The Black Keys to Amazing Grace (Link to Song sung by Whitney Phipps). "We’re in Daytona Beach right now, preparing to celebrate with Simon and Elizabeth as they are wed today. Last night at the rehearsal dinner, we sang one of my favorite hymns, “Amazing Grace.” I love the hymn for all its passion and power, and for the back story that gives the song all its richness and glory. It’s not just a hymn written from abstract theological principles. It’s a song rising from the belly of a slave ship and from the heart of a slave trader sovereignly reborn from above. It’s a hymn that crosses the Atlantic and blends the hearts of black and white. It’s a hymn that joins heaven and earth and lifts the soul upward..." 

The Three Stands of Biblical Prayer: Praying Beyond the Sick List (David Powlison). "It sounds so simple. Pastors could so easily pray for the sick—pointedly and intelligently—couldn’t they? But so often these prayers from the pulpit sound like a nursing report at shift change in your local hospital: "The colon cancer in room 103 with uncertain prognosis … the lady in 110 with a gall bladder that’s not yielding to treatment … the broken leg that’s mending well … the heart patient going into surgery on Tuesday under Dr. Jones’s skilled hands … .”

Gambling: What’s at Stake? (Baptist Press). "SPANISH FORT, Ala. (BP)--Gambling has been around for centuries. Historians reveal Egyptian pharaohs practiced gambling compulsively. Their subjects buried them with their dice. Greek and Roman civilizations had an affinity for gambling revealed by their goddesses of luck and gambling..."

Should Christians use Facebook? Answered by RC Sproul, Jr.  "I sometimes wonder if the devil doesn’t take great pleasure in irony, in watching us turn ourselves inside out while missing the point. While I am on Facebook, and therefore at least hold to a tentative conviction that such is allowable for Christians, there are any number of reasons to raise concerns over it..."

Are Christians Meant to Feel Guilty All the Time? (Kevin DeYoung) "I imagine there are plenty of Christians who rarely feel the sting of conscience or the pangs of regret. But I also know many, many Christians (including the one I see in the mirror) who easily feel bad for all the things they are not doing or are doing less than perfectly. In fact, I’m convinced most serious Christians live their lives with an almost constant low-level sense of guilt..." 

All Roads Lead to Heaven? Kathleen Parker Does Theology (Al Mohler) "What catches the attention of a columnist for The Washington Post? A recent column by Kathleen Parker indicates that theology has become a focus of national attention. Kathleen Parker used her column in The Washington Post to take on Franklin Graham and his belief that belief in Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation..."

The Dangers of Emotional Pornography (Relevant Magazine) "We (rightly) worry and fight against visual pornography. But what about the dangers of pornography of the mind and heart? I watched the pilot episode of Glee when it premiered a few months before the show was to begin airing regularly. It was decent enough to at least give some time to the next few episodes. But by the end of episode two, I was getting a little uneasy. As I watched it, I was becoming aware of what the writers wanted me to feel—the good guy teacher to cheat on his evil wife with the gentle co-worker, and the main male character to cheat on his hypocritical Christian girlfriend with his female lead counterpart..."

5 Reasons You Might Not Be Seeing Spiritual Growth (Jonathan Dodson) "1. Feelings can be misleading.
Just because we don’t feel holy doesn’t mean the Spirit isn’t making us holy. Feelings aren’t an adequate barometer of spiritual growth, but the gospel always leads us into growth. Bank your growth on faith in gospel truth, not in subjective feelings...."

Seven Thoughts on Reading the Bible (JC Ryle) "7 Thoughts on Reading the Bible


1) Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it.

2) Read the Scriptures with a simple, childlike faith and humility...."

Why Words Matter In Worship (Steven Altrogge)   "Yesterday I wrote a post entitled How to Write An Awful Worship Song. The post was 75% humorous and sarcastic, and was written primarily out of my own experiences in writing awful worship songs. I wasn’t taking pot shots at modern songs or songwriters. However, a number of people made comments along these lines:..."