This is a great message on choosing the right mate.  It was given at Cedarville College chapel recently.  I also recommend his recent book, Sacred Search.  Even if you are already married this will be very helpful.

This article is well worth your time.  It could help you keep your soul a little healthier, or at least help you know why it might not be feeling as strong as it used to.

This is a very helpful teaching on a complex topic.  Worth seven minutes of your time.

Regis Nicoll is an Anglican physicist (retired) and blogger.  I’ve met him at a couple of Anglican events.  It is always stimulating and encouraging to talk with him.  I thought this article of his was particularly worth sharing.

I reported during the coffee hour Sunday some of the conversation that has developed in the blogs around the Archbishop of Canterbury’s declaration that the ACNA was not part of the Anglican Communion, right on the eve of the Investiture of Archbishop Beach.  Here is a helpful article providing more details.  I agree with the writer that Canterbury emerges the loser in this.  But this is not a time for triumphalism.  His loss is our loss too.

The warm blessing and encouragement sent by Pope Francis to Archbishop Beach further “enriches” this dialog.  Here is an interesting take on this from the English press.

Even at this late hour it is not too late for ++Welby to change course and embrace the convictions of the majority of Anglicans worldwide, though the price would be high.  Do pray for ++Welby that he will seize this unique moment in history to offer apostolic leadership in the spirit of Saints Peter and Paul for the sake of the gospel.

Here is the link to the TED talk by David Brooks that I mentioned in the sermon yesterday.

Here is the link to the great section on Phil 3 in the IVP Commentary.

If you want to see what Paul had in mind when he talked about “pressing on” take a look at this old video of the “Miracle Mile” on Aug 7, 1954, when Roger Bannister and John Landy both finished in under 4:00 minutes.  Incidentally, Bannister, a young medical doctor, was running with a severe cold and Landy had stepped on a flashbulb barefooted the night before and was running with stitches in his foot.  Note the amazing sportsmanship of both men in the post-race interviews.  Its been a long time since we saw this kind of attitude in elite sports.

In this article, Dr. Wes Hill of Trinity School for Ministry offers some penetrating insight into the debate about same-sex attraction.  He offers an antidote to the usual moralism preached from both sides.

This is an encouraging story that I believe you will want to share with your friends.  Fr. Lyle Dorsett remains a powerful force in the new Anglican movement.

I’ve never forgotten a great line from the movie, Platoon.  Perhaps you remember it.  The Charlie Sheen character, a young, idealistic, confused college boy from a comfortable middle class family, who dropped out in order to volunteer for combat in Viet Nam, is talking to one of his comrades, a semi-literate but worldly-wise country boy from Alabama.  Here’s the line, delivered with a drawl: “Shoot, man!  You have to be rich to even think like that.”

There are some theological perspectives that sound good in one context, but ridiculous in others.  In this article, Al Mohler addresses the popularity of the “Prosperity Gospel” of the Olsteens.  It’s easy to see how it appeals to upper middle class Americans dreaming of taking the next step up the ladder of the American dream.  But how would it sound to the thousands of Christians who are losing everything right now for their faith, and especially those being martyred in Syria, Iran, Iraq, and China?  Do the Osteens have a word for them?  If they just had a little more faith, if they just conceived great things in their mind, and visualized a “better you,” would God not only save them, but get them that Mercedes and house with a pool?

The sad part of all this is not that false teachers arise — that is a given — but that they are so readily welcomed by so many.  As in the case of false politicians, you can’t blame false teachers for trying to deceive us, especially when there is such good money in it.  But we can and should blame ourselves for believing and supporting them.

Let me encourage all of you to seriously consider attending this conference. You will not regret it.

The speakers this year are truly world class, including NT Wright, and the fellowship with other Anglicans will be rich.

You will realize that you are part of one of the great movements of our time, and come away with renewed vision for the Kingdom.

And Charleston is an absolutely beautiful city rich in Anglican heritage.