A Deeply Needy People - “Have you ever considered why there are so many diverse spiritual gifts in the body of Christ? … As I've reflected on this diversity of gifts, it comes to my mind how significant they are to the promise of Christ to build His church. His ongoing work extends through the ministry of His Spirit to and through His body in order to minister to the needs of the saints, strengthening them in faith. Simply put, the diversity of spiritual gifts reveals the incredible depth of our need.”

What If Life Was Complex? - I love it when Carl Trueman roasts us (all of us!) and he does it well in this thought experiment.

Playing It Safe? - I enjoyed reading Darryl’s reflections on a famous parable. “For the past couple of years, I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus’ famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). It’s been one of those passages I can’t get out of my mind.”

The Tender King of Kings - “Sometimes in conversation we hear ourselves describe a person that we love, and as our unedited thoughts leave our lips we realize anew why it is that we love this person so.”

Surveillance after Boston - “We were living in an age of surveillance before the Boston Marathon bombing, but the event and its investigation produced calls for much greater monitoring of our cities and our lives.” Time will tell what laws and rules come about as a result of the bombing.

If People Don’t Remember Your Sermons - This is a bit of a cheeky look at preaching, but I think he’s on to something. He wants you to know that it doesn’t matter if people don’t remember your sermons.

The Alien World of the Bible - This short reflection is well worth reading. It takes issue with a statement like this: “The world of the Bible is not our world--its context, language, customs, knowledge, beliefs and social systems are far from those we experience in the twenty-first century. It is in many respects an alien world, where it is easy to become lost or confused.”

Love is not an affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. —C.S. Lewis

Here are a handful of new Kindle deals you may have missed over the weekend: Journey to Joy by Josh Moody, a brand new book, ($0.99); Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll ($3.99); What Jesus Demands From the World by John Piper ($3.99); Faith on Trial by Martyn Lloyd-Jones ($2.99); Touched by Greatness by Dorothy Patterson ($2.99); The Goodnight Book by Richard Bewes ($2.99).

The Socially Acceptable Sin - This is a well-written and thought-provoking article: “In practice, there are some sins that are socially acceptable, even in the Church. There's one sin in particular that has pervaded our society and churches so silently we hardly give it a second thought, and that is the constant hunt for more over what is enough.”

Rejected by a Deaf, Dirty, One-Handed Man - A dispatch from Asia: “As I was driving home through a nearby mountainous region, I passed by a homeless man walking uphill in the opposite direction. I remembered passing him earlier that day farther down the mountain as I was rushing to complete various tasks in a nearby city. On my way back, however, I was free from any time constraints and my conscience quickly convinced me to pull off and try to help him.”

Is This History’s Darkest Hour? - Randy Alcorn has an answer for those who ask, “Is this history’s darkest hour?” “I have no sympathy with people who tell us today that these are the darkest days the world has ever seen. The days in which we live are appalling, but they do not compare with conditions in the world when Jesus came into it…”

All About Him - Steve DeWitt reflects on finally seeing Jesus as he is.

Raising Bubble Babies - Clint Archer has some wise words about parenting. “Parent, you cannot break your child; they come broken. Likewise, exposing them to worldly vices will not make them sinful; they come that way already. I'm not saying kick your kid out of the protective bubble to fend for himself or herself. I'm saying, employ a strategy of slow, incremental education of how to deal with sin by relying on the Savior.”

The Man Who Keeps Falling in Love - I enjoyed reading this article from a few years ago. “When a virus destroyed part of his brain, Clive Wearing was left with no memory. He is still trapped in an eternal present. Yet he does remember that he loves his wife, Deborah. Here she tells their heartbreaking story.”

It is the Spirit’s ministry to bring the sinner to the Savior and to make the sinner like the Savior. —John Blanchard

The Kindle deals continue! Journey to Joy by Josh Moody, a brand new book, ($0.99); Who Do You Think You Are? by Mark Driscoll ($3.99); What Jesus Demands From the World by John Piper ($3.99); Faith on Trial by Martyn Lloyd-Jones ($2.99); Touched by Greatness by Dorothy Patterson ($2.99); The Goodnight Book by Richard Bewes ($2.99).

Everything Is Rigged - This is a long and interesting article from Rolling Stone: “The idea that prices in a $379 trillion market could be dependent on a desk of about 20 guys in New Jersey should tell you a lot about the absurdity of our financial infrastructure. The whole thing, in fact, has a darkly comic element to it.”

An Old-er Woman - Lisa Spence reflects on some of the challenges of being an old-er woman. “At 44, I am what many (myself included) would consider an older woman. Not old necessarily, but old enough to be old-er. The distinction is important, at least to my vanity.”

George W. Bush Is Smarter Than You - Keith Hennessey has a very enjoyable and myth-busting article about his former boss, President Bush. I’ve heard things like this many times: “President Bush is extremely smart by any traditional standard. He's highly analytical and was incredibly quick to be able to discern the core question he needed to answer.”

Brazil’s Billionaire Bishop - Businessweek writes about Edir Macedo, a prosperity gospel preacher in Brazil who, not surprisingly, has made himself fantastically wealthy.

The Christian Bus Driver - Justin Taylor asks and answers this question: “Is There a Distinctively "Christian" Way to Be a Bus Driver?” Obviously he is using “bus driver” as a representative vocation so the question applies equally to any other job.

It’s the Little Things (And the Big Things) - R.C. Sproul Jr. continues to write powerful reflections on mourning his wife and daughter. “I am still asked, thankfully, how I am doing, and my answer has not changed. I, and the children with me, are sad. As we should be. We are sad that our lives go on without Denise, that they go on without Shannon. We hurt because we miss them. We miss them because we delighted in them.”

He who complains of the weather, complains of the God who ordained the weather! —William Law

After a day off yesterday, Kindle deals are back today. What Is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert ($2.99); Redemption by Mike Wilkerson ($2.99); Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper ($2.99); Be Hopeful by Warren Wiersbe (free); Courageous by Randy Alcorn ($1.99).

8 Things We’ve Learned About Music - “The truth is we're learning new things about music all the time. Here are eight studies published in just the past few months.”

When You Disconnect - “One of the primary principles of the work we teach at the Energy Project is that the greater the performance demand, the greater the need for recovery. I needed a vacation, but what I needed most of all was a period of total digital disconnection. My brain felt overloaded and I needed time to clear it out.” In a similar vein, here are 9 Questions To Ask About Your Social Media Addiction.

Praying for the Man Who Kills Babies - Stephen Altrogge thinks about Kermit Gosnell and writes, “How should we Christians respond to this kind of evil? After all, Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies and to do good to those who mistreat us. So how do we respond to a man who has killed babies, hurt women, and committed other untold wicked deeds? We respond in two ways.”

Mothers Day - Mothers Day is coming up and at Cruciform Press we’ve got three books she might like, packaged together for just $14.99.

Is it 'Unspiritual' to be Discouraged? - Sinclair Ferguson: “From time to time over the centuries some Christians have taught, sometimes with tragic consequences, that a truly spiritual person never gets discouraged. To be cast down is, by definition, to be 'unspiritual.' Unless we are well-grounded in Scripture, it is very easy for us to be overwhelmed, confused, and even more discouraged by such teaching.”

Permitted or Pursued? - Though I’m not sure that I love the marriage analogy, this article still brings out an important point and one complementarians would do well to ponder. “I am not certain when it became common to speak of permitting rather than pursuing women to serve, but I admit that it grieves me.”

O think, that he who was master of all heaven's majesty came down to be the victim of all man's misery! —C.H. Spurgeon

Wandering from the Truth - “It's very rare that anyone ever decides to abandon the truth. What happens much more often is that people wander. It happens gradually.  It happens when you do not have any particular goal. You lose your moorings and you drift.” Here are four warning signs that you may be wandering from the truth. 

Envy Hunts in a Pack - Joe Rigney has an excellent article on an ugly sin. “We often lump envy and jealousy together, but there is an important distinction. Jealousy is oriented toward what we possess; envy is oriented toward the possessions of others. We are jealous for what we have (which is why jealousy is not always a sin); we are envious of what others have.”

Homeschool vs Public School - I appreciated Staci Eastin’s reflections on educating her children. “The school year is wrapping up. I'm finishing my tenth year of homeschooling. This is also the second year that my oldest has been in public school and the first year that my middle child has been in public school. This is the time of year that I tend to take stock.”

Hospitality - Aileen and I enjoyed reading through this very practical series of posts on hospitality.

Is the News Making Us Dumb? - Joe Carter is an excellent thinker when it comes to news and current events. In this article he asks whether the news is making us dumb. It’s an article well worth reading and considering.

A Response to Boston - Ed Welch says “The recent bombings at the Boston Marathon have been an echo of 9/11 for us. Here is the humanity—the reflections of God—that we have witnessed.”

The Super Rope Solution - I guess the ending to this film is a little bit obvious, but it’s still worth the journey. It is meant to be a commentary on our commitment to technology.

God would never permit any evil if he could not bring good out of evil. —Thomas Watson

Here are a few new Kindle deals: Closing the Window by Tim Chester, a book on overcoming pornography ($2.99); C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy is down to $3.99 for each title: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength; At the Throne of Grace by John MacArthur ($3.99).

When Your Husband’s Heart Is Hard - Joy McClain: “I was a wife willing to stay and keep my vow, no matter what. I desired a good thing--a godly marriage. Yet I failed when that desire became a demand I placed on my husband who chased the elusive mistress of alcohol. He was locked in the prison of addiction while I was held captive by my pain.” She offers wisdom on how to wait for the Lord to work in an unbelieving husband.

Advice for Raising Godly Children - Here are “ten pithy sayings from John Witherspoon, Scottish Presbyterian pastor, President of Princeton (1768-1794), and signer of the Declaration of Independence, on parental authority and child rearing.” There is some real wisdom here.

Daily Devotionals with John Piper - “The new Solid Joys site is simple, and easy to use, and features 365 of the best devotional excerpts from John Piper’s online writings and from his ‘trilogy’ of books with Multnomah (Desiring God, The Pleasures of God, and Future Grace).”

How to Park - Here’s an infographic on how to park. I’ve been driving for twenty years and am still no better at parallel parking, so maybe this can help me.

Frazier Comes Through - I enjoyed this second look at a neat sports story.

I’m Not Wired That Way - Marc Cortez has some wise thinking about introversion. “It's good that I enjoy being an introvert, but my enjoyment is not the highest goal of my existence. God's glory is. And that often means doing things that are uncomfortable, unexpected, and undesired, working against my wiring when necessary as a (hopefully) faithful bearer of God's image in the world.”

The man that is most busy in censuring others is always least employed in examining himself. —Thomas Lye

The Power of His Rising - The Power of His Rising is episode 6 of the amazing Dispatches from the Front series of DVDs. Westminster Books has it on sale for just $5 (or the whole series for $40). Seriously, buy it, watch it with your family, church or small group, and discuss it.

Desperate - Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe is a book I really enjoyed and highly recommend. The Kindle edition is down to just $3.99. (Here’s my review)

Discussing and Dealing with Pornography - Anthony Carter: “Today, we are evangelizing and disciplining a generation of men who have been inundated with sexually provocative images and have in many instances become numb to sinful sexual practices and inappropriateness.”

There Really Is a Reason - Mark Altrogge says that there really is a reason for our suffering and offers twelve benefits stored up in our afflictions.

Scripture in Worship - I once attended a megachurch in which there was no Scripture reading (beyond fragments within the sermon) and no prayer (beyond a “with every head bowed and every eye closed” response to the sermon). Joe Thorn addresses Scripture in worship in this article.

The Least of These - Randy Alcorn: “We need to think this through carefully. I'm morally/politically conservative on issues such as abortion, in which lives are at stake. But I am also concerned about the welfare of the environment God has entrusted to our care. We need to understand that human lives are at stake in the issue of creation care! Consider, for instance, how many people die from contaminated water. Taking care of water is taking care of people!”

The TIME 100 - For whatever it’s worth, which is probably not much, here is TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world today.

For every one hundred men who can stand adversity there is only one who can withstand prosperity. —Thomas Carlyle

There are a couple of new Kindle deals you may want to check out. A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D.A. Carson ($1.99); Dallas and the Spitfire by Ted Kluck & Dallas Jahncke ($1.99). (A lot of the deals on The Really Big List of Kindle Deals are still valid.)

The Explosion in West, Texas and Fatherhood - Here is a fantastic article from Grant Castleberry: “Losing a father is unspeakably horrific for all children. The son has lost the one person primarily responsible to train him to be a man, and to help him through that process. The daughter has lost her provider, protector, and teacher of being cherished and valued as a woman. I believe this is one reason why God has such a special, tender heart for the fatherless and the widows of the world.”

Police, Citizens and Technology - Here’s a fascinating account of how police tracked down the Boston Marathan bombers. “How federal and local investigators sifted through that ocean of evidence and focused their search on two immigrant brothers is a story of advanced technology and old-fashioned citizen cooperation. It is an object lesson in how hard it is to separate the meaningful from the noise in a world awash with information.”

The Bombers Were Outside Their House - From The Gospel Coalition: “In the early hours of Friday morning, Stephen and Emily McAlpin awoke to the sound of what they thought were fireworks. Within moments, however, it became clear what was happening outside was no celebration. The story that gripped the nation was unfolding in their front yard.”

Jean Segura’s Baserunning Adventures - If you’re a baseball fan you’ll want to read about Jean Segura’s baserunning adventures on Friday night. If you’re not a baseball fan, you’ll be bored silly.

Our Gosnell Gulag - “The Gosnell moment, for that is what it is, presents a clear opportunity for a real change of cultural heart. There are moments when some suppressed or ignored horror comes sharply into focus, and after that, it is not really possible to go back to the way it was before. This is what happened when Solzhenitsyn published his Gulag, for example. Something that had been successfully accommodated became impossible to accommodate any further. It was a conscience moment, which, given the nature of the case, most often come to us unsought. But they do come.”

How can we expect to live with God in heaven if we love not to live with him on earth? —John Mason

My Favorite Picture - I really enjoyed this article: “Last week I was overwhelmed - again. It was deja vu from two years ago. All those hallways and galleries and glass cases and tiny spotlights. It doesn't take long for me to get lost in the varied and sometimes loose interpretations of art at The Art Institute of Chicago.”

Why Trust the Bible? - This book, by Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, has been marked down to $3.99 for the Kindle edition. Also, several of Ken Burns’ documentaries, including his newest ones, are on sale today only.

Infanticide: The Coming Battle - “First, they won't call it ‘infanticide’ (killing infants) but ‘post-birth abortion’. The reasons are obvious. The word ‘infanticide’ strikes horror into our hearts. But ‘post-birth abortion’ makes it sound like the termination is simply an extension of abortion, which we are culturally adjusted to. Yet the terminology is grossly inaccurate.”

Mental Illness and the Church - The death of Matthew Warren has ignited some powerful and long-overdue conversations in the church about the nature of mental illness and the church’s response to it. This article is very helpful.

What Ted Kremer Wants - This is a neat story: “Serving as the Reds batboy on Thursday, Kremer asked for three things -- 11 runs, 11 strikeouts for free pizza and a Todd Frazier home run. He got all three..”

Do Not Love the World - J.D. Greear: “If you read through 1 John, you’ll come across a short statement that might seem a little confusing: ‘Do not love the world or the things in the world’. This is the same guy who wrote that ‘God so loved the world that he sent his only son’. Is John schizophrenic? Did he forget that he had written John 3:16? And what does it mean to ‘not love the world’?”

3 Lies Porn Tells You - “For the amount of people who struggle with this, we don't talk about it near enough. We don't talk about it in our families. We don't talk about it in our churches. We think avoiding it will make it go away. Statistically speaking, over 50 percent of the men reading this post have had exposure to pornography recently.”

There is a history full of grace behind us, and a prophecy full of glory before us. --C.H. Spurgeon

Here are a few new Kindle deals that may interest you: Through My Eyes, Tim Tebow’s memoir (is he old enough to write a memoir?), is just $1.99. If you’re looking for something a little bit more serious, James Bannerman’s Church of Christ: Outlined and Abridged with Study Questions is free for Kindle and carries some impressive endorsements. Finally, Ten Who Changed the World by Danny Akin looks like a good read on missions and missionaries ($2.99).

Dispatches from the Front - Dispatches from the Front is a series of DVDs that I absolutely love. They have just shared the trailer for the newest episode which will be out next week. They sent me a preview DVD and I’ve already watched it twice!

Luther’s Desperation - Steve Fuller finds a lesson in Luther’s life: “God's Word promises that your own prayers will powerfully bring God's help. But since God's Word encourages us to ask others to pray, that must mean their prayers will bring even more of God's help.”

Christian Art - Over at Scribblepreach you’ll find some interesting reflections on Christians and art. “Rather than heaping more negativity onto the canvass of Christian criticism, I'd like to offer some positive tutorials the Bible offers on ‘art’. The Bible is an art masterpiece, created by a Master Artist. Here some of its pearls…”

The Kingdom of God - Jim Hamilton has a short primer on the kingdom of God. “Any kingdom will consist of a king, his realm, its citizens, and the law that regulates their lives. This is true of God's kingdom as well. What follows is a short overview of the Bible's presentation of God's rule over God's people in God's place according to God's law.”

Fragile Glory - David Niblack ran the Boston Marathon and, upon completing it and hearing of all the devastation, reflects on the marathoner’s fragile glory.

The devil will let a man prepare a sermon if that will keep him from preparing himself. —Vance Havner