May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Today’s Kindle deals are headlined by volume 1 of Nick Needham’s tremendous reader-friendly series on church history, 2000 Years of Christ’s Power. I’ve also included a bunch of books that will go off-sale by Sunday, including all those great Bible studies by John Stott.
(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for January 2026)
The Generational Narcissism of Always Thinking We Face the Biggest Crisis Ever
It’s true! When we think we are facing the biggest crisis in the history of humanity, it’s a kind of generational narcissism (not to mention historical ignorance). The times change, but not as much as we sometimes think.
When God’s Plans Leave Us Distressed
Kirsten makes some really helpful observations about God’s plans as they intersect with our lives. “As we wrestle with seasons when God’s plans leave us feeling in the dark, confused, hurt, distressed, and full of questions, we can also be sure that Jesus will deal tenderly with us as we struggle to trust that his plans are good.”
Children as a Mirror to God’s Wonder
Michael Goldstein explains some of the ways in which children can serve as a kind of mirror to God’s wonder.
How to Derail a Bible Study
“Whether you’re a group leader or a member, it helps to know the pitfalls that can derail Bible study discussions so you can guard against them. Here are four…”
The Rise and Fall of Gay Activism
This long article from First Things can be hard to read at times, but it is important in the way it shows the development of gay activism and predicts a bit of its future. “The Pride flag is progressive America’s banner. Before it was unfurled, most gays stayed in the closet. With the advent of Pride, they became out and proud. Over time, gay pride came to be as American as baseball, apple pie, and the Declaration of Independence. The civil rights movement remains a fixture in the official mythology of the nation, but to a striking degree, gay rights has superseded rights for blacks and women as the great symbol of American freedom.”
7 Points of Wisdom for Physical Boundaries in Dating
To be honest, I don’t think it’s possible to even discuss this whole subject without it being at least a bit weird. But this article is probably about as not-weird as you can hope for! “Like many fine-points of life, the Bible doesn’t appear to give us granular directions on exactly what to do in setting physical boundaries in dating. Instead, it provides clear prohibitions on premarital sex, and then general principles for us to apply with wisdom in our particular situations.”
Flashback: The Decay of the World and the Love of God
God’s love for his people is so great that he will continue to tolerate all of this sin and rebellion, all of this hatred toward him, until the last of his chosen and beloved children has been born, has heard the gospel, and has been saved.
Silence is often the best answer to sharp things or offensive things said against us. If they are said in jest, laugh at them; if said spitefully, forgive them; if they are true, then let us secretly be thankful for the criticisms, and mend our ways.
—Theodore Cuyler
