Andy Griffith: * Andy Griffith: A Life Remembered; * Sheriff Who Gave Stature to Small-Town Smarts; * ‘Andy Griffith’ Theme Song Also; * What Faith, Family Meant to Andy Griffith; * Andy Griffith: Celebrity Profile
Archaeology: Temple Mount Time Bomb
“… ordinary cement was used in the repairs of walls and pavements. Large areas of new pavement have been laid in the southern part of the Temple Mount, again with ordinary cement in between the joints. This causes a greater flow toward the outer walls, which simply cannot absorb so much water. … It is only a matter of time when large sections of the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount will collapse. When that happens, the Muslims will predictably incriminate the Israelis, when, in fact, they only have themselves to blame.”
Calvinism: Why are Young People So Drawn to Calvinism? by Matt Dabbs
“Calvinism is all over the place. Many of the best known young preachers are Calvinists. Many of the most well read blogs are from a Calvinist perspective. … What is the story?”
Change & the United States: Things I Would Change About America If I Could by Ben Witherington
“I could easily come up with another top twenty, but let’s fix these things first.”
Counseling: How Pastor-Counselors Differ from Secular Counselors by Justin Taylor
“Every counselor brings a ‘message': an interpretation of problems, a theory that weighs causalities and context, a proposal for cure, a goal that defines thriving humanness.”
Dreams: Are Your Big Dreams as Big as Your God? by Wayne Stiles
“As Christians, we have more to do than get up, work hard, and come home for a few hours of television … only to rise and begin again.”
Fireworks: * How Fireworks Work ; * The U.S. Spends $600 Million on Fireworks [infographic]
Flags, patriotism & worship: * If You Love That Flag, Don’t Put It in the Sanctuary by Robert A. Ratcliff; * Just Jesus & Unjust July 4th: Why I Don’t Celebrate Independence Day (Annual Unpopular Post) by Kurt Willems
“… placing the flag in the sanctuary presents us with two untenable options: either ignore the flag, and treat your country with disrespect; or honor the flag and commit an act of idolatry. I’m sorry, but this is not one of those times when we can have it both ways. The only good option is the third one: leave the flag out of the sanctuary. If we love that flag, we won’t make people choose between it and God.”
* “Even if one holds to the possibility of a ‘just war,’ historically, the victory we celebrate as Americans every 4th of July, does not count. May we quit appealing to pseudo ‘just war’ theories and start appealing to just Jesus, because the only Independence Day worth celebrating is Easter – which reminds us that violence doesn’t win because the tomb is empty!”
Hospital visitation & introverts: How to Hack Your Introversion and Warmly Visit Someone in the Hospital (Even If You’ve Never Met) by Eric McKiddie
“Jesus went out of his comfort zone for you. Go out of your comfort zone …”
Humor: The Percontation Point: A Desperately Needed New Form of Punctuation by Marc Cortez
“Finally, a punctuation mark for those of us who think sarcasm is the highest form of communication but are afraid that other people will miss the point.”
Ministry: An Example to Follow by Jeff Anderle
“What if I burned up all my exit strategies and climbed up on the altar and said my life is not my own, but it belongs truly to the sheep to which you’ve called me, Lord. What if …”
Mormons: I’m a Mormon, Not a Christian by David Mason
“I want to be on record about this. I’m about as genuine a Mormon as you’ll find — a templegoer with a Utah pedigree and an administrative position in a congregation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am also emphatically not a Christian.”
Online habits: Are People Sharing Too Much Online?
“… 78% of ex-cons believe that social media is one of the essentials steps to identify the next target.”
Prayer: A Prayer for America
Preaching: Preaching the Good News as GOOD News by John McClure
“… the heart and soul of preaching is the good news of God’s redemptive grace and mercy.”
Salvation & Southern Baptists: Thoughts about “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation” by Roger Olson
“Recently a group of non-Calvinist Southern Baptists wrote and signed ‘A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation. I certainly have no objection to a group of non-Calvinists pushing back against the tidal wave of Calvinism surging over contemporary evangelical and Baptist life in the U.S. (and other places). … I have thought, upon reading some of their writings … that they are Arminians who just don’t want to wear that label. Now, however, I’m not so sure. Here is their statement about original sin and depravity …”
Social media: 15 Social Media Scams
“From Facebook phishing lures to Twitter and Tumblr hoaxes, here are 15 scams to watch out for on social networking sites.”
