This is a list of recent blog posts which I found interesting. That I found them interesting doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with or endorse all of the ideas presented in the posts, but that I found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking. They may benefit you as you prayerfully consider your area of shepherding and stewardship, which has been given to you in trust by the Lord. (They are listed in no particular order of interest.) Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link and your reasons for nominating that post to

There are a ton of articles for your reading enjoyment this week. I found myself reading and scouring through tons of material in the blogosphere. I hit up my usual interests such as what is happening within Southern Baptist life, what is happening with the Evangelical community at large, plus just reading whatever Douglas Wilson writes! But in addition to this, I found myself also perusing a lot of Christmas articles, it being the season and all. So I have a lot of stuff for you to read this week, because an unusually large number of articles made the cut for the sake of the holidays. Enjoy!

A Christmas Touch

The Invincible, Irrefutable Joy

Yes, this article is about the joy of Christmas in the midst of war. Very powerful and moving from one of my heroes in the faith, Dietrich Bonoeffer.

Yet in spite of the scattering of the Finkenwalde seminarians, Bonhoeffer worked tirelessly to track the activities of his friends, to keep the circle informed of the latest news of their brotherhood, and to provide encouragement to them. And so Bonhoeffer turned to these circular letters, often opening them with the latest news of whom among them had been killed in the war.Southern Baptist & Evangelical Controversy

Why a virgin birth?

Douglas Wilson touches on the need for our Saviour to be born of a virgin. It is a stirring reminder of the season's wonder and mystery.

Southern Baptist and Evangelical Controversy!

The Southern Baptists' Scarlett "A"

There is an alleged sex offender within one of our Southern Baptist pulpits. This article is both a commentary on pathetic journalistic reporting as well as a spot light shining on Southern Baptist churches who need to start taking a stronger stand for the sake of the Gospel when dealing with these issues. I am not condemning the man, but to be accused twice of the same crime by two different victims?!? I am not condemning the man, but how can he go on teaching and preaching with some much mud splattered all over the Gospel?!? Why not take a leave of absence until the charges have been dealt with accordingly? There is no shame in that. I am also not condemning the church, but to permit this man to continue teaching and offering spiritual guidance with these accusations lingering over his head?!? I sometimes wonder if we've all lost our minds when we allow this sort of thing to happen in this way.

 Tullian keeps digging

Tullian Tchividjian is starting to lose it. I've worried about this for a long time, and my concerns are not limited to Tchividjian. There are others like him... Whenever we got into this "Gospel Centered" craze a few years ago, whenever we started to worry that people didn't fully understand and appreciate the truth of God's Grace, we started to swing the pendulum too far away from the truth of Grace resulting in Sanctification and culminating in Glorification, and started just harping on Grace -going so far as to suggest that there wasn't any logical connection between salvation by faith and sanctification altogether! This is ultimately an unnecessary and unhealthy counter correction. It is, inherently, a denial of Lordship salvation. David Murray says out loud what many of us have been thinking for awhile now.

Politics, Theology, and Emotions

Bible doesn't command wealth redistribution, presenters say at theological meeting

The Evangelical Theological Society met recently to declare what most of the rest of us already knew. Redistribution of wealth is not a Biblical concept.

Top 12 Books of 2012

Tony Reinke offers a terrific round up of the year's top books. Check his list out!

For the Church

Douglas Wilson writes a great piece on the church!

"So this is how it is possible to be a churchman and an evangelical. Not only is it possible, I believe that rightly understood, the two require each other."

1 John 2:2 and “the World”

This is a great article challenging the erroneous view of Reformed and Calvinist theologians that Christ only died for the elect, as opposed to offering up atonement satisfactory for the entire world. The author specifically looks at and offers a strong rebuttal to the traditional Calvinist interpretation of the Greek word, "kosmos" in 1 John 2:2, "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the the whole world."

Briefly Noted: On Human Emotion & Christian Apologetics: Or, Why Friedrich Nietzsche Has Something to Teach Christians

The title is long. You get the impression the author has spent too much time reading Puritan Theology books from four hundred years ago. But the gist of the article is this: if something is to be reasonable, rational, and logical - it must also make sense of our emotions. Christianity is the only thing that makes sense.

"Spufford pushes back against the arrogance of the New Atheism and seeks to demonstrate the emotional, and thereby rational, intelligence of Christian faith."

A Theology of God’s Emotion

This book is going on my to-buy list for 2013. Emotions are gaining momentum in the Christian communities thinking again, and we are so much the better for it! Check this intro to a new book for 2013 that you may want to read.

Parenting

Raising Kids the World Will Hate

This was a tremendously challenging and convicting article! We need to raise children that the world will one day hate, loathe, and despise. We need to be raising children that this world will one day strive to silence and kill. Now, moms and dads, shepherd that which God has entrusted to you!