Where hides evil in my kingdom, then? Always ... where you never expect it. Always.

I took a cold shower this morning because the pilot light had gone out on the hot water heater. I re-lit the pilot light this afternoon, but only after having my spiritual pilot light re-lit at the meeting of the Lone Star Founders Fraternal.

Dr. John D. Hannah was our guest speaker and he spoke on “Walking with God in Integrity.”

He took us back to the Scriptures and to the Puritans in general and John Owen & Jonathan Edwards in particular to help us understand how we are to deal honestly with our own depravity in our passion to glorify God in our lives and ministry.

Some quotes for your edification:

“What does it mean to glorify God? God is glorified in His creation when it reflects His character. We are to be mirrors of what God has granted to us of Himself by the Spirit.”
- Dr. Hannah

“What is the point of the Bible? The focus of the Bible is the glorification of God; the Bible begins and ends with divine and creaturely harmony. The fall brought disharmony, but God is sovereign and patiently bringing a restoration when creation will glorify Him fully once again. Christ, the anticipated lamb, came in the incarnation, and purchased a people for God by paying the debt that prevented their assimilation into God's family and God declared them righteous in Christ. God, by His Holy Spirit, is drawing the redeemed family together. When complete the 'garden' will be perfectly restored. God will be eternally glorified in His creatures.”
- Dr. Hannah

“What is the experience of redemption? The experience of redemption is an affectionate embrace of the beauty of Christ, a life of transforming delight in God as revealed in Christ.”
- Dr. Hannah

“God brings disappointments into our lives to shape us spiritually in that the design is that through them we depend on the Lord more.”
- Dr. Hannah

“God uses the evil actions of others upon our lives to shape us to reflect His glory.” (cf. Genesis 50:20)
- Dr. Hannah

“Sanctification has a double aspect. Its positive side is vivification, the growing and maturing of the new man; its negative side is mortification, the weakening and killing of the old man.”
- J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life

“The spiritual life is a mental struggle of what you occupy your mind with.”
- Dr. Hannah

“The spiritual life requires discipline; it is hard work and is a product of time and repetition.”
- Dr. Hannah

“The spiritual life is a bunch of habits, where you're replacing one set of habits for another.”
- Dr. Hannah

“Habits are routines that are not easy, but over time become a delight. What you are doing is replacing one set of routines for another.”
- Dr. Hannah

“No one has their act together; we all have areas of spiritual success, areas needing improved discipline, and areas of failure. Join the 'club' of fallen, redeemed humanity!”
- Dr. Hannah

“If you desire to think correct thoughts, you must have good ideas in your mind. You simply cannot avail yourself to what is not there.”
- Dr. Hannah (on the importance of the Bible in godliness)

“Right thoughts require the mental expression of good ideas; good ideas come from good input.”
- Dr. Hannah

“Perception of growth and growth are two different things.”
- Dr. Hannah

“If you think you're free from sin, go talk to your spouse.”
- Dr. Hannah

“The dominion of sin is present when sin exercises control over the will of a man with no opposition from another principle.”
— John Owen, Dominion of Sin

“The nature of sin does not change in regeneration or sanctification, but its status in us is radically attired.”
- Sinclair Ferguson, John Owen on the Christian Life

“None of us have our act together, but we cling to the cross.”
— Dr. Hannah

“Grace changeth the nature of man, but nothing can change the nature of sin.”
— John Owen, Indwelling Sin

“When [sin] is least felt, it is most powerful.”
— John Owen, Indwelling Sin

“If I understood the evil of my own heart, I would be less quick to tell others what they should do.”
- Dr. Hannah

“The man that understands the evil of his own heart, how vile it is, is the only useful, fruitful, and soled believing and obedient person.”
— John Owen, Indwelling Sin

“Many men harbor spirit devouring - lusts in their bosoms that lie as worms, at the root of their obedience, and corrode and waken it day by day.”
— John Owen, On Mortification

“Remind yourself that sin never pays long-term positive dividends.”
- Dr. Hannah

“Trace the particular manifestation of sin to its root. The cause of poor behavior is often hidden. Another way to say it is this: That which bothers us is often a fruit of a deeper cause. To make progress we must search out the underlying causes and deal with them.”
- Dr. Hannah

“Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it”.
– Jonathan Edwards

“I have concluded to endeavor to work myself into duties by searching and tracing back all the real reasons why I do them not, and narrowly searching out all the subtle subterfuges of my thoughts and answering them to the utmost of my power, that I may know what are the very first originals of my defect, as with respect to want of repentance, love to God, loathing of myself – to do this sometimes in sermons.”
– Jonathan Edwards

“Allow God to speak peace rather than assuming you have it. A lot of lessons are missed in hurray. Do not claim a verse and claim more than you should have.”
- Dr. Hannah (in the context of dealing with your sin in repentance)

“The Lord gave us two ends--one to sit on and the other to think with. Success depends upon which one we use the most.”
- Calvin Coolidge

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts.”
- Calvin Coolidge

“Resolved, never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.”
— Jonathan Edwards

“A lot of our godliness is just protecting our image.”
- Dr. Hannah (in the context of spirituality done for the eyes of others, instead of the eyes of God)

I wish, for just one day, Dad couldn't tell a lie.

Anyone able to verify the veracity of this? I got this via email, so I know it must be true, but was hoping for confirmation or refutation.

Are these things Barak Hussein Obama has said?

Some of these things are very specific and I would think there's some background here. Even though one should never distrust email, I would like to see some documentation substantiation before I buy into them.

Yet, if some of these are true, I'm concerned, regardless of whether or not he lied about them.

Fw: 58 lies made by Obama

1. Selma Got Me Born - LIAR, your parents felt safe enough to have you in 1961 - Selma had no effect on your birth, as Selma was in 1965.
2. Father Was A Goat Herder - LIAR, he was a privileged, well educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government.
3. Father Was A Proud Freedom Fighter - LIAR, he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had
4. My Family Has Strong Ties To African Freedom - LIAR, your cousin Raila Odinga has created mass violence in attempting to overturn a legitimate election in 2007, in Kenya . It is the first widespread violence in decades.
5. My Grandmother Has Always Been A Christian - LIAR, she does her daily Salat prayers at 5am according to her own interviews. Not to mention, Christianity wouldn't allow her to have been one of 14 wives to one man.
6. My Name is African Swahili - LIAR, your name is Arabic and Baraka (from which Barack came) means blessed in that language. Hussein is also Arabic and so is Obama.
7. I Never Practiced Islam - LIAR, you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years,until your wife made you change, so you could run for office.
8. My School In Indonesia was Christian - LIAR, you were registered as Muslim there and got in trouble in Koranic Studies for making faces (check your own book).
9. I Was Fluent In Indonesian - LIAR, not one teacher says you could speak the language.
10. Because I Lived In Indonesia , I Have More Foreign Experience - LIAR, you were there from the ages of 6 to 10, and couldn't even speak the language. What you did learn, how to study the Koran and watch cartoons.
11. I Am Stronger On Foreign Affairs - LIAR, except for Africa (surprise) and the Middle East (bigger surprise), you have never been anywhere else on the planet and thus have NO experience with our closest allies.
12. I Blame My Early Drug Use On Ethnic Confusion - LIAR, you were quite content in high school to be Barry Obama, no mention of Kenya and no mention of struggle to identify - your classmates said you were just fine.
13. An Ebony Article Moved Me To Run For Office - LIAR, Ebony has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.
14. A Life Magazine Article Changed My Outlook On Life - LIAR, Life has yet to find the article you mention in your book. It doesn't, and never did, exist.
15. I Won't Run On A National Ticket In '08 - LIAR, here you are, despite saying, live on TV, that you would not have enough experience by then, and you are all about having experience first.
16. "Present" Votes Are Common In Illinois - LIAR, they are common for YOU, but not many others have 130 NO VOTES.
17. Oops, I Misvoted - LIAR, only when caught by church groups and democrats, did you beg to change your misvote.
18. I Was A Professor Of Law - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
19. I Was A Constitutional Lawyer - LIAR, you were a senior lecturer ON LEAVE.
20. Without Me, There Would Be No Ethics Bill - LIAR, you didn't write it,introduce it, change it, or create it.
21. The Ethics Bill Was Hard To Pass - LIAR, it took just 14 days from start to finish.
22. I Wrote A Tough Nuclear Bill - LIAR, your bill was rejected by your own party for its pandering and lack of all regulation - mainly because of your Nuclear Donor, Exelon, from which David Axelrod came.
23. I Have Released My State Records - LIAR, as of March, 2008, state bills you sponsored or voted for have yet to be released, exposing all the special interests pork hidden within.
24. I Took On The Asbestos Altgeld Gardens Mess - LIAR, you were part of a large group of people who remedied Altgeld Gardens . You failed to mention anyone else but yourself, in your books.
25. My Economics Bill Will Help America - LIAR, your 111 economic policies were just combined into a proposal which lost 99-0, and even YOU voted against your own bill.
26. I Have Been A Bold Leader In Illinois - LIAR, even your own supporters claim to have not seen BOLD action on your part.
27. I Passed 26 Of My Own Bills In One Year - LIAR, they were not YOUR bills, but rather handed to you, after their creation by a fellow Senator, to assist you in a future bid for higher office.
28. No One Contacted Canada About NAFTA - LIAR, the Candian Government issued the names and a memo of the conversation your campaign had with them.
29. I Am Tough On Terrorism - LIAR, you missed the Iran Resolution vote on terrorism and your good friend Ali Abunimah supports the destruction of Israel .
30. I Am Not Acting As President Yet - LIAR, after the NAFTA Memo, a dead terrorist in the FARC, in Colombia , was found with a letter stating how you and he were working together on getting FARC recognized officially.
31. I Didn't Run Ads In Florida - LIAR, you allowed national ads to run 8-12 times per day for two weeks - and you still lost.
32. I Won Michigan - LIAR, no you did not.
33. I won Nevada - LIAR, no you did not.
34. I Want All Votes To Count - LIAR, you said let the delegates decide.
35. I Want Americans To Decide - LIAR, you prefer caucuses that limit the vote, confuse the voters, force a public vote, and only operate during small windows of time.
36. I passed 900 Bills in the State Senate - LIAR, you passed 26, most of which you didn't write yourself.
37. My Campaign Was Extorted By A Friend - LIAR, that friend is threatening to sue if you do not stop saying this. Obama has stopped saying this.
38. I Believe In Fairness, Not Tactics - LIAR, you used tactics to eliminate Alice Palmer from running against you.
39. I Don't Take PAC Money - LIAR, you take loads of it.
40. I don't Have Lobbyists - LIAR, you have over 47 lobbyists, and counting.
41. My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad - LIAR, your own campaign worker made the ad on his Apple in one afternoon.
42. My Campaign Never Took Over MySpace - LIAR, Tom, who started MySpace issued a warning about this advertising to MySpace clients.
43. I Inspire People With My Words - LIAR, you inspire people with other people's words.
44. I Have Passed Bills In The U.S. Senate - LIAR, you have passed A BILL in the U.S. Senate - for Africa, which shows YOUR priorities.
45. I Have Always Been Against Iraq - LIAR, you weren't in office to vote against it AND you have voted to fund it every single time, unlike Kucinich, who seems to be out gutting you Obama. You also seem to be stepping back from your departure date - AGAIN.
46. I Have Always Supported Universal Health Care - LIAR, your plan leaves us all to pay the 15,000,000 who don't have to buy it.
47. I Only Found Out About My Investment Conflicts Via Mail - LIAR, both companies you site as having sent you letters about this conflict have no record of any such letter ever being created or sent.
48. I Am As Patriotic As Anyone - LIAR, you won't wear a flag pin and you don't put your hand over your heart during the Anthem.
49. My Wife Didn't Mean What She Said About Pride In Country - LIAR, your wife's words follow lock-step in the vein of Wright and Farrahkan, in relation to their contempt and hatred of America.
50. Wal-Mart Is A Company I Wouldn't Support - LIAR, your wife has received nearly a quarter of a million dollars through Treehouse, which is connected to Wal-Mart.
51. Treehouse Is A Small Company - LIAR, the CEO of Treehouse last year, made more than the CEO of Wal-Mart, according to public records.
52. University Of Chicago Hospital Pay Is Fair - LIAR, your wife's pay raise was nearly 150% her already bloated rate and the hospital is a Non-Profit Hospital, which made $100,000,000 in the last 3 years. They overcharge blacks VS whites for services, and overcharge everyone in general by 538%!
53. I Barely Know Rezko - Only 5 Billed Hours - LIAR, you have known him for 17 years, and decided to do a real estate deal with him during a time when he was proven to be under investigation. Despite this, you divided your property and had them take off $300K before the mortgage problems started. Then Rezko's wife buys the lot beside it that you can't afford, saving you $625,000.
54. My Donations Have Been Checked Thoroughly - LIAR, you only gave back Hsu ($72K) and Rezko ($150K) of their money when publicly called on their involvement in your campaigns.
55. My Church Is Like Any Other Christian Church - LIAR, your church is so extreme, the pastor who married you, Rev. Wright, just got done blaming the US for 9/11 and named Louis Farrahkan their person of the year.
56. I Disagree With My Church All The Time - LIAR, you still have yet to repudiate Wright, who married you and your wife, and you still donate large sums of money to assist the church in furthering its message - hatred and revenge. You donated in 2006 alone, $22,500 to the church that you so terribly disagree with. That is nearly $500 PER WEEK - that sure is disagreement, Senator Obama.
57. I Have Clean Connections Despite Rezko - LIAR, you are not only connected to Exelon and Rezko, you are also connected to Hillary PAC supporter Mr. Hsu, AND an Iraqi Billionaire of ill repute, Nadhmi Auchi, who ripped off people in the Food For Oil, Iraqi deal. Seems Mr. Auchi may have helped Obama buy his million dollar property long before Obama had millions of dollars. Wonder what favors Mr. Auchi expects, when Obama leaves Iraq free to be taken over by special interests such as him.
58. I never heard sermons like Rev. Wright's, that have been in videos all day, You Tube - LIAR! 3 days later during your Mea Culpa speech you said "Did I hear controversial statements while I sat in that church? Yes I did."

What is wrong with you? Hey, I don't want to eat nothing but pancakes, I want to live!

Johnny Mac was in the local area Friday night. He was speaking on Luke 15, particularly the parable of the "Prodigal Son" (audio).

It was a good message and there's a quote I just have to share:

The gospel of Jesus Christ does not offer the sinner what the sinner, in his flesh, already wants. Any gospel that appeals to what an unregenerate sinner already wants is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unregenerate sinners want health, wealth, prosperity, success, happiness. That’s what sinners in their unredeemed condition want already. The gospel doesn’t come to offer the impenitent sinner what he wants in the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. The gospel offers the sinner what the sinner must have, which is forgiveness of sins, even if it costs him everything. (emphasis mine)
– John F. MacArthur, Jr.

The regenerate person, one born again, wants what this world cannot offer. One born again unto faith desires true life, not the counterfeit of trying to numb the pain with stuff or our best life now.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

This will make his Monday! I'm no musician, but I think this guy is lip syncing.

Read Al Mohler's Are Children Threatening the Earth? The Great Liberal Death Wish Strikes Again.

Check out some thoughts on John McCain's curious faith.

For the J.I.C. file ... Read about papal etiquette: What to do if you meet the pope.

Read Avoid Enlisting ’Warm-Bodies’ as Sunday School Teachers!

Read that vitamins may shorten your life.

Read Evangelizing Your Children.
Part 1 - Common Pitfalls in Evangelizing Children
Part 2 - Foundational Keys to Evangelizing Children

Read about When to Baptize Your Kids.

Read about the Lost Art of Lingering, "Getting beyond superficial relationships in a fast-paced world."

Check out the discussion Jared Nelson started about lowering the drinking age in the US.

Check out Hershael York's post explaining why IMB missionaries have left the field. Contrary to what many are suggesting, it's not because they're unhappy with the organization: Exploding Myths and Accusations about IMB Missionary Attrition Rates.

Read about Rev's boy, Terrell Owens, and his potential Hall of Fame legacy: Owens' greatness always subject to debate.

Scope out a collection of thoughts on the Ben Stein "Expelled" movie.

Listen to the audio from the Together for the Gospel 2008 conference. Listen to 2006.

Read Tim Challies' summaries of the Together for the Gospel 2008 conference (Duncan, Dever, Thabiti Anyabwile, Sproul, Piper, Mohler, MacArthur, and Mahaney). Read my summary from 2006.

Watch a few video clips from the Together for the Gospel 2008 conference: Thabiti Anyabwile, Dever, and Duncan)

Check out more info about the ESV Study Bible, available October 2008.

Know the mechanics of the man hug.

Read about the Italian man convicted for staring at woman on train.

Read the latest Barna results on just how few Americans tithe.

Watch as Mitt Romney shares his top 10 reasons for leaving the presidential race.

Read about Christians and alcohol, the topic of conversation in the current Criswell College journal. (HT Justin Taylor)

Justin Taylor: As a friend wrote to me: "I think everyone would benefit from a little Latin: abusus usum non tollit ('Abuse does not take away proper use')." It's a biblical sentiment, and I would venture to say that if it's kept in mind when thinking through this issue, the basic conclusions are pretty simple and clear.

Read 25 ways to simplify life with your kids.

Read about Benjamin Franklin's pursuit of his 13 virtues.

Watch Chuck Swindoll's DTS chapel message on the discipline of self-control.

Read about how attending religious services is predictive of fidelity and how "other dimensions of religiousness such as praying and faith had no association." (cf. Heb 10:24-26)

Read about why Kobe won't [i.e., can't] win the MVP.

Check out Ken Jones' sermon on Multi-culturalism and Christ.

Check out 9 Characteristics of a Vibrant Men's Ministry.

Learn How to Disagree, a "disagreement hierarchy."

Read about Christians and Euthanasia, not to be confused with Youth in Asia.

Read Gary Brumley's How We Worship: 10 Principles Which Guide us on Sunday Morning.

Feel Logan's righteous indignation upon a conversation where a co-worker compared a woman to a car, that needed to be test-driven before owned.

It's good to be the king ... or at least the Prince. Read about Prince William landing a RAF helicopter in his girlfriend's yard.

Read about the importance of praying for those who preach, along with some practical pointers. (HT Justin Taylor)

Read about why taking notes during a message makes a difference even if you never look at them again. (HT Ray Fowler)

Comment of the Week:
9. The church is not a sub-culture to hide in for safe Christian alternatives. It's supposed to be a transformative subversive counter-culture in the midst of the mainstream. (etoc)

"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for."
-Grace Murray Hopper

Listen to yesterday's sermon at Providence Church on Philippians 1:18b-26, "A Life or Death Situation."

It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.

I'm currently teaching through a Sunday school series called "Church Matters," the brain child of Lance, where we've combined the adult & youth classes at Providence Church.

The first week we looked at what the church is not, interacting with 4 articles from Mike Sviegel:

Part 1 - The Church is not a merely human organization (e.g., not political party, not a club, and not a business).

Part 2 - The church is not a supermarket of spiritual groceries (problems include church shopping, hopping, and dropping).

Part 3 - The church is not just a gathering of a few believers (especially those for whom they deem no church is worthy).

Part 4 - The church is not an option (it is a necessary component of sanctification).

I highly recommend those, and I'd like to add a few more along the lines of what the church is not ...

1. The church is not a meat market for singles to meet in order to cure them of the disease of singleness, nor should a church promote (or condone) itself as such. Certainly, Christians should marry Christians (2 Cor 6:14) and a great place to meet like-minded believers is in one's church, but the function of the church is not pairing people up.

2. The church is not a place of mere intellectual performance, a platform for people to show off their mental prowess or big words. Certainly, we are to love the Lord our God with all our minds and intellectual stimulation should occur if we are so loving God. However, church does not convene for a pastor or teacher to show off or to demean others of less intelligence/knowledge.

3. The church is not a building. Sure, the vernacular allows the building to be shorthand, just as we realize the Burger King is a entity that serves people food there. The church meets there and owns/uses that facility. However, it's far too popular to think of the building as the legacy, with people being loyal to a building and not Christ or His flock that meets there. I've even heard people personify a church building by speaking of it saving people and it making a difference in the lives of other or a community.

4. The church is not a gig. The church is not a venue for the band to entertain or try out new material. It's not a place for an audience to come to get entertained by artists. It is, however, a place for musicians to use their talents to the glory of God as worshipers are aided in exalting our Triune God together.

5. The church is not a place to network, to be seen or make business contacts. I've only experienced this secondhand, but looking for a church based on networking possibilities is particularly heinous.

6. The church is merely not a place to come and unload about your aches and pains. Sure, it's as much a hospital as much as it is an army, but Christian love dictates that we care about others, not just about getting our concerns on the magical prayer list. It's good to share your needs, but don't forget about the needs of others.

7. The church is not a group of perfect people. In fact, recognition of one's sinfulness is required for joining. We are people being perfected, but that means we're called to be patient, kind, forgiving, and loving with each other in the growing process. That means we give patience, not just expect it for us.

“For as long as Jesus insists on calling sinners and not the righteous to repentence-and there is no indication as yet that he has changed his policy in that regard-churches are going to be an embarrassment to the fastidious and and affront to the upright.”
-Peterson, Reversed Thunder, 54

Any others?

Recommended Reading: Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God, by Joshua Harris.

Okay, sir. You're a Lebowski; I'm a Lebowski. That's terrific. I'm very busy, so what can I do for you?

This is interesting. My first name did not make the top 50 nationally. But 99.63% of people with my first name are male, including me.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 166 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Allegedly, there are 829,438 people in the U.S. with my first name (my spelling) and there are 60,765 people in the U.S. with the same last name. But not so many with all the tools put together.

How unique is your name?

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

Read about the attempt to "jinx" the new Yankee Stadium by planting a Red Sox jersey within its structural concrete. (HT Jade)

Read about the PCUSA's multicultural conference in San Antonio.

Read as Hammer and Nail attempts to ask & answer the question, "What is a Reformed Baptist?"

Read Mark Dever on What Evangelism Is Not in Christianity Today.

Check out these Top 10 RC Sproul quotes. (HT Vitamin Z)

Read 20 potential questions for potential church members.

Read Al Mohler's thoughts on Marriage and the Glory of God.

Read as Steven Levitt wonders, "Why does the post office deliver mail that has no stamp?"

Read A Primer on the Christian Understanding of Capital Punishment, including arguments for and against it.

Read about what motivated Oprah's departure for biblical Christianity.

Read 10 Ways to Help Kids Love Missions.

Read Choosing Mult-Ethnic over Mega.

"Is having an ethnically diverse church a biblical mandate?"

Read why John Piper says it's good we're not all like Jesus.

Check out the film career of the recently departed Charleton Heston, star of 2 of my favorite Top 10 Movies, Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments.

Read the irony: Bees swarm Mexican police in reverse sting operation.

Read about Johnny Mac making a stop in the DFW metroplex on April 18th.

Read Johnny Mac's 8 ways parents provoke. (cf. Eph 6:4)

Read Reepicheep on why Party affiliation is not what it used to be.

"A candidate's party affiliation has historically been the key differentiating element between the two main candidates for president. I think the 2008 election will be different."

Read Rev's new bit, Theology on Thursday, insightful theology quotes. He's off to a good start with Clive Staples, Lewis, that is.

"Gunny makes his case on Mondays, Brent cries on Fridays, so who is covering Thursdays?"

Read as Joshua Harris shares some insight on the recent singing of Shout to the Lord on American Idol.

Check out some insightful advice for those considering a life of ministry. (HT Jared Nelson)
Part 1 - Guide for Elder Wannabes
Part 2 - Even More Radical and Controversial Advice for Elder Wannabes

"Learn everyone’s name in your congregation. If you’re in a congregation too big to do that, you’re likely in a congregation too big to really learn how to do ministry or to really interact with elders who give a flying flip about you."

Read about Venezuela determining The Simpsons inappropriate for children, replacing it with ... wait for it ... Baywatch.

Check out this Online Aid for Bible Memory.

Read about the one book J.I. Packer won't sign. (Hint)

Read as Radical Womanhood shares my ire with regard to the increasing problem of loud restaurants: No Appetite for Noise.

Read the Thirsty Theologians series: Why I'm a Calvinist.
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Depravity
Part 3 - Election
Part 4 - The Atonement

Read the Wall Street Journal article on Sex Education by Donna Freitas, including the prominence of regret over promiscuity.

Read about the demise of "Christian" "book" stores, particularly in the comments section.

Read as Johnny Mac argues that the "Seeker-Sensitive" movement has created spectators, not servants.

Read 10 Questions Every Leaders Should Ask.

3. Does my heart break for the things that break the heart of God?

Comment of the Week:
"Sure, Yoda looked good for the first 870 years of his life, but wow did he drop off in the last 30 or so. Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi must have been seriously stressful for our little green friend." (Reepicheep)

"We learn something every day, and lots of times it's that what we learned the day before was wrong."
-Bill Vaughan