IBM recently announced that it is bringing optical chip design into the world of commercial computing with some new technology. Considering this form of processing is faster, more power efficient, creates less signal interference, and does not heat up as much–I’d say they have a winning technology that puts them ahead of Intel right now…and that’s saying a lot.

IBM is not just spouting hopes or theory, its making definite plans to build commercial machines with their new chip design.

Read the main article here, if you want all the geeky details! (popup window)

If you’re like me, you’ve had a anxious, dreadful feeling for the past six months. Every time I’ve seen a Narnia trailer this year, I’ve been filled with the excitement of seeing C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece on screen, and the dread of seeing his masterpiece mutilated like the previous installment of “Prince Caspian”.

Well, the first reviews of “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” are out, and they have good things to say, including, “It was a real honour for me to attend the Royal Premiere of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawntreader. The film is beautifully made and suitable for all ages. It takes us back to the wonder and excellence of the first Narnia film, The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe.”

I can’t wait to see it!

Even more…I can’t wait for the BEST of the series to come out: The Horse and His Boy!

Read the official review here, if you like…from the World Evangelical Alliance.

Have you been considering upgrading that old TV set in the living room, basement, or bedroom? If so, I highly recommend this article.

TV’s are becoming like computers…there’s a hundred different specs that you can analyze when trying to get the right one. Typically, only about 5 of the specs really matter for the average person, and this article outlines the most important ones.

For those who are curious, it will also tell you if you even needed to buy a 1080 set for your living room, based on how far away you are from the TV and how big the set really is. 19″ TV with 1080 resolution…errr, maybe you should have thought that through a little more…

Click here for Gizmodo on HDTV Purchases (Popup Window)

One of my professors shared this quote with me…since I’m preaching this semester, it has stuck with me.

“It took me a little while as a preacher to appreciate the significance of the fact that God’s Word is a two-edged sword. It wounds the listener, in order to heal him; but it also wounds the preacher. I believe this is the ultimate explanation for many of the mysterious experiences we have in preaching. At times we are elated, yet the people seem not to share that elation. At other times, even while we speak we are inwardly weeping over our failures, and confessing ‘I am a man of unclean lips.’ Yet so often we discover that on such occasions God spoke with great grace and power. No one else knew what we were going through (except perhaps a fellow preacher who recognized some of the telltale signs!). Or, more accurately, no one beside the Lord. He knew, because he was speaking to us through his Word, as well as through us to others. In this intimate way, the Lord teaches us that while ours is the responsibility rightly to handle the Word of God in preparation and exposition, yet it remains the Spirit’s sword, and not ours.”

Sinclair B. Ferguson, “Communion with God through Preaching,” in Inside the Sermon, ed. Richard Allen Bodey (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 83.

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Remember, before you talk to the men about God, talk to God about the men!

~ Dr. Paul Pettit

Preaching is one of those classes where I am challenged to put all the things I have learned together in order to teach in a way that reflects my knowledge of the original text, my understanding of the story of the entire Bible, my heart for the audience, and my skills as a communicator.

The key questions I must ask are: 
(1) “What is the original author trying to communicate to his audience?”
(2) “What is the universal principle in the author’s message?”
(3) “How can I challenge my contemporary audience to apply this in a specific area of their life?”

Studying the gospel of Mark for this particular assignment, I was astounded at the level of irony that he writes into the stories early in his gospel. It appears to me that much like modern commercials, Mark used the “shock factor” to get his audience’s attention on a critically important issue: a person’s willingness to consider Jesus’ claims to be God is necessary for them to understand the gospel.

I hope you like the fruits of my labors, shared below…

My Sermon Preparation Documents: (Click to Download) 
The breakdown of the passage – My Exegetical Outline (page 1)
& the general principle we can apply to all situations – My Theological Outline (page 2)

The specific way I chose to illustrate the passage – My Homeletical Sermon Outline

The final result: My sermon audio
                        My sermon script – click below to read…

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