Good morning. May the Lord be with you and bless you today. Remember that over the weekend I’ll be sharing some think pieces and long-form content (Saturday), followed by some fun, interesting, and uplifting content (Sunday). See you then!
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include some helpful books like Priceless People and The Fulfillment of the Promises of God, which is an explanation of Covenant Theology.
If you would like to know what’s coming up in Christian publishing, you can take a look at Westminster Books’ current sale. You’ll find early discounts on books that will be coming our way in the next few months.
Recommended Reading
Might God Be Calling You to Set a Financial Finish Line, and Give the Rest Away? Randy Alcorn proposes the rather radical idea of setting a financial finish line for yourself and then giving the rest away. “I believe the Christian community should be filled with people who set caps on their lifestyles, giving away everything above that amount. Some call this ‘setting a finish line.’ That means if we make a predetermined amount of money or save a certain amount, that’s it. We won’t accumulate any more. We’ll give away everything else. That isn’t sacrificial giving, it’s giving according to our ability. Yet, by most of our standards, it’s so radical we may not know anyone who lives that way.”
Playing to Not Lose. “A fascinating development emerged during the course of the [World Cup] tournament. While the final four teams could have been easily predicted ahead of time, there have been a surprising number of upsets throughout the tournament. But why? Why have teams like Germany, the Netherlands, and Brazil fallen to upstarts? One explanation seems to be these historical giants played ‘afraid to lose’.” William J. Fagan draws a spiritual lesson from this.
Get Joshua: The Christian Standard Commentary today! Written by David M. Howard, Jr., Joshua is part of the Christian Standard Commentary (CSC) series. By balancing rigorous scholarship with practical application, this series helps readers understand each biblical book’s theology, its place in the broader narrative of Scripture, and its importance for the church today. (Sponsored)
We Refuse It: A Manifesto on Generative AI Writing. Douglas Groothuis’ manifesto on using generative AI in writing may go a bit further than mine would, but I think he covers some important ground. (Example: “We will disable or ignore AI suggestions on improving style.” I’m not sure we need to go that far, especially if that is essentially using a tool that is similar to an advanced spell checker; however, I would agree if it means using the rewriting tools that are now available in many writing apps.)
Dang it, Social Media. Brittany Allen laments the intrusion of social media into her life and, even more, the effect it has on her. “This has been a battle for me for a decade. Sometimes, in one single week, there are so many things I see while scrolling that I feel paralyzed by hurt. So paralyzed that I can’t see clearly to work through all the sin in my heart that caused it. Dang it, Social Media.”
What the Bible Teaches About Karma. Lots of people in the world around us believe in some form of karma, but surprisingly, many Christians believe in a version of it as well. “With the popularity of Eastern religions like Hinduism and Buddhism, it’s not surprising to hear people talking more frequently about karma. The word comes from Sanskrit and just means “deed,” but it expresses the principle of cause and effect whereby a person’s actions determine what will happen to them. Understanding how the Bible introduces the concept of karma helps us see its weaknesses and where its remedy lies.”
D.L. Moody’s Commitment to God: One Soul a Day. You’ll enjoy reading about D.L. Moody’s great commitment to God. “Mr. Moody promised that he would never let twenty-four hours pass over his head without speaking to at least one person about his soul. His was a very busy life, and sometimes he would forget his resolution until the last hour. Occasionally he would even get out of bed, dress, go out and talk to someone about his soul so that he might not let one day pass without having definitely told at least one of his fellow-mortals about his need and the Savior who could meet it.”
Reviews
I like to write book reviews, but enjoy reading them as well. Here are a few that you may enjoy as well.
At First Things, Edward Feser has an appropriately blunt review of James K.A. Smith’s book Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark. He says it is “a self-indulgent mess that offers the reader no helpful entry into mysticism but only a vague, anticlimactic sentimentality. I wish I could say something nicer.” Yet he can’t. (First Things uses a metered paywall, so you’ll need one of your monthly free articles to read it.)
Modern Reformation has a review of Freya India’s GIRLS®. Mary Van Weelden writes, “For anyone who is raising girls or who works with them through church ministries, her extremely thorough exposé of how technology, social media, influencers, AI, and online therapy culture posed unique dangers for girls is helpful, especially if you were raised before the rise of such trends and remain largely unaware of them now.”
At WORLD, A.S. Ibrahim reviews Michael Youssef’s An Unholy Alliance, which offers an explanation of the alliance between progressivism and Islam. “It’s a fearless, assertive, and brilliantly documented exposé of one of the most dangerous ideological partnerships of our time.”
Flashback
If Satan Took Up Marriage Counseling. If Satan took up marriage counseling, he would want struggles or issues a couple encounters to be left festering and unresolved. “It’s fine and good to let the sun set on your anger.”
Servant-leadership in the home is essential not only for your wife and children but also for you yourself. Learning to serve in tedious, thankless ways emulates Christ.
—Justin Smith
