Tag Archive - Bible

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February 6, 2011 in se7en with 0 Comments

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Mark Driscoll shares a rather interesting sermon excerpt (transcript) explaining how the largely ignored book of Habakkuk may have been what brought Martin Luther to a true understanding of grace and salvation.

Can faith and science coexist? Shaun King opened this can of worms last week. Be sure to read through the comments, as there were many great questions and discussions.

Jared Wilson makes a great point: legalism and license are both a departure from the gospel.

Along the same lines, Tullian Tchividjian shares a post on gospel-driven sanctification.

More from Tullian – this time on how many Christians seemingly ignore Christ’s life in favor of his death. He said it best when he wrote: “Christ’s death is not the center of the Gospel anymore than Christ’s life is the center of the Gospel. One without the other fails to bring about redemption.”

unChristian may be nearly four years old, but it is still a must read for every Christian interested in sharing the gospel. If this reviewer doesn’t inspire you to read the book, nothing will.

“The reason why we haven’t solved the racial divide in America after hundreds of years is because people apart from God are trying to invent unity, while people who belong to God are not living out the unity that we already possess. The result of both of these situations has been, and will continue to be, disastrous for our nation. Let alone disastrous for the witness of Christ to our nation.” – Tony Evans, featured in an amazing post from Pete Wilson.

Los with an incredible picture from the protests in Egypt, depicting Egyptian Christians protecting Egyptian Muslims as they pray.

Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers?

January 4, 2011 in Culture, News with 0 Comments

alcoholic-drinks

I was browsing my Time iOS app last night and came across an interesting story: Why Do Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers?

Yes, you read that correctly. According to a recent study, heavy drinkers, on average, outlive those who abstain from alcohol. The study finds that, “even though heavy drinking is associated with higher risk for cirrhosis and several types of cancer (particularly cancers in the mouth and esophagus), heavy drinkers are less likely to die than people who don’t drink, even if they never had a problem with alcohol.”

Just for the record (as if you didn’t already know), I DO NOT support heavy drinking. I believe the Bible is closed to heavy drinking, but open to moderate drinking, and of course, abstinence. I’m also not too keen on how Time defines “moderate drinking” as “one to three drinks per day”. That may be moderate for some, but I know quite a few people for whom that would be too much. It really depends on your body and what you’re drinking. The real find (at least for me) in the study was that among the three categories (heavy drinker, moderate drinkers and those who abstain), moderate drinkers have the lowest mortality rate. So while this study is not the first to discover and promote the benefits of moderate drinking, this is the first one I’ve seen to find that overall, moderate drinkers live longer, healthier lives than nondrinkers.

The Time.com article guesses at some explanations, but I want to know what you think.

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November 23, 2010 in se7en with 0 Comments

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I’m two days late, but for those who don’t follow me on Twitter or aren’t friends on Facebook, my grandmother died early Thursday morning and the funeral was Saturday afternoon, so everything else got put on hold for a few days. Later this week I’ll be sharing a post about Grandma and what I believe was her greatest gift to everyone she met (besides love), and that is grace. But on with my favorite posts from last week!

We’ve got more in common with squirrels than you think.

In contrast to Sam Harris’ infographic that shows the inconsistencies in the Bible, Justin Holcomb provides an infographic which shows just how consistent the Bible is.

For the parents out there, Steven Furtick presents a deeper interpretation of Proverbs 22:6.

We love passionate people. Entertainers, artists, speakers, etc.; passion evokes a feeling of authenticity, and therein lies the danger. As Tyler Braun points out, “People are drawn to passion whether there is substance behind it or not.”

So many times I’ve heard people use the analogy that “church is like a gas station for the soul”, but as Matt Warren points out the only thing that attitude leads to is a spiritual roller coaster.

Saturday, at my grandmother’s funeral, an elderly woman who was a lifelong friend of Grandma’s, as well as a huge influence on me, shared something with me that saddens her: there’s no young people at church.

I just thought this was cool – a wedding engagement photo shoot inspired by Pixar’s Up.

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November 14, 2010 in se7en with 1 Comment

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Back with my favorite posts from the last seven days. I didn’t feature too many this week mainly because I went on a little mini-rant at the end. Have a great week!

Grace that makes people flinch.

My new favorite website – Clients From Hell If you’ve ever worked in a customer facing job or had a horrible boss, you’re not alone. Clients From Hell is full of stories you can relate to.

Jesus isn’t for good people; He’s for the sick and broken.

A few days ago, I asked a question on Twitter and Facebook which lead to this link. The question was, “The Bible: inerrant OR infallible?” I asked because atheist Sam Harris created a chart to show the various contradictions in the Bible. Now, some of the contradictions can be chalked up to translation errors, or a misunderstanding of the Biblical texts, and a few people have responded to Harris (HERE, HERE and HERE). But what about the factual errors? For example, Genesis 25:1 says Keturah was one of Abraham’s wives, but 1 Chronicles 1:32 says she was a concubine. Which was it? This is an example of why I believe the Bible is infallible, but not inerrant. And yes, there is a difference. The two words have the same definition, but they’re used in two different ways. Inerrant is used when describing facts, grammar, details, etc. Infallible is used when describing ideas and concepts. To say the Bible is infallible leaves room for both divine inspiration and human error.

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November 2, 2010 in se7en with 1 Comment

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Second week in a row I’m late with this post! Anna and I spent the weekend in Dallas with my Aunt, so things were a little hectic. We drove in early Saturday morning and then spent Saturday afternoon in Arlington. That evening we visited Dimebag Darrell Abbott’s gravesite and had a Black Tooth Grin in his honor before heading down the road to Grand Prairie for the Black Label Berzerkus show featuring Black Label Society, Clutch, Children of Bodom and 2cents. Black Label was amazing (as expected) and Clutch and Children of Bodom were good as well, but the real surprise of the night was 2cents. I went in not expecting much, and they blew me away. And to add the icing on the cake, the closed their set with Pantera’s “Strength Beyond Strength”. Plus I got to hang out with them in the lobby during Children of Bodom’s set and they were all pretty cool. We talked about their set, their latest album, and, of course, Dime.

Now onto my favorite posts from last week!

Leaders: warning signs that your legacy is at risk.

Children don’t learn they matter from the Bible; they learn it from you.

How can we make church essential in a culture that is way beyond hanging out on a Sunday morning for an hour?

Why social justice is necessary to gospel mission.

We have just experienced a “decade of deception” and now are entering into a “decade of disappointment.” Grace isn’t just a nice idea…… it is the answer for the next decade of living.

Pastor Tim Smith of Mars Hill Church with two posts on the Holy Spirit, explaining who he is, what he does and what a spirit filled life truly looks like. I highly recommend both posts as they break denomination walls and instead look to scripture to see what it says about the Holy Spirit. Part 1 and Part 2.

And we wonder why the world calls us judgmental.

Today is election day across the U.S., so here’s a few reminders of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to American churches and politics. I wonder how many churches ignored this last Sunday?

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October 17, 2010 in se7en with 0 Comments

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I hope everyone had a great week. Thursday night, Anna and I went to Shreveport to see comedian Gabriel Iglesias (“I’m not fat, I’m fluffy!) and had a blast. It was also very surreal, as the show was held at the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium, the longtime home of the Louisiana Hayride, which served as a launching pad for Elvis Presley and regular featured performers such as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Patsy Cline and Jerry Lee Lewis. It was surreal knowing that all those people had walked the same halls, not to mention the design of the building was really cool. It’s a very beautiful structure. Anyways, I hope everyone has a great weekend and week! Now onto my favorite posts of last week.

The Orchard Community is going through a series titled Prayers of the Saints and lead pastor Scott Hodge shared the Prayer of St. Francis on his blog last week. I definitely recommend you read it and maybe even pray it.

Carlos Whittaker shares some interesting thoughts on the local church.

Many of us are living life with no margins and wondering why we have problems. Tim Stevens discusses the need for margin.

Perry Noble shares 18 myths singles believe. As someone who is not yet married, I can attest that I’ve heard, thought or been told (or encouraged to believe) all 18.

Alex Early shares how God has used him to plant a church in a gay bar in the Bible belt.

Jared Wilson lists 10 reasons God allows suffering.

Four family lessons we can learn from the Puritans.

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October 10, 2010 in se7en with 0 Comments

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I hope everyone had a good week and weekend. I’ve nearly finished the first of three books I’m supposed to review, so expect a review of Transforming Church In Rural America to be posted sometime tomorrow. As for today, here’s my favorite posts from the past week!

Jared Moore shares 5 common things pastors do that are unbiblical. Spot on.

It is rare for a church to handle sexual sin in a proper, Biblical manner. XXXchurch offers some suggestions on how to handle it right.

What if we actually believed everything Jesus taught?

Friends aren’t really friends if all they do is say nice things about us. Real friends are willing to speak the truth in love, and they’re careful to pay attention to that “love” part.

Blue Like Jazz (the movie) has been saved!

King Solomon on social media.

Kent Shaffer shared his notes from Catalyst and two sessions stood out to me. Seth Godin’s talk on resisting compliance and Francis Chan’s talk on Biblical simplicity.

Phil Smidt destroys the myth of marital compatibility, while his wife Jen shares seven marriage lessons she learned on the dance floor.

We’ve all heard the statement, “Do as I say, not as I do.”, but we all know actions speak louder than words. Environments are more powerful than words, no matter how carefully those words are crafted.

Much like Annie, many Christians haven’t yet realized they are no longer orphans.

Have a great week!

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September 20, 2010 in se7en with 2 Comments

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It has been a busy weekend. I’ve either been at work or out with friends, so my weekly “best of” is a day late. Sadly, a friend of mine’s house was broken into while they were out of town this weekend. I hadn’t seen them in a couple months so it was great to hang out, but I wish it’d been under much different circumstances. Thievery just out and out sucks. Not just because you lose possessions through it, because insurance will cover those, but because you lose peace of mind as well. There really is no place like home. It’s supposed to be a place of safety and comfort, not fear and uncertainty, so keep them in your prayers.

Did you know that Luke, the author of Acts, spends only 16 verses describing the first 14 years of Paul’s work in ministry after his conversion and then spends 16 chapters detailing the next 10 years of his life? As John Saddington asks, “I wonder if Paul knew what was up during those first 14?”

The Best Defense Is a Good Offense.

It’s posts like this that give me hope that all is not lost with future generations.

Ladies, tired of trying to change your man? Try this instead.

3 Immature Wives and 1 Godly Model.

Andy Stanley with a great post on GRACE.

Loving your neighbor begins by being in a relationship with your neighbor.

I’ve mentioned it here before – in my opinion, Theology Pub is still one of the BEST ideas I’ve ever seen for bringing people (believers and unbelievers) together in a setting where they can fellowship and be honest and open about life and what the Bible has to say.

Carlos Whittaker asks what would happen if your local church implemented a policy that you must work 25 hours from the office and 15 hours outside the office in your community? Great question, if you ask me.

I’ve heard several parents tell stories of how God has used their children to show them “something”, but this is hands down the best one I’ve read yet. Perry Noble with A Divine Slap In the Face.

ESV Bible +

August 2, 2010 in Jesus with 0 Comments

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I just downloaded the all new Crossway ESV Bible + app, available now in Apple’s app store!

What’s different from Crossway’s free ESV Bible app?

In addition to everything included in the free app, the ESV Bible + app includes the ESV Study Bible!
From the iTunes ESV Bible + page:

The ESV Study Bible at your fingertips. Carry your ESV Study Bible with you wherever, whenever, and share with whomever you want! Crossway is excited to provide the highly regarded content of the ESV Study Bible which includes:

  • 20,000 notes focused on especially understanding the Bible
  • 2 million words of Bible text and insightful teaching
  • Over 50 articles
  • Over 200 full-color maps
  • 200-plus charts
  • 80,000 cross-references
  • 40 new illustrations

In addition, the app has a feature I’ve yet to see in other Bible apps – AUDIO!!

Sounds crazy, but faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). Sometimes you need not only to read, but to hear the word of God.

Anyways, seeing as how the ESV translation is my favorite, I went ahead and purchased the ESV Bible + app. At $9.99, I believe it’s well within the budgets of most iPhone and iPad users, and it’s definitely worth the price in my opinion. While the YouVersion Bible app still has a place on my iPhone, the ESV Bible + app is going to be go to Bible app from now on.

ESV Bible + app Screenshots from iPhone 4 (click to enlarge):

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July 11, 2010 in se7en with 2 Comments

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Perry Noble with Three Convictions About Children’s Ministry. This is one area that I believe most churches don’t stress enough.

One of the Worst Verses In the Bible. It’s amazing what a little context can do for scripture.

Do you REALLY want people to be honest, authentic and real? Matthew Paul Turner with Nothing But the Truth… So Help Me Blog.

“Doubt is God’s way of tearing down the private fantasy we have constructed about him—where what we think about God is without further need of reflection, no longer open to growth. Doubt does not mean that God is “dying” for us. Doubt signals that we are beginning to die to ourselves, and that can be very painful—dying usually is.” – from The Benefit of Doubt
HT: William Guice

“None of your achievements are so big that they can’t be torn down in an instant by a lapse in judgment.” – Steven Furtick with It’s Coming Back

Speaking of lapses in judgment, here’s Paul Steinbrueck with 7 Leadership Lessons Learned from Cleveland Cavaliers Owner Dan Gilbert’s Embarrassing Letter About LeBron James.

Has the Church made an idol of marriage?

Pastor Artie Davis wrote, “I was reading a business blog the other day, called 15-signs your business sucks! As I read it, it became apparent these signs apply to the church. I have no intention of equalizing the church with any type of business. But rather passionate about finding another missing piece to help my fellow gladiators who are fighting for the Kingdom and serious about making an eternal impact. So it is in that spirit I ask you this question, does your church have any of these signs?” - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of Artie’s post.

“Being wounded is far better than never experiencing life with people.” – Tyler Braun on being Wounded.

Bible Quotation FAIL. This was just too funny – assuming, of course, that it’s real.

What We Can Learn From Michael Jackson

Tim Smith with Practical Ideas for Family Worship. Some pretty good stuff here.

Donald Miller’s lab Lucy is filling in for him at his blog for the next few days and I must say, her first post is pretty deep.

If I Don’t Become A Christian, Can We Still Be Friends?

Thoughts on Revival from my good friend John.

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