Free and Sale Bible Software

Accordance Bible Software is having an August sale, and Zondervan’s Pradis software has a substantial discount until Sept.17:

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The Pursuit of Productivity

The lifehacker Life Learning Today posted an article entitled  25 Tips to Become More Productive and Happy at Work.  And while I don’t subscribe to every tip as a legitimate source of productivity and happiness, quite a few of them can be easily adapted.  It is quite a curiosity that Biblical wisdom is often paralleled in these lists.  But, considering the vast wisdom that it Scripture contains, perhaps it should not be any surprise at all.

Check it out here.

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Churches, Organizations, and Blogs

What are your favorite?

It has been quite a surprise to me that most posts have received comments, after only a short time on the Internet.  I’m grateful that it has been useful to some, though I don’t presume it to ever grow beyond a simple and straightforward site.  This most likely will be premature, but let me ask: are there are churches, organizations, blogs, or otherwise that should be included in the sidebar?  I’ll be updating it and adding many of my favorites in the coming days!

Leave a comment or drop me an email and I be sure to take a look.  By request, I’ve created a new email account:

theseminarian[at]gmail[dot]com

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Killing Sin

What a provocative and liberating concept! For those than have become sensitive by the Lord’s work in their hearts, it is often easy to identify sin, but the struggle can seem much more than we can bear. Sin seems to still dominate our lives. Yet, Paul tells us in Romans that the reality is quite the opposite:

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.
(Romans 6:6-7 ESV)

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Biblical Counseling and Psychology

One recent trend within evangelical churches today is the trend toward Biblical counseling and away from pop psychology. This has caused some conflict between churches and seminaries since psychology has become so broadly accepted. Regardless of our personal beliefs or background that we bring to the question, it is always beneficial to do our homework. There are misconceptions of each that we should clarify before coming to our conclusions. The links below are provided simply as a starting point.

Here is the website for the APA (American Psychological Association) and a page with some downloadable articles and positions.

Likewise, here is the website for NANC (National Association of Nouthetic Counselors) and a page with some of their articles.

edit: Here is a third organization, the Society for Christian Psychology that was suggested in comments. It seems to promote a psychology informed by the Bible and Christian tradition, calling it a “more valid psychology”. Thanks Keith for the link!

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Paul Washer on YouTube

Currently, YouTube is used predominantly as a medium for interesting but trivial video clips. But, every now and then there are some pearls that are worth the search. And there is a greater opportunity for evangelism there than for clone sites such as GodTube, since very few unbelievers will stumble upon a video there. So, let us be diligent in proclaiming the Word, but loving and kind in our responses and comments.

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John Macarthur and Grace To You

There are a few teachers whom I admire more than others for their courage, consistency, and calling. John MacArthur is definitely one of them, and his commitment to Scripture is evident in his life and ministry. Though I still practice discernment and test his words against Scripture, most often he proves trustworthy.

Here are two links to his material will be of great value to you if you haven’t visited them before. First, Travis Carden mirrors the GTY podcast here so that you can download the mp3s and subscribe without having to register with OnePlace. Second, Tony Capoccia manages an archive of John MacArthur’s sermons and messages.  Check them out!

By the way, Travis warns us to stay away from his forbidden page, and I encourage you to do the same from experience.

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Seven W’s of Writing

Andreas Köstenberger shares with us the Seven W’s of Writing based on his Introduction to Research seminar. They are familiar – who, what, where, when, why, in what way, and for whom – but we can always use a friendly reminder.

Click here to check it out.

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Contemporary Praise and Worship Music

We’ve heard the jokes before.  Some people say that Christian music is poorly written and the artists are poor musicians.  This is even true for some.  But, it wasn’t always that way.  There was a time when the very best musicians composed music for the Lord, and I’m getting a new appreciation for old and modern hymns.
Pulpit Magazine, a weblog of John MacArthur and friends which seeks to post print-quality articles at blog speeds, has a very insightful article on contemporary church music.  I’ve heard quite a few arguments mainly about instruments and style; this article doesn’t focuses on lyrics.  And until this article I could never succinctly explain the trend over the years, nor explain the danger of the shift away from solid theological foundations to the modern church love songs.

Click here to check it out.

Sample:

Around the start of the twentieth century, however, church music took a different direction. Musicians and singers without formal pastoral or theological training (such as Ira Sankey and Philip Bliss) became the dominant songwriters in the church. Choruses with lighter, simpler subject matter proliferated. Popular Christian music became more subjective. Songs focused on personal experience and the feelings of the worshiper. The newer compositions were often called “gospel songs” to distinguish them from “hymns.”

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Presentation Pointers

While you may not agree with everything in the post, Merlin Mann of 43 Folders fame (and the podcast which bears his name) has put together a post on improving presentations based on principles that he has learned. I wonder what, if any, might be applicable to accompany preaching, Sunday School lessons, or workshops?

Click here to check it out.

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