nawinter.com

Bits & Pieces (July 20)

Greetings.

As I have been filing away resources to share in these semi-regular updates, the number has increased beyond what it reasonable to include in a single weekly post. Therefore, as I have the opportunity and the material, I will plan to post Bits & Pieces a little more frequently (although I doubt I will return to the daily ones I used to do). I have been encouraged by hearing that the articles are helpful to others, and I hope it is also an encouragement to those who are the originators of the material. In the age we live in the amount of material that is produced far outpaces our ability to consume it. I hope that by sharing some of what I have found helpful, it will be a blessing to any who see it.

• How Should We Apply Biblical Narratives? – “Most of us aren’t that haphazard when it comes to reading Scripture, but in our desire for truth, our desperation for guidance, or our questions about why God does what he does, we may similarly mishandle God’s Word, leaving us to “go and do likewise” in ways Scripture doesn’t actually prescribe. This is particularly common when it comes to narrative passages.”

• 10 Things I Can Do Today Because God’s Mercies are New This Morning – God’s promise in Lamentations 3:22-23 to provide new mercies each day, means that today can be different than the previous one. Chuck Lawless provides 10 things we can do today because of that Truth.

• The pitfalls and possibilities of being ‘political’ – “So much of our politics is obsessed with small and petty things. On these matters, Christians should refuse to get sucked into the vortex of spite, stupidity, and manufactured outrage. But when it comes to the right ordering of our society, the right application of Biblical anthropology, and the right insistence on what leads to human freedom and human flourishing, the well-taught and well-formed Christian must not be silent.”

• True Companions – “Discipleship requires friendship. It is almost impossible to live the Christian life without a web of friendships. Why would we try to do something harder than the way Jesus’ gave us?”

• The Art of Arguing Well: Six Strategies for Winning the Abortion Debate Without Losing Your Opponent – “Here are six simple strategies that will help you win the abortion debate without losing, or alienating, your audience.”

• My Great Daily Challenges as a Christian – “The great daily challenge of Christian living is the challenge of simply taking hold of what is mine in Christ. It is the challenge of presenting my whole self as a living sacrifice to God, knowing that this is holy and acceptable to him, that it is an act of true worship. It is the challenge of not being conformed to this world, but of being transformed by the renewing of my mind so I can do the will of God—all that is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Many blessings to you today. May God be near as you seek and trust in Him.

• First known depictions of biblical heroines – “The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at an ancient synagogue in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced last week. A rendering of one figure driving a stake through the head of a military general was the initial clue that led the team to identify the figures, according to project director Jodi Magness.”

• 15 Reasons People Walk Away from the Church – “Most, if not all, of us know someone who attended church but then simply walked away from God’s people. The pandemic, I believe, has only increased that number. Based on my work with churches and the unchurched, here are some of the reasons I’ve heard:”

• What to do when your spouse is suffering – “In a broken world that only seems to be breaking more with each passing day, the question is important. How do you minister to a suffering spouse who is riddled with heartache, hopelessness, anxiety, angst, disappointment, doubt, or despair? A spouse who is overwhelmed, overworked, or overstressed? A spouse who is battling fear, guilt, shame, exhaustion, grief, or a plethora of other soul-testing emotions?”

• 6 Ways Christians Can Respond to Our Strange New World – “Sooner or later every single one of us is likely to be faced with a challenging situation generated by the modern notion of selfhood. And this means that for all of us the questions of how we should live and what we should do when facing pressure to conform are gaining in urgency. Here are six ways Christians should respond to this new world.”

• Of Mountains & Molehills: How much should doctrine divide us? – “…. on our own, we tend to drift toward a “unity” that erodes truth, or a “truth” that destroys unity. And so, we often need recalibrating: our inner ecumenist needs more backbone; our inner watchdog needs less bite. To that end, one ancient tool, rearticulated and clarified in recent decades, may help: theological triage.”