Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 360
July 26, 2012
3 Reasons I’m Excited About My Vacation
This weekend we head off into the wilds of eastern Ontario for the third annual Armstrong family vacation (a tradition my father has started in recent years). Here are a few reasons I’m excited about this year’s trip:
Getting away from the regular routine.
Don’t get me wrong—I love my normal routine (when I get a good one going, I’m a happy camper). But sometimes a break is really helpful to give me some space and see where God might have me make some changes. In fact, this year, there have alr...
Links I Like
My friends at truthXchange recently let me know they’ve been offered a $30,000 matching grant through October 31st. Here’s a short word from the generous donor putting up the grant:
As we offer thismatching grant challenge for truthXchange, we would like to share with you how the ministry of Dr. Peter Jones has changed our lives by equipping us to understand the rapidly changing spiritual climate of our culture and many of our churches. Already aware tha...
July 25, 2012
Applying the Word
In my review of How Sermons Work, I shared that a place I struggle in developing my sermons is in regard to specific, helpful application. But application isn’t about giving a list of “to-dos,” it’s an instrument by which the Holy Spirit uses faithful preaching to bring about conviction, repentance and a greater desire for holiness, an idea captured well in this quote fromFrancis Wayland, as published in Living For God’s Glory:
From the manner in which our ministers entered upon the work, it i...
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Some Basic Thoughts on Manhood
Thabiti Anyabwile:
It seems “manhood” is an en vogue topic these days. In recent weeks we’ve read of the juvenalization of men, what Al Mohler calls “adultolescence.” We’ve also heard of the need for the church to have a “masculine feel.” Of course, that stands in contrast to the oft-expressed concerns about the “feminization” of the church and, by implication, the feminizati...
July 24, 2012
Book Review: How Sermons Work by David Murray
A number of years ago, I was listening to a really great preacher on my iPod and I remembered thinking, “How did he do that?”
That fascination led me to start trying to figure out how to preach and a big part of that (along with reading some terrific books) was getting help from a good friend who mentored me in this area for about 2 years.
But not every budding or wanna-be preacher has that opportunity. That’s where David Murray’s recently released book, How Sermons Work, is so helpful. In this...
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Tim Gaydos:
For whatever reason, it’s easy for Christians to clam up andget weirdwhen talking about their faith in the day-to-day. Here are a few tips to make bridge those inhibitions and get the conversation going.
ThinkingOut Loud in Public
Sean Lucas:
In some ways, blogging is a form of thinking out loud in public. In fact, all social media has this element–thoughts are tried out whether in long form (like a blog post) or in short form (like a...
July 23, 2012
Stewardship Lessons from a Broken Couch
This weekend we had an unexpected event occur: Our ten-year-old Klippan sofa broke. The couch has had a good run, lasting us through multiple homes, multiple small groups and literally thousands of bounces from energetic toddlers. While this was certainly an unexpected event, we also didn’t expect to learn some things about stewardship as we went shopping for a replacement.
In light of all this, Emily and I sat down to share a bit of what God’s been teaching us about stewardship and possession...
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Gloria Furman:
A coffee press and a set of icing tips are examples of gifts that keep on giving. So is Milton Vincent’s 97-page bookA Gospel Primer for Christians.
It’s rare for me to remember how I happened to own any particular book. Books fly in and out of our house like the dusty Dubai air.
This book is different.
Tragedyand Moral Language
Kevin DeYoung:
The world, and to a large extent the church, has lost the ability to speak in moral categories. We have prefere...
July 22, 2012
Our Losses Prove Nothing Compared to Our Gains
“He who hates his life shall keep it.” He that would be saved must be ready to give up life itself, if necessary, in order to obtain salvation. He must bury his love of the world, with its riches, honors, pleasures, and rewards, with a full belief that in so doing he will reap a better harvest, both here and hereafter.
He who loves the life that now is, so much that he cannot deny himself anything for the sake of his soul, will find at length that he has lost everything. He, on the contrary, w...
July 21, 2012
What is the Way of My Heart with God?
Blessed are those whose way is blameless,who walk in the law of the LORD!(Psalm 119:1 ESV)
The undefiled character described in this verse marks, in an evangelical sense, “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit”, not one who is without sin, but one who in the sincerity of his heart can say, “That which I do, I allow not.” As his way is, so is his “walk”-”in the law of the Lord.” He is “strengthened in the Lord, and he walks up and down in His name;” his “ears hearing a word behind him, sayi...
