Bits & Pieces (8/7/13)

The Fine Art Of Selection – This is a topic that God has placed on my heart a lot over the past year. In fact, I was planning to (and may still) write about it. But this post from Randy Alcorn is excellent and contains a lot of sound wisdom regarding how we steward our time.

What Does It Mean To Abide In Christ? – “In a nutshell, abiding in Christ means allowing His Word to fill our minds, direct our wills, and transform our affections. In other words, our relationship to Christ is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles!”

Has Secularization Made Us Smarter? – “Progress in sciences & technology is a step-by-step group effort across generations, with the baton being handed off repeatedly. The unthinking nitwits who repeat the self-inflated theory that we are the smartest people who have ever lived only make themselves seem dumber than if they had remained silent on the issue.”

You’re Awesome – But Not That Awesome – A great reminder that as humans we are special amongst God’s creations, but because we are fallen human, we’re not as special as we like to think.

A Baby Changes Everyone, Not Just Everything – “Watching our kids, we’ve been given a window into the nature of family and community. We are not lone individuals doing our own thing in this world. We are who we are because of the people around us. A baby brother has completed and fulfilled our other two children, enhancing the life of our family in ways I never expected”

The Complacent Christian – “If we assume this desire and concern is not merely feelings but action, it describes the very opposite of complacency. Zeal is like a flame that brings a pot to a boil—it causes our affections for God to come to a boil so that we pursue what delights him and fight against what dishonors him. Zeal is spiritual heat, spiritual energy that flows out through the godly characteristics of love, joy, hope, peace, and so on. It is not a grace on its own as much as it is a quality that affects every part of the Christian life, making us zealous in the way we love, zealous in the way we express hope, zealous in every area and every characteristic and every fruit of the Spirit.”

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Bits & Pieces 8/6/13

Free Resources – Christian Audio is offering a free download of Basic Christianity by John Stott’s this month (H/T). Ligonier Minsitries is offering  of In Christ Alone by Sinclair Ferguson as a free eBook. Logos is offering Heaven: Where It Is, Its Inhabitants, and How to Get There by D.L. Moddy as their free download of August.

How Were Old Testament Saints Saved? – “[W]hat if you lived during a time when Jesus hadn’t arrived, namely, the period of the Old Testament? Were you saved by your obedience to the Law? Did God just give everyone a “free pass” until Christ arrived? How did salvation work for those who were still waiting for the gospel of Jesus?” (H/T)

How To Get Kicked – “If you’re dead spiritually nobody is going to bother you. Satan isn’t going to bother you – he’s already got you. People won’t persecute you.  Sure, people will sin against you because that’s what all people do.  But try to do something for God and you’d better expect opposition.  Nobody kicks a dead dog. But once Jesus gives us life and we begin to serve him, Satan doesn’t like it.  And neither do lots of other people.  You’ll get flack sooner or later.”

The Purposes of the Heart – “I want to do the right things. I want to do the right things for the right reasons. In fact, I want to do the best things for the best reasons, the highest things for the highest reasons. Sometimes I know I do this. Sometimes I know I don’t. Most of the time I’m just not sure.”

When to Unfriend Someone on Facebook – I thought there was a lot of wisdom in this post about a very modern-day quandary.

Advice For Those Seeking Marriage – I haven’t listened to the complete broadcasts, but these excerpts are worthy of consideration for those seeking marriage. Links to the entire broadcasts are also provided.

Resolving Conflicts – Many different types of relationships are inflicted with conflicts. This post provides some helpful reminders of how Christians should resolve them.

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