Grace and peace to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include a selection from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: God Has Thrown Some Husks)
God Has Something to Say in Your Worship Service
This is a key to understanding worship. “The Scriptures … [teach] that worship is not where we gather together to speak about God; rather, worship is where God summons us into his presence in order to speak to us. To be sure, we will speak as well, but only as a response to what first God says to us.”
Trusting in the Absence of Peace
“We often think that trust means we won’t have any anxiety. But what if the goal isn’t to rid ourselves of anxiety? What if the goal is to learn how to trust in the midst of anxiety?”
Do Reformed Protestants and Roman Catholics understand grace differently?
You probably know that Protestants and Catholics understand grace differently, but in this video Sinclair Ferguson explains how.
What If Jesus Turns Me Away?
“Throughout history, many Christians have struggled with the fear that they’re not one of God’s elect. Might God keep certain people from approaching Christ, even though they know he’s the only one who can save us? Does Jesus keep some people from coming to him for mercy? And if you’re struggling with these questions, what should you do?”
Sometimes I Struggle With the Bible
If we’re honest, we all struggle with the Bible from time to time, don’t we?
I Didn’t Want to go to Church
“Recently it took everything within me to drag myself to church (for Wednesday night Bible study). My body was tired, my mind exhausted, and my heart fatigued. Further, it meant bringing both children who, for one reason or another, always decide to act wild on those nights. Long story short, I went to church that evening.”
Flashback: Is It Time To Go Back to The Heart of Worship?
Somehow music changed from being a means to worship Jesus to a means to impress unbelievers (who, ironically, weren’t that impressed).

A good bit of homely, practical, common-sense wisdom, says that there are two classes of things we should not worry about—things we can help, and things we cannot help. —J.R. Miller

Does a story have to be true to serve as an illustration? I don’t think so! And neither did Spurgeon, apparently. I found this illustration in a volume of his sermon notes and rather enjoyed it. (A note in the text says that he drew the illustration from John Spencer.)

The Jewish rabbis report (how truly is uncertain) that when Joseph, in the times of plenty, had gathered much corn in Egypt, he threw the chaff into the river Nile, that so, flowing to the neighboring cities and nations more remote, they might know what abundance was laid up, not for themselves alone, but for others also.
So God, in his abundant goodness, to make us know what glory there is in Heaven, has thrown some husks to us here in this world, that so, tasting the sweetness thereof, we might aspire to his bounty that is above, and draw out this happy conclusion to the great comfort of our precious souls—that if a little earthly glory do so much amaze us, what will the heavenly do? If there be such glory in God’s footstool, what is there in his throne? If he give us so much in the land of our pilgrimage, what will he not give us in our own country? If he bestows so much on his enemies, what will he not give to his friends?

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of newer books and a selection of older ones.

Todd Friel’s Wretched is having a big sale on their digital and streaming products.
(Yesterday on the blog: Joni’s Songs of Suffering)
Every Step (Video)
I’m really enjoying this new song from CityAlight. Speaking of which, there’s a new CityAlight album available now.
The Bible in English
Stephen Nichols has put together a helpful little introduction to the history of the Bible in English.
Despite Claims Otherwise, Treatment for an Ectopic Pregnancy Is Not an Abortion
Randy Alcorn: “Unfortunately, since the overturning of Roe and Casey, there has been much misinformation on the internet and in the media about ectopic pregnancies, and claims that women will not be able to receive medically necessary treatment in states that have restricted elective abortion. This is a straw man and/or a red herring argument.”
A League of Their Own
WORLD has a review of the new Prime series “A League of Their Own.” The show appears to be yet another symptom of the modern world in which story is less important than ideology. “When rebooting A League of Their Own, Amazon Studios didn’t make a baseball ­comedy at all. Instead, the series is a lesbian romantic fantasy.”
Life in the Blood
Ed Welch reflects on these words from Jesus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.”
Wrecking Ball
“I sat on our front brick steps early the other morning, delighting in the cooler temperatures, inhaling the vibrant hints of fall. The robust spirit in the air seemed a nod toward future glory. Although autumn means death to leaves, such loss promises resplendent hues: rich, cinnamony reds, burnt orange, deep, buttery, yellows. This seasonal reminder is salve to my wounds. God’s promise is to never leave me nor forsake me. He faithfully turns the pages of life through all seasons. Pay attention–he is doing so even now.”
Flashback: Nurture Your Children
A key part of heeding God’s commission to “make disciples of all nations” is to make disciples of your own children. What value is there in saving the whole world but neglecting your own children?

However bitter the cup we have to drink, we are sure it contains nothing unnecessary or unkind; and we should take it from His hand with as much meekness as we accept of eternal life with thankfulness. —William Goodell

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Christian Focus Publications. They are giving away five copies of Angels: When Heaven Meets Earth by Tim Chester.

 Nearly eight in ten Americans believe in angels. Even among those who never attend church it’s four out of ten. In the United Kingdom one in three people believe they have a guardian angel. You may well be one of them. Every tenth person in your street or workplace thinks they may have seen or heard an angel in some way. Books telling the story of angelic encounters are best sellers. Despite the widespread rejection of Christianity in our culture, many people are still fascinated by angels.
But what we can know for sure about angels? Are we dependant on second–hand accounts? Are we left with conjecture and guess work? This book goes back to the most reliable source we have for information about angels – God Himself speaking through the Bible.
Tim Chester delves into the mysterious world of angels and shows us what the Bible says about what angels are, what they do, and where they lead us.
From their operations in the redemptive plan of God, to daily interaction in the lives of human beings, angels have held a fascination in the hearts and minds of believers throughout church history. However, over the past century, this captivation with the angelic world has grown cold. In this new primer, Tim Chester answers common questions and helps reawaken our interest in this vast multitude of God’s creation.
Dustin W. Benge, Provost and professor, Union School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales
People are fascinated by angels. Unfortunately, much popular Christian literature, not to mention non–Christian media, gives scant attention to the actual biblical data about angels. With brevity and faithfulness, Tim Chester guides us to a deeper understanding of these ‘ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation’ (Heb. 1:14).
Robert L. Plummer, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
In this illuminating and enthralling book, Tim Chester ranges across scripture to explain this apparently mysterious spiritual realm with remarkable clarity and simplicity, and shows us how understanding the nature and role of angels will impact our worship, our emotions, our prayers and our devotion to the Lord Jesus and His gospel. A wonderful biblical overview which opens our eyes to profound truth.
Jonathan Lamb, Minister–at–large for Keswick Ministries, IFES Vice President, and former Director, Langham Preaching

Enter Here
Again, there are five sets to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below, which will add you to Christian Focus’ mailing list.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on August 31st 2022 at midnight.

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Few people have a sweeter and kinder spirit than Joni Eareckson Tada. Few people have suffered longer and more consistently than Joni Eareckson Tada. These two things—sweetness and suffering—do not necessarily go together, but by God’s grace they can and often do. They most certainly do in Joni’s life which is one of the reasons so many of us admire and honor her.

One of the keys to Joni’s suffering is singing. As she suffers the effects of her paralysis, as she endures chronic pain, as she persists through illness, she sings. And it’s out of her singing-through-suffering that she brings a new book titled Songs of Suffering. This book is a series of devotionals based upon 25 hymns that have proven especially precious to her.
“I have lived with quadriplegia for more than half a century,” she explains, “and have wrestled with chronic pain for much of that time. I struggle with breathing problems and am in an ongoing battle against cancer. All this makes for a perfect storm for discouragement.”

Yet when my hip and back are frozen in pain, or it’s simply another weary day of plain paralysis, I strengthen myself with Jesus’s example in the upper room. My suffering Savior has taught me to always choose a song—a song that fortifies my faith against discouragement and breathes hope into my heart. And so I daily take up my cross to the tune of a hymn.

Yet not just any hymn will do. It must express truth. It must summon hope. It must point to Christ.
Thankfully the church is well served with such hymns. And thankfully we are capable of memorizing them so they are available at our beck and call in the very moment we need them. Hence Joni’s exhortation is not just to be vaguely familiar with these hymns, but to commit them to memory where they are never more than a breath away.
She divides the book into three sections: Songs of Comfort, Songs of Strength, and Songs of Hope. These categories are a bit imprecise, of course, and many of the hymns tick all three boxes. Yet this division helpfully explains which hymns may be best-suited to which purpose. Under each of the headings is a selection of songs, most of which will be familiar to most of her readers. Accompanying each hymn is a 2- or 3-page devotional along with the appropriate sheet music. It’s a simple format, but an effective one.
Several months ago Joni asked if I would write a brief endorsement for her book and I’ll close this review with that commendation: Where would we be without hymns? Where would we be without songs to express our sorest griefs and deepest sorrows? I hope you’ll allow Joni Eareckson Tada to introduce you to some of the best and most powerful of them all, to explain how they have been a blessing and comfort to her―and to encourage you to get to know them, to commit them to memory, and to sing them before the Lord, so they can be a blessing and comfort to you as well.

Buy from Amazon

I wanted to remind you once again that my book Seasons of Sorrow is now available for pre-order (with a release date of September 13). Also do remember the launch event in Nashville on Labor Day! Information here.

Westminster Books is offering a deep discount on the excellent ESV Scripture Journals. It’s the time to stock up!
You’ll find a few new Kindle deals today.
The Antifragile Christian
“Antifragile is different from resiliency or endurance, in that those characteristics only measure the amount of pressure something can repeatedly take. If that something were antifragile, however, it would actually get stronger because of the difficulty.” Though it’s not a biblical word, it’s still a helpful one.
How Dangerous Hermeneutics Can Inform False Teachers
“One sign of a false prophet is when a religious leader invents novel and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, interpretations completely divorced from the original context. Religious charlatans usually engage in such hermeneutical gymnastics in order to bolster their own power.” Here’s an example from the history of Mormonism.
Maturing Towards Childlikeness
It’s an interesting thought this: that we mature toward childlikeness (even as we mature away from childishness).
There’s a Reason We Call Them “The Lost”
This is a good reminder: There’s a reason we call them “the lost.”
The Remnant is Like a Fuse
“Throughout history, we see the church grow and contract not only in size but also in terms of its faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his word. Today, in North America, the visible church as a whole seems to be in a time of decline. Many churches are shrinking or closing, and many others are giving into the spirit of the age. They are salt that is losing its saltiness. A time of decline is never the time for the faithful follower of Jesus Christ to grow fainthearted.”
When Life Doesn’t Turn Out Like I Think It Should
Sylvia Schroeder has a powerful article about those times when life doesn’t turn out the way we think it should.
Flashback: Gray Hair and a Righteous Life
Am I living the kind of life that will allow that gray hair—that proof that I’ve grown old—to also stand as a symbol that I’ve grown wise, that I’ve lived a righteous life?

Scripture does not tell us to “let go and let God”. The Bible never promises any easy, automatic victory over sin and temptation. —John MacArthur

I thought it likely that someone somewhere could use this reminder: That right now, at this very moment, God is reigning from his throne.

(Yesterday on the blog: Teaching Others to Sing Sweetly)
Intersectionality and My Adoptive Family
Trent Hunter has a fascinating look at intersectionality through the lens of a very multi-ethnic family. “My children are at impressionable and tender ages, and they are the battlefield targets of this teaching. If our family took these ideas seriously — as serious proponents intend — they would suffocate our love, steal our joy, and destroy my family. Intersectionality brings the division of mother against child and son against father in very different ways than Christ does.”
Assisted suicide is spiralling out of control in Canada
Proponents of euthanasia like to downplay the slippery slope argument, but as this article makes clear, Canada is a current case study in how that slippery slope is basically inevitable.
Wade In The Water
Seth says that “we are often faced with situations where we must choose if we will trust God’s promises of provision, or turn away from where he is leading us in order to blaze our own path, by our own means.”
Renewal of Work: Mijito Vinito
I enjoyed this interview with Mijito Vinito at TGC India as he “reflects on how the gospel helps him reconcile a pursuit of excellence and awareness of brokenness.”
How to Guard Against Over-Reliant Discernment
Lara d’Entremont helps us guard against a kind of discernment that is over-reliant on so-called discernment experts.
Suffering and the Mission of the Church
Radius International recently held a conference on The Mission of the Church and they’ve posted the various plenaries and breakouts. There’s lots to listen to, including messages from Kevin DeYoung and Alistair Begg and biographies by Ian Hamilton.
Flashback: The Rise of Digital Technologies and the Decline of Reading
You can’t be surprised when bland books can’t hold their own against excellent videos or outstanding podcasts. Perhaps in this way the Internet offers a challenge that will help improve the quality of our books.

The one unique thing that a local church has to offer to people mired in poverty is the gospel of Jesus Christ. —Mez McConnell & Mike McKinley

The story is told of a musician—a particularly skillful musician with a highly-developed ear for pitch, tone, and harmony—who visited a new church for the first time. He arrived a little late and entered the sanctuary just as the congregation was beginning to sing the opening song. To his chagrin, the singing was badly out of tune. It pained him to hear the people attempt to sing one of the great hymns of the Christian faith without the least bit of success.

But as he walked to a pew and took his place, he began to hear one voice that stood apart. Amidst all the dissonance, one woman sang clearly, calmly, and perfectly in tune, her sweet voice rising just above the din around her. She was undistracted by the flat notes and grating tones, undistracted by all the unskilled singers that surrounded her.
As that musician stood and listened, he noticed with fascination that first one voice and then another was drawn to this woman’s. Soon those immediately around her began to follow her lead, to match her melody, to hit the same notes. Then those a little farther away picked up on it as well. Before long the whole congregation was singing the hymn just as its composer had intended. Soon the whole congregation was making a truly joyful, truly lovely, truly beautiful noise to the Lord.
We sometimes wonder what difference one person can make to a church. The man with a heart for evangelism can be discouraged when he observes that the members of his church seem apathetic. The woman who loves to extend hospitality can find it difficult when she sees that so many other people in the church neglect it. The teen with a heart for Bible study can be tempted to move on when the other young folk seem unconcerned with these basic disciplines.
Yet as this woman displayed that morning long ago, one person truly can make all the difference. That woman did not need to stop the congregation and formally instruct them. She did not need to interrupt them to bring a stern reprimand. She did not need to grumble or complain. She simply had to use her gift until one person and then another and finally the whole church had heard her voice, had matched her tone, and had fallen into perfect melody. For “as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

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

What’s the Deal with BeReal?
You may well have heard of the app BeReal (especially if you have teens). Chris Martin takes a look at it here and tries to help parents better understand its potential strengths and weaknesses.
Saturday Night Lights
“Any Nebraskan can describe the scene to you: It’s a fall Saturday in Lincoln, the state capital. 90,000+ people have descended on city campus at the University of Nebraska to see a football game at Memorial Stadium, the large stadium built in 1923 to honor Nebraskans who died in the Civil War, Spanish American War, and World War I.” I really enjoyed this explanation and appreciation of Nebraska’s fixation on college football.
How can I be sure I’m saved? (Video)
Derek Thomas offers a helpful answer to a very common question.
Praying Down Divine Blessing
“Lately, I have been impressed with the fact that prayer is arguably the most important need for the sustenance, vitality, and continuance of the church. A prayerless church is a powerless church. A prayerless congregation will trend toward becoming a loveless congregation. A prayless people will ultimately become a self-reliant people.”
Why Does Justice Matter?
It’s important that as we dispute matters related to social justice, we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater and neglect true justice—an issue about which the Bible has much to say.
Does God Actually Get Angry? Why He Reveals Himself in Human Terms
Mark Jones: “What are Christians to make of these declarations of God? Is God eternally unchangeable in his being, or does he, like humans, have the capacity to change? Can God really experience distress or learn something new? What does it mean for God, who is Spirit, to ‘get angry’? Does God really need to ask Adam where he is, as if he can’t find him?”
Flashback: Lessons In Becoming a Better Listener
Good communication and healthy relationships depend upon not only on hearing the words other people say, but on carefully listening to what they mean to communicate. To listen is to love.

If faithfulness to God is not our measure of success, then the world’s expectations will become our standard. —Bryan Chapell