This week the blog is sponsored by the Gospel Coalition and they are pleased to announce a second season of Good Faith Debates, premiering on The Gospel Coalition’s YouTube channel weekly through March 19.

TGC debuted the Good Faith Debates video series with five episodes last year, featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing contentious topics like gun control, the “woke” debates, the pro-life movement’s priorities, how to address racial injustice, and the usefulness of the term “evangelical.” Now, we’re releasing five more debates on some of the most divisive issues facing the church today.
Here’s the debate release schedule for Good Faith Debates season two:

Debate #6 (Watch Now): Should Christian Parents Send Their Children to Public Schools? | Jen Wilkin vs. Jonathan Pennington
Debate #7 (premiering February 26 at 4 p.m. ET): Should Christians Support Tougher Immigration Laws?| Matthew Soerens vs. Darren Guerra
Debate #8 (premiering March 5 at 4 p.m. ET): Should Addressing Climate Change Be a Public Policy Priority for Christians? | Brian Mattson vs. Jake Meador
Debate #9 (premiering March 12 at 4 p.m. ET): Should Churches Be Slow or Quick to Embrace New Technology? | Patrick Miller vs. Jay Kim
Debate #10 (premiering March 19 at 4 p.m. ET): Can Racial Reconciliation Happen Without Racial Justice Being Achieved First? | Darryl Williamson vs. George Yancey

When we keep the gospel central, we can disagree on lesser but still important matters in good faith. In the Good Faith Debates, we hope to model this—showing it’s possible for two Christians united around the gospel to engage in charitable conversation even amid substantive disagreement.
We hope you’ll consider joining the conversation on YouTube when these debates premiere (subscribe to TGC’s YouTube channel) or gathering with friends, family, or church members to watch and discuss the debates together at a later date (download free group discussion guide).
[embedded content]

I have been building an ongoing relationship with a person who adheres to a very different religion than my own. He is as committed to his faith as I am to mine and is as eager to speak to me as I am to him. It makes for some engaging and enjoyable conversation. I recently asked him what hope he has beyond the grave, what certainty he can have about life after death. “As you venture off into what comes beyond what we see and know, what confidence do you have of a warm welcome?”

His answer was that he has very little confidence. He is doing his best to live by the tenets of his faith, to be a good and moral and upright person. He worships when he is meant to worship, prays when he is meant to pray, and gives when he is meant to give. He is aware that he sometimes falls short, but responds to his transgressions and shortcomings by redoubling his efforts. He is all-in and doing all he can. But while he seems to be doing everything right, he still has no confidence when it comes to whatever happens after death. Why?
The answer does not lie in his own efforts or in the clarity of the instructions given in his scriptures. Rather, the answer lies in the character of the god he worships. His god, though said to be very powerful, is not known to be patient or kind. Though said to demand the highest of moral standards, he is not known to be completely consistent in his judgments. He can be harsh, he can be arbitrary, he can vary his standards. Though he is the being who created humanity, he does not reveal himself as compassionate toward them. And for those reasons his followers live their lives relating to a god who shows little love, little tenderness, little compassion. They are always uncertain about his posture toward them, always guessing at the nature of his relationship toward them. And them, at the end, they head toward death uncertain about whether they will go to eternal life or eternal death, to glory or judgment. 
As I walked away from our most recent conversation, I found myself reflecting on the sheer wonder of compassion. Aren’t you thankful that our God is compassionate toward us? Aren’t you thankful that God promises he is close to the brokenhearted and that he saves those who are crushed in spirit? Aren’t you thankful that he promises he will not break a bruised reed and that he will not snuff out a smoldering wick? Aren’t you thankful that just as a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him? It is this fatherly heart of God that is especially relatable and therefore especially precious.
When Abby went off to college I wanted to assure her that I would continue to care about her and care for her. I told her what I will also tell her sister when she heads off this fall: “You only ever need to say ‘Daddy, I need you,’ and I will be on my way. By the time you finish your sentence you’ll hear the front door slam and the car engine start and the tires screech. I’ll be on my way to you.” Because that’s what it is to be a father—to respond to our children when they cry out for us. Surely no good father would hear his daughter cry out in hunger and give her a rock or hear his son cry out in anguish and hand him a snake. Surely no concerned father would hear his child cry for help and turn his back. And the best of human fathers, of course, is but the palest imitation of our heavenly Father. 
Our God draws very close to us in our sorrows—the sorrow of pain, the sorrow of loss, the sorrow of betrayal, the sorrow of loneliness, the sorrow of facing our own sinfulness and fallibility. And, of course, the sorrow of facing our own mortality. Our God is most present just when he is most needed—ever ready and ever eager to offer his sweet comfort. His compassion—his wondrous fatherly compassion—draws him near to us when we so desperately need his help.

Grace and peace to you today.

There is a long list of Kindle deals for you to look over.
Yesterday on the blog: (A Prayer That God Would Save Our Children)
Revival and Bad Theology
“When revival hits, should we expect all the participants to have all their theological ducks in a row and align with our particular shibboleth?” Here’s one take on it. (See also: Asbury, Revival, and Christian Cynicism? and Why It’s Good to be Skeptical of the Asbury Revival.)
A Life-Giving Brain Cancer
“In July of 2022, I was diagnosed with a tumour in the left frontal lobe of my brain; what doctors termed the eloquent, dominant brain. … Six months later, I am glad to have completed active treatment, and excited for a second future. In fact, I’ve never been happier or felt more blessed than I do right now, and I’m eager to share with you why.”
Gender War, Technology, and De-Centering the Self
“It seems to me that the capacity to believe you could be wrong about something—in other words, the capacity to cultivate humility—is greatly strengthened by genuine encounters with other people, and is greatly weakened through the absence of such encounters.”
Why are some demons only able to be cast out “by prayer”? (Mk. 9:29)
Sinclair Ferguson answers an interesting question.
What Is Presbyterianism?
What is Presbyterianism about? This article explains its distinctives.
Nine Characteristics of the Great Old Testament Revivals
This is a helpful list of characteristics of revivals in the Old Testament.
Flashback: Learning to Stand
These are the six pieces of the spiritual armor we need for this spiritual battle: truth, righteousness, the gospel, faith, salvation and the Word of God…This armor is God’s gift to each Christian, sufficient to wage and to win this battle.

Satan’s chief device of temptation is to attack the truth of God. —R.C. Sproul

Every Christian parent prays that God would extend his saving grace from one generation to the next (and, of course, to the ones after that). Every Christian prays, then, that they would see the Lord save their precious children. This was on George Swinnock’s mind when he prayed this lovely prayer many centuries ago. May it give you words to pray to the Lord as you consider God’s mercy toward the children the Lord has given you.

Father of spirits, I pray for my children.
Manifest your grace and goodness and wash them in the fountain opened for sin.
As they bear the image of the first Adam, cause them to bear the image of the second Adam.
Let your grace be their beauty and the eternal weight of glory their portion.
Cause them to hear your voice and live.
Dear Redeemer, you said, “Let the little children come to me.” I bring them now to you; do not reject them. I present them to you in the trembling arms of my weak faith. Oh, lay your hands on them and bless them.
Blessed Jesus, you know the pollution of their natures, the difficulty of their conversions, and the boundless wrath to which they are liable.
Let your compassion yearn towards them, and your Spirit so accompany their instruction that in them you may see the suffering of your soul and be satisfied.
And I pray that I may walk in the path of your precepts for the sake of those that follow me.
May I be so pious in my words and works, so gracious in all my dealings and duties, that religion may be written fair through my conduct, and my children may with comfort follow my example.
Lord, while others turn off the highway of holiness, let me, like the pillar of fire, go before my family to the land of promise, and shine as a true light to direct them in the way to everlasting life.
I pray that as a parent of my children I may conduct myself as a child of my God.
Lord, my sons are your sons and my daughters are your daughters.
Let your power prosper my labors while they are young, so that they may be prepared for that noble work which you plan for them in the other world.
And when you send your servants to fetch them home, may they be conveyed by holy angels to your side, where I and the children whom you have given me shall love, and live, and rejoice with you for ever.

My gratitude goes to Radius for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about the  upcoming Radius Conference. I’m grateful to each of the sponsors who helps support the blog…

I scrounged up a few new Kindle deals for today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation)
Why we need a Joshua Harris rule
I generally agree with this, but am not certain that even 40 is old enough!
3 Reasons Not to Mention Greek and Hebrew Words in a Sermon
I also generally agree with this. “I’m here to urge you to remember not to say ‘the-Greek-word-here-is’ in your next sermon. And the next one.”
Is the Church Failing at Being the Church?
Kevin DeYoung: “Evangelicals have a long history of self-flagellation. On one level, this is commendable. As Christians we should, of all people, be aware of our sins, repent of our sins, and ask God to help us overcome our sins. And yet, we must be careful lest the virtue of personal humility leads the church at large to believe things that aren’t true, develop responses that aren’t necessary, and set out on paths that aren’t wise.”
Kept
“This is for the one who is feeling wobbly today. Perhaps you have been flattened: cast aside by another, gossiped about, slandered while doing good. Maybe your heart is tired and sore, and life feels like an uphill slog, all cold, dreary rain minus golden sunbeams. Perchance you are the one who has caused much pain, and your cruelty or selfishness seem irreparable.”
A God Above Means Purpose Below
This is worth considering. “We have meaning below because there is a God above. If there were no god above, we would have no meaning below. Trust me, this isn’t just some ‘Sunday School’ idea.”
Should We Try To Control Who Is In Our Lives?
Should we cut people out of our lives who annoy us or are difficult?
Flashback: There Is Only Ever Today
Life is often like a daylily in that each new day opens fresh opportunities to do good to the people around us—opportunities that often wither and fade before the darkness of evening.

The way to conquer sin is not by working hard to change our deeds, but by trusting Jesus to change our desires. —David Platt

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Radius International.  They are giving away a conference package that includes: 2 tickets, a Radius pullover, and 4 books.

The winner will receive two free tickets to The Radius Conference being held June 28-29, 2023, at Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA. This event will be live in person or available as a live stream. John MacArthur, Costi Hinn, Ian Hamilton, Wayne Chen, Brooks Buser, Chad Vegas, and others from the Radius world will be live and in-person to teach on the Great Commission in today’s world.
The winner will receive a Radius International branded pullover. Size and gender option to be selected by the winner from available stock.
The winners will also receive four books that Radius International highly recommends:
No Shortcut to Success
A Manifesto for Modern Missions
By Matt Rhodes
Avoid “Get-Rich-Quick” Missions Strategies and Invest in Effective, Long-Term Ministry
Trendy new missions strategies are a dime a dozen, promising missionaries monumental results in record time. These strategies report explosive movements of people turning to Christ, but their claims are often dubious and they do little to ensure the health of believers or churches that remain. How can churches and missionaries address the urgent need to reach unreached people without falling for quick fixes?
In No Shortcut to Success, author and missionary Matt Rhodes implores Christians to stop chasing silver-bullet strategies and short-term missions, and instead embrace theologically robust and historically demonstrated methods of evangelism and discipleship—the same ones used by historic figures such as William Carey and Adoniram Judson. These great missionaries didn’t rush evangelism; they spent time studying Scripture, mastering foreign languages, and building long-term relationships. Rhodes explains that modern missionaries’ emphasis on minimal training and quick conversions can result in slipshod evangelism that harms the communities they intend to help. He also warns against underestimating the value of individual skill and effort—under the guise of “getting out of the Lord’s way”—and empowers Christians with practical, biblical steps to proactively engage unreached groups.

Missions By The Book
How Theology and Missions Walk Together
by Chad Vegas and Alex Kocman
Across the church, there is a rift between theology and missions. Bad theology produces bad missions, and bad missions fuels bad theology.
We wrongly think that we must choose between making a global impact and thinking deeply about the things of God. But the relationship between theology and missions is symbiotic—one cannot exist without the other. They walk hand-in-hand.

What Is the Mission of the Church?
Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission
by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert
Christians today define mission more broadly and variably than ever before. Are we, as the body of Christ, headed in the same direction or are we on divergent missions?
Some argue that the mission of the Church is to confront injustice and alleviate suffering, doing more to express God’s love for the world. Others are concerned that the church is in danger of losing its God-centeredness and thereby emphasize the proclamation of the gospel. It appears as though misunderstanding of mission persists.
Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert believe there is a lot that evangelicals can agree on if only we employ the right categories and build our theology of mission from the same biblical building blocks. Explaining key concepts like kingdom, gospel, and social justice, DeYoung and Gilbert help us to get on the same page―united by a common cause―and launch us forward into the true mission of the church.

John G Paton
Autobiography of the Pioneer Missionary to the New Hebrides
by John G. Paton
The autobiography of John G. Paton contains everything necessary to make it a missionary classic. Born into a Christian family near Dumfries in 1824, Paton’s early years were marked by a struggle against poverty. He was self-educated, and the training ground for his life’s work was the slums of Glasgow where he laboured with success as a city missionary. With ‘the wail of the perishing heathen in the South Seas’ continually sounding in his ears, he prepared himself to serve overseas and was ordained as a missionary to the New Hebrides in 1858. This gorup of thirty mountainous islands, so named by Captain Cook, with its unhealthy climate, was then inhabited by savages and cannibals. The first attempt to introduce Christianity to them resulted in John Williams and James Harris being clubbed to death of his wife and child within months of their arrival. Against the savagery and the superstition, despite the trials and the tragedies, Paton persevered and witnessed the triumph of the gospel in two of these South Sea islands. His life is almost without parallel in missionary annals and his account of it is moving and gripping.
TO ENTER
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time.  The winner will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Sunday, February 19th at midnight.

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did. I enjoy reading a good biography as much as anyone, but was perhaps a bit skeptical about a book that, instead of focusing on an individual’s life and accomplishments, instead describes his spiritual and intellectual formation. Yet what could have been a mite dry was actually very compelling.

It may be helpful context to state that I do not know Tim Keller personally and have neither met him nor corresponded with him. I also don’t think I’ve heard him preach more than once or twice. My exposure to him is really only through the three or four of his books that I have read. While I know a good number of people who consider him a major influence on their faith or ministry, I am not among them. I say all that because it means that I was reading about someone who is mostly a stranger, though one I’ve sometimes admired from afar and sometimes had concerns about.
Collin Hansen knows Keller well and came to know him far better in preparing this book. He shares the book’s purpose in the opening pages.

Unlike a traditional biography, this book tells Keller’s story from the perspective of his influences, more than his influence. Spend any time around Keller and you’ll learn that he doesn’t enjoy talking about himself. But he does enjoy talking—about what he’s reading, what he’s learning, what he’s seeing.
The story of Tim 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 sociologist who taught him to see beneath society’s surface. … This is the story of the people, the books, the lectures, and ultimately the God who formed Timothy James Keller.

And so it begins with his childhood and a father who was quite withdrawn and a mother who, though she loved her children, was extremely controlling. She led her family to an Evangelical Congregational church which “emphasized human effort in maintaining salvation and achieving sinless perfection. Both at home and in church, Tim Keller learned this second form of legalism—that of the fundamentalist variety. By the time Tim was leaving home to attend college, he didn’t just know about Martin Luther; he could personally relate to Luther, who had been afflicted with a pathologically overscrupulous conscience that expected perfection from himself in seeking to live up to his standards and potential.”
Keller enrolled as a religion major in Bucknell University where he fell under the influence of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and soon professed faith in Christ. His connection with InterVarsity would develop within him a zeal for evangelism and a method for reading and understanding Scripture. In this timeframe he would also be exposed to the ministries of John Stott, Elisabeth Elliot, Martyn Lloyd-Jones and others, all of whom would shape him in different ways. Even more importantly, he would come to know Kathy Kristy who would not only become his wife, but also his most formative intellectual and spiritual influence, for when “you’re writing about Tim Keller, you’re really writing about Tim and Kathy, a marriage between intellectual equals who met in seminary over shared commitment to ministry and love for literature, along with serious devotion to theology.”
The book goes on to tell of the influence of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, of R.C. Sproul and his Ligonier Valley Study Center, and of Francis Schaeffer and L’Abri. It tells of Keller’s time at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and the professors there, and his discovery of the writings of Jonathan Edwards. Then it advances to his first pastorate in Hopewell, Virginia and to his time as a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary, pausing to tell, at length, of the impact of Edmund Clowney. And, then, finally it comes New York City, Redeemer Church, Redeemer City-to-City, and Keller’s many books, along with the people living and dead who played essential roles in helping him develop his strategy for reaching cities for Christ.
Throughout the book, Hansen shows Keller as a man whose foremost gifting is not as an original thinker but as an analyzer and synthesizer who reads deeply and widely, pulling together insights from a host of others. “Having one hero would be derivative; having one hundred heroes means you’ve drunk deeply by scouring the world for the purest wells. This God-given ability to integrate disparate sources and then share insights with others has been observed by just about anyone who has known Keller, going back to his college days. He’s the guide to the gurus. You get their best conclusions, with Keller’s unique twist.” And hence the great conclusion at the end of it all is that if you appreciate Tim Keller the best thing you can do is focus less on him and more on the people who taught and influenced him.
After I finished the book I surveyed its endorsements and thought Sinclair Ferguson’s was especially on-point: “Here is the story of a man possessed of unusual native gifts of analysis and synthesis, of the home and family life that has shaped him, of people both long dead and contemporary whose insights he has taken hold of in the interests of communicating the gospel, and also of the twists and turns of God’s providence in his life. These pages may well have been titled Becoming Tim Keller. That ‘becoming’ has been neither a quick nor an easy road. But Collin Hansen’s account of it will be as challenging to readers as it is instructive.”
Ferguson says it just right. Whether you have been influenced by Keller or not, whether you admire him or not, I believe you will enjoy this account of his life framed around his intellectual and spiritual development. Told through the pen of an especially talented a writer, it is a fascinating and compelling narrative. It may just get you thinking about who has formed you and compel you to praise God for the people, the preachers, the books, and the organizations that have made you who you are.
Buy from Amazon

Good morning from lovely Rybnik, Poland, where I’m hard at work filming an episode of Worship Round the World.

Today’s Kindle deals include a pretty good selection off books.
5 Things You Should Know about the Doctrine of the Trinity
Ligonier has a helpful little “5 Things” series that can serve as a refresher on key doctrines of the Christian faith.
Looking Back On Right Now
This is a reflection on looking back and looking forward.
Register Now For TRC23
The Radius Conference will dive deeply into the joys of the clear true gospel finding fertile soil in foreign lands, but also provide warnings for churches and potential missionaries about short-cuts and “common ground” methods that abound in missions today. June 28-29, 2023, with John MacArthur, Costi Hinn & others. (Sponsored Link)
Is It God’s Will to Always Heal Us?
Is it always God’s will to heal us? Randy Alcorn answers a surprisingly contentious question.
Good Shame, Bad Shame, and Ugly Shame
“Shame is not our sworn enemy. Sometimes shame is useful. Some sins should cause us to have reactions of disgust! The Scriptures often appeal to shame at various points. Much of the time, shame is an indication of a conscience that still functions properly. It is often the rightful corresponding emotion to shameful acts.”
3 Elements of Biblical Spirituality
J.A. Medders: “A biblical spirituality sings in harmony. It’s theological, doxological, and practical. A faithful spirituality works in concert, revealing a whole life walking with Christ.”
9 Things You Should Know About Revivals in America
Since everyone is talking about revival, Joe Carter offers nine things you should know about them.
Flashback: Thy Word Is Not a MagLite
God illumines our way, but not our whole way all at once. He shines a light along our path, but not our whole path.

Death! How shall they die who have already died in Christ? —F.B. Meyer

I’m thankful for this lovely review of Seasons of Sorrow from Sola Network.

I added some Kindle deals yesterday and will keep an eye out for more today.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Family and Personal Update)
Friends Who Fell Away: When Apostasy Comes Close to Home
“The memories, on most days, seem better left forgotten. Never has remembering sweet Bible studies tasted so bitter. Flashbacks of late-night conversations and time spent in prayer press inconsiderately upon the wound. In that large group, I can still hear his profession of faith echo. I thought I heard angels sing at his surrender. So long we had prayed for his salvation. Now, he no longer walks with Jesus.”
Holiness Is Transgressive
Brett McCracken reflects on attempts to be shockingly transgressive. “Because ‘transgression’ in contemporary pop culture has become ubiquitous to the point of banality. Transgressing gender binaries in fashion, pushing the envelope of sex and nudity on TV, ratcheting up gore in horror movies, celebrating ‘completely filthy’ chart-topping singles—it’s all so pervasive by now that it’s tiresome, as ‘transgressive’ as the khaki section of Old Navy.”
How Unanswered Prayers Have Shaped My Faith
Ruth Davidar Paul considers an unanswered prayer and says, “thinking about that prayer, I realised that it has been integral in cementing my faith, as incongruous as that may seem.”
Where Can I Find a Biblical Reason NOT to Gamble?
Biblical Counseling Coalition has a series this week on gambling meant to explain why Christians should not gamble.
What to Do When You Think a Friend Is Considering Suicide
“Over the last four years, I’ve been invited to churches, schools, and conferences all over the world to speak. What do you think my number one requested talk has been? It’s not the problem of evil, homosexuality, biblical justice, or even the existence of God. It’s suicide. More than 30% of the time, my host wants to hear about suicide. Why? Why is this issue so much more popular than all the others?”
Do You Carry More Than You Should?
I appreciate this article about Jesus telling his disciples that he would be going away. “In the wait, Jesus helped them anchor themselves in the One trustworthy for each and every day. He strengthened their faith then for later. When the time did come for the disciples to bear Jesus’ death, weakness turned to power, grief to joy, and the whole world turned upside down.”
Flashback: Procrastination Is a Failure to Love
…this is exactly what makes procrastination such an ugly and offensive sin. It is inherently self-centered. It is a form of self-love.

There is one song that you will sing every hour your first ten years in heaven, and the refrain of that song will be: “I am so glad God did not let me have it my own way!” —DeWitt Talmage