuff at Stuff Christians Like (#sclp), and others. Today I’m on Psalm 53. Philip Davis is one of my favorites to follow also doing this. He creates an original design for each psalm. This is his Psalm 1.
 

Check out his archives for more insightful images from the Psalms.

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2. An open letter to the buried

You’re right to feel like you’re in a deep hole and there’s no getting out. That it’s dark and damp and cold. That you can’t get out. It’s right to feel as though scoop after scoop of more of the same is being tossed on top of you.

But God is not burying you.

God is planting you.

Read the whole letter from Billy Coffey.

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3. Desires and disciplines

Do you desire to read your Bible? Or is it strictly a discipline you force upon yourself? Read Mark Batterson’s post on turning your spiritual disciplines into spiritual desires.

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4. A surprise love story

Don’t scroll through to the bottom; you’ll ruin the ending. Start at the top and read the whole thing. It’s a birth story that will touch you. And maybe change you, if you really listen.       (HT: Danielle for finding this story)

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5. What energizes you?

Are you recharged by being with people, or need to recharge after being with others? See if you relate to this review by The Antropologist about Adam S. McHugh’s Introverts in the Church.