Online reading and watching

If we're going to waste hours and hours surfing the Internet, why not read things related to the Bible and Christian life? These links will get you started. Not all these links are 100% endorsed but all contain food for thought. See the "WELS related links" for purely devotional resources. ​​​​​​
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• Peggy and Albert, both on the evangelism committee, encourage everyone to read this about how to gain an audience to share God's Word with someone.
  
• In case you missed it: the new Forward in Christ website
• How St. Augustine saved this guy's life
• Poverty and Education: What being poor does to the brain
• Lord, Energize your church in 2020
• Does God want me to stay in a toxic relationship?
• Wisdom isn't found on Google
• Spiritual unity in south Asia
• What about people who never heard the gospel?
• Dying out: The Last of the Samaritans. This video is amazing. It will blow your mind. 
• Does WELS teach "transubstantiation"? 
• Beware of taking your sorrows to alcohol instead of to God
• What about people who don't hear the gospel?
• The NEW Forward in Christ website
• Why you need sermons that don't apply directly to you
• FAQ about the Methodist Church splitting
• How sex became king in the USA
• Learn how to disagree agreeably
• The Smithsonian take on the Wise Men
• What are frankincense and myrrh?
• The frankincense trail - a full hour, perhaps a bit too much 
• Five myths about the three wise men
• Why the three wise men were likely Arabs - besides bringing gifts that all originate in Arabia
• ​Do not be afraid! No, seriously! Do not be afraid. 
• For some, Christmas is an emotional struggle. Be on the lookout for the lonely and hurting this season.
• Struggling with doubt this Christmas?
• What the right timing for an infant baptism?
• Israelite Ambassadors to Assyria: this sheds some light on Micah and Isaiah
• Funding secured for WELS theological education facility in Vietnam
• Another person in the Bible found attested in archaeology
• How to love God by getting more sleep: the holidays are a great time to REST!
• Understanding Christianity - an introductory website by some anonymous WELS pastors. I'm not sure why they decided to be anonymous, but I found some of their pages helpful when teaching the Bible Basics Class this week. 
• Good sermon on John the Baptist
• Six Messianic Expectations, One Messiah
• One congregation's Thanksgiving outreach
• Richard Dawkin's latest case for outgrowing God, and a rebuttal
• Q&A: Does God hate the sin or the sinner? 
• Is it okay to confess that Jesus descended into hell? Yes, but it's nice to see a non-Lutheran explain this well.
• Is there a traumatic brain injury survivor in your church?
• New WELS campus ministry in Waukesha, WI. Maybe one day we could have one...
• Faith is not wishful thinking, it is defiance
• Bible study from Forward In Christ: the incarnation of our Lord
• Recovery is possible in Christ--don't give up! (from Forward in Christ)
• Parent conversations: how can we nurture a proper view of "stuff" (from FiC)
• Your neighbor is probably a Unitarian Universalist
• Inmates thankful for Jesus
• Thursday Bible study people: this is where Judah lived during Genesis 38
• When did the decline in marriage actually begin in America?
• Want a miserable life? Confuse Law and Gospel
• 8 ways older believers can invest in younger believers
• Do you feel unworthy? Good. 
• Interesting Christian review of the movie Frozen, with a positive take
• I try to avoid taking political stands, but I simply had to share this. Enough is enough. 
• How God makes a pencil
• How to be a Christian woman of influence (book review)
• Putting the Thanks back in Thanksgiving
• Questions/guidance for the Christian family considering adoption
• Sharing Christ in dark places
• Gospel outreach opportunities in Africa
• Close or closed communion? I'd like to give a shout out to Dave Sauer who asked me this same question.
• A good sermon on John 6 and the scandal of the incarnation
• Did you catch this free Bible study on Revelation from Forward in Christ. Here's the whole series. 
• 3 Ways to Teach Scripture to Children, all of which, incidentally, are done every day at our school
• A story of conversion
• Transformed by Truth: A book for teenagers and why and how to read the Bible for yourself. Most adults could probably use it too. 
• ​Encountering the Holy Land
• How did Jesus suffer eternal punishment in only 3 hours?
• Christians can struggle with homosexuality too-- one lady's story
• What the persecuted church can teach Gen Z
• Four lies that hinder evangelism
• Did you know that the life of a synod president is similar to Indiana Jones? 
• Sharing Christ in dark places
• Gospel outreach opportunities in Africa
• Close or closed communion? I'd like to give a shout out to Dave Sauer who asked me this same question.
• A good sermon on John 6 and the scandal of the incarnation
• Did you catch this free Bible study on Revelation from Forward in Christ. Here's the whole series. 
• 3 Ways to Teach Scripture to Children, all of which, incidentally, are done every day at our school
• A story of conversion
• Transformed by Truth: A book for teenagers and why and how to read the Bible for yourself. Most adults could probably use it too. 
• Don't watch this because I might steal it for reformation day
• A lot of you have asked me about Hong Kong
• Building Bridges between preschools and schools
• What is the most important decision you will make today? Written by my classmate and friend, recommended by one of our members. 
• Luther and Melanchton - we'll talk about this during Bible study hour
• The Psalms are special for counseling
• When Christianity doesn't work
• The Samaritan woman and the barrier-smashing Savior
• ​Witnessing Scenarios, great advice, with specific examples, for outreach
• Do Christians, Jews, and Muslims worship the same God? 
• WELS Q&A, Is the husband the wife's "boss"?
• Headship and Submission: Timeless Principles, Challenging Applications by a WELS lady professor at WLC
• Focus on the Family: submission of wives to husbands
• A WELS seminary student's master's thesis about women in the church
• Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: a free, good book online
• You thought I was exaggerating about the possibility of future persecution in the USA? A British tribunal just found that belief in Genesis is incompatible with human dignity. 
• Want to teach your kids about Jesus? China says no.
• Religious Freedom is a Christian Idea
• I believe in the resurrection of the body - sermon
• "Your will be done" - some thoughts
• Why science does not "disprove" the Bible
• There's no more important job than being a mother in the first three years, argues this book. It's not based on the Bible, which would support the thesis, but on the latest scientific and statistical research. Mom's don't give up! You're doing the most important and possibly hardest job on earth!
• ​Don't sell your birthright for sex. Thursday Bible Study attenders will appreciate this application of Genesis 25.
• When mommy guilt threatens to crush you
• 10 financial to-dos before your first wedding anniversary Mike and Tiffany aren't the only one's who might enjoy this.
• Video: An introduction to Biblical Jerusalem
• Some short but good thoughts on prayer
• Magic School Bus's misleading take on human evolution 
• Serious Bible study is for teens too
• Does God exist? A two hour debate
• Does the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?
• Another Biblical figure found in archaeology
• Proceedings of the 2019 WELS convention
• A common denominator in de-conversions
• Encouraging conversions stories from WELS missions
• Sermon: The Joy of Serving
• Does your church feel like a home?
• Retiring the "gay gene" hypothesis in Science.
• Is there really anti-Christian discrimination in America?
• Is my job the problem or am I just discontent? 
• From gay to gospel
• What do we take away from influential Christians leaving the faith? An excerpt: "Therefore, instead of putting all our energy into proving God’s existence with evidence, I believe we must show the goodness of God."
• College Freshmen, commit to a church!
• Building Bridges, Not Barriers: an online evangelism course you can take for free. If there is interest we could have a class on this at church. 
• The Vine was featured on the WELS website
• The comfort of the two kingdoms. An excerpt: "But it is also a comfort to know, perhaps especially in a time so marked by rancor and political division like our own, that the symbols and situation of our shared politics are not the places we find our identity. As Christians, marked with the cross of Christ and stamped by the Holy Trinity in Baptism, our identity is outside of politics itself, since our identity is outside the Law as well."
• ​See Pastor Schultz's son's sermons online
• The essay from this year's synod convention. It's looking to the future of our church body and the church in America and how to address the problems we face. 
• Six myths about introverts. This might help you better love the introverts in your life. 
• Interesting take: Woodstock was a secular worship service
• A good sermon on Genesis 15
• Why are many Christian parents abandoning their children?
• Yale Professor, "The Origin of Species Is Exactly What Darwin Cannot Explain." 
• The value of a baptismal font
• Should we pray before meals at restaurants?
• The biography of another Hmong Lutheran pastor in Vietnam
• Mormonism's plan of salvation
• The top 5 witnessing posts last year from Truth in Love ministries:
  • Patience in Planning
  • Jesus as Example vs. Substitute
  • Proclaim or Explain
  • Don't back up the dump truck
  • Bear Your Testimony
• The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (our denomination) has a biannual convention is going on now and you can watch every boring minute archived, read every document, etc. Look for Pastor Schultz in the background. He's there. 
• Sick of your job?
• An interesting fossil and one take on its apologetic implications
• ​Learn all about Mormonism: its differences with traditional Christianity and how to talk to Mormons about your faith. From Truth in Love, a WELS ministry. Peggy has gone on mission trips with this WELS mission in Salt Lake City, and we may try to organize a trip in the future. 
• And a reminder that Truth serves Love
• An American (Lutheran) chaplain to the convicted Nazi war criminals
• https://www.1517.org/ is a treasure trove of solid Lutheran teaching, focused on the cross and Jesus for you. They have podcasts, videos, online courses, and reading material. 
• The Athanasian Creed and its Importance
• An Interview with the head of WELS Hmong Ministry
• An Interview with a Vietnamese Hmong Pastor about his past persecution
• Evangelism is not a Solo Sport
• True Freedom on Independence Day
• Learn How to Disagree Agreeably
• June Thank You Letter from Evergreen
• Part of my homework for the pastors' conference next week: Seven Theses on Reformation Hermeneutics. It's about how salvation by grace through faith is the thread that ties all of scripture together and the key that unlocks its message. You might enjoy it too. 
• See where recent seminary graduates were assigned
• Why is personal evangelism so rare?
• Calming your heart when angry
• I think our budget and meetings are great. I'm not sharing these next two because I see a problem, but only because they are interesting food for thought: 
• Perspectives on a Church Budget
• How to Run Effective Church Meetings
• ​To All My Fellow People Pleasers
• What Does It Mean to Honor Your Father and Mother?
• Too Distracted to Be Evangelized?
• YouTube: Can Science Explain Everything by John Lennox
• YouTube: Can We Trust the Gospels by Peter Williams
• YouTube: Cold Case Christianity by Jim Warner Wallace
• YouTube: The Existence of God by Peter Kreeft
• YouTube: Responding to the New Atheists by Ravi Zecharias
• Book: History, Law, and Christianity
• Book: Handbook of Christian Apologetics
• Book: The End of Reason: A Response to the New Atheists
• There is a lot of bad and mediocre Christian praise music out there, but also a lot of good material. The challenge is finding the good stuff. Fortunately, some Lutheran pastors are trying to help congregations out with that. May the People's Praise You is their latest recommendation. This song is based on a Psalm and had a nice melody, at least to me. If you're interested in helping find good contemporary Christians songs fitting for worship, please let me know.  
• Godly Answers for Anxiety
• WELS congregational services has been mentioned in recent council and elders meetings. It has good resources, some of which we will use in the fall. 
• SHOCKING study: Married, religious people are most satisfied with their love lives. God already knew that, of course. 
• And another EVEN MORE SHOCKING study: People who wait until marriage for sex have the most satisfying love lives later in life. You would almost think God knew what he was doing...
• Another bit of Biblical history confirmed by archaeology: Rehoboam's Wall discovered at Lachish. 
• An embarrassing picture of me. I forget which sub-page it's on, but if you click around I'm sure you'll find it. 
• My new favorite sermon podcast, St. Marcus, Milwaukee. 
• Don't give until it hurts, give until...
• In the sermon on Easter I mentioned Louis Lapides and Stan Telchin, two Jewish men who converted to Christianity after studying Messianic prophesy. A man with a similar story with a current podcast that I enjoy, though I don't agree with all his theology, is Michael Brown. 
• What Luther would say to Silicon Valley. 
• A Lutheran school in inner city Milwaukee
• Don't worry about "forgiving yourself." 
• What flat-earthers tell us about the Bible
• Kind of strange, but good: A Christian family made a video game about watching their son die from cancer. This 15 minute video tells about it. I think it might appeal to some of you, and might be shareable with non-Christians. I shed a few tears watching it, and couldn't help myself but to watch the whole thing. 
• I have heard good reviews of this new book challenging Darwinian evolution from the standpoint of recent discoveries in DNA.
• Freedom for the Captives, a WELS organization committed to protecting children from abuse and empowering abuse survivors.
• Genetic echoes of Genesis 3
• Ancient Israelite Fashion
• How can we become a "Recovery Friendly Church" (a new WELS initiative)? Talk to me if you're interested in this. 
• A personal way of sharing faith (new WELS book)
• Psalms of Lament, for when we're depressed
• Missed some sermons on Luke? This is the (next?) best thing for reading through Luke. 
• Three doctrines to help share the gospel with Mormons. 
• We have two Mormon missionaries at our door yesterday. You probably will one day. Read the info at this WELS ministry's website to learn what to say and how to act to be most effective in your witness.  ​
• Great article on the proper view of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. They go against the tends in American Christianity, but they are gifts from Jesus to the church to bring great comfort. 
• 8 tips for inviting people to church
• An academic article about salt in ancient Palestine and its meaning in Jesus' parables. Yes, I realize you're probably not interested, but I can't help myself. 
• The following 8 websites provide resources to defend Christianity from critics. They were recommended in a recent publication for WELS pastors:
• Cross Examined
• Gary Habermas
• Ravi Zecharias
• Reasonable Faith
• Stand to Reason
• The Veritas Forum
• Thinking Fellows
• Library of Historical Apologetics
• Talking about technology with your kids
• Psalm 51, a great Psalm to read in Lent
• The Casual Bible has great Bible maps, some of which I use in sermons
• Here is a devotional book made by some WELS pastors for Lent
• New archaeology is revealing more about the Edomites
• This chart shows you how long it will take to read each book of the Bible. Handy!
• Undercover video: talking about the Trinity with Mormons in Hawaii
• How dieting has turned into religion for many Americans
• WELS Christian Aid and Relief helps with humanitarian crises around the nation and world
• Elijah's depression and David's depression (articles on depression by WELS pastor)
• VIDEOS: Unlocking the secrets of the Holy Land
• YouTube: A nice version of Psalm 91. 
• YouTube: Witnessing to a gay couple live. Well-done. 
• YouTube: The world's first film in ancient Babylonian. 
• Koine is a WELS band that puts classic hymns to contemporary music. They are putting all their music online for free!! If you have ideas about how we could use their material, please let me know, especially if you're willing to play or learn to play guitar. 
• The Notable Podcast is probably the most highly recommended Bible study podcast I know of. It's two WELS pastors talking through books of the Bible. The only negative is that they have only gone through two books so far. But they are back to producing and going through the book of Job. 
• Ten passages to memorize for the hospital. 
• If you miss the Forward in Christ but don't want to pay for it, subscribing to the free biweekly WELS "Together" newsletter will still keep you up to date with WELS affairs. 
• Shouldn't I be happy? From WELS authors. 
• That Gillette ad and Jesus
• The best single-volume introduction to apologetics. I think reading this might give you confidence facing objections as you share your faith. 
• Why are young people dropping out of church? Ultimately, it's the devil, the world, and their sinful natures. But this gets into more specific issues. 
• Is evangelism harder than it used to be? Is this a trick question? Read to find out. 
• A good sermon on spiritual body building by my friend.
• A good sermon on being chosen by God by a well known WELS pastor.
• How Total Depravity Changed My Life
• Five Lessons from the Persecuted Christians in China
• Beating Bad Habits with a New Identity
• 2018's Top 10 Finds in Biblical Archaeology 
• You can trust the historical reliability of the gospels
• Christians get depressed too
• Lots of Bible reading plans
• Ideas on how to enact your new Bible reading plan
• If your Christmas Eve worship was elsewhere, you might have missed this very interested information about the original manger. 
• Is there any historical evidence for Caesar's census decree or the necessity of traveling back to your homeland? 
• A WELS blog recommends this video dramatizing the Christmas story. 
• Here is a weekly radio program/podcast produced by several WELS pastors, including my former roommate. 
• The unicorn of the sea declares God's glory. No, I haven't lost it. 
• This article relates how times our changing and Christians needs to adjust our assumptions. One quote really rang true: "There was a day when you could fairly safely assume that once young adults got married and had a child, they would automatically come back to church.Those days are gone or largely gone... The average unchurched person doesn’t think about going to church anymore than the average Christian thinks about going to synagogue. It just doesn’t cross their mind."
• Our own Anna Barton has started a blog.
• Bibles make great Christmas gifts, and Bible reading is a great New Year's resolution. Here are some good options:
  • Buy this Bible to read in one year
  • Or in two years
  • Or buy Bibles and other Christian books here
  • The Spirituality of the Cross (a good Lutheran book at the lay level)
  • Two books by a WELS professor defending the Bible and Christianity against common objections. Great for advanced teens or college students. 
• Family peace at the holidays from our WELS counseling organization
• Experiencing anxiety? You're not alone, and God has the answer.  
• Modern evangelicals are rediscovering the usefulness of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. We confess these frequently in church, and for good reason. 
• Hollywood is getting more and more anti-Christian. One WELS pastor asks, "Why am I giving them my family's money and attention?"
• In a similar vein, If you don't want your kids exposed to porn at an early age, cancel Netflix!!!
• Speaking of porn, we don't discuss it much in church even though statistically it's ruining American lives and marriages at epidemic rates. Here are some resources for those struggling. 
• Archaeology is slowly proving the Bible is right about King David (despite theories otherwise). Here's a video about recent developments. 
• How Jesus celebrated and fulfilled Hanukkah. 
• Possible evidence for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by a meteor.