Here’s some news: Westminster Books has received their shipment of Seasons of Sorrow and has decided to ship it right away. So if you ordered from them, the book should be on its way. They have also made it their deal of the week so it’s a good time to order.

One Audiobooks has a free copy of Anne of Green Gables if you’d like it. (It’s still and always one of my favorite novels.)
Today’s Kindle deals include Dane Ortlund’s Deeper among others.
The “Good, Better, and Best” of Worship
“Throughout church history, there has been a tendency for serious, theologically-minded believers (and we should all want to be serious, theologically-minded believers) to fall into the trap of being overly critical of the way in which other believers approach the adiaphora circumstances of worship.” This is most certainly true.
For this Purpose I Raised You Up
“When we read God’s statement in scripture where he says, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up,’ commonplace religion has conditioned us always to expect the reason to be something positive for the person addressed.” But in what context does God use those words?
Money’s Not the Problem
“He sat in front of me, bitter and discouraged. His view of his life was that he had been dealt a bad hand. He hated the comfortable lifestyle of so many people around him, and he had long since given up any practical belief in the goodness of God. He had started out our time together by saying this: ‘I’m here to get your advice because my wife told me to get help or she would leave, but I don’t want you to talk to me about God.’”
Panic
There’s lots to think about in this article from Jake Meador as he considers Rod Dreher’s argument that it’s time for a moral panic.
If we don’t understand how people actually live, our solutions won’t really appeal
I suppose that’s common sense. But I think it’s still good to consider.
After Church Discipline: Comfort After Removing a Loved One from Membership
“With a heavy heart, I walked into the church building knowing what was about to take place. As a church, we were gathering together to exercise the final step of church discipline: removal from membership. When the call to vote came, I cast my head down and raised my hand to vote for removal.”
Flashback: The First Two Minutes Matter Most
Here’s the challenge: Determine right now that when the service ends, you will do your utmost to give the first two minutes to someone you don’t know or to someone you don’t know well…It’s the first two minutes that matter most.

If you show me a person whose life is governed by the Word of God, I will show you a person whose life is governed by the Spirit of God. —H.B. Charles Jr.

I once read of a terrible tragedy at sea, a shipwreck in which many were swept into the ocean and lost. As the ship foundered and splintered, as first the lower decks and then the upper succumbed to the winds and the waves, most of the passengers sank into the depths. But still fighting for their lives were a father and son who had been traveling together from the Old World to the New.

As the ship slipped lower and lower, the two scrambled into the rigging and began to climb upwards. But it was to little avail. The rains continued to pour down upon them and the waves continued to pound up against them. Though they clung tightly and with all the strength they had, the elements were set against them and they began to grow cold and weary. It was only a matter of time.
Then the moment came when, to his great horror, the father saw his son lose his grip and plunge into the sea. Before he could do anything more than cry out in grief and horror, a great wave crashed against him and he blacked out. As light gave way to dark, he knew only that his son had fallen and slipped beneath the waves.
Hours later the father, alive but exhausted, was rescued, plucked from the ocean by a passing ship. He was laid in a bunk where he lapsed into a deep unconsciousness. After a good bit of time had passed he awoke with a deep dread in his heart, overwhelmed by the grief of his terrible loss. But as he became aware, as his eyes opened and his senses cleared, he turned his head and saw lying beside him his very own son. What a glorious thing it was for him to wake up to see his son alive and well, saved from the storm, saved from death!
And my friends, what a glorious thing it will be on the day of resurrection when the trumpet blast wakes us from our slumber and when the cry of command calls us from the grave.
What a glorious thing it will be when we wake to find our loved ones beside us, emerging from the same cemeteries—the same plots even—to live forevermore.
What a glorious thing it will be when, like that father and son, we rise to live eternally with so many of our loved ones—those we saw lowered into the cold earth, those to whom we bid a sorrowful farewell, perhaps even those we were sure had been lost forever.
What a glorious thing it will be to rise with them to live forevermore in that place where there will be no more weeping, no more dying, and no more parting—that place where we will dwell in perfect peace and never-ending safety.

The beginning of a new month is a good time to pause and remember this: That right now, at the very moment, the Lord is reigning from his throne.

I continue to update Kindle deals on a near-daily basis. If you check in just once per day, it’s usually best to do so around 7 AM EST since that is around when I finalize the list for the day. Amazon often puts books on sale for just 24 hours, so you’ll want to keep close tabs. Today there is a huge list of both Christian and general market deals.
(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for November 2023)
The Fights That Get Inside You
Samuel James: “This week Kevin DeYoung published a fine essay which engages generously but critically with Doug Wilson and his particular brand of provocative Reformed theology. I commend the entire piece to you, not just because it is well-written and convincing, but because one of the most important things evangelicals need to remember right now is that many of the either/or dilemmas that are typical of culture war are illusory.”
Hearing the Heart in Bad Theology
This article helpfully pushes counselors (and, by extension, any Christian engaged in counseling another person) to listen to the heart behind bad theology before immediately correcting it.
Christianity vs Everybody
How could a good God allow evil? Is the Bible homophobic? Is Christ really the only way? Whether you’re new to the faith or have been raised in Christianity your whole life, these questions have most likely crossed your mind, perhaps even creating serious doubts for yourself or someone you know. If you want to deepen your own faith or help those who are struggling, we invite you to join us for our weekend seminar, “Christianity vs. Everybody,” hosted by DBTS. (Sponsored Link)
Why Ayaan Hirsi Ali Became a Christian
“Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim and now a former atheist, recently declared that she has converted to Christianity. This is a cause for great rejoicing. It is also a fascinating sign of the times.” Carl Trueman celebrates her salvation and looks at its significance.
Lord, Save My Great-Great-Grandchildren
Trevin Wax wants us to consider that “we can pray not only for those alive today but for those who will run the race in the decades and centuries after us. We pray for those yet unborn to one day be born again. O Lord, save our children and our children’s children!”
Can Christians Sin Too Much and Lose Their Salvation?
This is a strong answer to common questions like, “How much can people sin and still consider themselves a Christian? Is it possible to sin so much that we sin ourselves out of our salvation?”
Wanted: Catholic Pastors
Mark Dever has a call to the best kind of catholicity. “How catholic are we in our work as pastors? Do you actively work to partner with other local churches to fulfill the Great Commission? Or do you act as if your church can take the gospel to the ends of the earth all by yourselves?”
Flashback: Services Shaped Like an Hourglass
We begin our service distracted, narrow our focus to Jesus Christ, then broaden our gaze to living in this world for God’s glory. We do it again the next week, and again the week after that.

Endurance is not a magic spell that falls upon the Christian. Endurance comes from knowing what God’s word requires, knowing who we are according to God’s word, and knowing that God’s word lasts when all else falters and fails. —Kevin DeYoung