I have long appreciated the poems of the 19th century American poet Hannah Flagg Gould. Among them I found this sweet work which reflects on the beauty of breaking free from “this prison of clay” to be with the Lord. I hope it proves an encouragement to you as it has me.

May I in thy likeness, my Saviour, awake,And rise, a fair image of thee;Then I shall be satisfied, when I can breakThis prison of clay, and be free.
Can I but come forth to eternity’s light,With thy perfect features to shine,In raiment unsullied from time’s dreary night,What honor and joy will be mine!
Yes, I shall be satisfied then to have castThe shadows of nature all by—When, darkness and dust from the dull eyelid past,My soul sees with full-opened eye.
How fain would I know the great morn drawing near,When earth’s dreamy visions shall fade,If I in thy semblance indeed may appear,And stand in thy beauty arrayed!
To see thee in glory, O Lord, as thou art,From this mortal, perishing clayMy spirit immortal, in peace would depart,And, joyous, mount up her bright way.
When on thine own image in me thou hast smiled,In thy holy mansion, and whenThy fatherly arms have encircled thy child,O I shall be satisfied then!

May you enjoy the Lord’s richest blessings as you serve and worship him this weekend.

Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older titles.
(Yesterday on the blog: He Is Not Ashamed)
Is Jordan Peterson almost there?
Steven Wedgeworth interacts with some recent comments by Jordan Peterson. “Is Peterson a Christian? And is he right about young men and the church? Almost.”
Which Sins Are Feeding Your Sin of Lust?
This is a long but valuable piece by the late David Powlison.
Thinking Sensibly About Ourselves
“When walking the narrow road of the Christian life, many of us fall into one of two traps when it comes to our gifts: viewing ourselves too highly or too lowly. Some of us have permanently taken up residence in one of these ditches and refuse to move. There is water flooding in, garbage pooling around us, and frogs laying eggs in our hair, but we refuse to move from our ditch.”
The ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ Deserves No Respect
Andrew Walker and Carl Trueman have a piece at National Review that is quite interesting. “The cravenness of Republicans who are looking to ‘move on’ from supposedly divisive ‘social issues’ will deserve their comeuppance should they vote for this bill.”
The 2022 Audubon Photography Awards
There are some beautiful images to see among the winners and honorable mentions of the 2022 Audubon Photography Awards.
A Doctor Shares the Secret to Dying Well
“For almost 20 years, I’ve been working as a hospital doctor. While being a doctor isn’t nearly as glamorous as what you see on TV, it can still be intense. I care for people in the best and worst moments of their lives. Of all the different situations I’ve faced, the most memorable professional encounters have been caring for terminally ill patients.”
Flashback: Parents: To Join Social Media Is To Witness Death
One moment I’m looking at pictures of nieces and nephews celebrating a birthday, and the next I’m looking at someone being gunned down in the streets. Joyful celebrations join brutal murders in this endless stream of information.

We must hide our unholiness in the wounds of Christ as Moses hid himself in the cleft of the rock while the glory of God passed by. We must take refuge from God in God. —A.W. Tozer

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by AccelerateBooks.com who also sponsored the blog this week with the article “How to Stay Sharp and Effective This Summer”. They have 3 Accelerate Lifetime Memberships to give away.

What is AccelerateBooks?
AccelerateBooks is an arsenal of book summaries, giving busy leaders (like you) access to important insights so you can stay sharp and effective this summer. More than 5000 leaders currently use AccelerateBooks to access an entire library of existing Book Briefs, with 8 new Book Briefs added each month. Get 33% off forever on all membership at https://partner.acceleratebooks.com/challies. 
AccelerateBooks enables you to:

Save Money by stewarding your finances more wisely with informed book-buying choices
Stay Informed and dialed-in to ideas that are shaping the Church and culture
Read Widely through weekly exposure to different perspectives
Retain Insights with an accessible library of Book Briefs to reference
… and much more!

Here’s what some Accelerate members have to say:

33% Off Forever on All Memberships
For readers of Challies.com, AccelerateBooks is happy to offer readers a 33% off discount on all membership plans (individual and group memberships).
To snag this deal, visit partner.acceleratebooks.com/challies. 
P.S. – If you’re not quite convinced about the Book Brief method, feel free to check it out yourself with a Free Book Brief Download of Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges.
P.P.S. – Check out this video to see how AccelerateBooks works!
Enter Here
Again, there are three Lifetime Memberships to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon. If you are viewing this through email, click to visit my site and enter there.

We are at an interesting point in history in which, when people look to the past, they seem more likely to cringe than to celebrate. It has become customary for people to look to their forbears and then disavow them or apologize for them in what has become almost a ritualistic purgation. There are many who are ashamed of their roots, ashamed of their family, embarrassed to admit who and where they have come from.

But isn’t it interesting that this is not the case with God? God has been adopting people into his family for thousands of years and along the way has welcomed many whose pasts are shady at best and scandalous at worst. And despite their sins, despite their scandals, he loves them and refuses to turn away from them. God’s enduring and unashamed love for his people is the subject of Erik Raymond’s new book He Is Not Ashamed.
If we were to assemble a great portrait of God’s family, “we’d find people with unflattering stories. Some are known as the chief of sinners, the sinful woman, the thief on the cross, and the prostitute. We’d also see those who were overlooked and disregarded by society. We’d find weak people unable to give God anything. We’d even see those who wore the uniform of opposition to God. Here in the portrait of grace, we’d find a multitude of misfits. It would be quite the picture.” It would be the kind of picture we might be embarrassed to hang on the walls of our homes. Yet in the very middle of this picture we’d find Jesus, the very best of men, standing side-by-side with some of the very worst. “At first glance, we might think that Jesus doesn’t belong with people like this. What business does majesty have with outcasts? But poring over the Scriptures, we see something else. In this family photo, Jesus may seem out of place, but in reality he’s exactly where he belongs. Even more, he’s right where he wants to be. Instead of being ashamed of them, he calls them family.”
In this book, Raymond examines the kind of people who would be included in this portrait which is to say, the kind of people God delights to identify with. And thankfully, “nobody has a story that can make Jesus blush” for his heart is oriented toward those who need him most, no matter what they may have done or how they may have sinned.
In the first chapter he shows that Jesus is not ashamed of people who have an embarrassing history—people like Tamar who behaved like a prostitute and like Judah who treated her like one. “When Matthew includes Tamar, Judah, and their children’s names in Jesus’s genealogy, he means to make a point: Jesus comes from a line of people with messy, embarrassing, and shameful stories. And not only does he come from messy people, but he also comes for them.” If that was true of them, that is equally true for us.
In the second chapter he looks to people who opposed Jesus to show that they, too, can be objects of God’s love and salvation. This includes people, like the religious leaders, who killed Jesus and people, like the Apostle Paul, who persecuted his church. “Since every person is naturally born with the status of an enemy of God, everyone can relate in some way to these stories of opposition. Though our experiences and sins may be different, nevertheless, our standing apart from Christ is the same.”
In chapter three he turns to those who are overlooked (e.g. children who were beckoned to come to Jesus and women who became his trusted companions) and in chapter four to those who were far from God—people like the fictional Prodigal Son who appeared in a parable or the real-life sinful woman who appeared at a banquet and fell at his feet weeping. “The incarnation of Jesus Christ proves that he loves to retrieve those who are far from God. Nothing should keep you from him. He welcomes the prodigals, the sinners, and the unclean.”
In the next two chapters Raymond focuses on those who have nothing to give and those who are weak before turning to those who still sin, people like you and me who have been saved by his grace but who still commit deeds that are so very rebellious and so very dark. “Run your finger across the pages of the Bible, and you find many examples to prove that God delights to lavish his forgiveness on sinners. Even after they commit to following God, many believers fall on their face, only to be lifted up again by the staggering love of God.” If this was true of Adam, Moses, David, Jonah and so many others, it is equally true of you and me.
The final chapter considers the one kind of person of whom Jesus is ashamed, and it is the ones who are ashamed of him. “He’s ashamed of those who reject him. According to Jesus, the people who are ashamed of him are those who refuse to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him. They’ve considered Jesus unworthy of their devotion and obedience. They reject Christ and refuse to follow him by faith. On the day of judgment, Jesus will be ashamed of those who are ashamed of him in this life.”
He Is Not Ashamed is a timely reminder that Jesus does not merely love us, but also accepts us and welcomes us. And this is true even when we have behaved or continue to behave in ways that are nothing less than shameful. God’s love is eternal, unshakeable, and “unashameable.” And for that we all owe him the greatest thanks and the highest praise.

Buy from Amazon

Those who use Logos will want to remember that they are offering 50% off many of their best commentaries this month. Also, they’re offering 30% off the Logos 9 feature set for those haven’t yet made the leap.

Westminster Books has an early sale on a new book by Joni Eareckson Tada (for which I was pleased to write an endorsement).
The Myth of the Modern Self
Carl Trueman: “The sheer rage that has greeted the Dobbs decision demands reflection. The rhetoric regarding victims of incest and rape is powerful but hardly explains the anger, given that such cases are comparatively rare and exceptional. They make good material for emotional appeal to the populace, but are neither foundational to the philosophy of the pro-abortion cause nor the real source of the outrage we are witnessing.”
There is One Gospel
Be sure to listen to this great new song from CityAlight.
He/Him please
Jesse Johnson: “Imagine you are a youth soccer coach, and a girl you have coached for five seasons takes you aside at practice and asks you, ‘Coach: I’m going through some changes in my life, and one of them is that I’ve decided I want to be known as a guy. Can you please address me by he/him, instead of her/she?’What would you say?”
Newton’s God
I appreciated this new video from the John 1:10 Project.
What I’ve Learned from 25 Years of Marriage
Cara shares some of what she has learned through 25 years of marriage.
Death is not Dying
“This life is a vapor, the shadowlands of beauty and sin and grief. A splashing, shallow kiddie pool compared to the swirling depths of magnificent ocean-treasures awaiting us one day, if we bow in humble submission before God.”
Flashback: White Fragility and the Bible’s Big Story
The question I eventually want to answer is this: Is White Fragility a helpful tool for white Christians as we discuss issues of race and then begin to take action?

We obey God not because we are afraid of what He will do to us if we do not. Rather, we obey Him because we are moved by all that He has done for us in Jesus Christ. —Anthony J. Carter

Westminster Books has a collection of deals on new and noteworthy books. Meanwhile, there are some new Kindle deals to look at as well.

(Yesterday on the blog: Seven Steps To a Good Breakup)
The Indispensable Ministry of Disability
Andrea explains that “people with disabilities in our congregations are not just objects of ministry. They are gifted just like the rest of us, though often in ways that we haven’t realized.”
Death to the Patriarchy? Complementarity and the Scandal of ‘Father Rule’
Kevin DeYoung: “There is nothing to be gained by Christians reclaiming the term patriarchy in itself. In fact, reclaim is not even the right word, because I’m not sure Christians have ever argued for something called ‘patriarchy.’ Complementarity is a better, safer term, with fewer negative connotations (though that is quickly changing). I’ve described myself as a complementarian hundreds of times; I’ve never called myself a patriarchalist.”
Fitted Sheets
“Can I tell you a story about fitted sheets? I promise it’s not as boring as it sounds.” She’s right.
Couple, both 100 years old, celebrate 80 years of marriage
I enjoyed this little story from CBC. It’s about a couple who is celebrating their 80th anniversary.
What can we know biblically about hell?
Hell is often an avoided subject today, even by many Christians. From a live Ask Ligonier events, Sinclair Ferguson considers what we learn from the Bible’s descriptions of hell and why this is an important subject to contemplate.
How Is the Sexual Revolution Affecting Women and Girls Today?
“There is one thing that the sexual revolution has done to women and girls that I don’t think we really consider very often. It is pervasive. It is far-reaching. The ramifications are really destructive.” Jen Oshman explains.
Flashback: Have You Tasted Heaven?
I have tasted the fruit of a distant land and have within me a growing longing to taste it again, to taste it all the more, to leave this land and settle in that place of such delights, of such wonder.

It is in God that the fount of spiritual and everlasting joy originates: from Him it all flows forth. —A.W. Pink

Not every relationship works out. Not every couple who begins dating ends up getting married. Neither should they. In fact, for a dating relationship to be healthy, there must be a way out. As Sam Andreades says, “If you are not able to end a dating relationship, you should never start one.” And so, “Before the day you say I do, you always have to be able to say, I don’t. In your heart, you must be able to not date, even if you really want to.”

In his book Dating with Discernment he offers seven steps to breaking up well.
Break up with bravery. To break up bravely is to determine that you will not remain in an unhealthy or unworkable relationship out of fear or cowardice. If the relationship is simply not working, not enjoyable, or not progressing, the brave thing is to call it off.
Talk in person. Though this may seem obvious in the abstract, in the moment it can seem easier to end things in a way in which you do not need to face the other person. Yet we are always called to treat people with love and this will most often mean refusing the temptation to break up by text message or phone call; it will most often mean breaking up face to face.
Honor the other person with gratitude. As you break up, it honors the other person to affirm them and express gratitude for them. And there will almost always be a number of ways to encourage them and express thankfulness. Though a breakup will probably require expressing some of the other person’s weaknesses and faults, there is no reason it shouldn’t also express some of their strengths and graces.
Be direct. You ought to be humble, of course, but humility does not require hiding or obfuscating the real reasons you don’t wish to continue the relationship. Don’t ghost the other person and don’t fail to tell the truth about why the relationship is not working out.
Deliver a vision of hope. It can be wise and good to include a vision of a brighter future for the other person. Though you will need to guard against sounding trite, “It is not insincere to express hope for his life, or to describe your faith in God about her, if you really do believe that there is a better plan for both your lives.”
End it with definiteness. A breakup ought to be a breakup. For sake of clarity and out of love for the other person, it is usually best to end the relationship with a kind of definiteness that means you will not keep texting as you did before or keep seeing each other as “just friends.” It could be best to agree not to be in contact for an agreed-upon number of months to help ensure the break is clean and that there is no confusion.
Take time to heal. A breakup could be very easy on you or very hard. You could breathe a sigh of relief or you could be emotionally devastated. At the very least it is bound to be a disappointment. Proverbs says “Hope deferred makes the heart sick,” and breaking up means you are deferring the hope of marriage. It is important, then, to give yourself some time to grieve and your heart some time to heal.
Though these steps don’t cover every person or every circumstance, they are wise guidelines that can help you end relationships in a way that honors God and expresses love for that person you cared about, but simply couldn’t marry.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

There are some new Kindle deals that are worth a peek.
Being the Moon
“He hasn’t made us powerless; just as the moon’s gravitational pull is the primary cause of earth’s high and low tides, we hold sway in the world. But our role is never to be the world’s savior – only to point to the actual Savior.” We need to be reminded of this from time to time.
A little test of character
“There is little more repulsive than people looking past you, through you, or over your shoulder looking for somebody more important or significant to speak with.” We always know when people aren’t really interested in us, don’t we?
What really counts?
“I recall a few years back having a quiet conversation with a shocked, disappointed, chastened, and influential fellow-pastor. Following the tragic demise of a famous Christian leader, his serious, solemn, words struck an unforgettable note: ‘Never again,’ said added, ‘will I preach to a church and assume everyone is saved!’” And neither should he or any of us!
How Did Jesus Become What God Hates?
How did Jesus become what God hates? That’s an intriguing question, isn’t it?
Why Pro-Choicers Insist Pro-Life Arguments Are Religious
“When I make my case, I don’t cite the Bible. I don’t invoke God. I’m not making a religious argument. My case against abortion brings in legal, moral, scientific, and philosophical reasoning. Abortion-choice advocates, however, bring up religion for a reason: It’s an effective tactic. Whether they realize it or not, it’s a clever way to gain the upper hand for two reasons.” Yet he’s still written off for his religion. Why is that?
The Weapons of Our Warfare
Doug Eaton: “When Jesus walked among us, he did not take arms against his enemies. He did not hire a political strategist or form a coup. His weapons of war were much different, and as believers, so are ours.”
Flashback: With Purity and Dignity
A man who is dedicating himself to pornography, who is objectifying women for his own gratification, cannot treat younger—or older—women with purity and dignity. His lust destroys his ability to love.

The more you submit to Christ in humility, the more you can stand for Christ with boldness. —H.B. Charles Jr.

The God of love and peace be with you on this fine day.

(Yesterday on the blog: What the Canyon Echoed Back)
The Christian’s Confidence in Christ’s Compassion
“Throughout the four Gospels, readers are flooded with examples of the compassion of Christ.” This can and should be very meaningful to us as Christians!
Being Domineering as a Pastor Doesn’t Require Skill
It’s an interesting thought for pastors and for others in leadership: That there is no skill involved in being domineering.
God Will Turn You Every Which Way but Loose
“Your God, in his providence, will turn you every which way but loose. Do not believe the lies that say God wants your life to be as smooth as possible. That he desires for you to have a problem-free existence if only you would have enough faith. To expose those lies, let us look at the life of one of the most faith-filled men of scripture.”
The Remarkable Story of the First Missionary Hymn
I thoroughly enjoyed this telling of the story of the first missionary hymn. “On Pentecost Sunday 1862, as Western eyes watched civil war rip through America, an event just as momentous unfolded half a world away, hidden from every headline. Some five thousand men and women, many of them former cannibals, gathered on a South Pacific island to worship Jesus Christ.”
Before Us, Beside Us, and Behind Us
This article considers God as our shepherd.
Under the Tomatoes
Andrea Sanborn: “My breath came hard as panic pressed on my chest. I stood in the produce section of the grocery store, scanning the aisles, desperate for a glimpse of my towheaded boy. Every parent has been in a similar situation, but most aren’t searching for a nonverbal child who can’t understand when the game has gone too far.”
Flashback: Scepters, Crowns, Thrones
If there are crowns in God’s invisible kingdom, they are worn only so they can be removed to be thrown at his feet.

I would rather be the means of soothing one perturbed spirit than to play a tune that would set all the sons of mirth reeling in the dance. —De Witt Talmage

This week the blog is sponsored by AccelerateBooks. Used by 5000+ leaders, AccelerateBooks keeps you sharp for ministry and life by giving you access to an arsenal of soul-shaping insights from the most important books. Get 33% off forever on all membership at https://partner.acceleratebooks.com/challies. 

You’re probably too busy to read this.
You probably have 5 other browser tabs currently open, a lineup of articles bookmarked for later, and a growing stack of books you’ll read “one day”.
And you probably have a to-do list of all the other tasks you should be doing right now.
And that’s precisely why you should read this article.
How Many Books Should Leaders Read?
You’ve likely opened this article because, as a leader, you already know how important reading is; you already know how essential continued learning is for staying sharp and effective.
As Albert Mohler, president of SBTS, says:
There is no substitute for effective learning when it comes to developing and maintaining the intelligence necessary to lead.
Your brain is a powerful tool that must be sharpened and stewarded, otherwise, it will waste away.
And while you’re well aware of this, too often the urgent demands of life and ministry keep your hands tied and your books untouched. But your inner critic reprimands you: wake up earlier, skip breakfast, drink more caffeine, read faster!
You feel guilty when others seem to read more than you; you’re both inspired and devastated when you consider that:

Timothy Keller reads 3 books a week
Charles Spurgeon read 6 books a week
D. A. Carson reads 9 books a week
Albert Mohler reads 7-10 books a week (sources below)

At this point, you’re likely either inspired to try harder, set more ambitious goals, and eventually succumb to burnout. Or you’re left to wonder if it’s even possible to develop a sustainable habit of learning.
It is possible.
What if effective learning is not measured by how many books you read, but by how effectively you read?
In fact, with the right mindset and the right tools, it’s possible to learn more effectively in a single-year than most do in a lifetime.
In this article, you’ll discover the two principles needed to cultivate the right mindset and you’ll discover a tool that can change your life and ministry forever. (And there’s a free gift at the end you don’t want to miss!)
The Insight Principle
The Insight Principle states that the goal for reading is not reading for its own sake, but acquiring insight.
When you fall into the trap of equating reading with learning, you hinder your growth; when you prize ingesting information more than internalizing insight, you do yourself a disservice.
It is possible to read many books, but learn very little.
In fact, the truth is that “books don’t change people”, says John Piper. “Paragraphs change people and sometimes sentences. They may lodge themselves so powerfully in our mind that its effect is enormous when all else is forgotten.”
In other words, books don’t change people. Insights do.
Therefore, the goal of reading a book is never merely to finish it, but to identify, chew on, and absorb its life-shaping insights. If a book is not providing any insights that are helpful or stirring, it’s better to put it aside and invest your time elsewhere.
The 20% Principle
The second principle effective leaders must grasp is the 20% principle, also known as the Pareto principle or 80/20 rule.
Effective leaders recognize that not all books are created equal. With thousands of Christian books being published each year, you must exercise discernment and guard your time. Not only must you be wise in deciding which books you will read, but you also which books you won’t — this will mean deliberately avoiding good books, in order to make time for great books.
According to the 20% Principle, only 20% of the good books you come across will be worth your time given your particular calling and season in life.
Furthermore, the 20% Principle suggests that even within an individual book, only 20% of its pages hold the key insights, while the remaining 80% of the pages serve to illustrate and strengthen the author’s arguments.
As David Mathis states: “80% of a book’s main insights are found in 20% of the pages. So without apology, I ransack books for what I can get in the little time I have in this season of life.”
The Solution? The Book Brief Method
In light of these two principles, many leaders have discovered the advantage and effectiveness of using the Book Brief method for grasping, retaining, and implementing insights.
Book Briefs are strategic summaries designed to identify the key insights of a book, supported by key quotes and crystallized by reflection questions.

As illustrated above, the Book Brief method requires you to be incredibly intentional with your reading, keeping you focused on both identifying and applying the insights.
While you can absolutely use this method and create Book Briefs on your own, more than 5000 leaders currently use AccelerateBooks to access an entire library of existing Book Briefs, with 8 new Book Briefs added each month. Essentially, AccelerateBooks is an arsenal of Book Briefs, giving busy leaders (like you) access to important insights so you can stay sharp and effective in 2020. (You can download a free Book Brief at the end of this article!)
AccelerateBooks enables you to:

Save Money by stewarding your finances more wisely with informed book-buying choices
Stay Informed and dialed-in to ideas that are shaping the Church and culture
Read Widely through weekly exposure to different perspectives
Retain Insights with an accessible library of Book Briefs to reference
… and much more!

Here’s what some Accelerate members have to say:

33% Off Forever on All Memberships
For readers of Challies.com, AccelerateBooks is happy to offer readers a 33% off discount on all membership plans (individual and group memberships).
To snag this deal, visit partner.acceleratebooks.com/challies. 
P.S. – If you’re not quite convinced about the Book Brief method, feel free to check it out yourself with a Free Book Brief Download of Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges.
P.P.S. – Check out this video to see how AccelerateBooks works!
Sources:
Timothy Keller reads 3 books a week
Charles Spurgeon read 6 books a week
D.A. Carson reads 9 books a week
Albert Mohler reads 7-10 books a week