Tag Archives: Islam

Six-Pack (57)

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Way too long away! I have missed every one of you, AND I’ve missed posting. Time to re-establish order in our post-sickness lives. Cheers to new days and new starts!

So let’s jump in: Here is the first Six-Pack of 2014 — the best pieces that have kicked off my year. As usual, selections are generally centered on faith or ministry, though we leave sufficient license to include who-knows-what as we discover it!

If six ever feels overwhelming, start with my two *Picks of the Week*, and move out from there.

For a steady stream of such links, follow me on Twitter to the right of this post.  Sharp quotes and solid articles are tweeted 3-4 times daily.

Today’s edition:

1) I Should Be Philip Seymour Hoffman (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
 Blaine Hogan provides this reflection on what others might learn from the too-soon passing of one of Hollywood’s finest actors.

2) Would You Convert to Islam?
This brief piece, from Geoff Surratt, nudges Christians to consider their approaches to evangelism from the other side.

3) Preaching as Reminding
Preachers often feel pressure to say something new. The point most of the time is simply to remind people of what they already know. Here’s what that might look like and why it matters.

4) How Christianity Gave Us Gay Marriage (*PICK OF THE WEEK*)
The eyebrow-furrowing-titled piece actually voices an observation of which I’ve long held some poorly expressed version.

5) Seven Things I Hate About Spiritual Formation
Can a pastor actually voice such a thing? John Ortberg does. And then he gives seven reasons why.

6) Donald Miller and The Culture of Contemporary Worship
At the start of the month, popular Christian writer and speaker Donald Miller ignited discussion with confession that going to church isn’t something he does much. Mike Cosper was one of many to respond.

May your week ahead be filled with life, as you seek the One from whom it flows!

leaveacommentYOUR TURN: Your input makes this post better!

  • Which link above was today’s best-of-the-best?
  • Why that one?

Direct others to the best of the bunch with a quick comment.

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Smartest Kid in Egypt

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Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the future Egyptian president. No joke.

If you aren’t sure what the fighting is about in Africa’s most northeastern nation, listen and learn.

Saturday Six-Pack (8)

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Another week, another weekend.  Thanks for coming for a bit of “Wandering & Wondering”.

The Saturday Six-Pack brings a weekly dose of online pieces, written to inform or inspire.  Generally, these articles are faith-focused or ministry-geared, but the “disorderly pile of who-knows-what” tagline at the top of this page catching everything outside of that!

This week:

1) God is Most Glorified When We are Most Dependent on Him
Justin Buzzard takes aim at the hidden dangers of chasing independence.

2) Farewell Rob Bell
On February 26, 2011, John Piper rocked the Twitter-verse with three words: “Farewell, Rob Bell.”  The adieu was viewed as a cutting critique of the not-yet-released “Love Wins”.  This interview provides the behind-the-tweet story that you have likely not heard before.

3) Saudi Grand Mufti Calls for “Destruction of All Churches in the Area”
When I was in Syria, the group I was part of was hosted for a feast by the nation’s Grand Mufti, in Damascus.  This was more than a big deal, as the Grand Mufti is one of the country’s most influential Islamic leaders.  Knowing that, you can now appreciate the context of this article’s opening line: “Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, declared that it is “necessary to destroy all the churches of the region.”  Read this brief piece to enlarge your perspective on what fellow Christians around the globe are facing, as they live out their faith.

4) Life on God’s Time
In a culture bent on instant gratification, how do we follow a God with a completely foreign sense of time?  How do you trust a Being beyond time?

5) How Do You Keep from Getting Distracted?
How do you buckle down and focus deeply when you cannot afford distraction?  Donald Miller has a few ideas.

6) Top Five Regrets of the Dying
What do you get when a palliative care nurse spends years learning from her patients how they look back on their lives?  You get a full-blown book, shrunk down for this blog post.

Have a great weekend, friends–renew yourself and reverence God.