My Amazon.com Reviews. You can see more than fifty of my book, music and movie reviews here.

SPORTS:

•  A Tough Lie. Phil Michelson’s hooked tee shot on the famous “road hole” (#17) at Saint Andrews Old Course at the British Open landed on a hotel room balcony.

• Zack Johnson. Congratulations to Zack Johnson on winning his second major championship at the British Open!

• Two Role Models. Kurt Warner and St. Louis Cardinal Manager Mike Matheny. Warner spoke at the Cardinals Christian Family Day on July 19. Watch Cardinals Adam Wainright, Matt Carpenter, Trevor Rosenthal, Mike Matheny, and Kurt’s post-game message (after the 18 inning game!) here.

 

IN THE NEWS:

• I thought Planned Parenthood Protected Family Values. Rosaria Butterfield writes “The worldview that redefines “personhood,” denies the God who created us, despises Jesus—the prophet whose wisdom knows no earthly bounds, the priest whose grace and sacrifice knows no earthly shackles, the king whose power and authority orchestrates the details of every life and every day—is the worldview manifested in the recent SCOTUS decision and the viral Planned Parenthood videos.”
• We Will Not Bow. Watch this recent sermon from John MacArthur. The text is also provided.
• 10 Numbers You Should Know About Planned Parenthood. Joe Carter shares this information about Planner Parenthood.
• More Smoking-Gun Evidence of the Evil of Planned Parenthood. Denny Burk writes “Just to be clear, Planned Parenthood has argued that everything it has done is legal. Planned Parenthood is not disputing the most damnable aspects of this video–that their services include killing babies in utero and receiving payment to cover the cost of distributing baby body parts for research. Those are the facts that are undisputed and that shock the conscience. The latest undercover video is more evidence of the whole bloody business.”
• Abortion as a Form of Discrimination: Why It Ought to be Unthinkable. Here’s a paper Matt Perman wrote in seminary showing why abortion is wrong on the basis of reason, philosophy, science, the founding documents of our nation, and Scripture.
• On Defending the Ghastly. Doug Wilson writes “Every United Way chapter, along with the national organization, needs to be repeatedly asked a simple question: “In the light of the recent videos that reveal that Planned Parenthood traffics in baby parts, and the upcoming congressional hearings, is the United Way currently willing to discontinue funding Planned Parenthood?”
• The New York Times Offers Full-Throated Defense of Barbarism. Denny Burk writes “The New York Times editorial board has penned a full-throated defense of Planned Parenthood.”
• Britt Hume Commentary on Abortion. Watch this minute and a half commentary from Fox News commentator Britt Hume.
• New York Times Op-Ed Piece Makes the Case for Polygamy Based on Obergefell. Denny Burk writes “The New York Times has published an op-ed making the case for polygamy. And it does so by appealing to the logic of Obergefell v. Hodges.
• How to Make a Pro-Life Argument in 2 Minutes or Less. Watch this short video from Scott Klusendorf, president of Life Training Institute and the author of The Case for Life.
• Everyone you’ve ever met is a “product of conception.” Russell Moore
• Aborted children, crushed to death by human hands, will one day run in new bodies filled with the aliveness of resurrection joy. Tony Reinke
• Abortion steals praise from God by denying image-bearers the opportunity to live through and for him. Rosaria Butterfield
• “When Wilberforce showed England the horror of the Slave-Trade, England Abolished It. Let’s show America the reality of Abortion.” Eric Metaxas

CHRISTIAN LIVING:

• Mutual Brokenness Over Sexual Sin. Dr. Heath Lambert in this two-minute video talks about why it is so important for the church to begin with humble introspection when it comes to addressing issues of sexual sin.
• Are We on the Wrong Side of History? “You don’t want to be on the wrong side of history, do you?” What do we Christians make of this increasingly common question, usually posed in regard to our supposedly passé—even evil—beliefs about sexuality? How should believers respond? Don Carson, Tim Keller, and John Piper offer some pastoral wisdom and biblical guidance in this 6-minute video.
• Talking with Children about God’s Design for Sexuality. Nate Shurden shares four practical suggestions for speaking with our children about matters of sexuality.
•  Theological Heroes and Villains. Tim Challies writes “I have learned that I need to choose my heroes carefully. I need to expect that my heroes will be flawed. I need to believe that I am flawed. And I need to force myself to remember that the best of men are but men at their best.”
• The Stampede of Secularism Will Not Stop Conversions. John Piper writes that “It is no harder for God to save people today than it ever has been. Evangelistic despair or cowardice in the face of a deeply secular culture is wholly out of place in the Christian church.
• Os Guinness: Welcome to the ‘Grand Age of Apologetics’. See this interview with Os Guinness from Christianity Today.
• 10 Reasons Believers Should Take Care of Themselves Physically. Chuck Lawless writes “I confess that I don’t always take care of myself as I should. I have to work hard to maintain a healthy weight, keep my blood pressure down, etc. As a Christian, though, I see this issue as more a spiritual one than a physical one. Here are some reasons believers need to take care of ourselves.”
• How Do You Define Joy? This video is the first of a six-part series on the theme of joy in the book of Philippians. John Piper will walk us through a short study of how to understand joy, pursue it for ourselves, and then apply it in all of life. Other videos in the series will be: Part 2: What Is Christian Hedonism? (September 1), Part 3: What Is the Secret of Joy in Suffering? (September 6), Part 4: Must Faith in God Enjoy God? (September 13), Part 5: How Does Joy Overflow in Love? (September 20) and Part 6: Does Joy Die in Sorrow? (September 27).

PRAYER:

• The Five Minute CACTIS Prayer Plan. Clint Archer offer a “beginning therapy to help rehabilitate your prayer life. This is a five minute template of prayer, with a five simple segments, each of which can easily be filled with one minute of prayer. And then the idea is that you increase the time you spend on each segment; twelve minutes per segment fills an hour”.
• 5 Days to Learn a Simple, Practical Biblical Approach to Prayer. Sign up to join Don Whitney—author of the new, short book, Praying the Bible—on a 5-day journey to learn a simple, practical, and biblical approach to prayer that will turn duty into delight! In just a few minutes a day, you’ll learn a time-tested method that could transform your prayer life: praying the words of the Bible.
•  A Prayer for Trusting God with Important Decisions in Front of Us. Here’s another wonderful prayer from Scotty Smith.
• “Nothing is adapted better to excite us to prayer than a full conviction that we shall be heard.” John Calvin

• Prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God. John Knox

• When we pray, we must remember who we are and whom we are addressing. R.C. Sproul

• The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access. Tim Keller

HEAVEN:

• When Dying is Gain. Nathan Busenitz shares two reasons that when our hope is properly placed in God, death comes as a welcome friend to take us home.”
• Is the Kingdom of God Strictly in the Future? R.C. Sproul writes “Many professing evangelicals today believe the kingdom of God is strictly in the future, although there is no biblical foundation for that. This view robs the church of important teachings concerning the kingdom that are clearly set forth in the New Testament.
• Is the Hope of Heaven Beautiful or Boring? In five minutes, John Piper describes the beauty and wonder of a never-ending life in God’s presence. When you think about spending a trillion years in heaven, does that hope feel satisfying or boring?

CHURCH LIFE:

• Why Join a Church. David Mathis shares six reasons to go against the noncommittal grain, put down roots, join a particular local church, and be as involved as possible in the life of that church.
• The Sunday Worship Killer. Jason Helopoulos writes “Donning the robes of the critic maims and kills many would-be worshipers in churches every single Sunday morning.”   
• Help Me Teach the Bible: Michael Lawrence on Acts. Here’s the latest podcast in Nancy Guthrie’s “Help Me Teach the Bible” series.
• 5 Things to Look for in a Church. R.C. Sproul shares five things to look for in our biblical church.
• Don’t give up on the church. The New Testament knows nothing of churchless Christianity. Kevin DeYoung
• “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church.  Worship is.  Missions exists because worship doesn’t.”  John Piper

JUST FOR FUN:

• 15 of the Funniest Christian Parody Twitter Accounts to Follow. Kevin Halloran writes “Below is a list of my 15 favorite funny Christian accounts to follow on Twitter and some of their best tweets. Chances are you’ve seen a few retweets from these accounts.”
• The Jim Gaffigan Show. I’m enjoying the new television series from my favorite comedian.
• Key to the City: St. Louis. Key to the City is the insider’s guide to baseball cities. Matt Fisher covers the must-see spots to visit before a Cardinals game, including our favorite place to eat in this city – Pappy’s Smokehouse.
• Slow Motion Lightning. Tim Challies shared this video that shows lightning at 2000 frames per second.
• A rabbi, a priest, and an atheist walk into a bar. The bartender says “What is this, a joke?” Fernando Ortega
• “I calculate I’m only 20 pounds away from suspenders.” Jim Gaffigan
• “If I was to guess job titles by looking at church staff photos from various websites, LOTS of churches have well-staffed donut ministries.” Barnabas Piper

• “The flesh is not totally annihilated at conversion; the war goes on.” R.C. Sproul
• Repentance is a daily experience. Alistair Begg
• Religion says, ‘I obey, therefore I am accepted’ Christianity says, ‘I am accepted, therefore I obey’ Alistair Begg
•  It is not great faith we need so much as faith in a great God. Hudson Taylor
• Hesed is a deep intuitive instinct towards kindness that is a vestige of the image of God in us. Michael Card
• Forgiving those who betray us will be some of the most difficult and important heart-work we will do this side of heaven. Scotty Smith
• Truth is to be believed in your head, received as worship in your heart, and practiced with wisdom through your hands. Darrin Patrick
• All the preaching in the world cannot make a man see the truth so long as his eyes are blinded. Charles Spurgeon
• What will really save the lost world? Let me tell you: none of our complaints against it. Jared Wilson
• If you don’t live for Jesus you will live for something else. Will those things be enough? Will they die for you? Tim Keller
• Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all. Augustine
• Our greatest need before conversion is the gospel, and our greatest need after conversion is the gospel. Burk Parsons
• The devil will tell you at the beginning of your lives, ‘It is too soon to serve God”. He will tell you at the end it is too late. J.C. Ryle
• The cross opens the possibility to all of the endless blessings of the glorious God. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand. Charles Spurgeon
• Jesus is one of the following: Lord, Lunatic, Liar, or a Legend. Only four possibilities. Tim Keller
• Our delight in Jesus is a mere whisper of his delight in us. Scotty Smith