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Weekend A La Carte (November 30)

By Tim Challies — 3 months ago

My gratitude goes to 21Five, the bookstore of Redeemer University (in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) for sponsoring the blog this week. If you’re shopping in Canada or for Canadians, be sure give them a look.

Yesterday I linked to a ton of Black Friday deals for Christians. Most of those specials are still available today and a few more have been added. Check back again on Cyber Monday to see what’s new.

The same is true of Kindle deals in that most of yesterday’s massive selection are still available while others have been added.

(Yesterday on the blog: Black Friday Deals for Christians)

“No revival can happen without the work of the Spirit. And the work of the Spirit will produce fruit leading to repentance and reliance upon Christ’s finished work on the cross, not upon the idea of Christianity, or the mental health and social benefits of Christianity. And certainly true Christianity cannot fall into becoming another social identity just like any other social identity. We are Christians because God’s revealed Word expresses the order of the cosmos, not because we want to differentiate ourselves from Others (Progressives, the Woke, and so on).”

The specific context is the UK but it applies more widely than that. “We are entering a new dark age: one where suicide has become not only legal, but celebrated as compassionate; where the hard-earned money of diligent citizens will be used to purchase the cocktail of pills that will snuff out the life of the elderly and the infirm, administered by the hand that ought to save. One where the selfless and infirm will feel, in the midst of misplaced compassion, the bitter call of death and self-murder – and none of us will be able to stop them.”

Andy Stearns reflects movingly and hopefully on the year since his wife went to be with the Lord.

This is a useful reminder that celebrating Christmas isn’t in the Bible and therefore can’t measure spirituality and should not bind consciences.

Jacob shares some useful thoughts on picking songs to sing as a church.

“For the Christian, gathering in fellowship should never be considered a chore or a begrudged obligation. Instead, meeting together to serve God and others in the ways we’ve been gifted is a glorious privilege. It’s something that the Lord has designed for us to do for eternity.”

Weaving together Scripture, poetry, quotes, and her own insights, Gibson has written a book that is sure to bless and comfort mothers who know the pain of a stillbirth or the grief of a miscarriage. It would be hard to recommend it too highly.

Expect Satan to tempt you most viciously at those moments and periods when you are seeking God most vigorously.
—Jeremy Walker

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Free Stuff Fridays (21Five)

By Tim Challies — 3 months ago

This week the blog is sponsored by 21Five, a Canadian Christian bookstore.

In an era of information overload, it can be hard to cut through the noise and find quality Christian titles. This is where 21Five steps in, Canada’s gospel-centred Christian bookstore! 21Five curates the best God-glorifying books and products, with a physical location in Hamilton, Ontario (at Redeemer University) and an online store at 21Five.ca. Shipping Canada-wide, 21Five offers competitive pricing, church and school discounts, free shipping on orders over $75—and an always expanding inventory!

21Five is rooted in the Reformed tradition with books and resources marked by a commitment to the authority of scripture and an emphasis on the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all of creation.

21FIVE GIVEAWAY

21Five is hosting an exclusive giveaway for Challies’ Canadian readers! We’re giving away 5 journalling prize packs. This prize pack contains an ESV fruit of the spirit devotional journal, a faith-inspired notebook and a sticker.

To enter, fill out the form below, which will automatically subscribe you to 21Five’s monthly email newsletter, keeping you up to date on new products, collections and sales.

For a bonus entry, indicate in the contest form that you’d like to subscribe to Redeemer University’s e-newsletter, sharing news, stories and announcements from across the institution (approx. 3-4 emails per year).

Contest open to Canadian residents only. You can unsubscribe to our newsletters at any time. Giveaway ends December 6, 2024. 21Five will contact contest winners by email the week of December 9.

Post Views: 38

Calling All Christians: The Everyday Mission of God

By Seth Porch — 3 months ago

The music swells. All eyes are fixed on the front. The moment has arrived. Now you hear these words: “If anyone is sensing a call to the mission field, would you please stand up so we can pray for you?” Then comes the internal struggle. Am I called? Maybe. What will happen if I stand up? What if God sends me to some place I don’t want to go? What if I miss this moment? Should I stand?

Many who have spent years in the church or who have attended missions conferences (perhaps especially at the college level) have experienced moments similar to this one. They are relatively common, especially throughout North America, and God has powerfully used them to send thousands of missionaries into his harvest fields.

Wonderful as the effects of such moments can be, however, they can also dull our ears. We may come to expect a call to service only in certain settings. Perhaps without realizing it, the Master’s voice, his charge to his people, becomes a distant echo. Our zeal fades, and we settle down again into the established routines of our busy lives — that is, until the church calendar cycles back around to missions week, or we attend another conference.

Such rhythms can characterize much of our lives. To break free generally requires some voice to break in, rousing us from our routines, reminding us that everyone in Christ — from the greatest to the least, whether we’ve learned to think this way or not — is a participant in his mission.

From Garden to Glory

But what is his mission? True participation in any mission requires understanding what the mission actually is. Failure to understand the nature of the work can lead well-intended Christians to focus on labors or projects that are good but ancillary to God’s highest purposes for his people. Thankfully, he has not left us to stumble about in the dark. The whole story of redemption reverberates with God’s design to fill the earth with a people who joyfully reflect the rays of his glory.

God’s mission begins in the garden, when God commissions his newly formed creature — one who bears his own image — to fill and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28), to reign over God’s created realm as his vice-regents. God tells the man and his wife to multiply so that the whole created realm, filled with image-bearers who know and worship their Maker, would redound with praise.

Of course, mankind spurns that gift and task, seeking to usurp the heavenly throne. But the purpose of God is not thwarted. It continues through his promise to Abra(ha)m, that he would become “the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5) and that in him “all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). A filled earth, a blessed people — these are God’s intent. The long and plodding path through Israel’s checkered history until the birth of the Messiah only sheds further light on God’s gracious resolve to fulfill his divine purposes, even through characters we might deem ill-suited to the task.

God’s ways don’t change in the era of the new covenant. Jesus chooses a crew of fisherman, tax collectors, zealots, and others — none of whom were part of Israel’s social elite in the first century — to follow and learn from him throughout his earthly ministry. And then, after the resurrection, having received all authority as the new Adam, the perfect image of God, he sends his redeemed and remade followers into the world to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

‘Am I Called?’

Jesus’s commission brings us back to that special moment during missions week or at the conference. Am I called? The answer is a resounding yes. If you belong to the redeemed people of God, then you have received marching orders. God has given you a glorious purpose: to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

In the new Adam, you have received royal authority to declare the rule of Christ over all. Like Abraham, you sojourn in a land not your own but to which you bring great blessing. Like Israel, your life is meant to reflect the goodness and wisdom of God. He does not select just a few from among his holy nation to send out — we all share in his work.

Now, does that make you a missionary? Probably not — at least, not in the way we typically use the word today, to describe someone who has been sent by a church to cross cultures for the sake of gospel proclamation. While God sends all his people into the world, we may still be wise to reserve such a term for those whom the church commissions to go out in response to a particular calling by the Spirit (see, for example, Acts 13:2–3).

But that does not mean that those who remain have no part to play. The common call to proclaim the excellencies of God requires all of us to devote our lives to his work in the world. For the majority of believers, that work will take place in the busy routines of daily life among the homes, neighborhoods, and cities where God has currently placed us. And when it comes to the unique missionary task, those who remain have the essential role of supporting the missionaries sent by their local churches, a role that includes financial, practical, emotional, and spiritual service.

Never Not Called

The daily demands and regular routines of life often make it difficult to keep the big mission in view. We have families to feed, deadlines to meet, and relationships to maintain. It is entirely natural for the excitement of inspiring moments to fade quickly.

“Jesus teaches us to start our prayers with an immediate focus on the Father and his purposes in the world.”

And that waning zeal can make it feel as though life’s natural rhythms do not belong to the mission we’ve received. They seem secondary, and hopelessly pedantic, while those who have really been commissioned have the glorious task of serving God abroad. But if we are to remain faithful, we must not forget that we belong to God and that he has given us purpose both here and there — work to do in his world and for the sake of his kingdom. Countless opportunities to participate in his mission await in daily life.

Remembering takes effort. Joining the church for worship with the whole mission in mind — even on the Sundays when cross-cultural missions doesn’t receive any special emphasis — requires that we attend daily to God’s word and seek to understand what he calls us to. What does that effort look like? Consider three practical steps Christians can take daily to bend our lives in further service to our King.

PRAY

Regularly begin your prayers — individually, with your family, and with the church — the way our Lord Jesus taught: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come” (Matthew 6:9–10). Jesus teaches us to start our prayers not with an immediate focus on ourselves but on the Father and his purposes in the world.

Learning to pray like this trains us to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). It prepares our hearts for his service. As we pray for him to bring his kingdom in its fullness, the glory of earthly kingdoms and the luster of temporary riches fade. We recognize their fleeting nature, and our longing to pour out our lives for the sake of eternal good — both in our homes and around the world — grows.

STUDY

The best place to start is with the word of God. Allow the bookends of Genesis 1–2 and Revelation 21–22 to frame everything in between. Learning to read the whole in light of the beginning and the end can help you see how the whole story fits together, why Jesus is at the center of it all, and to what labors God calls his people.

Seek help in your reading, too. Join a Bible study, pick up a good study Bible, find a commentary or two, read (or listen to) works of theology from theologians who are committed to upholding the inerrancy of Scripture and shining a spotlight on the person and work of Christ. You won’t get a good biblical understanding of God’s mission and the work to which he calls you by reading without help.

And don’t study alone. Talk about what you’re learning with fellow believers who will sharpen your thinking. Consider taking that Sunday school class you’ve never thought you had time for. The better you understand God’s purposes and the place he has given you within them, the more prepared you will be to devote your life to his glorious cause.

SERVE

Start serving now. The work is not only out there, but within the home and community in which the Lord has placed you according to his good and sovereign purpose. Teach your children to understand and love God’s great purposes as you learn about them through your own study.

Look for ways to serve your neighbors, remembering that an opportunity to share the gospel might come through something as small as helping them rake their leaves. Seek out opportunities to use your Spirit-given gifts in the local church, no matter how big or small those opportunities may be, recognizing that the triune God has equipped you so that you might build up his church (1 Corinthians 12:4–7). As you serve according to the grace you’ve received, you may discover that opportunities increase and that your joy in serving grows.

And more than likely, as you prepare for this service through study and prayer, you will come to see how even such acts as the gift of a cup of water to the least of these plays a role in the advance of the heavenly kingdom.

‘Follow Me’

Committing your life to the service of the King is dangerous. You may find yourself swept away on an adventure you never expected. Such has been my own experience and that of many others.

If you seek in all things to devote your life to God’s mission, you might find yourself standing up on one of those mission Sundays, getting sent out by the church to proclaim his gospel in a place and among a people you only recently heard of.

But even if not, you will realize that even those not sent to the nations are called to the mission. The words we must learn to hear daily — oh, I pray that you hear them! — are not “Are you sensing a call?” but the far simpler, and much more demanding, words of our Master: “Follow me.”

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Black Friday Deals for Christians

By Tim Challies — 3 months ago

Black Friday is upon us and with it the opportunity to save a bit of money as we shop for the holidays or build out our libraries. I have listed hundreds of deals below and will be adding to it throughout the course of the weekend.

My Top 10 Black Friday Deals

Amazon

To find Kindle deals, visit the Kindle deals page. What follows through the rest of this page is print books and other physical products. Note: Kindle devices are on sale: Kindle (or bundle); Kindle Paperwhite (or bundle); Kindle Paperwhite Signature (or bundle); Kindle Scribe bundle.

As you’d expect, Amazon has a bazillion products on sale that cross every category. You can begin at this link to find their listings of top deals. Below I’ve shared my picks of books and games.

Print books for kids and teens:

Sale

God Cares for Me (For the Bible Tells Me So)

Wetherell, Kristen (Author); English (Publication Language); 22 Pages – 09/26/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

God Hears Me (For the Bible Tells Me So)

Wetherell, Kristen (Author); English (Publication Language); 22 Pages – 09/26/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

God Came Near to Me (For the Bible Tells Me So)

Wetherell, Kristen (Author); English (Publication Language); 22 Pages – 03/19/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

God Rescues Me (For the Bible Tells Me So)

Wetherell, Kristen (Author); English (Publication Language); 22 Pages – 03/19/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

God, You Are: 20 Promises from the Psalms for Kids

Hardcover Book; Osborne, William R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 48 Pages – 06/20/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook (TruTone)

DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 528 Pages – 03/12/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Biggest Story Bible Storybook

Hardcover Book; DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 528 Pages – 03/25/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Biggest Story ABC

DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 32 Pages – 08/31/2017 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

You Are Special (Max Lucado’s Wemmicks) (Max Lucado’s Wemmicks, 1) (Volume 1)

Hardcover Book; Lucado, Max (Author); English (Publication Language); 32 Pages – 06/30/1997 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Dragon and the Stone (The Dream Keeper Saga Book 1)

Butler, Kathryn (Author); English (Publication Language); 304 Pages – 05/10/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years

Hardcover Book; Jaquelle Crowe (Author); English (Publication Language); 160 Pages – 03/31/2017 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Faith Builder Catechism: Devotions to Level Up Your Family Discipleship

Hardcover Book; Kevin Hippolyte (Author); English (Publication Language); 136 Pages – 09/25/2023 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

Wingfeather Saga Boxed Set: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness; North! Or Be Eaten; The Monster in the Hollows; The Warden and the Wolf King (The Wingfeather Saga)

Hardcover Book; Peterson, Andrew (Author); English (Publication Language); 1520 Pages – 11/23/2021 (Publication Date) – WaterBrook (Publisher)

Sale

Who Is Jesus?: Forty Pictures to Share with Your Family

Hardcover Book; Kate Hox (Author); English (Publication Language); 96 Pages – 01/31/2022 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity

McLaughlin, Rebecca (Author); English (Publication Language); 208 Pages – 03/16/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Print books for adults: (Note that some of the books are available in limited quantities and may sell out quickly)

Sale

Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God

Hardcover Book; Challies, Tim (Author); English (Publication Language); 224 Pages – 09/13/2022 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Systematic Theology, Second Edition: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

Completely revised, stronger chapter on the clarity of Scripture; Completely updated bibliographies

Sale

The Truth in True Crime: What Investigating Death Teaches Us About the Meaning of Life

Wallace, J. Warner (Author); English (Publication Language); 288 Pages – 05/07/2024 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus

MacArthur, John F. (Author); English (Publication Language); 528 Pages – 03/12/2024 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions

Hardcover Book; Reinke, Tony (Author); English (Publication Language); 536 Pages – 03/05/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

In the Lord I Take Refuge: 150 Daily Devotions through the Psalms

Hardcover Book; Ortlund, Dane (Author); English (Publication Language); 416 Pages – 07/27/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West

Hardcover Book; Wilson, Andrew (Author); English (Publication Language); 384 Pages – 09/05/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Disciplines of a Godly Man (Updated Edition)

Hughes, R. Kent (Author); English (Publication Language); 336 Pages – 07/30/2019 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity

Hardcover Book; Trueman, Carl R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 216 Pages – 02/06/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional

Great product!; Hardcover Book; Tripp, Paul David (Author); English (Publication Language)

Sale

The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution

Hardcover Book; Trueman, Carl R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 432 Pages – 11/10/2020 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Strange New World: How Thinkers and Activists Redefined Identity and Sparked the Sexual Revolution

Trueman, Carl R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 208 Pages – 03/22/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship

Hardcover Book; Gibson, Jonathan (Author); English (Publication Language); 352 Pages – 12/07/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners (Union)

Hardcover Book; Ortlund, Dane (Author); English (Publication Language); 192 Pages – 09/14/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional (Gift Edition)

Hardcover Book; Tripp, Paul David (Author); English (Publication Language); 400 Pages – 10/31/2016 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Psalms: A Christ-Centered Commentary (Volume 2, Psalms 1–50) (Volume 1)

Hardcover Book; Ash, Christopher (Author); English (Publication Language); 736 Pages – 07/09/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Wonders of His Love: Finding Jesus in Isaiah, Family Advent Devotional

Hardcover Book; Champ Thornton (Author); English (Publication Language); 80 Pages – 10/18/2021 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

Take Heart: Daily Devotions to Deepen Your Faith

Hardcover Book; David Powlison (Author); English (Publication Language); 416 Pages – 09/18/2022 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

You Are Welcomed: Devotions for When Life Is a Lot (Gospel Truth for Women)

Trish Donohue (Author); English (Publication Language); 256 Pages – 10/23/2023 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

Cold-Case Christianity (Updated & Expanded Edition): A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels

Wallace, J. Warner (Author); English (Publication Language); 336 Pages – 09/05/2023 (Publication Date) – David C Cook (Publisher)

Sale

Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible

Wallace, J. Warner (Author); English (Publication Language); 336 Pages – 09/21/2021 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age

Hardcover Book; Butterfield, Rosaria (Author); English (Publication Language); 368 Pages – 09/12/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation

Hardcover Book; Hansen, Collin (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages – 02/07/2023 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

God of All Things: Rediscovering the Sacred in an Everyday World

Wilson, Andrew (Author); English (Publication Language); 224 Pages – 03/02/2021 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World

Hardcover Book; Butterfield, Rosaria (Author); English (Publication Language); 240 Pages – 03/30/2018 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology

Hardcover Book; DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 432 Pages – 10/22/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

By Life or by Death: The Life and Legacy of John and Betty Stam

Montonera, Andrew (Author); English (Publication Language); 192 Pages – 10/01/2024 (Publication Date) – Moody Publishers (Publisher)

Sale

The C. S. Lewis Signature Classics: An Anthology of 8 C. S. Lewis Titles: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Miracles, The Great Divorce, The … The Abolition of Man, and The Four Loves

Lewis, C. S. (Author); English (Publication Language); 864 Pages – 02/14/2017 (Publication Date) – HarperOne (Publisher)

Sale

Typology-Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ

Hardcover Book; Hamilton Jr., James M. (Author); English (Publication Language); 432 Pages – 02/22/2022 (Publication Date) – Zondervan Academic (Publisher)

Sale

Strong’s Concise Concordance And Vine’s Concise Dictionary Of The Bible Two Bible Reference Classics In One Handy Volume

Hardcover Book; Strong, James (Author); English (Publication Language); 1200 Pages – 07/15/1999 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary: New and Enhanced Edition

Hardcover Book; Youngblood, Ronald F. (Author); English (Publication Language); 1280 Pages – 11/04/2014 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

Pilgrim Prayers: Devotional Poems That Awaken Your Heart to the Goodness, Greatness, and Glory of God

Hardcover Book; Challies, Tim (Author); English (Publication Language); 224 Pages – 09/10/2024 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Zondervan’s Compact Bible Dictionary

Bryant, T. Alton (Author); English (Publication Language); 621 Pages – 06/01/2001 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Marriage: 6 Gospel Commitments Every Couple Needs to Make

Hardcover Book; Tripp, Paul David (Author); English (Publication Language); 384 Pages – 04/20/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith?

Hardcover Book; John MacArthur (Author); English (Publication Language); 304 Pages – 05/01/2008 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Practicing Thankfulness: Cultivating a Grateful Heart in All Circumstances

Crabtree, Sam (Author); English (Publication Language); 144 Pages – 02/09/2021 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

One with My Lord: The Life-Changing Reality of Being in Christ

Allberry, Sam (Author); English (Publication Language); 184 Pages – 09/17/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar: Third Edition (Zondervan Language Basics Series)

Hardcover Book; Pratico, Gary D. (Author); English (Publication Language); 528 Pages – 02/05/2019 (Publication Date) – Zondervan Academic (Publisher)

Sale

Bible Doctrine, Second Edition: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith

Hardcover Book; Grudem, Wayne A. (Author); English (Publication Language); 672 Pages – 04/05/2022 (Publication Date) – Zondervan Academic (Publisher)

Sale

The Great Dechurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back?

Hardcover Book; Davis, Jim (Author); English (Publication Language); 272 Pages – 08/22/2023 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels (The Gospel Coalition)

McLaughlin, Rebecca (Author); English (Publication Language); 208 Pages – 09/20/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Jesus and the Gospels, Third Edition: An Introduction and Survey

Hardcover Book; Blomberg, Craig L. (Author); English (Publication Language); 720 Pages – 11/15/2022 (Publication Date) – B&H Academic (Publisher)

Sale

Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age

Hardcover Book; Kruger, Melissa B. (Author); English (Publication Language); 240 Pages – 04/02/2024 (Publication Date) – Harvest House Publishers (Publisher)

Sale

Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present

Hardcover Book; Jonathan Gibson (Author); English (Publication Language); 736 Pages – 04/23/2018 (Publication Date) – New Growth Press (Publisher)

Sale

Counterfeit Kingdom: The Dangers of New Revelation, New Prophets, and New Age Practices in the Church

Pivec, Holly (Author); English (Publication Language); 272 Pages – 11/15/2022 (Publication Date) – B&H Books (Publisher)

Sale

Sing!: How Worship Transforms Your Life, Family, and Church

Hardcover Book; Getty, Keith (Author); English (Publication Language); 176 Pages – 09/01/2017 (Publication Date) – B&H Books (Publisher)

Sale

The Gulag Archipelago [Volume 1]: An Experiment in Literary Investigation

Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr I. (Author); English (Publication Language); 704 Pages – 08/07/2007 (Publication Date) – Harper Perennial Modern Classics (Publisher)

Sale

Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will

DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 144 Pages – 04/01/2014 (Publication Date) – Moody Publishers (Publisher)

Sale

Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem

DeYoung, Kevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 128 Pages – 09/23/2013 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918

Loconte, Joseph (Author); English (Publication Language); 256 Pages – 02/07/2017 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (The Gospel Coalition)

Hardcover Book; McLaughlin, Rebecca (Author); English (Publication Language); 240 Pages – 04/07/2019 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Mere Christianity

Great product!; C. S. Lewis (Author); English (Publication Language); 227 Pages – 02/06/2001 (Publication Date) – Harper San Francisco (Publisher)

Sale

A Grief Observed

C. S. Lewis (Author); English (Publication Language); 76 Pages – 04/21/2015 (Publication Date) – HarperOne (Publisher)

Sale

Waiting Isn’t a Waste: The Surprising Comfort of Trusting God in the Uncertainties of Life

Vroegop, Mark (Author); English (Publication Language); 152 Pages – 06/25/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul

Anderson, Hannah (Author); English (Publication Language); 208 Pages – 10/04/2016 (Publication Date) – Moody Publishers (Publisher)

Sale

Hebrews 9-13, Volume 47B (47) (Word Biblical Commentary)

Hardcover Book; Lane, William L. (Author); English (Publication Language); 452 Pages – 12/08/2015 (Publication Date) – Zondervan Academic (Publisher)

Sale

Crime and Punishment (Signet Classics)

Dostoyevsky, Fyodor (Author); English (Publication Language); 560 Pages – 03/07/2006 (Publication Date) – Signet (Publisher)

Sale

Rethink Your Self: The Power of Looking Up Before Looking In

Wax, Trevin (Author); English (Publication Language); 224 Pages – 10/20/2020 (Publication Date) – B&H Books (Publisher)

Sale

Jesus Driven Ministry

Fernando, Ajith (Author); English (Publication Language); 256 Pages – 01/04/2007 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story

Yuan, Christopher (Author); English (Publication Language); 256 Pages – 11/20/2018 (Publication Date) – Multnomah (Publisher)

Sale

Grace from Heaven: Prayers of the Reformation (Prayers of the Church)

Hardcover Book; English (Publication Language); 350 Pages – 08/14/2024 (Publication Date) – Lexham Press (Publisher)

Bibles:

Sale

ESV Teen Study Bible (TruTone, Burnt Sienna)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2208 Pages – 05/04/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Large Print Value Thinline Bible (TruTone, Lavender, Filigree Design)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1328 Pages – 01/30/2020 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Journaling Study Bible (TruTone, Brown/Chestnut, Timeless Design)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1856 Pages – 05/11/2023 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Large Print Value Thinline Bible (TruTone, Raspberry, Floral Design)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1328 Pages – 09/29/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Men’s Study Bible (TruTone, Brown)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2336 Pages – 05/12/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Single Column Journaling Bible, Large Print (Summer Garden)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1568 Pages – 07/29/2016 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible: Theology Rooted in the Word of God (Cloth over Board, Ochre)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1904 Pages – 03/14/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Study Bible, Personal Size (TruTone, Turquoise, Emblem Design)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2720 Pages – 04/30/2018 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Journaling Bible (Cloth over Board, Flowers)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1088 Pages – 09/30/2015 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Thinline Bible (Black)

Used Book in Good Condition; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1120 Pages – 03/25/2003 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Women’s Study Bible (TruTone, Deep Brown)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2336 Pages – 08/27/2020 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Illuminated Scripture Journal: Psalms

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 512 Pages – 09/30/2019 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

Pour Out Your Heart Prayer Journal: A Planner for a Life of Prayer (Cloth over Board)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 224 Pages – 11/17/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Women’s Study Bible (Hardcover)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2336 Pages – 08/27/2020 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Student Study Bible (TruTone, Chestnut)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1856 Pages – 02/28/2017 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Teen Study Bible (TruTone, Seaside Blue)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2208 Pages – 04/25/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Archaeology Study Bible

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2048 Pages – 04/24/2018 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Psalms, Photography Edition (Hardcover)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 350 Pages – 03/29/2022 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Large Print Personal Size Bible (TruTone, Chestnut)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 1952 Pages – 02/28/2014 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Women’s Study Bible, Artist Series (Cloth over Board, Lulie Wallace, Emma)

Hardcover Book; ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 2336 Pages – 03/07/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

ESV, MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition, Leathersoft, Black, Thumb Indexed: Unleashing God’s Truth One Verse at a Time

Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 2048 Pages – 05/25/2021 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

ESV Spiral-Bound Journaling Bible, Five-Volume Set (Hardcover)

ESV Bibles (Author); English (Publication Language); 05/09/2024 (Publication Date) – Crossway (Publisher)

Sale

NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Study Deeply. Believe Wholeheartedly.), Leathersoft, Navy/Tan, Red Letter, Comfort Print

Zondervan (Author); English (Publication Language); 2512 Pages – 09/15/2020 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

NKJV, Journal the Word Bible, Large Print, Bonded Leather, Brown, Red Letter Edition: Reflect, Journal, or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses

Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 11/15/2016 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

NKJV, Journal the Word Bible, Cloth over Board, Gray Floral, Red Letter, Comfort Print: Reflect, Journal, or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses

Hardcover Book; Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 1440 Pages – 06/05/2018 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

KJV Journal the Word Bible, Reflect, Journal or Create Art Next to Your Favorite Verses (Pink Floral Cloth over Board, Red Letter, Comfort Print: King James Version Holy Bible)

Hardcover Book; Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 1408 Pages – 06/05/2018 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

Spurgeon and the Psalms: The Book of Psalms with Devotions from Charles Spurgeon (NKJV, Maclaren Series, Brown Leathersoft, Comfort Print)

Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 384 Pages – 05/10/2022 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

NASB, MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition, Hardcover, Gray, Comfort Print: Unleashing God’s Truth One Verse at a Time

Hardcover Book; Thomas Nelson (Author); English (Publication Language); 2000 Pages – 06/02/2020 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

Sale

NASB, Thinline Bible, Leathersoft, Teal, Red Letter, 2020 Text, Thumb Indexed, Comfort Print

The full text of the New American Standard Bible, 2020 Edition; Sophisticated, durable covers

Sale

NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition (Study Deeply. Believe Wholeheartedly.), Leathersoft, Navy/Tan, Red Letter, Comfort Print

Zondervan (Author); English (Publication Language); 2512 Pages – 09/15/2020 (Publication Date) – Zondervan (Publisher)

Sale

RVR60, Santa Biblia, Letra grande, Edición portátil, Leathersoft, Negro, Palabras de Jesús en Rojo, con cierre (Spanish Edition)

RVR 1960- Reina Valera 1960 (Author); Spanish (Publication Language); 1584 Pages – 07/24/2018 (Publication Date) – Vida (Publisher)

Sale

LSB MacArthur Study Bible 2nd Edition: Unleashing God’s Truth One Verse at a Time (Black Genuine Leather, Comfort Print, Thumb Indexed)

MacArthur, John F. (Author); English (Publication Language); 1952 Pages – 11/12/2024 (Publication Date) – Thomas Nelson (Publisher)

General market books:

Sale

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

Hardcover Book; Bill Watterson (Author); English (Publication Language); 1440 Pages – 09/06/2005 (Publication Date) – Andrews McMeel Publishing (Publisher)

Sale

The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams

Hardcover Book; Lazarus, Adam (Author); English (Publication Language); 304 Pages – 08/22/2023 (Publication Date) – Citadel (Publisher)

Sale

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

12 Years Old; Bottled by Distillery Bottling; Hillenbrand, Laura (Author); English (Publication Language)

Sale

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea

Junger, Sebastian (Author); English (Publication Language); 248 Pages – 06/29/2009 (Publication Date) – W. W. Norton & Company (Publisher)

Sale

The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War

Hardcover Book; Larson, Erik (Author); English (Publication Language); 592 Pages – 04/30/2024 (Publication Date) – Crown (Publisher)

Sale

The Hobbit Illustrated by the Author: Illustrated by J.R.R. Tolkien (Tolkien Illustrated Editions)

Hardcover Book; Tolkien, J. R. R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 432 Pages – 09/19/2023 (Publication Date) – William Morrow (Publisher)

Sale

The Hobbit Collector’s Edition

Hardcover Book; Tolkien, J. R. R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 304 Pages – 08/06/2024 (Publication Date) – William Morrow (Publisher)

Sale

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Tarahumara Indians; Copper Canyon; Running race; Long-distance running; mexico

Sale

Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt

Lewis, Michael (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages – 03/23/2015 (Publication Date) – W. W. Norton & Company (Publisher)

Sale

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen

Hardcover Book; Brooks, David (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages – 10/24/2023 (Publication Date) – Random House (Publisher)

Sale

The Lord of the Rings Deluxe Illustrated by the Author: Special Edition (Tolkien Illustrated Editions)

Brand: William Morrow; The Lord of the Rings: Special Edition; Hardcover Book; Tolkien, J.R.R. (Author)

Sale

World War II Map by Map (DK History Map by Map)

Hardcover Book; DK (Author); English (Publication Language); 288 Pages – 09/03/2019 (Publication Date) – DK (Publisher)

Sale

Battles Map by Map (DK History Map by Map)

Hardcover Book; DK (Author); English (Publication Language); 288 Pages – 05/04/2021 (Publication Date) – DK (Publisher)

Sale

Ancient Rome: The Definitive Visual History (DK Definitive Visual Histories)

Hardcover Book; DK (Author); English (Publication Language); 400 Pages – 04/25/2023 (Publication Date) – DK (Publisher)

Sale

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set: The Fellowship / The Two Towers / The Return of the King

Tolkien, J.R.R. (Author); English (Publication Language); 1504 Pages – 09/18/2012 (Publication Date) – William Morrow Paperbacks (Publisher)

Sale

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

Grann, David (Author); English (Publication Language); 416 Pages – 04/03/2018 (Publication Date) – Vintage (Publisher)

Sale

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America

Chicago Exposition; Nineteenth Century; True Crime; Serial Killer; Thriller

Sale

All Creatures Great and Small

Herriot, James (Author); English (Publication Language); 448 Pages – 05/06/2014 (Publication Date) – Griffin (Publisher)

Sale

Teddy and Booker T.: How Two American Icons Blazed a Path for Racial Equality

Hardcover Book; Kilmeade, Brian (Author); English (Publication Language); 368 Pages – 11/07/2023 (Publication Date) – Sentinel (Publisher)

Sale

Be Safe, Love Mom: A Military Mom’s Stories of Courage, Comfort, and Surviving Life on the Home Front

Brye, Elaine Lowry (Author); English (Publication Language); 272 Pages – 04/05/2016 (Publication Date) – PublicAffairs (Publisher)

Sale

The Boys of Summer (Harperperennial Modern Classics)

Kahn, Roger (Author); English (Publication Language); 512 Pages – 05/09/2006 (Publication Date) – Harper Perennial Modern Classics (Publisher)

Sale

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win (New Edition) (Extreme Ownership Trilogy, 1)

Author: Willink, Jocko.Babin, Leif.; Publisher: St. Martin’s Press; Pages: 384; Publication Date: 2017-11-21

Sale

The Happiest Man on Earth: The Beautiful Life of an Auschwitz Survivor

Hardcover Book; Jaku, Eddie (Author); English (Publication Language); 208 Pages – 05/04/2021 (Publication Date) – Harper (Publisher)

Sale

Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II’s Greatest Rescue Mission

Soldiers; WW II; Rescue; Mission; Phillipines

Sale

Operation Underworld: How the Mafia and U.S. Government Teamed Up to Win World War II

Hardcover Book; Black, Matthew (Author); English (Publication Language); 384 Pages – 12/27/2022 (Publication Date) – Citadel (Publisher)

Sale

Cash: The Autobiography

Cash, Johnny (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages – 10/07/2003 (Publication Date) – HarperOne (Publisher)

Sale

James Herriot’s Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small

Hardcover Book; Herriot, James (Author); English (Publication Language); 272 Pages – 10/28/2014 (Publication Date) – St. Martin’s Griffin (Publisher)

Sale

Winnie the Pooh: The Classic Edition (1)

Hardcover Book; Milne, A. A. (Author); English (Publication Language); 176 Pages – 01/04/2022 (Publication Date) – Sky Pony (Publisher)

Sale

Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties

O’Neill, Tom (Author); English (Publication Language); 528 Pages – 06/23/2020 (Publication Date) – Back Bay Books (Publisher)

Sale

Operation Paperclip: The Secret Intelligence Program that Brought Nazi Scientists to America

Jacobsen, Annie (Author); English (Publication Language); 624 Pages – 01/20/2015 (Publication Date) – Back Bay Books (Publisher)

Sale

G-Man (Pulitzer Prize Winner): J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century

Gage, Beverly (Author); English (Publication Language); 896 Pages – 11/14/2023 (Publication Date) – Penguin Books (Publisher)

Sale

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

Hardcover Book; Duhigg, Charles (Author); English (Publication Language); 320 Pages – 02/20/2024 (Publication Date) – Random House (Publisher)

Sale

Napoleon: A Life

Hardcover; Roberts, Andrew (Author); English (Publication Language); 976 Pages – 10/20/2015 (Publication Date) – Penguin Books (Publisher)

Sale

American Prometheus: The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture OPPENHEIMER

Bird, Kai (Author); English (Publication Language); 721 Pages – 05/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Vintage Books (Publisher)

Sale

American Prometheus: The Inspiration for the Major Motion Picture OPPENHEIMER

Bird, Kai (Author); English (Publication Language); 721 Pages – 05/01/2006 (Publication Date) – Vintage Books (Publisher)

Sale

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

Millard, Candice (Author); English (Publication Language); 432 Pages – 11/30/2024 (Publication Date) – Anchor Books (Publisher)

Sale

Aesop’s Fables Hardcover: The Classic Edition by acclaimed illustrator, Charles Santore (Charles Santore Children’s Classics)

Hardcover Book; Aesop (Author); English (Publication Language); 64 Pages – 09/25/2018 (Publication Date) – Applesauce Press (Publisher)

Sale

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Used Book in Good Condition; Hardcover Book; Sinek, Simon (Author); English (Publication Language)

Sale

The Watchmakers: A Powerful WW2 Story of Brotherhood, Survival, and Hope Amid the Holocaust

Hardcover Book; Lenga, Harry (Author); English (Publication Language); 352 Pages – 06/28/2022 (Publication Date) – Citadel (Publisher)

Sale

75 Years of Little Golden Books: 1942-2017: A Commemorative Set of 12 Best-Loved Books

Hardcover Book; Williams, Garth (Author); English (Publication Language); 24 Pages – 07/11/2017 (Publication Date) – Golden Books (Publisher)

Sale

Peter Rabbit Naturally Better Classic Gift Set

Hardcover Book; Potter, Beatrix (Author); English (Publication Language); 70 Pages – 09/03/2009 (Publication Date) – Warne (Publisher)

Sale

The History of Middle-earth Box Set #3: The Return of the Shadow / The Treason of Isengard / The War of the Ring / Sauron Defeated (The History of Middle-earth Box Sets, 3)

Hardcover Book; Tolkien, Christopher (Author); English (Publication Language); 1264 Pages – 08/13/2024 (Publication Date) – William Morrow (Publisher)

Sale

Pooh’s Library: Winnie-The-Pooh, The House At Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, Now We Are Six (Pooh Original Edition)

Milne, A. A. (Author); English (Publication Language); 542 Pages – 10/31/1988 (Publication Date) – Dutton Children’s Books (Publisher)

Toys and games: (complete list)

Sale

CATAN Board Game – Embark on a Journey of Discovery and Trade! Civilization Building Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 10+, 3-4 Players, 60-90 Minute Playtime, Made by CATAN Studio

Sale

CATAN Seafarers Board Game Expansion – Explore, Settle, and Conquer New Isles! Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 10+, 3-4 Players, 60 Minute Playtime, Made Studio

Sale

CATAN Traders & Barbarians Board Game EXPANSION – Customize Your CATAN Experience! Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 12+, 3-4 Players, 90 Minute Playtime, Made by CATAN Studio

English (Publication Language)

Sale

CATAN Treasures, Dragons and Adventurers Scenario Expansion – Strategy Board Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 12+, 3-4 Players, 60-180 Minute Playtime, Made by CATAN Studio

Sale

CATAN Cities & Knights Board Game Expansion – Enhance Your CATAN Experience with Intriguing New Challenges! Strategy Game for Family, Ages 12+, 3-4 Players, 90 Min Playtime, Made by CATAN Studio

Sale

CATAN Starfarers Board Game – Compete for Galactic Council Ambassadorship! Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 14+, 3-4 Players, 120 Minute Playtime, Made by CATAN Studio

Sale

Ticket to Ride Board Game – A Cross-Country Train Adventure for Friends and Family! Strategy Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 30-60 Minute Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

COLLECT TRAIN CARDS: Strategically gather train cards to claim routes and earn points.; TICKET TO SUCCESS: Plan your routes wisely with ticket cards for bonus points.

Sale

Ticket to Ride Rails & Sails Board Game – Train Route-Building Strategy Game, Fun Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 10+, 2-5 Players, 90-120 Minute Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

Ticket to Ride Legacy: Legends of The West Board Game – The Ultimate Train Adventure! Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 10+, 2-5 Players, 20-90 Min Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

Ticket to Ride First Journey Board Game – Fun and Easy for Young Explorers! Train Strategy Game, Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 6+, 2-4 Players, 15-30 Min Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

Ticket to Ride Europe Board Game – Embark on a Railway Adventure Across the Continent! Fun Family Strategy Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 30-60 Min Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

Battleship Classic Board Game, Strategy Game for Kids Ages 7 and Up, Fun for 2 Players

Hasbro Twister Party Classic Board Game for 2 or More Players,Indoor and Outdoor Game for Kids 6 and Up,Packaging May Vary

Out-twist your opponents in the game that ties you up in knots; For 2 to 4 players; Includes vinyl mat, spinner board and instructions

Sale

HUES and CUES – Vibrant Color Guessing Board Game for 3-10 Players Ages 8+, Connect Clues and Guess from 480 Color Squares

Sale

Hasbro Gaming Scattergories Classic Game, Party Game for Adults and Teens Ages 13 and up, Board Game for 2+ Players

Sale

Hasbro Gaming Taboo Classic Game, Party Word Guessing Game for Adults and Teens, Board Game for 4+ Players Ages 13 and Up

The game of unspeakable $#!%”

Sale

CGE Czech Games Edition Codenames Boardgame

Work together to contact all of your agents before the other team; A perfect party game experience for game nights

Sale

Hasbro Gaming Clue Board Game for Kids Ages 8 and Up, Reimagined Clue Game for 2-6 Players, Mystery Games, Detective Games, Family Games for Kids and Adults

Sale

Trekking The National Parks (3rd Edition) – The Award-Winning Family Board Game | Great for Kids Ages 10 and Up | Easy to Learn | Designed for National Park Lovers by Underdog Games

WILDLY POPULAR – Over 500,000 sold! Winner of Mensa Select and the Parents’ Choice Award

HEAT: Pedal to the Metal Board Game – Intense Car Racing and Strategy Game, Fun Family Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 10+, 1-4 Players, 60 Minute Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

7 Wonders Board Game BASE GAME (New Edition) for Family | Civilization and Strategy Board Game for Adult Game Night | 3-7 Players | Ages 10+ | Made by Repos Production

Sale

7 Wonders Duel Board Game BASE GAME – Intense Two-Player Battles in the Ancient World! Strategy Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 10+, 2 Players, 30 Minute Playtime, Made by Repos Production

Hasbro Gaming Scrabble Deluxe Edition Letter Tiles Word Game | Rotating Board and Carrying Case | Ages 8+ | 2-4 Players | Classic Family Travel Games

Ditch the TV, and re-ignite family night with the get-together amusement of a Hasbro game; Hasbro Gaming imagines and produces games that are perfect for every age, taste, and event

Sale

Sale

Pandemic Board Game (Base Game) – A Cooperative Battle to Save Humanity, Strategy Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 8+, 2-4 Players, 45 Minute Playtime, Made by Z-Man Games

Updated version of the popular co-operative game; For 2 to 5 players game; Takes about an hour to play

Sale

Stonemaier Games: Wingspan (Base Game) by Elizabeth Hargrave | A Relaxing, Award-Winning Strategy Board Game About Birds for Adults and Family | 1-5 Players, 70 Mins, Ages 14+

Keymaster Games Parks | Beautiful Strategy Game for Families, Adults, Kids or Solo | Explore Nature and The Outdoors by Hiking The US National Parks on Game Night | 1-5 Players | Ages 10+

Everdell Collectors Edition – by Starling Games – 1-4 Player Game – Build a City of Adorable Critters and constructs

Made from high quality materials; Features a detailed world realized through stunning artwork

Sale

Carcassonne Board Game Big Box (2022 Edition) – Complete Base Game and 11 Expansions for Ultimate Variety! Medieval Strategy Game for Kids and Adults, Ages 7+, 2-6 Players, Made by Z-Man Games

Trekking The World (2nd Edition) – The Award-Winning Family Board Game | Great for Kids Ages 10 and Up | Easy to Learn | Designed for Globetrotters by Underdog Games

Sale

Sale

Small World Board Game – Fantasy Area Control & Strategy Game with Magical Creatures, Special Powers! Family Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-5 Players, 40-80 Min Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Sale

Memoir ’44 Board Game – WWII Historical Board Game of Epic Battles! Tabletop Miniatures Strategy Game for Kids & Adults, Ages 8+, 2-8 Players, 30-60 Minute Playtime, Made by Days of Wonder

Other Miscellanea

Sale

Apple 2024 MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight

A BRILLIANT DISPLAY — The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display supports 1 billion colors.

Sale

Apple 2024 MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip: Built for Apple Intelligence, 15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD Storage, Backlit Keyboard, Touch ID; Midnight

Sale

Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024), Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, 13.8″ Touchscreen Display, Snapdragon X Elite (12 core), 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage, Dune

[Cocreate with Copilot+] — Generate art from text or image prompts.

Sale

DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Drill and Impact Driver, Power Tool Combo Kit with 2 Batteries and Charger (DCK240C2)

DCD771 in cordless drill combo kit features two speed transmission (0-450 / 0-1500 RPM); DCD771 1/2-inch single sleeve ratcheting chuck provides tight bit gripping strength

Sale

KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer – KSM3316X – Candy Apple Red

Sale

Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker, Warmer & Sterilizer, Includes App With Over 800 Recipes, Stainless Steel, 6 Quart

Sale

eufy X10 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop with 8,000 Pa Suction, Dual Mops with 12 mm Auto-Lift and Carpet Detection, AI Obstacle Avoidance, Auto Mop Washing, Auto Drying, Self-Emptying, Self-Refilling

Note: Only support 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. 5GHz Wi-Fi is not supported.

Sale

All-new Ring Battery Doorbell, Head-to-Toe Video, Live View with Two-Way Talk, and Motion Detection & Alerts (2024 release), Satin Nickel

Connect to who’s there — See and respond to activity with Live View & Two-Way Talk.; Stay in the know — Receive real-time alerts on your phone when motion is detected.

Sale

Moccamaster 53948 KBGV Select 10-Cup Coffee Maker, Matte Black, 40 ounce, 1.25l

Brew-Volume Selector switch for brewing half or full carafes

Sale

The Right Fit: 14.26″ W x 9.44″ D x 0.93/1.06″ H; 4.66 lbs.

Sale

Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet 11” 64GB Android Tablet, Big Screen, Quad Speakers, Upgraded Chipset, Multi Window Display, Slim, Light, Durable Design, US Version, 2024, Graphite

Sale

Microsoft Surface Pro 2-in-1 Laptop/Tablet (2024), Windows 11 Copilot+ PC, 13″ Touchscreen OLED Display, Snapdragon X Elite (12 Core), 16GB RAM, 256GB Storage, Black, Amazon Exclusive

[Cocreate with Copilot+] — Generate art from text or image prompts.

Westminster Books

Westminster Books has an amazing collection of discounts on books. They also have all of their ESV Bibles at 50% off.

Books for adults:

Books for kids (see the Gift Guide for Kids):

All ESV Bibles 50% off (see all Bibles here)

10ofThose

10ofThose has a wide variety of books discounted at the moment. You can find the complete list here. Highlights include:

These books for children are generally around 50% off:

Bibles are also discounted around 50%:

And a whole lot else besides.

Christianbook.com

Christianbook.com has a big sale on a variety of resources. You can find the complete list of Black Friday deals here. Here are some highlights:

They also have a sale on kids’ books. You’ll find the complete list at this link, but here are some of the highlights.

Audible

Audible (audiobooks by Amazon) is offering 3 months of their service plus a $20 credit for just $0.99 per month. You are free to cancel after that three-month period and keep the books you’ve downloaded along the way.

Logos

Logos has a huge collection of material on sale. You’ll find many (if not all) volumes of the MacArthur New Testament Commentary series on sale. Other highlights include:

The Good Book Company

The Good Book Company is offering a straight 30% off all of their products.

New Growth Press

New Growth Press has different deals every day. They are offering “buy one get one” on a different category of book each day. Use coupon code BLACKB1G1 to take advantage of the deal.

P&R

P&R is offering 35% off the list price for all P&R titles they sell on their site. Discounts go as deep as 50% off for select titles. Use the coupon code NOV24 to take advantage of that reduced pricing.

Ligonier Ministries

Ligonier Ministries is having a $5 sale Friday (and more) sale that includes discounts on many books, Bibles, teaching series, and so on.

Reformation Heritage Books

Reformation Heritage Books is having their annual Thanksgiving Sale and has a wide selection of books and book sets on sale.

Missional Wear

Missional Wear has select products at up to 50% off, plus you can save 15% site-wide using discount code CHALLIES15.

Fortis Institute

Fortis Institute, aka Todd Friel and others (formerly known as “Wretched”), has up to 75% off on books, booklets, DVDs, merch, and so on.

Banner of Truth

Banner of Truth is hosting their annual Christmas Sale. The easiest way to browse the deals is to click on this PDF catalog and then to look up the items on their website.

21Five

21Five, the bookstore of Redeemer University, has a wide selection of books discounted for the week. Highlights include:

Crisis of Confidence: Reclaiming the Historic Faith in a Culture Consumed with Individualism and Identity by Carl Trueman

Pilgrim Prayers by Tim Challies

ESV Fruit of the Spirit Journals

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners by Dane Ortlund

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A La Carte (November 29)

By Tim Challies — 3 months ago

It’s Black Friday which means you’ll find tons of great deals on all sorts of items. I’ve got one huge list of print books (and other items) and another huge list of Kindle deals. Enjoy!

Stephen writes about the uniqueness of Christian forgiveness. “Whatever the post-Christian future looks like, one thing is for certain, it would look less forgiving. Here we were thinking that if we got rid of the vengeful, judgey, judgey God-thing, we would become a culture of harmony and acceptance. Turns out all we did was outsource the vengeance to ourselves.”

Justin explains how to make the best decisions (even though they’ll also inevitably be imperfect decisions).

Calling all Canadians! Today is Black Friday, and 21Five, Canada’s gospel-centred Christian bookstore, has some special deals to share with you. Shop $2 bargain books, popular titles for 20% off and fruit of the spirit ESV journals for 50% off. And the savings don’t stop today—this Cyber Monday, 21Five has free shipping on all domestic orders! Hurry to 21Five.ca to take advantage of these awesome sales. (Sponsored)

“If the King of kings, the eternal ruler of Heaven, put up a job listing to become one of his ambassadors, what requirements would you expect it to include? If the application process was anything like the way our nations work, it would probably have a lot to do with who you know personally, who owes you a favour, and how well-connected your family is.”

This is an interesting look at some of the emotions that can hide beneath your expressions of anger.

Glen Scrivener: “In evangelistic terms, low tide means we cannot drift toward faith. Like it or not, when the tide is going out, simply to be a Christian means to go against the flow. And to embrace Christianity becomes a conscious journey. But it’s a journey that makes sense. The connection holds, and as you walk the path you’ll own it for yourself. At that point, you might just say, ‘Jesus is right!’—and mean it in ways that high-tide ‘drifters’ never could.”

Here’s a short but powerful reminder that the local church is to be a community of gratitude.

We will know that though we dropped our anchor into the depths of an ocean whose bottom we could not see, it fastened securely to the rock.

We have plenty of troubles and trials, and if we like to fret over them, we can always do that; but, then, we have far more joys than troubles, so our songs should exceed our sighs.
—C.H. Spurgeon

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Tobias Speaks, So Finally, So Can I

By James White — 3 months ago

James White, November 28, 2024November 28, 2024, Offense, Personal, Post-Evangelicalism, Racialism, Road Trip, Simply Silly, The Dividing Line I promised Tobias Riemenschneider I would hold off on responding to the tsunami of ignorance-based, infantile slander on social media until he could speak his own mind, which he has now done. So, here is my commentary, and I am glad to get this over with. Very few times in my ministry have I had to wade through this kind of stuff, but here we go. Anyway, only those with a real interest in why the internet is filled with childish memes mocking Tobias or me or Doug Wilson or Joe Boot will want to invest the time in this one, but, it is there for those who desire an honest summary of recent events. Oh, and as predicted, the responses I have already seen are definitely consistent with the 4th grade playground from which they are derived.
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Christian Thankfulness: What It Is (and Isn’t)

By John Piper — 3 months ago

Audio Transcript

Happy Thanksgiving Day — a national holiday for us in the States. We’re very grateful that you listen to the podcast. And no matter where you live, we are praying that you have a day full of Christ-centered thankfulness for all the blessings we enjoy in this life.

Thanksgiving is an essential daily practice for us all. And it’s evidence of our soul’s well-being. As Spurgeon said, “Thanksgiving is one of the best ways to keep yourselves in spiritual health.” Amen. Thanksgiving is spiritual cardio. To lose gratitude is to lose spiritual vibrance. So, when it comes to this Thanksgiving Day, it’s no small holiday for the Christian. Pastor John, use this day to invest a few minutes to help us refocus on what the Bible says here by leading us in a Thanksgiving Day meditation.

Let’s take a moment and ponder what the experience of thankfulness actually is. I’m going to limit myself to Christian thankfulness, so I’m not talking about Hitler’s thankfulness that his liquidation techniques have become more efficient. That kind of thankfulness is wicked. There is wicked thankfulness. Nor am I talking about a kind of good thankfulness the way most people celebrate Thanksgiving — who don’t have any relationship with God at all but feel that they are the beneficiary of some kind of benevolence and usually attribute it to other people. I’m talking about Christian thankfulness, the kind that God is very pleased with.

Defining Christian Thankfulness

Now, what is it? It’s a feeling, an emotion and affection in the heart, that rises spontaneously in response to receiving something that will increase our enjoyment of Christ. That’s my definition of Christian thankfulness. A couple of comments about that definition.

A spontaneous emotion — so, I’m distinguishing thankfulness from saying the words “thank you.” You can teach a child to say “thank you” to his grandma for a gift he does not want. There’s no spontaneous thankfulness welling up in this child’s heart, because he didn’t want those black socks. So, no spontaneous emotion rose up in the child’s heart when he got this gift that he didn’t want. Saying “thank you” is not the same as being thankful. Being thankful is not a decision. Saying “thank you” is a decision. Being thankful is not a decision. It is a spontaneous heart response to the perception of someone giving you something that’s good for you.

“Christian thankfulness is an emotion that rises in response to receiving something that will increase our enjoyment of Christ.”

What makes the spontaneous response of the heart Christian is that it has the effect of increasing our enjoyment of Jesus. This is partly owing to the fact that we see Jesus as the source ultimately behind the gift, and we fully anticipate that the goodness of the gift will cause us to know him more and love him better. The gift may be an ice-cream cone and the gift may be the salvation of your soul by the power of the Holy Spirit. In either case, what makes the heart response of thankfulness Christian is that it comes from Christ and leads to the enjoyment of Christ. If ice-cream cones don’t make you know and love Christ better, they’re wasted on you.

All things are from him and through him and to him or for him (Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16). Christians are Christians all the way down, from salvation to Dairy Queen Butterfinger Blizzards and all the blessings above and below, which also implies that thankfulness, while it may have its tears — it regularly has its tears — is a happy emotion. When it comes, we’re glad that it comes. It is a gratifying experience. In fact, the human soul — let this sink in — is deeply made for this experience and, therefore, when it comes, we feel like we have become human as we ought — humbly receptive and sweetly thankful.

Meditating on the Power of Thanksgiving

Now, to help us revel in this happy experience on Thanksgiving, think with me about these few observations.

1. Thankfulness is a sweetly humble experience. It is, in a sense, the very opposite of pride: “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if [it were not a gift]?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). In other words, thankfulness, by its very nature, pushes boasting out of the human heart. You can’t, at the same time, be a brash, swaggering, boastful, cool, self-sufficient person and a thankful person. You can’t. Not in the same heart.

That’s really important in our day, it seems to me, because in video after video — for all I can tell by the advertisements that slip in while I’m watching some documentary or something else — brash, swaggering, boastful, arrogant, self-sufficient, sassy heroes and heroines are evidently quite popular. Well, they’re not popular with God because God delights in thankfulness. Picture some sassy, swaggering heroine or hero saying with humility to God or to a friend, “I am so thankful for your kindness to me.” No, it won’t work, because thankfulness necessarily implies humility and dependence and the finding of our happiness in receiving some good that another did for us that goes beyond what we deserve. It is the opposite of pride and swagger.

2. Consider that this is why thankfulness is purifying, especially to our mouths: “Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). It’s amazing that Paul would contrast crude joking with thankfulness. It’s because emotionally they just don’t go together. I mean, try to imagine it. Why do people with crude, foul mouths lace their talk with four-letter words? Why do they do that? One of Paul’s answers is that their hearts are not brimming with humble, happy thankfulness, especially to God. Nobody uses four-letter words or a crude phrase to express heartfelt, humble thankfulness.

3. Consider how everything that we have is a gift. If we know that we are sinners, then everything we have is an undeserved gift. Not just a few things here and there — everything. “[God] gives . . . life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:25). “What do you have,” Paul asks, “that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). And the answer is nothing.

Which means that thankfulness for the Christian who lives in the light of this truth is utterly pervasive in all of life. This is the beat of his emotional heart. This is the air we breathe. This is the flavor of every experience. God is sovereign. God is wise, God is good. God turns everything for the good of his children. Thankfulness, for the Christian, is part of every experience. That’s what 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says: “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Ephesians 5:20 takes it further: “[Give] thanks . . . for everything.” When we are walking in the light of the truth, no emotion is more common in the Christian heart than happy thankfulness.

4. Finally, consider the vastness of the benefits that Christians have. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). All things! “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ” (Philippians 4:19). “All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future — all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21–23). It is only a matter of time, Christian, until you inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Be patient, be faithful, and be thankful in everything all the time. We were made for this happy emotion.

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A La Carte (November 28)

By Tim Challies — 3 months ago

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and family. What a blessing it is to give thanks and what a blessing that we all have so much to be thankful for.

Today’s Kindle deals include some good options for different readers. Be sure to check in tomorrow as well when there will be many (many!) to choose from.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for November 2024)

Lots of people have been wondering what Jordan Peterson believes about God. His new book, reviewed here by Shane Morris, gives some answers. (Sadly, the answers are mostly troubling.)

Barnabas Piper explains three powerful effects of thankfulness to God. “I write all this to put thankfulness in a new and more substantial position for us. It is virtuous and morally good. It is obedient to God. It is a choice we make in response to—and acknowledgement of—God. And moreover, thankfulness is a powerful weapon for followers of Jesus.”

I would imagine each of us knows a pastor who fits the description Darryl offers here.

“‘Oh Mom. God would be good if there was cancer,’ she replied, sitting against the metal slatted headboard of the hospital bed. Her voice held that daughter to mother tone of reproof, and I pulled back from my embrace to find her, rather than exuberant, completely sober and in earnest.”

Thembelani Maqajana says that any Christian can (and should) be a prayer warrior.

Aaron reminds us that we ought to give thanks even in the worst of times. “We can give thanks in the worst of times because, in doing so, we can remind ourselves of who God is. God is ‘merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth.’ And this is true whether we can see it clearly or when our belief is hanging on by a thread. He is not overcome by our circumstances. He is with us in them.”

Our God…does not demand that we justify our pains before feeling them or rationalize our tears before shedding them. He is “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

If the message you preach isn’t good news for every person from every tribe, tongue, & nation, then it isn’t the real gospel.
—Nathan Finn

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Apostle of Tears: Lessons from Paul’s Great Sorrow

By Jared Compton — 3 months ago

At the beginning of Romans 9–11, Paul tells us he is sad. Really sad. “I speak the truth in Christ — I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit — I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart . . . for the sake of my people . . . Israel” (Romans 9:1–4 NIV). Paul is so sad that he doesn’t finish his thought and tell us what’s wrong with Israel. For that, we have to wait an entire chapter.

We come to find out that many within Israel had rejected Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah, and as a result weren’t “saved” (Romans 10:1). This reality not only made Paul sad; it also raised difficult questions about God. Did Israel’s unbelief mean that God had rejected his people — or worse, failed to keep his promises (Romans 9:6; 11:1)? And if God could reject his people and default on his promises, wasn’t this awful news for everybody, not just Israel but Gentiles too?

His Secret

To answer these questions, Paul reveals a secret hidden in the Bible and revealed only once God sent Jesus. God would save Israel and keep his word, but he would do so in a surprising way.

First, he would begin by reducing believing Israel to a tiny remnant. True, believing Israel and all Israel had never completely overlapped, even from the start (Romans 9:6–13). But it was only later, during the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles near the end of the Old Testament, that God reduced believing Israel to a mere remnant (Romans 9:27–29). And, surprisingly, believing Israel’s remnant status did not change even when the Messiah, Israel’s Savior, came (Romans 9:30–33; 11:7–10). As the apostle John put it: the Messiah “came to . . . his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11 NIV).

Second, God would use Israel’s unbelief to make space for Gentile salvation (Romans 11:28, 30). Surprising space. Everybody expected Gentiles to one day join with Israel, but nobody anticipated they would become Israel. Paul tells us, however, that Gentile salvation would fulfill Old Testament promises about the salvation of Gentiles (Romans 10:19–20; see also 4:17; 15:9–12) and the salvation of Israel (Romans 9:25–26). Paul never explicitly calls Gentiles Israel, and he preserves a place for “natural” or ethnic Israel (Romans 11:17–24). But when he applies Israel’s promises to Gentiles, he shows us that the line between the “wild” and “natural” branches in the church is harder to see than anyone would have guessed.

Third, God would use Gentile salvation to get Israel’s attention. The surprising salvation of Gentiles would provoke Israel to envy and then salvation (Romans 11:11–12, 15). This was one of the reasons Paul shared Jesus so tirelessly with Gentiles. He hoped his success as “apostle to the Gentiles” might lead to Israel’s salvation. Granted, Paul knew he couldn’t provoke all Israel, but he hoped and prayed that he could provoke some (Romans 11:13–14).

Finally, God would provoke all Israel to salvation only when Jesus returned (or “in connection with” Jesus’s return). This might just be the most surprising part of Paul’s secret. Careful readers of God’s promises in the Old Testament were right: Israel would be saved when the Messiah came. But nobody could have guessed that Israel’s salvation would be at the Messiah’s second coming. Two comings! Nobody saw that coming. Paul tells us that Israel would be saved when Jesus returned from heavenly Zion, a place Jesus opened with his death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 11:26–27). In this way, Israel’s conversion would mirror Paul’s own — transformed by a heavenly vision of the risen Lord.

Paul tells us this secret then bursts into praise (Romans 11:33–36). Only an infinitely wise author could craft a plot where (nearly) every expectation created is fulfilled in an unexpected way. Surprising faithfulness. As paradoxical as that sounds, there’s really no other way to describe it. And there’s no other story like it.

His Grief

While Paul’s secret wonderfully dispels any doubts we might have about God’s faithfulness, I don’t think it diminished Paul’s grief. We may be surprised by what Paul writes in Romans 9–11, but Paul wasn’t. He wrote Romans 9:2 knowing full well what he would write in Romans 11:25–27. He wrote these chapters with a tear-stained face despite the secret he reveals.

After all, Israel wouldn’t be saved until Jesus returned, and Jesus wouldn’t return, Paul tells us, until God completed his work among the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). For Paul, this at least meant that Israel wouldn’t be saved until somebody pushed beyond Rome and evangelized the Gentiles on the edge of the map. So, Paul tells us how eager he is to get to Spain (Romans 15:14–33). Still, Paul knew that every delay, every setback, every change of plans, every pocket of unreached Gentiles meant more time would pass without Jesus’s return and, therefore, more death and judgment for so many — too many — within Israel.

Paul also knew that the timing of Israel’s salvation would mean that many within Israel would miss out on experiences he writes about in his letters and preached about everywhere he went. The Israel that would be saved at Jesus’s return would be an Israel that would miss out on life in the church during this present age. They would miss the goodness of working out their salvation (Philippians 2:12–13), struggling to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), and renewing their minds (Romans 12:2). Israel would miss out on the goodness of waiting for Jesus’s return and all the ways this experience prepares us for and enriches our experience in the world to come (see Matthew 25:21, 23).

His Example

Paul’s secret dispels our doubts about God’s character, but it doesn’t — it shouldn’t — diminish our grief. Not if we’re going to follow Paul’s example, which is precisely what the Bible calls us to do (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Paul’s example teaches us to celebrate every part of God’s story. In fact, it’s a sign of immaturity — or worse — if we can’t. Paul’s heart swells when he tells God’s story. That’s why he ends these chapters with a soaring doxology, reveling in God’s wisdom and knowledge. Our hearts fail to align with Paul’s if we’re unable to feel what he feels in Romans 11:33–36. We fail to follow Paul’s example if we can tell God’s story without wonder and praise.

At the same time, Paul teaches us that doxology can and should be accompanied by lament, by anguish. Paul’s heart breaks when he tells God’s story. That’s why he begins these chapters like he does and why he speaks of his tears elsewhere (Philippians 3:18). It is a sign of immaturity — or worse — if we can’t feel what Paul feels in Romans 9:2. In fact, here, as elsewhere, Paul was simply following the example of his Lord, who shed tears for precisely the same reason as Paul (Luke 19:41–44). Jesus’s tears, moreover, point us to an unfathomable mystery: God’s own “response” to his story (2 Peter 3:9).

Friends, rejoice in God’s story. Let it cause you to hallow his name. But in your rejoicing, don’t fail to weep. Don’t fail to cultivate a heart that is eager for others to share the good you have received from God and a heart that is grieved — even unceasingly grieved (Romans 9:2) — when they don’t. To the paradox of God’s surprising yet faithful story, let us add the paradox of our response to it: “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10). In this way, we learn to follow Paul as he followed and waited for Christ.

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Countless Dangers, Continual Joy: How Is That Possible?

By John Piper — 3 months ago

In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the killed and wounded are approaching one million people. Israel is now fighting wars on two fronts with Hamas and Hezbollah. Earlier this week, China launched an intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time in decades. Boko Haram killed 26 Christians as they worshiped in Burkina Faso last week, and a hundred others. Over half of Sudan’s 46 million people suffer from acute hunger because of civil war. Civil wars rage in Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Haiti, and at least ten other nations. One hundred million people in the world have been forcibly displaced from their homes, including forty million refugees, 40 percent of which are under eighteen.

In the United States, since 2017 there have been half a million opioid-related deaths. Our mayor said last week of the encampments in our city that there is housing and help available, but “these encampments are in place because of fentanyl.”

Our Anxious Age

Those are some of the reasons we would call ours an anxious age. But I mention them for two other reasons. One is to draw attention to the fact that if every one of those crises were to go away tonight, the real-life, close-to-home reasons for anxiety would be just as great.

You are one heartbeat away from death every moment, and you have no control over God’s decision about how long you live (James 4:15). The pain in your chest might be a heart attack. The ache in your hip might be bone cancer. The email you are about to open might be your pink slip at age 55. The phone ringing might be the death of your parents — or worse, their divorce. The note you’re about to open might be that your twenty-year-old daughter has decided she is not a Christian and finds better community with her LGBTQ friends. Most of our anxieties do not come from world crises.

But the other reason I call attention to the global crises is that they describe the world in which the Great Commission is going to be finished. Most of the unreached peoples in our day live in cultures that are hostile to the gospel. They are not waiting with open arms. But that is the world in which the mission will be finished. Jesus said,

You will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:9–14)

The love of many will grow cold as they succumb to rampant anxiety, fall away from the faith, and betray fellow Christians. But the mission of King Jesus will be completed, because amid the fear and coldness there will be white-hot, joyful, fearless lovers of Jesus. Anxiety will not rule them. Joyful, risk-taking love will rule them.

Countless Dangers, Continual Joy

The title of my message is “Countless Dangers, Continual Joy — How Is This Possible?” You can open your Bibles to Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. We will be moving around in this absolutely amazing letter. Forty years ago, Don Carson wrote a book on 2 Corinthians called A Model of Christian Maturity that began like this:

I love the apostle Paul. Some people cannot understand my love. They find Paul angular, merely intellectual, intimidating, even arrogant. My response, firmly stated, is they do not know him. . . . Arguably, the most intense chapters in all of his writings are found in 2 Corinthians.

I too love the apostle Paul. I love him. There is no one in the history of the world, besides Jesus, whose capacity for joy in affliction I desire more than Paul’s. So, what the title of this message really means is, “Paul’s Countless Dangers, Paul’s Continual Joy — How Did He Do That?” Of all Paul’s thirteen letters, 2 Corinthians deals with suffering and afflictions more than any of the others. And 2 Corinthians contains more language for joy and gladness and contentment than any of the others.

Litany of Paul’s Afflictions

So, first, let’s take a deep breath and try to get into Paul’s skin and feel some of his dangers and afflictions. I think that is a biblical thing to do because Hebrews 13:3 says, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” Paul had a body. You have a body. So, remember him as if suffering with him. What we are illustrating now is the phrase from the title “Countless Dangers” — or you could say, “Countless Afflictions.”

Second Corinthians 1:5: “We share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings.” Abundantly!

Second Corinthians 1:8: “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.”

Second Corinthians 2:4: “I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.” If you love, you will weep. If you haven’t yet, you will.

Second Corinthians 4:8–10: “We are afflicted in every way . . . perplexed . . . persecuted . . . struck down . . . always carrying in the body the death of Jesus.” I omit the resilient words. We are focusing now on dangers and afflictions.

Second Corinthians 6:4–10 (again omitting his hopeful words, as we focus just on his afflictions):

We commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger . . . through . . . dishonor, through slander. . . . We are treated as impostors . . . as unknown . . . as dying . . . as punished . . . as sorrowful . . . as poor . . . as having nothing.

Second Corinthians 7:5: “Our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn — fighting without and fear within.”

Danger on Every Side

Second Corinthians 11:23–29 is the list to end all lists. He calls himself a madman (verse 23) for competing with his adversaries this way. He says,

. . . far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

That’s 39 lashes with a whip. When it’s over, your back is flayed and bloody and takes — what? — a month to heal over. Then it happens again. Same back. And then again. Same back. Same skin. And then again. And then once more — 195 stripes. Was the scar tissue such that he could barely move in the morning?

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city [Minneapolis?], danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

Don’t miss the modifiers: greater labors, more imprisonments, often near death, frequent journeys, many sleepless nights, daily pressures. There was no significant letup. No sabbatical. No retirement.

Replete with Weaknesses

One more passage, 2 Corinthians 12:7–10: “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me. . . . For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.”

This description of countless dangers and relentless afflictions of every kind — not only persecutions but physical maladies like ours (it was a thorn in the flesh) — is breathtaking. It was a life of almost continual danger and unrelenting affliction of one kind or the other.

Sometimes, when I hear professing Christians who have just been diagnosed with a disease or suffered a terrible loss or experienced a calamity say, “Where is God? Why would a good God let this happen?” I ask myself, “What Bible do they read?” I usually hope that Christians who talk like that have only had a momentary lapse of faith. And I give them the benefit of the doubt. But it is troubling, because Paul suffered probably more than any of you in this room will ever suffer (and I’m not minimizing your pain), but he never responded like that.

How did he respond?

Miracle of Paul’s Joy

That brings us to the second part of the title of this message: “Continual Joy.” If Paul’s dangers are countless, and his afflictions are unrelenting, at least they are natural. We have categories for them. We understand what they are. We understand how they happen. We can imagine them happening to people today. They’re not mysterious. But when we consider Paul’s response to these afflictions — namely, his continual joy — we are, at first, simply at a loss. There is nothing natural about this. This appears, by all human reckoning, inexplicable. If the dangers and afflictions are breathtaking, the joy is incomprehensible, mysterious, unfathomable. It is beyond all ordinary human experience. If it is real — and it is — it is supernatural. It’s a miracle.

So, let’s take another deep breath and try to get into Paul’s skin again, to feel some of his continual joy — not his recurrent joy, not his intermittent joy, but his continual joy — just as unremitting as the afflictions. This will be harder, and perhaps impossible, for some of you.

Abounding Comfort

Second Corinthians 1:4: “God comforts us in all our affliction.” Not in some of it — all of it. Not after it — in it.

Second Corinthians 1:5: “As we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” The very Christ for whom he suffers gives him comfort in suffering.

Second Corinthians 4:16: “We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away . . .” I’m sure the aging process for Paul was much quicker than it is for us. He had none of our medical advantages. And his adversaries cut him no slack because of his age. But he did not lose heart.

Second Corinthians 6:10: “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing . . .” This is one of those paradoxical statements that is deeply embedded in the ethos of Bethlehem College and Seminary and Desiring God. Sorrow and joy are not only sequential for Paul — sorrow and then joy — but simultaneous: “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” It’s even in and during the sorrow.

And notice, he doesn’t say, “afflicted yet always rejoicing.” Affliction is something that happens to you. But sorrow is a response to affliction. It is a feeling. And we usually think of the feeling of sorrow as so contrary to rejoicing that they cannot happen simultaneously. But Paul says that for him they do: “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

Second Corinthians 7:4: “I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” That is probably the most astonishing, counterintuitive verse in the whole book. “In [not after but in] all our affliction [not some but all], I am overflowing [not clinging by my fingernails but overflowing] with joy [hyperperisseuō].” Remember the breathtaking list of afflictions! How is this possible?

Second Corinthians 8:2 (a description of the Macedonian Christians, but a description of Paul’s own experience): “In a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” Severe affliction. Extreme poverty. Overflowing joy. It’s as if the poverty and joy were one spring of generosity.

Well-Pleased with Weakness

Here’s one more passage. In 2 Corinthians 12:8–10, Paul prayed three times for his painful thorn to be removed. You see the Lord’s response in 2 Corinthians 12:9, and then Paul’s response. The Lord says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Then Paul responds,

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly [hēdista, from which we get the word “hedonism”] of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content [eudokō, “well-pleased”] with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)

In summary:

Abundant comfort in all our affliction
Not losing heart while physically wasting away
Always rejoicing even while sorrowing
Overflowing with joy in all our affliction
Abundance of joy in affliction and poverty
Boasting gladly in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities

On any ordinary reckoning, this is inexplicable not only because we don’t know how it can happen with any natural explanation, but it is also because we are not sure what it is. What is joy if it can exist — indeed (as 2 Corinthians 7:4 says), overflow — simultaneously with sorrow? Do we even know what we are talking about?

I think it would be a colossal mistake to reinterpret the words “joy” and “gladness” and “rejoicing” in 2 Corinthians as though they were not feelings, not emotions. To try to make them something like committed or faithful or loyal or devoted — and so solve the paradox of “sorrowful yet always rejoicing” by saying “rejoicing” is really not an emotion, not a feeling — is to go against all ordinary usage. The Bible does not try to trick by using strong emotional language when it doesn’t refer to emotions and feelings. No. Joy, gladness, rejoicing (chara, euphrainō, chairein, hēdeōs) — they are all feelings, and they are a good feeling. Everybody wants them. Christian joy in affliction is a real, deep, glad, good feeling.

Pain in the Night, Joy in the Night

So, our last question is this: How can that be?

I’m going to try to answer that question by weaving together my experience with Paul’s many-layered answer in 2 Corinthians. I think if I can weave Paul’s answer into my experience, it may feel more emotionally compelling than if I simply point to the verses.

Many of you know that my mother was killed in a bus accident in Israel in 1974 (it will be fifty years in December). She was 56. I was 28, married, with one two-year-old son. It helps to know that I was probably a mama’s boy growing up. I was an only son with one older sister. My father was away from home two-thirds of every year — a traveling evangelist. So, my relationship with him was one of deep respect, great admiration, and a really happy connection. But it wasn’t like the emotional bond with my mother. She was there for every little crisis that seemed so big.

My parents were leading a tour in Israel. The phone rang on that December evening in 1974, and my brother-in-law said, “Johnny, I’ve got really bad news.” I said, “Okay.” He said, “Your parents were in a bus accident outside Bethlehem, and your mother didn’t make it. And your dad is seriously injured and in the hospital.” When I hung up, I told Noël what I knew, pulled Karsten off my leg, went to the bedroom, knelt down, and cried like I never had before or since, for a long time.

This was, by any measurement, sorrow. Great sorrow. Really sobbing sorrow. This is what Paul meant by the word “sorrowful” in 2 Corinthians 6:10, when he said, “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” And because of that experience, I know, and I testify to you, not only because of what the Bible says, but because of what God did that night, that it is possible to experience simultaneously great sorrow and great joy. It is true, as Psalm 30:5 says, that “weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” We can use the word “joy” that way. But it is also true — and this is the message of 2 Corinthians — that while weeping lasts for the night, joy too lasts for the night.

As I wept, my heart leaped with joyful thankfulness and hope — thankfulness and hope. I prayed, “O God, you have been so good to me to give me such a Bible-saturated mother for 28 years. Beyond all my deserving. She was so attentive, so patient, so caring, so diligent, so upright, so happy. What more could I have asked?” All the years of blessing poured out through glad thankfulness as I sobbed.

And then there was the hope. I thought, She’s home. She’s home. Second Corinthians 5:8 says, “away from the body and at home with the Lord.” She has not come into judgment because she was in Christ, a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Christ died for her: for her sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him she might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). And that mangled body (death certificate: “lacerated medulla oblongata”), that precious body that bore me and nursed me and hugged me, will be raised gloriously: he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise her also with Jesus and bring her with me into his presence (2 Corinthians 4:14).

This nobody was a queen of heaven, “as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, [she lives]; . . . as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (2 Corinthians 6:9–10). All God’s promises find their Yes in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). And she was in Christ. God’s word to her, and to me, was not Yes and No. It is always Yes in him. Every promise will prove true for Ruth Piper. Not one shall fall to the ground. Not one.

I could say to my dad, “Hang on, Daddy; hang on. God has work for you to do. It is true for her, and it is true for you right now in your hospital bed, and it is true for me in my sobbing: ‘This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal’ (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).” I was, in that night, a sorrowing wreck, and a very happy son — “sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.”

Countless dangers, relentless afflictions, and continual joy is indeed possible because all the promises of God — all of them! — are Yes in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20). And they will remain Yes forever, through all the global crises, through all the personal weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. So, you can say with Paul, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).