Good morning and happy Monday! Grace and peace to you today.
Today’s Kindle deals include some good picks from Crossway.

I know there are many of us who want to read more than we actually do. Tony Reinke has some tips for us—tips on how to find and protect the time we need to get that reading done.

Reuben considers the recent upsurge in attention to the importance of gratitude and says, “In some respects, the broad recognition of the importance of gratitude is remarkable. When we see in Scripture how fundamental thankfulness should be in the life of a believer who fears God, it is striking to find the same emphasis among those who don’t know God through Christ.”

Lois offers some thoughts on what to do when you are longing for some encouragement.

Elizabeth Turnage: “When I tell people I’ve written a book about preparing for glory, about living and dying in the hope of heaven, I get mixed reactions. Some people wonder why we would need to ‘prepare’ for glory. Others wonder, frankly, if I’m being morbid. Good questions.”

“Preaching is a tricky business. It’s something I’ve done a lot of over the past thirty years but I still sometimes feel like a novice. Learning about preaching from other preachers is essential, both listening to their sermons and reading what they write about the craft.” Here are a few graphic-based tips.

Should Christians pray those “vengeance Psalms?” Different Christians have taken different perspectives on the question as Dan Crabtree shows here.

Wisdom gently whispers there is an Author telling a story whose end will be as wonderful as its beginning, whose final chapter will be as breathtaking as its first.

If all men’s sins were divided into two bundles, half of them would be sins of the tongue.
—Charles Spurgeon

Every now and again I collect so much good material that I can’t fit it all into that week’s A La Carte posts. When that happens I’ve been known to create a Sunday edition—something I am doing today. I hope there’s something here that grabs your attention!

John Piper considers whether hidden sin can bring physical suffering. (He also points out, crucially, that not all physical suffering is caused by hidden sin.)

And, on a somewhat similar note, here’s John Beeson. “The voice of shame is consistent. It catastrophizes and wants us to hide our secrets. Shame begets more shame as we create new secrets to cover up past secrets. It tells us that the pain will be too much, that things will get better over time if we just keep our secret hidden for a little longer.”

Andy Naselli considers why Paul calls love “the greatest of these.” “Love is not a spiritual gift. It is essential for using spiritual gifts, and it is more important than spiritual gifts.”

I appreciate Todd Friel’s handling of the recent controversy related to Alistair Begg. His focus in this video is not the issue itself, but the way it is handled and the fallout from it. And, crucially, it’s on preserving and protecting unity within the church.

So many people have tried to figure out the nature of Abraham Lincoln’s faith. This opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal offers some interesting thoughts on it. “The First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Ill., opened in 1876, but its most famous congregant never crossed the church’s threshold. Abraham Lincoln’s relationship with First Presbyterian dates to an earlier location, across town, and it was by no means an easy connection.”

I really enjoy Chris Martin’s weekly “The Funnies” newsletter. It’s kind of like the weekend comic sections that used to come in a newspaper—just a few good laughs.
And that’s it for today. See you again tomorrow!

I am very thankful to ChurchSocial for sponsoring the blog this week. ChurchSocial gives congregations a safe place to communicate, share information, and manage membership online. We use it at my church and are grateful for it!
Today’s Kindle deals (and yesterday’s) include a number of interesting titles.
Westminster Books is offering a deal on a new book titled EveryPsalm.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Tallest Trees and the Strongest Winds)

Be sure to read Trevin Wax’s beautiful reflection on melting snow and the dawn of spring.

There are few sins more odious than grumbling. In this article, Joni Eareckson Tada tells why she refuses to give in to the temptation.

Writing for 9Marks, Nicholas Piotrowski and Ryan Johnson clarify a familiar passage. “It’s common to hear Christians speak of their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. The implication is that we should treat our physical bodies with appropriate reverence.” But the context seems to indicate Paul is speaking of something more corporate than individual.

I don’t necessarily align with the specific measures at the end of the article, but I think the main points are important: You don’t have to give your child a smartphone; and if you do, you need to help them use it well.

I appreciate Cheryl explaining some of what she is confident in.

In Proverbs, Wisdom says “I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you.” But aren’t we supposed to refrain from mocking someone else’s downfall?

What would I have to deny in order to deny hell? If I am ever to come to the point of denying the existence of hell, what will be the doctrinal cost of getting there?

When a man truly sees himself, he knows nobody can say anything about him that is too bad. You need not worry about what men may say or do; you know you deserve it all and more.
—Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by the D3 Youth Conference on the campus of Boyce College in Louisville, KY March 8-9, 2024.
Parents and leaders of teens are always on the lookout for discipleship material. Today, you are invited to enter the Boyce College/D3 Giveaway to win those resources for free! That includes free tuition for a Boyce College dual credit course for a student you know or an SBTS credit course that will better equip you as a leader! 
Here are discipleship resources you may win by entering the D3 Youth Conference Promotion:
Student Discipleship Bundle:* 

Boyce College Dual Enrollment 3-Hour Course
Boyce College T-shirt
Track: A Student’s Guide to Social Media by Jason Thacker
Marks of a Disciple Bible Study by Dean Inserra
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney

Leader Bundle:*

SBTS 3 Hour Course
Boyce College Quarter Zip
Following Jesus in a Digital Age by Jason Thacker
Iron Sharpens Iron: Friendship and the Grace of God by Michael Haykin
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Shepherding God’s Flock by Benjamin Merkle & Tom Schreiner      
You Are a Theologian by Jen Wilkin & J.T. English
Family Worship by Donald Whitney

Click the D3 Giveaway Entry form below. Complete and submit it today so your name will be included in our random drawing on Monday, February 19, 2024. The winners will be notified by email.
D3 Giveaway Entry Form: http://www.d3youth.com/challies-giveaway

I once heard a fable about the trees of a mighty forest. Many years before, a few acorns had been scattered in especially fertile soil and they quickly sprang up first as mere saplings and then as mighty oaks. Because the soil was so rich, they grew quickly and they soon towered over all the trees around them, even those that were much older.
Soon these young oaks began to look with contempt at the rest of the forest, to boast of their size and splendor. Clapping their hands in glee they bragged, “You can only wish you were as tall as we are! You can only wish you could see what we see!” But what they did not know, or perhaps chose not to acknowledge, is that while the soil may have been rich, it was not deep. While it may have contained many nutrients, it sat atop great shelves of impenetrable stone.
The day came when a great winter wind began to blow from the north and as it struck, the whole forest shuddered in pain. As the gusts reached the boastful oaks, they stood strong for a time, but soon enough began to shake, to totter, to sway, to topple. And as they pitched over one by one, crashing to the ground far below, an old elm spoke up. A gnarled old elm who had withstood a hundred winters and weathered a thousand storms said, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” And as he spoke, the humble hickory and pine and chestnut bowed low as if to say “Amen.”
The forest learned something that day. While the trees that rise highest may be the most glorious, they are also the most exposed. While the trees that are tallest may receive the greatest accolades, they are battered by the fiercest winds. The trees that reach the highest heights had better be certain their roots reach far into the ground where they can be stabilized and supported, where they can drink deeply and grow strong.
In fact, the forest learned what each of us must learn, for, as it happens, men and trees are much alike.
Inspired by De Witt Talmage

Good morning, my friends. May the God of peace be with you today.

Carl Trueman: “Human history indicates that the self-evident nonsense of an idea is seldom a barrier to it becoming the dominant philosophy of its age. That man is born free and is everywhere in chains is one. That sex is a cost-free, light recreation is another. And we are paying a heavy price for this sexual fantasy.” (If this link fails due to spam protections, just click the A La Carte heading above to visit my site.)

There are some interesting thoughts here on the different challenges of big and small churches. “In short, house churches will need intentional organizing and big churches will need intentional multiplying. Left to themselves, most house churches will naturally multiply, but will not naturally organize. And big churches will naturally organize, but not naturally multiply.”

Bring your various church-related schedules online in a powerful way with Church Social, an online software platform for churches. Add schedules for the nursery, greeters, welcoming family, deacons, and other volunteer tasks. Members can then view those schedules in the app, and even get email reminders automatically sent to them. (Sponsored Link)

Kim Riddelbarger describes the basics of the second coming of Jesus Christ. “The biblical account of the redemption of our fallen race takes many twists and turns throughout the course of redemptive history. But the story comes to a glorious resolution when we come to the final chapter. There is indeed coming a day when all injustices will be made right, all human suffering will cease, when every tear will be wiped from our eyes, and death will be no more.”

Somewhat similarly, Jonny Raine answers some questions about the life beyond. “A few weeks ago, we asked on social media what questions people had about the life beyond. Unfortunately I don’t have space to tackle all the questions, nor do I have the space to answer them in the depth they deserve. Yet, as a starting point, these are the answers I would give to the frequently asked questions about the life beyond.”

John Beeson takes a look at the strange story of the witch of Endor. He works toward this application: “While most of us are probably not in jeopardy of disobeying God’s commandment to consult a medium (please don’t!), many of us are in danger of what led Saul to take this action—an over-the-top longing for God’s direction.”

Are boycotts biblical? Are they possibly unbiblical? This is a clarifying look at the questions.

God will no more fulfill half a promise than build half a tower and no more come through on half a vow than fight half a battle.

Great sins draw out great grace; and where guilt is most terrible and fierce, there the mercy of God in Christ…appears most high and mighty.
—John Bunyan

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Master’s University and The Master’s Seminary (and also Grace Community Church). It was good to be in CA but it’s also good to be back home!
Westminster Books has a nice little collection of deals for you.
(Yesterday on the blog: He Was a Kind Man)

Randy Alcorn wants to make sure you don’t miss one of the neat stories at the Super Bowl.

Jonathan recently went to hear Jordan Peterson speak and came away with some interesting reflections.

Perhaps the most popular feature of Church Social, an online software platform for churches, is our messaging tool, which makes it possible for members to send the entire church community an email in just a few seconds. You can even send messages to specific groups, such as Bible studies, committees, and teams. (Sponsored Link)

Can gospel tracts still be helpful today? “Gospel tracts have a bad reputation, from the notorious Chick tracts to fake one-hundred-dollar bill tracts that surprise greedy souls with a five-step gospel presentation on the back. In fact, I assume most pastors of healthy churches avoid gospel tracts either because they don’t want to be associated with gimmicky evangelistic tactics or because they don’t think they’re helpful. So such tracts have no place in their bookstores or on their resource tables.”

“Just because we are free to do something in the Christian life does not mean we should. There are limits to Christian freedom.” Doug considers some of those limits.

“Hustle culture surrounds us. Every day, the world encourages women to turn our hobbies and creative endeavors into financial gain. Some may deem us untalented or believe we are wasting our skills if we don’t. But a woman who bakes is still a baker even if she never sells a single cookie. Someone who writes poetry is still a poet, even if she never publishes a poem. What makes us creative is not the world’s opinion of our art but the truth that we are all created beings.”

Don’t ever lose the wonder of this: You have peace with God.

The past couple of decades have seen an unprecedented rise in the use of pornography and an associated decline in the social stigma that accompanies it. Pornography has been downgraded from scandalous to humorous, from aberrant to mundane.

Suffering is common for all. However, persecution (which is a form of suffering) can be avoided. All you have to do is compromise.
—Voddie Baucham

What comes to mind when you think of R.C. Sproul? What do you remember of his life and ministry? What associations do you make when you hear his name?
He was a gifted teacher, of course—probably the greatest pure teacher many of us have ever encountered. So many Christians first came to marvel at God’s transcendent holiness and God’s glorious sovereignty to the distinct rasp of his voice and, in the background, the distinct squeak of chalk on chalkboard. Few men have been better teachers.
He was a trusted theologian. He had a near-encyclopedic knowledge of Christian doctrine and could converse or debate on a host of subjects. A panel or roundtable could go to nearly any topic and he would have something to say. In some of the church’s most crucial modern-day controversies, he took the side of the Bible and the side of orthodoxy. Time has proven that he was invariably on the side of the right.
He was a brilliant intellectual. He had a quick and exceptional mind and a towering intellect. Few people could catch him off guard and few people could match his wit. No one who ever debated him had an easy time of it or ran him over.
He was a compelling apologist. He loved to defend Christianity against the encroachment of false doctrines and vain philosophies. He also guarded the church against more subtle dangers like Catholicism and pseudo-gospels. Throughout his life, he defended the faith and courageously called people to it.
He was a pastor and professor, a mentor and chancellor, an editor and author. In fact, he bore so many talents and wore so many hats that it’s hard to believe he lived only one life. Truly, he was a gift to us.
And yet if you ever visit St. Andrew’s Chapel in Orlando and make your way to Sproul’s grave, you will find a different accolade on his gravestone—an accolade chosen by his family, by the people who loved him most and knew him best. “He was a kind man,” it says. “He was a kind man redeemed by a kinder Savior.”
Despite all he did and all he was known for, it is the quality of kindness that is engraved for the ages.Share
I have often pondered that epitaph. Despite all he did and all he was known for, it is the quality of kindness that is engraved for the ages. And I find that both challenging and encouraging.
It takes raw talent to teach like Sproul taught. It takes divine gifting to preach like he preached and to lead like he led. It takes advanced education to have his knowledge of philosophy and decades of study to have his grasp of doctrine. In these ways and others most will never be like him.
But kindness is available to all of us. Kindness is not an innate quality that is given to some and not to others. Kindness is not a characteristic that demands special talent or advanced education. Kindness is a decision we make each moment of each day. Kindness is fruit of the Spirit who lives within us—evidence of his presence in our lives and imitation of his divine qualities. Sproul was kind because he lived his life in service to a kind Savior.
And so, one of the men we love and admire, a man who left his mark on so many of us, is not remembered first for his accomplishments, but for his character. His lasting legacy is not what he did, but who he was. His enduring gift to those he loved is not the books he wrote or the organizations he founded, but the qualities of Jesus that were so prominent in his life.
As much as we have benefitted from all of Sproul’s gifts and talents, from all he did and all he founded, his family gave us a gift of their own—a reminder that the greatest accomplishments are accomplishments of character and the greatest legacies are legacies of divine attributes displayed in a redeemed life.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.
I added some Kindle deals yesterday and will hope to track down some more this morning.
10ofThose is having a $5 sale with all kinds of good books on sale.

Jake Meador writes about the “Alistair Begg unpleasantness of the past several weeks” and explain how “the entire affair, beginning to end, is one protracted indictment of American evangelicalism.”

David Kaywood admits there is already a book on just about every subject, but explains why we need still more.

Church Social helps elders, deacons and pastors be informed leaders by giving them quick access to information about the members under their care, including special dates like birthdays, anniversaries or even when loved-ones passed away. They can also manage schedules, pastoral care groups and leadership-only files, all from a simple online app. (Sponsored Link)

John Dyer takes a look at some of the ways that digital apps are changing the way we read the Bible. These are things worth thinking about.

Cindy points out the way we tend to connect sharing with abundance—we share what we have a lot of. Yet she wants us to consider sharing even what’s sparse. “I don’t know what resources you have—or think you don’t have. Resources come in all varieties. It may be money or cookies or power tools or vehicles. Whatever the resource is, and regardless of the amount of it you have, share it willingly. Who knows what God might want to do with it.”

Trevin reminds us that evil doesn’t always show up waving a flag. “You’ve probably heard of Godwin’s Law—the idea that as an online discussion progresses, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler increases. Godwin’s Law is meant to be humorous, but it says something serious about our society that one of the last remaining vestiges of moral coherence is that we all know Hitler was wrong.”

9Marks has released a new issue of their journal and this one has lots of articles and resources related to evangelism.

Reading or listening to gossip is not a different sin from speaking or spreading it, but simply the opposite side of the same sin.

Friends may speak, and ministers may speak, yea, angels may speak, and all in vain; but if God please to speak, the dying soul reviveth.
—George Swinnock

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Parenting Book Too Few Parents Read)

Izaac Cowling takes a look at the famous YouTuber MrBeast. This seems like key information: “YouTube has a growing cultural influence which Christians need to think about. For many believers under twenty-five years of age, YouTube is TV. It’s where they get their entertainment, news, and sports highlights. This means YouTubers, such as MrBeast, have the cultural influence that the biggest television stars and shows had in the past.”

This is a tribute to the ones (especially in the local church) who cook.

Church Social makes tracking member contributions a breeze. Treasurers can input and track donations to various funds, and then generate statements and tax receipts. It works with your existing accounting software. Members can even log in to view their own giving history and download tax receipts. (Sponsored Link)

Aaron explains why he had to ditch Twitter. “It’s all so unreasonable. I don’t have much interest in that. Part of why it’s so unpleasant is that factionalism requires you to draw hard lines on virtually every issue. While Christianity has hard lines that need to be upheld, not everything needs to be a disagreement. We can agree to disagree on some matters and it’s okay.”

“When my dear wife stopped breathing, I instinctively and instantaneously began yearning for the wholeness that had been. Though I longed for a quick fix, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob does not guarantee his members two-day shipping. At times, we will have to wait weeks, months, years, and even lifetimes for God to restore and heal what has been lost. In other words to grieve well, we must learn to wait well.”

There may not be a lot of application to make here (or maybe there is and I just haven’t discovered it yet), but I found it interesting to consider names in the Bible that are repeated twice. “Plenty of Old and New Testament passages have dialogue where a character’s name is mentioned. But there are occasions—and you can hold them in two hands—when the Lord calls someone’s name twice in a row.”

Barbara reflects on one of those occasions when she allowed a small frustration to boil over.

Sin aims always at the utmost. Owen employs anthropomorphism to make sin something living and active, a being with an evil mind and insidious design.

Dear Lord, what have we to be proud of? Proud of our scales. Proud of our uncleanness. Proud of this killing infection. Bring us down at thy feet weeping, praying, penitent, believing, suppliant.
—De Witt Talmage