Good morning. May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
The Kindle deals continue today!
Westminster Books is offering deals on children’s books this week, including a sweet new one from Jonathan Gibson.

Probably all of us have wondered this at one time or another, whether to justify our own purchases or to pass condemnation on someone else’s.

I admire pastor Leonardo De Chirico and appreciate the stand he is taking in Rome. (You may need to have a free account at CT to read this one.)

I found this a really interesting one from Matthew Westerholm. He discusses how worship education (and, specifically, training people to lead worship in churches) has changed over the years.

“Show me a big dream if you’d like, but what really impresses me is the ordinary faithfulness of hidden saints.” Amen!

“I admire people who know how to say no. More specifically, I admire people who recognize that they have limits. People who know that, as much as they might want to, they can’t do everything. Whether it’s attending social gatherings, taking on special projects, or anything else you can think of, they know their priorities, and their limitations.” And amen to this as well!

Nick explains how and why you are probably WEIRDER than you think.

“Now this is me, not the Bible.” You are making it clear that you’ve gone from an area of absolute biblical clarity to an area of wisdom and conscience. You are ensuring that both you and he acknowledge the difference.

The deepest passion of the heart of Jesus was not the saving of men, but the glory of God; and then the saving of men, because that is for the glory of God.
—G. Campbell Morgan

This week Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by BJU Seminary. They are giving away a bundle of books, authored by their faculty and others, on why we believe the Bible and how we live true to it today. BJU Seminary equips Christian leaders through an educational and ministry experience that is biblically shaped, theologically rich, historically significant, and evangelistically robust.

Beyond Chapter and Verse: The Theology and Practice of Biblical Application by Ken Casillas
Do you struggle to connect the dots between the Bible and your life? While Christians instinctively want to apply Scripture, we encounter difficulties that can discourage us and diminish our engagement with God’s Word. Indeed, biblical application has suffered in various ways in the church—everything from neglect to abuse to contempt.
Responding to such challenges, Beyond Chapter and Verse provides a biblically based rationale for the practice of application and then proposes a biblically consistent method for application. The book is substantive but accessible, relevant for believers generally as well as preachers. It begins by sketching the broad theological context of Bible application, relating it to the gospel generally and to sanctification specifically. The heart of the study then synthesizes key Old and New Testament passages relative to the process of application. Building on this foundation, the book sets forth a sensible approach for arriving at legitimate applications of Scripture. A rich assortment of positive and negative case studies illustrates the method, motivating believers to apply the Scriptures for themselves.

The Trustworthiness of God’s Words: Why the Reliability of Every Word from God Matters by Layton Talbert
This is a book about God’s jealousy for His integrity, His passion to be believed, on the basis of His words alone. Throughout Scripture God expresses His determination to be known as the God who keeps His words. He has resolved that every person and nation will see and confess that all His words are reliable down to every last syllable, jot, and tittle. Learning to trust a God who is sovereign and in control, especially in the ache and throb of life, means hanging on to the conviction that everything He says is utterly dependable.
Knowing that God’s words are trustworthy and living it out can be two different things though, so as well as laying out the theological foundations, Layton MacDonald Talbert explores the practical applications. What does trusting God’s words look like in real life, and how has it played out in the experience of God’s people? Let Talbert show you how in tracing the reliability of God through history we can learn to trust Him with the future.

Why Believe?: A Reasoned Approach to Christianity by Neil Shenvi
For centuries, skeptics have disputed the claims of Christianity―such as belief in an eternal God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ―arguing that they simply cannot be accepted by reasonable individuals. Furthermore, efforts to demonstrate the evidence and rational basis for Christianity through apologetics are often deemed too simplistic to be taken seriously in intellectual circles.
Apologist and theoretical chemist Neil Shenvi engages some of the best contemporary arguments against Christianity, presenting compelling evidence for the identity of Jesus as portrayed in the Gospels, his death and resurrection, the existence of God, and the unique message of the gospel. Why Believe? calls readers from all backgrounds not only to accept Christianity as true, but also to entrust their lives to Christ and worship him alone.

Accessible without being simplistic: ideal for intellectuals and academics, as well as high school and college students
Well-researched: interacts with skeptical arguments against Christianity and God’s existence
Biblical: grounded in Scripture and centered on the claims of the gospel

Dangerous Affirmation: The Threat of “Gay Christianity” by M. D. Perkins
Since 1968, the LGBT movement has made significant inroads into the Christian church. The affirming church movement has become mainstream through the erosion of mainline denominations. Queer theology has taken hold in many academic settings. The emergence of “gay celibate theology” is causing confusion in evangelical churches through its appeal to modern psychology and LGBT-lived experience. How did we get here? What does the Bible say about all of this?
Dangerous Affirmation is an insightful analysis of the influence and spread of “gay Christianity.” Author M. D. Perkins exposes the way this movement handles theology, biblical interpretation, the church, personal and group identity, and political activism. While many Christians are being won over to this immoral cause, Dangerous Affirmation serves as a sober-minded call to faithfulness in the midst of cultural and religious chaos.
Enter Here

Easter will soon be upon us, and I know that many Christians will take the opportunity to specially reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are extremely well-resourced when it comes to books on the subject and I thought I’d list a few recommendations here. In each case I’ve linked to the appropriate page on Westminster Books, though you’ll certainly find most of them at other stores as well.

I will begin with some devotional works (most of which are meant to be read over the 30 or 40 days leading up to Easter), then provide some full-length books.

As for full-length books, here are some options:

There are many others besides, but this is at least a partial list of books that will bless you!