Tempted by Facebook? – Here’s a helpful post about the dangerous and pervasive sins that can be perpetuated by unchecked social media use:

With our use of social media, we risk slighting the gospel by losing our identity. Whether we forget who we are or lie about who we are, we are misplacing our identity in Christ.

Presidential Faith – This is an interesting one, a brief discussion of the the life of faith in our two most beloved and revered presidents, Washington and Lincoln. The findings of this particular writer are very intriguing, and help shed some light on the relationships that these men had with their Creator.

An Open Letter to Praise Bands – If you lead worship on Sundays or Tuesdays or whenever, you should read this post. If you gather to be led in worship by a pop/rock style band of some sort, you should read this post. It’s a bit harsh, but it’s a good reminder that gathering to sing is serious business and there are ways in which bands who lead can hinder the worship of the body.

Roughhousing With the Kids – There are few things sweeter than being attacked by your two toddlers while you’r playing with them on the floor. This post from the good people at Art of Manliness lay out why roughhousing is not only sweet, but essential in the life and growth of healthy children.

And for those of you into, interested in, or intrigued by Christian Hip-Hop, here is a candid discussion between some of the most talented artists in that genre. It’s a bit long, but very enjoyable and encouraging.

The Chopping Block:

Role “Model” – You may have heard this story already, but it was the only one I could find without an inappropriate picture. Kylie Bisutti is a former Victoria’s Secret model who has quit the modeling industry out of respect for her body, her husband, and her Savior. She is someone worthy of respect.

Discipling a New Believer – Bay Area Pastor Justin Buzzard offers some great insights into the needs of new believers, and how seasoned CHristians can care for them. Let’s continue to pray that those who come to faith in Christ are surrounded by saints who will lead them into deeper communion with the Lord.

Here’s a great video discussion about the place of Hymns in the church. Enjoy:

Old Hymns for Our Day from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

One more video. We showed this one last night at Axis, our church youth group, it’s a great picture of the overall storyline of the Bible, and God’s plan for the salvation of His people:

The Descendants is a familiar film. It does not tread over too-worn territory or repackage plots of past successes, but it is eminently recognizable. Like watching real life. Not your life, but someone’s.

The Descendants is about a man named Matt King. Matt, played by George Clooney at his most vulnerable, is a man weighed down by the trials of life. He is trying to put his family together after a tragic boating accident left his wife in a coma from which she will never wake. He is the sole proprietor of a massive piece of virgin Hawaiian land, the fate of which is of great interest to both his extended family and the whole state of Hawaii. His daughters are disrespectful and rebellious. And on top of all this he discovers that his wife was committing adultery before the accident, and planned to leave him.

With a plot like this, it may be difficult to see how The Descendants could seem so familiar.

But plot has little to do with it.

At its heart, The Descendants is about the most basic elements of human interaction: love, loss, death, betrayal, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It’s a movie about the human condition. And it is one of the most honest depictions I have seen.

The brilliance of The Descendants begins with writer/director Alexander Payne. His understanding of humanity, and of men in particular, is on full display in this film. He never forces an emotion or baits the audience with the sappy cliches that fill so many family dramas. He paints a vivid picture and invites the audience to enter in.

So for 115 minutes, we live these difficult days along with Matt King, experiencing the pain of discovering that someone you’re about to lose has been lost to you for years, agonizing over a business decision about which millions of people have an opinion, and wandering through fatherhood with little understanding of how to lead and love daughters whom you barely know.

It’s a heavy film, but unlike most dramas, The Descendants does not take itself too seriously. As I said, it never forces a moment to be more than it is. One of the most endearing elements of the film is how much humor is present. In every dark and difficult moment, there is relief. There is no wallowing in self pity or excessive sentimentality. Life is full of laughter in the midst of pain, and the Descendants keeps this tension well throughout the film, leaving us feeling good about the future of this wounded family.

The most satisfying and uplifting element of the film is the theme of forgiveness, which is not a very popular theme today. We flock to movies about revenge and retribution. Rarely do we see a movie that so unashamedly and freely offers forgiveness to undeserving characters.

Forgiveness cuts the legs out of hatred. It allows for healing from the most scarring wounds. It immediately dissolves barriers of shame and guilt, and makes friends of bitter enemies.

This what God the Father has done for the world through Jesus isn’t it? The world hates God. We have rebelled against His rule as our good and perfect King. We have committed adultery against Him by selling ourselves to lesser gods. And we mocked Him by killing His Son. But that very Son whom we killed became God’s means of forgiving us. For in the death of Jesus, our sins, our hatred, our adultery, our rebellion was paid for. Forgiven. Washed away. So that God can once again look on the people He created for Himself with love and care.

This is the heart of The Descendants forgiveness that comes through sacrifice. The main thread of the plot, which I won’t give away, follows this path, and its climax is beautiful, heartbreaking, and so sweet.

Because of the language and subject matter, this is not a movie for the whole family. However, this is a movie that I think every adult should see. It’s an important film. Not because it tells the story of some great historical revolution or triumph of the human will, but because it is a rare thing for a hollywood film to embrace central gospel themes in such a captivating and honest fashion.

Joshua Project – If you haven’t heard of Joshua Project, you should absolutely check them out. There is no other organization that I know of that is doing what they are doing. They provide a comprehensive, global perspective on the state of the thousands of unreached people groups of the world. They are concerned about the great commission on the global scale, and we should be too.

Desiring God Conference for Pastors – There are few conferences that I have looked forward to more than this one, the 2012 Desiring God Conference for Pastors: God, Manhood, and Ministry: Building Men for the Body of Christ. I can’t wait to listen to the audio from this conference. And men, I suggest you check it out.

Burning Out? – We talk a lot about ministry burn out in the church and this post tackles the issue well. If you’re struggling with burn out or counseling someone who is, you should check this out.

Tim Tebow cancels an appearance to speak at a prominent prosperity gospel preacher’s event and Joe Carter at the Gospel Coalition tells us why it matters.

Green or Greed? I found this article to be thoroughly interesting. It reminds me of the movie Wall-E. We make everything more efficient in an attempt to be green, but we end up with the same problem: we’re still addicted to consuming. Here’s a quote:

We may believe that we care about the world’s deepening environmental challenges and are merely waiting for scientists, environmentalists, politicians and others to come to their senses and implement effective solutions. But we already know more than enough, and we have for a long time. We just don’t like the answers.

My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.

And Jesus promises it in Matthew 11:28:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

What I love about these two verses is the difference between the type of rest that is promised. In Exodus 33, God promises that He will go with them and give them rest in the place they go. An amazing promise to be sure. But Jesus, in Matthew, calls people to come to Him and find their rest in Him.

The Promised Land was a place of temporary rest for the people of God, but Jesus is the place of permanent rest. He is the one that invites us into the eternal rest of God. And He calls all who are weary and heavy laden. Our only requirement is that we be totally helpless and unable to find rest on our own.

So when the world presses in around us, Jesus offers a rest that outlasts all our troubles and trials. He offers rest that endures forever, because He endures forever.

Desperate cries for God’s presence.
Humble adoration of the glory of Christ.
Sweet harmonies.
Minor chords.

All things that make for an excellent and very current sounding modern worship offering from St. Louis based singer/songwriter duo, All Sons and Daughters. All Sons and Daughters emerged late in 2011 from Journey Church in St. Louis Missouri, where the two lead singers/songwriters, David Leonard and Leslie Jordan, serve as part of the Creative Arts Ministry.

Both Leonard and Jordan exude talent. Their voices are sweet and very easy on the ears. Their songs are thoughtfully written. And their arrangements are refreshingly devoid of the over production that plagues so much of Christian music.

They have produced two EP’s for sale on itunes and Amazon, Brokenness Aside and Reason to Sing as well as a free three song EP over at noisetrade, which happens to be where I discovered them.

I haven’t listened long enough to pick a favorite from among their songs, but I can tell you that I;ve listened to Oh Our Lord from their second EP, Reason to Sing, at least ten times in the last two weeks.

The one thing I really love about them is that they emote so genuinely through their songs. Often, artists sacrifice emotion for theology, or the other way around. But All Sons And Daughters rides the balance well. Excellently even. I find myself easily engaging with the truths about which they’re singing and encouraged to do so with my head and heart.

I’m looking forward to watching this duo carve out a place for themselves among the Christian artists of today. It’s a much deserved place, and I highly recommend you check out everything that All Sons and Daughters are doing.

Are Proverbs Promises? – I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on God’s promises in Scripture and this post from the guys at Desiring God ministries offer a helpful check and balance on how to read the proverbs without falling into the trap of prosperity theology or disappointments in parenting.

It Don’t Matter if You’re Black or White? – There are few national pastors that I respect more than Thabiti Anyabwile. I especially appreciate his perspective on race and ethnic issues. Here he explains what makes someone “black” or “white” and whether labels like that really matter.

The Most Important Article about the 2012 SuperBowl – I had a lighthearted Superbowl post ready to go but after reading this one by Justin Holcomb of Mars Hill Church I decided it was infinitely more important. This is an eye-opening look into the evil underbelly of the Superbowl, a world fueled by sex-trafficking and underage prostitution. This is a hard read, but it’s incredibly important.

No “Buts” about it – This is a great reminder for parents of the impact that small words like “but” and “so” have in our parenting. Grammar has Gospel importance in the young lives of children. This is a good one.

1. I expected it to be good.
2. I expected it to be black and white
3. I expected it to be silent.

It was all of those things.

But what I did not expect was to be immersed in a true cinematic experience. The likes of which have not been seen for a long time.

As of 2012, nearly everyone who grew up during the roaring 20′s, the height of the silent film era, has passed away. This means that for the past 4, if not 5, generations, the western world has been entertained by the colors and sounds of modern Hollywood. And very few people today have seen a silent film in the theaters.

And if you’re like me, you’ve never seen a silent film, period. In a theater or otherwise.

That is, until The Artist.

The real appeal of the Artist, from a purely cinematic perspective, is not simply that it has no sound, but that it masterfully embraces the charm of early cinema, complete with standard 4:3 screen size, brilliantly timed theme music, subtitle screens for key dialogue scenes, and wonderfully executed physical performances.

The plot of The Artist is simple enough. An actor named George Valentin (played by the charming and eminently likable Jean Dujardin) at the height of his career in silent films meets Peppy Miller, a young girl played by the scene stealing Berenice Bejo, who is just breaking into the industry. As their paths cross, Valenin finds himself unable to cope with the introduction of “talkies”, or sound-filled movies, and Peppy finds herself at the top of the new Hollywood, a place where sound reigns supreme.

It’s the type of story that we’ve seen before, but it’s executed so well that it feels current and fresh. And when I say “executed well” I mean that there is not one part of the movie that I can call a weak spot. It is simply an excellent piece of film.

The Artist follows Valentin, who is in fact THE artist, in his descent into darkness, while catching shimmering glimpses of Peppy Miller along the way. It is a story about the changing times. It is a story about success and failure. But most of all, it is about the perils of pride in the life of a person.

I’d hate to give away too much of the film by diving into the theme of pride that runs the entire length of the film, so I’ll just say this:

Pride, if left completely unchecked, will certainly destroy a person, and The Artist displays this reality better than any movie I can remember seeing.

There are few themes more concretely rooted in Scripture than this. Virtually every sin that the Bible recounts can be traced back to pride in the heart of the sinner. the Serpent appealed to Eve’s pride when he convinced her to eat the apple, and ever since pride has been our greatest downfall.

Proverbs 16:18 says that pride comes before destruction, and James goes so far as to say that God opposes the proud.

Humility is the road that leads to salvation, and to find out if The Artist walks that path, you’ll just have to see the movie.

Over the course of our ministry, the most common pastoral issue that Tim and I have confronted is probably marriages—either actual or proposed—between Christians and non-Christians. I have often thought how much simpler it would be if I could remove myself from the conversation and invite those already married to unbelievers do the talking to singles who are desperately trying to find a loophole that would allow them to marry someone who does not share their faith.

Single and Parenting – Being a parent is one of the most difficult and demanding jobs in the world. But being single and parenting is exponentially more so. This website is devoted to providing resources, care, and accountability for those who are single and parenting.

Nothing lasts forever – This is a sobering reminder of how easily worldly possessions can slip away from us.

Is Jesus Safe for Christian Radio? – Matt Papa is one of my favorite artists right now. I’ve reviewed some of his music before. In this article, Matt begins a discussion about the difficulties and downfalls of Christian Radio. It looks to be a lively discussion, and one that we probably should have had a long time ago.

Long-Distance Running – Over the past several years, I have developed a love for running. This post from the Art of Manliness addresses the reasons why so many of us don’t like to run, and how running the right way for the right reasons can change the way we think about something that we were born to do.

J.C. Ryle on Reading the Bible – J.C. Ryle is the man. He is the focus of John Piper’s biographical sermon from this years DG pastor’s conference, and he exudes Godly wisdom. In this post, from a site devoted to Ryle quotes, Ryle explains why we should read the Bible, and how to do it fruitfully.

For the past few decades, and possibly the last century or more, Christian art has lagged behind the rest of the world. Popular Christian music is most often a copy of something being done outside the church. Christian painting is generally regarded as greeting card faire. And I don’t think I need to explain the problems of Christian film and fiction literature.

This was not always the case however.

There was a time, for centuries in fact, that art emerging from within the church was the cutting edge. It was not until the church began to separate itself from the rest of the world, misunderstanding the call to be in the world but not of the world, that church artistry began to stagnate. And since that time, we have been playing catch-up.

But there are rays of hope. And nowhere does the future of Christian art shine more brightly than in the new generation of Christian Hip-Hop artists. For those of us who love hip-hop but can’t get over the trash bin of content that the world spews out, even from some of the worlds most talented rappers, pickings have been woefully slim. But in the last half a decade, a whole group of artists have arrived who are not only serious about Christ, but are artistically on par with, if not better than, the majority of what the rest of the music world is producing.

Tedashii is one of those artists, and his album, Blacklight, is proof of that.

With guys like Lecrae, Trip Lee, and Shai Linne spearheading the Reformed Hip-Hop movement, it’s easy to forget that there is a whole pool artists just as talented.

Blacklight is one of my most played in the last few months. There’s a lot to enjoy about it. Tedashii has a diversity to his style that keeps everything feeling fresh. He’s not the fastest, but I think that speed can be overrated if you don’t have the lyrical creativity to back it up. And Tedashii has lyrical creativity to spare.

I’ve found that a lot hip-hop artists tend to make their songs over-long and too similar. But Tedashii battles against this pretty well. Most of the tracks stand on their own in content and style. The stand out tracks are Last Goodbye, a song about the hardships that our servicemen and women face; Finally featuring Shane and Shane, which looks forward to the day when we see Christ face to face; and the ground thumping Dum Dum, featuring Lecrae, that talks about how foolish the world thinks Christians are.

The one thing I love most about the album is that there is a longing for heaven shining through. In a world full hip-hop that boasts over living large and getting paid, it’s nice to hear lines like “So I passed up rolling on chrome, ‘cuz 26 inches is a pretty low throne.”

It’s a good one. I highly recommend it.