Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

It’s a holiday here in Canada (as well as in the US, as I understand it). So I’m taking it easy by posting only A La Carte today instead of also posting a new article.

Today’s Kindle deals include a lot of different books that range across many different publishers, authors, and topics.

Mark Vance offers some guidance for those whose dating relationship has begun online. “Whether the couples first ‘meet’ each other on Instagram or pursue a relationship through a dating app, our digital world is reshaping how we date and whom we marry. As I counsel those seeking to wisely navigate online dating, I offer a few principles to guide them.”

“I have worshiped a bag of chips. I have also worshiped a bowl of yogurt with the right number of macros. I have worshiped an hour of uninterrupted sleep. I have worshiped a number on the scale.  I have worshiped a number in my bank account. … And on and on the list goes.”

What a tragic and misguided statistic! “For every American who believes they’re going to Hell, there are 120 who believe they’re going to Heaven.”

“Unconfessed sin causes more damage inside us than simple regret or guilt. No matter how staunchly defended or tightly guarded, it poisons our thoughts and skews our perspective.”

We are accustomed to saying that face-to-face communication is necessarily superior to the alternatives, but Mikey Lynch offers a few cases in which that may not be true. Church leaders should take note.

Dan writes about a few of the sins we may be tempted to ignore or justify.

Where are you tempted to lower your guard? Where are you allowing the world just a crack into your heart and your mind? This may be the means through which you are being conformed to the world.

Unless God is rightly taught and highly honored, our ministries are nothing more than glorified babysitting services.
—Sam Luce & Hunter Williams

This sponsored post was provided by Burke Care, and written by Cameron Woodall , which invites you to schedule care today with a certified biblical counselor.
“But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.” – 2 Samuel 11:27b 
This verse comes after one of the most famous stories in the Bible. King David abuses his authority and privilege by bringing a married woman, Bathsheba, in his palace with the intention of committing adultery. Then, after learning she is pregnant, he orchestrates the murder of her husband to cover his sins. Once Bathsheba mourns the death of her husband, she is brought into David’s house to become his new wife. This, collectively, is the “thing” that displeased the Lord; indeed, it was pure evil (Psalm 51:4). And based on God’s justifiable displeasure, the verdict we would expect from His judgement seat might sound like, “The Lord sent ruin to David.”  But something unexpected follows…
“The Lord sent Nathan to David.” – 2 Samuel 12:1a
Unless we linger, it is easy to overlook the profound grace that is in this sentence. God sent an advocate, the prophet Nathan, to reveal something in David’s heart he could not see himself; he was no longer chasing the Lord, he was chasing idols. Nathan uses a clever story to function as a mirror, reflecting the sin in David’s heart in a way David could not see prior. But God’s goal here was restorative, and in six Hebrew words, the heart of a heavenly Father is put on display. It truly was God’s exposing love that led David to repentance. Without question, the Lord was displeased with David; the abuse of power, the adultery, the lies, and murder, but still His movement towards David and the exposure of his heart was not punitive…it was redemptive. As Biblical Counselor, Jim Pocta, often says, “God’s love is both exposing and embracing.” God’s commitment to David was not contingent on David’s commitment to God. David was the Lord’s own possession; the Lord Almighty was with him (2 Sam. 5:9), he was chosen by God (1 Sam. 16:1), and a man after God’s heart (Acts 13:22). Ironically, David, though once a shepherd, had lost sight of God’s grace and the Good Shepherd brought him back into the fold. 
Consequently, these words reveal a profound truth relevant for us today.
At our worst, God gives us His best. — Mike Wilkerson; Redemption, p.67 
As sons & daughters adopted by God we may, at times, invoke our Father’s displeasure, but never His dis-ownership. For as the Lord sent Nathan to David, so also, the Lord sent Christ to us. “…the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). It truly is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. 
“This is what the work of grace aims at – an even deeper knowledge of God, and an even closer fellowship with Him. Grace is God drawing us sinners closer and closer to himself” – J.I. Packer
If you feel far from the Lord over your sin, if shame feels like the theme of your story, Burke Care would love to walk alongside you. 
Father, You have sent Your helper, Your Holy Spirit to guide and direct me. He is the power in my life to change my heart. Thank you for placing the Holy Spirit in me as I await Jesus’ return. You, Father, are the only one who has promised to come and get me out of exile. Show Yourself faithful to Your promises. I cling to Your righteousness and goodness. Amen!
Application questions:

How has God shown his patience and mercy towards you in the past by not punishing you for 100% of your wrongdoing?
Does a sense of injustice arise in your heart when you consider things to be unfair?
How would you rather God treat you when you knowingly violate one of His commands or statutes?

Grace and peace to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include just a couple of not-all-that-exciting books (at least in my judgment).
(Yesterday on the blog: Are You a Lover of Good?)
Lifetimes in Landscapes
This is a really nice piece of writing. “His wide gait pulled him across the threshold and into the room bathed in soft blues and yellows filtering through the stained glass window. Quietly, he shuffled towards a back seat. He grew up in the foothills of the forest. Where the horizon disappeared behind the blue ridges. He’d spend his days with his eyes lifted towards the clouds that kissed the forehead of the mountaintops.”
Immature Defenses of ‘Mature’ Sexual Content in Movies
Cap Stewart writes about some of the immature ways we can respond to sexual content in our entertainment.
Stop Filling Every Quiet Moment with Scrolling
I appreciate and commend articles like this one, though I am not very optimistic when it comes to our desire to actually follow the counsel. At least, not for very long.
Standing Firm in a Culture of Gender Confusion
Chris Priestley: “I pastor a church in West Virginia, the final frontier for every trend, fad, and advance of progressivism. Yet, even out here, the confusion of gender ideology has arrived and sunk its roots deep into our culture.”
Will We Work in Eternity?
Will we work in eternity? John Piper offers six pointers and one caution as he answers the question.
The Role You Wanted vs. The Role You Got
“What makes our roles interesting as Christians, as players of God’s own script, is not our natural desire to keep on sinning, even if that makes for a more exciting or intriguing-on-the-surface character. What makes us interesting in an even more powerful sense is our long-term faithfulness, obedience, and bending to God’s will for our lives. It’s our uniquely Christian attitude toward the hand we’ve been dealt in life (our given role in this play) and our trust that the Director made the right casting decision.”
Flashback: Thank God For Your Job (Doesn’t Matter What Your Job Is!)
As you enjoy rest from your labors, why don’t you take a bit of time to thank God for your labors. No matter what they are, they are evidence of his kindness and mercy toward you.

God has given no pledge which He will not redeem, and encouraged no hope which He will not fulfill. —Charles Spurgeon