Saturday Links

Links for your weekend reading:

Mental Illness – The New Leprosy

In a context where suffering and hurt should be welcomed, the Christian church has largely dealt with those suffering with mental health problems like modern day lepers: excluded from the camp and stigmatized.

10 Things We Would Stop Doing If We Adopted Paul’s Cross-Shaped Resolution

Consider how drastically different our outlook might be this year if, like Paul, we decided to see all of life in light of the One who was crucified in our place.

8 Characteristics of Sanctification

1. News, Not Advice
2. Repentance, Not Resolve
3. Needy, Not Self-Sufficient
4. Heart Transformation, Not Behavior Modification
5. Freedom in Christ, Not Slavery to Law
6. Under the Rule of Christ, Not Apart from It
7. In Community, Not Isolation
8. Progression, Not Perfection

How to Disarm an Angry Person

Your preparation for a more effective confrontation is counterintuitive, as are most of God’s ways. Humility is the way of strength. Weakness is the new unstoppable force.

Sincerely, One of Many Girls Who Care

Men striving for purity: May I just say how proud I, and so many other girls, are of you?

Three things I’d like to see in the Christian blogosphere in 2014

1. Bloggers practicing Titus 3:10.
2. Bloggers actively serving in their local churches.
3. Bloggers who don’t think too highly of themselves.

The 2013 Leadership Book Awards

We commend these titles to you as you develop your leadership gifts to further the ministry God has entrusted to you.

What I Wish I’d Known: Reflections on Nearly 40 Years of Pastoral Ministry

Here are 10 things I wish I’d known when I first started out as a pastor.

16 Resolutions for Preachers in 2014

I’ll share with you 16 things I’m resolving to do in my preaching this year.

How Mark Dever Passes Out Authority

Here are 20 ways he distributes authority, followed by 10 ways this shapes our church culture.