From Politico.com: It’s been one of the swiftest shifts in ideology and strategy for Republicans, as they’ve come nearly full circle on same-sex politics. What was once a front-and-center issue for rank-and-file Republicans — the subject of many hotly worded House and Senate floor speeches — is virtually a dead issue, as Republicans in Congress don’t care to have gay marriage litigated in the Capitol. Even more than that, Republican leadership has evolved, too. It has quietly worked behind the scenes to kill amendments that reaffirm opposition to same-sex unions, several sources told POLITICO. It’s not like the GOP has become a bastion of progressiveness on gay rights, but there…
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On Harry Potter
At the behest of my good friend Jim Hamilton and after seeing a recommendation from Andrew Peterson, I decided to make my way through the seven books of the Harry Potter series. I just finished the final book today, and I have to say that it was more than worth it. The stories are moving, filled with pathos and triumph. Very few books move me to tears, but these did. I would rate the series right up there with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I know that many Christians have expressed concerns over the years about the magical elements in the Potter series. Nevertheless, I don’t see the magic…
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Kevin DeYoung talks about blog comments
Kevin DeYoung has a helpful post today about commenting on blogs. You should also check out his previous post “The Ten Commandments for Commenting on Blogs.” Wootini!
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Are Your Sermons Too Long?
Here’s a bit of wisdom from the Prince of Preachers on sermon length: Brethren, weigh your sermons. Do not retail them by the yard, but deal them out by the pound. Set no store by the quantity of words which you utter, but strive to be esteemed for the quality of your matter. It is foolish to be lavish in words and niggardly in truth. –C.H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 71 There is no intrinsic value in an overlong sermon. Nor is there anything to boast about that a congregation has become conditioned to endure them. What constitutes a long sermon is a relative term anyway, isn’t it?…
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Jason Meyer Selected as Candidate to Succeed John Piper
The elders at Bethlehem Baptist Church have selected Jason Meyer as the candidate to succeed John Piper as the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Justin Taylor has the whole story here, as well as a good deal of background information on Jason. Jason is a fantastic preacher and a godly man. This is great news for a great church.
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A New Book on Jeremy Lin
Ted Kluck has a new e-book out on Jeremy Lin titled, Jeremy Lin: Faith, Joy, and Basketball. Kluck says, “among other things the book is an analysis of Lin’s ascension, a celebration of the gospel, and a love letter (albeit a very short love letter) to the NBA.” Here’s the table of contents: Introduction: An Open Letter to the Reader: What Does All of This Say About Us? Chapter 1: A Cultural Oddity: Lin and Shifting Racial Paradigms (or What Kind of NBA Superstar will Jeremy Lin Be?) Chapter 2: New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks – Sunday, February 19, 2012 Chapter 3: Jeremy Lin in the Context of Tim…
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Albert Mohler Interviews Jimmy Carter about the Bible
Last week, Dr. Albert Mohler interviewed former President Jimmy Carter about Carter’s new book The Lessons from Life Bible. This really is an interview, not a debate (though Dr. Mohler’s registers disagreement with him on some points during the conversation). You can read the transcript of the interview here, download the audio here, or listen below. [audio:http://albertmohler.com/media/audio/totl/Podcast/Thinking_In_Public_Jimmy_Carter.mp3] Here’s President Carter’s answer to Dr. Mohler’s question about the inspiration of scripture:
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Don’t Feed the Trolls
I can’t tell you how grateful I am that readers take time to visit and to read this site. My gratification only increases when people take time to comment. It is an honor and a privilege to have readers, and I am thankful for all of you. Since beginning this site in 2005, I have had a pretty laissez faire approach to moderating comments. Except for a filter that I set up to eliminate obscenities, my comments policy has been pretty open. I like for the comments section to be a rough and tumble place where opposing viewpoints can meet head-on and be debated. Anyone who has spent any time…
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Review: Another Attempt to Discredit Inerrancy Falls Flat
The Human Faces of God: What Scripture Reveals When It Gets God Wrong (and Why Inerrancy Tries To Hide It). By Thom Stark. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock, 2011, xx + 248 pp., $29.00 paper. It is no secret that some of the most fervid theological liberals tend to be former evangelicals. Evangelical-turned-agnostic Bart Ehrman has vindicated that truism with books like Misquoting Jesus and Jesus Interrupted, both of which seek to discredit biblical inerrancy by popularizing critical studies of scripture. Thom Stark describes himself as a former fundamentalist, and his book The Human Faces of God belongs to the Ehrman-genre, though with at least one significant difference. Despite the…
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If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon
President Obama offers remarks on the killing of Trayvon Martin: “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
