The Gospel Coalition

Kindle Deal of the Day: Compelled: Living the Mission of God by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation. $2.99.

Understand what it means to be compelled by love. The authors challenge readers to look at love within the context of God, the church, and the lives of individual believers. Compelled provides readers a basic theological grounding and a platform for personal application as they understand that missional living is all about simply the calling to love others. Look at the love of God; begin to truly understand what is at the center of the church’s foundation, commission, and direction; but most importantly, understand your role within the mission of God as you integrate love into all aspects of your missional calling.

Peter Jackson Announces a Third “Hobbit” Film:

“We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance,” he wrote. “The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.”

The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge:

In an age obsessed with practicality, productivity, and efficiency, I frequently worry that we are leaving little room for abstract knowledge and for the kind of curiosity that invites just enough serendipity to allow for the discovery of ideas we didn’t know we were interested in until we are, ideas that we may later transform into new combinations with applications both practical and metaphysical.

The Ten Happiest Jobs:

It’s interesting to compare these jobs with the list of the ten most hated jobs, which were generally much better paying and have higher social status.

3 Simple Steps to an Encouraging Hospital Visit:

So what should actually do when you visit someone in the hospital? What actions will encourage and comfort the person you are visiting?

Here are three steps. They each start with “P” to help you remember.

Baptist History and Baptist Ministry:

If pastors and seminarians knew more about Baptist history, they would be better equipped to avoid the mistakes of the past and incorporate helpful insights from previous eras. I want to suggest three quick ways Baptist history can be useful to local church ministry: