Aaron Armstrong's Blog, page 78
June 23, 2017
How would you describe the Bible?
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In some ways, it’s one of the toughest questions we can try to answer. What is the Bible? How would you describe it? What kind of book is it? After all, there are a number of answers. It one book but multiple books covering multiple genres and forms. It is God’s revelation of himself, so that we might know His will and how we can be in relationship with him. It is a book of stories, epic adventures, romance, and devastating loss…
All of this is true, of course. But there’s something else we...
June 22, 2017
Links I like (6/22)
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10 Signs You Are Burning OutJim Essian:
The New Spurgeon.orgNot all busyness is bad. Being spent for the souls of our people is good busyness. But the busyness of people-pleasing, the busyness of controlling, the busyness of doing work you aren’t called to, the busyness of performance for your sake, the busyness of “everything rises and falls on you” is toxic and only adds to the waste and stank of Leviathan.
Spurgeon.org has been completely overhauled, and it is gorgeous. Excellent stuff....
June 20, 2017
Why should we read classic books? [Podcast]
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Why is it important to read classic books? What do we gain from them—and what do we lose if we avoid them? This is what I’m discussing on today’s episode of Reading Writers.
For recommendations on where to start with reading classics, including the books mentioned in this podcast, check out these two posts:
Three classic books every Christian should read Five more classic books we should readThanks for listening to this episode of Reading Writers. If you enjoyed this episode, please consi...
Links I like (6/20)
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3 Reasons Why Favoritism IS That Big of a DealMichael Kelley:
Southern Baptists and the Alt-RightIs this really that big a deal? I mean, surely we are going to be drawn to and favor certain groups of people over another. That’s just human nature. Is it really that big a deal – a big enough deal to spend a fairly sizable chunk of biblical real estate on it?
The answer, of course, is that yes – it is that big a deal. And here are three reasons why?
Nathan Finn explains what happened last wee...
June 19, 2017
Theology, worship, and rabbit trails
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Not too long ago, I started working my way through John Frame’s Systematic Theology with a group of folks from my church. And by not too long ago, I mean about a week ago. This book is an absolute beast, and not just because you can use as a home security system. It’s a big book, a meaty book. I’m only about 100 pages in and there isn’t a single page where I haven’t underlined, marked, or commented on at least one entire paragraph.
(Seriously, outside of my Bible, this stands to be one of th...
June 18, 2017
9 words I hope my kids believe forever
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So many young dads in my generation are flying blind. I suppose that’s true of dads in every generation, but hear me out. Many of us have no idea what we’re doing. Maybe we didn’t have a dad in our lives when we were kids, or the dad we did have… well, he wasn’t quite the person we’d want to emulate. I know of a handful of guys who want to be like their dads, which is really cool.
But the truth is, most of us are faking it till we make it. And I especially feel this way when one of the kids...
June 17, 2017
Weekend reading (6/17)
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The Easy “Wisdom” of CynicismDerek Rishmawy:
Britain Fears a Culture War. But Evangelicals Aren’t Going to Fight.“Seeing through” the stated reasons and motives of others is a particularly prized form of insight in our context. (We’re all Nietzscheans, squinting to get at what’s really going on.)
And so if I’m in a dispute with someone, it’s pretty easy for me to come up with a fairly plausible rationale for why someone believes, says, or does something other than the one they’ve stated.
A...
June 16, 2017
How to recover from a conference
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Thursday at around 1 am, I rolled my suitcase into my apartment after a week away in Phoenix for the SBC Pastors Conference and Annual Meeting, where I was representing The Gospel Project and being as social as I know how to be.
Naturally, I flopped into bed, exhausted. When I woke up, I even more tired.
This is the introvert’s life after a conference (or at least this introvert’s). I actually really enjoy this part of my job, but it’s not easy. It wasn’t easy before I worked at conferences—...
June 15, 2017
Links I like (6/15)
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TGC Canada Website Is Now LiveWyatt Graham:
How can churches engage the public sq...TGC Canada is pleased to announce the launch of our website. For a number of months, we’ve been working to line up contributors and gather content specific to the Canadian experience.
It seems fitting that we’ve realized this goal just before Canada’s 150th birthday. We’re excited to share a bit about the history behind TGC Canada’s website and why we’re so excited to have reached this milestone in our growth.
June 14, 2017
Why denouncing alt-right racism is a no brainer (but necessary)
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Today, the SBC Annual Meeting is hearing and voting on a resolution to formally denounce alt-right nationalism and the racism so often found within its views. If I understand the purpose of resolutions correctly (keep in mind, this is my first time at this meeting), essentially it means that, if passed, the resolution will formalize the denomination’s opinion that this position is anti-gospel, and therefore anti-Christian.
One only has to look at the comments creeping into the SBC17 hashtag...
