My gratitude goes to the excellent Spurgeon College for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about their Accelerate program.

There are a few new Kindle deals again today.
(Yesterday on the blog: On Nick’s Twenty-Third Birthday and My Own)
Sufficient in Our Sorrows
Aubrynn makes such a good point here: “Healing is a gift, and it is something I will continue to pray for, but it is not an end in and of itself. True confidence is found not in my strength, my assurance, or my abilities, but only in the foundation of my confidence itself. Christ is my confidence.”
Is the Ark of the Covenant a Type of Mary?
This is a lengthy but interesting refutation of the Roman Catholic teaching that the Ark of the Covenant is a type of Mary.
7 Ways to Mishandle a Bible Story
“The Bible is full of stories.  And we preachers are full of ways to mishandle them.  God has richly blessed us with the stories in the Bible.  Each one reveals God’s heart and character. Each story is designed to point our hearts to Him and to stir our faith in His word and character. So, how can we go wrong?” Here are seven ways.
Jesus Revolution and American evangelicalism
Bethel McGrew considers a character from the film Jesus Revolution. “As I read up on Lonnie, Chuck Smith’s mysterious hippie guest, I especially wondered how the film would handle his story. The dynamic evangelist was directly responsible for a wave of conversions, but he was also a deeply troubled soul whose moral failings cost him his ministry platform and ultimately his life. March 12 will mark 30 years since he died of AIDS at just 43.”
Whining vs. Biblical Complaint in Caregiving
Distinctions matter. “I believe there is a real difference between whining and biblically complaining. Whining is what we do when our preferences aren’t being met. Biblical complaint is when we acknowledge the disconnect between the pain of our lived-in reality, and what we know is true of God’s character and his plan for redeeming our world.”
External Morality
“I believe objective morality exists. I believe God is the only explanation for objective morality. But skeptics will run you in circles trying to prove that objective morality can exist apart from God…”
Flashback: 10 Lessons on Parenting Big(ger) Kids
Don’t be too easily dismayed by kids who happily display their badness; don’t be too easily impressed by kids who mostly display their goodness. In Jesus’s most famous parable, neither the older nor younger brother was outside the need or the reach of the Father’s love. Your best and worst child equally need Jesus.

Genuine thankfulness is an act of the heart’s affections, not an act of the lips’ muscles. —John Piper

This week’s giveaway, sponsored by Spurgeon College, is a free copy of No Neutral Words by Sam Bierig, Dean of Spurgeon College.

The first 25 to complete the form below will receive a free copy of the book. Upon completion of the giveaway, the entrants will receive an email to confirm the location and mailing address.

No Neutral Words
The Pastor’s Investment and Stewardship of His Most Precious and Powerful Tool
By: Sam Bierig
What if I told you there’s a budget in your life and ministry other than your finances and time—one that you’re just as accountable for but are likely overlooking?
As a pastor and ministry leader, you no doubt conceptualize your ministry in terms of financial stewardship. You no doubt feel the weight of stewarding and maintaining your church’s financial budget. Further, we could even extend the pastor’s budget concept to also include a “time budget.” I trust you’re comfortable thinking in these terms. We’re all too aware of how easy time can be flitted away. We have no quarrel on the stewardship of either of these points. But what if we sought to steward our talk and our words just as closely as we do our money and time?
The aim of No Neutral Word is to convince you to consider your “word budget” and show you that every single word you speak is an eternal investment in your hearers for either life or death. The life-or-death investments spoken by you into others, pastor, is your move.

Enter Giveaway Here:
Giveaway rules: You may enter the giveaway one time. The recipients will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Sunday, March 4th at midnight.

I don’t remember a whole lot about my twenty-third birthday. Twenty-three is a “neither here nor there” age so it’s rarely the most memorable of occasions. It sits between coming into full adulthood at 21 and the milestone looming at 30. These are decisive years in any life. They were certainly decisive in my life.

Though I don’t remember a whole lot about the day I turned 23 (all the way back in December of ’99), I do know that Aileen was pregnant and just entering into her third trimester. These were the days when we had learned we were having a boy but hadn’t yet decided what to name him. I remember “John” and “Michael” being in the running—both good family names. I remember Aileen lobbying for “Ethan” for a time. But in the end we got it just right: he would be Nicholas Paul. I would often lie with my head on Aileen’s growing belly to feel Nick stretch and squirm, to begin to bond with the son I had not yet met but already dearly loved. It wasn’t long after that he was born and our joy was complete.
It will be Nick’s twenty-third birthday on Sunday. Or is it more appropriate to say that it “would have been” Nick’s twenty-third birthday on Sunday? I actually don’t know. Either way, it was 23 years ago that the Lord blessed us with our precious baby boy, our firstborn child, our only son.
This will be Nick’s third birthday in heaven, though they probably don’t mark birthdays there, do they? I’m not even convinced that time in heaven passes in months and years, in hours and days, as it does here. Does time outside the context of this world work just the same as time within it? Since the Bible is silent on this I suppose God judges that it doesn’t much matter. What matters is that where God is, Nick is.
And my dad, too. He made the journey just a short time before my son, the first of several blows that followed one after the other in quick succession between 2019 and 2020. And while I’m sorry that my dad is gone, there’s comfort in knowing that he and Nick are together.
And on this subject, a little scene popped into my mind the other day, a little memory of a tearful farewell. For a moment I was transported back to dad’s funeral in the waning days of 2019. Nick was standing at the front of the room sharing some memories of his grandfather. And as he spoke, he wept—he wept with the sheer sorrow of facing the reality of death and the pain of loss. He wept as he said goodbye to one he had loved.
And then another scene appeared in my mind, though this one was imagined rather than remembered. In this scene my father was in heaven, alive and well and just a little younger now than when I last saw him—fewer white hairs on his head, fewer lines on his cheeks, fewer creases on his brow. He was busy at some task or the other when suddenly he stood bolt upright, an expression of surprise, an expression of joy, sweeping over his face. What was it that so shocked and delighted him? My view shifted and now I saw it—Nick had just arrived and was standing before him. I suppose dad must have expected his wife to be next to pass that way or at least one of his children. But no, there before him was his grandson. And he was so pleased to see him, so happy to throw his arms around him, so glad to know that Nick had made it safely home.
In one scene there was sorrow at a parting and in the other there was joy at a reunion. In one scene Nick was weeping as he bid farewell to my dad and in the other dad was rejoicing as he bid welcome to my Nick.
And it strikes me that so much of our response to the death of a saint depends on our perspective. Though from one perspective we see family members weeping as their loved one fades from their view, from the opposite perspective we see other family members rejoicing as their loved one draws near. While some weep with grief that one has passed beyond their sight, others weep with joy that one has safely crossed over. There is no great happiness for some without great sadness for others. For while every death marks a departure it also marks an arrival. That’s just life and death in a world as badly broken as this one and one so gloriously whole as the next.
And so as this birthday approaches and arrives, I wait to see and experience that kind of joy—the joy of taking part in the welcome rather than the farewell, of cheering my loved ones in rather than weeping them out. And as I wait, I am choosing to let some of their joy filter from heaven to earth so I too can feel it, so I too can enjoy it, so I too can let it stir my soul. I choose to take pleasure in their pleasure, for they are in that place where all sorrows have been soothed and all tears have been dried, that place where we all most truly long to be.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today.

Westminster Books has a popular devotional back in stock and on sale (as well as a “forgotten masterpiece” by Bavinck).
Pray for Kate Forbes
Carl Trueman: “The reaction of journalists and politicians to Forbes indicates that we are now in a world where identity politics is reaching a dangerously destabilizing point. If the terms of membership in society are as fluid and ever-changing as the design of the Pride flag, and if no dissent from such orthodoxy will be left unpunished, something deeply sinister is happening.”
What You Should Know About the ‘He Gets Us’ Campaign
Joe Carter explains the “He Gets Us” campaign in one of his famous FAQs.
Have I Failed My Children?
There are some valuable reflections on parenting in this article. “Gil and I laugh when we say that two of our four children make us believe we are totally experts at this parenting gig. If those two were our only kids, we’d give ourselves pats on the back for what a great job we are doing. We’d probably write a parenting book.”
Lips of Poison
“The tongue that is quick to whisper gossip and lies, slandering in the dark, is in cahoots with the accuser of the brethren. Satan, the hater of truth. He licks his chops at all deceit and has spent his entire pathetic existence creating discord. This I know.”
Baseball and the Meaning of Life
Here’s a timely reflection on the world’s greatest sport.
Christian, There is Blood on Your Armor
“As for your battered armor, it is not a disgrace but an homage to your Lord. In all your conflicts, it never failed you. In all your injuries, it preserved your life even when your body failed because the kind of life it protects is similar to the battle in which it is engaged.”
Flashback: Books To Read As You Prepare for Easter
Easter will soon be upon us, and I know that many Christians will take the opportunity to specially reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are extremely well-resourced when it comes to books on the subject and I thought I’d list a few recommendations here.

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. —C.S. Lewis

Logos users: March Matchups is back, and with it the opportunity to get some great deals. Also, be sure to grab this month’s free book.

If you’re in or near Canada and want to brush up on your preaching, a friend asked me to let you know about the Simeon Trust workshops in Calgary and Toronto.
Today’s Kindle deals include a nice little list.
(Yesterday on the blog: Learning Lessons From Scandals Close to Home)
The Life and Death of an Ordinary Saint
I love ordinary saints.
An Open Statement of the Truth
Kevin DeYoung: “You may have wondered in recent days, ‘When did I become a bigot?’ Not that you are likely a bigot, but that the world now considers you one. Beliefs that used to be obvious—to Christians and to almost everyone else—are now called hate speech, while practices and spectacles that wouldn’t have been whispered in private have become public celebrations.”
Five things you may not know about Adam
CMI has an interesting one here. “Adam is one of the best-known people in the Bible. Despite this, most people only know a few basic facts about him. His connection to every person on the planet, and therefore our need for the Gospel, is outlined below, as are five things about Adam you may not have known before.”
The Scariest Thing Jesus Ever Said
“For some, the Bible is and should be a great comfort. For others, it is and should be deeply disturbing. Throughout the Bible, God heals with reassuring words of forgiveness, kindness, and welcome. Also throughout the Bible, God thunders with warnings meant to stir people toward repentance, restoration, and peace.” Scott Sauls explains.
There are an infinite number of wheels in God’s providence
There are indeed!
Kate Forbes Is Done (or Why an Orthodox Christian Can Never Lead a Western Political Party Again)
“Kate Forbes stands little chance of becoming the First Minister of Scotland. And this is due to her publicly stated religious beliefs.” Stephen McAlpine reflects on alarming (yet somehow not surprising) situation.
Flashback: When God Unfolds His Will in Pieces
When it comes to our lives, God chooses to unfold his will in bits, in steps, in phases. He chooses to unfold his will in real-time and not in advance. He chooses to unfold his will in such a way that we need to exercise faith.

No parent gives mercy better than one who is convinced that he desperately needs it himself. —Paul David Tripp

Though we would never wish for a scandal to take place and make its way into the headlines, and while we should always regret the circumstances that bring one about, a scandal does offer the opportunity for personal introspection. A wise man will heed its lessons, for it inevitably provides the context to consider whether sin is sneaking up on us as it has on someone else, to practice the biblical admonition “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

In recent months the news around these parts has carried stories of a number of highly-publicized scandals, some of which involve professed Christians and some of which do not. And while none overlap my life or social circles in any significant way, I’ve still found myself pondering the public facts to consider what lessons I can draw from them.
The lesson that is most prominent in my mind is that you’re never too old to destroy your legacy—which is to say that you’re never beyond the temptation to sin. Some of these people had enjoyed many years of service in the public eye and had earned an upright reputation. And then, in the blink of an eye, they had to resign in disgrace. Some tried to express the hope that, because they had done so much good for so long a time, their legacy would not be entirely undermined. Yet, while they may have done much good, they will never outrun the context in which their careers came to so sudden a halt. The lesson is that we can never coast, we can never relax our vigilance against sin until we have safely landed in heaven.
Just behind that lesson is this: sin will often bring the most pain and harm to those we love the most (or are meant to love the most). It is almost unbearable to consider the cost to a wife in shame as news of her husband’s affair crisscrosses the world (and, of course, to a woman’s husband if the wife is the one who has transgressed). Every story will tell of a marriage that must now be in peril because of one spouse’s thoughtlessness, one person’s transgressions. That husband may have enjoyed his sin while it was taking place but his wife and family will know only pain, shame, and confusion. That pastor may have gained some enjoyment while committing his sinful deeds, but how he has resigned and his church is left rocked and hurting. So often the cost of our sin is disproportionately paid by the very people we are charged to love, protect, and care for.
Here’s another lesson: Some people stick around too long. They grow so accustomed to being in the public eye that they cannot tolerate the thought of obscurity, of being a former politician, a former athlete, or even a former pastor. Yet there comes a time when remaining in the public eye (or the pulpit or the conference circuit or …) may reflect idolatry more than necessity or service. That public prominence may have become a matter of identity so that the individual doesn’t know who he would be without the position and the acclaim that comes with it. And there is grave danger that comes to those who are in the public eye to work out their own identity rather than to serve others. Sometimes what’s best for a person, his family, and the people he has served is to step aside—to quit while he is ahead. (The people who most need to quit are probably the very ones who find the thought most unbearable!)
And then this: We are particularly vulnerable to temptation in the area in which we build our “brand.” One of the individuals caught up in a recent scandal branded himself as the consummate family man who loved and valued his wife and family. Yet he now leaves the public eye just hoping he will be able to regain their trust and confidence and salvage something of a relationship with them. Another was an advocate for justice who was found to have committed acts of great injustice. The area in which both of these people wished to present themselves as particularly strong was the very area in which they were particularly vulnerable (or even eager, perhaps) to temptation. And this makes me think of how many Christian “experts” in areas like marriage and family have eventually been unmasked as hypocrites in much the same way and how many advocates of the vulnerable have actually trodden so many underfoot. We easily deceive others and ourselves.
I also see how Satan may send counsellors to try to persuade those who have sinned that they should not allow that sin to drive them from the public eye—that they are so good at what they do or so crucial to their church or organization that they should fight to maintain their position. Sometimes a disgraced individual will initially follow conscience and attempt to do the right thing, only to heed poor counsel and withdraw an earlier resignation. Just when a person seems willing to make much of his sin, he may be encouraged to make little of it. Bad sin so often seems to be followed by bad counsel.
It is also worth reflecting on the fact that a man can be easily flattered. In a number of situations the person was caught up in a sexual scandal with someone quite a bit younger—sometimes in a context that was abusive and sometimes in a context that was consensual. I believe many older men would be able to testify that there can be something very validating about the attention of a younger woman, something very affirming about thinking he’s still got what it takes to attract and woo someone who is much his junior. Aging can certainly be humbling and discouraging, so a man who is wise will consider how he can face and endure it with grace—and not seek out or succumb to flattery.
The final lesson is that your sin will find you out. An old Puritan warned that Satan likes to dangle the bait while hiding the hook. Satan’s greatest trick is to let us think we can enjoy the pleasures of sin without paying its cost. And while we so often get away with it for a while, eventually the hook grabs hold and our sin gets exposed. And while we see this happen time and time again, we seldom seem to learn the lesson. When confronted by the opportunity to sin, we need to consider the cost to ourselves, our family, our church, our testimony, and our Savior. We need to assume that Satan does not just wish for us to sin, but to eventually make that sin every bit as public as was the case for those people we see in the headlines.
I will close out with J.I. Packer’s challenging, sobering words, penned when he was already old and already grappling with the challenges of aging: “Racers always try to keep something in reserve for a final sprint … My contention is that so far as our bodily health allows, we should aim to be found running the last lap of our Christian life, as we would say, flat out. The final sprint, so I urge, should be a sprint indeed.” Those who are in that final stretch must make it a sprint indeed—a sprint in which their godly character carries them safely and victoriously over the finish line. Meanwhile, those of us who are still approaching that final stretch must already be laying “aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely” so we can “run with endurance the race that is set before us”—and run to the very end without stumbling, without falling, without bringing disgrace to our name or reproach to the name of Christ.

At the beginning of a new month it is good to be reminded: At this very moment God is reigning from his throne, so Christ will soon return and all will be made right.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for February 2023)
The Christian’s Glorious Freedom
Sinclair Ferguson: “You may have been a Christian for some time and yet not grasped your new status in Christ. You may still be intimidated by the domineering character of the tyrant who once ruled over you. Believers sometimes wrongly assume: ‘I have sinned; therefore, sin still has authority over me. I cannot possibly have ‘died’ to sin.’ Paul unambiguously contradicts this thinking.”
A Darker Consumerism
Chris wants us to consider that “our relationship with social media has made us consumers of people.”
Dear Nursery Worker: Thank You For Loving Our Family Like Christ
Here’s some encouragement: “Sister, if you ever feel like your job is useless as a nursery worker, if you ever feel like you’re doing no good for the kingdom, stomp out those lies. You’re loving those children, and you are loving those parents. You’re modeling Jesus…”
Hurt, injustice and dealing with reality
Stephen reflects on some of the ways we can be hurt in church (and how we can hurt others). “As much as I don’t want to diminish the reality of bad experiences, I also think there is some balance needed in how we think about these things. None of what I am about to say is meant to undercut real experience of hurtful things…”
Defining and Defending Liturgy
“What first comes to mind when you hear the word ‘liturgy’? You may believe that ‘liturgy’ is something mechanical or impersonal, not really speaking to the heart. Perhaps you think it a cold, lifeless term, expressing a concept that does not have practical value or promote spiritual worship. Liturgy? Who needs it!”
Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards?
Trevin considers theologians we may now find troubling in different ways. “We can either look down on past theologians for their sins or we can look deeper. Looking deeper requires us to consider different kinds of sin, how those sins might affect the outlook of the theologian, and what treasures we may still receive, with wisdom and discernment, from flawed forebears.”
Flashback: Which Christian Best Portrays Christ?
Christians are called to be like Jesus, to make a careful study of his life, of his ways, of his character, then to portray him on the canvas of our lives.

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless. —G.K. Chesterton

As you know, I like to do my best to comb through the new Christian books each month to see what stands out as being not only new, but also particularly notable. I received quite a number of new titles in February and narrowed the list down to the ones below. I have included the editorial description for each. I hope there’s something here that catches your eye!

The God Who Judges and Saves: A Theology of 2 Peter and Jude by Matthew S. Harmon. “Even though Peter and Jude wrote their canonical letters almost 2,000 years ago, the church today still faces similar challenges as their original readers. What do these short, overlooked books have to teach Christians today about God, humanity, and God’s redemptive plan? In this addition to the New Testament Theology series, Matthew S. Harmon examines the unique themes of 2 Peter and Jude as well as their common ground, addressing topics such as false teaching, God’s authority, and the new heavens and the new earth. Analyzing the historical and biblical context of both books, Harmon helps readers understand how these key themes apply to them today—giving Christians comfort and motivation in the face of serious challenges and opposition to the gospel.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen. “Millions have read books and listened to sermons by Timothy Keller. But which people and what events shaped his own thinking and spiritual growth? With unfettered access to Keller’s personal notes and sermons–as well as exclusive interviews with family members and longtime friends—Collin Hansen gives you unprecedented understanding of one of the 21st century’s most influential church leaders. Spend any time around Timothy Keller and you’ll learn what he’s reading, what he’s learning, what he’s seeing. The story of Timothy Keller is the story of his spiritual and intellectual influences, from the woman who taught him how to read the Bible to the professor who taught him to preach Jesus from every text to the philosopher who taught him to see beneath society’s surface. For the first time, Hansen introduces readers to Keller’s early years: the home where he learned to tell stories from the trees, the church where he learned to care for souls, and the city that lifted him to the international fame he never wanted.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Evangelical Pharisees: The Gospel as Cure for the Church’s Hypocrisy by Michael Reeves. “Scripture warns believers of hypocrisy—called the ‘leaven of the Pharisees’—and its potential to spread quickly in the church. Outwardly appearing as devout religion, this legalism hides destructive pride, idolatry, and even apostasy. Unfortunately, pharisaism is still a problem among evangelicals today. How does Jesus instruct the church to recognize and defeat one of its deepest theological issues? In this clear, compelling call to spiritual reformation, Michael Reeves helps believers reject pharisaism and embrace gospel integrity. Studying 3 essentials of Christian doctrine that the Pharisees misunderstood—their approach to Scripture, understanding of salvation, and disregard of regeneration—Reeves shows readers how to embrace a biblical, Trinitarian, and creedal understanding of the gospel necessary for true reformation.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Refreshment for the Soul: A Year of Daily Readings from the ‘Heavenly Doctor’ by David MacKinnon. “A pastor of forty years who has throughout his ministry found the Puritans to be a great source of spiritual encouragement, David MacKinnon presents here 366 extracts from the works of the Puritan pastor Richard Sibbes, which may be used each day of the year by readers as an aid to devotion. Each extract has been carefully selected, and a suitable accompanying Scripture text provided at the start of each daily reading. Occasional antiquated words in the original have been updated, and overly long sentences have been shortened, but all with a view to retain Sibbes’ flow and meaning for present-day readers. For those who have never encountered Sibbes before, this volume will serve as an excellent introduction. All will find in these daily readings spiritual refreshment for the soul, coming from one who in his day was known, appropriately, as the ‘heavenly doctor.’” (Buy it at Amazon)
Truly, truly, I say to you: Meditations on the Words of Jesus from the Gospel of John by Adam Ramsey. “The most precious words this world has ever heard came from the voice of Jesus. ‘It is I, do not be afraid’; ‘I am the Light of the World’; ‘I go to Prepare a Place for You’; ‘It is finished.’ These are just some of the powerful, life-renewing words spoken by Jesus in the first century. As we read them in John’s Gospel, the Holy Spirit makes these same words come alive in our hearts today. With devotions and prayers from Adam Ramsey, along with insights from the 19th-century “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, you will encounter Jesus through these pages and experience the transforming power and tender comfort of his voice. These 40 devotions are ideal for Lent, with two extra special reflections added for Easter Sunday and Monday. They can also be used at any time through the year, to deepen your own walk with Jesus. As Jesus’ words of grace and truth shine a light into your heart, you’ll learn more about yourself. But more importantly, you’ll learn more about him, as you marvel at his character and find yourself captivated by his presence.” (Buy it at Amazon)
Right Thinking for a Culture in Chaos: Responding Biblically to Today’s Most Urgent Needs edited by John MacArthur & Nathan Busenitz. “In an age of moral and spiritual decline, you will inevitably face pressure to view truth as something subjective, shifting, and ultimately unknowable. Yet the Word of God stands in bold contrast against this postmodern sentiment. The absolute truth of Scripture is timeless, extending even to today’s most heated controversies. From the bestselling team behind Right Thinking in a World Gone Wrong comes Right Thinking for a Culture in Chaos: a biblical response to contemporary issues like gender identity, government authority, deconstruction of faith, critical race theory, and more. Each chapter illuminates how the principles of God’s Word equip you to honor Him in an increasingly corrupt world. You’ll also be encouraged by the profound hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the only remedy for humanity’s brokenness. No matter what society teaches, God’s Word cuts through the haze of confusion with the light of truth. Right Thinking for a Culture in Chaos encourages you to ground your convictions in Christ and His all-sufficient Word.” (Buy it at Amazon)
Don’t Hold Back: Leaving Behind the American Gospel to Follow Jesus Fully by David Platt. “The New York Times bestselling author of Radical challenges Christians to break free from an American gospel that prostitutes Jesus for comfort, power, prosperity, and politics—and fully pursue the true gospel that exalts Jesus above all. Pastor David Platt believes we’ve gotten really good at following a really bad gospel—one that worships American ideas over biblical truth. It’s time for disillusioned, discouraged, and divided Christians, and the next generation, to follow Jesus into a different future. But we have to make a choice: an American gospel or the biblical gospel. Worldly division or otherworldly unity. Compromise with the idols of our country or commitment to God’s call in our lives. In Don’t Hold Back, Platt encourages followers of Jesus to take necessary risks and find unimaginable reward as we: work for—not against—each other, especially when we disagree; turn the tide on centuries of racial division in the church; trust all of God’s Word with conviction while loving everyone around us with compassion; do justice with kindness, and experience the good life according to God; play our part in spreading the gospel to all the nations of the world. We can experience the full wonder of Jesus and transcendent beauty of his church here and now. But in order to do so, some things need to be different. Starting not in ‘those people,’ but in each one of us. With the gospel in our hearts and God as our prize, let’s press on and don’t hold back.” (Buy it at Amazon)
5 Puritan Women: Portraits of Faith and Love by Jenny-Lyn de Klerk. “The writings of the Puritans have had a recent resurgence, but many Puritan women have often been overlooked or misunderstood. As mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and wives, the vibrant faith of Puritan women has much to teach modern day readers. In 5 Puritan Women: Portraits of Faith and Love, Jenny-Lyn de Klerk shows how the lives and writings of Christian women encourage the beauty of holy living and provide practical wisdom for the home and the church. Each chapter portrays a different Puritan woman—Agnes Beaumont, Lucy Hutchinson, Mary Rich, Anne Bradstreet, and Lady Brilliana Harley—telling their stories of devotion, lament, and family. By studying their faith journeys, modern readers can learn more about their roles in church history and glean insights into the Christian life.” (Buy it at Amazon)
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem by Kenneth Berding. “Paul’s enigmatic ‘thorn in the flesh’ in 2 Corinthians has baffled interpreters for centuries. Many offer suggestions as to the identity of Satan’s messenger; others despair that the puzzle is unsolvable. In Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem, Kenneth Berding reopens the case. He follows a trail of clues that includes ancient beliefs about curses, details from Paul’s letters, Jesus’s own suffering, and the testimony of the earliest Christian interpreters. Berding offers twenty criteria―some familiar, others neglected―that any proposal must explain. While the usual suspects fall short, Berding suggests a new solution―one that satisfies all the evidence and gives us a fuller view of Paul. Far from an abstract puzzle, Paul’s own suffering is relevant to Christians today. Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh is an accessible study that casts new light on Pauline studies, first–century background, and theological and pastoral concerns.” (Buy it at Amazon)
The Coming of the Holy Spirit: Why Jesus Sent his Spirit into the World by Phillip D. Jensen. “When we seek to understand the person and work of God’s Spirit, we are often so concerned with personal theories or current controversies that we fail to listen carefully to what God himself teaches in the Scriptures. The Coming of the Holy Spirit begins with the very centre of what the Bible teaches about the Spirit: Jesus will fulfil the Old Testament prophecies and pour out the Holy Spirit on his people. The book explores the five promises of Jesus about the Spirit in John 14-17 and then traces the fulfilment of those promises through the rest of the New Testament—in the Pentecostal outpouring of Acts 2, the progress of the Holy Spirit’s world mission throughout Acts, and the ongoing work of the Spirit in initiating, continuing and completing the Christian life in all its dimensions (personal and corporate). In this important and unique work, Phillip Jensen draws on a lifetime of biblical exegesis and preaching to unfold not only the depth and richness of the Bible’s teaching about the Spirit, but its centre and emphasis. Having done this important work, he then goes on to deal with many of the secondary issues that have often dominated our discussion of the Spirit. This is a groundbreaking book of immense importance because it follows the Bible’s own emphasis in teaching about the Spirit, and in doing so teaches us to know the true and living God, who is the Spirit.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
The Holy Spirit by Robert Letham. “The Holy Spirit is God and indivisible from the Father and the Son. Robert Letham thus develops a holistic and canonical view of the Spirit in the context of the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, and redemption. Heeding the cumulative wisdom of God’s people through the ages, he touches on disputed matters with care and grace—ultimately providing a deeply biblical, irenic, and engaging contribution to our understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Blessings to you today, my friends.

Today’s Kindle deals include quite a lengthy list.
(Yesterday on the blog: God Doesn’t Need You To Do His PR)
Candlelight
“My wife and I were on the way to church for the annual Christmas Eve candlelight service. The traffic was dense in the night, a dissonance of glaring white headlights, fuming red taillights, and a looming, bristling pall of impatience.” This is the beginning to a compelling and poetic article.
Shattered
“Shattered. The word I heard describing the damage the bullet had done to my husband’s voice box. This onomatopoeia could be our theme word for the last year. Entering 2022, Tommy and I were overjoyed and expectant, facing our bright future together. We were fulfilled in our dream careers, part of a flourishing church family, looking to buy our first house, and planning to start a family. Then, one by one, these joys and expectations were taken away from us.”
Reclaiming Joy in Teaching
You may enjoy this interview with Tom Schreiner.
What Are You Calling a Church?
“The word I am referring to here is church. And when it comes to communication between missionaries and Christians back in their supporting churches, this word is used often, but almost never defined. What often results is a failure in communication that leaves both parties feeling good, but ultimately failing to serve one another well.”
Do Angels Carry Our Prayers to God?
John Piper answers a good question here. “Millions don’t believe that the infinite, blazing holiness of God is so great that no angel, nor the mother of God, Mary, could be a better protection for us than Christ. Let me say that again. That’s just so crucial. She didn’t believe, and millions don’t believe, that the infinite, blazing holiness of God is so great that no angel and no mother of God could be a better protection for us than Christ.”
Don’t Be A Fig Leaf
“As recipients of grace and forgiveness, Christians should be quick to be gracious and forgiving. But extending grace should include encouraging fellow believers to admit and confront sin so that they can experience the grace and forgiveness that only comes from Christ.” This is very true!
Flashback: Was It A Waking Dream?
I became aware that I was in my living room, not the cemetery. I became aware that it had been a dream, not reality. But I also became aware that my face was wet with tears and my heart rich with joy. For though it was only a waking dream, it was a dream grounded in the best of all promises, the surest of all hopes.

He has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace. —Joni Eareckson-Tada

For those called to ministry, Spurgeon College and Midwestern Seminary offer a dual-degree program that allows students to earn their Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degree (MDiv; MA, Biblical Counseling; or MA, Christian Education) in 5 years. Learn more about Accelerate here.

On the last day, we will be held accountable for how we have utilized the resources and gifts our Lord provides us—money, time, talents, relationships, and more. Disciples of Jesus are called by our Lord to leverage our resources and gifts with diligence, wisdom, and risk-taking faith in order to expand His kingdom and showcase His glory. As we do, we are spurred on by the hope of hearing our Master tell us on that last day, “Well done, good and faithful servant… Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21, ESV).
For those aspiring to church leadership, this call to accountability and stewardship should transform how we train for ministry. Many sensing a call toward church leadership recognize the value of a Bible college or seminary education. While aspiring leaders have many different options for theological education in front of them, there are certain principles that every aspiring leader should seek to live out during their season of theological training and formation. Here are four God-given resources that aspiring church leaders should focus on leveraging during their season of ministry training.
Leverage Your Mind
Speaking to a group of seminarians in 1911, Princeton theologian B. B. Warfield exhorted, “Say what you will, do what you will, the ministry is a ‘learned profession’; and the man without learning, no matter with what other gifts he may be endowed, is unfit for its duties.”[1] Amid all the opportunities and responsibilities that one’s season in Bible college or seminary may bring, it is vital that aspiring leaders remember their special vocation as a student. Bible college and seminary are special seasons to develop the habits, disciplines, instincts, and foundational convictions of a lifelong student of God’s Word. In a seminary setting, your hope is to learn an immense amount about God, His Word, and His people in a short amount of time. This is 3 to 5 years of training meant to equip you for the next 30 to 50 years of service. In that short period of time, you cannot learn everything you will need to know about souls and Scripture. But you can develop the foundational habits of study that will shape you for decades of service to God’s people.
Even as you study (and study… and study some more), it is important that you remember the ultimate goal of your study. Warfield warns against pitting your study against your devotional life: “Why should you turn from God when you turn to your books, or feel that you must [turn] from your books in order to turn to God? If learning and devotion are as antagonistic as that, then the intellectual life is in itself accursed and there can be no question of a religious life for a student, even of theology.” The truth is that what we don’t know about God, we cannot worship Him for. And the goal of theological training is not degrees, it is doxology. As aspiring ministry leaders leverage their minds, they must recognize that they do so not for human applause or any temporal gain, but so that they can know, delight in, and serve the God of their salvation.
Leverage Your Relationships
Aspiring ministry leaders should not only be concerned with what course of study they are committing themselves to, but also what type of community they are committing themselves to. Perhaps the most impactful aspect of residential study in particular is the number of deep relationships that students develop with fellow classmates and faculty members. It behooves those training for ministry to find a school and a program where fellow learners and mentors can become lifelong partners in ministry.
Leverage Your Time
The Apostle Paul exhorts believers in Ephesians 5:16 to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” This is not a law-fueled burden to maximize every waking moment by the standards of modern “productivity” or “efficiency.” Instead, it is a call for believers to prayerfully and prudently use their one non-renewable resource. Aspiring leaders, then, should seek out theological training pathways that avoid redundancy and accelerate the attainment of key competencies in Biblical exegesis, theology, preaching/teaching, counseling, evangelism, and more.
Leverage Your Finances
Jesus’ words in Luke 14:28 are binding for those looking to commit to formal ministry training: “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it?” Aspiring leaders should look to find affordable programs, and work to avoid large amounts of debt. As you leave your season of training and embark on a lifetime of ministry, financial freedom and well-formed habits of frugality will allow you to serve the church with greater effectiveness and joy.
Accelerate Your Ministry Training
Over the past years, I have had the privilege of watching these principles of stewardship play out in the lives of students as I have led the Accelerate program at Spurgeon College & Midwestern Seminary. Accelerate is a dual-degree program that allows students to earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. These students—both on-campus in Kansas City and around the globe—have chosen a path of academic and spiritual formation that allows them to leverage their mind, relationships, time, and finances with wisdom and intentionality. Whatever path an aspiring ministry leader might pursue, the calling remains the same for everyone. Leverage everything that’s been given to you for the glory of God and the good of others! And do so with the hope of that last day in mind, when you will hear your Lord welcome you into an eternity of joy in His presence.
[1] B.B. Warfield, The Religious Life of Theological Students