Thanks for all the feedback on yesterday’s article, Why My Church Does Not Sing Songs by Bethel, Elevation, and Hillsong. Based on that feedback, there may be a follow-up or two still to come, though right now we are in prime conference season so most of my time is going to preparing conference talks!
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of brand new books from P&R. There are some other good options besides those ones.
If you’re a man who would like to begin or deepen friendships (or a wife who wishes her husband would begin or deepen friendships), Westminster Books has a deal for you.
Recommended Reading
Ten Truths to Cling to in Your Fight Against Sin. Katie Laitkep lays out ten truths you can cling to as you battle against sin. “‘Give it to Jesus.’ ‘Surrender it to Him.’ ‘Leave it all at the foot of the cross.’ You’ve likely heard these expressions in Christian circles. They sound so applicable when they’re repeated by a friend sitting across from you at brunch that you nod along, tucking one of the phrases into your mental pocket to pull out later. Then you do.” But it’s not always quite that easy, is it?
Will We Remember and Recognize One Another in Heaven? I am dismayed to learn how many people think we will fail to remember and recognize one another in heaven. Randy Alcorn explains why we can have confidence that we will.
How AI Is Shaping Teenagers and Their Spiritual Lives. “Unlike previous forms of technology, AI does not merely deliver information. It simulates interaction. It mimics conversation and produces responses that increasingly feel personal and relational. It’s the parent we wish we had; the friend we longed for; the pastor that never disagrees with us. For a culture shifting away from person-to-person interaction, this is deeply troubling. And for teenagers navigating loneliness, insecurity, anxiety, confusion, and pressure, that matters deeply. Many students already feel more comfortable asking AI difficult questions than speaking honestly with parents, pastors, teachers, or peers because AI appears immediate, nonjudgmental, endlessly available, and emotionally accommodating.”
We Cannot Be Sanctified Through a Checklist. J.V. Fesko explains why sanctification cannot simply be a matter of working through a checklist of dos and don’ts. “Check lists give us a sense that we have fulfilled the demands of the law and that we’ve grown in our sanctification. The problem with checklist spirituality is, however, that there is no list exhaustive enough to cover every demand of the law in every circumstance in life, whether in word, thought, or deed.”
How To Fight Lust. This article explains how to fight lust. “Lust is a strong desire or craving, especially for that which is forbidden. … These strong desires lead to terrifying results. They cause a severe lack of thankfulness, which leads to anger, fighting, arguing, and even murder. The problem is that we want something we cannot have, so we hurt each other to get it. In our day, we have come to the point that what we crave is never far from our reach. If we cannot have something physically, we can at least have it visually. If we cannot afford it, we can borrow money, and in a culture of smartphones and credit cards, what we crave is always crying out for us to meet its need. Indeed, our culture is bent on making everyone happy by giving them what they want.”
The Joy of Holiness. Blake Long shows how holiness fosters joy. “One thing you will hear at least once in your life as a Christian is this: ‘Christianity is so restricting; it’s so boring; it’s just a bunch of rules. I don’t want to sacrifice happiness in order to obey.’ Most of the time this will come from admitted unbelievers; sometimes you will hear this from professing Christians! Either way, it’s very misguided. But the problem is even we as Christians believe this — whether knowingly or not. We can fall into the ditch of believing that we have to sacrifice our joy and happiness in order to pursue holiness in the Lord.”
New Releases
Christian books usually release on Tuesdays. That being the case, here are some books that are available as of today.
Classical Theology for the Modern Mind by Carl Trueman. “Carl Trueman examines how remembering history, reciting creeds, and studying ecclesiology counter cultural pathologies that inhibit our modern minds. By retrieving wisdom, orthodoxy, and historic texts from the church fathers, medieval scholastics, and the Protestant reformers, the church will be better equipped to contemplate God and listen humbly to his word.”
New Morning Mercies for Kids: 60 Devotions to Focus on Jesus by Paul David Tripp. “Author Paul David Tripp has abridged his bestselling daily devotional, New Morning Mercies, to guide children ages 8–12 with the word of God in 60 kid-friendly devotions filled with gospel encouragement.”
Navigating Tough Texts of the Old Testament by Tremper Longman. “Veteran scholar and translator Tremper Longman III guides us through difficult passages in Genesis through Deuteronomy, answering questions like Why are there different English translations of Genesis 1:1-2? Were the Hebrew midwives wrong to lie to Pharaoh? How do we make sense of the purity laws in Leviticus? What were the urim and thummim?”
Why Christianity Makes Sense by Gavin Ortlund. “For anyone in search of meaningful answers to the mysteries of the world and the purpose for their life, Why Christianity Makes Sense offers a fresh sense of wonder and enchantment at the gospel of Jesus.”
Flashback
Do You Remember the New Atheism? Every generation or two gives birth to a new rise of those who despise God and declare we are better off without him. And every time we witness a new New Atheism, many Christians grow frightened, wondering if this is the time that Christianity will begin to wane and sink into decline.
Because of our union with Christ, God sees His holiness as our holiness.
—Jerry Bridges
