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 2 books.

The winner will receive two free tickets to the Radius Missiology Conference being held June 29-30, 2022, at Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, NC. This event will be live in person or available as a live stream. Kevin DeYoung, Alistair Begg, 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 with free books from 9Marks, Banner of Truth, and others.
The winner will receive a Radius International branded pullover. Size and gender option to be selected by the winner from available stock. And a Radius branded Yeti Travel Mug.
The winners will also receive two 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.
Enter Here
Again, there is one package to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Sunday, April 24th, 2022 at midnight.

We can sometimes get dismayed as we think about the church. We can sometimes get frustrated or even embittered. And sometimes our dismay is fair, for the church is made up of people who, though they love the Lord, still sin against God and still harm one another. Though it is a blessing to belong to the church, it can also be a challenge and even a trial.

Yet in God’s eyes, the church is beautiful. It is lovely. It is precious. The unique wonder of the church is the subject of Dustin Benge’s book The Loveliest Place. “This book is about the beauty and loveliness of the church,” he says. “It’s for all those who sometimes struggle to see those qualities in her. If you tirelessly serve within her ministries while dismayed by her apparent failures, or have rare, unsustainable glimpses of her beauty, this book is for you. The singular goal is to awaken your affections. Not affections for form, methodology, structure, organization, or programs, but affections for who she is and why she exists.”
At a time when many people are perplexed by the nature or definition of the church, and at a time when many are considering walking away from the church altogether, this book means “to set before you a thoroughly biblical portrait of the church that derives its life from the sweet fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit, creating a community of love, worship, fellowship, and mission, all animated by the gospel and empowered by the word of God.” It means to show that the church is not just a lovely place, but the loveliest place of all.
Through fourteen relatively brief chapters Benge highlights different aspects of the church as we read of them in Scripture. Beginning with Song of Solomon he shows the church to be beautiful in the eyes of God—Christ’s very own bride. “We consider what the church can give us and do for us, how she can serve us, and even what’s in it for us, but rarely do we enjoy the eye-opening and soul-stirring truth that she is beautiful and lovely in just being who she is.”
He looks to the church as the household of God, then shows how the Trinity relates to the church: God as Father and friend, Christ as Savior and head, Spirit as helper and beautifier. He considers the church as the pillar and buttress of the truth, he looks at the need for shepherding and feeding the flock, he describes the church’s responsibility to evangelize, and he tells how the church ought to expect to face persecution. “Every faithful believer must expect persecution. Not that every believer will be tortured, imprisoned, asked to recant, or even burned at a stake—but you will experience, at one point or another, opposition from the world. What does this mean for the church? It means that the church is composed of those whom the world despises. There may be a facade of friendliness and desire for cooperation, but in the recesses of the heart of the ungodly, there is a vehement hatred for the things of God and the good news of the gospel.”
He wraps up with an examination of the oneness of the church—the unity that we share and the unity that serves as a powerful testimony of the gospel. ”The church’s growing oneness is what defines the church as having an otherness. Why would the world be supernaturally drawn to an institution filled with conflict, cliques, hostility, fighting, and division?” It’s a valid question and a very good reason to pursue actually the unity God says we have positionally.
At a time—and maybe it is always such a time—when even Christians seem intent on disparaging the church, we need a reminder of the beauty, the loveliness, and the sheer wonder of what God has done in setting his love on a people who are his own. To that end, The Loveliest Place will help you marvel at the church, love the church, and further commit yourself to it. For you will deepen your convictions that “the church isn’t just about organization, leadership, function, and vision. There’s something much more beautiful and lovely to recognize. The church is about people being rescued, redeemed, and renewed. The church is about savoring, rejoicing, and service. The church is about proclaiming, enduring, and walking. The church is about being the bride adorned, beautiful, and lovely.”

Buy from Amazon

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

Shepherds Please Think, “Protect Well.” Please Stop Saying, “Suffer Well.”
Bob Kellemen explains by way of personal example why it’s so important for Christians to think about protecting those who are suffering (rather than simply telling them to suffer well).
When Good Things Spiritually Harm Our Kids
“We worry about so many things when it comes to this world we’re raising kids in. But the truth is that the things we consider the most positive activities in our kids’ lives are the very things that are most likely to draw them away from Christ. It all starts with the example that we set.”
Register Now *Earlybird Discount Ends April 3Oth*
Radius Missiology Conference June 29-30, 2022, with Kevin DeYoung, Alistair Begg, Ian Hamilton & others. Pastor and student prices are $30 until April 30th. (Sponsored Link)
A Very Detailed View Of A Crater On The Planet Mars
What a beautiful, haunting view of Mars. It’s incredible to think that we have explored just the tiniest sliver of God’s creation.
Why Christians Should (and Shouldn’t) Care About Religious Freedom
“There are two related ways in which Christians can ascribe a higher importance to religious freedom than they ought: the first is when Christians assume that advocating for religious freedom is sufficient for maintaining a faithful gospel witness; and the second is when Christians believe that religious freedom is somehow necessary to preserve this witness. Neither of these conclusions are true and, if left uncorrected, can prove harmful.”
Embracing Limits
“There’s an old story that used to be often told as a literary cautionary tale, that you don’t hear so much of these days: Faust.” It’s a powerful story, even if our contemporary society has somehow managed to reverse it.
Why Do New Believers Read Their Bible More and How We May Do the Same
“Have you ever noticed a common thread in every testimony? Upon being drawn to the Lord, almost every person reports an unquenchable hunger for the Lord’s Word.” And yet, so often “over time, both the yearning and dedication to the Lord abate.” This article wonders why that is and offers some ways to rekindle that desire.
Flashback: We Are All Theologians
Understood properly and practiced biblically, theology is not the accumulation of cold facts, but of accurate and true knowledge that is meant to work its way out in our thoughts and lives.

When life and death were set before you, why should death as the best of the two be chosen? —Nathaniel Vincent

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Today’s Kindle deals include books by Barnabas Piper and Leland Ryken.
(Yesterday on the blog: Sorrowful Departures and Joyful Arrivals)
Sin Is “Barbs In Your Eyes, Thorns In Your Sides”
“Imagine a barb in your eye. A thorn in your side. Talk about painful. Debilitating. Something that hurts. That’s the picture God uses to warn the pre-land Israelites what it’ll be like if they don’t drive out the nations. The nations will be ‘barbs in your eyes and thorns in your side.’ Translation: They’ll really hurt you. As he says, ‘They shall trouble you.’ Yet the bigger question is, Why? Why will these nations hurt the Israelites?”
The Dangers of Digital Discourse
Kevin DeYoung: “It’s no secret that the digital world can be rough. The way we talk about each other and to each other online is not often a model of careful reason and good faith. But maybe a little literary theory can help.”
To Dip or Not to Dip? The Case Against Intinction
TGC has a pair of articles, one for and one against the practice of intinction—dipping the bread into the wine during the Lord’s Supper. (Here is the case for it.) For what it’s worth, I am generally opposed to it.
I Am Proud Of You
“I have a new hobby. I love to make teenagers cry. Now, I don’t make them cry the way that you might expect. I don’t insult them or tear them down. I don’t tell jokes about their mom or make fun of their hair cut. But, I do use words. Five special and powerful words…” These are some of my favorite words too.
How to Renew a Decadent Evangelical Culture
There’s lots to think about in Samuel James’ article about our decadent Evangelical culture.
Doesn’t Science Disprove the Resurrection?
“The scientific method involves observing something in the world, theorizing an explanation for it, testing that theory, making additional observations, and doing more testing. The cycle continues until a reasonably reliable explanation can be made. Making repeated observations and conducting tests other scientists can repeat is fundamental to scientific inquiry. It’s also what makes it difficult or even impossible as a way to study historical events—things that happen only once and cannot be repeated.”
Flashback: Simon, Would You Still Have Passed That Way?
“I would pass that way again in an instant to serve him again in a moment, for I know now that I carried his cross so I would never need to suffer upon mine.”

Better read less and meditate more, than read much and meditate little. —F.B. Meyer

Like most major airports, Toronto’s Pearson International divides the arrivals area from the departures so that one is a level above the other. I have passed through both of them hundreds of times and have made this observation: The upper level is a place of sorrow while the lower level is a place of celebration. The upstairs departures area is distinguished by family members weeping and saying farewell, the downstairs arrivals area by family members waving and hugging and crying out their welcomes.

Families often immigrate to Canada in stages. The first family members are often young and single, drawn to Canada by its universities or entry-level jobs. After a few years they journey back to their homelands and return with a spouse to begin a family of their own. Over time their siblings make the journey, then their parents and even grandparents as the families gain the means and ability to sponsor them. One-by-one or two-by-two they leave their former land behind and settle into a new country, a new home, until almost the whole family is once again reunited.
I have often paused to observe the reaction of a family when a loved one walks through the sliding double doors that partition the secure area of the airport from the public. The person walks through those doors and a cry of excitement erupts from the family gathered below. The traveler runs down the long ramp with arms wide open and is soon smothered in the arms of parents, children, aunts, uncles, friends. They shout out their cries of welcome and hand over great bouquets of flowers. Some dance, some sing, some weep with the joy of it all. It’s a lovely sight to see, a powerful scene to behold.
The longer we live in this world, the greater the number of loved ones who emigrate from it to settle above. The longer our lives extend, the more we see our friends and family members set out for the distant shores of heaven. We spend much time on the “departures level,” bidding sad farewells to people we have known and loved, people we have cared for and admired. There are many heartbreaks, many tearful farewells.
Over time we come to realize that there are now fewer here than there, fewer behind than ahead. Knowing we have fewer people to bid us farewell and many more to greet us eases the pain of departure and enhances the joy of arrival. Departing is difficult when all the people we love are being left behind, but arriving is easy when we are joining a throng of those we have loved and lost.
The daughter whose mother is in heaven departs this earth eager to be with her, to see her again. The mother whose daughter is in heaven can hardly wait to arrive and feel those precious arms around her neck once more. Friends long to be reunited with friends, brothers with brothers, sisters with sisters.
Each understands that all of these losses have served to loosen their hearts from earth and set them in heaven. Each eagerly anticipates entering that blessed land, for they know that the pain of departure will be by far surpassed by the joy of arrival. Each acknowledges that when the time comes to depart earth and arrive in heaven, they may find themselves unable to move for the throng of people waiting to meet them, to greet them, to welcome them home.

May the Lord bless and keep you today.

There are a few more Kindle deals to browse through today.
Will My Son Go to Heaven? Infancy, Disability, and Sovereign Grace
That all those who die in infancy or with a severe cognitive disability go to heaven is by far the majority position among Christians, and in this article John Knight defends that position. (The next most common position is that the Bible simply doesn’t make it clear, so we should put our confidence in the goodness and wisdom of God.)
Things Are Real Even if We Don’t Share Them
“I’ve heard many jokes in the last few years that go something like, ‘If you didn’t post it on social media, did it really happen?’ These jokes are meant to be just that, jokes, but as I spend more time studying social media and our relationship with it, the more I realize that this is not a joke for many who truly experience a sense of derealization if they do not share experiences on social media and receive some kind of attention and feedback in the form of social media engagement.”
Social Media: A Downgrade of Culture
And, on a related note, “If high culture is like a gourmet meal, folk culture like a homecooked dinner, and pop culture is like junk food, what is social media?”
Vibrant Colors
“Decisions, decisions. In uncertain times too. These are grown up burdens common to life: the burying of loved ones, the management of a home, the raising of children–but they can quickly overwhelm us and mask themselves bigger than they really are.” What do we need to do or to consider if we are to thrive in such difficulties?
Farewell, Sweet Easter Lily
This is a sweet but sad one.
The Main Reason Your Ministry Matters
Here’s a word about why your ministry matters—whatever that ministry is.
Flashback: Rule #7: Fellowship with Godly People (8 Rules for Growing in Godliness)
An ember left alone will soon grow cold, but embers set close together will continue to glow, to burn brightly, and even to set others ablaze. Christians resemble embers, for we, too, must be set close together to thrive.

God’s way is sometimes different from man’s way, but it is always the best way. —De Witt Talmage

I hope that all of you who are at T4G this week are blessed and encouraged by the experience. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it for this one!

Today’s Kindle deals include another good little list.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Family Easter Update)
If Ben Had Been There
I love this one! Andrea imagines the resurrection if her son Ben had been there. “My son Ben has cognitive disabilities and very little language. But sometimes he intuitively understands what our ‘normal’ intelligence blinds us to. Our Easter celebration last weekend got me thinking: If Ben had been at the tomb that first Easter morning, things might have gone down a little differently….”
Cultivating Wonder When You Feel Weary
“The sin that so easily entangles, the limitations of my humanity and the circumstances I cannot control. These aren’t new. Nothing earth-shattering. Yet, a timely reminder of who I am and who He is. An invitation to turn away from self, toward an active trust in what He’s doing…and that’s something hard to see in the moment.”
Dear Pastor . . . Rely on Your Congregation in Ministry
There is lots of wisdom in this letter. “Brother, we need one another in ministry. You should not try to be an evangelical superman and by yourself direct all the principal tasks of the church. This posture will lead to disenchantment for both you and your people. The fact of the matter is that you need the laypeople in ministry and they need you.”
The Bible’s Not an Instruction Manual
“‘Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.’ Ever heard the Bible explained that way? It’s a handy mnemonic device that certainly has some truth to it. But does it get at the heart of what the Bible really is?” Jared Wilson takes issue with that popular acryonm.
Why does the virgin birth matter?
Dr. Greg Lanier tells why the virgin with matters in this video from RTS.
The Ukulele and the Cross
J.A. Medders: “Theologians have wrestled with the various angles that describe what Jesus did for us on the cross. Some will even argue that there is only one way to describe and define what Jesus did for us on the cross. Rather than pick sides on the theological playground, I want to propose a harmony of notes that are played at the cross of Christ.”
Flashback: Each Gift Has Its Place
Each of us will have to give an account to God, not for the gifts he has given others, but for the gifts he has given us. And so it becomes our responsibility, our calling, our joy, to accept them, to pursue them, and to deploy them for his glory.

There are hard texts in the works, as well as in the word of God. —John Flavel

This week the blog is sponsored by  The Gospel Coalition and written by Collin Hansen.
Are you feeling pressure to understand and engage with an ever-growing array of confusing and polarizing issues? Perhaps you’ve witnessed bitter arguments tearing your family, friends, or churches apart.
You’re not alone. I feel it too. Every week I hear from confused and concerned Christians. They want less heat and more light. They want to stay focused on the gospel. They want to put their faith into action. They want to care. But they don’t know who to trust.
The Gospel Coalition serves the church by producing timely content that grapples with some of the most pressing issues of our time.
I’m praying that the Good Faith Debates will do just that. Early next month we’ll be releasing a five-part video debate series featuring prominent Christian thinkers discussing some of the most divisive issues facing the church today.
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 that it’s possible for two Christians united around the gospel to engage in charitable conversation even amid substantive disagreement.
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Debate #1 … How should Christians think about gun control and the right to bear arms? Featuring Bob Thune and Andrew Wilson.

Debate #2 … Is “woke church” a stepping stone to theological compromise? Featuring Sean Demars and Rebecca McLaughlin.

Debate #3 … Should the “pro-life” movement be holistically (womb to tomb) or narrowly (womb) focused? Featuring Scott Klusendorf and Karen Swallow Prior.

Debate #4 … What’s the best approach for the church to address racial injustice? Featuring Brian Davis and Justin Giboney.

Debate #5 … Should we insist on a theological and historical definition of “evangelical” if many self-described evangelicals see it primarily as a political identity? Featuring Ryan Burge and Andrew Walker

I’m looking forward to this series as we explore together how the gospel applies to all of life. We need better discourse than artificial cable TV fights designed to divide us. We need deep reflection on the contours of Christian freedom and obligation.
Gather some friends to watch together and begin your own discussion. You might even change your mind a time or two—and learn to disagree in good faith.
Sign up to receive notifications of when each new debate video is released.

Easter weekend is always a special time in Canada, not least because both Good Friday and Easter are public holidays. Whether you celebrate Jesus, Passover, the Easter Bunny, or nothing at all, you get two days away from the hustle and bustle of normal life. In an era in which governments seem intent on tearing out the religious roots of our nations, I do wonder how long these distinctly Christian holidays will remain. But for now, at least, they are a part of the annual ebb and flow.

My family spent the weekend in a relatively quiet way. We have had a bit of a busy time lately and have plenty more busyness coming up in the next month, so didn’t mind the thought of laying low. That said, we went to church on Easter Sunday, of course, to celebrate the resurrection. We also had a fellowship lunch together as a church—the first in a while—and very much enjoyed getting some time with friends new and old. Because Toronto is a major world city, we tend to have many people coming and going, so there are almost always people to greet and people to bid farewell. Our church is endlessly fascinating that way.
We expect that the next month will be dominated by the final planning for Abby’s wedding. She is due to marry Nathan in Louisville on May 15! This will be the first wedding of that generation on our side of the family and just the second on Nate’s, so we are all quite new at this. Still, Abby has done a wonderful job of planning and organizing, with Aileen also working out some of the fine details. Michaela is going to be Abby’s maid of honor while Ryn will be one of the bridesmaids. The service will be co-led by the pastor from our church and the pastor from Nate’s. We are all very excited about it and eager to celebrate together. It has been a difficult couple of years for our family and it will be lovely to join in a true celebration.
Over the past few weeks I have been putting the final touches on a book that will be available this fall—a book I’ll be telling you about very soon. The cover and text are complete and the page layout is very nearly there as well. I should have one more opportunity to look at it all in a week or two and then it will be off to the printers for a mid-September release date. In the meantime, I’m in the opening stages of a very different kind of book—one aimed at a younger audience—that is still a couple of years away from completion. I am pushing boundaries with this one, but am hopeful it will come out well.
I have not done much public speaking since the pandemic shut down conferences two years ago and do not have a lot of plans to do so in the future. That said, I am slated to be at the Getty Music Sing! Conference in Nashville this September. This is a major event that includes a host of speakers and musicians and draws a large and diverse crowd of attendees. If you plan to be among them, I will look forward to meeting you there. If you don’t plan to be among them, well, it’s certainly not too late! Either way, I hope to host an “extra” event there that will include a couple of speakers you’ll enjoy and perhaps a bit of music. Stay tuned for details!
In the meantime, thanks for reading. I expect I’ll have another update on the far side of the wedding…

Grace and peace to you on this fine Easter Monday (which is a holiday in these parts).

There is a very long list of Kindle deals available today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Why Should We Try To Add One Stitch To a Finished Garment?)
We Should Talk About Disney
Trevin Wax tells how Disney’s current controversy is different from some other issues that appear similar. “In this case, it’s not about your Whopper with rainbow-colored wrapping, or the propriety of Pepsi taking a position on a particular piece of legislation. In those cases, the product from the organizations remains the same. Consumers may roll their eyes at the leftward virtue signaling or the TV commercials, but the Oreo remains the Oreo.”
An Ordination Prayer
I love a well-prepared prayer like this one, meant for an ordination.
Earlybird Discount Ends April 3OTH For Radius Missiology Conference 
Join Alistair Begg, Kevin DeYoung & others June 29-30, 2022 @ Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC.  RMC is a two-day conference with great—speakers, breakout sessions, missiology, and information on current missions. (Sponsored Link)

Roman Road-Construction
I recently came across this video which shows how Roman roads were made. Roman roads were made for traders and soldiers but also allowed missionaries to spread the gospel far and wide.
Our Christian Terminology Is Built on the Old Testament
Here’s an interesting look at something we may take for granted: “how the NT authors regularly draw on the OT to explain the key steps or aspects of personal salvation.”
Totally Torn
“It’s almost a throwaway line in Mark’s gospel, sandwiched between the cataclysmic darkness as Jesus, the eternal Son of God, breathed his last whilst nailed to a wooden cross and the centurion’s amazing declaration, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God.’ Yet, the tearing of the curtain in Jerusalem’s temple wasn’t just incidental, a by-product, or an act of divine vandalism but a sign of the profound significance of each and every event leading to this point.”
Intense, Debilitating Emotions
“I often experience intense emotions that can feel debilitating. How can I grow?” That’s the question at the heart of this video.
Flashback: Spiritual Drafting and the Danger of Christian Complacency
Drafting is a great strategy for racing. Drafting is a lousy strategy for Christian living. Yet I fear that many Christians allow themselves to fall into a form of spiritual drafting. Let me explain

The resurrection of Christ is the Amen of all His promises. —John Boys