This week the blog and this giveaway are sponsored by the Coram Deo Pastors Conference.
Dear brother pastor,
In a spirit of prayerful expectation, I want to invite you to the Coram Deo Pastors Conference. This new event is hosted by Clearly Reformed (a new ministry I help to lead) and Christ Covenant Church (where I have the privilege of serving as senior pastor). We look forward to filling our sanctuary with nearly 2,000 pastors and church leaders at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina on March 12-14, 2024.
The aim of the conference is, quite simply, to strengthen pastors. After the conclusion of the Together for the Gospel conference in 2022, a number of us started talking about how we might build on that legacy to provide a venue for pastors (and their wives, if that would benefit some couples) to be edified, inspired, equipped, and recharged for faithfulness in ministry. To that end, I organized a small steering group of friends—Justin Taylor, Ryan Kelly, Greg Gilbert, Jason Helopoulos, and Matt Schmucker—to think and pray about whether we might launch a new conference and what that conference might look like. Coram Deo Pastors Conference (CDPC) is the fruit of those conversations.
It may not be obvious from the conference schedule, but we’ve deliberately tried to organize the conference with three kinds of messages in mind: expositional sermons (Smith, Piper, Charles), history/theology lectures (Beeke, DeYoung, Finn, Van Dixhoorn), and messages that address current “hot topics” (Trueman, Gilbert). The three panels roughly follow the same pattern: one panel on pastoral ministry, one on the Christian and history, and one on the vexing issue of Christianity and politics. We hope this approach enables the conference to cover a variety of topics while also being clear about what the various messages are trying to accomplish. 
We think there is much to be gained by hosting the conference at a local church (even if that means our space is limited). We will still have a great bookstore, exhibitors, sponsors, and the “feel” of a conference. But we also hope for the “feel” of church. The music will be led by Nathan Clark George, the pastor of worship at Christ Covenant, as he collaborates with other musicians from inside and outside our church.
I love being a pastor, and I love pastors, which is why I am thrilled to be a part of this new initiative. I hope to see many of you here in the Charlotte area for the inaugural Coram Deo Pastors Conference in the spring of 2024.
In Christ,
Kevin DeYoung
Today, you are invited to enter the Coram Deo Pastors Conference giveaway of two free registrations!

Just a reminder that this week I am featuring A La Carte only. The usual slate of original articles will return next week as the holiday season wraps up.
There are some new Kindle deals today for the avid collectors.
(Yesterday on the blog: How I’ll Be Reading the Bible in 2024)

This is quite a long article about new year’s resolutions and other kinds of resolutions. “As Christians, such a miserable ratio of success to failure should cause us to examine the whole concept of the new year’s resolution from a biblical perspective.”

Jacob thinks back to his growth as a Christian and concludes, “I’ve learned that if I don’t plan to grow, I’ll be less like Jesus than I could be.”

When discussing the specifics of church missions programs, it is critical to begin by understanding the motivation behind missions. Properly understanding “God’s Mission” will result in a more deeply rooted mission program and, ultimately, a more effective gospel witness. So, today, The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is offering How to Build an Effective Missions Program as a free ebook. Download your copy today at tmai.org/challies to develop a strategy for an effective missions program in your church. (Sponsored Link)

Rob Golding explains why Protestants can struggle to understand how the Pope can bless same-sex marriages while also standing “firm” on the traditional doctrine of marriage.

“If we are honest with ourselves, many of the things that happened in the past year we didn’t plan or expect. We probably were unwell at some stage. We might have lost a job or had an unexpected job offer. Any number of things might have happened that we could never have known in advance.”

Mitch offers a short explanation of what Mary and Joseph did after Jesus was born.

This is a helpful little summary of the four gospels—what makes them similar and what makes them distinct. “One story told from four viewpoints into four first century situations they might be, but we wouldn’t be without any one of the four twenty centuries later.”

As I’ve considered the year that is almost upon us, I have been helped by this prayer from John MacArthur’s At the Throne of Grace. I think you’ll enjoy it too.

To desire revival…and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.
—A.W. Tozer

In 2020 I teamed up with Zondervan to release Epic: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History. This is a two-part product that takes the form of an illustrated book and a ten-part documentary video series. While the book and documentary can each be enjoyed on their own, they also complement one another well. Epic is ideal for group studies, homeschool curriculum, and enjoying either alone or with the whole family.
I am pleased to let you know that the ten-part documentary video series is now available for free on YouTube.
Of course, Epic is best when the documentary is paired with the book, so I recommend you also buy the softcover book which you can find discounted at both Amazon and Westminster Books. The two products are ideal companions for one another and together will help you both see and understand the history of the Christian faith.
To watch the videos, you can visit YouTube or challies.com/epic/.
Beginning with Jesus and the early church, I look at:

The importance of graffiti on an ancient jail cell
The creedal significance of a carving on a museum statue
The enduring importance of ancient manuscripts and books
And much more!

Along the way, you’ll discover the story you’re already a part of.
Epic features:

An epic journey: 24 countries, 6 continents, 75 flights, 80 museums
Beautiful full-color book design featuring the objects and Tim’s journey
The complete experience: a 10-episode documentary is now available for free, taking you on location and providing an immersive experience for understanding the history of Christianity

As I said, it is now entirely free on YouTube or at challies.com/epic/.