I very much enjoyed a week off with my family. And now, back to work and back to normal blogging. (Kind of back to normal—I’m also heading to Albania this week to speak at an event there.)
Today’s Kindle deals include four different titles by John Piper and a large number of titles by other authors.
(Yesterday on the blog: One Measure of Greatness)
What Media Got Wrong About Supposed Christian Self-Immolation
“Late in February, an active-duty US Air Force airman set fire to himself outside of Israel’s embassy in Washington, DC; afterwards, some journalists rushed to try and provide historical context for the practice of ‘self-immolation.’” Noah Diekemper just how badly they did in trying to show how this is somehow a Christian practice.
We Are Walking on Holy Ground
“It’s so sweet to walk into a church and know that God’s people are gathered for worship. Of course He is near. A holy moment. But isn’t it a holy moment, too, when you are sitting in a doctor’s office, holding hands with your faithful wife, enduring the bad news with faith? As believers we tread on holy ground in every school building, nursing home, leafy forest floor, and in every possible scenario we could dream up.”
CityAlight – His Glory and My Good (Video)
This is such a good new song by CityAlight.
How Pop Nietzscheanism Masquerades as Christianity
If you read the title and guessed “Carl Trueman,” you’d be correct. “Regardless of the political stakes, at ground level the births, marriages, illnesses, and deaths continue. Pastoral ministry goes on, day to day, year to year, whatever the political officer class, right and left, are debating. And so in this context, the Church must continue to do that to which she has been called: proclaim Christ in Word and sacrament. The big problems of life—sin and death—remain, whoever wins the election in November 2024. And so the Church needs to remain faithful to her appointed task and not become simply an arm of those vying for political power.”
Regulative Discipleship: Why a Full Calendar Doesn’t Necessarily Produce Mature Church Members
I think this article is especially important for pastors and other church leaders. “If we affirm the regulative principle for the Sunday morning gathering, shouldn’t we also apply the same conviction to the rest of our discipleship ministries?” That’s worth considering!
How do I think biblically about Social Justice? (Video)
Dr. Andrew Walker offers some thoughts on thinking well about social justice.
Flashback: The Benefits and Drawbacks of Following a Parenting Method
There is always the danger that we regard children as little projects more than real people. There is always the danger that parenting becomes abstract rather than deeply personal—the mere following of principles instead of the careful shepherding of souls.
…we cannot receive what God has to give when our fists are clenched and our eyes shut, concentrating on our own moral exertion. We need to open up our fists and our eyes and lift both heavenward to receive his love.
—Dane Ortlund
