Blessings to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include another good-sized list of discounted books.
(Yesterday on the blog: It’s 2023 and We Need Blogs More Than Ever)
How a Christian Marriage Was Saved by a Wise Guerilla Leader
This is an account of how God worked through unusual means to preserve a marriage.
“I Must Decrease” … But How?
“It’s pretty clear: the world’s loud, incessant voice tells me that in order to be happy, I need to spend more of my time, money, and attention on myself. You’ve probably heard the same message about your need for this, as well.”
The Gospel Coalition Conference 2023
Join us September 25—27, Indianapolis, IN. With worship led by Sydney, Australia’s CityAlight and keynote speakers including John Piper, David Platt, Andrew Wilson, and many more, we’ll explore the theme, Hope in the Wilderness: Encouragement for Pilgrims from the Book of Exodus. Find out more about our theme, full lineup and breakouts. (Sponsored Link)
Eight Counsels for Those Thinking of Quitting
John Piper offers some counsel for those who may be considering quitting.
What is covenant theology? (Video)
You’ve probably heard of covenant theology and wondered what it’s all about. Sinclair Ferguson explains in this brief video.
A Light to My Path
“[The Bible] doesn’t lay out every step on our journey, but it gives us the light we need to take the next step, trusting in the Light, knowing that He not only knows every twist and turn in our path but also has intentionally and lovingly prepared the way for us.”
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.

It is one thing to attract a gaping crowd to witness a display of pulpit pyrotechny; it is quite another thing to attract and to hold attentive listeners to the gospel of life. —Theodore Cuyler

When I was young, my family owned a cottage on a lake. From a young age, I loved to head out in our little motorboat so I could explore that lake and the others that were connected to it. I could easily make a day out of slipping into little inlets to see where they led or mooring on tiny islands to see what I could find. I was never more free than when I was all by myself, zipping around Indian Lake in a little aluminum boat.

As I explored new areas, I knew to look out for buoys. Sometimes these were big and serious ones installed by whatever government department is responsible for such matters. More often, though, they were simple plastic bleach bottles or rubber balls that had been informally anchored to the lake floor. And while I didn’t know who had placed each of those buoys, I knew what they represented: Danger. Each one marked a spot where at one time a boat had struck a shoal that was hidden just under the surface of the water or a tree jutting upward and now able to pierce a hull. Each one represented a lesson someone else had learned that I did not wish to learn myself. I was terrified of the thought of hitting one of these obstructions so always gave the buoys a wide berth.

I often think we should treat our past sins like buoys, markers that we throw down to keep us from striking the same rock twice—or committing the same sin twice. As soon as we identify a sin in our lives and repent of it, we should make it like a buoy that reminds us of the danger lurking in that sordid corner of our hearts or within reach of our evil desires. It is a poor sailor who strikes the same shoal twice and a foolish Christian who repeats a transgression. Throw out a buoy to remind yourself of your sin and warn yourself away!

It is a poor sailor who strikes the same shoal twice and a foolish Christian who repeats a transgression. Share

And even as we treat our own sins like buoys, it is wise to do the same with the sins of other people. A cottager does not need to mark all the shoals in a lake because others have already done it for us. And in that way, we do well to learn from other people’s sins as well. When we see a leader sink his ministry through moral transgression, we should learn the lesson—drop a buoy so we do not hit that shoal. When we see a fellow church member bring sorrow to his life and harm to his family, we should learn that lesson as well—drop a buoy so we do not ram into that reef and begin to founder. There are markers around most obstacles if only we will look for them, heed them, and steer wide around them.

We know the old saying that those who do not learn history are destined to repeat it. In much the same way, those who do not learn from their own sins, and those of others, are destined to repeat them—to blunder into them again and again and suffer the consequences. It is better by far to heed all those buoys that can steer us away from the obstacles that would otherwise pierce our hearts and make shipwreck of our faith.

My gratitude goes to Harvest USA for sponsoring the blog this week to let you know about their free video courses for parents. Sponsors play a crucial role in keep this site going, so I am thankful for each and every one.

Darry Dash: “If you don’t think pastoral ministry will be hard, you’re wrong. Of course, it’s not the only hard vocation. Our congregations are filled with people who fill challenging roles. Pastoral ministry comes with many joys. My point, though, is this: it’s also filled with hazards and difficulties. If you suffer from idealism, pastoral ministry will beat it out of you.”

“Sometimes, to protect a passage of scripture from the abuses it receives from those who twist it, we add so many qualifications that we eliminate not only the false teaching but also the profound truth it communicates.” That’s a bad thing! Doug offers a common example here.

Kristin tells a story and describes what she learned from it. “I have thought about the dog and the man many times over the years. When I feel myself growing weary and frustrated with people who are repeatedly toying around with God and Scripture, claiming the label Christian while digging in their heels and living precisely as they please? I am learning to pause, pray, and walk away.”

“There are generally two basic forms in which this question is asked. First, most Christians have at some point asked themselves, ‘If I’m a true Christian, why do I keep sinning?’ Second, Christians and others have asked questions like, ‘How could Christians have committed such atrocities during the Crusades?’ The two questions are different, but they have essentially the same theological and biblical answer.”

Michael Kruger explains why in-person is generally best, but online is also necessary. “At RTS, here’s what we have learned. It’s the combination of both residential and online education that seems to work best. While we have intentionally placed the priority on residential, the online courses provide a wonderful supplement. In other words, the online program is not replacing our residential degree but enhancing it.”

“How is this exhortation still relevant to us today, in the West? The Bible must not be re-interpreted according to current cultural trends. However, part of accurately interpreting God’s Word is to recognize that it was written into a specific culture and context. And so it is important to recognize that a command to specifically ‘kiss’ one another may not translate seamlessly to American culture today.”

When we say, “In Jesus’ name,” we pray in the name of the one who has been exalted to the highest place, the one who has had bestowed upon him the name that is above every name…

God’s commands are not designed to rob you of life or to plunder your freedom, but to graciously protect you from harm.
—Paul Tripp