Good morning, my friends. Grace and peace be with you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Blessings Lent Us for a Day…)
Three Questions for Evangelism
“There are times when as churches and pastors we make things more complicated than they need to be. I sometimes fear that evangelism is made out to be something that you need to learn, that there’s a magic course or a seminar out there that will unlock the hidden evangelist in you.” But it’s not nearly so complicated.
Why the NLT is Good, Actually
“It’s common in certain circles to hate on the New Living Translation. That hate is undeserved.” Tommy Keene explains why the NLT isn’t nearly as bad as some make it out to be.
Is There Such a Thing as Righteous Anger?
“Technically, of course, there is such a thing as an empty gun. But if you think it’s empty and you’re wrong, the consequences can be so tragic it’s better to just pretend that no gun is ever empty, except in very specific situations like cleaning or repairing it. I’m beginning to think we should have a similar attitude towards so-called ‘righteous anger.’”
Should You Watch The Chosen?
This is worth considering: “Ask yourself this question, and answer it honestly: if you were able to view actual recordings of the events in the Bible, would you still need the Bible, or because you could watch and listen to the events themselves, would you have a better revelation of God than the Scriptures?”
God is Frustrating
“God is governing, providing, preserving, pardoning, and saving. He is sustaining and guiding. And He is frustrating.” He is, indeed, as long as you’re thinking of the correct use of the word.
Peanut Butter & the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
“In a span of minutes, from when we gave our baby a taste of what we were sure would be his new favorite food to when his body rebelled, we were living in a different world. A more hostile world. Someone described the mental shift to me as though the color orange could send your child to the hospital: suddenly you notice it everywhere.”
Flashback: It’s All About the Conscience
Harold Senkbeil’s The Care of Souls is a book that has made a deep and immediate impact on me. I hope you’ll indulge me in another brief excerpt from it that I found particularly meaningful.

Where we always look for and request deliverance from suffering, the testimony of Scripture is mostly about what God wants to do for us in our suffering. —Jared C. Wilson

Good morning, at last, from downtown Recife. I look forward to spending the weekend with Primeira Igreja Presbiteriana do Recife. (I’ll be speaking to a men’s group there this evening at 7; if you’re a man and live in the area, feel free to attend.)

Blasphemy Then and Now
Carl Trueman examines charges of blasphemy against Monty Python then and now. “Opponents of blasphemy then and of blasphemy now share something in common: a concern to protect that which is sacred. But that is where the similarity begins and ends. Old-style blasphemy involved desecrating God because it was God who was sacred. Today’s blasphemy involves suggesting that man is not all-powerful, that he cannot create himself in any way he chooses, that he is subject to limits beyond his choice and beyond his control.”
How to Distinguish the Holy Spirit from the Serpent
Sinclair Ferguson turns to John Owen to explain how to distinguish very different kinds of promptings.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Leadership
“He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” —2 Samuel 2:23 (Sponsored Link)
How Much Should Pastors Make?
John Piper considers pastors and their salaries.
You Can Be Right and Wrong Simultaneously
“I’m sure you can relate to this experience. You’re in a discussion with someone, and they say something incorrect. It’s important enough that it should be set straight. So you begin to interact calmly, identifying their error and offering the correct understanding of the matter. But it’s not that easy.”
No They Can’t and Here’s Why
Anne Kennedy: “Work—meaningful work—which leads to accomplishment produces self-forgetfulness. You get caught up in whatever you’re doing and forget about yourself altogether. It is the common grace of God to give ordinary people momentary relief from the great burden of themselves through the various kinds of work that make life interesting and pleasurable. I think this must be one reason that most kinds of meaningful work have been destroyed, I assume by Satan, who wants you to think about yourself all the live-long day.”
The Rollercoaster
Patsy Kuipers tells about the rollercoaster nature of caring for a declining parent.
Flashback: Could You Use Some Joy Today?
…consider what God has given you, whether wealth, time, talents, or gifts, and consider how you can use them to express generosity to someone else. Consider how you can give to others what God has given you…

In the union of husband and wife their sexual drives are consecrated and directed to the spouse for mutual benefit instead of selfish gratification. —Harold Senkbeil

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of newer books and a selection of older ones.

Todd Friel’s Wretched is having a big sale on their digital and streaming products.
(Yesterday on the blog: Joni’s Songs of Suffering)
Every Step (Video)
I’m really enjoying this new song from CityAlight. Speaking of which, there’s a new CityAlight album available now.
The Bible in English
Stephen Nichols has put together a helpful little introduction to the history of the Bible in English.
Despite Claims Otherwise, Treatment for an Ectopic Pregnancy Is Not an Abortion
Randy Alcorn: “Unfortunately, since the overturning of Roe and Casey, there has been much misinformation on the internet and in the media about ectopic pregnancies, and claims that women will not be able to receive medically necessary treatment in states that have restricted elective abortion. This is a straw man and/or a red herring argument.”
A League of Their Own
WORLD has a review of the new Prime series “A League of Their Own.” The show appears to be yet another symptom of the modern world in which story is less important than ideology. “When rebooting A League of Their Own, Amazon Studios didn’t make a baseball ­comedy at all. Instead, the series is a lesbian romantic fantasy.”
Life in the Blood
Ed Welch reflects on these words from Jesus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
Wrecking Ball
“I sat on our front brick steps early the other morning, delighting in the cooler temperatures, inhaling the vibrant hints of fall. The robust spirit in the air seemed a nod toward future glory. Although autumn means death to leaves, such loss promises resplendent hues: rich, cinnamony reds, burnt orange, deep, buttery, yellows. This seasonal reminder is salve to my wounds. God’s promise is to never leave me nor forsake me. He faithfully turns the pages of life through all seasons. Pay attention–he is doing so even now.”
Flashback: Nurture Your Children
A key part of heeding God’s commission to “make disciples of all nations” is to make disciples of your own children. What value is there in saving the whole world but neglecting your own children?

However bitter the cup we have to drink, we are sure it contains nothing unnecessary or unkind; and we should take it from His hand with as much meekness as we accept of eternal life with thankfulness. —William Goodell