It is set to be a quiet Christmas in the Challies home. Like so many other families, we had plans for today that have been interrupted by illness. And so we will spend the day—and, I’m sure, enjoy the day—with just the four of us. And as we begin, this prayer is on my lips:

On this Christmas Day, my Father, I come to you with a glad heart. Help me to observe the day fitly, with loving remembrance of the lowly birth in Bethlehem and the sorrows of him who came to bring redemption, and with grateful thanks to you for your great mercy.
May this be a true Christmas in my heart. Take away all unbelief, all bitter thought and feeling, all resentment and unforgiveness, all unholy desire and give me love—love that is patient and kind, that is not provoked, that thinks no evil, that seeks not its own. Save me from all selfishness. While I gratefully receive the Christmas blessings and enjoy them, may my heart be opened toward all the world in sympathy and kindly interest. Make my life a song, and may I go everywhere with joy on my face and on my lips.
I pray for all those to whom Christmas brings gladness, that their joy may be enriched by thoughts of your divine love. I pray for the multitudes of little children everywhere, to whom the day means so much, who have been waiting for it so long in eager expectancy, and who will be happy with their gifts and with the love that blesses them.
I pray also for those to whom the day brings little of joy—the very poor, the lonely and solitary; those far away from their homes, whose hearts will not be warmed by human love; prisoners in their prisons; sailors on the sea; and those who know not you. I pray for the sick in their homes and in the hospitals, that in their suffering they may be comforted by the remembrance of your divine compassion. I pray for the bereft and sorrowing, to whom Christmas brings painful memories, making more real their sense of loss. May they find comfort in the thought of Christ’s unfailing love.
May this glad Christmas leave my life richer and tenderer. May your divine love henceforth be more real to me. May I be sure of your divine care and guidance. May my heart be warmer toward my fellows, tenderer in its sympathy with human need and sorrow, and may I live a gentler, more kindly life, because of this day’s revealing of your wondrous love. Grant these favors through Jesus Christ. Amen.
(Drawn from J.R. Miller)

May the God of love and peace be with you today.

(Yesterday on the Blog: A Tragedy at Sea)
Making Sense of Hebrews 6:1–2
I appreciate David Mathis’s perspective on Hebrews 6:1-2. “Most commentators read this command as a summons to advance beyond basic Christian teachings. A close look at Hebrews 6:1–2 within the context of the whole letter, however, uncovers several problems with the typical interpretation.”
We need to be more sparing about when we shout ‘fire’
Stephen writes about “a certain brand of Christian. They rarely need much encouraging to get all in a lather about something. And it is especially easy to work them up if you mention ‘the government’ or ‘law’ in the same sentence. Any supposed government plan to do almost anything inevitably leads to shrieks and horror.”
Our Father in Heaven
We must never lose the wonder of calling God our Father!
The preciousness of Christ to his people above everything
“In this article, I am going to give a glimpse of why Christ is indeed the greatest treasure to believers above any earthly treasure.” We could all use that reminder, I’m sure.
Bad Spies
“Do you ever secretly scoff at Israel’s failures in the wilderness, thoroughly convinced that you would’ve done so much better? They were firsthand witnesses to so many instances of God’s saving power and miraculous and faithful provision. ‘Come on now!’ we may think. ‘What is their problem?’ How could they so easily drift from obedience into ungrateful rebellion?”
How to Handle the “Why” Questions
“However we frame it, we want to know why—why me, why you, and why does a loving God allow His people to suffer at all?” This is truly one of the most pressing questions for all of humanity.
Flashback: Dusting When the Light Is Dim
We learn that while we sin against our better judgment, God forgives in a way that is only ever consistent with his perfect judgment. We come to realize that his desire to forgive us our sins is far greater than the desire of our hearts to commit those sins. We come to know that the light has come and the darkness can never overwhelm it.

We can take as much credit for our regeneration as a new-born baby can take for its birth. —Will Dobbie

Good morning! I am about to make my way across the Pacific for my second Worship Round the World journey. I’ve got many miles to go today…

There is a massive list of Kindle deals to go through today and it includes a lot of great commentaries.
This month you can listen to Mitch Chase’s book on the resurrection for free at ONE Audiobooks.
(Yesterday on the blog: Banksy and Beauty from Ashes)
Pastors Are Paid to Stare Out the Window
Every week I look forward to Jared Wilson’s column. I’m never disappointed by it!
Apple Wants to Solve One of Music’s Biggest Problems
This is a really interesting look at why Apple’s new classical music app is such a big deal (and just on time for Easter, too). “The world’s richest company released a sleek new product this week that was years in the making and had to meet its exacting standards before it was ready to be used by millions of people. But it wasn’t a phone, a gadget or an AI chatbot. The latest innovation from Apple was a better way of listening to classical music.”
How Did the King of Kings Die?
“In the ancient world there was a man declared to be ‘the King of kings’. His reign was very short but he was widely influential, had thousands of admiring followers, and his presence brought peace and hope to many. Yet his life was cut short through a premature death.” (This may not be the person you’re thinking of.)
Did Palm Trees Grow in Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus?
A number of scholars have insisted that palm trees did not grow in Jerusalem. Were they right?
On Ending Well: An Open Letter To A Pastor
This is such a sweet tribute to pastors.
Do elder’s children have to be believers? (Titus 1:6)
Bill Mounce looks at a disputed passage and offers a very plausible interpretation.
Flashback: Don’t Waste the Days When You Feel Little Need for God
Ideally, trials are not the time to construct a relationship but the time to lean upon an existing one. Ideally, trauma is not the time to begin trying to understand how God is present in our pain, but the time to lean into what we already know to be true.

The cross stands as the focal point of the Christian faith. Without the cross the Bible is an enigma, and the Gospel of salvation is an empty hope. —James Montgomery Boice