Michael Horton – How to Read the Bible

Here’s a great, short video on some basic hermeneutics, which is the science of interpretation.  Definitely worth a watch, and definitely worth a share!

One Thing I Did Right in Ministry: “I Started a Book Table”

Tom Ascol writes an article about the importance of a good book table at church.  We have a little bookstore for our ministry, and it’s become an important resource for our students and teachers.  I’ve also noticed that a lot of guests have questions about the bookstore, and it provides a little window into what’s important in our ministry.

Why Don’t Feminists Fight For Muslim Women?

A great video from Prager U: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an author and activist who was raised a devout Muslim, describes the human rights crisis of our time, asks why feminists in the West don’t seem to care, and explains why immigration to the West from the Middle East means this issue matters more than ever.

God’s Hiddenness is Meant to Provoke Us

J Warner Wallace writes a short explanation of why God’s presence can seem hidden at times.  Why doesn’t God make himself more obvious?  He clearly does for some people in the Bible, why doesn’t he seem to do that anymore?

10 Things Every Young Writer Should Know

Here’s a great article about writing from a very young writer.  I love reading articles written by youth students.  It’s one of the reasons why we started Truth Matters Ministries.

In the Culture We Have Today, Pre-evangelism or Apologetics Cannot be Ignored

Rob Lundberg writes about the importance of apologetics in our culture.  As we continue to move towards a “post-Christian” culture, our ability to converse with those who don’t share a religious language with us becomes more and more important for evangelism and engagement.  This is also why we’re starting up the new Truth Matters Academy at our church! (It starts up on Wednesday, January 25th!)

Music Worth Listening To:

Farther Along by Josh Garrels

A beautiful song about the struggle of the Christian life here on Earth.  Here are the lyrics:

Farther along we’ll know all about it
Farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brothers, live in the sunshine
We’ll understand this, all by and by

Tempted and tried, I wondered why
The good man died, the bad man thrives
And Jesus cries because he loves em’ both
We’re all cast-aways in need of ropes
Hangin’ on by the last threads of our hope
In a house of mirrors full of smoke
Confusing illusions I’ve seen

Where did I go wrong, I sang along
To every chorus of the song
That the devil wrote like a piper at the gates
Leading mice and men down to their fates
But some will courageously escape
The seductive voice with a heart of faith
While walkin’ that line back home

So much more to life than we’ve been told
It’s full of beauty that will unfold
And shine like you struck gold my wayward son
That deadweight burden weighs a ton
Go down into the river and let it run
And wash away all the things you’ve done
Forgiveness alright

Still I get hard pressed on every side
Between the rock and a compromise
Like the truth and pack of lies fightin’ for my soul
And I’ve got no place left go
Cause I got changed by what I’ve been shown
More glory than the world has known
Keeps me ramblin’ on

Skipping like a calf loosed from its stall
I’m free to love once and for all
And even when I fall I’ll get back up
For the joy that overflows my cup
Heaven filled me with more than enough
Broke down my levee and my bluff
Let the flood wash me

And one day when the sky rolls back on us
Some rejoice and the others fuss
Cause every knee must bow and tongue confess
That the son of God is forever blessed
His is the kingdom, we’re the guests
So put your voice up to the test
Sing Lord, come soon