Morning Mashup 09/16

A mashup of articles for your information, edification, entertainment, and enjoyment.

---

A Call for Hope in the Age of Mass Incarceration – Thabiti Anyabwile observes and exposes the reality that most opponents of mass incarceration offer little hope by simply stating the problem. He writes, “Black families affected by mass incarceration need hope that’s stronger than the vicissitudes of this life, built on better promises than social policy can offer. Inner-city communities need hope that places its members’ happiness beyond the reach of their enemies. Vulnerable families need hope stronger than the death that’s so frequently dealt out in its homes and hamlets.”

Dear Mama of Littles – A beautiful article for my wife and all other “Mamas of littles.”

Technology and the Truth about the Viability of the Unborn – Dan Darling: “Either technology will force us to face the truth about abortion, or it will force us to admit we know what we are doing: taking innocent human life.”

The Art of Conferencing – As a children’s pastor, I highly recommend this historically proven method of discipleship in the home.

Why We Must Recover the Master of Divinity Degree – Jason Allen of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary ushers a resounding call for the recovery of a robust and thorough Master of Divinity Degree. His closing spoke to me: “The call to the ministry is indeed the most glorious calling known to man. All whom God has called must be optimally prepared to serve him. Don’t settle for the quickest or easiest degree; aim for being maximally prepared for a lifetime of faithful ministry. Completing the Master of Divinity degree does not ensure a faithful ministry, but it does best position one for it. If at all possible, don’t settle for anything less.”

20 Funny and Strange Things Church Members Say – Pastors and staff were informally polled on Twitter by Thom Rainer to come up with this list. Surely you’ve never said any of these things, right?

Is Suicide and Unforgivable Sin that Will Send You to Hell? – An interesting approach to a sensitive question.

Co-Founder of Subway Restaurant Chain Dies at 67 – Within this NY Times piece is an interesting story about the beginnings of Subway.

Why Can’t Novak Djokovic Get Some Respect? – The title is a bit misleading. Djokovic has tons of respect, but he’s definitely not the darling of men’s tennis quite yet. Our love affair with Federer still rages on. This is odd and unfortunate because Djokovic is insanely talented, a ten-fold Grand Slam champion, and a seemingly likable dude.

Jesus is the first and last person in history to be told that obedience would bring a curse. –Tim Keller

Morning Mashup 09/11

30 Tips for New Seminary Students – As a new seminary student, I greatly appreciated this advice.

Our Addiction to Doubt – Excellent stuff from Barnabas Piper on a topic he knows and writes on well. “Doubt can lead us deeper into truth and can keep us humble, but it is no place to reside. Our addiction to it has put premium value on vagaries and feelings.”

The Problem with Republican Tax Plans – Rubio, Paul, and now Bush have communicated their proposed tax plans if elected president. While they each have merits worth considering, it will be the same old story for Democratic rebuttal.

Stephen Colbert Reading Flannery O’Connor – Sit with a friend and listen to Colbert read a short story written by Flannery O’Connor. This is fantastic.

10 Questions for Rule of Law Critics of Kim Davis – Joe Rigney joins the fray of varying voices from Christian thinkers and leaders on the Kim Davis-religious liberty issue.

Meet the ‘Dones’ – An interesting new demographic is on the rise. We have met the “Nones,” those who have rejected all religious affiliation. But now we have the “Dones,” those who have led in the church and now want no part of it.

This is the Best of Times and the Worst of Times – Classic Piper. This is just too good not to share.

The Powerful Effect of Pregnancy Resource Centers – Joe Carter shows us the positive stats pro-life Christians should be aware of: “One PRC network, Care Net, reports that in 2014 eighty percent of women (388,691) who visited their centers and who were at risk for abortion chose life.”

6 Reasons Church is Not Optional for Seminary Students – Hershael York with wise counsel for seminary students and their relationship to the local church.

Why Judicial Supremacy Isn’t Compatible with Constitutional Supremacy – “The courts can get the Constitution wrong; if they could not, there would be no point to justices’ trying to get it right by reasoning about the Constitution.”

9/11 Memorials and Tributes – Here is a list of all the events scheduled to mark and memorialize the 14th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

God suffered to end evil without ending us –Tim Keller

Morning Mashup 09/15

Adrian Peterson Indicted for Negligent Injury to a Child – Here are the details of the indictment of Adrian Peterson and the incident with his son.

What the Bible Teaches About Spanking – The indictment of Peterson will undoubtedly give rise to questions of the legitimacy of spanking as a form of parental discipline. Denny Burk outlines Andy Naselli’s biblical exposition of spanking in this post.

What We Can Learn from the Ray Rice Situation – Tony Dungy believes there are a few lessons we can learn from the Ray Rice situation.

California Southern Baptist Convention Expels ‘Third Way’ Church – In a unanimous decision, “The California Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Board voted Thursday (Sept. 11) to withdraw fellowship from a church whose pastor says he believes homosexual acts are not always sinful.”

Reflections on Mark Driscoll Stepping Down – This is a very poignant post on the Mark Driscoll situation. With the countless posts on Driscoll floating around online, this is one of the best.

Why I Still Go to Seminary – Why would a pastor go to seminary? J.A. Medders gives an awesome answer. As a Bible college and future seminary student, this was very encouraging. “Seminary doesn’t end with me; it’s end is the glory of God and the good of His people.”

Why We Need Both Clarity and Courage in Preaching – Trevin Wax: “Clarity and courage remain two of the most crucial characteristics of authentic Christian preaching. For they relate to the content of the message preached and to the style of its presentation.”

How God Cares For Those Who Don’t – Paul Maxwell: “Apathy is a unique mixture of haughty rebellion and suffering. God offers himself to the apathetic.”

It Takes a Mentor – Thomas Friedman: “[T]he need for schools to have a good grasp of what employers are looking for and for employers to be communicating with schools about those skills is greater than ever.”

Steve Jobs Was a Low-Tech Parent – Ironically, Steve Jobs did not throw his technological creations into his kids’ laps. Read why.

Finally, check out this amazing typewriter artist who was born with severe cerebral palsy. He will blow your mind!

Motivation without empowerment is empty rhetoric. –Eric Mason

Morning Mashup 08/20

Many mid-week articles for your information, edification, and enjoyment. Have a great Wednesday!

Is It “Goodbye Evangelicalism” or “We Join You in Your Suffering”? – Thabiti Anyabwile offers sobering thoughts on the state of evangelicalism in light of social injustice.

On Being John Piper’s Son – Ed Stetzer interviews Barnabas Piper about his new book, life as a PK, and parenting.

Who Will Stand Up for the Christians? – Jewish leader, Ronald Lauder: “Why is the world silent while Christians are being slaughtered in the Middle East and Africa?”

ISIS Beheading U.S. Journalist – My heart breaks for this family. If this is authentic, it will be interesting to see how President Obama responds.

How Can the Gospel Be Good News to Gays? – A friend of Sam Alberry was interested in Jesus, but wanted to know how becoming a Christian would affect his gay lifestyle. See how Alberry responded.

What’s It Like in Ferguson? – A pastor who is walking the streets of Ferguson gives us some insight into what life is like in this torn city.

Listening to Find Our Voice on Ferguson – Much wisdom from Darrin Patrick and Ed Copeland on the rush to judgment on the turmoil in Ferguson and how we should move forward.

The Other Side of Ferguson – Check out the mostly unnoticed work of local churches in Ferguson and how they are responding to the situation.

Love, Hate, and a Counter-Intuitive God – Is the biblical command to love really as simple as it seems? Derek Rishmawy gives great insight to a complex topic.

The Black Church and the Black Community – An enlightening conversation between Trevin Wax and Anthony Bradley on listening to the voices of black church leaders.

Letter to a Discouraged Minister – A very encouraging word from Don Whitney to any minister who is wilting under the weight of discouragement.

Resisting Pressure to “Make Something of Yourself” Before Motherhood – “When we put off the beauty of children—often in quest for our own glory, status, or feelings of having ‘arrived’—we are doing it to our peril.”

Men, Are You Settled on the Issue of Abortion? – John Knight challenges men to speak up about abortion for the sake of countless little lives.

Why the Looters Will Have the Most Lasting Impact on Ferguson – Sadly, this is historically true. Continue to pray for peace in Ferguson.

Enjoying the Good Gift of Sports – Barnabas Piper encourages sports fans to think more about sports. He writes, “Instead of undermining appreciation for sports, an active mind bolsters it.”

Seminary Students: Don’t Be That Guy – This is a tremendously helpful article by Philip Bethancourt of the ERLC. Much wisdom about avoiding the title “that guy” in seminary.

The minister of the gospel is in a perpetual state of war. –Albert Mohler

Morning Mashup 11/27

5 Truths About Thanksgiving – “Thanksgiving is a pervasive and essential concept in Scripture. And although it is good to set aside a Thursday each November to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving, the Scriptures have more to say about giving thanks than one day a year can handle.” Joseph Scheumann offers five biblical truths about thanksgiving.

Should the Church Get Out of the Marriage Business? – It is tempting for Christians to bypass the marriage debate entirely by opting out of the “marriage business.” Andrew Walker writes that it isn’t just the church who would suffer from an exit from the marriage debate, but society as a whole.

The Least of These: Who Are They? – My friend Jonathan Woodyard (M.Div student at Bethlehem College and Seminary) has written a short, yet helpful post on the identity of the “least of these” in Matthew 25. This is a passage countless people go to this time of year, in particular, as a basis for caring for the poor and needy. Woodyard shows how appealing to this passage to universally care for the needy is “right theology coming from the wrong text.”

Can You Be a Sold-Out Christian in the Suburbs? – While I have not personally experienced these feelings, there are those who say that “ordinary” Christianity is undermined by books like David Platt’s Radical. Even though I think these concerns are often over-exaggerated and misunderstand the purpose of Platt’s book, I also understand that these concerns are valid when they cause Christians to question their devotion to Christ because they live an ordinary life. Owen Strachan has written an excellent post that addresses this issue as he shows that “ordinary” Christians can and should be completely sold-out to Christ.

A Deeper Look at What the Bible Says About the Bible – The Bible makes many claims about itself. Matt Smethurst examines what it says.

What You Should Know About the HHS Contraceptive-Abortifacient Mandate – Joe Carter offers some must-knows about the HHS Contraceptive-Abortifacient Mandate.

The inner thought world determines the outward action. —Francis Schaeffer