Hey Christian – Be Vexed By The Olympics Opening Ceremony. Be Very Vexed.

Stephen McAlpine offers his thoughts on that Olympics opening ceremony.

Imagine: The Paris Olympics and how a song and a ceremony offered the only message they could

On the same theme, Dave Williams picks up some other features of that opening ceremony and draws a few lessons not only for the church but also for us to note concerning modern Western culture.

The issue of wealth in the bible

‘We examined every case in the Bible where an individual was identified as having substantial material possessions and the means of acquiring these goods was disclosed. We found that in the twenty-one cases meeting these criteria, the means of acquisition was a reliable indicator of whether a person received approval or disapproval.’

Blow up your church newsletter

Funnily enough, I think the advice in this one translates similarly to notices. It’s not about getting rid of newsletters/notices altogether. It’s about creating something people want to read/hear, convincing them of spiritual realities and then giving them avenues to do what those truths would lead them to do. Which may mean blowing up your newsletter as suggested here and may mean retooling your notices so that you are clear what you have heard from the Word translates to what you will do in the week.

What’s wrong with the world?

This one lays out a biblical answer.

Theology without a heart: four signs of dead orthodoxy

‘In 1959, Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) preached a series of messages on the topic of revival, including one called “Revival Sermon: Dead Orthodoxy.” In the sermon, Lloyd-Jones argues that “dead orthodoxy” is the greatest threat to revival, to the church at large, and to all individual Christians. Such an observation merits careful inquiry. What is dead orthodoxy — and how might we discern its presence in our own souls and churches?’

From the archive: What we’re not saying

‘Sometimes, in the discussions on class and the church, what we are actually saying and what people hear are two very different things. It is very common for people to assume we are saying things that we really aren’t saying (or implying) at all. Every once in a while, it seems sensible to look at some of the things that people sometimes hear that we really aren’t trying to say at all.’