This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Lithos Kids.  They are giving away five books and four audiobooks to one winner, and the first 25 people to use the promo code, CHALLIES, may download all of the audiobooks on the site for free.
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook is perfect for children ages 4-12, with hundreds of vivid illustrations and engaging text. Take your family on a journey to discover the story of God’s kingdom in the Old and New Testament with this beautiful set of books!

What makes this storybook Bible unique?

Faithful: Follows the text of Scripture without oversimplifying it or changing the meaning.
Thematic: Focuses on God’s covenant promises and the central theme of the Kingdom of God.
Christ-Centered: Every chapter points to the longing and need for the promised King to come.
In-Depth: Includes many important stories that are often skipped over.
Study Guides: Each chapter ends with a summary page with questions and Bible references.

For toddlers, the board book version tells the story of God’s kingdom in beautiful rhyming prose. It makes a perfect companion to the much larger Bible Storybook, instilling gospel truths into the heart of your children from an early age.

Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey

Rediscover John Bunyan’s timeless Christian tale, now beautifully illustrated and adapted for children ages 2-10. With engaging text, captivating images, and thoughtful discussion questions, your children will treasure these books for years.
The box set includes both Part I & Part II of Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey. Part I follows the classic story of Christian as he journeys from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Part II is the heart-warming sequel, which follows Christian’s family as they encounter new challenges and learn many new lessons along the King’s Path.

Giveaway
One winner will receive:

The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook boxset
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook board book
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook audiobooks
Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey boxset
Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey audiobooks

Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you opt-in to receive marketing emails from Lithos Kids. The winner must be a resident of the USA or Canada. The winner will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Tuesday April 4th at midnight.

Sometimes a book obscures its subject behind a clever or even misleading title. Sometimes, though, it just goes out and says it. And that’s very much the case with Bob Fyall’s Why Are We Often So Boring?. Having dedicated his life to both preaching and training others to preach, he has collected his thoughts and reflections in this small but punchy book.

His concern, of course, is that too much preaching is boring. Yet he is not lobbying for preaching that is novel or entertaining. He is not suggesting that pastors adopt some of the practices you might observe in many of today’s seeker-friendly megachurches. Rather, he wants to see pastors become committed, faithful, engaging expositors of the Word. Such preaching, while perhaps not fitting any definition of entertainment, will be interesting and effective. “Underlying this book is the conviction that expository preaching is not only one of many good things for a church but the lifeblood of a healthy fellowship. Without it, other things, which may be good in themselves, can go badly wrong and fail to build anything of lasting worth. It is hard work and, particularly when results appear to be meagre, there is the temptation to try what seems to be more attractive and rewarding. This book is an attempt to encourage all of us to stick to the task and to be the best that we can be.”
He begins the book with a brief look at the task of the preacher and the wonder that God chooses to use weak, fallible men to accomplish great things through the preaching of the Word. He wants pastors to become confident in what God has called them to do even with an awareness of their many inadequacies. He considers why too many sermons are non-events that do not accomplish what they otherwise might—whether that’s because they get bogged down in context without ever getting to the point or because they get too hung up on details that are necessary for the preacher to know but that should have been left in the study. He also offers a series of principles that underlie effective preaching.
He dedicates a chapter to the modern history of expository preaching. This is a UK-centric look at how expository preaching, a mainstay of the Reformers, was displaced for a time but then rediscovered by men like Martyn Lloyd Jones, Dick Lucas, and John Stott. He also introduces some of the scholars who dedicated their lives to producing the kind of resources that would help pastors in the task.
A further chapter turns to Ecclesiastes, of all places, to discuss the task of the preacher, while several others break down the method of going from a text to a polished and preachable sermon. He offers some reflections on where preachers can overemphasize small details while missing key ones. He assures the pastor that God is eager to help and bless him in his preaching ministry. He reminds the preacher that he himself must be first to be impacted and changed by the Word, for “just as the Word becomes flesh uniquely and fully in the Lord Jesus Christ, so the Word must be incarnated in the preacher” and “if we are not changed by the message we bring, no one else will be.” He concludes by assuring pastors that they must be faithful foremost to God, for he alone has the final authority. “No human will pronounce final judgment on our preaching. Realising that will save us from pride when plaudits come and from despair when criticisms multiply.”
Why Are We Often So Boring? is an excellent, helpful little book. It is not a textbook on preaching as much as a collection of an experienced pastor’s reflections on the sacred task God assigns to the pastor. It is a good reminder of what every pastor ought to know and a good refresher on how every pastor ought to preach.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today, my friends.

Today’s the last day for Logos users to save on March Matchups. There are some great deals to be had!
As for Kindle deals, volume one of my favorite church history series is marked way down.
In Your Wake
This one hits hard: “One of my husband’s earliest memories is the day you left your family. Left them to poverty and shame, to insecurity and a weight of bitterness while you transferred the care due them to a new family. You fed your sin silently. Secretly. It crept around the edges of your life, gradually stealing more and more ground from under your second family until you left them too. Left them to despair and struggle while you fed your pleasures.”
The Unexpected Beauty of Babel
What a fascinating article! “It seems as if, as he so often does, God has chosen to bring beauty through judgment, a greater grace and glory than would have existed had the judgment never taken place. After all, this is the logic of the cross and salvation history. Yes, judgment falls. Yet amazingly God’s grace shines even brighter for it. Should we be surprised that God delights to also do this with the arc of language history?”
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook” Now Available from Lithos Kids
A faithful retelling of the story of God’s kingdom from Genesis to Revelation. Fully illustrated Old and New Testament volumes for ages 2 to 11. (Sponsored Link)
Chinese Christians Adapt Under New Restrictions
“Earlier this month, news broke about a Chinese government requirement that people in the Henan province register before attending worship services. They’re supposed to use a ‘Smart Religion’ app, which records each person’s name, address, date of birth, occupation, and government ID number. The app is the latest in an increasing pile of Chinese restrictions on believers.”
The Basics — God’s Providence
Kim Riddlebarger continues his series on basic Christian doctrine with this look at God’s Providence.
How were people saved in the Old Testament? (Video)
Dr. Bob Cara of RTS answers a common question.
Should Missionaries Join a Local Church?
Yes! They most definitely should whenever possible.
Flashback: 7 Things a Good Dad Says
I have found myself thinking back to the many models of fatherhood I have seen and admired through the years. What made these fathers admirable? What set them apart? What was it that they said to their children?

See everything you do, in all areas of your life, as means of serving God and others. —Matt Perman

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Westminster Books has a deal on a new systematic theology.
Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of noteworthy titles.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Gap Between Our Greatest Grief and Our Greatest Joy)
What Are Atheism and Secularism?
Ligonier has a helpful and quite extensive introduction to the twin philosophical worldviews of atheism and secularism.
Gospel Mourning
“Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those that mourn.’ It is in this gospel mourning God comes to his people. The Spirit gives comfort as we mourn for sin and the effects of sin on a hurting world. We look to the Christ which came down in search of all those who would mourn by faith.”
3 Reasons I’m Glad That God is Sovereign Over Tragedy
Jacob offers three reasons that he is grateful that God is sovereign over even tragedies.
Overlooked Details of the Red Sea Crossing
The crossing of the Red Sea is one of the Bible’s most familiar stories. “So if we were asked to recount this story, we could probably list many of the highlights without consulting Scripture. However, because the episode is so famous, and depictions of the event are so numerous, we will inevitably miss some details. The story is perhaps too familiar.” Indeed.
17 Dates Along the Old Testament Storyline
Mitch has been sharing some really interesting writing about the Old Testament. Here he shares a series of dates that help explain the OT storyline.
Can Satan Put Thoughts into Our Heads?
He sure can, as John Piper explains here.
Flashback: Her Weakness Is Her Strength
It is to the weakest that we owe the greatest honor, to the frailest that we owe the greatest allegiance, to the ones most likely to be overlooked that we owe the greatest attention.

Do you want to make your Christianity attractive and beautiful to others? Then acquire the grace of patience now, before you experience illness. Then, if you become ill, your illness will be for the glory of God. —J.C. Ryle

My heart has often been gripped by the one of the stories Luke tells from the life of Jesus. He tells of Jesus arriving in the town of Nain just as a funeral procession is making its way toward the tombs nearby. This was an especially tragic funeral, for the man who had died was “the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.” Tragedy had followed tragedy for this poor woman. She had already suffered the loss of her husband and now she was also having to lay to rest her only son.

But Jesus was having none of it. Filled with compassion, he approached that sad procession, brought it to a halt and said to the grieving mother, “Do not weep.” Then turning his attention to the corpse he commanded, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And just like that, the young man was restored to life and restored to health. “And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.” What a lovely, beautiful moment.
As I pondered this moment recently I found myself considering this: How long was the gap between when Jesus said “do not weep” and when he said, “Young man, arise?” How long was that stretch of time? The answer is straightforward: There were just a few moments between speaking his comfort and restoring her joy.
And I ask: is there really that much more time between God’s words of comfort to us today and the time when he will restore our joy? We have an eternity stretching out before us, endless ages in his perfect presence. With that in mind, how long is this stretch of time between our moment of grief and our moment of ultimate comfort?
When the Apostle Paul considered his pains and afflictions—deep pains and terrible afflictions—he declared them light and momentary. Paul’s words only make sense if he knew that what awaited him was heavy and long, glorious and eternal. He was drawing hope from the future. By faith he was reaching into the boundless storehouses of heaven and grabbing great handfuls of hope and joy to sustain him on earth. In the present his pains were weighty and momentous. But he was convinced that compared to the future they were light and momentary. Don’t you see how long eternity must be and how great the glory to come must be, that it would make his greatest sorrows fade by comparison?
And we need to do the same. The day will come when we will look back on the pains we endure today, even great pains and deep sorrows, and judge them light and momentary as we bask in the glory of God forever and ever. 
A short time ago I got an email from a gentlemen who is now well into his 90s and who lost his dear son more than 70 years ago. That seems like a long time. It is a long time—it’s a lifetime. And now this dear old man knows that his time is almost here. Now he knows his reunion is imminent. It’s so close he can surely almost feel his son’s arms around him, so close he can surely almost hear his son’s voice greeting him! And let me ask, when he’s been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, how long will the time seem between his day of grief and his day of joy? When he sees God’s plan completed and his purposes perfected, will he grumble that his calling was difficult? When he worships in God’s presence age after endless age, will he claim that these 70 years were too long or too hard? Of course not.
Our pains still hurt; our persecutions still torment; our trials still agonize. We still weep with the pain of it all. But by setting them against the backdrop of heaven we can say, “light and momentary.” Because the gap between the moment of our greatest grief and the moment of our greatest joy will really just prove to be the briefest of moments. Just like it was for that widow who, for so short a time, was grieving her beloved son.

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Presbyterian School Mourns 6 Dead in Nashville Shooting
Like so many others, I’m shocked and grieved by the recent tragedy at Covenant School in Nashville (which CT reports on here). I am praying for all those whose loved ones have been taken and whose hearts have been broken.
More Than Watchmen for the Morning
Meredith Beatty: “The watchman trusted that the sun would come up every single morning, but don’t we have a greater hope? Shouldn’t we be spilling over with faith-filled confidence?”
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook” Now Available from Lithos Kids
A faithful retelling of the story of God’s kingdom from Genesis to Revelation. Fully illustrated Old and New Testament volumes for ages 2 to 11. (Sponsored Link)
How to Respond to Deconstructionist Social Media
“Last week, a young adult I pastor came into my office to ask about something he’d seen. It was a video of a deconstructionist influencer on TikTok ‘proving’ that the Gospels are unreliable. He wanted to know what I thought. The video had shaken his faith. Videos on social media like these have millions to hundreds of millions of views. If you pastor younger generations, you’re likely already aware of this new reality. If you’re not, welcome.”
Is there a difference between regeneration and being born again? (Video)
Is there a difference between regeneration and being born again? Sinclair Ferguson clarifies the terms.
Wrath Is Not an Attribute of God
“The love of God and the wrath of God are commonly pitted against one another, particularly in the doctrine of atonement. If the cross is the demonstration of the love of God (Rom. 5:8), then how could it also be an expression of his wrath?” It’s important to know that wrath is not one of God’s attributes alongside love.
Fear After Grief
Brianna Lambert: “Perhaps you’ve been walking through seasons of grief, as you mourn especially deep pain. The dark clouds have begun to shift, but you’re not sure if you can bear to greet the sun, lest you have to return to the dark.”
Flashback: 31 Days of Purity: A Renewed Mind
Throughout his life, the Christian is to be renewing his mind by the Word of God, to take it into captivity and bring it into conformity. As he does this, his words and his deeds, and even his thoughts, will necessarily follow.

Loneliness is one of humanity’s most tender emotions. It reminds us that we are not made for ourselves. We were made for our Creator. The barbs of loneliness are God’s way of saying, “Here I am!” —Steve DeWitt

March Matchups at Logos has wrapped up for the year and lots of great deals are ready for the taking. You’ll find 50% off Preaching the Word Commentary Series, 57% off Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary, 60% off Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Collection, and so on. Get them all here.

I did add just a couple of new Kindle deals to the list as well.
(Yesterday on the blog: Behind-the-Scenes: Endorsements)
Midlife, Christ Is
Jared Wilson reflects on midlife. “Midlife brings new insecurities and awakenings to long-dormant regrets. Many of us face empty nests and the prospect of, in effect, starting over with spouses we’ve only related to for so long as co-parents rather than as partners or friends. Many of us face the reality of aging parents and any fears or worries or responsibilities that come with that.”
Pastors and Social Media
“If I were on a church’s pastoral search committee, one question I would have for each candidate is: What social media accounts do you use, how often do you publish on them, and who in your life has total access to your page and your private messages and could confront you, if necessary, about anything on there?” Samuel James explains.
Wood Wide Web
The John 10:10 Project has another of their fascinating videos.
The Great Reunion Awaits: Reflections a Year After Nanci Entered Heaven
Randy Alcorn: “A year ago … on March 28, 2022, I said goodbye—for now—to my wife, Nanci, who was also my partner, soulmate, and best friend. The pilgrimage of grief, though full of learning and enrichment, is one I would gladly exchange to have my wife with me again. And yet…not really, because I recognize God’s sovereignty and love, and His perfect plan, and the fact that my wife is now happier than she has ever been.”
What Is Lust?
What is lust? That’s a good question…
When Did Jesus Die? (Do We Know the Day and Time?)
“Ever wondered, ‘When did Jesus die?’ It’s a perfectly reasonable question as we near the celebration of Easter. The good news is there’s a fairly straightforward answer.”
Flashback: It’s Better To Suffer Wrong
Whatever we have suffered has not taken place outside of his will, beyond his providence, or past the jurisdiction of his sovereignty. This injustice was not unforeseen by God and did not catch him by surprise.

We forget too easily the words of the Lord Jesus; but He never forgets a promise He makes! —J.R. Miller

In the past few weeks I have seen a fair bit of discussion about book endorsements—about those little blurbs you so often find inside the first few pages or on the back cover of a newly-published book. There seems to be some consensus that the entire endorsement system is faulty, but little consensus about what to do about it. I thought I’d give a behind-the-scenes glance at the system based on my understanding and my experience and then offer a few of my own thoughts about what, if anything, should be fixed.

How Endorsements Work
After an author completes a manuscript, and after an initial round or two of editing, the publisher begins to seek endorsements. Most often it is the responsibility of the author to request and provide these, though occasionally the publisher will make the request—especially with better-known authors. The publisher usually provides a PDF of the manuscript in near-final condition with the option to instead receive it printed on plain printer paper (since at this stage it has not yet been printed as a bound book). It almost always comes with a warning that the contents may still change a little bit as editing continues. They typically come with a deadline of 4 to 6 weeks. The person who has been asked to write the blurb then writes it out and sends it through to the author or publisher along with their preferred attribution (e.g. —Tim Challies, blogger and author).
Publishers will usually want to have at least 5 or 6 solid endorsements for a book. Endorsers are most often chosen for their connection to the topic of the book or for their name recognition. Of course to get 5 or 6 you may need to request 10 or 15, and this is one reason books occasionally end up with several pages of endorsements. Authors will usually request them from friends and acquaintances and perhaps also make a few long-shot requests from people they admire but don’t know.
I can only speak personally here, but I have never been offered money or any other perk in exchange for an endorsement. Neither have I ever had any “tit-for-tat” pressure applied as if I owe it to someone since they once did something nice for me—though it’s possible I have applied this pressure to myself at times.
I haven’t ever counted, but I probably receive 30 or 40 endorsement requests per year and suspect there are other people who receive far more. Some are from people I know, some are from people I haven’t met but look up to, some are from people I have never heard of before.
If someone provides an endorsement, they basically do so as an act of kindness, as there is little to gain, especially when measured against the time it takes to read a book and write a blurb. And you may need to trust me when I say they are surprisingly difficult to write.
Why Publishers Want Endorsements
Endorsements are considered a necessary part of publishing a book for a number of reasons, most of which are quite obvious. Here are some of them.
Most obviously, they work. It’s easy for readers to blame the industry, but I think it would be just as easy for the industry to blame the readers. As readers, we want to be able to assess books quickly and without rigorous analysis. Endorsements offer us the shortcut we want.
Then, readers cannot be familiar with every author, so endorsements help make relational connections. “I don’t know this author, but if that person I do know appreciates her, she must be okay.” In this way they are a free and effective marketing tactic.
Also, many publishers publish such a wide variety of authors that their brand does not offer any clues as to whether a book will be very good or very bad or somewhere between. No matter what comes from Banner of Truth you know it will be good and trustworthy because they are so judicious with what they produce. But then the publisher who publishes John MacArthur also publishes Sarah Young, so its own brand doesn’t count for nearly as much. Endorsers can provide credibility that publishers do not.
Then there’s this: endorsements are good for search engines, whether that is a global one like Google or a specific one like Amazon. Forewords, which are essentially long-form endorsements, are even more effective in this way. Sometimes the main purpose in an endorsement or foreword is to associate a book with a name that is more recognized that the author’s.
Finally, there are so many books being published, and often on the same subject, that endorsements can separate them from one another. What makes a reader choose one marriage book over another when both may be perfectly good? It could be the names recommending it on the back cover.
And I am sure there are many more reasons besides.
What Endorsements Mean
It would be a mistake to assume that every endorsement means that the person has thoroughly or completely read that book. We could debate whether it should mean this, but as it stands it does not. It could mean that the person has read it all or it could mean he has skimmed it. It could even mean he hasn’t read as much as a single word. Sometimes a clue will be in the endorsement (e.g. “I love this author and make sure to recommend all of his books”) and sometimes you will only be able to guess.
I expect that every endorser sets out to read every word of every book, but sooner or later is challenged in their conviction. And, to be fair, the ethics of endorsements are not always completely straightforward.
What about a condensed version of an existing work that I endorsed in the past? Can my endorsement roll over from the longer work to the shorter version of it? I was recently asked this very question.
I was recently asked to write a blurb for a book that is on a non-controversial topic I know well, by an author I know well, and even edited by an editor I know well. I have read probably 20 books on the subject, including every one the author cites. Should I read thoroughly or will a relatively quick skim suffice?
What about a reference work? I was asked to write endorsements for very large systematic theologies by both John MacArthur and Wayne Grudem—the first edition of MacArthur’s Biblical Doctrine and the second edition of Grudem’s Systematic Theology. Each would take weeks to read carefully from cover-to-cover. I am quite familiar with both authors and what they believe. Should I have read every word?
Or what about when a publisher asks for endorsements for the collected works of a historic author? I was asked to write a blurb for a three-volume set by an author who lived and died more than a century ago. I have read some, but not all of what those volumes contain. Should I read all 2,500 pages before writing the endorsement?
All of this to say, endorsements are perhaps a little more complicated than we might think. I believe most authors and publishers do their best to treat them seriously and ethically, even if also imperfectly.
Do Endorsements Need to Be Fixed?
Does the endorsement system need to be fixed? I don’t really think it does. It may not be ideal, but not much in this world really is. I am convinced that it works well enough and I am not convinced we have a viable alternative. So maybe let me offer a few suggestions for both readers and authors.
Readers:

Don’t make too much of endorsements. Don’t take them as meaning more than they do. Read them to ensure you know what the endorser is really saying. And understand that what an endorsement really communicates is “I trust this person enough to extend a bit of my reputation and credibility toward him.”
Develop your own list of trusted endorsers—people who you have come to regard as reliable in their recommendations.
Go a little deeper in evaluating the merits of a book than simply reading the blurbs on the back cover.
Don’t assume that the endorsing system is corrupt or driven by anything more (or less) than friendships and goodwill. There may be some exceptions, but I think they are few and rare.

Authors & Endorsers:

Take endorsements seriously. Do you remember how honored you were the first time you got asked to write one? Try to maintain that sense of privilege rather than regarding them as just another chore.
Write honest endorsements that avoid hyperbole. And it’s probably better to read manuscripts more thoroughly and write fewer endorsements than to endorse far more based on quick skims.
Understand and accept the risk you take when penning an endorsement. It is no small thing to put your name on another person’s work, because if the book ends up being controversial and gaining criticism, you may catch some of the flack. If you are going to read books in a cursory way, understand that your risk is even greater.
Don’t request more endorsements than you really need. No book benefits from having three or four pages of them. And no one wants the endorsement they took the time to write to be one of 30. So don’t waste people’s precious time and don’t feed your ego by pursuing quantity.

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include a selection from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Corporate Confession of Sin)
Does God Read Every Thought?
John Piper was asked whether God knows our thoughts. “The short answer is yes, but what’s really important, as I have thought about this, are the implications of that answer, and they are many and really significant.”
The Wisdom of Avoiding Strife
“Conflict is hard. By ‘conflict,’ I’m referring not to everyday disagreements, but to the sort of disagreements that look like knock-down, drag-em-out fights, that turn people into enemies of one another. The book of Proverbs refers to such situations as ‘strife.’”
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook” Now Available from Lithos Kids
A faithful retelling of the story of God’s kingdom from Genesis to Revelation. Fully illustrated Old and New Testament volumes for ages 2 to 11. (Sponsored Link)
Could Jesus Come Back Tonight?
He sure could!
Trusting Visible Giants to Our Invisible God
“David was victorious over Goliath because he trusted the invisible God with very real and visible and impending problems. But remember this! It is easy to look at someone else’s successful battle, after the fact, and take for granted the outcome.” Isn’t that the truth!
Lyman Beecher’s Prodigal Son: The Story of a Runaway Who Came Home
“In a family of pastors, Charles Beecher (1815–1900) was the black sheep.” Obbie Tyler Todd tells about how he ran away from the Lord and how he returned.
Sex and Christ Crucified
“In our culture, sexual relationships are where Scripture seems most contrary to the majority opinion, and the majority opinion affects us more than we realize.” Ed Welch explains.
Flashback: Get to Know Yourself
To know myself, I need to look outside of myself. My best assessment of self does not come from within but from without. It does not originate with me but with God.

Everyone, almost, can be thankful in prosperity, but a true saint can be thankful in adversity. —Thomas Watson