Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

Logos users, there are some free and almost free books for you to look at. You’ll also find some good deals from Crossway commentaries and MacArthur commentaries.
(Yesterday on the blog: The New Year — A Poetic Prayer)
I’ve Never Killed Anyone… Right?
“You don’t hate anybody, do you? That depends. In-person, or online? Are we talking about an individual or a collective identity group? A person’s online digital persona and reputation often comes to represent just as much, if not more, of their identity than their physical presence. How do we handle and interact with the digital holograms of people we touch when we meet their online imprint? I daresay the level of online vitriol the church indulges in goes a step beyond calling your brother ‘you fool’ (Mt 5:22).”
The Galilean Voice
This might be a good approach if you’ve not yet decided on a Bible-reading plan for 2022. “A new year often brings a plethora of articles about a fresh commitment to scripture. Maybe as you start a new year you are looking for something fresh—a fresh Bible reading plan, or a fresh devotional book, something to give a different perspective on God’s word. Here’s something I’ve been doing for the past few months.”
Back to Basics
Here’s an article about getting back to the basics. “The reality is that whether we have been a Christian for decades or for only a short time, the foundation is the place to make adjustments. Whether our struggle is overtly spiritual or seems to be disconnected from our personal spirituality – I am thinking about marital issues, relational struggles, emotional stress, etc. – whatever the problem, we always do well to take a look at our foundations. So what are the foundations of our faith?”
So It Is With Grace
“Christian, if you are experiencing minuscule growth in your walk with Christ, don’t become discouraged, frustrated, or annoyed. There is certainly value in some discouragement simply because you shouldn’t want to be complacent. However, don’t despair. God is still molding you, still shaping you, still forming you into the image of Christ.”
Can We Reshape Ourselves into Whatever We Want?
This article from Carl Truman (which is adapted from one of his books) considers the idea of self-creation that is so prominent in society today.
Roman Catholicism as a “Temptation” for Evangelical Theology
Leonardo De Chirico interacts with some of Al Mohler’s thoughts on Evangelicals and Roman Catholicism.

The pride of a congregation may be awakened by brilliant pulpit displays; but it is personal attention and affectionate sympathy with each individual that bind our congregations to us with hooks of steel. —Theodore Cuyler

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Christian Focus Publications. They are offering sets of every book in the Track series to five winners.

If you’re looking for resources that will help young adults to engage with important topics, Track might be what you’re looking for. It is a series of books designed to disciple the next generations in the areas of culture, doctrine, and the Christian life. While the subjects addressed aren’t always simple, they are communicated in a manner that is.
Each written by an experienced author, these books are short, readable, and written with young adults in mind. They take big, important ideas, and apply them to situations that students face on a daily basis. At the end of each chapter, you’ll find a summary of the main point, as well as questions that can be used for group discussion, or private contemplation.
Each giveaway set includes the 15 books currently available in the series:

From the doctrine track:
Track: Apologetics by Stephen J. Nichols
Track: Glorification by Derek W. H. Thomas
Track: Justification by Greg Meyer
Track: Missions by Emilio Garofalo Neto
Track: Sanctification by Ligon Duncan & John Perritt

From the Christian life track:
Track: Anxiety by Edward T. Welch
Track: Dating, Marriage and Sex by David Ayers
Track: Depression by John C. Kwasny
Track: Womanhood by Abigail Dodds

From the culture track:
Track: Gaming by Reagan Rose
Track: Navigating Culture by Walt Mueller
Track: Social Media by Jason Thacker
Track: Technology by John Perritt
Track: The Power of Story by Joe Deegan
Track: Worldview by Sharon James

TO ENTER
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you opt-in to receive marketing emails from Christian Focus Publications. The winner will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Friday, December 16th.

Sometimes it’s simple enough to know what a book is, but a little more difficult to know what it’s meant for. Understanding a book’s contents is sometimes a bit simpler than knowing how to use it. And I’d say that’s exactly the case for A Divine Tapestry by Ryan McGraw.

A Divine Tapestry is simply summaries and memory verses from every chapter of the Bible. In other words, it is divided into 66 chapters, one for each book of the Bible. Each of these is divided into as many sections as there are chapters of that biblical book, and for every one there is a summary and a suggested key verse (or, sometimes, several key verses). And that’s it—that’s the book. Simple enough. But what’s it for and how might you use it?
To answer that, it would be helpful to understand its genesis. In the Introduction McGraw (who is a professor of Systematic Theology at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) explains that it began as a means to introduce children to the Bible and its big story, first by memorizing some of its most important verses, but also through brief summaries of each of its chapters. But then seminary students heard about the resource and began to ask for it as they prepared for their ordination exams. And then church members requested it so they could come to better understand the Bible. And eventually it grew into this book.
So how might you use it? Most obviously, it is a useful supplement for daily Bible-reading. I, for example, read several chapters of the Bible each day and have enjoyed being able to preview and get the context for what I am about to read (or, more commonly, listen to) by first reading these summaries. I can then turn to them again later in the day to remind myself of what I’ve heard and help fix them in my mind. It’s like the old teaching technique: tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and then tell them what you’ve said.
Here’s how the author suggests you put it to use:

The best way to use this book is to have it open while reading through the whole Bible. Each chapter can encourage readers to keep going as the summaries and memory verse train them what to look for and how to read better. Reading through the Bible in families, with this book as a companion and guide, can also help parents pass along what they learn to their children. Older children and students can work through it themselves.

Opening the book at random, I find myself in the middle chapters of Ezekiel and this is what I see:
Chapter 26The Lord Proclaims Judgment Against Tyre as a Paradigm for His Judgments Against All Nations

‘Son of man, because Tyre has said against Jerusalem, “Aha! She is broken who was the gateway of the peoples; now she is turned over to me; I shall be filled; she is laid waste.”’ Ezek. 26:2

Chapter 27
The Prophet Takes Up a Lamentation for Tyre, Showing the Desolation of the Nations

’All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you; Their kings will be greatly afraid, and their countenance will be troubled. The merchants among the peoples will hiss at you; You will become a horror, and be no more forever.’ Ezek. 27:35-36

Chapter 28
The King of Tyre, Who Exalted himself as a god, Will Die the Death of the Uncircumcised, Sidon Will Share in her Judgment, and God Will Restore Israel

‘Thus says the Lord God: “When I have gathered the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and am hallowed in them in the sight of the Gentiles, then they will dwell in their own land which I gave to My servant Jacob. And they will dwell safely there, build houses, and plant vineyards; yes, they will dwell securely, when I execute judgments on all those around them who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God.”’

That’s just the smallest sampling of the content and format.
If there is likely to be a common critique of the book, it is one the author anticipates in the Introduction: the use of the NKJV. I will not summarize his defense except to say he believes its consistency with the KJV represents a more faithful translation and that using a derivative of the KJV provokes clearer connections to the historical creeds, confessions, and catechisms. Either way, it does not significantly detract from the book.
And so A Divine Tapestry is a book that demands just a bit of explanation. But once you understand what it’s all about, you can’t help but be impressed both by its scope (a summary of every chapter of the Bible) and its usefulness (a guide to better reading the Bible). If you buy it and use it I think you’ll agree that it’s a wonderful resource.
Buy from Amazon