The Preacher's Pen

Are you on the Internet? Do you have email? Those questions are being heard more and more as the Internet continues to expand in popularity. Email has become so easy and convenient that millions use it as a daily form of communication, enjoying all the convenience of "instant mail." For certain, there are Internet sites that no Christian has any business frequenting, but there are many, many wonderful sites that contain extraordinary amounts of information and helps to the child of God. Here are a few of my favorites:

The Westside church of Christ (www.flash.net/~westside) - this is our site, and contains back issues of Abundant Life, a large Bible study area with information particularly useful in evangelism, an online daily Bible reading schedule, and much, much more. I may be biased but I think it is one of the best church sites on the Internet!

Screen It! (www.screenit.com) has to be the most useful "secular" site I know of. The folks at Screen It! painstakingly review each new movie, not for acting skills or story line, but for objectionable material. They then catalog everything (and I mean everything!) that might potentially embarrass you or that you might find objectionable in a movie. They count every use of profanity (and catalog exactly what you will hear), every incidence of sexuality or , every act of violence, and even count how many times you will see tobacco or alcohol in the movie. Once you read up on a movie at Screen It! you will know if you want to see that film, or if you should let your children see the film. They also review music and have a large video area. This is simply a must-see for any Christian trying to make informed choices about media in today's society.

Ferrell Jenkins' Biblical Studies site (www.gate.net/~jenkins/) has some of the best biblical links of any site I've seen. From scholarly biblical articles, to other brethren's pages, to biblical maps and great resources about Bible coins and archaeology this site has it all. Looking for something on the web? Start here.

There are many other good web sites. Email me your favorites (mroberts@flash.net) and we will try to keep all of our readers informed of good places to "visit" on the Internet. The world wide web can be a powerful tool in the work of the Lord -- and these sites help make it just that.