Gospel.com Blog

Halloween has long been a source of some debate in Christian circles. Is it a pagan holiday to be shunned, or a harmless excuse for costumed fun? Whether you’re dressing up and going trick-or-treating tonight or are turning off the porch lights and staying indoors, here are some Halloween resources from around the Gospelcom Alliance.

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Stephen Lawhead’s novels have explored settings and themes ranging from science fiction to Celtic mythology. With the publication of his new novel Scarlet (second in a trilogy of books exploring the Robin Hood legend), Lawhead spoke at length with Hollywood Jesus about his writing and his Christian faith.

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Everybody gets angry sometimes–whether we lash out at those around us or keep it locked away inside our heart, we’ve all been angry. Is there a place for anger in the life of a Christian? Is anger always a bad thing? How would “good” anger differ from “bad” anger?

In an essay at ACTS International, Richard Innes explores a topic we’ve all dealt with: anger. If you struggle to control your temper, or if you are angry about something and not sure how to reconcile your anger with your faith, take a look at Innes’ balanced approach… and learn how to keep the “tiger within” on an emotionally (and spiritually) healthy leash.

Today’s film roundup from Past the Popcorn:

Dan in Real Life debuts this week, the latest vehicle for cultural zeitgeist rider Steve Carell. He’s everywhere, and he’s here, too. This time out, he plays an advice columnist who runs counter to his own column during a family get-together on the New England Coast. Greg Wright calls the film “an affirmation of romantic love, a paean to the institution of marriage, and a salute to the villages that extended families can become — if they try hard enough.” Still, he warns, don’t expect too much.

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When’s the last time you heard a sermon preached about the book of Revelation? Despite its popularity as a source of end-times speculation and plot material for countless Christian novels, Revelation can be an extremely difficult book to preach about in church. The latest Online Pulpit post looks at some of the reasons that Revelation doesn’t show up in many sermons today.

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We’ve updated yesterday’s list of ministries affected by the California fires with several new ministries that have staff in the threatened areas. Keep an eye on that post, as we’ll continue to update it as we hear from ministries in the San Diego area.

As fires rage through San Diego county, thousands of people are being evacuated and displaced from their homes. A number of Gospelcom ministries are in the area too, with staff who could also use prayer support. Here are some of the ministries in the San Diego area.

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What should you tell your parents about money? How can you instill healthy attitudes toward money, spending, and saving in your children? Your kids may be embarking on their first summer jobs, but they still need their their parents’ help to understand the realities of taxes, credit cards, debt, and Biblical living.

The most recent two YFC for Parents podcasts address practical questions and answers about cultivating financial wisdom in young people: What to Tell Kids About Money and the follow-up, How to Build Teens’ Financial Future. That’s a solid hour of good advice–so if you’re nervous that your kids might be getting the wrong message about money and finances, give these podcasts a listen.

Are big-scale ministry events–concerts, retreats, and the like–a good idea? With any major event, there’s always a risk that the event hype and crowd mentality will get in the way of meaningful ministry. But that doesn’t mean that every event has to be that way, or that you should avoid every big event that comes along. In a recent article at Youth Specialties, Wendy Walker helps us understand the risks and opportunities in large-scale ministry events (PDF), how to handle them well, and how to evaluate (and how not to evaluate) their success.

What evangelical authors are being read by the most people? The Beyond the Books blog has posted a list of the top 50 evangelical authors. It’s an interesting list, with a few surprises and more than a few controversial names on it. For comparison, the blog has also posted the ten bestselling authors published by InterVarsity Press.