I’m grateful to P&R for sponsoring the blog this week. They wanted to ensure you had heard about a new book on apologetics titled Every Believer Confident. The book “simplifies apologetics and empowers Christians to effectively present the gospel in all its glory and rationality.”
There are, indeed, some new Kindle deals today. You should also check out Westminster Books where they’ve got a deal on Gavin Ortlund’s new book about disagreeing but remaining friends.
(Yesterday on the blog: Lest We Drift)
But It’s Good
Melissa has a good one here. “God uses all kinds of means to refine us, to make us more like Jesus. And there isn’t much that will cause us to cling to Him more than the unexpected. We often feel afraid, cheated, angry, and alone when our visions of what would be are shattered. Once we are operating in the heartspace of what could have been, well, it takes time for us to begin to see God’s work in us.”
As I Go Your Way (Aleph) (Video)
I had never heard of the band Stillcreek until yesterday, but then basically listened to their music on repeat. They are singing their way through Psalm 119 and doing so beautifully. I have linked to the first song here, but look up the EP on Spotify or Apple Music or whatever you use.
Tide of Faith or Spiritual Tsunami?
Stephen always asks good questions. “Here’s a question for the church as it stands in the shallows of the post-Christian beach in the West: Are we simply preparing ourselves for an orderly returning tide of faith, or are we preparing ourselves for a returning, tumultuous spiritual tsunami that will upend our practices, challenge our assumptions about reality and refuse our neat categories?”
The Sports Betting House Always Wins. Who Loses? We Do.
I know I have linked to quite a few articles on sports betting, but I do so because I’m so concerned about young men getting sucked into it. “Don’t be fooled by how destigmatized sports betting has become. Just because you can now do it on your phone from the comfort of your suburban living room, as opposed to in the dimly lit, smoky Vegas casino, doesn’t mean the dangers are less real. The less seedy, more acceptable ‘brand’ of sports betting today is what makes it so concerning.”
Loving Your Closest Neighbor
“My friends talk a lot these days about how to spend more time with others in person. We sincerely wish we could be more present with the people we care about most. And we all acknowledge that our screens get in the way. We want to be personally attentive, but battle the incessant magnetism of our phones.”
Being a Christian Has Made You a Better Man
What a great thing it is when being a Christian makes you a better man. This article comes from the mission field but could apply to any believer.
Flashback: The Tallest Trees and the Strongest Winds
The trees that reach the highest heights had better be certain their roots reach far into the ground where they can be stabilized and supported, where they can drink deeply and grow strong.
It is better to pray often with brevity than rarely but at length.
—D.A. Carson
