My gratitude goes to The Good Book Company for sponsoring the blog this week. They wanted to make sure you’ve heard about The Soul-Winning Church, a new book you will enjoy.
Today’s Kindle deals include the usual weekend mix of newer and older titles.
You should be sure to take a look at this new edition of Ryle’s Expository Thoughts that is on sale at Westminster Books. It is intended to help introduce it to a whole new generation.
(Yesterday on the blog: What Do I Say When…?)
How to Rebel Against Expressive Individualism
You’ve probably heard of expressive individualism by now. This article tells how to rebel against it. “True freedom—what we gain in Christ—comes not from doing whatever we want, but from being freed to live as God intends. We experience true liberation when Christ reconciles us to our Creator and to the calling for which he made us.”
As for Me and My House (Video)
You may enjoy this new song from Keith & Kristyn Getty that features Cochran & Co.
Rescuing the Abandoned: On Embryo Adoption
Derek King defends embryo adoption (under certain circumstances) without defending the fertility system that creates so many surplus embryos. “I am no Christian ethicist. But I have more than a passing interest in contemporary ethical debates about abortion, IVF, and other reproductive technologies. As an outside observer of Christian ethics, I see the nature of the human person as the next frontier. ‘What is a human person?’ is the question that will (and should) dominate the future landscape of Christian reflection, especially because of issues related to technology and sexuality.”
Live Among the Flock
There is definitely something to be said for this approach. “I, along with more than ten other families, now live on the same avenue as our church. Out of 160 covenant members, more than half live within a couple miles of the church building. Here are three reasons why I would encourage every pastor to teach his congregation the value of proximity.”
On Images (or Against Images)
This is a very traditional Presbyterian perspective on the use of images of Jesus (and/or the other members of the Godhead, but it’s usually Jesus, isn’t it?) “Given those cultural norms, the reasons for a proliferation of images of Christ might seem obvious as they increasingly appear in TV shows and movies, on book covers and in illustrations for kids books (and story Bibles), or hanging in museums and dining rooms and in churches. We assume these images of Christ aren’t a problem, since Jesus assumed a human nature – ‘these images are simply a representation of the incarnate Christ,’ we reason.”
Spiritual Inventory for Pastoral Visits
Pastors may benefit from using this spiritual inventory during their pastoral visits.
Flashback: Facing the Last Enemy
Death is inevitable in this world…For that reason alone we ought to familiarize ourselves with death—to know what it is, why it exists, how we can face it well, and how we can have great hope beyond it.
Six feet of dirt make all men equal.
—C.H. Spurgeon
