Anchored in Christ

Happy June everybody!

Two Fridays ago I had a new nephew born into the family and also went to the memorial service for a dear friend’s mother. A strange mixture of joy and grief in one day. It gave me a renewed sense of my mortality and also caused me to reflect on these two verses:

“It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2

“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” 1 Peter 1:24–25

A takeaway: To invest your life more in what is eternally significant, fill it with the eternal Word of God. We are like grass.

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I put together a short ebook of articles on prayer called A Short Book on Effective Prayer. It’s available on Kindle for free for a few days.

Article of the Month: Joe Rigney’s timely article Reversing Romans 1: A Glimpse of the Godward Life . He takes the negative description in Romans 1 of people who reject God, and rewrites its opposite, a life that treasures God in every way. Profoundly inspiring.

Anatomy of sneer: Watch for three ways progressive activists push their opponents into a corner by Kevin DeYoung 

6 Truths About the Church’s Future by Bob Thune. A blend of encouraging and challenging stuff. Spoiler alert: the gates of hell won’t prevail against Christ’s church.

Are You Caught in the Trap of Approval? Wisdom from Cindy Matheson.

Talking To Our Children About Discipline by Trent Hunter

Why Should We Try to Understand the Author’s Intent When Interpreting the Bible by Greg Koukl. This audio clip shares something foundational for not only Bible study, but any meaningful communication—someone who shares words also shares an intended meaning. To say “Authorial intent doesn’t matter” is to contradict yourself!

Yes, We Do Know Social Media Isn’t Safe for Kids by Jeane Twenge. This link is more sociological but has implications for Christian parents. (I appreciate Jon Haidt’s work, and Twenge is a research collaborator of his.)

Exploring the Nuance of “The Tim Keller Rule” for Writers by Benjamin Vrbicek. My friend Benjamin reflects on an unwritten “rule” that says Do not publish a book until you are sixty years old. If you’re a writer, check this out.

Don’t forget my recommended resources page that shares a smattering of things (software, tools, financial accounts) that I recommend. It’ll be on the main navigation of my site KevinHalloran.net if you ever need it.