Best of the Week: Halloween, Politics & Missions, and Dating

In Best of the Week we link to a handful of the best articles, videos, books, etc. that we have come across in the last week. We hope this will point you to some of the right places and give you gospel-rich tools and thoughts for life and mission.

Take Halloween Captive

“Halloween is not a threat. It’s an opportunity.”

A relevant piece for today.

The Cracks Begin at the Bottom

“If disunity begins at the bottom and works its way to the top, so too does unity. A strong foundation stabilizes and supports the entire structure. What are you doing to actively pursue unity within your church?”

The first few paragraphs of this are not pointed at anyone in particular in our church, and I do not know specifically of anyone doing any of these things. They’re worth noting, all the same, but what I thought was very interesting was the last paragraph. It’s one we should all take very seriously.

God’s Call to Leave This American Mess

“Then, quite outside my notes, I said, ‘But then again, some of you may be looking for a reason to leave America, the mess is so great.’ I smiled. People laughed. At that point, instead of returning to my notes, I felt impelled to press in on that, and what came to my mind was that God has used messes and stresses before to move his people out of their comforts into missions.”

A thought-provoking article on how God might be using our loss of comfort in America (as followers of Jesus) as a way of opening our eyes to the nations in ways we previously would not have considered. May God send many of us!

Toward a Biblical Approach to Dating

“Awkwardness is okay. It is the emotional experience of being vulnerable with another person. God is not sitting on the sidelines of your romantic life waiting for you to become winsome (Prov. 15:28). He anticipates, delights in, and works through awkward faithfulness (1 Cor. 2:4).”

This article gives a few very helpful lenses to use as you consider both your motivations and your actions in dating.

Benny Hinn – Dark Lord of the Sith

I have a son very into Star Wars right now, so this one was especially special to me. If you’re a Benny Hinn fan, stop it.