I begin today with a quote, hopeful that a pastor out there will take up the challenge: “It is a grand thing to preach the gospel! I know there has been a great deal said about the trials and the hardships of the Christian ministry. I wish somebody would write a good, rousing book about the joys of the Christian ministry. Since I entered the profession, I have seen more of the goodness of God than I will be able to celebrate in all eternity.” (De Witt Talmage)

Westminster Books has a deal on a new book that looks excellent.
Today’s Kindle deals include a number of options.
(Yesterday on the blog Seven Biblical Principles for Being the Man God Wants You To Be)
The SBC in the Big Easy: What Happened?
Denny Burk offers a rundown on some of the key moments and decisions from the recent annual meeting of the SBC.
Is Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ a Trans Fable?
Brett McCracken says that “Disney’s new live-action remake of The Little Mermaid—even more than the 1989 original—advocates a message that should give us pause. On one hand, it’s just more of the same for Disney: be true to yourself; follow your heart; don’t let anyone stand in your way; ‘my body, my choice.’ But especially against the backdrop of our current cultural moment, the 2023 Mermaid takes it one step further.”
Our God Will Go Before Us (Lyric Video)
You may enjoy this new song by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Matt Boswell, and Matt Papa.
Dangers in Exposing Cultural Sins
John Piper offers a word of warning to those who seek to expose cultural sins. “A pastor can feel that things are so bad that if he does not linger over the latest grossness of evil, it will look like he’s going soft on sin.”
Hope for the Slowly Sanctified
“Do you ever look at your life and think, ‘This isn’t who I thought I’d be by now?’ Maybe you thought you’d be more faithful, more studied, more patient, more self-controlled, wiser, holier, kinder. Maybe you hoped that after all these years some of those things you really hate about your old self had stayed dead instead of resurrecting a thousand times over.”
Why Should Older Women Teach What is Good? (Titus 2:4)
I always enjoy videos from Bill Mounce in which he looks at some of the good and not-so-good translations choices in English Bibles.
Flashback: It’s All Chocolate
We will experience sweet providence and bitter providence, yet it is all providence, it all flows in some way from the God whose mind is vast, whose heart is kind, whose arm is strong, whose love is true, and whose purpose is good.

I never feel sorry for a Christian old man. Why feel sorry for those upon whom the glories of the eternal world are about to burst? —De Witt Talmage

This week Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Nelson Books. They are giving away ten copies of Misled: 7 Lies That Distort the Gospel (and How You Can Discern the Truth) by Allen Parr

ABOUT MISLED:
The gospel is under attack today–not only from outside cultural forces but also from within the church. In Misled, popular YouTuber and Bible teacher Allen Parr equips readers to identify and withstand seven of the most common false teachings that undermine the gospel and lead many well-meaning Christians astray.
For an anxious and weary world, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the one true source of deep peace and lasting joy. But today, many supposedly Christian teachers are spreading ideas that amount to what Paul called “another gospel.”
The result? A generation of believers confused about what God really says, what he offers, and what he wants for his children. From the heavy burden of legalism to an overemphasis on prosperity or spiritual gifts to warped understandings of grace, every false teaching has two things in common: they all use half-truths that look and sound biblical (making them very difficult to identify) and they all harm and discourage those who are trying to follow the way of Jesus.
In Misled, Allen Parr weaves together stories from his own spiritual journey and the lives of those he’s ministered to show the painful consequences of following false teachings and to provide clear explanations of what the Bible really teaches about the gospel. Readers will

learn about seven of the most misleading and harmful messages that run rampant within the church today;
be equipped to identify not only “wolves in shepherd’s clothing” who peddle counterfeit gospels, but also well-intentioned teachers whose half-truths are no less harmful to the church; and
discover how they can find the freedom, peace, and joy that only comes from embracing the gospel in all its purity and simplicity.

With the same balanced, Bible-based approach that has made Parr’s YouTube channel a go-to resource, Misled offers clarity and hope for anyone who has felt discouraged or confused in their spiritual journey—and invites readers to find everything they’ve been searching for in the true gospel.
Enter Here!

I always find it interesting to pay attention to trends within Christian publishing. As certain ideologies appear within wider society or as certain questions are brought to the surface, the publishing industry inevitably responds with books on the subject. In the past couple of years, we have seen a good number of titles dealing with masculinity. And no wonder, for masculinity is now hotly debated. What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be masculine? And is it possible to embrace any form of masculinity without it becoming toxic? This is the subject Matt Fuller turns to in Reclaiming Masculinity: Seven Biblical Principles for Being the Man God Wants You To Be.

Fuller begins by pointing out that where Western society used to have a widely accepted idea of what it means to be a man, this is no longer the case. “In the 21st-century West, there simply isn’t, and our culture is far more likely to ask ‘Why can’t a man be more like a woman?’ ‘Traditional’ male attributes such as competitiveness, stoicism (that is, bearing difficulties without complaint or displaying much emotion) and risk-taking are discouraged in classrooms and derided in sitcoms and films. The language of business management has shifted to emphasize ‘traditional’ feminine virtues of empathy, co-operation and emotional intelligence. Women do better at school and a higher percentage go to university. Men are far more likely (to an alarming extent) to go to prison, become homeless or commit suicide. Perhaps really we need to ask, ‘Why can’t a man be more like a woman?’”
Of course, society also tends to make the claim that there is no intrinsic difference between men and women and that anything men are doing women ought to be doing as well. “I keep hearing these two opinions, expressed in a variety of ways but basically boiling down to ‘Men and women are the same’ and ‘Men should be more like women.’ The upshot is that we’re getting a bit confused about what it means to be a man.”
Fuller’s burden in this book is to provide a positive vision of masculinity—to offer an answer to the question “What kind of man does God want you to be?” A good answer will necessitate setting aside the cultural assumptions of the 20th century as much as the 21st and instead allowing the Bible to guide us in its timeless way. And Fuller does this through seven principles “that describe a biblical, healthy, confident, helpful masculinity.”
The first of these is “men and women are different (but don’t exaggerate).” From the inner person to the outer, it is clear that God has created men and women to be different from one another, even as they share a common humanity. Where some societies have been prone to exaggerate the differences others have been prone to minimize them. Here he describes some of the differences and explains how these then work themselves out in ways that are bound by culture. He distinguishes between timeless truths and cultural manifestations of distinctions.
The second principle is “take responsibility.” Though men and women have much in common, God has assigned certain responsibilities to men and he means for them to embrace these. Though this is most often displayed in marriage, there are other ways in which men need to grab hold of their God-given responsibilities.
Next is “be ambitious for God.” Men are tempted to aim their God-given ambition at power or video games or sexual conquests, but God has something better for them. Men are to be ambitious in life, ambitious in work, and ambitious in godliness.
From here Fuller advances to “use your strength to protect,” “display thoughtful chivalry,” “invest in friendships” and “raise healthy ‘sons’.” The word “sons” is in quotation marks because a man’s task is not merely to influence his biological children but also to influence sons in the faith, much as the Apostle Paul did so well.
At the end of all this, being a godly man means “taking responsibility to lead, being ambitious for God’s kingdom, using your strength to protect the church and serve others, investing in friends, and raising ‘sons’.” Men who commit themselves to this kind of life will be displaying God’s design and living out God’s purpose.
At a time when confusion about masculinity reigns within the church as well as without, I am grateful for books like this that offer clarity—clarity grounded in the infallible, inerrant, timeless, and culture-transcending Word of God. I trust it will help many men live in a way that is confidently, biblically, and definitively masculine.
Buy from Amazon

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today.

What does it mean that God is “without parts”?
Sinclair Ferguson answers what is actually a rather complicated question.
Don’t Be a Missionary…
Jacob says that “while I pray for God to send out laborers into His harvest, I think a lot of people need someone to tell them, ‘Don’t be a missionary…’ There is so much good and godly zeal that is expressed in a desire to go to the mission field, and yet, ‘desire without knowledge is not good’ (Prov 19:2).” In other words, not everyone who feels called to be a missionary should actually be a missionary!
Why is the sky blue at midday, and red at dawn and dusk?
Ever wondered why the sky is blue at midday but tends to be red at dawn and dusk? CMI offers an explanation.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Leadership
“He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” —2 Samuel 2:23 (Sponsored Link)
Success looks like obedience
“We should cast our minds to the Old Testament Prophets who were called by God to preach that Israel and Judah repent so that they would not be taken into exile. Were they successful? I suspect they didn’t feel it at times, but of course they were. Why were they successful? Because they were obedient.”
When Father’s Day Is Hard, with Dan Doriani
Daniel Doriani considers some of the joys and sorrows that come with Father’s Day.
‘My Kingdom Is Not of This World’: The Lordship of Christ and the Limits of Civil Government
John Piper has written a long article about the relationship between church and government. “The thesis of this essay is that Jesus Christ, the absolutely supreme Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of the universe, intends to accomplish his saving purposes in the world without reliance on the powers of civil government to teach, defend, or spread the Christian religion as such. Followers of Christ should not use the sword of civil government to enact, enforce, or spread any idea or behavior as explicitly Christian — as part of the Christian religion as such.”
Flashback: Fruitfulness and Usefulness
The Spirit does not cause us to bear fruit so we can look spiritually beautiful while keeping all the good of it to ourselves. He causes us to bear fruit so we have something to give to others, some way to bless them, some way to nourish them as they walk the weary road of life.

The minute I begin seeing God’s people as problems to be solved (or avoided) is the minute I’ve denied the heart of Christ. —Jared C. Wilson

Westminster Books has announced a new podcast that should prove interesting. Guests include Kevin DeYoung, Rosaria Butterfield, and Al Mohler. (Also, what an accomplishment to mark 20 years and 6 million books!)

Today’s Kindle deals include several interesting titles.
(Yesterday on the blog: When You Do Not Dare To Go Alone)
The Problem Is Your Worship
“Have you ever wondered why your life isn’t going according to your plans? Your spouse isn’t playing his or her part in the marriage. Your kids aren’t following their well-behaved script. Your career isn’t flourishing the way you expected it to be. Your bank account isn’t where you want it to be. Your body doesn’t look the way you want it to look. Your house isn’t exactly where or the size you want it to be.”
Prophetic, or Merely Performative?
In this article, Kevin DeYoung discusses how Christians are to honor each other and Christ when critiquing and correcting each other.
The Day I Told God No
Seth tells of a time he knew what God was asking of him, but said no. “My first feeling was surprise, followed by a sense of freedom. I was free to say ‘no’ to the God who made me, and he let me do it. I was free to make my own way, choose my own path, make my own rules. And what would I do with that freedom? One thing was for sure: I would not do the hard, costly thing God wanted me to do. What else?”
Should My Church Staff Be Hesitant About Using ChatGPT?
Joe Carter takes an optimistic approach toward ChatGPT and suggests some ways it may prove helpful to churches.
What I Learned in My First Seven Years of Ministry
Joe shares some of the lessons he has learned through his first seven years of ministry. They are well worth reading!
When Christians Consult the World-Wide-Web as Psychic
“I’ve never graced the beaded, purple fabric doorway of a woman donning a headdress and crystal ball, but I have attempted to see a medium, and my guess is you have too. My psychic has taken the form of late-night internet searches, book purchasing, talking to trusted mentors ad nauseam, and my all-time favorite: worrying and predicting in my own mind. It’s a strategy I put hope in, devoid of drawing from the deep well God gives me in himself.”
Flashback: The Things You Think You Can Handle On Your Own
What kinds of things do I not pray about? The things I neglect to pray about are the things I believe I can handle on my own, the things for which I don’t think I need God’s wisdom, perspective, or intervention. I may never say or even think such terrible thoughts, but my lack of prayer proves my independence, my lack of God-dependence.

The experience of beauty does something profound and powerful within the heart and soul of every human being. Beauty creates wonder in us. —Steve DeWitt

I was once told the story of a child who had been invited to spend a sunny summer day playing with his friends. He lived in a rural area and it took him a good bit of time to make the trek. But the child made his way toward his friends as they made their way toward him and eventually they came upon one another halfway. Soon they were climbing trees and jumping creeks and skipping rocks and generally having the time of their lives.

Around dusk, the boy realized he should begin his return journey. But just as he was about to say his farewells, one of the other lads began to tell a story. The child, once drawn in, couldn’t force himself away. He sat in rapt attention as the story progressed, as the action waxed and waned, as the hero faced peril and emerged victorious.
By the time the story was complete, the sun had dipped behind the distant horizon. Now the boy gazed into the gathering darkness and realized he was afraid to set out by himself. He asked his friends to come with him, but they all needed to return in the opposite direction. As the boy dawdled and tried to work up his courage, the sun’s last rays disappeared from the sky. He fretted about his family, wondering if they were concerned about what had become of him.
The night grew darker still as clouds rolled in and began to blanket the moon and the stars. At last he decided he must stop procrastinating and set out. But just as he stood to his feet, a blinding flash of lightning shot from the sky and it was soon followed by a mighty crack of thunder. His courage failed him altogether.
Yet just as he was about to sink into utter despair, his eye spotted a flicker of light bobbing in the distance. Curious, he watched as it grew closer, as it grew brighter. And, then, to his delight, he saw that it was his older brother come to fetch him, come to bring him home. And now he quickly said farewell to his friends and boldly stepped into the darkness. He confidently made his way toward his brother who then led him safely home—home where his family threw their arms around him, home where a meal had been laid out for him, home where peace and rest awaited him.
And after the storyteller had said all of this, he paused for a moment. He paused to gather his thoughts and consider his words. And then he spoke once more.
So may it be for you when the night of death comes. So may it be for you when your friends cannot accompany you. So may it be for you when you do not dare to go alone.
On that day, your friend who is closer than a brother, your Savior who is your elder brother, will come to meet you at just the right time. In his hand will be the lantern of all the precious promises he has made, and this will be the lamp to your feet and the light to your path. He will lead you through the dark night and into the brightest day. He will accompany you to the place where your family awaits you and longs to see you, the place where a great supper has been laid out for you, the place where God himself is ready to welcome you home. Never, no never, do you need to fear that you will have to go that way alone.

Inspired by De Witt Talmage

May the Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.

Today’s Kindle deals include a few more interesting titles.
Your Short-Term Trip Should Be About You (and that’s not a bad thing).
“I’m still a fan of short-term missions. This is not an anti-missions-trip article. Those are out there. This is not one of them.  So why do I still encourage these trips? Because I believe God can use them to transform lives. Not necessarily the lives of the people you are serving. But your life? Yes!”
What Makes a Bible Translation Bad?
What makes a Bible translation bad? Mark Ward offers a few important points.
Reclaiming the Remarkable Power of Liturgy
Sihle Xulu explains some of the power of liturgy. “Just like Israel we’re prone to forgetfulness and fearful idolatry. Thus we need constant reminders of the gospel story. One of the most effective ways for that is gospel-shaped liturgy in our corporate gatherings.”
Three Building Blocks for a Christian’s Political Theology
“Every pastor desires to see his congregation formed theologically (and if the pastor doesn’t want that, he should!). Part of this theological formation involves thinking through a number of questions that relate to church and state.” Kevin DeYoung offers three building blocks.
When Things Look Like They Can’t Possibly Get Worse
“My grandmother — one of the saintliest people I’ve ever known — used to say, ‘I can’t imagine things getting much worse. Jesus must be coming back soon.’ I chuckle when I think of her words because things indeed seem to have gotten much worse. Ideas that would have shocked my grandmother in the 1970s have now become widely accepted and celebrated — sometimes even enforced — in culture even the church.”
How do you plan on fighting sin?
“We will never drift or coast to victory over sin.  We will never stumble into it.  In fact in many cases we won’t fight it because we haven’t even identified it as a sin.  We’re going to think in this post about what it means to fight sin.” Al provides a beginner’s guide to fighting sin.
Flashback: This Broken, Beautiful World
In our greatest joys we are never far from tears and in our deepest sorrows we are never far from laughter. Such is life in this broken, beautiful world.

Discontent helps nothing. It never removes a hardship, or makes a burden any lighter, or brings back a vanished pleasure. One never feels better, for complaining. It only makes him wretched! —J.R. Miller

Good morning from … Canada at last. I’m back home after making the overnight journey from São Paulo. As always, it’s good to be home.

Today’s Kindle deals include mostly books that are meant for pastors and academics.
(Yesterday on the blog: At the Center of All Things)
The Sick Love of Controversy
This is a helpful episode of Ask Pastor John in which he addresses those who have a love of controversy.
The Assignment I Wasn’t Expecting
Andrea Sanborn explains and celebrates the assignment she was not expecting.
Who Was Robert Jermain Thomas?
This account of the life and martyrdom of Robert Jermain Thomas is well told.
Southern Baptists Are Both Missional and Confessional: A Response to Rick Warren
“Baptists today should be quick to point out the irony of Bible-only-ism, but in some quarters, the opposite has been the case. The myth of Baptist anticreedalism has recently been resuscitated by Rick Warren, who implores fellow Southern Baptists to ‘return to the original Baptist Vision of unity through a mission, not a confession.’ According to Warren, ‘That would heal the SBC.’” (See also: Have Southern Baptists Ever Been More Divided?)
Your Church May Be More Diverse Than You Think
I appreciate this take on diversity in the local church.
What We Regard as Little
“Do you know that feeling when you get to the other side of a crisis and once you finish basking in the way everything held together, you wonder what it will take to recover your tight-fisted grip on the faithfulness of God that sustained you through your trial? It’s an odd mashup of realizations and recalibrations. It’s one part relief that the trial is over, one part loosening your death grip on what it took to survive.”
Flashback: It’s Not a Blind Faith
Will I trust God even when the way is unclear and even when I do not understand? Will I joyfully submit to God’s will, knowing and trusting that he is good?

We must never cease to pray for our children until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. —Charles Spurgeon

This sponsored post was provided by Nelson Books and is adapted from Allen Parr’s book Misled: 7 Lies That Distort the Gospel (and How You Can Discern the Truth).

The origins of progressive Christianity are complex. The movement embraces some aspects of liberal Christianity, which can be traced back to both Enlightenment-era rationalism and the Romanticism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. While progressive Christianity shares some features of the social gospel movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it can also be seen as a reaction against it.
The progressive Christian movement says that the church needs to revisit and adjust its methods, practices, and beliefs as the culture changes. In other words, the church should conform to culture rather than holding to the transformative power of the gospel to point culture to Jesus.
Progressive Christianity largely borrows from postmodernism. What is postmodernism? Maybe the easiest way to answer that question is to compare it with modernism. Modernism of the 18th and 19th centuries focused on rational inquiry and empirical evidence. Modernists were optimistic that science and philosophy could explain just about everything; however, when innovation and scientific advancements did not result in a global utopia, postmodernism came in as a reaction against that optimism and questioned the very nature of truth.
Have you ever heard people talk about “my truth” or “your truth,” as if the truth is little more than an individual opinion? That’s postmodernism talking. Have you ever noticed that tolerance and open-mindedness are lifted as the highest virtues, while people who claim certainty (especially about morality) are treated with suspicion or even shouted down? That’s postmodernism talking too.
It’s with this postmodern backdrop that progressive Christianity justifies a relaxed acceptance of sin and the affirmation of all world religions as true. Perhaps the most dangerous tendency of progressive Christians is their rejection of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.
Many people throughout history have affected “change or transformation in individuals” through “enlightenment, forgiveness, wholeness” and so on. Some would say that about Oprah Winfrey, Mahatma Gandhi, or the Dalai Lama. This description doesn’t distinguish the work of Jesus from the work of any other humanitarian, teacher, or leader. Jesus’ death is said to be simply the ultimate picture of self-giving love, “not as a sacrifice needed to gain approval or forgiveness by God.”
It doesn’t get plainer than that. Progressives do not see what Jesus did on the cross as achieving God’s forgiveness for our sin but rather as “a model for all to follow.”
To suggest that salvation was not a major emphasis for Jesus, or the gospel writers is a huge stretch. But even if that were true, other New Testament writers certainly focused on salvation, which showcases the cherry-picking tendencies of progressive Christianity to water down gospel to relativism rather than transformative truth.
Learn more about Misled and order your copy today.
About Allen Parr:
Allen Parr is a national speaker, YouTuber, author, ordained minister, husband, and father. He is the cofounder (with his wife, Jennifer) of Let’s Equip, a nonprofit organization that equips Christians and Christian organizations with courses and curriculum to aid in biblical literacy and spiritual growth.
Allen is a proud graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned his master of theology degree in 2004. He has served on staff at several churches in various positions, including worship pastor and pastor of Christian education. His popular YouTube channel, The BEAT (Biblical Encouragement And Truth) with Allen Parr, reaches millions of believers with encouragement to live out their true calling as Christians.
Allen is also a national speaker and gifted communicator of the word of God and has a passion for equipping other content creators utilize digital media to fulfill the great commission. He and Jennifer and their two children live in Texas.