ZA MAGAZINE // blog

on the internet: free kutless download

Here’s the link!
Okay, so there is an ulterior motive to posting this - apparently I have a chance at winning some swag if I do it. But I wouldn’t sell out for just anything! If you follow this link, you get a free song download by a band called Kutless. If you haven’t heard of [...]

discuss: secular music on sunday mornings at church?

I came across an interesting article that discusses the question of secular music in the church. On one hand, you’re relating to nonbelievers by playing stuff from their arena. People who know nothing about God can still say wise things that are in line with Scripture, so as long as the morality of a song [...]

on the internet: gay marriage culture wars heat up

I started to write a really long post about the election and gay marriage, and then realized that I was spending more time trying to explain my politics instead of just giving you guys the links!
Two days after the 2008 election, musician Melissa Etheridge wrote an article for the Daily Beast, claiming that she was [...]

desktop wallpaper: death to life

Download: 1680×1050 / 1440×900 / 1280×854 / 1280×960 / 1024×768 / 800×600
I recently had to do a design project where I worked with the text in 1 John. These two images were created together to illustrate 1 John 3:14. The first part of it anyways. This one isn’t even that theologically deep - the verse [...]

on the internet: sex sells

ABC News has an interesting article about sex and advertising. It’s more rampant than ever, but advertisers see no reason to stop.
“The rub among the adults is ‘is this good taste?’” said ad executive John Klein. “Given more of a traditional background one would have to say no. But, then, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
That about [...]

on the internet: pet peeves about worship leaders

As someone who has led worship before, and as someone who has worship on the brain, I found this article to be somewhat interesting. It’s provocative. Some things I agreed with and found insightful, while other things I found highly disagreeable.
Scan the list. Do you agree with anything in particular? Disagree with anything in particular? [...]

desktop wallpaper: you’re in a war

Download: 1680×1050 / 1440×900 / 1280×854 / 1280×960 / 1024×768 / 800×600
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
1 Timothy 6:12a
Fight the good fight of the faith.
In my [...]

on the internet: prosperity gospel and the economic climate

After talking about worldy people can’t understand the things of God, this article might not resonate much with anyone. But since Time Magazine seems to have a keen interest in prosperity theology, and since that’s one of my topics this week, I thought I’d give it a plug here.
This article looks at how adherents to [...]

on the internet: political season resources

The 2008 political season is in full force, and I thought it would be good to show everyone some resources that will help you as you try to muddle through the sound bites, talking points, mudslinging, and argument that is the hallmark of this season.
Since ZA is all about seeking truth, the first link is [...]

discuss: equality of sins

The Roman Catholics have a list of “seven deadly sins” that pop up from time to time in the mainstream. These sins carry a greater weight than lesser transgressions. This makes a lot of sense, considering that we’ll give harsher sentences to murderers than liars. But, on the flip side, you’ll also hear people who [...]

a healthy dose of humility

It happened again.
This time, it’s a pastor from a church called Planetshakers that’s located in Melbourne. Australia’s Herald Sun reports that one of their pastors faked having cancer to avoid owning up to a pornography addiction that spanned 16 years. And apparently it was a convincing charade - unexplained illnesses that started around the same [...]

on the internet: outsiders’ views of us

Since I’m an author of a Christian site and I want to be mindful of sensitive believers, I will warn that the links I am putting in are a bit rough, crude, offensive, etc.
But I’m posting a link to this site because I want you to see what American Evangelical Megachurch Christianity looks like to [...]