Audio and Video for D. A. Carson’s The God Who Is There

Free audio download for one of Carson's books: Audio and Video for D. A. Carson’s The God Who Is There – The Gospel Coalition Blog

An All-Round Ministry by Spurgeon

A good quote by Spurgeon from: An All-Round Ministry � Expository Thoughts

Teachers should be what they wish their students to be; and what manner of men should ministers be? They should thunder in preaching, and lighten in conversation; they should be flaming in prayer, shining in life, and burning in spirit. If they be not so, what can they effect?

"I Over-Repented" Ted Haggard Tells Wall Street Journa

Is it even possible to "Over Repent"? No: "I Over-Repented" Ted Haggard Tells Wall Street Journa | Acts 29 Network

Don Carson to preach in Melbourne : Anglican Church League, Sydney, Australia

I think he is also coming out next year for a Katoomba convention: Don Carson to preach in Melbourne : Anglican Church League, Sydney, Australia

Marry Outside the Faith? The Logic of Christian Marriage

AlbertMohler.com – Marry Outside the Faith? The Logic of Christian Marriage:

...it turns out that marrying outside the faith is one of the most significant risk factors for divorce. Citing the American Religious Identification Survey of 2001, Riley reported that “people who had been in mixed-religion marriages were three times more likely to be divorced or separated than those who were in same-religion marriages.” Riley referred to this fact as “an open secret among academics.”

The sociological research presents a clear case for social concern, but the Christian case against mixed-faith marriage emerged long before the academic discipline of sociology. That case is rooted in the logic of the Gospel itself, and in the reality of the Lordship of Jesus Christ

Sex, the Bible and Australian media

This links to two articles that were in SMH and the Age this week on the Christian view of sex: ‘The good book’s guide to great sex’ : Anglican Church League, Sydney, Australia

Bear Grylls fronts Alpha campaign on Sydney buses

Interesting: Bear Grylls fronts Alpha campaign on Sydney buses | Communicate Jesus

Bear Grylls soon to appear on Aussie buses

Preaching to the Whole Choir

Kevin identifies four types of people that might be in your congregation on Sunday and how you should cater for all types: Preaching to the Whole Choir – Kevin DeYoung:

Bryan Chapell is well suited for the weary, John Piper for the wandering, Matt Chandler for the lazy, Time Keller for the lost. God doesn’t ask us to preach like only someone else can or preach for someone else’s context. But he does want preachers to remember that the choir is made up of more than just sopranos. So when you’re preaching, be sure to hand out more than one part.

Randy Alcorn Interview

Driscoll interviews Randy Alcorn, who only earns minimum wage because 25% above that would go to an abortion clinic, he protested against in 1990. Now Randy gives 100% of his writing profits to charity. Randy Alcorn Interview | TheResurgence

Randy also spoke in 2007 at a Desiring God Conference: Today's Decisions Determine Who You'll Be Tomorrow

How Does John Piper Prepare a Sermon?

I guess when you have been writing sermons for over 30 years it wouldn't take you as long. Piper doesn't look at the passage till the Friday before: How Does John Piper Prepare a Sermon? :: Desiring God:

I don't work on it until Friday. I pick out the title and text either weeks or days ahead of time because I have to get it to the worship guys by Tuesday. But I don't study it, and I don't write or work on a sermon until Friday morning. I devote all of Friday to sermon preparation

Keeping Kids Safe Cannot Be Outsourced

A mate of mines article got republished on Gizmodo about the Australian Internet filter idea: Keeping Kids Safe Cannot Be Outsourced | Gizmodo Australia

Jason Helopoulos on Good Reasons for Changing churches

This has some good reasons as to why or why not you should change churches. Jason Helopoulos on Good Reasons for Moving On, eg:

New Pastor—A new pastor is not a sufficient reason to change churches. It doesn’t matter how stiff, impersonal, unfunny, etc. he is. The list is endless. It doesn’t even matter if he is not the most interesting preacher. He is the man God called to this church for this time. And this is your church. Again, unless he is unbiblical why move on? You haven’t covenanted with a man, but with this body.

The Swedish Method

We had a missionary from Italy lead our bible study last night using this method. It was quite good and I am thinking about taking it up: The Briefing Library: The Swedish Method

Driscoll on Manhood

Worth a look, even if you just scan the images with text in it: Why Men Are Cultivators, Warriors, and Sages

C.S. Lewis on Democracy

Every now and again around the 4th of July I read some American Christians quoting this, I don't disagree and I think it might be worth Australian's thinking about as we are to vote soon C.S. Lewis on Democracy – Justin Taylor:

I am a democrat [proponent of democracy] because I believe in the Fall of Man.

I think most people are democrats for the opposite reason. A great deal of democratic enthusiasm descends from the ideas of people like Rousseau, who believed in democracy because they thought mankind so wise and good that every one deserved a share in the government.

The danger of defending democracy on those grounds is that they’re not true. . . . I find that they’re not true without looking further than myself. I don’t deserve a share in governing a hen-roost. Much less a nation. . . .

The real reason for democracy is just the reverse. Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters.

Will Smith to make Bible way better with the addition of vampires

Looks... interesting... Will Smith to make Bible way better with the addition of vampires:

Will Smith is attached to produce and star in The Legend Of Cain, “an epic re-telling of the Biblical sibling tale, this time with a vampiric twist.”

Religious movement in America

Interesting graph on growth/decline on Christian religions (and the no-religious) in America between 2008 and 2010: Where Have all the Children Gone? – Kevin DeYoung

How Do You Remember the Scripture You've Memorized?

Piper talks about memorizing scripture: How Do You Remember the Scripture You've Memorized?:

A practical thing I would suggest for people to do, is decide what cluster of text they want to always be at their disposal. For me I could name Psalm 46, Psalm 23, Psalm 1, Romans 8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, a cluster of texts surrounding justification, 1 Peter 4:11—'let him who serves serve in the strength that God supplies, that in everything God may get the glory through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the dominion forever.

Atheists Conduct De-Baptisms with a Hairdryer

What do you need to undo a Baptism? A hairdryer: Atheists Conduct De-Baptisms

Atheists’ Latest Gadget: The Hairdryer | Gizmodo Australia

Check my electoral enrolment online

Now that the election has been called, you might want to check if your enrolment details are correct: Check my electoral enrolment

CJ Mahaney on How to Stay Motivated to Preach the Gospel

I like CJ Mahaney and what he has to say about things: CJ Mahaney on How to Stay Motivated to Preach the Gospel | TheResurgence

13 common objections to the proposed internet filter

There is some interesting discussion happening on an article on the Aust. Gov internet filter over at Communicate Jesus: 13 common objections to the proposed internet filter | Communicate Jesus

Scraps of Thoughts on Daily Prayer

Tim Keller's Bible reading and prayer routines... Scraps of Thoughts on Daily Prayer – The Gospel Coalition Blog

Just Do Something in Church

I have listened to the whole Next2010 conference and it is worth a listen. Here are some tips from DeYoungs talk on the church. Just Do Something:

To close out his Next 2010 conference message, “The Church,” Kevin DeYoung gave a list of suggestions for how to be a difference maker in the local church

'Back to Church Sunday' 29th August 2010

Last year Canberra did this while Sydney didn't as they had connect 09. I wonder if by moving the dates Sydney will also jump on board. Come as you are: Invite a friend to 'Back to Church Sunday' 29th August 2010: 6 WEEKS TO GO - Anglican Diocese Canberra & Goulburn:

Every parish in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn is being encouraged to take part in Back to Church Sunday this year, on August 29.

2011 National Conference - The Gospel Coalition

Details of the 2011 National Conference by the The Gospel Coalition is now up. There seems to be stacks of workshops. Including a Trellis and the Vine one...

Bishop of Montreal approves same-sex blessing liturgy

A new liturgy for same-sex weddings for the Anglican church: Bishop of Montreal approves same-sex blessing liturgy

Was it also the Anglican Church in Canada that removed J.I Packer from their flock?

One of the best ways for a pastor to gain evangelistic opportunities?

Its a little morbid, but offering your services as a minister to funeral homes is an evangelistic opportunity: What is one of the best ways for a pastor to gain evangelistic opportunities?

What is the Gospel? — Available free on Kindle

New book by Greg Gilbert: What is the Gospel? — Available free on Kindle. Thats not a bad price. It seems you can also download a kindle app for your PC.

WorldNetDaily Supports Atheist Billboard Vandalism

Friendly Atheist responds to My kind of vandals over a billboard that was vandalized WorldNetDaily Supports Atheist Billboard Vandalism

You don’t have a right not to be offended. Go ahead. Put up your own billboard (with your own money). It can say whatever you’d like. We might poke fun at it, or write about how dishonest or misguided it might be, or put up our own billboard in response.

But I can’t think of any atheists who would even think to vandalize it. We support freedom of speech, including speech that we dislike.

If a Christian group would like to respond to this tripe in a positive way, they could always pay for a new atheist billboard. It would suggest: “We may disagree with your beliefs, but we defend your right to believe them. And Satterfield does not represent the true meaning of Christianity.”

Yeah, I’m not holding my breath for that…

Online Bible updates

My ESV study bible account was updated over night. It now has a different interface and allows searching through their notes and resources (as well as the bible): ESV Bible Blog - Introducing the New ESV Online!

YouVersion is also Celebrating Two Billion Minutes of users time on their site and have updated their menus and improved their mobile device apps.

Kevin DeYoung on Complemegalitarianism

Kevin DeYoung has posted a three part series on his complemegalitarian position as a response to what John Stott thinks. He chose Stott as he is very much not a straw man when it comes to understanding biblical texts.

Go Big or Go Home: Why Complemegalitarian Doesn’t Work (1)
Go Big or Go Home: Why Complemegalitarian Doesn’t Work (2)
Go Big or Go Home: Why Complemegalitarianism Doesn’t Work (3)

Also 9marks have release another eJurnal on the issue of women and complemegalitarianism (link also from DeYoungs blog):
New 9Marks eJournal: Pastoring Women

New atheists embody the very things they hate - PAUL PRATHER - Kentucky.com

This story made it to the front page of digg and at the moment has 2017 diggs and 1356 comments.

New atheists embody the very things they hate - PAUL PRATHER - Kentucky.com

I'm equally intrigued by the online comments that follow every news story online about religion; the responses seem to come disproportionately from readers who jeer at all references to God or piety.

Only 2 percent of U.S. adults are atheists, the Trinity study found. Still, by another estimate I saw, that's three times the percentage of avowed atheists 20 years ago.

My objection to the new atheists isn't that they're atheists. It's that they strike me as hypocrites...

I wish these atheists would venture, say, into a seminary library.

If the new atheists are as bright as they claim, they ought not imitate the worst traits of the very people they consider their inferiors.

Reformed Evangelical Anglican Library : Anglican Church League, Sydney, Australia

The Anglican Church is building a library and remembering where it has come from: Reformed Evangelical Anglican Library:

By constitution the Church of England is a Reformed, Protestant, and Evangelical denomination. In its original foundation it was never intended to be merely the religious expression of changing English culture; nor was it designed as a pluralistic melting pot of various contradictory persuasions

When Feminism Kills — Abortion As ‘The Lesser Evil’

When Feminism Kills — Abortion As ‘The Lesser Evil’:

“If you are willing to die for a cause, you must be prepared to kill for it, too.” That statement, published for all the world to see, perfectly distills the inescapable logic of the abortion right argument. It is based on a willingness to kill — and on the horrifying audacity to call this killing “the lesser evil.”

Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

Whats the difference between a Bible Atlas and an ESV Bible Atlas? I have no idea, but you can see the first 45 pages here: Crossway ESV Bible Atlas

For Bible maps I use http://www.biblemap.org/ it uses Google Maps and the ESV or KJV