Weekly Once-Over (10.10.2013)
The State of the Church in America: Hint: It's Not Dying: The church is not dying. Yes, the church in the West—the United States included—is in transition right now. But transitioning is not the same as dying, particularly if you hold the belief that Christianity is represented by people who live for Christ, not check "Christian" on a survey form.
What If I Screw Up My Kids?: When I became a parent I found myself frequently getting drawn into vicious thought cycles of pessimism concerning my son. It would usually start with a simple observation like, “My son doesn’t like naps” or “My son’s hair is thin.” That would lead to a series of fearful and often ridiculous what ifs...
Tim Keller Wants You to Suffer Well: Suffering. Is there a more perennially and painfully relevant topic? Countless books address the subject—and countless sufferers read them. Beneath the sometimes shiny veneer, after all, this world is a profoundly tragic place...Check out this blog post about Tim Keller's new book on suffering well.
How to Fight with Your Wife (or Husband): For nearly 20 years I have been blessed to have a good marriage (which seems to be rare). Some of this can be attributed to the fact that my wife and I have learned to fight well. Having also performed marriage counseling for 20 years, I have seen the resulting carnage from marital fights. Learning to fight well is critical for marital success. I am writing this primarily to husbands. On Wednesday, my wife will be posting a follow-up post for wives.
Feeling Shame Is Not Repentance: "What do you say to people who are dealing with shame from sexual sin?" a longtime friend asked me in a text message. That question deserves more than a text response, but I wrote, "It could only be the strategy of Satan to allow the shame of one sin to lead you into more sin. And so I would go to Psalm 51—this psalm shows how to deal with shame from sexual sin. And the prayer for restored joy is a big key."
Thursday Humor:
