I gently lift the baby from his cradle and hold him gingerly in my arms. He wiggles, he kicks, he grunts, and then, settling for just a moment, he seems to gaze at me inquisitively.

I look at his little hands as they grasp my thumb and I wonder: What blessings will come to others through these hands? Will they one day hold a scalpel to heal the sick or one day hold a Bible to preach the truth? What shoulders will they rest on, what eyes will they dry? How will these hands be part of God’s purpose for his world, his purpose for his people?
I look at his little feet, bare and flailing in the air and before I tuck the blanket back around them I wonder: On what missions of mercy will these feet take him? Where will he go? Whom will he serve? What will God call him to? How will these feet be used by God to fulfill his purpose and carry out his plan?
I look at his little eyes, wet with tears, and I wonder: What injustices will he see and wish to right, what sorrows will he observe and wish to console? What beauties will he gaze upon and cause his heart to rejoice, what tragedies and cause his heart to long for Christ to return?
I look at his little mouth as it utters a cry of distress and I wonder: What words of blessing will come from these lips? What wisdom will be spoken to those who are distressed and what comfort to those who are despondent? What truth will be spoken to those who have rejected it or what challenge to those who have never even heard it? How many songs of praise will he sing, how many words of delight will he utter, how many blessings will he proclaim?
A mighty oak from the smallest acorn, the greatest mustard tree from the tiniest seed, and a great and noble life from the littlest child. So much potential bound up in so tiny a person, so many possibilities lying latent, so many opportunities to serve simply waiting for time, for growth, for maturity. What a wonder is a human being! What a marvel! What a testimony to the power, the majesty, the sovereignty of our great God!

Inspired by J.R. Miller

May the Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.

What Can the Church Do About Child Protection?
“Our theological convictions about the dignity of all people made in God’s image, our understanding of the Bible’s standards for Christian character, and its demands for how we care for the vulnerable must lead to changes in the way we view abuse prevention and child protection.” Briggham Winkler offers churches some direction in protecting children from abuse.
Are There Two Creation Accounts?
“One often hears the idea that there are two creation accounts in Genesis 1–2, almost as if it were intuitively obvious.” And while there are differences between Genesis 1 and 2, does that mean there are truly two separate and contradictory accounts?
Trust Through the Dark Brings Triumph in the Dawn
“Christian, the night may feel long, but the light will dawn again. You can’t put trust in circumstances changing in the way or timing you desire, but you can trust the One who rules over them. And he cannot be unfaithful to his promises.”
The lasting legacy of ordinary believers
What a joy to know that God carries out his work through very ordinary people like you and me.
Step Into the Sand & Dip Your Toes in the Water
Lauren draws a lesson from an unimpressive (but enjoyable) beach.
Testimony of the Mind and Heart
Rebekah considers testimonies that involve the heart and the mind. “Some of our encounters with Christ are dramatic, sudden, and emotional, while some are more quiet, protracted, and cerebral. One isn’t better than the other, of course. Each is simply evidence that God works with each of us where we are at the time, with what we bring to the table.”
Flashback: 12 Marks of Excellent Pastoral Ministry
This is what an excellent pastor does. and the solemn commitments he must make.

Since we have two or three faults of our own, we ought not to be too rough when we discover that our children have as many. —De Witt Talmage

May the God of love and peace be with you today.

(Yesterday on the Blog: A Tragedy at Sea)
Making Sense of Hebrews 6:1–2
I appreciate David Mathis’s perspective on Hebrews 6:1-2. “Most commentators read this command as a summons to advance beyond basic Christian teachings. A close look at Hebrews 6:1–2 within the context of the whole letter, however, uncovers several problems with the typical interpretation.”
We need to be more sparing about when we shout ‘fire’
Stephen writes about “a certain brand of Christian. They rarely need much encouraging to get all in a lather about something. And it is especially easy to work them up if you mention ‘the government’ or ‘law’ in the same sentence. Any supposed government plan to do almost anything inevitably leads to shrieks and horror.”
Our Father in Heaven
We must never lose the wonder of calling God our Father!
The preciousness of Christ to his people above everything
“In this article, I am going to give a glimpse of why Christ is indeed the greatest treasure to believers above any earthly treasure.” We could all use that reminder, I’m sure.
Bad Spies
“Do you ever secretly scoff at Israel’s failures in the wilderness, thoroughly convinced that you would’ve done so much better? They were firsthand witnesses to so many instances of God’s saving power and miraculous and faithful provision. ‘Come on now!’ we may think. ‘What is their problem?’ How could they so easily drift from obedience into ungrateful rebellion?”
How to Handle the “Why” Questions
“However we frame it, we want to know why—why me, why you, and why does a loving God allow His people to suffer at all?” This is truly one of the most pressing questions for all of humanity.
Flashback: Dusting When the Light Is Dim
We learn that while we sin against our better judgment, God forgives in a way that is only ever consistent with his perfect judgment. We come to realize that his desire to forgive us our sins is far greater than the desire of our hearts to commit those sins. We come to know that the light has come and the darkness can never overwhelm it.

We can take as much credit for our regeneration as a new-born baby can take for its birth. —Will Dobbie

This week, the blog is written by Michael Reeves, and sponsored by Reformation Fellowship. Dr. Reeves is President and Professor of Theology at Union School of Theology in Oxford and Bridgend, United Kingdom.

I’m thrilled to invite you to be part of something new happening this November. My friends Dane Ortlund, Philip Ryken, Jeff Norris, Gwenfair Adams, and Bradley Green are joining with me to begin Reformation Fellowship. Over two days, November 11–12, 2022, we will gather at Perimeter Church, Atlanta, for teaching, fellowship, worship, and prayer.
There are many great conferences and events every year. Why come to this one?
As I travel around the world, I so often meet Christians who are weary and lonely. Others are theologically homeless or rootless. I frequently hear from pastors and leaders that they feel unsupported and isolated in ministry. Believers desperately need other believers: in their churches, in their local areas, and even sharing in partnership across oceans. Conferences of various kinds can be a great encouragement, but they usually come round but once a year and leave us all wanting more. This Fall, we want to do something different: we want to establish an ongoing fellowship. A supportive network of friendships and partnerships that stretch far beyond a one-off event and play a part in sustaining us all day to day for years to come.

People of the Gospel
The heart of true Christian unity has always been the gospel, far more than any group identities, denominational alignments, or cultural agendas. So, when we gather in Atlanta, our theme will be The Gospel: Our Hope, Our Banner. It is under the banner of the gospel that Christians find true unity and deep fellowship. Drawn by the Father’s revelation of himself, redeemed by the Son, and having hearts transformed by the Holy Spirit, we are able to stand firm amid all that comes against us, and stand together shoulder to shoulder – even amid our differences.
For two days, we will gather and enjoy plenary teaching sessions and breakout tracks. We won’t simply talk about the gospel or merely download content about the gospel; we will revel in it together. We want to minister to the hurting, to lift drooping hands, to strengthen weak knees. We want to initiate true fellowship that will extend into the days ahead. We will prioritise praying together in breakout tracks (serving pastors, women, theologians, and others) and we will be forming groups for ongoing mutual support and fellowship beyond the conference. We will be fuelling your Christian life and ministry with our magazine, podcast, online gatherings, and more into the future. Our aim is that everyone who attends will leave with new friendships, as a band of brothers and sisters shaped and formed by the gospel.
In Reformation Fellowship we will support each other as people of the gospel together. I would love to welcome you to be a part of it.
Book now.

I once read of a terrible tragedy at sea, a shipwreck in which many were swept into the ocean and lost. As the ship foundered and splintered, as first the lower decks and then the upper succumbed to the winds and the waves, most of the passengers sank into the depths. But still fighting for their lives were a father and son who had been traveling together from the Old World to the New.

As the ship slipped lower and lower, the two scrambled into the rigging and began to climb upwards. But it was to little avail. The rains continued to pour down upon them and the waves continued to pound up against them. Though they clung tightly and with all the strength they had, the elements were set against them and they began to grow cold and weary. It was only a matter of time.
Then the moment came when, to his great horror, the father saw his son lose his grip and plunge into the sea. Before he could do anything more than cry out in grief and horror, a great wave crashed against him and he blacked out. As light gave way to dark, he knew only that his son had fallen and slipped beneath the waves.
Hours later the father, alive but exhausted, was rescued, plucked from the ocean by a passing ship. He was laid in a bunk where he lapsed into a deep unconsciousness. After a good bit of time had passed he awoke with a deep dread in his heart, overwhelmed by the grief of his terrible loss. But as he became aware, as his eyes opened and his senses cleared, he turned his head and saw lying beside him his very own son. What a glorious thing it was for him to wake up to see his son alive and well, saved from the storm, saved from death!
And my friends, what a glorious thing it will be on the day of resurrection when the trumpet blast wakes us from our slumber and when the cry of command calls us from the grave.
What a glorious thing it will be when we wake to find our loved ones beside us, emerging from the same cemeteries—the same plots even—to live forevermore.
What a glorious thing it will be when, like that father and son, we rise to live eternally with so many of our loved ones—those we saw lowered into the cold earth, those to whom we bid a sorrowful farewell, perhaps even those we were sure had been lost forever.
What a glorious thing it will be to rise with them to live forevermore in that place where there will be no more weeping, no more dying, and no more parting—that place where we will dwell in perfect peace and never-ending safety.

Good morning and happy Monday!

I am away this week so will not be updating Kindle deals very often. Beyond that it will be business as usual. That said, there are some good ones there today.
(Yesterday on the blog: How We Worshipped)
Bulletproof
This article deals with sorrows and hope, with fear and faith.
You Are Not a Slave to Sin—Even if You Feel Like One
“Imagine yourself travelling down a long country road. Looking ahead, on one side you see a high chain link fence, and on the other you see an open field. As you drive closer, you can see people behind the fence and people in the field.” This opens quite a helpful illustration for our relationship to sin.
Making and Keeping Friends in Ministry
“Ideas of friendship will undoubtedly vary from person to person. Some may define friendship in terms of common interests, common enemies, or shared experiences. I imagine for you, like me, friendships in your own life come in all shapes and sizes. This has been the case throughout history.”
Three Signs of False Teachers
It is important to be able to spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “When a wolf looks at sheep, what does he see? Food. His motivation for getting close to sheep is not to care for their needs or protect them from danger; it’s to feed on them. But in order to get close to sheep, a wolf employs deceptive tactics to keep the sheep from discerning his dangerous presence before he can achieve his aims.”
Idols of the heart and “Vanity Fair”
CCEF has shared one of David Powlison’s classic journal articles titled “Idols of the Heart and ‘Vanity Fair.’” It’s a long read, but a rewarding one.
Isn’t Christianity just an oppressive set of rules?
“Whenever I ask someone with no experience of church what they think a Christian is, they usually tell me that they think a Christian is someone who tries to be good. Someone who follows a complex set of rules to try and obey their God. It is easy to see why people get that impression.” I’m so thankful our faith is so much more than that!
Flashback: Are You Living Worthy of the Gospel?
We need to live in such a way that we enhance the reputation of the gospel and the Christ of the gospel. We must not do anything that damages its reputation.

A passion to preach without a discipline to prepare is just a desire to perform. —H.B. Charles Jr.

Every now and again I like to share an example of one of our worship services from Grace Fellowship Church. I hope that by doing this others will begin to share their services as well so we can learn and benefit from one another. If there is something you see here that would bless your church, you have permission to pilfer freely!

This service’s cast of characters included Paul as our service leader and preacher and Steve as the elder who prayed the pastoral prayer. Our band consisted of piano and bass with three female vocalists. The various elements of the service are in bold with the name of the person who led the element in parentheses. Items in quotes represent roughly what the person said to the congregation. Items not in quotes are explanatory. The entire service took approximately 90 minutes.
Pre-Service Singing
In order to integrate a little more music into our time together, we often sing an extra song or two five minutes before our 10:00 AM start time. This week we sang Psalm 103.
Call To Worship (Paul)
“Are you lonely? Then come to the One who will ‘consider your affliction and your trouble, and forgive all your sins.’
“Are you tired? Then come to the One who ‘has been your help, in the shadow of whose wings you will sing for joy.’
“Are you caught in a mess? Then come to the One who ‘is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Since you know His name, put your trust in Him, for our LORD, has never forsaken those who seek Him.’
“Are you weighed down by sin and guilt? Then come to the One who ‘is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, If we confess our sins to Him.’
“Are you thankful and happy in God? The come to the One who ‘has told you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’
“Come to God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit… and worship Him. There is nothing gained by departing from God, and nothing lost by being faithful to your Friend.”
Singing (Allie)

“Jesus, What a Friend For Sinners”
“One There Is Above All Others”

Pastoral Prayer (Steve)
Steve led the pastoral prayer. Each week we pray for items that are urgent but also some that are “scheduled.” This week those included one like-minded church in our city, one missionary overseas, and our annual business meeting which was later that day.
Singing (Allie)

“May Your Power Rest on Me”
“What God Ordains Is Always Good”

Scripture Reading (Paul)
“Please take your Bible and turn to Psalm 95. We will be reading the entire psalm. You will find that on page 499 if you are using one of our church Bibles. If you don’t have a Bible of your own, please take that one as our gift to you. This is what Holy Scripture says…”

[Paul read Psalm 95]

He closed the reading with, “This is the word of the Lord,” to which the congregation responded, “Thanks be to God.”
Sermon (Paul)
Paul preached a topical sermon on delighting in God through rest (this being the start of the holiday season in Canada) using as his texts Genesis 2, Psalm 95, and Hebrews 3-4. “The notion of rest sounds like music to the ears of a busy Canadian. Our lives are pounded with expectations and we rarely slow down long enough to engage with God. Perhaps this is due to our lack of comprehension of what it means to be saved? Have we entered into the Father’s rest? Are we living lives that depend on His endless grace to keep busy with good works? Are we doing our work now, in His strength, striving to get to that ultimate rest with Him forever?”

God Has Rested and Is Resting
We Are Born Into a State of Unrest
Hurry Up and Rest

Singing (Allie)

“Jesus, Lover Of My Soul”

Lord’s Supper (Paul)
It is our custom to celebrate Lord’s Supper twice a month. One of these is a “long” version in which it is the major theme of the entire service; one of these is a “short” version in which it is just one element in a full service. This was the short variation.
Singing (Allie)

“We Will Feast in the House of Zion”

Commission (Paul)
Paul tied the message of the sermon into a “commission” that challenged the church to live out its truths throughout the week.
Benediction (Paul)
The benediction was based on 1 Kings 8:57–61: “May the LORD our God be with you, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave you nor forsake you, but incline your heart to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments. May He maintain your cause, as each day requires, that everyone on earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other. And may He keep your heart wholly true to Him today and every day. Amen.”

May you know God’s richest blessings as you serve and worship him this weekend.

Richard Dawkins Is (Partly) Right about Pro-Life People
“Richard Dawkins is right.” That’s not something you hear often from a site dedicated to apologetics. And, not surprisingly, Dawkins is only partially right.
Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?
“If he is all-loving and all-powerful, why does God allow the righteous to suffer?” This article looks at some examples from the Bible to provide at least a partial answer.
How Do Hearts Grow?
“How do you know your heart is maturing, that you’re developing, that you’re more than just your yesterday-self?” Well all want to know we’re making such progress, don’t we?
Between Two Graves: Calvin on the Waters Above and Below
“One of the quirkier parts of the early books of Genesis for modern readers is the way in which it speaks of ‘waters above’ and ‘waters below’.” Calvin’s thoughts on it are really interesting.
Why technology makes our lives easier yet more meaningless
“It seems we’ve struck a deal with our devices that so much resembles the bargains with the tricksters from the old stories. A genie appears to grant your wish. But once you have what your flesh desired you find you’ve lost something of yourself in the exchange. We wished for peace and quiet, and what we got was loneliness. We wished for the world at our fingertips, but what we got was all the world’s anxieties. We wished to banish boredom and difficulty, but what we got was meaninglessness.”
The Water and the Blood
Nick Batzig takes a crack at resolving one of the most difficult biblical details to interpret.
Flashback: Leave and Cleave Like a Strawberry
The God who created family is clear that marriage creates a new family unit, but also clear that biology matters and that the forming of a new unit does not entirely rupture the old one.

Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness. Hence where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law. Each forgets self and lives for others. —J.R. Miller

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: What a Wonder Is a Human Being!)
Did Jesus Tell Us to Give to Every Panhandler?
I think John Piper does a good job of answering this. “At the last judgment — I’ve thought about this many times — I think Jesus will be much more prone to commend lavish generosity to the undeserving than he will be to commend how shrewd we were in keeping for ourselves our few dollars rather than giving them away. I just can’t imagine Jesus saying, ‘Wow, you were especially good at being shrewd at not being taken advantage of.’ I don’t hear anything like that in Jesus’s teachings.”
When Technology Harms Discipleship
“Years ago before social media, televangelists and online ministries people would walk to a pastor’s home for advice. If they didn’t think it was such a serious matter they’d share with a friend or a few in the fellowship. But life has changed. We now live on one end of the city and go to church on the other side. Our favourite men of God live in a different continent from us. We send our prayers across the seas with a small gift to make sure they are answered. And anonymity means we can share very personal issues to strangers and get advice from people removed from our local context.”
Win Free Admission for Two: 2023 Ligonier National Conference
Ligonier Ministries is offering free admission to ten pairs of winners at their 2023 National Conference, Stand Firm. Taking place in Orlando, FL, on March 23–25, 2023, this conference will encourage Christians to live courageously and without compromise amid changing times, finding stability in the eternal truth of God’s Word. Enter the giveaway today for the possibility of being randomly selected to win free entry for two people.
Even if you aren’t selected to win admission to Ligonier’s 2023 National Conference, you can still save on your registration with the early-bird discount for a limited time. 
Please note that free admission to the conference does not include travel or lodging expenses. (Sponsored Link)
Why Washed in the Blood of Christ is Better Than in my Washing Machine
This article helpfully compares one kind of washing with another.
3 Steps to Examining Your Faith
Here are some helps to obeying in the Bible’s admonitions that we examine our faith.
Who Knew When We Said “I do?”
How many of us really know what we’re doing when we say “I do?”
Was Jesus in the Grave for Three Days?
Lots of people have wondered why there appears to be a contradiction here.
Flashback: My Great Daily Challenge As a Christian
Why do I fail to live the way I want to live, the way God tells me to live, the way God enables and equips me to live? What is the great daily challenge?

I had rather die a Covenant-keeper, than live a Covenant-breaker. —Christopher Love

Grace, mercy, and peace to you today.

Three Reasons Not to Yell at Your Kids
“Before we had kids, we might have looked with pity or disdain on this poor man. ‘I will never yell at my children.’ But after having children, at some point, that day comes—the day when it’s all just too much. And we yell. And that’s a problem.” It is, indeed.
A Nobody in One Country, Famous in the Next
This is a fantastic illustration of an even better reality.
Win Your Free Copy of The R.C. Sproul Signature Classics
Ligonier Ministries is giving away 100 free copies of The R.C. Sproul Signature Classics, a six-volume collection containing some of Dr. Sproul’s most influential books. Enter the giveaway today for your opportunity to win thousands of pages of faithful, biblical teaching. (Sponsored Link)
The FAQs: Queer Theory and American Politics
This is a useful FAQ on queer theory—what it is and where it originated.
Transformation of a Transgender Teen
“Eva was in a church luncheon when she got an email from her 12-year-old daughter Grace. (Their names have been changed.) ‘Mom and Dad, I need to tell you I’m not actually a girl,’ she read. ‘My pronouns are they/them.’” Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra tells about the transformation of a transgender teen.
The temptation: beautiful woman, or old hag?
“I’m preaching a series through the temptations of Christ, and in my studying I realized that there is a stark interpretive choice a preacher has to make. Is the temptation account primarily in the Bible to give us a description of how we are to resist temptation, or is it in the Bible to show us a picture of someone who fights temptation in our place?”
What Can Protestants Learn From Thomas Aquinas?
If you’re in the mood for some theological reading, you’ll find a new issue of Credo magazine free to read. The theme of this one is Thomas Aquinas.
Flashback: Joy Is for the Generous
Each one gave as he decided in his own heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion. God loves that kind of cheerful giver and God’s people love to be that kind of cheerful giver. God granted and his people gained joy.

Faith stands or falls on the truth that the future with God is more satisfying than the one promised by sin. Where this truth is embraced and God is cherished above all, the power of sin is broken. —John Piper