Westminster Books is offering a discount on a new series that looks helpful: 31-day counseling devotionals on a variety of topics.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Joys and Challenges of the Church in India)
The New Gulags?
Carl Trueman: “It is not surprising that gulags appeal to such radicals because that is what they are trying to turn the university system into. The food might be better, the accommodation more pleasant, and with a three- to four-year sentence, the chances of coming out alive are pretty good. But the purpose is totalitarian: teachers of political orthodoxy cloning themselves through the student body. And that is a very dangerous tendency.”
Feeling, Not Just Knowing, God’s Love
“It’s possible to endure persecution and not to feel the love of Christ. It’s possible to go through seminary and not to feel the love of Christ. It’s possible to worship in the seats of an evangelical church like this for 20 years and to not feel the love of Christ. I don’t want to be there! And neither do you.”
If the Gospels Are Inerrant, Why Do They Contain Discrepancies? (Video)
Here’s a good, brief explanation of discrepancies between the gospels.
Living in These Last Days
Here’s a good one from Tom Schreiner: “The holiness of our lives may be one of the means God uses to bring about the final end. The promise of end-time holiness doesn’t quench our desire to be like Christ but stirs up our passion to live in a way that pleases God.”
Fighting for Hope
“Perhaps you’ve been in that place where hope seemed like a mirage, where happiness seemed so distant that you doubted you’d ever feel it again, where loneliness or grief descended upon you like a cloud. Most of us will relate to this experience at some point in our lives, and if we’ve not yet been there, we should prepare ourselves now for the dark night ahead.” Indeed. We need to prepare ourselves in the good times for the inevitable hard times.
Understanding Who God Is, and Who We Are, Makes Pride Unthinkable
I appreciate this from Randy Alcorn. “Since God says He opposes the proud, anytime we’re proud we may as well hang a sign around our necks that says, “Take me down, God.” Because the Bible clearly says that’s exactly what He will do. And we will be powerless against Him.”
The Importance of Feedback in Pastoral Ministry (Video)
“If you build a ministry where no one can give you feedback, you are teaching your congregation to be proud and self-defensive.”
Flashback: What Is the Gift of Singleness?
How can you know if you have the gift of singleness? I don’t meant to be trite, but you can go about it this way: Look at your ring finger. No ring? You’ve got the gift of singleness. Ring? You’ve got the gift of marriage.
Give your children big truths they will grow into rather than light explanations they will grow out of.
—Tedd Tripp
