As is the custom in December, Westminster Books has all ESVs at 50% off. That includes Journaling Bibles; Study Bibles; Children and Youth Bibles; Premium and Heirloom Bibles; Scripture Journals; and so on.

Today’s Kindle deals include the excellent When Helping Hurts along with commentaries on Romans and James.
(Yesterday on the blog: When You Poke God in the Eye)
Reformer’s Syndrome
“Among the many theological ailments that can strike in Reformed churches, ‘Reformer’s Syndrome,’ is one of the more troublesome. What is ‘Reformer’s Syndrome,’ you ask?” J.V. Fesko explains.
Reformed Stupidity?
Meanwhile, Wes defends Reformed theology against a charge of stupidity. And as he does so, he explains a key theological distinction. “Do Reformed preachers not see the stupidity of telling people not to rely on their works while also saying genuine faith produces good works? It just seems like double-speak to avoid being labeled Catholic or Arminian.”
Five Barren Women in the Old Testament
“Whenever the biblical authors describe a woman as barren, you can rest assured she won’t be barren for long. The reason for this confidence is the pattern of God’s reversal of the state of barrenness.” Mitch Chase looks at all of the OT women who are described in this way.
Stop Calling Them Names
Sam Emadi calls on Christians to stop using name-calling with their theological opponents. “If you’re prone to use name-calling with theological opponents, consider three passages in Scripture and how they address our unhealthy culture in evangelicalism of pejorative labeling.”
10 Quick and Random Thoughts on Writing
Nick McDonald is deep in the book writing process and from that perspective offers 10 quick, random, helpful thoughts about writing.
Because He Has Heard
Kyle Borg: “Almost two weeks ago, as I was winding down from a week of work, I got a phone call from a member of the church. Within seconds I knew this was a serious phone call. The dad on the other end said: ‘It’s my son. I think he drowned. He was unresponsive when they pulled him from the water, but the ambulance got him breathing again. We need prayer.’”
Flashback: True Peace With God Comes on God’s Terms
As you battle sin, listen for God’s affirming voice and look for success. God is for you and loves to help you put your sin to death. It is his delight. He will speak peace to your soul.

Nothing more pleases, honors, and glorifies Christ than the confiding trust, the expectant confidence, and the child-like faith of those to whom He has given every cause to trust Him with all their hearts. —A.W. Pink

Grace and peace to you, my friends.

Westminster Books is having an Advent Sale on books related to Christmas. There are lots of good choices there.
(Yesterday on the blog: If God Is Not Sovereign…)
How Christians can think about the epidemic of online gambling and sports betting
I guess I’m not the only one who has noticed sports betting suddenly showing up everywhere! “Given the ubiquity of sports betting in our digital society, it is likely that you or someone you know well is gambling or is struggling with addictive behavior. In light of the addictive and predatory nature of gambling, how should the Church respond to this growing epidemic in light of the biblical ethic?”
Don’t let fear of a social gospel put you off doing good works socially
This is important: “Most people don’t actively hate us, they broadly nothing us. But what they do know about us, or think they know about us, is often not positive. Which means we are starting from behind with many people. They aren’t chomping at the bit to hear our gospel message of salvation. Some think they’ve heard it all before (but we know they haven’t) or think they know what we’re about already and aren’t that keen.”
5 Things You Should Know about Justification
William Godfrey: “While this doctrine is of tremendous theological importance and can be a subject of deep scholarly study, here are five truths all God’s people should know about the doctrine of justification.”
Do Paul and Jesus disagree? (Video)
Some people are sure they see disagreements between the teaching of Jesus and Paul. Guy Waters explains why that’s not the case.
Why Do the Theologians Rage?
“We watch Paul’s warning in Galatians 5:15 unfold: ‘But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.’ Hyperbole, straw-manning, and intellectual suspicion poison the tongues of some of our most popular theologians. Why have theological leaders given in to cultural division? What can we do about it?”
Plugged In?
This article employs a metaphor to help us understand why we so desperately need the Holy Spirit.
Flashback: Do You Have the Faith to be Faithful?
Today I want to consider what it means to have an exemplary faith, the kind of faith that, if imitated by others, will lead them to become more like Christ. Do you have that kind of faith? If people imitate you, will they in fact be imitating Jesus? This is no small challenge!

The will of God is always good; but the fact is, his will remains always inscrutable to us mere mortals. —Harold Senkbeil

Part of the joy of reading biography is having the opportunity to learn about a person who lived before us. An exceptional biography makes us feel as if we have actually come to know its subject, so that we rejoice in that person’s triumphs, grieve over his failures, and weep at his death.
There is a sense in which the Bible is a biography, in which it is the story of God. It reveals God by describing what he has done and what he has said, for if the living God is to be known, “He must make Himself known, and He has done this in the acts and words recorded in Scripture.”
The Bible begins with God speaking: “Let there be light.” And the Bible ends with God speaking: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20). Between those two declarations are 66 books; 1,189 chapters; and just over 31,000 verses, each of which exists to tell us who our God is and what our God has done.
If we are to know God, he must make himself known. Through Scripture he has done exactly that. What a blessing, what an honor, and what a privilege that God has spoken and made himself known, for this is his grace to us.