Around the Web

Around the Web Christian Thought Some Thoughts on the Reading of Books The Discerning Ear -- Handel Arias and Scenes Professor Reggie Kidd (RTS) Communion with the Triune God The Shepherd's Scrapebook provides us with an Interview with Dr. Derek Thomas (Pastor and Professor) Humble Orthodoxy blog A Fun Site Why Redirect Your Posts to Feedburner The Gospel in 6 Minutes (Desiring God) - Those boys at Desiring God took a challenge by Blogger Tim Challies personal. Here is what they came up with for attempting to become viral in the Social Media network. Biblical Training - I am told there are "High Quality Audios" Will the Home School Movement Become Yet Another Statistic to the Feminization of the Family? A Christian Conference for Bloggers (ht: Evangelical Outpost) - You going? Countdown to GodBlogCon 2007 Yak Shaving Razor Tip #107 Great Question by Tullian Mohler on "Asking Jesus into Your Heart" Family/Marriage/Parenting A Covenant Body - With A Little Help From My Friends Life in a Shoe shares about plastic bags Family Travel Gear Starbuck's now recognizes it is a family destination Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Around the Web

Advice for a Young Preacher (ht: The J.E. Center) In 1973 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote to a 'young preacher': 'With regard to books that have meant a great deal to me, I think I would have to put at the very top of my list the works of Jonathan Edwards.' Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones: The Fight of Faith 1939-1981 (Edinburgh, 1990), 420. A Labor Day Thought - Be the Human Being at the Office (ht: Jollyblogger) 24 Tips To Becoming An Early Riser (ht: Evangelical Outpost) With the SC State Fair coming up, I thought that this would be something good to know. How to Beat Carnival Games (ht: Evangelical Outpost) Jesus: More Full of Grace Than I of Sin (ht: JT) From Charles Wesley's hymn, Weary of Wandering from My God: O Jesus, full of truth and grace More full of grace than I of sin Yet once again I seek Thy face: Open Thine arms and take me in And freely my backslidings heal And love the faithless sinner still. Cited by Sinclair Ferguson in an excellent three-part sermon series on the Prodigal Son. Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

ABC's LOST

Lost on Gilligans Island (ht: The Evangelical Outpost) Heres the true story behind the ABC Hit Lost: In 1964, a dramatic TV series called "Lost on Gilligans Island" was filmed. Since it was too dark for a 1960s audience, the series was retooled as a slapstick comedy called "Gilligans Island." Four decades later, the ABC network remade "Lost on Gilligans Island," this time remaining true to the original dramatic vision. The 2004 remake was titled simply "Lost." (HT: Neatorama; ) Who Knew? So can you relate who each character is to resemble on LOST to those on Gilligan's Island? Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Does God Permit Sin

Does God Permit Sin? (ht: Desiring God) Part 1 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/786_does_god_emauthorem_sin/ Part 2 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/787_does_god_emauthorem_sin/ Part 3 http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/788/ Joshua Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

A Handicap

Around the web this week was how we have become a people who do not read. Why is that? I think we can answer the why. Here are what others have been commenting about it. One in Four Read No Books Last Year (Washington Post) - This is what started the viral conversations What - Me Read? (Bob Kauflin; Worship Matters) - then I believe Mr. Kauflin wrote Books Don’t Change People—Sentences Do (Tim Challies; Challies.com) We are not a nation of readers (Michele; Reformed Chicks Blabbing) One-In-Four Read Nothing (Candance Watters; Boundless) Reading Should Be Child's Play (Watters; Boundless) Literacy & the Gospel: Did you read a book last year? (Denny Burke) Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Around the Web

Worthy to review A Content Mom (GirlTalk) Frugal Search Engine Cheddar Grits with Bacon and Artichokes (From Timms Mill in Anderson) 8 slices of bacon 3 cups chicken broth 1 cup water 1 cup Timms Mill White or Yellow Grits 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons sour cream 2 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste) 1 can (14 to 16 ounces) artichoke hearts, chopped, or use frozen cooked artichoke hearts 2 eggs, well beaten Heat oven to 350° F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels; crumble. In a large saucepan, combine broth and water. Bring to a boil. Slowly stir in grits. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove grits from heat. Add the bacon and remaining ingredients; stir well. Pour into the baking dish. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set. Serves 8. Pachelbel Redux Here I raise My Ebenezer Continuance of Justification, part I Another entry on it: Harry Potter is Dreadful and Vulgar The Antidote for Bored Children Is biblical fellowship optional? and Is biblical fellowship optional? 2 Help - Why are church plants the most successful at reaching people and does my established church stand any chance of being renewed? Why Did Graham Preach Sinners? Church Membership Everything Is Interesting: Raising Educated People Minsitry Wives More Grace for Mothers Life and Ministry Management Could You Help? J. K. Rowling Condones Euthanasia in Latest Book To keep on hand for future: Hide Your E-mail Address from Spam Bots Exploring Google's Hidden Features Power replacements for built-in Windows utilities Cord Management: Go cordless with clamps Using Belkin's Weird Powerstrips Blogging Blog For An Audience… Even If You Have None Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Around the Web

This is interesting and powerful. "A Life Not Examined is a Life Not Worth Living" Mr. Tim Challies directs us to an article which deals with a futile life. Virtual Cheating in a Virtual World Sweet Tea Sweet tea: More than a beverage I Wish I Lived in a Land of Lipton …What makes Southern sweet tea so special? I heard this on NPR this morning. A Former Navy SEAL Questions Rules of War 'Lone Survivor' by Marcus Luttrell Douglas Wilson offers insite on bitterness. Walk the Other Way (ht: Desiring God) Is black the new green? Grace, mercy and peace be with you!

Spectacular Sin (Desiring God, John Piper)

Here is Piper's plan for an upcoming series: Sermon Series on Spectacular Sin (Author: John Piper) My plan for this falland I want to stress it is a plan, not a promiseis a 7-part series on historically significant sins. It will be entitled Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ. The first message, on August 12, will be an overview of where we are going and why, as it relates to our life as a church and our witness in the city and the world. Here are some goals for this series: • To show that the Christian faith is not like Hinduism or Buddhism or vague New Age Spiritualism but is rooted in and made up of objective historical reality outside ourselves: God, Satan, creation, human beings, sin, fallenness, providence, and divine puposefulness in all things. • To show that evil is real, horrible, and inescapable in this life, but not ultimate and not out of God's control. • To show God as totally and always sovereign over all things including evil as a wise, holy, good God worthy of everyone's trust and worship. • To drive home that evil is not an accident and that all the evil God permits is by design for the greater glory of his Son, Jesus Christ. • To sustain Christians for whom life will get harder in the years to come by showing that God will always be in control and will be with us forever to help us. • To show there is hope in the greatest evil, because evil has always been under God's control and has never escaped his wise governance. • To show that Christ, crucified and risen, is the centerpiece of all reality and that everything flows toward him and from him. All evil exists so that his saving work will have the fullest glory and his person the most manifest worth. • To show that knowing and embracing all this truth is like ballast in the belly of our boats which gives us stability and strength to plow the waves of adversity without capsizing and without turning from the true north of God's will. Here are the sermon titles for the next 7 messages as I currently anticipate them: • All Things Were Created Through Him and for Him. - Colossians 1:9-20 • The Fall of Satan and the Victory of Christ - Genesis 3:1-15 • The Fatal Disobedience of Adam and the Triumphant Obedience of Christ - Romans 5:12-21 • The Pride of Babel and the Praise of Christ - Genesis 11:1-9 • The Sale of Joseph and the Son of God - Genesis 37:1-36 • The Sinful Origin of the Son of David - 1 Samuel 12:1-25 • Judas Iscariot, the Suicide of Satan, and the Salvation of the World - Luke 22:1-6 Joshua M. Espinosa Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Media Fast (Justin Taylor)

Media Fast (Justin Taylor) Justin Taylor of 'Between Two Worlds' writes, "One of the best parts of my vacation was being without a computer. Good for the soul! I thought back to something that Doug Groothuis (philosophy professor at Denver Seminary) requires of his students: 'I routinely require my students to engage in some kind of "media fast," in which they abstain from an electronic medium for at least one week. During this time they are required to reflection several portions of Scripture--the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the fruit of the Spirit, etc.--in light of their experiences. In the six or so years I have been assigning this fast, the results have been nothing less than profound for the vast majority of the students. Having withdrawn from the world of TV, radio, computers, they find more silence, time for reflection and prayer, and more opportunities to engage family and friends thoughtfully. They become more peaceful and contemplative-and begin to notice how media-saturated most of our culture has become. So, we need some asceticism. Any area of culture that decreases godliness and enhances worldliness must come under the loving discipline of Jesus Christ--for his glory, for our good, and for the good of those we serve. Christians need to withdraw from aspects of our technological culture (which Postman calls a "Technopoly"-a culture dominated by technology) in order to gain perspective on ourselves, God, and our culture.'" Joshua M. Espinosa Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Challies.com

Mr. Tim Challies at http://www.challies.com has created a new look for his site. Check it out. His reasons are listed in his first post at his new site. Same address, new look. http://www.challies.com Moblogged Joshua M. Espinosa Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Missing it?

Here is a post from The Christian Post which offers what some may see as a good thing. But have you or they not read more about what Disney does promote. This seems to be like something that Disney is doing to, "offer them a bone". "Them", being the Christtian Ministries which are praising Disney. Does anyone not recall the "bones" which Disney throughs to feminist groups and homosexuals? For the Christian Ministries to be grabbing hold of this and applauding Disney is almost embarrassing. Allow the foundations and folks who run the No Smoking ads to jump on this. Our friend at Challies.com writes an interesting article which I have had the same thoughts about and have spoken to many about also and I trust will stir a thought in you today. I can no longer support or visit (not that I have done so alot in my life time) the local Christian Bookstores. This is not something I did just when some of them begun to open on the Lord's Day, but have done prior to that for many years. Last night we had a gathering at the lake with a group of brothers and sisters. There is a a group of young men (as I get older, the age for younger seems to grow greater) which pray several Tuesday mornings a month at 6:15. It was started several years ago. We have been given the name, "Sons of Issachar". We gathered together with our families and to fellowship with one another and allow our families time together. It was an enjoyable time. Acts 2 was exampled last night. As always, pictures of our family are being added almost daily to our Picase Web Album. You can also find a slideshow on the left sidebar, near the bottom of it. Grace, mercy and peace be with you! Print Page

Something New

Well, I trust that this will not confuse or dissuade anyone from following our blogs, but we have made the switch back to blogger but keeping our name from the wordpress blog. Why the switch? Wordpress was not giving the features that were being imiplemented into Blogger and what features they were offering, were coming at a cost. It was hard to justify the cost of it. As always, there are pros and cons to each blog press and right now, Blogger just seems to be the best. I've tasted and seen and am feeling good about the switch. I hope our fans will follow. Oh, the downside, not sure if I can bring the old posts from wordpress here. Around the Web Where'd All These Calvinists Come From? (Part 3) (ht: Justin Taylor) Who Will Be Kings (ht: Justin Taylor) The Glory of Men and Women Lies in Their Unbridgeable Differences Church Discipline and the Law