May the Lord be with you and bless you today, my friends. I’ve already put together a good part of tomorrow’s Weekend A La Carte and Sunday’s Works & Wonders. I’m enthusiastic about them both, so try to drop by this weekend to give them a look!
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include a whole list of good books that you’ll want to consider: The Wisdom of Sleep, Growing in Godliness, Timothy Keller, One Good Owner, and more. You’ll also find Malcolm Guite’s tremendous Galahad and the Grail.
Logos users, be sure to grab this month’s free book and consider the nearly free ones. You’ll find a lot of good deals on that page. As always, it’s also a good idea to look at the Monthly Deals to see what’s there.
Recommended Reading
What Fills Your Mind? Michael Jensen encourages you to take a biblical command more seriously than you are today. “Make it the habit of your mind to embrace what is true, honourable, just, pure, pleasing, and commendable. Give your mind to these things, because they represent the deeper reality of the world God made and promises to renew. Develop a taste for what is excellent and praiseworthy by exposing yourself to these things. Cultivate in yourself the ability to point to the ways in which these things point towards Jesus Christ.”
Where Have All the Funerals Gone? Robert Myallis: “I’m not interested in offering a critique of how individual families have chosen to honor their loved ones. What does interest me are the monumental shifts occurring within American funeral practices. These shifts grow out of other changes happening in our society. As such, they reveal something profound about our culture. Furthermore, they speak volumes about what secularization actually looks like and its impact on our capacity for grief. If I can, I would like to offer some insight on why funeral planning has grown so fatiguing for families and why afterwards people often feel exhausted, disconnected, and confused rather than relieved and reconciled.”
Remote Work and Sexual Temptation: A Christian Guide to Working From Home. I think Keith Seary is right: Many people struggle with sexual temptation as they work at home. “During my tenure serving those struggling with sexual sin here at Harvest USA, I’ve seen how working remotely brings with it unique temptations toward sexual sin. How can you work from home with purity and resist sexual temptation in that context? Here are three steps to consider.”
Caring for a Woman in an Abusive Relationship. This article describes some ways that Christians can help care for women in abusive relationships and some resources that can guide them. “Now, the church is not the police. The church is not an attorney or a judge. But the church does hold authority over its members. There’s a reason we take membership vows. In the PCA’s fifth vow we commit to work for the purity and peace of the church. We promise to support the church’s authority and discipline, and we dedicate ourselves to preserving a unified community of believers.”
The World of Thinkers. Kandace McCorrister offers a creative account of what it’s like to scroll today. “The modern world is a mess, or so I’m told the second I open my browser. Thoughts, solutions, essays, art, and quotes scroll past as the orange bookmark icon glows steadily on the left side of my screen. I should be writing, not this – the chapter of my thesis sits open on another tab, a document that hasn’t gained any words in weeks. Instead, I’ve opened a window into this world, and the lure of other people’s thoughts and certainty, stacked with a low-grade desire to stay relevant, moves my fingers to scroll, almost unconsciously.”
Invade or Retreat From Politics? “Followers of Jesus face two extremes when it comes to Christianity and politics. Do we aggressively invade culture with political solutions or trust the Spirit to change hearts?” Greg Koukl provides a good answer.
The Funnies
My friend Chris Martin maintains a Substack called The Funnies, and every Saturday he shares a few fun and silly things he found on the internet—something I see as a modern equivalent of the comics pages that used to be in every newspaper. I asked him to share a couple with you.
Flashback
Two Habits of Successful Parents. Young parents are more likely to ask Google their questions than to ask people in their community. It’s easier and more normal for them to bang those questions into their phone or computer than to take them to church and to ask them there.
The thirst of your soul will never be slaked by the fountains of sin.
—De Witt Talmage
