Al Mohler shares the details about Pastor Kyle Lake, electrocuted yesterday during a baptism service. Pray for Kyle’s young family and University Baptist Church of Waco, Texas.

Michelle Malkin has the rundown on the President’s replacement SCOTUS nominee: “IT’S SAMUEL ALITO“.

Update: Hugh Hewitt wants your opinion.

Following my previous post on why pastors should become better listeners I now point you to John Piper’s recent, valuable piece on “Ten Reasons to Listen to Questions Before You Answer“.

Here’s a quick summary:

• It is arrogant to answer before you hear.
• It is rude to answer a half-asked question.
• Not answering a question before you hear it all honors and respects the person asking the question.
• Careful listening…often reveals that the question…is really more than one question.
• A question sometimes reveals assumptions that you do not share.
• Questions usually have attitudes as well as content.
• Questions have context that you need to know.
• Questions are made up of words… These words may not carry the same meaning for both you and the questioner.
• Proverbs 8:13 says it is our “folly” to answer before we hear.
• And finally Proverbs 8:13 says that it is our “shame” to answer before we hear.

ThinkChristian points to Barna’s new book and a recent article about Christians leaving the church and notes they’re “claiming that leaving the church is actually helping them become more dedicated followers of Christ.”

Can leaving the church actually be good for some Christians? Is this really where the church is headed? Will Christians truly grow and mature as believers–will they be effective for Christ apart from involvement in the local church? What do you think?

SpunkyHomeSchool shares a proper perspective on blogging and homeschooling success for Christian families.

Josh Mack shares some wisdom for us preachers and teachers who ought to be sure we’re listening, avoiding the “flapping lips syndrome”.

It means I need to actually be interested in others. I have to work on wanting to know what’s going on in their life. I have to care so much about them that I allow them to talk to me in their own style, not getting upset that they use more details than I do or maybe less. I need to let them be interested in what they are interested in, and try to be interested in it at least while they are talking about it, maybe not because it fascinates me so much, but instead because I love them. (more)

MP3 downloads are now available from the recent Desiring God 2005 National Conference.

Featured speakers include: John Piper, Carl Ellis, Mark Talbot, David Powlison, Steve Saint and Joni Eareckson Tada.

The girl talk blog has advice for young ladies on friendships with guys.

Al Mohler points to Why Dads Matter.

Preaching, Teaching and Writing about God’s Word–and this great quote from the comments…

from John Holt Rice (President of Union Seminary) who in 1828 made this statement,

“We want plain Bible preachers - men, who instead of thinking that they have made wonderful discoveries which will cause the people to admire their ingenuity, will be self-denying enough to tell them just what is in the Bible, and no more, nor no less.”

Tips for avid Firefox users–The power user’s guide to Firefox–some of these are Mac specific (from)

Help for your blog or church site–The Top Ten Design Mistakes (from)

Sadly, divorce is now a reason to party.

The Baptist Bulletin Online shares an article dealing with the emergent church.

The answer to the veiling of people’s hearts is regeneration—not an adaptation of the message to pander to a culture that denies absolutes and embraces contradiction, but the unambiguous preaching of that message in the power of God, resulting in a lifting of the veil and an expression of true faith.

• Less as a competitive advantage–I think some of us “small church” guys could find some wisdom here
• Electronic Newsletters are Dead!
• Measure those stats–Measure Map is looking good
• Remember the Milk–another online task list
• inquisitor–instant search results, slick
• The new iPod out today–with video
• Commas before ‘and’ or not? Finally cleared up for me–Serial commas
• Looking for a publisher? Sell your book online the Daily Pundit way (from)
• Google’s feed Reader–it’s alright but I’m still stuck on Bloglines.

I’m privileged to have had access to an advanced copy of C. J. Mahaney’s latest book, Humility: True Greatness and have been asked to review it here.

This was a convicting, and thankfully, encouraging read. I feel like I’ve been given a thorough understanding of my own deep-seated pride and then carefully led by example toward true humility.

This is a very Biblical work and the broad use of scripture will encourage the reader with the sufficiency of God’s Word to challenge and equip a believer.

As I read I was impressed with the need for families and churches to cultivate and encourage Biblical humility among its members. When humility is present it will improve our relationships with those in the home, church, community and workplace and will do so for God’s glory.

This work has also encouraged me to look at others for God’s work of grace in their lives and to encourage them by telling them what I see. Mahaney uses the example of Paul and the Corinthian church. He notes 1 Corinthians 1:8 where Paul encourages the church that God will keep them strong to the end and blameless. Mahaney emphasizes how hard this would be for someone who lacked humility. It reminded me that God can and will do a work in others and it isn’t my role to think little of their potential. At the same time this helps me practice putting the needs of others before my own.

I also appreciated the many quotes that Mahaney uses from such greats as Johnathan Edwards, John Stott, Charles Spurgeon, John Owen, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Thomas Watson, Matthew Henry and others.

Because understanding your own level of humility is so difficult, this is a must read that goes beyond just challenging you in your pride. Pride makes foul the pleasant aroma of humility in the life of a Christ follower, so Mahaney’s practical suggestions will prove to be useful for those who desire to truly live Christ-like humility.

Update: A sample, the first chapter, can be found here.

We’ve been a bit too busy to check out the autumn colors just yet, so we took the day off and the family all headed to the Upper Peninsula to the Switchback Ridge trail at Little Brevort Lake. Just a quick trip but it was fun. Check out a short slide show of a few of our photos from the day.

Tim Challies and Doug McHone have done a great job live-blogging the Desiring God 2005 National Conference.

We’ve been working through Philip Yancey’s book Where Is God When It Hurts? in our adult Sunday School recently so the theme for the Desiring God 2005 National Conference, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, moves right along those lines. Those interested in doing more study in this area may find their extensive list of other resources helpful.