Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 67

Don’t be ashamed of the one of the strangest things we believe

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Let’s just be honest: the Christian faith is weird. We believe some strange stuff, guys. Among all the oddities, Christians believe:

There is a perfectly good and holy God who is One but also Three; This God created everything; He reveals himself to us through a book; and He controls everything but also gives us the ability to act out of our own will, and has been working out a plan throughout all history to rescue the world from the mess our choices have made.

But there’s one belief that...

Links I like (10/10)

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Batman, Superman, and a Rebirth for the Family

Russell Moore:

A cynic might suggest that one reason for all this settling-down is that many comic book readers are not pre-teens but, like me, those who never stopped reading or came back well into adulthood and can thus relate to mortgages and figuring out curfews. But in talking to DC fans, young and old, I think there’s something else at play.

Like When Dylan Went Electric

Jared Wilson:

What you win them with is what you win them to. And if...

Three kinds of writing I want to try

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I’m one of the most discontent writers I know, in that I’m always trying to learn how to write differently. Specifically, to try different styles and genres. Among the types I’ve been successful at, so far are:

Long and short form non-fiction Promotional videos Bible studies Videos for Bible studies Documentaries

I’ve even tried my hand at terrible poetry. But there’s a lot more out there. And a lot more I want to try. Seeing two friends write (really good) children’s books recently remind...

If the Bible is the Word of God…

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Every generation wrestles with how to understand the Bible. Not just in terms of content (though there is that), but with regard to what the Bible actually is. And often, the wrestling winds up offering a take on the Bible that suggests we should respect and honor it, is doubtful as to its trustworthiness as a revelation of God’s will and character. Essentially, what you wind up with is a book that’s pretty much like any other. You can embrace the parts you find helpful and toss the rest.

Bu...

Weekend reading (10/07)

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Serious Preaching in a Comedy Culture

David Murray:

But we don’t need to go to the “world” to find a comedy culture. I’m afraid this comedy culture has influenced the church. Many preachers seem to think that they cannot begin to preach without “softening up” their hearers with a little bit of stand-up comedy. So, in many ways, we cannot blame just the hearers. Preachers mix the most solemn of subjects with silly asides, so that people do not know whether to laugh or cry. I head one famous p...

Our cause for extraordinary hope

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It’s not unusual for us to wonder about whether or not God really is at work in the world. When we experience trial and difficulty personally, and when we see terrible and tragic events unfold around us, it’s only natural for us do so.

But the good news is, whenever we ask this question, there is an answer. And that answer grounds us in an extraordinary hope. God is working miraculously to glorify Himself, and He is working providentially to glorify Himself. He is actively engaged at every s...

Links I like (10/05)

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Crossing line that must not be crossed

A troubling story out of my homeland:

For no one is this more important than lawyers, who are the last line of defence against authoritarian orthodoxy. Had this requirement been imposed upon another of the governed professions, nurses say, or engineers, they would hire a lawyer to protect their right to think and speak for themselves. This time, it is the lawyers themselves whose ability to argue about the law’s propriety is threatened.

3 Ways a Gospel-...

The kind of unity not worth pursuing

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I still remember it after more than six years. I was at a leadership conference where a statistician discussed the state of the church in Canada. He explained that he believes Roman Catholics and Protestants need to come together if we’re going to find any success in turning Canadians back toward Christ. After all, he said, the more discussions he had with Catholics, mainline Protestants and Evangelicals, the more he found we had in common (which, basically amounted to “all of them pray and...

Links I like (10/03)

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3 Ways to Pray for Las Vegas: It’s a Powerful (Not Political) Act for Christians

Ed Stetzer:

Some will criticize politicians for their prayers today, calling them to action. But, I’m not a lawmaker and I think prayer is action. Not the only action needed, but a good one right now in this moment.

I don’t know all the details and I am not in Las Vegas, but I do have a heavenly father who hears my prayers as I cry out to him.

Here are three things you can pray for this morning as you process th...

What I read in September

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I am always consuming books, whether they’re physical, digital or audio. Every month, I like to share a breakdown of everything I read, including the books I abandoned. I do this because it gives me an opportunity to introduce you to books you might not have had an opportunity to read while practicing the art of writing concise book reviews.

In September, I read 10 books to completion and started a couple of others that have yet to complete. Here’s what I read:

Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Lies...