The August 10: Monthly Roundup

What a month August has been. It’s hard to believe this month is over. We hope you enjoy this fun and informative roundup.

Come On, You Weren’t That Busy in August, Were You?

Yes. We went to Polishing the Pulpit for a week. We started homeschooling. I was involved in a blog guest writing contest.

And there were plenty of “regular” things to fill the month, too!

I have my first fantasy football draft tonight. Needless to say, I have no idea what I’m doing–not that that’s anything new, but at least I have an excuse this time.

Cool Blog Updates

One of the things that has made August busy is that I have also been trying to make some updates to our blog. Here is what has been done, that we hope you’ll enjoy and use:

First, we have added a new page to our blog. Up top, you’ll now see a sermon outlines link. When you hover your mouse over that, two choices will drop down. The first is “textual sermons,” and the second is “topical sermons.” I suggest you go to the sermon outlines page first. There are only 2 sermons there to start, but our goal is to add between 2 and 5 new sermons per month. These are free to use.

Second, we have added more advertising. Our goal on our blog is not to make tons of money, but we are open about the fact that this blog does cost us money and we are trying to make that back. The new ads are for products and sites we think you will enjoy. If you click on the ads we do not make money, though. We only make money if you purchase products from these sites. So far, there are four (with more to come next week):

• Bluehost.com. This is the site that “hosts” our blog. It is not the least expensive hosting site, but the customer service is out of this world. If you have thought about having a self-hosted blog, click on that ad and check out Bluehost.
• Roku. This piece of equipment has saved us a ton of money. We no longer have cable or DirecTV, but we use a Roku box to stream Netflix. If you’ve thought about doing this to save money on your cable bill, click on that ad.
• The other ads are for sites where you can buy toys or educational supplies for your kids. Check out MelissaAndDoug and Discount School Supplies for good deals.

Enough with the Sales Pitch. Let’s Read Some Links, Already!

Ok. Here are the first five links for August.

1. This first one may be more for ladies, but I found it to be very well done. Nicoll Burleson shares her thoughts on what it means to truly be “A Successful Woman.”

2. Lane Widick uses a great illustration to ask us if we are really living the Christian life. Enjoy “Model Christianity or True Christianity?”

3. John Acuff’s blog is very encouraging and makes me think. His post “The Big Reward of a Small Kindness” really made me step back and ask how friendly I am. I hope it causes you to think as well.

4. As you can imagine, I have seen scores of posts over the past few months on the issue of homosexuality. One of the best I have seen was written by my friend Dale Jenkins. Take a few minutes and read “Does God Hate Homosexuals?” with an open mind and open Bible.

5. Another article on homosexuality also made our August 10. Albert Mohler gives a similar view, but with more of a “worldview” viewpoint than Dale’s article. Here is the post “Evangelicals and the Gay Moral Revolution.” [Note: We rarely link to two articles on the same topic in our monthly 10 posts, but these two were both worth inclusion.]

Wow…Those Five Were Great, but I Need a Break.

Well, good, because we had a break planned after the first five posts.

How about a YouTube video? Need a little music break? Ok! Enjoy some wonderful musical entertainment:

 

Hey, Adam. I’ve Got a Blog Question For You. I thought you were going to do more lists.

Um, that’s not a question.

Ok, smart guy. Are you going to do a list anytime soon?

Yes. I’m working with three friends on one that should run in September. Hope you enjoy it! Right now, that’s all I can say.

Enough of That. Let’s Get Back to the Links.

6. Do you ever get frustrated with people who complain from “afar”? My dad wrote a great article about that in his post, “How Far From the Ball am I?”

7. This is a short post, but one that is very helpful. The Covenant Eyes blog shares with us “10 Things You Should Never Do Online.”

8. Jessica Markwood has been writing great posts lately. My favorite is this wonderful and important reminder, which she called, “When You Run.”

9. Roger Johnson talks about how we are under dry, hot, drought-like conditions in many parts of the country this year, then uses that for a great reminder. Enjoy his post “Global Warming.”

10. Neal Pollard shares with us a statement that members say, and gives a very good reminder to each one who hears a sermon. Enjoy “Were You Preaching to Me?”

Finally, we’re starting a new tradition here. Since this post is always on Friday, and we love Friday, why not enjoy a different video of a song about Friday each month?!?! Here’s the first installment. It’s The Cure’s “Friday, I’m in Love,” featuring graphics to the lyrics. I love it!

 

Have a great weekend, and be looking for our next “Monthly 10” in September!