Top 12 Posts of 2012

Many people are writing Top 12 posts of 2012. I’ll be a lemming and join the crowd. Here are what I consider the top 12 posts of 2012 at Borrowed Light.

12. What if Toto IS in Kansas?/Church Planters Need Curmudgeons

Perhaps I didn’t make the point well. Maybe it just disappeared because they posted on a day when there were a bunch of other great articles. Either way I might revisit the points from these articles in the future. I’m concerned with a couple of things as it concerns the direction of church planting. It might be possible that these articles didn’t get much attention because I’m a crazy loon.

11. Forget This Post

Kind of ironic that this made the list. In some ways this might need be the first one on the list. I have been reminded over the past year (and with a heavenly megaphone recently) that I need to be made willing to be forgotten.

10. In Defiance of Them All

I really enjoyed writing this article. It is a reflection on my son’s castle rebuilding efforts.

9. How You Ended Up Gutted Like a Deer in a Tree

Pornography claims many of young men. The Proverbs serve as helpful warnings to the deadly result of lust and porn. This article is a helpful reminder of the end result of lust.

8. 10 Tips for Destroying Your Children’s Souls

This one was more for me than anyone else. Just as I need to be intentional about serving my wife (see #5) I also must be intentional about discipling my children. I hope this post helps other dads too.

7. God’s Happy Little Trees

Nobody else seemed to really like this article. (I’m judging that from the lack of comments, shares, visits, etc.) I thought it was a good picture of God’s redemptive plan. And I like Bob Ross.

6. The Effect of the Prosperity “Gospel” On Pain/How a Subtle Dualism Robs the Church of Missionaries

Both of these will appear in a little different form in my forthcoming book, Torn to Heal. Dualism and Stoicism are deadly enemies to suffering well. So is the prosperity gospel. That’s why I think these articles are helpful reads.

5. Husbands and “Honey-Do’s”

I’m not sure that the article is really the fifth best, but the effects of it are. God really convicted me about being a more intentional servant to my wife. I believe it has made me a better husband (and a handy-man at that).

4. How John Piper Helped Me in Darkness

Anytime I can help someone that struggles with depression I’m excited. I believe this post was helpful to many people that battle darkness.

3. 12 Things I Doubt Pastors Will Hear in Heaven

This post took about 10 minutes to write. I had just read a debate about something really insignificant and I set to writing twelve things that I doubt will be significant in eternity. More people read this article in 2012 than any others.

2. The Root of Angry and Divisive Calvinists Summary

This series was picked up at SBC Voices as well. The conversation was crazy. I had originally written this piece to be included in a piece on John Newton. But it evolved into something different. I think it’s an important series for young calvinists to consider . But it rightly faded into the background when Greg Dutcher’s excellent book Killing Calvinism came out in April.

1. The Pain of Being Blackballed by @Challies & @TGC

This was a tremendously fun piece to write. For two days I pretended as if I was very wounded by Challies and The Gospel Coalition because they had never linked to me. I had uncovered a vast conspiracy where these “superstars” of blogging and gotten together to blackball me. It was really fun. Especially on Twitter. Ironically enough, this post is one of my favorites because it initiated an online friendship with Tim Challies. Since then the blackball has been removed and Challies has linked to me several times. But I’m starting to think I might have been on to something as it concerns The Gospel Coalition…

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Honorable Mentions: You Know What Happens When You Assume: on the dangers of assuming the gospel.
Why Your Prayers May Be Hindered: A reminder to husbands and wives about how much he values marital unity.
Faithful Disciples Aren’t Just Wet Disciples: A disciple is marked by passionate worship AND faithful ministry
The Googlization of Bible Study: Google has harmed my Bible study. I might do a Google fast for a few days in 2013. We’ll see…