This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective, and the post is written by Jared C. Wilson.
“It doesn’t really matter if I can ‘dress it up;’ I just have to have the facts right.”
I’ve heard some variation of that sentiment a number of times over the years, more lately while teaching my writing course at Midwestern Seminary. Some Christians are committed to the idea that the quality of writing isn’t really all that Christian a concern. What really matters is quality doctrine. Maybe they’re drawing from Paul’s words about the gospel not relying on eloquence (1 Cor. 2:1-2). Maybe they’re drawing from a perceived tradition in evangelicalism of suspicion toward artistry. But whatever the reason, many seem to think how we write is not all that important.
I will agree that how we write is not nearly as important as what we write. The simplest, most ineloquent person in the world can still wield the supernatural power of change if he can articulate the true gospel of Jesus. But the supreme importance of what we communicate does not negate the importance of how we communicate. Most evangelicals understand this experientially as it pertains to preaching and singing—or even just regular communication (e.g., “speaking the truth in love”)—but when it comes to the written word, I don’t know if enough have thought about the reasons for pursuing excellence in articulation. Here, then, are four reasons Christians should care about good writing:
No Christian writer can make the gospel more or less powerful; it already is the power of salvation for those who believe. But we can make it look more or less powerful with how we write about it.Jared C. WilsonShare
Our neighbor’s care
When we take the care to write excellently, we show kindness to our readers—who are our neighbors, biblically speaking—by not frustrating or challenging them with dense prose, clunky phrasing, or boring expressions. Avoiding cliches and dull illustrations is one way we can write with our neighbor’s enjoyment in mind. Certainly, in Christian writing, we care most about communicating the goodness of God and the truth of Christ Jesus. That is the ultimate act of love. But by taking care also to communicate the beauty of the gospel in beautiful ways, we help our neighbors not just see how the word of God is factually true but emotionally and spiritually true as well. Christian writers should care about not boring or irritating their readers because they love their readers as they love themselves.
Our ministry’s excellence
Anything worth doing—especially worth doing in the name of Jesus—is worth doing well! “Whatever your hand finds to do,” Ecclesiastes 9:10 encourages us, “do it with all your strength.” In a day when quality workmanship is suffering in nearly every sphere of the marketplace, how much more should those who represent the good news of Jesus work in such a way that exemplifies thoughtfulness, intelligence, and creativity. Now, in the evangelical world, particularly in the West, creativity for a long time has been elevated to idolatrous status, but this does not mean we shouldn’t value creativity at all! Christian writers should work at their craft, becoming excellent in their work, the same way other artists and tradesmen improve at theirs. Quality work validates the sincerity and the passion of the worker. When a Christian writer pursues excellence, he shows by the effort that he really believes this stuff!
The Bible’s example
Have you ever noticed that the Bible doesn’t read like a toaster manual? Across 66 books from a variety of authors in a variety of contexts, in a variety of genres—history, poetry, prophecy, letters—God’s holy word reflects an artistry and beauty in full splendor. The Bible is so well written! And if the biblical writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, cared about producing well-written content, shouldn’t we? If they wrote with passion and artistry, shouldn’t we?
The gospel’s adornment 
When I am about to preach or teach somewhere, I sometimes post a social media update with this prayer: “Jesus, be big!” Every now and again, I will have someone chastise me for this expression. “We don’t make Jesus big; he’s already big,” they will say. Of course, I agree. By my prayer, I don’t mean that you or I can make Jesus anything. We don’t make him Lord. He already is Lord. We don’t make him glorious. He already is glorious. But I am praying that Jesus will be seen as big in the hearts of those who are present at the event. That Jesus is already “big” doesn’t mean he is always seen by everyone that way. I like to think of my preaching (and my writing) as efforts to magnify the glory of Christ. In a way, what good Christian writing does is adorn the glory of the gospel. No Christian writer can make the gospel more or less powerful; it already is the power of salvation for those who believe. But we can make it look more or less powerful with how we write about it. Similarly, we don’t make God glorious, but we still give him glory. We still sing and preach about him in such a way that we are ascribing glory to him. That’s how Christian writers should write.

There are more good reasons for Christian writers to pursue excellence, but these four are primary to my artistic pursuit. Perhaps you will find them encouraging in your pursuit of writing as well. If you are—or if you know—a Christian writer, you can find much more along these lines in my brand new book The Storied Life: Christian Writing as Art and Worship. Whether you’re an aspiring author, a regular preacher, or just like to dabble in creative writing or daily journaling, The Storied Life is written with you in mind. It’s available from Zondervan Reflective wherever Christian books are sold.

It’s impossible to avoid the advertising and impossible to miss the claims. Sports are great, they say, but do you know what makes them even better? Adding a little wager. Sports are exciting, they say, but even more exciting when you’ve got a bit of money riding on them. So why not enjoy them all the way? Just download our app and try it out. It’s easy. It’s harmless. And it’s so much fun.
In the past few years, sports betting has exploded into the mainstream. You can’t watch a game without seeing ads for it and, if you’re within their target audience, you can’t surf the web or visit an app store without seeing the banners. If you’re a man, and especially if you’re a young man, they’re after you. They want you. And they know you’re vulnerable.
But young man, I want to encourage you: Don’t consider it. Don’t do it. Don’t even make that first bet. I’m going to give you four reasons that betting is not only unwise but also sinful—four reasons that you should avoid it altogether.
First, betting is an expression of idolatry. We all understand what it is to have a discontented spirit and to want to have more than we do now. Yet God commands us to be content with what he has provided. And, even better, he also promises to provide all that we need. Ultimately, we are to be content in him, no matter what we have or don’t have. Betting is a sure sign of discontentment and proof that you have an idolatrous relationship with money—proof that you are looking to money to provide what God wants you to derive from your relationship with him. “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).
Second, betting represents an illicit form of gain, not one that receives God’s blessing. God means for us to work to earn money, not to gamble for it. “He who tills his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows empty pursuits will have poverty in plenty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:19-20). Betting is the ultimate form of “making haste to be rich” instead of laboring to have enough. God does not sanction gambling as a means of gaining wealth. He will not bless it.
God does not sanction gambling as a means of gaining wealth. He will not bless it.Share
Third, betting is a failure to love others. God calls us to love others and to always seek their good. Yet by definition, betting is a form of taking rather than giving. It is not the exchanging of goods or services for money, but the enriching of one person through the impoverishment of another. You can only win when somebody else loses. Hence, to win at betting may be a greater evil than to lose at it, for in losing at least you are only victimizing yourself. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Betting is not loving, not just, and not merciful.
Fourth, betting is dangerous. All sin is progressive and all sin aims at the uttermost. The invitation to sin in a small and seemingly harmless way is actually an invitation to sin in the greatest and most substantial ways. Adultery begins with just a peek and murder begins with just an angry thought. In that vein, the invitation to make even a small bet is actually the invitation to theft, to addiction, and to financial catastrophe. “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent … For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors” (Proverbs 1:10, 17-19).
I don’t mean to deny the claims that betting makes sports more exciting. If you’ve ever participated in a really good fantasy league, you’ve probably experienced a kind of “enhancement” to sports that makes them all the more exciting. But what you need to know is that everything in this world is ultimately disappointing. The greatest thrills still fall short of what we long for. Hence, there will always be an element of disappointment or dissatisfaction. That’s true of sex, true of drugs, true of gambling, and true of everything else. You would almost think that God has purposely put dampers on even the greatest pleasures to help us understand that nothing in this world will ultimately satisfy our restless souls—and, of course, to cause us to look beyond this world. And should you win thousands or millions, even that thrill will soon fade and your heart will continue to be restless and discontent.
So, my friend, don’t listen to their lies. Don’t let them persuade you. Don’t make that first bet.
But if you are unpersuaded and choose to disregard me—if you go ahead and make that first bet—I have a hope for you. I hope that you’ll lose badly. Losing badly would be God’s grace in your life and his means of warning you away from much more dire consequences. As De Witt Talmage said a very long time ago, “The only man who gambles successfully is the man who loses so fearfully at the start that he is disgusted and quits. Let him win at the start, and win again, and it means farewell to home and heaven.”

This week the blog is sponsored by Reformed Free Publishing Association. This post is about their children’s magazine, Ignited by the Word.

Ignited by the Word is a quarterly-published, Christian children’s magazine split into sections for three different grade levels: PreK–2nd grade, 3rd–5th grade, and 6th–8th grade. Whether you are looking for Bible stories to read to your preschooler, stories about the heroes of the faith for your ten-year-old, or a set of daily devotions for your young teenager, Ignited by the Word is the magazine for you and your children!
Why a children’s magazine?
Jesus told his disciples to let children (little children!), come unto him. He also said that his kingdom belonged to children such as these whom he held in his arms and blessed.
Our goal for every issue of Ignited by the Word is to bolster the faith of God’s dear children as they live in this world. By bringing the truths of the Bible and the Protestant Reformation into every part of their lives, we also bring them closer to their heavenly Father and closer to each other.
What can readers expect to find in the magazine?
You can find just about everything in Ignited by the Word! Here are some of our favorite rubrics:
He Shall Purify – Devotions: these are the three sets of devotions in each issue, one for each grade level. This rubric instructs children and teens about their creator and heavenly Father, applies Bible passages to their young lives, and encourages them in their daily walk as Christians.
Here I Stand – Defense of the Faith: a rubric where pastors, teachers, and other believers explain Christian fundamentals like abiding in Christ, unconditional election, and brotherly love to children and young teens, encouraging readers to stand firm for the truth and live new and holy lives.
Creation Connection – The Beauty of the Earth: there is so much to learn about God’s creation! From the twinkling of each star above to the beauty of tiny butterflies to the grandeur of mighty mountains, every creature glorifies its Creator. This rubric leads children to join all of creation in praising his great name.
The best part?
Four times each year, the latest issue of Ignited by the Word is delivered to the mailboxes of children living in nine countries and all over the United States!
No matter how digital our world becomes, children will always find it exciting to receive something in the mail. A hard copy of the magazine also means children of all ages will get the added fun of completing the Spark Your Interest activities at the back of each issue–these include word finds, coloring pages, arts and crafts, and more!
Subscribe today
If you have children or grandchildren, a subscription to Ignited by the Word will be an invaluable resource to gift in the new year. And don’t forget about the children at your church, down the street, or halfway around the world!
A yearly subscription includes four highly-engaging, faith-focused issues designed for Christian children of all ages. Visit ignitedbytheword.org and subscribe today!
And as a thank you for subscribing, we will send you our devotional ebook, Preparing for Dating and Marriage: A 31-Day Family Devotional by Cory Griess—absolutely free!