Flashback Fridays (June 6)

Tim Burton's Batman came out 25 years ago this summer. I was in second grade and it was the last day of school. As a treat my cousins took me to see it and it was the "most awesome movie experience ever". At least  that's what eight year old me thought. Here's the original trailer, and if you have the time, take check it out on netflix. It still stands up as a gritty, sometimes corny, superhero movie. I was giving it a second a while ago and was surprised to see just how much more screen time the joker got than Batman. Looks like there was a deal made with Nicholson to get top billing, and to make way more money on that movie, and its sequel. That's the power of Jack.  

Morning Links (June 5)

Tasty Kindle Deals

Heaven by Randy Alcorn .99

Date Your Wife by Justin Buzzard  .99
Christian History Made Easy by Dr. Paul Timothy Jones 3.99
What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions by James Anderson 7.39


Tasty Links

Defending the faith is about life, not just doctrine
From Trevin Wax: "The apostles’ view of orthodoxy is all-encompassing. It steps on all our toes. It doesn’t let any group get their “aha” moment, because it convicts and challenges us to expand our vision of orthodoxy, not look for a minimalistic substitute."

Four Modern Versions Of The Bible That Are Ruining the Bible
Over at On Faith, Bill Irwin looks at the problems of having too many different kinds of Bibles. 

10 Things to do at the SBC annual convention
Convention is coming up for us in the SBC and Todd Benkert challenges those going to find ways to be considerate of those they might disagree with. 

3 Steps to Studying the Bible
Michael Patton shares a short, but helpful, intro at Crossways blog. 

What is a photocopier? A funny short film based on actual testimony

Just watch it to the end. And remember, this really happened.

Morning Links (June 4) : Kindle Deals and Thoughtful Links

Kindle Deals

The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung .99

Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples by Francis Chan 4.99

Creature of the Word: The Jesus Centered Church by Matt Chandler et at. 2.99

The Forgotten Trinity by James White 1.99

Preaching for God's Glory by Alistair Begg 4.61

Stop Asking Jesus into Your Hear by J.D. Greer 2.99

Tasty Links

When it's time for the talk

Tim Challies gives shares some books that help parents on when and how to talk to kids about the birds and the bees

How will we reach the "Nones"?

Nones are a new demographic of people who have no religious affiliation one way or another. And they are on the rise. James Emery White's new book deals with how to reach this group by becoming an Acts 17 kind of church. 

4 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Church

If you're thinking of joining somewhere this year, here are a few things to think about before joining. Pastors, these are questions you need to answer as well.  

How I Evolved on Gay Marriage (and how I didn't)

Matthew Shmitz is an editor of First Things magazine, and here he gives advice he gave a young lady who was dealing with gay marriage. In the article you'll also see an interview he gave with Slate Magazine. 

Morning Links (June 2): Southern Baptist Convention Edition

Kindle Offers
Lost and Found by Ed Stetzer and all 2.99
The Mission of Today's Church: Baptist Leaders Look At Modern Faith Issues by Ed Stetzer and Other's .99
God and the Gay Christian: A Response to Matthew Vines  by various .99
Understanding Sexual Identity: A resource for youth ministries by Mark A. Yanrhouse 7.99



Convention is just a few days away and there's a lot of issues we will be voting, and hopefully, thinking about about. Here are a few thoughts from well known SBC leaders.

4 Trends for Churches to Consider 
Ed Stetzer, a leading SBC missiologist and pollster, has written about four trends the church is currently facing that will also become important in the near future. Mainly we're getting smaller, which has some benefits (Christians of conviction will outnumber nominal believers) but there is much to be concerned about. Mainly, we have to find ways to reach out to millennials.

Southern Baptists' Millennial Problem
Speaking of Millennials, Trevin Wax gives his own ideas as to how to deal with the loss of this age group. He appeals to leaders to consider that our outreach has to take into consideration that millennials are staying single longer.

There is no "Third Way"
Al Mohler recently wrote about the so called "third way" many churches are following in regards to same sex relationships. It was spurred on by a recent decision by a pastor here in Southern California who changed his views on the issue, leading to an exodus of people from the congregation. A church split is always heart breaking, and always the last option, but in this case it was warranted. Mohler challenges the convention to remember one thing in all this: there is no third way. Either you're for it or against it.

A Resolution on Transgender for the SBC
Denny Burke has written about issue of transgender people in the church here. The idea that someone was born male, but identifies as a woman (or vice versa), is now the new issue facing churches. In a great sign of foresight, Burke has drafted a resolution (read it here) that would make clear what the SBC believes on these issues, namely that gender is a gift from God, and to do violence to the body in the form or surgery of hormone therapy, is wrong. Russell Moore also writes about this issue here