Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include as massive list from Zondervan. Don’t miss it!
(Yesterday on the blog: The Secret of a Blessed, Useful Life)
What Do Israel’s Food Laws Have to Do with Our Holiness?
“When we get to Leviticus in our Bible reading plans, how many of us read every word of chapter 11? It’s not most people’s idea of engaging literature. The Lord provides a long list of which animals were ritually pure and which were ritually impure. The pure ones could be eaten; the impure ones couldn’t. If we do make it through the list, one of the first questions we ask is ‘Why? What makes an animal pure or impure?’ Interpreters have ventured various guesses.”
Avoiding Quick Repairs in Counseling
This article encourages Christian counselors to resist the temptation toward quick repairs.
Is creation worth fighting about?
“In the creation vs. theistic evolution debate, there are a lot of Christians who aren’t prepared to pick a side. They aren’t loyal to 6 days or billions of years, perhaps believing they need a theology or science degree to be qualified to take a stand. They don’t want to be forced to pick one team over the other. However, when the question is ‘Does this matter?’ then not picking a side is still picking a side. Refusing to choose is only legitimate if this is no big thing. So is it really no big thing… or is it huge?”
50+ Free Teaching Series in the Ligonier App
The Ligonier Ministries app lets you carry a theological library wherever you go. More than 50 teaching series are available to stream for free. And for a limited time, app users can freely stream Jason Helopoulos’ new series, Created for Worship. If you haven’t already, make sure you update the app to unlock helpful new features. Now you can search Ligonier’s deep library to find biblical teaching even more easily. (Sponsored Link)
A Letter to the Anxious Christian
Blake has a letter to the anxious Christian. That probably describes all of us from time to time…
Does Jesus tell us we “can’t get no satisfaction”?
John Beeson: “Sexual sin begins with our heart and moves to our imagination and only then to our actions. There was never a person in the history of the world who committed sexual sin who didn’t initiate that sin in his heart and then his imagination.”
What Does Using ChatGPT Look Like for Christians?
Writing for TGC India, Akshay Rajkumar writes about ChatGPT. “Yesterday’s science fiction is today’s reality. Such power is too wonderful for us, too lofty for us to contain. What are we to make of it? What does wisdom look like in a world of increasing artificial intelligence? How should Christians think about using ChatGPT?”
Flashback: Why Are You Friends with Your Friends?
When there is benefit to be gained by our associations we gladly proclaim people our friends. But when that association threatens to bring us shame, we quickly deny them. Why?

The very easiest way to give resurrection to old corruptions is to erect a trophy over their graves; they will at once lift up their heads and howl out, “We are alive still.” —C.H. Spurgeon

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Reformed Free Publishing Association who also sponsored the blog this week with the article “Comforting and Doctrinal Devotions for Children.” They are giving away 10 free copies of I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 for Children.

“What is your only comfort in life and death?
That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…”
 So begins the first question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism. I Belong: Heidelberg Catechism Question and Answer 1 for Children, a new picture book by Joyce Holstege, takes this question and answer and breaks it into sections. Throughout the book, Joyce explains each comforting phrase of the answer in language that is understandable to young children. 
How to use the book
We recommend that you make use of I Belong as a devotional and read a devotion each day with your young children especially. All together there are twenty-two devotions in the book. 
Here’s a sneak peek at part of the very first devotion:
It’s comforting to belong to God because you know he will care for you. The Bible tells you that when you pass through the deep waters and when you walk through the fire, God will be with you.
Features
Joyce’s goal for the book was that it be a blessing to both children and their parents, and that it spark discussion and thought-provoking questions during times of family devotions. In addition to the devotion on each spread, there are some other great features in the book that will foster these conversations:

Scripture verses: every devotion closes with a simple verse or portion of a verse that is easy to memorize and that will help children remember the comforting doctrinal truths in the devotion. Here are a couple of examples:

Psalm 51:2 – “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” from the devotion, “But if I belong to God, why do I need a savior?”
Matthew 10:30 – “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” from the devotion, “Since I belong to God, God has planned everything for my life.”

Illustrations: each spread of the book has a beautiful full-page illustration, created by Meagan Krosschell, a young artist from Randolph, Wisconsin. These colorful illustrations of a diverse group of children will capture children’s imaginations as they learn what it means to belong to their faithful Savior.

Takeaways: reading thought these brief summaries of each devotion (found on the same side of the spread as the illustration) are another great way to help children remember what they have learned.

Here’s what others are saying about the book
I love using this book as a devotional with our 5 year old…There are many times we stop and start our reading, as she remarks or has a question, showing an ability to grasp these truths in her young mind and heart…This book is a gem for those who want to impress upon their child’s heart that this world and everything in it belongs to God – and most importantly that we live to serve and praise our Creator God!
~HollyF on Amazon
My children ask me to read this book to them every night…Using this book has provided a wonderful opportunity for many thoughtful discussions about how we belong to God, who God is, Jesus dying on the cross, what it means to be a righteous child of God, what Heaven is like, and much more…As [we] read, I know they are understanding and learning about God and doctrine, but they are also able to begin memorizing this important Q&A of the Heidelberg Catechism.
~Randy Kuiper on Amazon
Enter here
Again, there are 10 copies to win. To enter the drawing, just drop your name and email address in the form below. This will add you to Reformed Free Publishing Association’s mailing list.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway will end on October 31st, 2022.

This week, the blog is written by Michael Reeves, and sponsored by Reformation Fellowship. Dr. Reeves is President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology in Oxford and Bridgend, United Kingdom.

I’m thrilled to invite you to be part of something new happening this November. My friends Dane Ortlund, Philip Ryken, Jeff Norris, Gwenfair Adams, and Bradley Green are joining with me to begin Reformation Fellowship. Over two days, November 11–12, 2022, we will gather at Perimeter Church, Atlanta, for teaching, fellowship, worship, and prayer.
There are many great conferences and events every year. Why come to this one?
As I travel around the world, I so often meet Christians who are weary and lonely. Others are theologically homeless or rootless. I frequently hear from pastors and leaders that they feel unsupported and isolated in ministry. Believers desperately need other believers: in their churches, in their local areas, and even sharing in partnership across oceans. Conferences of various kinds can be a great encouragement, but they usually come round but once a year and leave us all wanting more. This Fall, we want to do something different: we want to establish an ongoing fellowship. A supportive network of friendships and partnerships that stretch far beyond a one-off event and play a part in sustaining us all day to day for years to come.

People of the Gospel
The heart of true Christian unity has always been the gospel, far more than any group identities, denominational alignments, or cultural agendas. So, when we gather in Atlanta, our theme will be The Gospel: Our Hope, Our Banner. It is under the banner of the gospel that Christians find true unity and deep fellowship. Drawn by the Father’s revelation of himself, redeemed by the Son, and having hearts transformed by the Holy Spirit, we are able to stand firm amid all that comes against us, and stand together shoulder to shoulder – even amid our differences.
For two days, we will gather and enjoy plenary teaching sessions and breakout tracks. We won’t simply talk about the gospel or merely download content about the gospel; we will revel in it together. We want to minister to the hurting, to lift drooping hands, to strengthen weak knees. We want to initiate true fellowship that will extend into the days ahead. We will prioritise praying together in breakout tracks (serving pastors, women, theologians, and others) and we will be forming groups for ongoing mutual support and fellowship beyond the conference. We will be fuelling your Christian life and ministry with our magazine, podcast, online gatherings, and more into the future. Our aim is that everyone who attends will leave with new friendships, as a band of brothers and sisters shaped and formed by the gospel.
In Reformation Fellowship we will support each other as people of the gospel together. I would love to welcome you to be a part of it.
Book now.