The sky was still dark as I left the house this morning. When I went overseas just three weeks ago the sun had already risen by this time and I was walking in dawn’s early light. But summer has given way to fall and the nights have quickly grown longer. I press “play” in my Bible app and set out.

I round a bend and in the corner of my eye see an unusually bright star in the southern sky. I make a note to look it up when I return, though I know I’ll probably have forgotten by then. I realize my mind has wandered and while I still hear David Cochran Heath’s voice in my AirPods, I have lost track of chapter and verse. “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD,” I hear him say, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch…” Ah yes, Jeremiah 23, one of the sweetest chapters in the whole book. “And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’”
My plan prompts me to skip ahead to Jeremiah 26, then to Psalm 77 and James 2. When I’ve heard “for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead” it is time to pray and, as it happens, to turn to the southeast. I begin to thank the Lord for giving me the precious gift of faith and to ask him to help me be diligent in showing my faith by my works. As I glance toward where the sun will soon rise, I see that the sky has begun to turn shades of pink and purple.
I spend some time confessing sin and making requests on behalf of family members, and while I do so the sky continues to brighten. As I begin to pray for the people in my church, the pinks and purples push higher into the sky while the horizon begins to glow a dull and then bright orange, like someone is slowly turning a dial to increase the intensity of the colors. It is quickly turning into one of the most stunning sunrises I have ever seen.
I am now into the final blocks of my walk and, though I have to head west, I can barely bring myself to turn my back to the wonder of that rising sun. Again and again, I stop to turn around and admire it for a few more moments. I am tempted to snap a photo, but I know there is no camera sensor in the world capable of capturing so many colors and such dynamic range. I find myself wondering about the human eye and about how much of the beauty is escaping me because of the limitations of my humanity. I wonder if God is laughing with joy right now at the wonder of what he has created, of what he has painted across a southern Ontario sky.
And as I approach my home I have this thought: God loves to add a little extra beauty. God could have made every time of day the same, but he gives sunrises—he adds a little extra beauty. He could have made every drink as plain as water, but he gives us coffee—he adds a little extra beauty. He could have made every piece of music have just a melody, but he gives us harmony—he adds a little extra beauty. He gives us peacocks, rainbow boas, and parrotfish, he gives us orchids, hibiscus, and bird of paradise flowers, he gives us the seasonings that combine to make Thai red curry, to make Vietnamese pho, and, best of all, to make Indian butter chicken. He adds a little extra beauty to excite our senses and delight our hearts.
Today I am delighting not only in beauty, but in that extra little bit of beauty God so often chooses to display. And I find the challenge growing within: If God chooses to add a little extra beauty, shouldn’t I? In those matters God calls me to do, shouldn’t I go beyond merely getting them done and instead add an extra bit of effort? Wouldn’t I be most closely imitating him if I went beyond merely completing the task and chose instead to do it with joy, with excellence, with a desire to in some way make it beautiful? With that on my heart, my walk closes with a prayer: “God, in whatever it is you call me to do today, let me add a little extra beauty.”

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

There is a small collection of Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: When the Hands Must Loose That Now So Fondly Clasp)
The Transforming Power of Hopeful Love in Marriage
Here’s a good article about love and marriage—or love in marriage, I suppose.
Pastor, Not Entrepreneur
“Emphasis matters. When it came to making disciples and planting churches, Jesus or Paul never emphasized being entrepreneurial. It’s true, they believe hell is real and that making disciples and planting churches is desperately urgent. Yet this never led them to highlight industriousness or creativity for church planters.” This is such an important issue.
A Sexular Stage
Stephen McAlpine: “The stage is now set for a very public divide in evangelicalism around the best pastoral approach to those church participants who are advocates of the Sexular Age, or who find themselves struggling with sexual sins that the wider culture celebrates. And once again it’s been done from a big stage. A very big stage.”
Spiritual Abuse
“If there are two words that should never be put next to each other they are ‘spiritual’ and ‘abuse’. However, the sad reality is that they are words that sometimes need to be used together to describe the sinful behaviour of some Christians towards other Christians particularly involving the misuse of power.” I appreciate this look at spiritual abuse.
Don’t Lose the Languages
If you’ve gone through all the trouble of learning the biblical languages, make sure you don’t lose them! This article is meant to help with some strategies.
Tracing Christianity’s Impact on Slavery through the Centuries
Sharon James considers Christianity’s impact on slavery through the centuries.
Flashback: What To Expect When Battling Sin
Putting sin to death is a long and violent struggle against a deadly enemy that is absolutely devoted to our destruction. In this way we should not expect that putting sin to death will be easy, and we should not expect that sin will go quietly.

The road of sorrow is the road to Heaven but there are wells of refreshing water along the route. —C.H. Spurgeon

I spend a surprising amount of time reading through old hymnals and collections of poetry—rather a strange hobby, I suppose. There is a lot that’s familiar and a lot that’s terrible. Every now and again, though, I come across a poem that is new to me and that I find especially enjoyable. That was the case with this one written by Caroline Noel in honor of her husband. It reflects on the joy they experience in one another and the reality that they must someday part. I trust it will bless you as it did me.

When I give thanks to God, for allHis priceless gifts to me,Believe that then, among the chief,I give Him thanks for thee.
For all the love that He has rainedUpon me, from thine eyes,That shine like stars above my storms,Calm, though they sympathize.
And if one day the hands must loose,That now so fondly clasp,Yet, e’en though parted, both will beWithin the same strong grasp.
One on Christ’s bosom gently laid,The other safely ledA longer road, unto the landWhere live the blessed Dead.
There meeting, who can guess the gleamOf rapture, that will rise,When we the light of that fair realmSee in each other’s eyes?
O deep unspeakable reposeOf knowing, that for ayeAll that disturbed and hindered loveHas wholly passed away!
Sin, sickness, sorrow, chills of age,And pangs of mortal fear,Can never reach the land where ChristHas wiped away each tear.
For Death has no dominion there,Where Sin has never trod,But souls transfigured, live and love,Within the Life of God.
Then fear we not to trust His Word,And cherish Love’s increase;Since e’en its sharpest throes must passInto Eternal Peace.

I’d like to express my gratitude to The Good Book Company for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about Alistair Begg’s new book The Christian Manifesto (which I earlier reviewed here). Sponsors play a key role in keeping this site going, so I am grateful to each and every one.

You’ll find just a few new Kindle deals today if you’re into that sort of thing.
This week I read Going Infinite, Michael Lewis’ biography of the notorious Sam Bankman-Fried—a book timed to be released just as SBF began his trial. While I found the book interesting, I also found the author naive—he seems to absolve his subject of too much blame for the collapse of FTX and the billions of dollars that evaporated with it. I did enjoy his look at the Effective Altruism movement and its obvious shortcomings and failures. It’s a relatively brief book and one that was written before the trial that will determine SBF’s guilt or innocence. Though certainly not Lewis’ best, I still found it worth the read. Next up: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson.
And now, without any further ado, some links:
What No Eye has Seen…
“Let’s keep going. Christ has already gone to prepare a place for us in going to the cross and bearing the wrath of God against your sins and mine. When all you can see is the fog in front of you, let your heart swell at the thought that ‘no eye has seen , nor ear heard, nor the hear of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.’”
What Does It Mean That God Is Sovereign?
At least as far as I’m concerned, no one has taught God’s sovereignty better than R.C. Sproul. This article is so good, comforting, and clarifying.
Knowing God as Our Refuge
This article is about the ways in which we can know God as our refuge.
Encircled, Enclosed, Squeezed In
“We don’t always feel that the Lord is near. When life is hard, when grief is deep, when loss is the biggest thing in the room, we quickly wonder where God is. Surely he has left me in the darkness of my pain. Surely he isn’t present when I hurt this much. But Scripture can tell our hearts how to feel when we fear we are alone. Scripture tells us what is real in the depths of sadness and pain.”
The Sin Breaker
Though I’m not part of this church, I enjoy the pastor’s letters to his congregation. This one is about the kingship of Jesus and the battle against sin.
Flashback: Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing Loved Ones Are in Hell?
We cannot imagine how we could be content in heaven while loved ones are in hell because we think too little of the beauty of glorification. Until we are glorified, our sympathies will rest more easily with human beings than with God—his glory and perfect justice.

When people say, ‘I know God forgives me, but I can’t forgive myself,’ they mean that they have failed an idol, whose approval is more important to them than God’s. —Tim Keller

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by The Good Book Company. They are giving away a bundle of books by Alistair Begg and a Luke for You Set to one winner!

This Book Bundle Includes…
The Christian Manifesto by Alistair Begg and The Christian Manifesto Study Guide
What does genuine Christian living look like in the 21st century, and how can we be motivated to live that way?
The answer comes from Jesus’ sermon in Luke 6 (sometimes known as the Sermon on the Plain), which starts, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God,” and goes on to lay out God’s vision statement for the Christian life. It is a manifesto that transcends politics, culture and personality, detailing God’s intentions for his people.
Alistair Begg unpacks this sermon, encouraging Christians to live a radically different life that upends the world’s values and philosophies. It’s a lifestyle that is counterintuitive and countercultural, yet one that God blesses with true meaning and impact.
As we look at the kindness and compassion of Jesus and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help, we’ll grow in both the motivation and the ability to obey Jesus’ teaching and experience the blessing that comes from that.
This compelling book will remind you of God’s grace and what it means to follow him, helping you discover the ultimate blessing that is found in him.
The Study Guide features eight sessions to correspond with each of the eight chapters in The Christian Manifesto.
Luke For You Set by Mike McKinley 
Luke wrote his Gospel to offer his first readers, and his readers today, certainty over the truth of the gospel, and joy that God’s promises have been fulfilled with the coming of his King.
This two-volume set of expository Bible-study guides to Luke’s Gospel pays close attention to the text and has a focus on real-life application. Mike McKinley brings us face to face with Jesus in a compelling way for both experienced and new readers of this Gospel.
Truth for Life – Volume 1 (Gift Edition) by Alistair Begg
This imitation-leather edition of Alistair Begg’s best-selling one-year devotional, Truth For Life – Volume 1, makes a beautiful gift for a Christian brother or sister, encouraging them to start each day with the gospel.
Features of this edition include:

an imitation-leather debossed cover
a ribbon marker
a sleeve

Each daily devotion includes:

reflections from renowned Bible teacher Alistair Begg
prompts for real-life application
relevant Scripture passages
a yearly Bible-reading plan

Reflecting on a short passage each day, Alistair spans the Scriptures to show us the greatness and grace of God, and to thrill our hearts to live as His children. His clear, faithful exposition and thoughtful application mean that this resource will both engage your mind and stir your heart.
Pray Big
So many of us struggle with prayer. Many books have been written on the subject and there’s a reason for that. Prayer comes hard to most of us, in most seasons. And when we do pray, we often don’t know what to say. What is it that my Father loves to hear about? What are the best things I could pray for my family, my church, and myself?
This short book by renowned Bible teacher Alistair Begg combines warmth, clarity, humor, and practicality as he examines Paul’s prayers for his friends in the church in Ephesus.
Paul clearly enjoyed prayer, and was excited about it. He expected his Father in heaven to hear what he said, and to act in other people’s lives accordingly. The truths that underpin and shape his prayers will motivate us to pray and set us an example.
So be inspired by the Apostle Paul to pray bigger and better prayers as we look to our heavenly Father to do more than all we ask or imagine!
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you permit The Good Book Company to send you marketing emails which you may unsubscribe from at any time. The winner will be notified via email, and those who do not win will receive an email with the option to download a free e-copy of Extraordinary Hospitality by Carolyn Lacey. The giveaway closes on Friday, October 13th at noon, EST.

Yesterday was my first day at my desk in a while and it felt so good to be back! I’m so grateful that a pretty significant infection can be defeated by $20 worth of prescriptions. What a world we live in! I’m looking forward to sharing some new articles beginning on Monday.

Logos has launched a new sale so you can save money on all things sermons. Remember they’ve also got a Pastor Appreciation Sale going on.
When Being Affirming Isn’t Loving
Not surprisingly, Carl Trueman has something to say about Andy Stanley’s (and Pope Francis’) recent attempts to be affirming. “Prophets warn the church when she is too close to the world. They do not go to the world to tell the pundits that the church is not worldly enough.” (On the same topic, see Sam Allberry’s article at CT: Andy Stanley’s ‘Unconditional’ Contradiction.”)
My God, My God, Why Have You NOT Forsaken Me?
“I was a rebel and a deceiver. I loved my sin. Why not forsake me? Why would He accept me?”
Dagon’s Head and Goliath’s Head
Mitch draws a comparison between two stories that may not, at face value, seem to have much in common.
What Old Testament Promises Are for Me?
Christians often struggle to discern how Old Testament promises apply to us today. John Piper offers some useful guidance here.
Already Unique
“I saw an article recently that focused on how three different men had each created their own unique fashion styles. All of them looked quite different from each other, and all of them had managed to combine their clothes in ways that really did stand out from most of the styles on the street. The point of the article was to explore how these men had been able to craft styles that were actually unique, and how you and I could do the same.”
Learning Dependence on the Lord
Barbaranne Kelly writes about learning her limitations. “I consider myself to be a relatively capable person. I know that I have limits, but I thought my capabilities outweighed them. I used to believe that God wouldn’t give me more than I could handle, until he started giving me more than I could handle. I’m now decades into learning how very weak and dependent—how incapable—I am, and how very strong, faithful, and capable my Lord is.”
Flashback: 6 Great Reasons To Study Doctrine
Your love for God is limited by your knowledge of him, so that you can really only love him as far as you know him. As the depth of your knowledge grows, so too does the depth of your love.

Inside and outside the church, the way you live should commend the gospel just as much as the words you say. —Alistair Begg

Good morning! May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Marty Machowski has written a new devotional commentary for kids and Westminster Kids has it on sale right out of the gate.
Dad, Where Are You Going?
Tim writes this one from the heart. “How does a parent handle their child’s fragile heart that believes his Dad is healthy, not sick. Strong, not weak. The family’s provider, not the one in need. I’m weary holding his childlike concern and decide to punt for another day.”
The Problem with Trying to Portray the Holy Spirit
“A lot of people have had a lot of unhelpful ideas about the Holy Spirit, but for sheer oddness, it is hard to find a stranger case than the portrayal of the third person of the Trinity as a beautiful, young, winged, curly haired boy with a widow’s peak.” Indeed.
Learning to Speak Chickadee
I so thoroughly enjoyed this article about the humble chickadee (which, it turns out, is quite an extraordinary little creature).
Souls are not to be won by music
I don’t really know what to say about this one other than that it’s well worth a read.
Mary Livingstone, Praiseworthy Missionary Wife and Mother
Vance Christie’s recent biography of David Livingstone really changed my understanding of Mary. In this article, Christie tells how “she is worthy of high praise and not a small degree of compassionate empathy.”
The Only Solution for our Sin
Guy Richard has an article that simply celebrates God for providing the one solution for our sin.
Flashback: Thank God We Do/Don’t Know the Future
Until that great day, we cling to the many powerful promises God has given us. Our confidence is not in knowing the future, but in knowing the one who holds the future.

Not only will the sorrow of death be forgotten in the joy of heaven, but the joy of heaven will be far deeper and richer because of earth’s pain and sorrow. —J.R. Miller

I’m glad to say that I think I’ve turned a bit of a corner in my recovery from whatever I picked up in Zambia. I hope to be back to normal within a few days.

You’ll find a good little collection of Kindle deals today. (Also, if you’re into Agatha Christie, a whole lot of her books are on sale today only.)
A Case for Christian Optimism
“Once the preserve of the middle-aged and elderly, ‘declinism’ has reached the mainstream in the Western world. The nagging feeling that life is on a downward trend, that things are not what they once were, that our future is less bright than our past, now plagues public discourse and popular media.” Like Andrew, I feel quite optimistic about the future.
Seven Blessings for Empty-Handed Believers
“Empty-handedness is where the blessing of God begins. People who feel they have something to offer God come to him with their hands full, but as long as our hands are full, we are not in a position to receive.”
“The next Pope will be John XXIV.” Will he?
Leonardo De Chirico follows some clues to suggest who may eventually replace Pope Francis.
Advice to My Younger Self
From her current vantage point in life, Donna tells what advice she would offer to her younger self.
Enduring Lessons from the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill
Gary Millar only just got around to listening to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill and offers some enduring lessons from the whole Mars Hill situation (or fiasco or phenomenon or…).
God, Our Hiding Place
“The summer slump is over. Children have returned to school. Similar to the difficulty of moving a long-parked train, the normal cycles of life are slowly gaining momentum. And in the midst of all of this, many patterns in the life of the pastor are gaining inertia. As we take on more and more responsibilities, the pressure to crowd out the important with the urgent lurks in every staff meeting, inbox, and calendar update.”
Flashback: My Own Little Paradise in an Ocean of Ugliness
We genuinely do make progress, yet always know that many decades of struggle in this life will be but baby steps compared to the mighty leap we will experience when we are finally perfected in the moment of death.

There are no ‘if’s’ in Gods world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety- let us pray that we may always know it. —Betsie ten Boom