Wisdom For Your Weekend is your regular installment of what we’ve been reading (and watching) around the web. Presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from Pastor J.D., this is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9: “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
Video of the Week
12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, Crossway. This little promo for Tony Reinke’s new book (by the same title) is both amusing and convicting. The smart phone isn’t evil, but it’s not simply a neutral piece of technology, either. Like most technology, we can control it, or it can control us—and the line between the two is often blurry. Irony alert: I (Chris) have already downloaded the book to listen to on my phone.
Articles of the Week
Dads, Be Tender with Your Children, Melissa Edgington. Parenting is hard work. It starts with the sleep-deprived mania of the early weeks, and as the kids get older, the difficult doesn’t lesson. It simply shifts. In a thousand small decisions every day, parents shape the character and future of their kids—and this is terrifying. So for all the dads out there who, like myself, are a bit panicky about whether they’re doing it right, here’s an encouraging piece of advice: Be tender with your kids. It makes all the difference in the world.
Enough with Self-Examination, Jared Mellinger. There’s probably a spectrum when it comes to self-examination. Too little and you never capitalize on your own strengths or have the chance to correct your indwelling sin. Too much, however, and you’re liable to get lost in the maze of your own heart. For those struggling with depression, self-reflection may not be as helpful or as insightful as it might seem.
Seven Things That Get Harder As Your Church Grows, Carey Nieuwhof. There are, to be sure, also problems that accompany a church as it shrinks, so this list of seven is a set of problems you want. But these challenges are still very real, and if a church doesn’t intentionally and creatively address them, the negative consequences will be legion.
The Number One Reason Missionaries Go Home, Paul Akin. There are dozens of reasons that life on the mission field is grueling. You’re far from your family and close friends. You’re immersed in a culture that is foreign to you (even if you’ve been at it for years). You don’t see much fruit from your ministry. You get sick—a lot. In many cases, you’re living with the constant threat of terrorism hanging over your head. And yet, as Paul rightly points out here, none of that is the hardest part about being an overseas missionary. Read on to learn what ruins missionaries more than any other factor.
On the Lighter Side
“I’d Like to Crush You,” Rhett and Link (a.k.a. Rabbit Lightning). Every song that Rhett and Link write immediately excels every song that is currently on the radio. Who hasn’t experienced the confusing and thrilling experience of love captured in this line? “Brushing up against you is like touching an electric dove.” (HT Mike Leake)
