A La Carte (February 21)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Westminster Books has rounded up 13 new and noteworthy books by Lexham Press and is offering them at a discount. Looking at the list, I want to commend Lexham for their great cover designs!
As I do each day, I have collected some articles that I found both interesting and informative. I hope they’ll bless you as they blessed me.
Stephen McAlpine considers how Christians need to think and live differently now that cultural tailwinds have become cultural headwinds. “It’s well documented in the West, though perhaps not described in this way, that the Christian faith has enjoyed cultural tailwinds for quite some time. Such a period of time in fact, that the Western church has perhaps normalised what it means to have a slight competitive advantage in the race.”
One thing we need to do as much as ever at a time of cultural change is speak to our children about gender issues. Ellen Mary Dykas guides parents into several important conversations and types of conversation.
Coram Deo is a Latin phrase meaning “before the face of God.” The phrase is often associated with John Calvin and other Reformers who summoned the Christian to live all of life in God’s presence (Ps. 56:13). More specifically, pastors have been charged in the presence of God to preach the word (2 Tim. 4:1-2). This conference aims to remind pastors of our great God, to recharge the preacher for teaching with clarity and conviction, and to reinvigorate the weary soul for a life of ministry faithfulness before the face of God. (Sponsored Link)
I know it sounds a little odd, but Brianna wants you to be a bit more awkward at church. And, for what it’s worth, I agree with her.
Aaron Armstrong: “Genuine ‘mountaintop experiences’ are good things, but they are not everything. And what we need to remember is that God’s presence with us is not defined by how we feel. He is with us even when we’re not aware of his being with us at all.”
“Whatever its origin, I think ‘tinder’”’ is a vivid, clarifying image. I need to learn I’m carrying ‘tinder’ around inside me. I’m like a vehicle that transports chemicals, that needs a haz-chem symbol on the outside. I need a ‘highly flammable’ sticker slapped on me.”
Alan D. Strange unpacks that familiar phrase “separation of church and state.”
“Go. Get out of here. You’re lost—don’t come back until you’ve found yourself.”
Hope as much as ever a man can hope; for when your hope is in God you cannot hope too much.
—Charles Spurgeon
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A La Carte (June 20)
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
I continue to add Kindle deals most days. We are spoiled to have access to so many good books at so low a cost! Be sure to consider David Gibson’s Living Life Backward.
(Yesterday on the blog: Do You Envy the Wicked?)Simonetta Carr offers some helpful words on supporting the caregivers in your church. “Mine is just one of many stories of caregivers looking for support in their churches. Their needs are as varied as their circumstances, but they all long for lasting encouragement and true understanding.”
Justin Taylor doesn’t update his blog all that often, but when he does he always has something good to say. In this article, he introduces the man who was responsible for introducing American Evangelicals to C.S. Lewis.
Jesus tells his followers to take up their cross and follow him. Randy Alcorn says, “This is arguably the single greatest—and hardest—passage on self-denial in all of Scripture. Jesus tells us to lose our lives for His sake. He commands us to deny ourselves.”
“There might be days when you feel that you are so close to Jesus. You cannot help but sing as you walk along, and you love to pray and read the Bible. Yet there are other days that this is not the case. It feels like your prayers are bouncing back off the ceiling and you lose the motivation to serve that you had at previous times.”
Chris writes about the power and the danger of habit. “Have you noticed this? It’s so much easier to build a bad habit than a good one, and so much easier to break a good habit than a bad one. Why is it easier to pick up bad words than to delete them from your vocabulary? Why is it easier to become a pessimist than an optimist? Why is it so easy to break your habit of daily Bible reading but so hard to put down your phone?”
If you’re interested in doing some slightly more academic reading, you may want to consider the new issue of CBMW’s journal Eikon. It offers a wide variety of articles, reviews, and other material.
What should you do when you begin feeling discontent at your church? … I’d like to offer just a few suggestions that I hope you’ll consider and put into practice.
We are saved by the gospel of God to worship the God of the gospel.
—Fred Sanders -
A Whole Batch of New Books for Kids
Every month I put together a roundup of new and notable books for grownup readers. But I also receive a lot of books for kids and like to put together the occasional roundup of these books as well. So today I bring you a whole big batch of new books for kids.
Little Me, Big God: Stories about Jesus: Eight True Stories from the Bible by Steph Williams. “How many people did Jesus feed with one boy’s lunch? Why did a dad run down a road? What happened when Jesus’s disciples stopped some children who wanted to talk to him? And why did Jesus die on a cross? Enjoy reading eight Gospel stories, retold in a faithful and fun way for 2-4-year-olds. Toddlers and preschoolers will love the colorful, exciting illustrations, and older ones can get to grips with the “extra bits” that go deeper into each story. This hardback collection of eight stories from the ‘Little Me, Big God’ series is a great addition to any young child’s bookshelf or children’s ministry range and makes an ideal gift. Can also be used in children’s ministry.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
It’s Good to Be a Girl: A Celebration of All That God Made You to Be by Jen & Zoe Oshman. “This beautifully illustrated book celebrates that God made girls in his image and explores all the wonderful things he designed them to be and to do. Girls aged 3-7 will learn that they are good and necessary, how God calls different women to do different things, and how trusting in Jesus is the key to help us love and serve others wherever we are. Follow along as a little girl learns from her mother all about real women from the Bible and later history. Together they imagine lots of different ways in which we can reflect God’s character and help those around us today, whether that’s through being a mom or a missionary, a truck driver or a teacher!” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Your Amazing Hands: A Training Young Hearts Rhyming Book by Abbey Wedgeworth. “This charming rhyming book celebrates God’s good design for our hands, motivating children aged 3+ to use their hands to glorify God. Children will be inspired by all the creative and interesting things their hands can do―they can even use them to bring comfort and joy to others! They’ll discover that Jesus had hands just like ours and that he always used his hands in the most amazing ways, including to save us. Not only that: the way that Jesus used his hands means that we can be forgiven when we use our hands in the wrong way. Children are invited to pray for forgiveness when they make mistakes, and for help to use their hands in the ways God intends. The book’s fun rhyming style and colorful illustrations make it easy to engage with this life-altering message of repentance, forgiveness, and grace-fueled obedience.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
The Man in the Tree and the Brand New Start: A True Story about Zacchaeus and the Difference Knowing Jesus Makes by Carl Laferton. “Teach children that genuine faith in Jesus leads to a transformed life. Zacchaeus was very short, very rich, and not very happy, but his encounter with Jesus changed everything. In response to the grace Jesus showed him, Zacchaeus was transformed from the inside out. He repented, treasured Jesus above everything else, and showed kindness and generosity to others like never before. Use this story to teach children that only following Jesus will make them truly happy and fulfilled, and that genuine repentance and faith is demonstrated by loving others.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Jesus, Strong and Kind by Sinclair Ferguson. “Respected pastor and author, Sinclair Ferguson, uses the words of the popular children’s song to help kids understand that they can always run to Jesus in this beautifully illustrated book. Using the words from the popular children’s song by CityAlight and Colin Buchanan, and stories from the Bible, Sinclair Ferguson shows children how they can turn to Jesus when they feel afraid, lost, thirsty or weak. He shows that God is powerful and merciful, good and faithful. The beautiful colour illustrations by Angelo Ruta bring this hardback to life. An essential addition to any family’s library.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Abigail and the Big Start Over by Bethany McIlrath. “Like many kids, adventurous and creative 9-year-old Abigail experiences lots of ups and downs when it comes to school life, making friends, and getting along with parents and siblings. Through both the humorous and serious challenges that arise, Abigail finds herself in one new mess after another. But as she learns all about how Jesus forgave Peter when he messed up again and again, she sees how Jesus can forgive her too. Readers will explore the Bible alongside Abigail and learn that God’s love for us and his grace to us never run out. So we can start over again and again! This fun, exciting novel for kids aged 7+ features short chapters with illustrations that really bring the story to life. It explains grace in a kid-friendly way that is relevant to their lives, and it provides a great way for kids to engage with the Bible.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Jesus’ Stories: A Family Parable Devotional by Carine MacKenzie. “Beloved children’s author Carine Mackenzie unfolds the parables of Jesus for families to enjoy together. Carine Mackenzie, whose children’s books have sold millions of copies worldwide, takes the stories that Jesus used to teach his listeners about God’s way, and unpacks them in a way that the whole family can enjoy together. The short stories teach about things like prayer, forgiveness, and the Kingdom of God, and Carine’s knowledge of how to help children understand the meaning behind the story shines through. With beautiful colour illustrations, this book will be a great addition to your family’s library.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer Family Bible Devotional by Katy Morgan. “This devotional is a chance to take your family on a journey through the story of prayer in the Bible. It is based on the popular storybook by Laura Wifler, co-founder of Risen Motherhood, which explores prayer: from the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve talked with God face to face, through Old Testament examples and the teaching of Jesus, all the way to the promise of the new creation, where we’ll dwell with God forever. These 10-minute devotions are designed to be easy to lead and fun to do. They will help your family to learn to pray with confidence, anytime, anyplace. They are ideal for kids aged 5-11.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Cassie & Caleb Discover God’s Wonderful Design by Susan & Richie Hunt. “Boys and girls, from 5 to 8 years of age, will love the fun world of Cassie and Caleb, two energetic and inquisitive children discovering the beauty of God’s wonderful design. Through twenty beautifully illustrated short stories, followed by an interactive time between parent and child, your children will learn: The creational principle that ‘God created man in his own image . . . male and female he created them’ is extraordinary; That Jesus is in all of Scripture; that God’s Word is our authority and His Glory is our purpose; That when we belong to Jesus we belong to His covenant family, the Church; A Biblical framework for living and thinking. (Amazon, Westminster Books)
God’s Go-Togethers: A Celebration of God’s Design for People by Sam Allberry. “What special pairs are part of God’s good plan? Join siblings Lila and Ethan at the beach as they discover that God not only made the sand and sea to go together, but He made men and women to go together too. In fact, they’re the pinnacle of His good creation! In this colorful picture book–a follow-up to the book God’s Signpost–author Sam Allberry offers a thoughtful look at the biblical design for people. God’s Go-Togethers is a helpful foundation for explaining why God made men and women as a special pair to complement each other in marriage and beyond.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
Dinner with the King: How King David’s Invitation Shows Us God’s Love by Paul Tautges. “A scary invitation turns out to be very good news in this playfully illustrated, deeply biblical book for kids ages 5-9. Discover how David’s grace to Mephibosheth points to our gospel hope.” (Amazon, Westminster Books)
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How Jesus Really Feels About You
I am often surprised and dismayed when I hear Christians speak about the way God feels about them. So many believers live with the conviction that God is generally displeased with them, that he regards them with a sense of disappointment. They may even believe he has a sense of regret that he reached out to them and saved them. While they believe they are forgiven and will someday be accepted into heaven, they carry the sense that God will welcome them reluctantly and more out of a sense of obligation than delight.
The Heart of Jesus
A few years ago Dane Ortlund wrote Gentle and Lowly and I suspect both he and his publisher were as surprised as anyone to see it become nothing short of a phenomenon. It has already sold more than half a million copies and become a fixture on the list of bestselling Christian books. (And, frankly, if there is a single book out of the 50 on that list you’d want people to read, it would be the one!)
In Gentle and Lowly, Ortlund wrote about how God feels about his people. Sharing the best of the wisdom of the Puritans, he insisted that God’s deepest heart for his people is one of love, joy, gentleness, and mercy. God is tender toward his people, and caring, loving, affectionate, and compassionate. In other words, God is not at all the way so many imagine him to be. This was the message that resonated so deeply with so many Christians.
Ortlund’s new book, The Heart of Jesus: How He Really Feels about You is the same but different. It is essentially a concise version of Gentle and Lowly that is meant to make for faster and easier reading and perhaps to introduce the book’s concepts to a new audience. As it happens, it also serves as a refresher for those of us who read the fuller work and would like to be reminded of its highlights. It carries the best of the previous book but in a much more concise format.
As with its predecessor, The Heart of Jesus chooses not to focus on what God done (as beautiful and wonderful as that is) and more on who he is. It describes him as a God who loves us deeply even when we are at our worst, a God who has only love for us and no regrets. It describes him as he describes himself—gentle and lowly and always and forever inclined toward us with a heart of love. That’s a message we need to hear again and again and I’m thankful for this new way of communicating it.
