Good morning to you!

This has been a good week for Kindle deals—and there are more to be had today.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Worst Defeat in All of Human History)
The Case for Ditching Your Smartphone (from Someone Who Has Never Owned One)
I really enjoyed this article and was challenged by it (though I am very unlikely to do all it recommends)! “I turn 40 years old later this year and I’ve never owned a smartphone. I am a technological anachronism: a living, breathing social experiment in 2023 America.”
Attention, Affection, Authority
Bob and Julie Kauflin have some wisdom here for parents. “In these years far removed from the daily pressures of raising little ones, Julie and I have identified at least three ways God calls us to reflect his fatherly heart in the way we raise our children.”
Faithful Truth + Literary Grace
William Burkitt’s Expository Notes, with Practical Observations, on the New Testament is a forgotten classic, available soon in a beautiful reprint, that “is not only faithful to biblical truth; it expresses that truth with literary grace.” (Sponsored)
Believe it or Not: One Day Drag Queen Story Hour Will Be a Drag
This is true: that even for those who find Drag Queen Story Hour so thrilling right now, it will eventually prove to be a big letdown.
The Spider-Man Fallacy Fallacy
This article shows that the so-called Spider-Man fallacy is itself a kind of fallacy.
What Is Christian Science?
Ligonier has a nice little primer on Christian Science (which, of course, is neither Christian nor scientific).
Finding Rest on the Road
I appreciate Kody’s call here to make it your habit to find a local church on your vacations.
Flashback: The Dead Seriousness of Careless Words
Words can strengthen the weak or crush them, comfort the sorrowful or grieve them, relieve the burdened or weigh them down all the more. Words can be a taste of life or a savor of death, a scent of heaven or a whiff of hell. They can do the work of God or of the devil, serve the cause of Christ or of his enemies.

The more times we are in narrow straits, and we see God bring us through, the more peace and courage we will have as time goes on. —Tim Keller

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include at least a couple of interesting books.
The Rise of Right-Wing Wokeism
Kevin DeYoung has written a long and thorough review of Stephen Wolfe’s new book on Christian Nationalism. “This is a long review, so let me state my conclusion up front: I understand and sympathize with the desire for something like Christian Nationalism, but if this book represents the best of that ism, then Christian Nationalism isn’t the answer the church or our nation needs. For all the fine retrieval work Wolfe does in parts of the book, the overall project must be rejected.”
The Holy Spirit is a Political Liability
Meanwhile, Samuel James is looking at a peripheral controversy and explaining why Christians need to continue to emphasize godly character. “This moment is exemplified not just by rancid bigotry but also a posture of unceasing combativeness and pugilism. It’s exemplified by an instinctive aversion to tenderheartedness, forgiveness, and gentleness. It’s exemplified by a way of talking about and doing politics that focuses almost myopically on winning: defeating the Left, pushing them out of the cultural center, and exiling any Christians who aren’t willing to do whatever it takes to achieve this.”
Dog-Fights and Discernment
Having shared the first two links, this one seems apropos as well. “At the end of 2021, I deleted all of my social media. Not just deactivated but full on nuked it as I described to a friend. I felt like Joseph running from Potiphar’s wife, so desperate to remove myself from the situation that I figuratively dropped my cloak and ran.”
What is revival? Should we expect it today?
In Revival: The Work of God, pastor Jeremy Walker takes us on an awe-inspiring tour of sites where God has done remarkable works. Watch Reformation Heritage Books’ newest feature-length documentary to learn how God uses ordinary means to ignite His Church. (Sponsored Link)
Fundamentalism in Black and White
This article explains why revised accounts of historical figures need to be examined carefully. After all, people are complicated.
God Works Witchcraft for our Good
This is a fascinating look at a worldview very different from my own. “For the most part, Westerners tend to live materialistic lives, focusing almost exclusively on the physical realm. However, in our time in Cameroon, we have come to realize that the Kwakum worldview is dominated by the spiritual. One area in which this spiritualized worldview is particularly evident is in their suffering.”
Flashback: On the Death of John Allen Chau
We ought to pray earnestly that God uses Chau’s death to shock unbelievers into repentance and to shock believers like you and me into greater and deeper obedience. He’s been known to do that.

Faithful pastoral care of the soul starts when one heart discloses itself to another heart―then the healing ministrations of God’s word and sacraments may be most effectively applied. —Harold Senkbeil

Good morning from South Korea. In just a few moments I’ll be heading eastbound and back to my home. If all goes well, I’ll be there by bedtime.

Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: Should We Exercise “Pronoun Hospitality?”)
Why’d The Pigs Have to Die?
Yeah, that’s a good question: why did all those pigs have to die?
No One Who Abides In Him Keeps On Sinning
Justin addresses a sobering passage. “John is not condemning the one who is seeking to overcome sin, but the one who habitually gives into sin without repenting. John purposefully describes here the one who is (or is not) continually sinning (as is evident from the ‘linear present’, or continuing action, of the verbs in the original language).”
“A Distant Shore”
You may enjoy this new poem titled “A Distant Shore.”
Criticism Can Be a Blessing
Though criticism usually doesn’t seem so at the beginning, it can often prove a blessing in the long run. Barbara tells how that is true.
Warring with All of Creation
“I have been in a cosmic battle with principalities and squirrels. I’m not kidding—it has begun to feel like creation has a vendetta against me. It’s an ongoing conspiracy.”
Why Does God Care Who I Sleep With?
It is perhaps one of the most contentious of all Christian beliefs (and always has been): that God cares who we sleeps with. This article from TGC Africa explains why God cares so much.
Flashback: Foster Your Friendships
Friendship is a great gift of God. Spiritual friendship, friendship shared in Christ, is an even greater gift. Spiritual friendship with other godly men is one of life’s greatest privileges and highest joys.

If a man could see sin as it is, he would no more embrace it than he would embrace a leper. —De Witt Talmage