Podcast: I enjoyed guesting on this podcast with Tyler Braun. We discuss how a focus on self-expression can produce positive results, why it usually produces negative results, and what churches can do to navigate this reality of our age.
Video: Over at For the Church, here’s my three minute answer to “What keeps many Christians from studying the Bible?”
Kindle Deal: Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids by Jack Klumpenhower. $0.99.
Seven of the best articles I came across this week:
1. The Houston Chronicle’s tragic and horrifying 3-part series on sexual abuse in Southern Baptist circles. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. I wrote earlier this week about the report and linked to responses from J. D. Greear, Russell Moore, and Malcolm Yarnell. Also not to be missed is this response from Keith Whitfield in First Things.
2. Bob Kellemen has a good list of resources for church leaders wondering how best to prevent and respond to sexual abuse. J.D. Greear and Brad Hambrick give initial guidance to victims.
3. Ted Olsen – Who Counts? How to Rightly Divide American Christianity. The academy’s debate over black church differences is more than a numbers game.
4. Sarah Holcomb – A Dalit’s Dilemma. For Dalits—formerly known as “Untouchables”—in rural southern India, officially declaring their Christian faith comes with a cost: Leaving Hindu caste identity requires Dalit Christians to abandon government benefits such as free college tuition and potential job opportunities.
5. Trillia Newbell – Don’t Confine Black History to a Month. For American Christians, there are deeply compelling reasons to learn beyond February.
6. Christopher de Bellaigue in The Guardian – Death On Demand. Countries around the world are making it easier to choose the time and manner of your death. But doctors in the world’s euthanasia capital are starting to worry about the consequences.
7. Pamela Paul – Let Children Get Bored Again. Boredom teaches us that life isn’t a parade of amusements. More important, it spawns creativity and self-sufficiency.
