Three weeks running must be some sort of record. Even if it's not, we're back with some thoughts and links. I recently said in a sermon that you don't have to click on every link someone posts on facebook. Same holds true here (and me linking it doesn't mean I necessarily agree with every word). Have a great weekend!

• Kindle Deals - I've written about my Kindle before. Each week there are Kindle deals to be found - steeply discounted or free e-books available. And you don't have to have a Kindle! There are Kindle apps for most devices (smart phones and tablets) as well as for desktops. What kinds of deals? Right now you can find Finishing Our Course with Joy by J.I. Packe for $.99 and Augustine's Confessions for free. (The Confessions deal has been around for awhile and may expire shortly.)
• I find most of my Kindle deals and other good stuff (like some of the links in Friday Fragments) from Tim Challies. I enjoy his blog and find it useful. Perhaps you will too.

• Ran across this in Jeremiah yesterday. "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. They say continually to those who despise the word of the LORD, 'It shall be well with you'; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, 'No disaster shall come upon you.''" (Jer. 23:16-17, emphasis added.) Wow. True today much? From prosperity "gospel" preachers to those unwilling to talk about sin, to those who say a homosexual lifestyle is consistent with scripture, this is sadly not uncommon in our day.
• How do you talk about your spouse in front of other people?
• And one to kick off the grilling season. Don't even try to argue about this. Hot dogs grilled this way taste better. They just do.

It was my privilege to preach yesterday on the resurrection and I did so from 1 Peter 1:3-5. (You can listen to that message here if you're so inclined.) There are many, but one take away from this passage? The Christian's hope is inextricably linked to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  And when I say "hope" I don't mean something like, "I hope it's sunny tomorrow" or "I hope to make it to your game next week." I mean certain, unshakable expectation and confidence rooted in the love and power of God. I hope to receive my inheritance in heaven and know that I will because God is keeping it for me in heaven and by his power is guarding me until then - 1 Peter 1:4-5.  That kind of hope is rooted in the resurrection of Christ.
1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..." 
1 Peter 1:20-21 "...you who through him [Christ] are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."  Twice in this passage, Peter links our hope with the resurrection of Jesus.
So does Paul: 1 Corinthians 15:17,19. "And if Christ has not been raised...If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied." 
And the 2 disciples that the risen Jesus spoke to on the road to Emmaus. Remember what they said (before they realized who was walking with them)? Luke 24:21 "But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. "See it? They thought Christ was dead and their hope of redemption died with him. 
If Jesus is dead, so is our hope. A dead man can't give us new life. But Jesus is not dead. He is risen! He is alive! And with his resurrection our hope rises and we enjoy certain confidence of our salvation. If you find your hope fading, come to the empty tomb and glory in the risen Lord Jesus.

Whoa! Two Fridays in a row...that's approaching regularity and consistency. Can we keep it going a 3rd week? Come back next Friday and find out. But don't hold your breath. Last week Friday Fragments was some miscellaneous thoughts none of which quite amounted to a full blog post in themselves. This week it is a little of that again, but also some other things I've collected through the week that I found helpful, funny, encouraging, challenging, interesting, etc. (Kinda like Tim Challies' "a la carte" or David Murray's "Check out.") Enjoy!

• I know that others have already addressed this, but the whole Heaven is for Real book and movie excitement, along with other "I went to heaven and came back and now I'm going to tell you all about it" stories bug me. In the story about the rich man and Lazarus, the rich man wants to go back from Hades to warn his family. I understand that a story about hell and a visit to heaven are 2 different things, but the principle Jesus articulates applies to either. "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16:31) If God wanted us to have the details that people are giving from their supposed experiences, he would have given them to us. And as others have pointed out, when you get a vision of heaven in scripture, the focus is on the glory of God, not chatty details about bumping into deceased relatives (Noted by Phil Johnson and John MacArthur). And in heaven prior to the resurrection we don't have bodies. And, and, and. We could go on. 
  
• If you have kids and internet access in your house these are some really practical, but really important steps to take. If you don't already know, pornography is a scourge that shows no mercy nor does it discriminate among its victims. It infiltrates the homes of the rich, poor, pagan, and churchgoer. If you don't think it can reach you or your children or you don't think its effects are that significant, you are blind. Your family situation may not require all of these steps; you may address them differently; but please address them. (Thanks, Tim, Challies, for working through this stuff.)
• A tribute. Overstated? Yes. Emotional manipulation? A little, sure. Clever and cute and makes a good point? Also yes.
• And lastly on this Friday. Good Friday. Horrible things happened. The truly innocent one was murdered. My Savior died. But this was part of God's good plan to do us good. My sin was punished. And Sunday's coming. Resurrection. Vindication. The man on the cross is the conquering King. Death is vanquished and all in Christ live! Hallelujah - praise the Lord! (Good Friday service at GFC in Bremen 7pm tonight. Here at GBC in Warsaw, we'll be turning our thoughts to the Resurrection Sunday morning. You're welcome at both services to help set your heart right, remembering that our stories are part of his big story of redemption.)

I don't have a coherent theme to write about; just a few miscellaneous thoughts rolling around. Not sure if this will become a regular blog feature, though I kinda like "Friday Fragments" as a title. I've never blogged consistently enough to think that I'll manage to pull something together every Friday, but you never know.  Here goes...

• Orthodoxy, orthopraxy, doxology. Orthodoxy = right doctrine; orthopraxy = right practice; doxology = word of glory, praise. Right doctrine should never stop with a correct formulation of truth. It should lead to right practice and to praise. 2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises [orthodoxy], beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from very defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God [orthopraxy]." 1 Timothy 1:15-17 "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.  But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. [orthodoxy] To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever [doxology]. Amen." Trouble worshiping? Remember God's truth! And let's not be so foolish as to think that doctrine doesn't matter - trying to do the right thing and warm, fuzzy singing won't cut it. If we don't get our doctrine right, we won't get our practice or worship right.
• Bibles - Is choosing a Bible as traumatic for you as it is for me? I may be slightly exaggerating, but the breathtaking array of layouts, covers, materials, colors, translations, features, etc. is a bit much. (This is to say nothing of the various themed Bibles: student Bible, Bible for moms, teen Bible, children's Bible, singles' Bible, Bible for 2nd shift factory workers, etc...as though the Bible wasn't already relevant to all of those people. Argh! But I digress...) Of course picky consumers like myself likely have driven the multiplication of such features. But when it comes down to the exact combination that I want, do you think it's available? Sigh. (Actually it is, but I don't want to pay that much, especially when I could get a replacement for mine that fell apart for free.)  Want to know exactly what I wanted? ESV, black, genuine leather, cross references, black letter edition, sewn binding. Five out of six isn't too bad. What features do you want in your copy of the Bible?
• Preaching decisions - If a sermon series has already been interrupted one week and will be interrupted again next week, should I return to the series in the intervening week or preach a stand alone sermon and come back to the series after a 3 week break. Hmm. Come Sunday and find out!
• Warmth - It is a glorious day outside after a long, very cold winter.  Sunny and in the 60s.  Which means for the rest of the evening you can expect to find me outside grilling supper, taking a stroll, and roasting marshmallows. If you swing by and see smoke rising from the backyard, come on back, have a burger, hotdog, or s'more, and delight in the beautiful world God has given us to enjoy and glorify him in doing so. (See how doctrine, practice, and praise all hang together there?) Have a great weekend!