Good morning. I mentioned last week that Aileen and I are working on a renovation project. We finished the destruction phase in a few days (removing all that old parquet flooring we never much liked) and then got the new flooring laid. We’re now painting and will then move to replacing doors and baseboards. We cannot keep up that breakneck pace, so we expect it will be another few weeks before everything is complete.
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include some outstanding picks like Randy Alcorn’s Heaven, Jared Wilson’s The Storied Life, and Jason DeRouchie’s What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About. If you’d like a Christian perspective on the writings of thinkers like Kant, Barth, or Deleuze, you’ll find books on them as well.
Recommended Reading
The Preacher’s Life. This is a very strong piece from H.B. Charles, Jr. He looks to the phrase from 2 Timothy 2:15, “approved by God,” and explains how he has considered it devotionally. He asks: Is God well pleased with me? Is my work well done? Is the Word rightly handled? It’s a good read, and I commend it to preachers.
A Life of Prayer. Joel Ellis considers the difference between a prayer life and a life of prayer. “It may seem only semantic, rather than substantive—the two phrases are grammatically identical— but the change in phrasing is intended to draw attention to and emphasize a point. Many evangelical Christians think about their ‘prayer life’ in terms of devotional habits and practices: morning Bible reading, an inspiring and theologically superficial devotional, and a prayer list, but we want to encourage believers at RPC to develop the discipline of a ‘life of prayer.’”
Conforming to Non-Conformity. Casey McCall tells how, ironically, non-conformity can very quickly become conformity. He offers examples from outside and inside the Christian world. “Conformity is an important word for Christians. As redeemed worshipers, we are called to reject conformity to the world as we pursue transformation through the renewal of our minds in Christ (Rom 12:1-2). However, in striking parallel to the Nirvana shirt phenomenon, some efforts to resist conformity to the world are disguised versions of conformity.”
The Miracle of Christian Unity. Michael Jensen calls on Christians to remember and enact the miracle of Christian unity. “While debates between Christians have in my experience nothing like the vitriol that you see in some other forums between (say) passionate followers of Star Trek or some sporting code, it is the case that the day-after-day barrage of back-and-forth argument is very wearing. It can make you think that Christians don’t agree about anything at all. In which case: can the faith they proclaim be true, really?”
5 Signs Your Marriage Is Unhealthy (And What to Do About It). Curtis and Jenny Solomon offer five signs that your marriage may be unhealthy. “Often, people wait too long before seeking help for their faltering marriages, but several factors may indicate your marriage needs care. Below, we’ve outlined specific questions that can help you be more aware of potential trouble. If you notice any of these warning signs, don’t wait around expecting your difficulties to resolve without effort. Be proactive. If one spouse thinks there’s a problem in one or more of these areas, there is a problem. Reach out for help from your pastor, small-group leader, or another person in leadership in your local church.”
Football Won’t Save the World. No, indeed, football will not and cannot save the world, even while the World Cup was a lot of fun to watch. “What a tournament it has been: The four best nations all made the semi-finals. The best strikers to ever play the game all turned up with their golden boots: Messi, Mbappé, Bellingham and Haaland. The last 6 weeks has been a sporting feast worthy of Olympia. One hears of World Cups from yesteryear when there was Maradona or when Pelé controlled the pitch. Older generations salivate at the skill and competition yet I suspect we have just enjoyed the best ever World Cup.”
Enjoying
Here’s what I’m enjoying these days:
Milwaukee Tools. As far as I can tell, all the major tool brands are roughly comparable to one another, yet each one of us develops an irrational loyalty to a particular brand. We are then stuck with that brand because the batteries are not interchangeable with others. Years ago, I chose Milwaukee because it was on sale at the time and have stuck with it. I’m thankful to have built up a collection of tools over the years and have relied on them entirely through this renovation project. They haven’t let me down!
Pocket Puritans. Banner of Truth’s Pocket Puritan series is gaining new volumes and/or a redesign, and I’m enjoying the new ones with the clean, white covers. If you’re new to the Puritans and would like just a taste of their writings, they are a great option.
iPad. I was thinking recently about the days when electronic devices seemed to last only a year or two before they became so slow they were barely worth using. I had just realized that the iPad I bought several years ago is still functioning just fine. I’m thankful for this improvement. (The same is true of phones, of course, but I don’t really carry a phone with me anymore, so I’m very content to have one that is practically ancient.)
Flashback
Have You Tasted Heaven? I have tasted the fruit of a distant land and have within me a growing longing to taste it again, to taste it all the more, to leave this land and settle in that place of such delights, of such wonder.
There is a core difference between sharing the gospel with the lost and imposing a specific moral standard on the unconverted.
—Rosaria Butterfield
