Let me tell you about a little thing we do twice a year called Parents’ Night Out. My wife and I are the sponsors of an organization called Baptist Campus Ministry (BCM, formerly known as Baptist Student Union). We were looking for a ministry opportunity that teenage youth could be a part of. Since we are a school, not a church, some of the construction projects and work days that youth groups normally do are not a good idea. We needed something that 9-12 graders could do to benefit the community, develop leadership, and nurture a servant like heart. Enter my wife Teresa. Continue reading
Theological Trivia Questions & Wacky Search Terms
I’m going to start a new category on my blog listing some of the wacky questions I get asked. WordPress lists the search engine terms that people type in that leads readers to my blog, and some of those make you wonder what people are thinking. I’ve often laughed to myself, but decided other people might want in on the joke.
I’m not making fun of anybody. There’s an old saying that there are no stupid questions, only stupid people who don’t ask questions. Often times though, the very question being asked reveals the person’s misunderstanding of the subject. What’s funny is not that someone doesn’t know the answer, but that their whole mindset is misguided. This is especially true of theology. Continue reading
The Great Pumpkin Proposes a Toast
As hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when the InternetMonk was not the stuffy old grouch he is today. Prove it to yourself by reading this post, entitled The Great Pumpkin Proposes a Toast, hidden away deep in the IM archives. I do the dirty work so you don’t have to. Happy Halloween.
A ton of links
Sometimes I like to go looking for blogs I’ve never read before. Occasionally, you find a real treasure that way. One of my internet blogging buddies has created a post listing every single blog that he subscribes to with RSS. He is actually taking inventory of what to scrap and what to keep, but in this post he links to each with a brief description. It would take some time to go through and look at each one, but any blog that he describes as an absolute must read I would consider at least taking a peek at.
Parable of the Talents
Jesus gave many different analogies of what the Kingdom of God is like. In Matthew 25 we read the parable of the talents. After he finishes this parable, he goes on to describe the final judgement. Earlier in chp. 25 is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, which teaches us to always be prepared. We do not know the day and hour of his return; but he will return. The parable of the talents is a lesson to believers to take good care of what has been entrusted to them. Continue reading
New Friends (on the blogroll)
As I am introduced to new blogs I didn’t know about, and make new friends on the internet, I like to update my blogroll from time to time. (Likewise, some blogs I link to have become inactive, and I should probably remove them.) A couple of new editions this week are RT’s Place and Thinking Out Loud. RT has a unique perspective on some things that you might have thought about, but not the way he does. Paul Wilkinson has a very extensive blogroll you might want to check out. There are guys listed you probably already read, like The Master’s Table, InternetMonk, and Tall Skinny Kiwi. He also lists many resources, and has links to sermons. There is a wide variety of linkage. As always, when you find a blog worth reading, let me know.
Under Useful Links is now an entry for The Master’s Table. This is a website, not a blog, listing resources, essays, and articles for Bible study that also links to other Christian sites and blogs. It has a .org not a .com address, and is authored by a gentelmen named Timothy Youngblood.
In The Beginning, The Story Retold
Vodpod videos no longer available.
more about “In The Beginning, The Story Retold“, posted with vodpod
This video was created by our friends at nrl4prop8.wordpress.com. This is a link to the original post at their site. You all know my take on same-sex marriage: if you want to have some sort of “civil union” recognized by the state, I’m fine with that. Just don’t call it marriage.
There’s probably no God
“There’s probably no God.” So billboards on buses will soon say in London, England. The British Humanist Association (BHA) raised money to purchase the ad space, with a matching contribution from Richard Dawkins. The entire slogan reads “There’s probably no God. So stop worrying and enjoy your life.” Read the full story here. I must admit I’m surprised.
Richard Dawkins is one of the foremost leading voices for atheism alive today. He is what Becky Garrison refers to as one of the New Atheists that is not just content to not believe in God, but has launched a war against all belief in God. What surprises me is that Dawkins would settle for such a weak position. “There’s probably no God” is not spoken with nearly the certainty with which Christians recite the Apostles’ Creed. I’ve never sung a hymn nor heard a street preacher shout “There probably is a God.” The slogan even allows the possibility the God may exist. If all atheists were this soft, I probably wouldn’t give them such a hard time.
*Click here to read my review of Garrison’s book The New Atheists Crusaders, and their unholy grail.
Does anyone know who Jesus is?
I was watching this video on Who Jesus Is and one thought in particular came to mind. It shouldn’t surprise us that many people have no idea who Jesus is, or even that they don’t know exactly what they believe. Ask the typical person on the street about Jesus, and you’ll always get answers like “He was a pretty cool guy,” or “He was a wise teacher, but he’s not my savior,” or maybe even “I don’t believe there was any such person.” Most people believe he existed, but not that he was the Son of God or even that he meant to start Christianity. But like I said, we shouldn’t be surprised by any of these answers. Continue reading
Catholic Vote 2008
No, I am not Roman Catholic. CatholicVote2008.com has put together an excellent video to remind us all that it’s not as important who you vote for as it is that you vote. I believe all Christians should be able to agree with the message of this film. It’s a good way to spend the next 3 1/2 minutes.
My video quit working, watch it here on InternetMonk.
The Master's Table 