What if you’re hiking along a dry trail on a hot day and encounter another hiker who has run out of water? Do you share some of your precious supplies with this hiker? Do you risk having to turn back early? Do you even put your own health at risk? Or do you leave the hiker to fend for himself or herself, even if the hiker’s life might be in peril? Questions like this are facing hikers in the Grand... Read more
If you are a mother, if you know any mothers, if you have a mother, if you might be a mother, or if you might someday be married to a mother, then you need to read “Motherhood as Vocation” by Kate Harris. Harris wrote this piece shortly after the birth of her first child. She now has three. Prior to becoming a mother, she worked in a “very public, marketplace vocation working for leadership on Capitol Hill.” Here’s how Harris’s... Read more
Jesus Pleads for You Romans 8:33-34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34 A few days ago, we noted the amazing truth that the very Spirit of God prays for us (vv. 26-27). Today we add to our amazement. In Romans 8:34, we see not only that Christ died for... Read more
If you had given me the text of “In Germany, Sex Workers Feed a Meter” and told me to guess the source, I would have said “The Onion.” If you’re not familiar with The Onion, it bills itself as “America’s Finest News Source.” In fact, it is America’s finest news satire, with articles written as if they were news. Pieces from The Onion sometimes fool people, who think they are genuine. “In Germany, Sex Workers Feed a Meter” is that... Read more
I want to put in a good word for Accordance Bible Software, an Oak Tree Software product. I have been a user of Accordance since it was first released in 1994. (In fact, I was a user of an earlier prototype called Gramcord, that was a DOS program.) Accordance is a sophisticated Bible study program that enables the user to do all sorts of searches of the biblical text, as well as accessing hundreds of reference materials. The program was... Read more
Even the New York Times has good news once in a while! Here’s a headline I like to read: Evidence of Heart Benefits From Chocolate According to the author, Nicholas Bakalar: An analysis of studies including more than 100,000 subjects has found that high levels of chocolate consumption are associated with a significant reduction in the risk of certain cardiovascular disorders. The seven studies looked at the consumption of a variety of chocolate — candies and candy bars, chocolate drinks,... Read more
Tim Dalrymple, my Patheos colleague, has written a letter that is must reading for all college freshmen. Tim has written this specifically for Christian students, but it contains wisdom for all who are beginning college. If you know anyone who is a new freshman, be sure to pass on this link. Here’s an excerpt from this great piece: Seek wisdom, not merely intelligence. My father shared this advice with me before my departure for Stanford, and he was precisely right.... Read more
Part 18 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church At the beginning of this series, I mentioned that the use of “missional” to describe the church is becoming so common as to be at risk of losing its distinctive meaning. This whole series has been an effort to clarify what it means for the church – and for individual Christians as well – to be missional. The fact that people use “missional” in such a wide variety... Read more
Part 17 of series: The Mission of God and the Missional Church When I talked about sharing Christ by being honest with people, perhaps you wanted to respond: “Even though you talk about ‘just being honest,’ I’m still not comfortable with the idea of sharing my faith with others. What would you suggest to help me get started?” Years ago someone admitted to me, “Evangelism is such a pain. It just makes me feel guilty. I wish I didn’t have... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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Is a 3-D Backlash Underway? USA Today Wonders
“Is a 3-D backlash underway?” With this question, Mike Snider begins his recent article in USA Today: “3-D movies, gadgets getting lukewarm reception by some.” Given what appears to be the growing omnipresence of 3-D films and other media, why would Snider wonder about a backlash? He explains: Trailers for Shark Night 3D, a PG-13 film swarming into theaters this weekend, note prominently that the movie is “also showing in 2D.” Dolphin Tale, out in three weeks, takes a similar... Read more