Good morning from Copenhagen, Denmark. I’m spending a day here on my way to Norway where I’ll be preaching at a local church and enjoying some scenery over the next few days.

I recently enjoyed being a guest on the Spurgeon Maniacs podcast, which you can listen to here.
How to Have the Mind of Christ
“It is all very well to say that being ‘worthy of the gospel of Christ’ means being restored to the image of God so that we begin to reflect the character of the Lord Jesus. But what does that mean?” Who would you rather have explain this than Sinclair Ferguson?
The Problem with the Trilemma
“We’re an age that likes shortcuts. We want ‘three simple steps to get rich’ and ‘eating this one vegetable will make you lose weight.’ That goes for what passes as discourse in our society, too. We don’t want nuance or careful reasoning. What’s popular is ‘this one argument will own [the other party]’ and ‘watch this Christian/skeptic destroy skeptics/Christians.’”
Why the surge in LGBT identity deserves a closer look
A recent report proclaimed that around a quarter of Millennials identify as one of the letters in the omnipresent, ever-lengthening acronym that begins with LGBT. This article explains why that number should be taken with a grain of salt. I am inclined to agree with the main conclusion, though certainly not with some of the other applications and takeaways.
When a Good God Seems Far From Good
Sarah Walton: “Have you ever stood before a spiritual fork in the road? One where you know the ‘godly answer’ to your painful circumstances, but there seems to be an impenetrable wall that stands between your head and your heart? It’s the tension between knowing something to be true but struggling to believe it when the evidence seems stacked against it.”
Polygamy
Does the Bible condone polygamy (as some like to charge)? Obviously not, as Mitch explains in this article.
What does it mean to be winsomely Reformed? (Video)
Michael Kruger considers what it means to be winsomely Reformed.
Flashback: We Always Glean Among the Sheaves
We are not left to glean for hope in barren fields, not left trying to pick up the scraps of his mercy when others have already taken the best of it. Always we gather into our arms the abundance of his mercy, the overflow of his grace.

Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, every time you can. —John Wesley

Every now and again I like to share an example of one of our worship services from Grace Fellowship Church. I hope that by doing this others will begin to share their services as well so we can learn and benefit from one another. If there is something you see here that would bless your church, you have permission to pilfer freely!

This service’s cast of characters included Paul as our service leader and preacher and Steve as the elder who prayed the pastoral prayer. Our band consisted of piano and bass with three female vocalists. The various elements of the service are in bold with the name of the person who led the element in parentheses. Items in quotes represent roughly what the person said to the congregation. Items not in quotes are explanatory. The entire service took approximately 90 minutes.
Pre-Service Singing
In order to integrate a little more music into our time together, we often sing an extra song or two five minutes before our 10:00 AM start time. This week we sang Psalm 103.
Call To Worship (Paul)
“Are you lonely? Then come to the One who will ‘consider your affliction and your trouble, and forgive all your sins.’
“Are you tired? Then come to the One who ‘has been your help, in the shadow of whose wings you will sing for joy.’
“Are you caught in a mess? Then come to the One who ‘is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Since you know His name, put your trust in Him, for our LORD, has never forsaken those who seek Him.’
“Are you weighed down by sin and guilt? Then come to the One who ‘is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, If we confess our sins to Him.’
“Are you thankful and happy in God? The come to the One who ‘has told you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’
“Come to God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit… and worship Him. There is nothing gained by departing from God, and nothing lost by being faithful to your Friend.”
Singing (Allie)

“Jesus, What a Friend For Sinners”
“One There Is Above All Others”

Pastoral Prayer (Steve)
Steve led the pastoral prayer. Each week we pray for items that are urgent but also some that are “scheduled.” This week those included one like-minded church in our city, one missionary overseas, and our annual business meeting which was later that day.
Singing (Allie)

“May Your Power Rest on Me”
“What God Ordains Is Always Good”

Scripture Reading (Paul)
“Please take your Bible and turn to Psalm 95. We will be reading the entire psalm. You will find that on page 499 if you are using one of our church Bibles. If you don’t have a Bible of your own, please take that one as our gift to you. This is what Holy Scripture says…”

[Paul read Psalm 95]

He closed the reading with, “This is the word of the Lord,” to which the congregation responded, “Thanks be to God.”
Sermon (Paul)
Paul preached a topical sermon on delighting in God through rest (this being the start of the holiday season in Canada) using as his texts Genesis 2, Psalm 95, and Hebrews 3-4. “The notion of rest sounds like music to the ears of a busy Canadian. Our lives are pounded with expectations and we rarely slow down long enough to engage with God. Perhaps this is due to our lack of comprehension of what it means to be saved? Have we entered into the Father’s rest? Are we living lives that depend on His endless grace to keep busy with good works? Are we doing our work now, in His strength, striving to get to that ultimate rest with Him forever?”

God Has Rested and Is Resting
We Are Born Into a State of Unrest
Hurry Up and Rest

Singing (Allie)

“Jesus, Lover Of My Soul”

Lord’s Supper (Paul)
It is our custom to celebrate Lord’s Supper twice a month. One of these is a “long” version in which it is the major theme of the entire service; one of these is a “short” version in which it is just one element in a full service. This was the short variation.
Singing (Allie)

“We Will Feast in the House of Zion”

Commission (Paul)
Paul tied the message of the sermon into a “commission” that challenged the church to live out its truths throughout the week.
Benediction (Paul)
The benediction was based on 1 Kings 8:57–61: “May the LORD our God be with you, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave you nor forsake you, but incline your heart to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments. May He maintain your cause, as each day requires, that everyone on earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. And may He keep your heart wholly true to Him today and every day. Amen.”

The Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.

There is once again a nice long list of Kindle deals to browse through, headlined by two apologetics words: Keller’s The Reason for God and Scrivener’s new The Air We Breathe.
Westminster Books has put together a Christmas Gift Guide with all sorts of good deals.
Trusting God Through Terminal Illness
This is quite an article. “I quickly progressed to using a wheelchair and had to give up the job I loved, teaching kids to play music. Within a few months, I was totally dependent on my wife to feed me, get me dressed and take me places. Within a year, I had lost the ability to eat and now I am losing my ability to speak. I use a ventilator to breathe, am fed by a tube in my stomach and spend my days in a specially adapted chair. I am very thankful that I have an eye-tracking device so that I can still use a computer and turn on the TV.”
Eleven Factors For Helpful Short-Term Trips
It’s important to do short-term missions trips well. This article provides helpful guidance.
Exciting New Resources from Visual Theology
Visual Theology is excited to announce several great new resources. They’ve created their annual Advent countdown poster in full color as well as a version you can color each day. And new for this year is a complete coloring book! For 29 days, you’ll follow the Christmas story as told in four distinct aspects of the Gospel. Both for kids and adults, start your Advent countdown today! Subscribe to their newsletter, and you’ll get the first week of coloring pages for free. (Sponsored)
Is Numbers 5 Unjust to Women?
Wendy Alsup: “When we read the Old Testament laws, it can seem like women get a raw deal. It’s hard to see a gracious God behind the laws that deal with rape, incest, and adultery, like the law we find in Numbers 5. But, as we take a closer look, we see that God has abundant mercy for women on display—even in these laws.”
Everybody’s Marriage Impacts Everybody Else’s. That’s How Social Institutions Work.
Derek Rishmawy considers David French’s “flip flop flip” on gay civil marriage and explains why his recent compromise is harmful.
Two Medieval Misconceptions
“When it comes to the period right before the Reformation, I’ve always had certain notions about what the church was like. As I’ve read more, I’ve come to realize that some of those notions are generally true, while others are only occasionally true.”
Flashback: A Simple But Life-Changing Realization
I was devastated when I heard an older friend I admired more than just about anyone else say, “I don’t think it matters where I get my appetite, as long as I eat at home.” Was that really the best I could hope for, that I’d be outwardly faithful to a wife but inwardly I would wander?

God loves us too well to grant every request of our selfish hearts. —H.A. Ironside