Atonement: Thoughts on Penal Substitution [don’t be put off by the title; this is “required reading” for all]
“I need God’s honor to be satisfied. I need the cross not only for the sake of my personal relationship with God but because I want to live in a world where the crucified are resurrected. Penal substitution is part of the rich mystery — just not in the oversimplified, canned version that has come to predominate our youth group-shaped church.”
Baptism: Why I Believe Baptism Actually Is ‘Essential’ by John Alan Turner
“Baptism isn’t the thing. Baptism is supposed to point to the thing. The thing is your faith in Jesus Christ. But sometimes people are like dogs. When you point to a ball, a dog usually just looks at your finger.”
Clutter: The Simple Guide to a Clutter-Free Home by Joshua Becker
“Consider implementing the four steps found in this Simple Guide to Keeping Your Home Clutter-Free.”
Depression: 10 Lessons From Two Days of Filming by David Murray
“I’ve just finished two days of filming various Christian counselors for the HeadHeartHand Media documentary on Depression and the Christian. .. Here’s what I carried away from these interviews.”
Fear: Breaking the Peek-A-Boo Cycle by Ron Edmonson
“The deepest danger of fearful leaders is they create fear-driven cultures.”
Forgiveness: 9 Forgiveness Links by Chris Brauns
“Below are 9 forgiveness links …”
Imagery: Five Bible Images You Probably Misunderstand by Joel Hoffman
“… we get a better sense of the original beauty and intent of the Bible by moving past a naive understanding of the words to the metaphors that they represent.”
Jobs: Who Really Creates Jobs? by Nick Hanauer
“Business leader, Nick Hanauer, presented … [this] speech at the TED conference. … Hanauer, a very successful business owner/creator, argues that business owners don’t create jobs. … But, if not them, then who does create jobs in our nation?”
Kingdom: Subversive Kingdom: A Conversation with Ed Stetzer by Trevin Wax
“What are some ways Christians commonly misunderstand the nature of God’s kingdom? Why is it important that we get this right?”
Margin: * How to Create More Margin in Your Life by Michael Hyatt; * A Healthy Schedule by Joe Thorn [both of these posts are required reading]
* “Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It is the amount allowed beyond that which is needed. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipated situations. Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between breathing freely and suffocating. Margin is the opposite of overload. If we are overloaded we have no margin.”
* “I’ll skip the details and just say that it became evident that I was doing too much, resting too little, and had allowed boundaries between work and family to weaken. This made me less effective at work and at home. It wasn’t just that I was working too hard, but that I had also started listening to the devil’s lies.”
Meetings: Make Meetings Amazing by David Staal
“Consider four “pieces” to meetings that could bring about major changes in your church, community, or even the world.”
Small groups: * Five Obstacles Facing Small Groups by Thom Rainer; * The Five Deliverables of Small Groups by Thom Rainer
“… there are … challenges and obstacles that hinder transformation in and through small groups.”
“For a church to have transformational small groups, it must first recognize how its small groups will equip participants for the mission of God and the cause of Christ. Today I examine how the activity of community within the context of small groups results in transformed lives.”
Worldliness: “Worldliness” According to Paul by Tom Gombis
“It seems to me that the parallels between the “worldly” Corinthian community dynamics and contemporary American tribalized evangelicalism are endless.”
