A great article and review from Timothy Keller of Sam Allberry's book, Is God Anti-Gay?, originally written for Redeemer Report: Renewing the City Socially, Spiritually & Culturally.
Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality
by Wesley Hill
Zondervan, 2010
Is God Anti-Gay? Questions Christians Ask
by Sam Allberry
The Good Book Co., 2013
The relationship of homosexuality to Christianity is without doubt one of the main subjects of cultural conversation today. If you are a Christian in New York City, it is nearly impossible to talk about your faith without this subject being raised. Although it is not central to the gospel message at the heart of Christianity, right now the cultural moment requires that we be prepared to address this issue whenever we are publicly identified as Christians.
A sign of this cultural moment is the wave of new books—from very divergent points of view—that have come out recently treating this topic. People who attend Redeemer will either come across the books themselves, or will have their basic arguments presented to them in shorter forms online. So over the next few months I will be reviewing several of these books. It’s my way as a pastor to point people to those volumes that both fit in with biblical teaching and are pastorally wise and sensitive, as well as those books that, for all their good intentions, are mistaken and unhelpful.... continue reading
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:10-11
Commandments and Lord's Prayer
Using Christianity to Fight Crime
Muslim converts to Christianity after coma
Walsall bible-quotes doctor loses sacking appeal
Angry Christians protest Pakistan church bombing; death toll rises to 81
Pastor Chuck Smith dies at 86; founder of Calvary Chapel movement
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
What professions lead to the unhappiest people? It may have shocked you to discover that Ministers of religion are the happiest profession (see blog on Tuesday). But if the biggest driver for happiness and job satisfaction is interaction with people, it should be less surprising to see the bottom five. The interesting thing here is that they are, in general, much higher paid, and have a much higher social status, but they don't deliver the goods in terms of happiness:
5. Technical Specialist
4. Senior Web Developer
3. Product Manager
2. Director of Sales and Marketing: I guess the issue here is that social interaction in sales and marketing is dominated by wanting to get the sale. And of course, the pressure of meeting those targets.
1. Director of Information Technology: often high earning, but the pressure point for anything that goes wrong. People complain and are frustrated when it doesn't work - but do not appreciate how difficult it is to make it work properly.... continue reading
Do you know any teenage girls? You only have to walk through any town on a Saturday night to know some of the pressures these girls face. Or flick through their magazines, listen to their music, check out their Facebook pages… Every day they are bombarded with the world's messages – the right makeup, clothes, boyfriend, music, parties. The desire to be special; but the need to fit in.
It's tough being a teenager, and potentially even more so if you're a Christian. What does it mean to live for Christ in a world that ignores him? How can a girl be godly, and what does that look like anyway? Where are the role models to help them see what a "real Woman" – a woman of God – looks like?
Our new resource, Real Women, written by Sarah Bradley, is designed to help teenage girls who are caught up in this situation. It's a great tool to help Christian women meet up with teenage girls to explore together what living as a woman of God looks like.... continue reading
1. Questions Christians Ask E-Books
For just 48 hours, our very own Questions Christians Ask ebooks are available for just 75p in the UK and $0.99 in the US!
2. Free PDF: Does God Desire All to Be Saved?
A free PDF from John Piper.
3. Indelible Grace Hymn Book
Indelible Grace's newly-designed website, with chords and lead sheets.
4. How can you preach with passion?
A fantastic video by Jonty Allcock about preaching.
5. Prepare Your Public Prayers: Helpful Advice from D. A. Carson
Brian G. Hedges shares helpful advice from D. A. Carson's, A Call to Spiritual Reformation.
6. And finally…
Our video of the week, Tim Chester talks about his book, Ordinary Hero:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
You probably know The Good Book Company for our biblically focused and - we pray - challenging tree books and resources.
However more and more reading is moving towards a digital format, and although we don't want to see the complete demise of the traditional book, The Good Book Company is keeping up with that trend.
Many of the books we publish and stock are also available in ebook format now alongside their paper counterparts. So now you can take your book with you wherever you take your Apple or Android mobile device, tablet, or other reading device.
To give you a flavour of how these ebook resources look and feel, we are offering our popular Questions Christians Ask series for just $0.99 each for the next 48 hours. Simply use the code qcae13 at the checkout.
What professions lead to the happiest people? It was a simple question that delivered a surprising result from the General Social Survey produced by the National Organization for Research at the University of Chicago.
It seems the big driver for happiness and job satisfaction is interaction with people. Here's the top five - be prepared for a surprise when you reach no 1:
5. Special education teachers: If you don’t care about money, a job as special education teacher might be a happy profession. The wages are low, but the sense of satisfaction and happiness is high.... continue reading
The suicide bombing of a church in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago, in which at least 85 people were killed, is a horrendous reminder of what Christians in countries throughout the world risk each week simply by going to church.
And, coming as it did at the same time as the Nairobi shopping-centre terrorist attack, in which people were targeted indiscriminately, rather than on the basis of their faith, it has raised a question in the western media, a question which is worth Christians thinking through:
Does it make any difference when the people affected by tragedy are Christians?... continue reading
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father — to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:5b-6
Why not dwell once again this morning on what Jesus has done for you and how he calls you to respond?
