Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Angel of Patience)
Five Things I Learned as a Pastor’s Kid
Samuel James grew up a PK and offers a few of the lessons he learned along the way.
Will Few Be Saved?
“On several occasions the gospels record Jesus teaching that only a few will be saved (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14, and Luke 13:23). Careful readers of Scripture should begin to wrestle with how these passages found in the gospels fit together with other passages that teach that many will be saved.” So how can those be reconciled?
A Whale of a Story (Video)
“Humpback whales. They are among the largest and most magnificent creatures on Earth. But how did these warm blooded, air-breathing, fully aquatic mammals come into existence? Evolutionary scientists have long proposed a slow, gradual process driven by random mutations and natural selection. Yet, 21st century biology and genetics have clearly revealed that these naturalistic explanations are woefully inadequate. Instead, the most convincing evidence for their creation now points to intelligent design.”
Virtual Vocation
Gene Veith considers TikTokers and other influencers to consider whether what they do could be classified as a vocation in the Christian sense of the term.
Our escape room
In her latest column, Andrée Seu Peterson writes about an escape room, of all things.
In What Sense is Jesus a Nazarene?
“When you come to a passage that you don’t understand, it’s always a good idea to jot down a note to further study to learn what the text means. We encounter one such section of Scripture in the Advent readings in Matthew’s gospel: ‘And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.’ (Matt. 2:23)”
Flashback: For the Christian Who Is Afraid To Die
What we know of life after death we must know by faith. And what does the faithful heart believe about the experience of death? James Meikle beautifully tells us in these words.

Two sorts of peace are more to be dreaded than all the troubles in the world: peace with sin, and peace in sin. —Joseph Alleine

Whatever history may record about the church of this era, it certainly will not record that we had a shortage of Bibles or excellent resources to help us better understand the Bible. To the contrary, there is a host of faithful Bible translations in the English language and there are far more excellent resources than any individual could possibly read. We are richly blessed.

A new blessing is Crossway’s ESV Church History Study Bible which is meant to offer wisdom for the present by way of voices from the past. In other words, it offers commentary on the full text of the Bible that has been drawn from classic writers, theologians, pastors, and even poets. General editor Stephen Nichols explains in the Introduction. “Unlike in other study Bibles, the notes in the ESV Church History Study Bible have not been written by the editors. Instead, the notes have been compiled by a team of biblical scholars and church historians. The actual contributors of the notes are a varied group, stretching back from the first and second centuries and reaching forward to the twentieth century. These are theologians, pastors, poets, and laity, all offering their perspective on God’s Word. In the ESV Church History Study Bible we escape the tyranny of the present to see wisdom from the past.”
And while the notes from these historical figures is the main distinguishing feature, there are also brief introductions to each of the books, sidebars on certain passages that played a role in a key moment of church history, and then a series of articles that provide an overview of church history and an explanation of some of its dominant themes.

The ESV Church History Study Bible is intended to serve pastors and students, placing a wealth of teaching, insight, and encouragement from church history alongside the biblical text and within the covers of a single volume. The ESV Church History Study Bible is also intended to serve laity by introducing them to the vast riches of church history that can encourage and edify. The ESV Church History Study Bible stands as a reminder to all of us that we are part of one body, proclaiming one gospel, reading and studying one Bible, in obedience and service to one Lord and Savior.

Edited by Stephen J. Nichols, Gerald Bray, and Keith A. Mathison, with notes compiled by nearly twenty theologians and church historians, and containing the words of hundreds of Christian figures from the past, the ESV Church History Study Bible accomplishes its purpose well. It may not replace your favorite go-to study Bible, but I’m certain you’ll find that it complements it well. This is a resource I have been anticipating with eagerness and one I expect to turn to often.
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The Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Rest Takes Work)
The Wise Man Is In Town
“Where did we get the idea that the wisest among us dwell in seclusion in hard to reach places?” That’s a simple question and receives a great answer.
7 Reasons Guests Don’t Return
“It is encouraging to see visitors come into the church, but it can be discouraging when the vast majority seem to only be one-time visitors. Here is a list of possible reasons that may be helpful as you evaluate what is happening in your church.”
When Were Christians First Regarded as Intolerant “Haters”?
“In the midst of the high octane culture wars of the last ten years, Christians have been labelled all sorts of things: intolerant, bigoted, arrogant, narrow, dogmatic, just to name a few.” And how about “haters?” When did people first begin making that charge?
The 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023
“Sub-Saharan Africa—the epicenter of global Christianity—is now also the epicenter of violence against Christians, as Islamist extremism has spread well beyond Nigeria.” But, unsurprisingly, North Korea takes top spot.
What Does God Want Us to Continue?
Resolutions are great, but “sometimes we need to set our faces and purposes once again to continue something we’ve already started, to stay the course, to keep going.”
Should We Call God Mother?
Denny Burk carefully analyzes the argument of a new book.
Flashback: You Just Can’t Have It All
Though we know perfection is impossible, don’t we all sometimes still grow frustrated at the sheer messiness of Christian individuals and Christian churches? Don’t we all sometimes face the temptation to pack up and move on when our fellow believers act like the sinners they are?

In the Western mind, we work five days to earn the right to rest and play on the weekend. But God tells believers to start the week with rest before we work. In Scripture, rest is a gift, not a reward. —Dan Doriani