I have returned from the Getty Music Sing! Conference and am back at my desk. My book launch session went very well, for which I’m grateful. It was recorded and I’m hoping to be able to share it with you very soon.

Today’s Kindle deals include an excellent new one by Ray Ortlund.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Few Handfuls for Weary Little Listeners)
The Stars Still Shine In The Daytime
“All night long we can see the stars shining down on us, but have you ever considered the fact that they also shine down on us all day?” There’s something to learn from this.
When You’re Not at Home
“We shouldn’t find ourselves at home in this world. After all, Jesus didn’t come in order to blend in with a world gone awry by sin. He came to overcome it. Living in light of that, the church is to be different, set apart, distinct — the church is to be holy in a hostile place.”
Why Does Paul Tell the Church to Deliver Someone to Satan?
Here is Andy Naselli’s take on what I consider one of the scariest verses in the Bible.
Save Time: Stop Doing Word Studies
“Word studies are a favorite tool of Biblical exegetes, but usually aren’t worth the time.” That’s an unusual take, but one that is worth considering, I think.
The results are up to the Lord
“We all know that the results in ministry aren’t up to us. You do know that, right? My working theory is that enough of us didn’t know this, or acted as though we didn’t know this, that the Lord brought covid to us so that he could show us in no uncertain terms how little he needs us.”
Should a Christian Bet on Sports?
I’m not convinced that there is quite as much leeway on this issue, but I do appreciate the authors’ explanation of the dangers and shortcomings of sports betting—especially since it has become such a major emphasis for advertisers in Canada.
Flashback: What’s the Purpose of … Marriage?
The highest purpose of marriage is to display to the world the sacrificial love of Christ for his bride, the church.

The lives of ministers oftentimes convince more strongly than their words; their tongues may persuade, but their lives command. —Thomas Brooks

Ray Van Neste recently appealed to pastors to ensure they don’t neglect the children in their preaching. “Preacher, don’t assume children can’t or won’t listen,” he said. “Many things will escape them, but they understand more than we give them credit for.“ Hence, “you should speak to the children in your sermons.” I very much appreciated this word of exhortation as it reflects something I have been trying to emphasize in my own preaching.

Van Neste offers a few good reasons to speak to the children. I thought I’d complement this by offering a few examples. I’m no master and have had mixed success, but each of these examples seemed to go over well. The keys, I believe, are to 1) clearly let the children know you are speaking to them, 2) to provide a vivid example followed by a simple application, and 3) to not try to accomplish too much in a single illustration. I try to aim the illustrations at children between 8 and 12. Of course it’s fun to watch everyone, from the youngest to oldest, perk up and listen intently when I speak specifically to the kids.
Dad’s Drone
This first example comes from a sermon on “blessed are the pure in heart.” Part of what it means to be pure in heart is to have a heart that is undivided or fully committed to the Lord. This is how I attempted to illustrate that.

Kids, I’ve got a question for you. Have you ever seen anyone flying a drone? It’s kind of fun to watch, isn’t it? We’re used to seeing the world from the ground up, but a drone lets you see the world from the sky down. It’s pretty neat.
I want you to imagine that one day you’re watching your dad fly a drone. That sounds like the kind of thing a dad does, right? No one has ever seen a mom fly a drone! Dad’s taking that drone way up in the sky, and recording some neat videos, and taking some pretty pictures, and maybe flying it in some fun patterns. But then something strange happens—another guy shows up and it turns out he can control the drone too. So dad sends it this way, but that guy sends it the other way. Dad tells it to go lower, but the other guy tells it to climb higher. That drone has two people controlling it and now it’s swerving all over the place. You know what’s going to happen? That drone is going to crash. Your dad needs to walk over to that other person and pull the cable out his controller and say, “This is my drone and I control it.”
Jesus once said something kind of like that: He said “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” No one can serve two masters just like no drone can obey two controllers. Each of us can ultimately be controlled by just one thing or one person. The question each of us needs to ask—and this is true whether we’re kids or grownups—is this: Am I going to let God control me? Or am I going to let someone or something else control me? To become a Christian is to put our faith in Jesus and to say, “God, I want you to be the boss in my life. I want you to control me. I want to live the way you tell me to live.” Have you done that? Have you handed the controls to God and said, “I am yours.” That’s what it is to be a Christian.

The Dog
Here’s another one that came from a sermon on “blessed are the peacemakers.” In this one I was attempting to explain that even though we are called to bring peace between people who are in some kind of disagreement, we also need to exercise wisdom to ensure we are not meddling.

Kids, I’ve got a proverb for you to listen to. Some proverbs are kind of hard to understand, but not this one. I am pretty sure you can figure out what this one means. It’s Proverbs 26:17. Here’s what it says: “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” Imagine that one day you’re out at the park and a big dog walks on by—he’s not on a leash, and you can’t see his owner anywhere, and he’s got one of those big collars all covered in metal studs. He’s just a big old dog. Do you think it would be a good idea or a bad idea to walk up him, grab his ears, and gave them a big pull? I think that’s a bad idea. You’d probably get bit! You don’t take a passing dog by the ears!
That’s how the Bible tells us to be careful not to meddle in a fight that’s not our business. We need to be very careful when we see other people arguing or fighting that we don’t meddle, that don’t get involved in something we know nothing about and can do nothing to fix. We need to wise to when we can help and when we can’t.

The Zoo
This example comes from a sermon on “blessed are those who mourn.” I was speaking about mourning the ways we ignore God’s warnings to us, whether those warnings come through Scripture, conscience, or the Spirit.

Kids, if you go to the zoo, you’ll see that the alligator enclosure is surrounded by signs and warnings and walls and fences. Why? Because alligators are dangerous! If a pit is full of bunny rabbits and guinea pigs and cotton balls they don’t need to warn people away from it. But alligators are dangerous and hungry.
And God shows us how dangerous our sin is by warning us not to commit it. There are so many ways God warns us away from sin, so many opportunities he gives us to do what is right instead of what is wrong.

I then went on to explain some of these ways, though I suppose that as I did so, I transitioned into speaking more to adults than to kids.
Solomon’s Folly
This one came from a sermon about Solomon. I didn’t come up with an illustration outside the text, but decided to use Solomon’s folly as a means to appeal to the kids to put their faith in Jesus.

Kids, I know I’ve talked for a long time, but I want just 2 more minutes from you and then we will be done.
I want you to think about something: When Solomon became king he had everything he needed to be the greatest king ever. He had an awesome dad who was called “the man after God’s own heart.” He was taught by the greatest teachers. God made him the wisest man ever. He had all these years of peace so he could make his country strong. He built a beautiful temple so he could worship God. He was richer than everyone in Toronto all put together. Everyone loved and respected him. He could have been the greatest and godliest king the world has ever known. But he wasn’t.
Why? The Bible tells us. Because his heart was not wholly true to God. His heart didn’t love God all the way. He had room in it for other gods, other things he loved more than God. He had so many privileges, but threw them away.
And I want you to know that you have a lot of privileges too. You are living in a great city in a great country. You get to learn from great teachers. Your parents read the Bible and pray with you. You come to church and GraceKids where you hear the gospel. Those are all good things—but those won’t keep your heart true to God. To have a heart that’s true to God all the way you need to put your faith in Jesus and ask him to forgive your sins. Have you put your faith in Jesus? Has he forgiven your sins? And then you need to do what Solomon didn’t do—God told him to read his Bible, to read it all throughout his life, and to obey it. Solomon didn’t, and that’s why we read about him falling into such terrible sin. Will you read your Bible all of your life? That’s the way God will speak to you. He will tell you how to live in a way that is wise, in a way that will keep you from harm and bring glory to God. I pray for you all the time and I know the other pastors pray for you all the time that you will grow up to have a heart that is fully true to God for all of your life.

A Few Handfuls
Anyway, I hope you find something in this that is helpful. Perhaps it will give you a couple of ideas as you attempt to reach the kids through your preaching.
Let me conclude with an endearing little quote I found some time ago as I was reading through the collected works of F.B. Meyer—a quote I’ve attempted to apply to my own sermons. “Would that preachers would contrive to drop a few handfuls on purpose for the weary little listeners, whose eyes would glisten if their story were to be dropped into the discourse,” he said. “And the parents would be proud to explain that ‘our minister always thinks of the children.’”

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

How a Firebombed Pregnancy Center Is Changing the Post-Roe Landscape
Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra reports from Buffalo, New York.
Age with Joy
“Aging is beautiful. On the one hand, aging is difficult, it carries with it its own sufferings: our aging body that seems to slowly betray us, forgetfulness, pain, illness, and the harsh reality that we are mortal. But on the other, for Christians, aging carries a promise.”
Who Called David’s Census—God or Satan?
Here’s a question many people like to ask and answer!
I Could Always Get My Dad
This is a nice little illustration of an even better reality.
Should Joining a Church Be Difficult?
Here is a historically-grounded look at whether joining a church should be easy or difficult.
“Nearer My God to Thee”: A Serious Song of Hope for Sufferers
“The songs we sing do not always provide realistic expectations of the Christian life. Consider the line from a well-loved hymn which states that it was at the cross by faith, ‘I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day.’ The first phrase is true. The second is strictly unbiblical.”
Flashback: What Can God Do With Broken Hearts?
Where the world looks to those who are whole and strong, God looks to those who are weak and broken, for his specialty is bringing much from little, beauty from ashes, strength from weakness.

Never doubt in the darkness what God has told you in the light. —Victor Raymond Edman

Thanks to all who came out to the launch event yesterday. It was a blessing to meet so many of you. I’m sorry that we ran out of books! The bookstore is attempting to replenish them; alternatively, you can order it from the bookstore or online.

Don’t Sleep on Rural Ministry
Jared Wilson has some good comments here on rural ministry.
How Can I Confirm Whether I Am Truly Saved? (Video)
This is a helpful answer to a very common question.
The Word Faithfully Preached
I enjoyed these comments on faithful preachers and faithful preaching
Forgiven
“Simon invites Jesus to a meal in his home. Holding Him at arm’s length. Studying the Master. And in the midst of critical scrutiny, he foregoes the most basic act of hospitality. Washing the feet of his guest.”
Why would God ever be gracious to us?
“Why would God ever be gracious to us? Why would he ever be gracious and kind and loving to a bunch of miserable, rotten sinners? After all, the God of the Bible is quite explicit in his condemnation of us from start to finish.”
Driven by Awe: Fighting Sin
“When Christians think of fighting sin, we usually imagine strict self-discipline and saying ‘no’ to wrong desires. Certainly, self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit and a means of helping us fight our sin. But, what if we had another tool given to us by the Spirit to help us overcome?”
Flashback: Parent Love and Grandparent Love
Let me offer two ways I believe grandparents can take on a role of spiritual influence in the lives of their grandchildren.

When discipline leaves a church, Christ goes with it. —John Dagg

This morning I will be hosting a launch event for my new book Seasons of Sorrow. It will be taking place immediately prior to the Getty Music Sing! Conference at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

For those who plan to attend, or who still wish to attend, here’s the information you’ll need:

I will be joined by Alistair Begg, Bob Lepine, and the band CityAlight (who will, in turn, be joined by Sandra McCracken). I will open the event, then Alistair, Bob, and I will have a discussion about God’s purposes and God’s comfort in our times of grief, sorrow, and loss. CityAlight and Sandra McCracken will close things out by debuting a new song titled “In the Valley (Bless the Lord).” This song, which is inspired by Seasons of Sorrow, will debut at the conference, then be released to all music platforms on September 13, which is also the book’s official release date. The recorded version of the song is a duet with CityAlight’s vocalist and Sandra McCracken.
The event will begin at 10:30 AM and be held in the Delta Ballroom, which is the “main room” that will host the conference’s plenary sessions. The event will end by 11:30 to allow plenty of time to get some lunch before the conference formally begins.
If you are attending the Sing! conference, you can simply come to the Delta ballroom for 10:30 AM. Please do come, even if you haven’t registered!
If you are not attending the Sing! conference you are also welcome to come; perhaps plan to arrive just a few minutes early since the resort is big, sprawling, and fairly difficult to navigate.
Seasons of Sorrow will be available for purchase at the launch event and in the conference bookstore.
Though the launch event will not be live-streamed, it will be recorded and released to those who are attending the Virtual Conference. (Save 35% on any virtual pass with coupon code CHALLIES35.)

I am looking forward to seeing many of you there. I plan to stick around after the event to meet you, so please don’t feel the need to rush off. See you soon!

Happy Labor Day (that’s Labour Day in Canada) for those who are enjoying a day of rest today.

Today is the launch event for my book Seasons of Sorrow. If you’re looking for information about that, please visit this page. Remember that the book is now available for pre-order from Amazon and actually shipping from Westminster Books.
Today’s Kindle deals include a nice little list from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Signal Gun of the Gospel)
Did the Pandemic Open Doors? Effects of COVID on Missions
This article at DG asks and answers an interesting question: “How is God using all the effects of COVID-19 to accomplish his purposes in the world?”
Ashamed Sinner, Unashamed Savior
“When you’re in the midst of guilt and shame—which we should rightly feel in the midst of sin—we have to take all that he has done and his promises to God and see that he’s actually not ashamed of us. It’s not that he excuses sin, but he welcomes sinners.”
Now What? How Parents Can Pray for Their College-Aged Kids
“How can we encourage, support, and especially pray for our kids when they’re away at college?” Cara has some experience at this and offers an answer.
Good News for the Overwhelmed
Darryl Dash: “I felt overwhelmed again this week. I always feel overwhelmed at the beginning of the Fall. I love the summer pace. As a new ministry year begins, I feel intimidated at what lies ahead: fuller schedules, new initiatives, and more to do than I can possibly accomplish.”
Be Still…
Why should we learn to be still and how can we actually do it? That’s what this one is about.
More on Projectors in Worship
I wish this article did a bit more to consider the benefits of using projectors (vs hymnals) in worship. But it is interesting to consider these drawbacks and, most of all, to ask whether we really think carefully about the benefits and drawbacks before we bring changes to our churches and our worship.
Flashback: Thank God For Your Job (Doesn’t Matter What Your Job Is!)
As you enjoy rest from your labors, why don’t you take a bit of time to thank God for your labors. No matter what they are, they are evidence of his kindness and mercy toward you.

If we really believe that the God who created the universe cares for us and is working in our lives, then that removes the fear that makes us hoard our money and turn away everyone who might need the generosity that God asks of us. —Bryan Chapell

We must always preach the gospel and always do so with some measure of urgency. De Witt Talmage was particularly adept at preaching with urgency as this excerpt from one of his sermon illustrates. He tells of the sinking of the ship Arctic and the heroic actions of one young man who was aboard it. And as Talmage does that, he warns his listeners not to delay but to turn to Christ at that very moment.

I remember the story of the lad on the Arctic some years ago—the lad Stewart Holland. A vessel crashed into the Arctic in the time of a fog, and it was found that the ship must go down. Some of the passengers got off in the lifeboats, some got off on rafts; but three hundred went to the bottom.
During all those hours of calamity, Stewart Holland stood at the signal gun, and it sounded across the sea, boom ! boom! The helmsman forsook his place, the engineer was gone, and some fainted, and some prayed, and some blasphemed, and the powder was gone, and they could no more let off the signal gun. The lad broke in the magazine, and brought out more powder, and again the gun boomed over the sea.
Oh, my friends, I behold many of you in immortal peril. Sickness will come down after awhile upon you, death will come upon you, judgment will come upon you, eternity will come upon you. Some, having taken the warning, have gone off in the lifeboat, and they are safe; but others are not making any attempt to escape. So I stand at this signal gun of the Gospel, sounding the alarm, beware! beware! “Now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation.” The wrath to come! The wrath to come! Boom! Boom! Fly to the hope of the Gospel. Jesus waits. He stretches out His arms to all this auditory, and cries tonight with a tenderness I have never heard before : “Come unto me, all ye! Come!”

Here are a few deals to keep in mind today:

(Yesterday on the blog: Dream Small)
The Lord Almighty Reigns
You’ll enjoy this new song from Keith & Kristyn Getty.
The Fruit Grown in a Flock by Pastoral Encouragement
This article is meant to encourage pastors to be encouraging.
The Cancellation of Dr. Nassif
Carl Trueman: “For anyone wondering how traditional Christianity is going to fare in the culture in future, even within many Christian institutions, the disturbing tale of Dr. Bradley Nassif, formerly of North Park University, an institution formally connected to the theologically conservative Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), offers an interesting case in point.”
Protecting and Cultivating Your Marriage
In this brief video, Hershael York explains how ministry leaders can invest in the most valuable relationship in your life and ministry.
How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament
This is a neat ongoing series by Jason DeRouchie that means to help you know how to understand and apply the OT.
The parable of monkeypox
This article from Al Mohler is a few weeks old but still timely.
Flashback: Tips for Young (and Maybe Not-So-Young) Bloggers
Even as you grow in knowledge and begin to share that knowledge with others, be certain that you put the higher priority on humility. The Christian world has greater need of examples of humble young people than know-it-all young people.

If you give the devil your pen, he’ll write you a horror story. —David Murray

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Christian Focus Publications. They are offering copies of The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism five winners.

Each generation must not only come face to face with the truth of the gospel, receiving and embracing it for themselves; they must also guard that which is entrusted to them, in turn passing on and entrusting to yet another generation.
Stretching back to the early Church (in fact one could even say right back to Old Testament times), each successive generation has been taught in one way or another through a catechism.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism stands in a long line of catechisms that has been used as a tool to help teach ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’ (Jude v3) down through the ages and which has endured and remained with us.  Alongside the Heidelberg Catechism, the Westminster Shorter Catechism was penned during the Reformation period; Heidelberg in 1563 and the Shorter Catechism in 1647.
Since then, the Shorter Catechism has been used in Reformed and Presbyterian churches, becoming both well-loved and well-worn (though not a universal experience, otherwise we would not have felt the need for the project!)  Yet it remains that it has stood the test of time – a testimony to the work of the Assembly of Divines – and there are many children and young people learning such great truths and a great many older folk who still remember what they were taught in their day by a previous generation too.
But if you ask people about learning from a catechism you will receive mixed responses.  For some it is dry and antiquated, the reserve of students, theologians, and those folks in tweed jackets. Others ‘had’ to work through it for membership class and now see no further use.  Some may have fond memories of a parent, grandparent, or loved Sunday School teacher who lovingly taught them so many years ago and still remember clearly what they memorised.  Some of us may have no more familiarity than beyond the iconic Question 1.  But does it have to be so?
The project to publish the Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism wanted to help provide a tool to continue the use of catechism as a learning tool and form of discipleship.  It aimed to put the catechism back in hands of families, children, young people, and church leaders too; hopefully to encourage those who already practice catechetical learning; and, to introduce it  – or even reintroduce it (perhaps removing some barriers at the same time) – to those not in the practice.  As already alluded to, there can be an image of catechism as dusty, old, outdated, irrelevant, and so the aim was to undertake the project in a contemporary, accessible, and visually attractive way.
Knowing the great heritage that we were working with, how much meaning, theology, and doctrine are behind every word, great care was taken when seeking to modernise and simplify the language and phrasing, ensuring that nothing new was written or introduced.  Hopefully by updating some of the language and phrasing many more people will be introduced to the teaching of the catechism.  With the help of beautiful, carefully thought out artwork, it is hoped that the illustrations will aid teaching and learning and understanding the questions and answers of the catechism.  In our day and age, people are accustomed to great illustrations and graphics, but more than being only aesthetically attractive the illustrations used seek to capture something of the main point being covered.  We need to engage our children and young people and discuss the faith, to help them understand what they are learning – ‘what they believe and why they believe it’ type conversations.  Why not engage them with a contemporary voice that is accessible and creative?
Ultimately, we are convinced by the truth the catechism teaches – something undertaking this project only helped reinforce – and we want you to experience that, holding fast, receiving, and embracing the truth the catechism teaches.  The Shorter Catechism is worthy of the reading and study of all Christians for the truth it so concisely contains.  You may not be able to memorise it; but you can engage with it, use it, talk about it, discuss it, be amazed and humbled by it.  You can pass it on, even to another generation.

Enter Here
Again, there are five copies to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below, which will add you to Christian Focus’ mailing list.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email.
Christian Focus are giving away copies of The Illustrated Westminster Shorter Catechism to five randomly selected lucky winners who sign up to their mailing list below.

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There are a lot of authors in the Christian world, but not nearly as many writers. There are a lot of people who publish books, but few who have a level of mastery over the English language. There are a lot of people who can say what’s true, but not very many who say it beautifully.

Seth Lewis is one of those rare authors who can truly write. I have been reading his blog for a number of years and have admired his ability to write both poetry and prose that is interesting, compelling, and full of beauty. I was thrilled, then, to learn that he has now also written a book, Dream Small: The Secret Power of the Ordinary Christian Life.
Dream Small takes as its starting point the fact that most of us enlist our dreams and ambitions in the direction of self-aggrandizement. We dream big in the sense that we dream of changing the whole world. And if we fail to do so, if we fail to achieve fame, fortune, or power, we then tend to believe we have failed to live a life of significance.
“The world around you will constantly encourage you to follow your dreams,” says Lewis. “That’s not bad advice as far as it goes, but I’m asking you to pause first, and take the time to ask an important question that often gets overlooked: just where, exactly, are your dreams leading you? Before you follow your dreams, you need to aim them. And what will you aim them at? The default assumption which says that bigger dreams will always turn out better is simply not true. Where will you find better dreams?”
That’s exactly what his book is about. It’s about dreaming better dreams and then working to achieve them. This means he has to set humanity in its proper context as wonderfully significant to God, yet also infinitesimal by comparison to God. He has to explain how the gospel redeems us and directs us toward the good of others and the glory of God. He has to show that God’s values are very different from the world’s and, therefore, often very different from our own. He has to show that by dreaming small we can accumulate achievements that God deems great.

You are here for a purpose. You were carefully crafted with a perfect plan in mind. You are a character in the greatest story ever told, and your life, and your actions, and your decisions—even today—can send shockwaves into eternity. Maybe the role God has for you is big and public. Maybe it is quiet, behind the scenes, where hardly anyone will notice. Don’t worry about that. You can invest in loving God and loving the people he loves from wherever you are, and the best ways to do that have always been the closest, most ordinary, most overlooked and under-appreciated ways, like humble service to humble people and time spent with God and all the little ways we can remind each other of God’s truth and God’s love and the big story he made us to be part of.

To dream small, he explains, is not to miss out on God’s plan for our lives, but to find it, to take hold of it, and to live it out. It’s to live a life of the highest significance to the God whose ways are so very different from our own.
A few years ago the Christian world saw a whole crop of books that dealt with being ordinary—a natural reaction, I think, to books like Radical and Do Hard Things which meant to shake people out of their spiritual complacency. These books achieved their purpose, but may have also discouraged some who tried to be radical and some who tried to do hard things, but who in the end found themselves still living very ordinary lives. Dream Small offers an important correction. It shows beautifully that the most significant Christian life is also the most ordinary Christian life.

Buy from Amazon