Grab Bag

I few ideas and items that have passed through my mind in the past few days:

• I have been listening to the audio from the recent Resolved Conference.  While the conference is designed for college students, the messages are appropriate for everyone.  This year’s conference addressed the topic of sin, and the messages are particularly relevant to my own sermon on Ephesians 2:1-3 for this coming Sunday.  Alas, I forgot to put a link in the “For Further Thought and Reflection” section on the sermon notes.  So here is the link.  I still have two or three messages to listen to, but so far have found the messages by Lawson (I am always challenged and encouraged by his preaching), Piper, and Holland to be particularly helpful.
• John MacArthur has a particularly encouraging story about persevering in prayer and evangelism for the unsaved at the beginning of his Resolved message.
• Why John Piper doesn’t own a television and rarely goes to movies
• What makes ministry (and life) successful?  Bill Walsh offers about 10 suggestions that should stimulate our joy in serving Christ.  That article, along with a recent conversation with a friend, has reminded me of a book that began making a significant impact on my life many years ago:  Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome.  The principles are such that it could be entitled, Liberating Life from the Success Syndrome.  I’m actually beginning to think about trying to do a short sermon series on that topic sometime in the coming year.
• I’ve not listened to this audio yet, but “Death is Not Dying” comes highly recommended from DG.