I want to remind you that my devotional book Understanding and Trusting Our Great God (which is the second volume in the Words from the Wise series) is releasing soon. It’s now available for pre-order!

Westminster Books is having a sale on some of their favorite books from the past 20 years. There’s something there for everyone!
There are a couple of good Kindle deals available as well.
Appeal for Religious Liberty to a Culture Embracing Pride Month
“I’m appealing to non-Christian friends. I want you to see that religion is core to who Christians are. Yes, we still want to be good neighbors. No, we’re not trying to manipulate American society for our own ends. But we cannot compromise our convictions. We believe America can still be a place that welcomes a plurality of ideas into the public square. It can be a place where tolerance is still maintained.”
Don’t Fall Into Ditches When It Comes to Preaching
“I’ve seen the danger of falling into one of two ditches when it comes to preaching. We do well to avoid both.” Darryl explains what they are.
Good Book Guides Giveaway: Enter for the Chance to Win 59 Bible Studies
Enter for a chance to win a set of 59 Bible studies from The Good Book Company, written by trusted teachers like Tim Keller, Ligon Duncan, Eric Mason, and more. (Sponsored Link)
A call for evangelism, and why it might be missing in the West
It’s a valid question: why are so many Christians so passive when it comes to evangelism?
The End of Exodus
Mitch explains why the deliverance from Egypt is not the climax of the book of Exodus. Something else is…
What If I Don’t Know When I Believed in Christ?
“I spiraled into a season of doubting my salvation in Christ. This severe doubt led me to sit in my pastor’s office where I heard an analogy from Spurgeon that continues to comfort me. And if you struggle with doubt and assurance, I trust this will aid you as it did me.”
If You Care About Spiritual Abuse, Watch Your Language
Trevin raises some very important points here. “If we really care about spiritual abuse, then we must push back against the dilution of the meaning of serious words. Otherwise, we create unhelpful expectations for life together in the church and the world.”
Flashback: The Lost Spiritual Discipline
In his classic work Holy Helps for a Godly Life, Richard Rogers draws out a spiritual discipline that has largely been lost and neglected in recent years—the discipline of watchfulness.

Our culture tells us that the problem is outside us and the solution is inside us. The gospel tells us that the problem is inside us and the solution is outside us. —Dane Ortlund

Good morning from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I’ve stopped just briefly as I make my way to Johannesburg, South Africa and, from there, to Kitwe, Zambia. I’ve got lots of miles still to go!

I forgot to mention that I added some Christian and general market Kindle deals yesterday. Eventually I’ll be looking for feedback on whether you’re enjoying the general market deals as well.
In Praise of the Tiny Church
“The tiny churches have so much more to offer God than we think. Many of us would consider a church of a dozen people to be hopeless. Many would claim that they should shut the doors and go elsewhere. But I have seen the greatness of God in the small places, in the few faithful members of little churches. Why would we ever believe that He only works where there are more people? Hasn’t He proven to us over and over again that He takes the small and the weak and He demonstrates His power in this way?”
Hey Christians: Let’s All Give Two Cheers For Nominalism
Here is an interestingly contrarian article about nominal Christians. “If you’re a Christian leader looking to evangelise, don’t celebrate the demise of nominal Christianity or seek to hasten it yourself, as if somehow that will give us a fresh slate. Churches and gospel faith die out completely in some parts of the world.”
Rob Ventura Interviewed on His New Commentary on Romans
RBNet Coordinator Mark Chanski interviews Rob Ventura about his new commentary saying that as he read it, the commentary reminded him of Spurgeon’s famous commentary on the Psalms entitled The Treasury of David. (Sponsored Link)
Gathering Application
This is a very helpful and challenging article about preachers and their application.
Why I’ve Stopped Using the Word “Gender”
Alan Shlemon explains why he has stopped using the word “gender” in conversations with others.
Man Shall Not Live by Online Bread Alone
“Friendship is the real thing. Social media is a supplement. The only reason social media gives you the feeling of friendship is because you already know what real friendship is.” Trevin explains why this matters to our participation in the local church.
Our Culture’s Unbelief (and Belief) in Sin
“Have you ever heard the adage, ‘Every day things change. But basically they stay the same’? The words first found my ears in the 1990s, in a song from the Dave Matthew’s Band. And I’d forgotten them until recently. Typically, these words suggest a sort of defeatism, a ‘stuckness’ in our life experience. But they might also help us discern our cultural moment by pointing out what we’re otherwise blind to.”
Flashback: The Song I Sing in the Darkness
Though the shepherd must lead his sheep into the darkness, lead them through an unknown valley, they will go, for he is with them. Their fears are soothed by his strength, their uncertainty by his presence.

If you have sensible parents, take them into your confidence in all the affairs of the heart. They will give you more good advice in one hour than you can get from all the world besides in five years. —De Witt Talmage

My gratitude goes to P&R Publishing for sponsoring the blog this week so they could tell you about a tremendous new resource: Perfect Unity by Ralph Cunnington.
Today’s Kindle deals include quite an extensive list of titles.
(Yesterday on the blog: Gospel Generosity)

This is a fascinating and thought-provoking article about the church.

Nathan Eshelman reimagines the famous “love chapter” in Corinthians. While he does so in ways specific to his denomination, I expect you will be able to make the bridge to your own.

Paul Levy celebrates Jesus and the way he draws us to himself. “He makes an offer you can’t refuse. You are not forcing yourself to believe, your arm is not twisted. We were drawn willingly by Jesus Christ. He calls us to believe by his Word and his Spirit.”

“You don’t have to be a hitman or tribal headhunter to use violence to serve your ambition. You can commit violence to someone’s name, reputation, or finances. Violence is a frame of mind before it is a physical act. It is an ends-justify-the-means philosophy. You harden your heart to the pain you inflict on others in order to advance yourself.”

Writing for TGC Canada, Dwayne Cline has a helpful look at the six responsibilities of the elders of every church. “God emphasizes the character traits He is looking for in an elder because an elder represents Him before the church and the world. Character can be easily overlooked when a church is desperate for leadership. Because God is concerned with His integrity and glory, character is of utmost importance.”

“I want to go deeper; I desire to have more robust communion with God. That’s the struggle for all Christians, isn’t it? Or, at the very least, it should be. We should all want deeper fellowship with the Lord. Every single one of us should sincerely desire to have a more profound experience with God. Deeper communion leads to deeper sanctification.”

We make our way more difficult when we give ourselves over to sin. Every sin is a weight, every vice a heavy load to our souls. Sin burdens the mind, clouds the judgment, afflicts the conscience.

Some preachers evidently do not believe that the Lord is with their gospel, because, in order to attract and save sinners, their gospel is insufficient, and they have to add to it inventions of men.
—Charles Spurgeon