Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends and family. May it be a day of many blessings. You enjoy your holiday and I’ll get to work on putting together a great big list of Black Friday deals for tomorrow.

(Yesterday on the blog: Before You Go On the Attack)
I Love My Transgender Child. I Love Jesus More.
“My son professed faith in Jesus at a young age. He consistently engaged in spiritual conversations with me, our family, and our church family. We taught the Scriptures in our home through words and actions. So it came as a shock to us when, last year, he stated he had gender dysphoria and wondered if he was transgender. Within a few months, our 18-year-old firmly believed he was transgender and that an LGBT+ identity was compatible with Scripture’s teaching.”
Does the Bible demand the disciplinary smacking of children?
Stephen takes a look at various Bible passages to ask whether the Scripture really demands that we smack/spank young children as a form of discipline.
When You’re Envious of Others
Christa very transparently shares her battle with envy—how it affected her and how she found success in the battle against it.
Bible Scholar Thinks THIS is a Bible Contradiction (Video)
Tim addresses a Bible scholar who says he has spotted a contradiction in the Bible.
I’ve Been a Prosperity Gospel Parent
Hopefully you have a free article with CT so you can read this one. “With a confidence on the scale of first-year seminary students, we proof-texted all the verses in the Bible about parenting, order, and discipline, and we plugged it into an equation for perfect parenting. Our kids were going to be awesome because we were going to be awesome parents. We were parenting by the Book.”
Don’t Always Avoid Pain
Kuza explains why we shouldn’t always avoid pain.
Flashback: A Simple But Life-Changing Realization
To the Christian, God’s commands are promises. They are promises that you really can be this, you really can have this, you really can do this if you take hold of what he offers. God does not merely give the command and then leave you to your own devices.

When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety. —A.W. Tozer

A classic strategy in times of warfare is to dehumanize the enemy. No sooner has a conflict broken out than the two sides begin to refer to one another as animals rather than men, as mere creatures rather than human beings. It is difficult to harm another person and abnormal to kill one. Our humanity naturally rebels against it. But the challenge becomes easier when the enemy soldier is an animal instead of a man. After all, it is human beings rather than animals who have particular rights and dignities.

Similarly, a classic strategy in times of church conflict or theological debate is to demean the person who believes what you do not. Even if you do not quite regard the other person as an animal, you can regard him as a heretic or an enemy of the faith, as something other than a Christian. If the strategy of military leaders is to make their soldiers regard the enemy as less than human, the strategy of many believers is to regard their theological enemies as less than Christian. After all, the Bible provides clear instructions about the love, respect, and honor we owe to our fellow Christians. We permit ourselves to circumvent such instructions when the other person is an apostate or unbeliever.
In times of conflict or debate among those who profess the Christian faith, it is crucial to relate to others rightly. It is crucial to bear in mind who this person is and how God calls us to relate to him.
We need to bear in mind that this person is a human being. He has been created by God in the image of God and deserves all the dignity that comes with this highest of honors. God made man a little lower than the angels but much higher than any other created being. Of man alone he said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” To man alone he gave the creation mandate and dominion over this earth. God regarded man as a special creature and one of special worth. Surely we ought to do the same.
And then we must also consider that this person is God’s child. Not only has he been created by God in the image of God, but he has been saved by Jesus Christ and is being re-created in his image. He was loved by God before the ages began, saved by God when Christ died for his sins, and indwelled by God when he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He has been adopted into God’s family and rightly considers God his Father. He is no longer under the dominion of Satan but is within the family of God—he is a precious child of our Heavenly Father.
That being the case, we need to also consider that this person is a brother. He is not a brother in a casual sense as if we are members of the same fan club or enthusiasts of the same hobby. He is a brother in a sense that is even more profound and longer-lasting than biology. We have the same Father and are therefore members of the same family—a family that has been called out of all humanity to be loved by God and to display the glory of God. The love, loyalty, and honor we owe to him is that of a brother to a brother.
And then we also need to consider that we will be in relationship with one another for all of eternity. The relationship we have now will continue past death and into endless life beyond. Of course it will be perfected and all will be reconciled and forgiven when we pass from earth to heaven. But there is a long and glorious future between us, a future in which we will live together forever, brothers who have been justified and glorified. God’s calling on all of us is to enact that relationship now, to begin to live on earth as if we were in heaven, to demonstrate heavenly virtues during our earthly lives.
And so in times of disagreement and times of debate, we must be careful to relate to one another in the ways God commands. We owe it to them and we owe it to Him to afford one another all the patience a human being deserves, all the dignity a child of God deserves, all the respect a brother deserves, and all the love deserved by a friend with whom we will spend all of eternity.

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

There is another little batch of new Kindle deals for those who may be interested.
Is Work Good?
“Here’s a quick word association test: What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word work? Go ahead and think about it. Regardless of your answer, I’m guessing that few of us would respond with the word good. We don’t tend to think of work as good, but rather as difficult, frustrating, and exhausting.”
Loaves and Casserole Dishes: Will Church Cookbooks Survive?
Do you remember the church cookbook? I enjoyed reading this article from CT where they ask whether it’s likely to survive.
Introducing Eikon 5.2 (Fall 2023)
CBMW has released a new edition of their journal Eikon. This edition focuses on masculinity and features articles from James M. Hamilton Jr., Richard D. Phillips, Kevin DeYoung, Alexander Strauch, and Kyle Claunch. It also offers quite a number of book reviews.
What Happened at ETS 2023?
I don’t go to ETS so always enjoy Denny Burk’s annual roundups of some of what happened there. What happens in the academy eventually finds its way to the pew.
The Goal of Our Instruction
Betty-Anne Van Rees: “When a hurting or struggling soul reaches out for care, they generally have one thing in mind—relief. We empathize. Haven’t we all felt the angst of longing for life to be somehow less difficult than it is? Less conflict, less cruelty, less inner turmoil, less pain, just less suffering. As helpers, it’s easy to get caught up in working toward that relief. What circumstances can we change that will alleviate the struggle? A different job? A new neighborhood or church? Cut ties with that difficult friend? Won’t this help?”
This & Tat in a Christian Bookshop
Paul Levy reflects on an alarming visit to a Christian bookshop. “The issue I think with my visit to the bookshop is the issue of God’s weightiness. The Christian gospel is gloriously simple and joyful and yet it is not light and weightless. God is our Father, yes, but he is also in Heaven. His glory should weigh heavily upon us. The bible is wonderfully clear but there is also a glorious depth to it. We mustn’t be content with a superficial understanding of our faith.”
Flashback: Helpful Things You Can Say to Grieving Parents
It can be awkward to reach out to those who are deep in grief. It can be hard to know what to say and easy to believe that our words are more likely to offend than comfort, to make a situation worse rather than better. We sense that our words ought to be few, but also that the worst thing to say is nothing at all.

A home, and not a grave, is the true ending of our earthly life; we depart, not to be, as we say, ‘dead’, but really to live. —P.B. Power

Logos users will want to keep tabs on the Cyber Week Sale that launched yesterday. Lots of commentaries, reference works, and other material is on sale. And, of course, stay tuned for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals as the weekend approaches.

Today’s Kindle deals include a number of interesting books.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Blessing of a Higher Purpose in Our Pain)
Chief Cheerleader
Patsy writes about the importance of having and being a cheerleader in the race of life. “I pray you have at least one person standing staunchly on your cheering corner. Equally important, who might need your encouragement? Is there someone in your circle whose trot has turned into a trudge? Maybe your voice is the very one they need to hear cheering them on.”
Slippery Slopes & Finding Allies
Matthew Hosier considers complementarianism and egalitarianism and their relationship to some of the other issues in the church today.
That Bible Verse You Don’t Like and What to Do About It
“Out of the 31,102 verses in the Bible, it’s entirely possible that you don’t necessarily like every single one of them. That some of them might actually get under your skin.” Rebekah considers what to do when you encounter one of them.
Why You Should Wait to Go to Seminary
Should you go to seminary when you are young or wait until you’ve got some ministry experience? TGC has two articles, one that takes each position. (See the other here.)
Am I A Good Mom?
I expect that this article will resonate with a good number of moms. “Every day, I am faced with opportunities to fail or succeed but there is no one other than my three kids under three to see. For the last three years, I have constantly strived to be the best and most God-honoring mother I can be. In my striving, I have never, ever felt more like a failure.”
Arenas Are Cathedrals: What Sports Reveal About Worship
Mark Jones loves sports, yet wants to carefully consider their place in the Christian life. “Professional sports reveal that we were made to worship, celebrate glory, and admire excellence. We are worshiping beings. It is not whether we worship but what or whom we worship. And many today worship sports in some form or another.”
Flashback: To the Impetuous and Impulsive
Know that God uses all kinds of people to carry out his good and glorious purposes. Embrace the personality rather than squelching it.

There is no panic in Heaven! God has no problems, only plans. —Corrie ten Boom

Today’s post is sponsored by BJU Seminary and written by Bruce Meyer, biblical counseling faculty member. BJU Seminary equips Christian leaders through an educational and ministry experience that is biblically shaped, theologically rich, historically significant, and evangelistically robust.

What do we do with dark despair?
If you know anything about depression, you know that its seems to be a ubiquitous problem but also a controversial subject. How could it be that we misunderstand such a common problem? Because in this world, there are many common problems for which we have little understanding. Left to ourselves, we often interpret situations through a lens that is at best fuzzy and at worst extremely fractured. So what should we make of such a common problem that causes such severe grief in so many?
As we always should, let’s begin with what the Scriptures say about depression. Depending upon what translation a person uses, the word depression may not even appear in the Bible. Other words like sadness, despair, or grief, however, certainly establish that this emotion transcends time as much as the fallen human condition. Biblical authors, therefore, were neither ignorant of nor immune to heavy sadness that humans experience in daily living. Whatever term one chooses to use, there are countless passages that address this aspect of our fallenness. Even the Messiah was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). We can trace these episodes of sorrow backwards to the Fall in Genesis 3, the beginning of all sorrows.
It should be an axiom of life that both the horrors of hell and the joys of heaven sometimes leak into this world in varying degrees. We long, however, for more joys and fewer horrors, a longing that keeps nudging our eyes toward our Father and heaven. How should we respond when we, as children of God, experience some of those horrors? Has God left us without hope, without solutions, without answers? As prevalent as sadness is in the Scriptures, so are God’s words of hope, beginning right after the Fall with a promised deliverer (Gen. 3:15). We should know also that our grief is merely a symptom of living in a broken world, but God’s hope overrules all despair. Hope in God is the operative concept.
God has provided His children with focused truth that gives comforting direction in moments of depression and despair. Lament psalms constitute the largest portion of the psalter—59 in all. These laments are complaints about the psalmists’ circumstances, including complaints about God’s seeming inattentiveness. Psalm 88 is the darkest of the laments, yet it offers the hope of deliverance through a God who saves: “O LORD, God of my salvation; I cry out day and night before you” (v. 1). Although the hope in this psalm is brief in contrast to the complaints, the psalmist is still expectantly engaging with God through his pleas for deliverance (v. 2). Did you see the hope again?
The most directly applicable psalms to despairing sadness are Psalms 42 and 43. The two psalms are linked through the common question, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?” (42:5) that the psalmist sprinkles throughout both passages. In each psalm the author not only describes his heavy sorrows, but also preaches hope to his own soul through the nature and work of God. There it is again—hope!
If none of these psalms provide the salve your heavy heart needs, then dig into the other 56 laments. These laments will direct your heart to the Savior-God who rescues us not only from sin, but from the shattering despair we encounter in this life. As we walk with him, we can experience a living hope in our living God that sooths the aching soul.
Join BJU Seminary January 29–31 for its CoRE Conference on “The Return of Hope: Dealing with Depression in the Church.” Save with the early bird discount until December 15!

It is amazing what struggles people will endure when they do so for a purpose they believe in. It is amazing what struggles people will deliberately bring upon themselves when they believe such struggles are the means to a desirable end. Athletes endure endless hours of training, excruciating times of preparation, and the pain of pushing themselves to the very edge of their endurance. And they do it all for the glory of a trophy, medal, or personal best. Students endure long hours, late nights, and difficult exams when they believe that their studies will eventually lead to a comfortable and fulfilling career. Women endure the struggles of pregnancy, the pains of labor, and the midnight feedings all for the joy of being a mother to a child.

But what of the trials we do not choose for ourselves, the trials that are thrust upon us without our desire and without our consent? What of the trials that do not lead to achieving a goal or attaining a sense of fulfillment? What of the trials that arise from without instead of within, from the mysteries of God’s providence rather than the longing of our hearts?
In such times, it is a tremendous blessing for Christians to consider why God has created us and why God has called us to live in this world. The chief end of man, the Catechism says sublimely, is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This is the chief and meta purpose, the purpose that encompasses all we are, all we do, and all we experience. It is the purpose that suffuses every lesser circumstance as well—including our times of suffering.
So what is the chief end of suffering, we might ask? The chief end of suffering is to glorify God and enjoy him. The chief end of trials is to glorify God and enjoy him. The chief end of affliction is to glorify God and enjoy him. The purpose of our lives is the purpose of our times of struggle, loss, grief, illness, and bereavement.
God may be accomplishing many things through our times of difficulty. He may be shifting our gaze from earth to heaven and causing us to have a greater longing for his presence. He may be refining our hearts and increasing our faith. He may be using our trials to bless and encourage others or to set an example they can follow. He may be making use of our suffering to show the world around us that our love for him is deep, real, and lasting and that we will love him in the darkness as much as we claim in the light.
But in all of it, we can be certain that there is a higher purpose and a higher calling: to glorify God and enjoy him. Those who reject God have no higher purpose and no higher calling, for they will not glorify God and they will not enjoy him. But we can commit ourselves to glorifying him—praising him, worshiping him, proclaiming our confidence in him—even when our bodies, minds, and hearts are broken. And we can commit ourselves to enjoying him—loving him, maintaining a relationship with him, and finding pleasure in his promises—even when so much of what we love has been taken from us.
We can, we must, glorify him and enjoy him, for this gives purpose to our lives and this gives purpose to our sorrows. There is no circumstance that is ultimately purposeless for there is no circumstance outside our mandate to glorify our God and to enjoy him both now and forevermore.

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include a number of books on apologetics.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Prayer for Times of Anxiety)
Conrad Mbewe shared yesterday that his son Mwansa has gone to be with the Lord. I know you’ll want to be in prayer for the Mbewe family.
How Adoption Mirrors God’s Love for the Fatherless
Amy DiMarcangelo: “Throughout history, God has faithfully used Christians to play a pivotal role in orphan care. Until Christ’s return—when he brings full restoration and makes all things new—we’re called to continue this work.”
4 Aspects of Being Made in God’s Image
What’s bound up in being made in God’s image? Doug explains here.
Lamenting the Church Plant Fad
“I cannot tell you how thankful I am for the quality of church planting movements I have been a part of and a cheerleader for in the last decade across our country. I have seen a genuine uptick in church planting taking its rightful place as a critical value for many denomination and mission organizations. It is right and a beautiful answer to prayers for our nation. It also is in jeopardy of becoming a fad.”
What is Mormonism? And is it different than Christianity? (Video)
This video from Radical helpfully lays out the issues with Mormonism.
Order and Beauty: A Little Theology of Christian Writing
Greg Morse provides a little theology of Christian writing and does so by looking at the Bible’s Wisdom Literature.
Thankfulness (and other habits)
“Historically, Christians have sometimes been too quick to over-spiritualize all anxieties and mental struggles. They recognize the sin and spiritual brokenness that is at the root of all issues, but sometimes offer only spiritual solutions without considering all the complicated mental issues that may be underlying it. In recent years as conversations about mental health are becoming more and more common, some people have gone too far the other way.”
Flashback: A Reflection of Christ
In my leadership am I providing an accurate picture of Christ? Or do the ones I lead see an image of Christ that is warped and distorted? Do they see me looking out for their well-being as Christ looked out for the well-being of those he loved?

‘Wait on the Lord’…is a necessary word, for God often keeps us waiting. He is not in such a hurry as we are, and it is not his way to give more light on the future than we need for action in the present, or to guide us more than one step at a time. —J.I. Packer

This life is filled with many cares, many concerns, and many anxieties. It is fitting that in our times of trouble we turn to the Lord, the one who is always eager to hear us and to bless us. This prayer from George Swinnock gives words to such prayers. Perhaps it would serve you to make its words your own.

You, O God, are all good things and every good thing.You are self-sufficient, alone-sufficient and all-sufficient.Nothing is wanting in you, either for my soul’s protection from all evil or for its perfection with all good.
When I am ambitious, you are a crown of glory and a royal diadem.When I am covetous, you are unsearchable riches, yes, durable riches and righteousness.When I am filled with desire, you are rivers of pleasures and fullness of joy.When I am hungry, you are a banquet of aged wine and the best of meats.When I am weary, you are rest, a shadow from the heat and a shelter from the storm.When I am weak, you are the Lord Jehovah in whom is everlasting strength.When I am in doubt, you are marvellous in counsel.When I am in darkness, you are the Sun of righteousness, an eternal light.When I am sick, you are the God of my health.When I am sorrowful, you are the God of all comforts.When I am in distress, your name is a strong tower, in which I may run and find safety.When I am dying, you are the fountain and Lord of life.
You are a universal medicine against all sorts of miseries. Whatever my calamity is, you can remove it; whatever my necessity, you can relieve it.
You are silver, gold, honour, delight, food, raiment, house, land, peace, wisdom, power, beauty, father, mother, wife, husband, mercy, love, grace, glory, and infinitely more than all these.
(Drawn from Into His Presence by Tim Chester)

My thanks goes to Mitch Maher for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about Clarifying the Bible & Clarifying The Apostle Paul. Both are tremendous resources.

Today’s Kindle deals include Thomas Schreiner’s excellent title on the spiritual gifts as well as several other good books and commentaries. I also added a list of historical and general market titles that caught my eye.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Truth About Lies)
I’m Adopted
Malinda shares a sweet and vulnerable article on her adoption. “I still struggle with depressive cycles. At times, I still feel unwanted, unloved and discardable. At times, I’m triggered by events and people in my present that reinforce the trauma of my past. And yet, God is faithful. He continues to reveal places of hurt and anguish and there’s still weeping. But there’s also rejoicing. I’ve even come to the place of being able to rejoice in my earthly adoption—looking at it beyond “being lucky.” In the process of learning to see my earthly adoption as a gift, I’ve learned a few things.”
G. K. Beale on the Expected Universalization of the Old Testament Land Promises
TGC has a clarifying trio of articles here. “On the one-month anniversary of the war between Hamas and Israel, we asked three senior evangelical statesmen—G. K. Beale, Darrell Bock, and Gerald McDermott—to explain the depths of this biblical relationship between Israel and the land and to consider whether it continues to be relevant to the church in our time.” You can read the other entries here: Darrell Bock | Gerald McDermott
What Does John 10:10 Mean?
“Jesus’ mission statement in John 10:10 states, ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.’ If your interpretation of ‘abundantly’ doesn’t go beyond fine dining, designer clothes, or a luxury car, then you are missing His point.” Tyler Kenney explains.
Peace Near the End of the Road
Andy writes very movingly about his wife’s final days. “Robyn’s disease has progressed significantly. She sleeps most of the day now. When she is awake she has very little energy. We have had to stop all visits as it’s been just too much for her. We don’t know how much longer she will be with us.”
Natural Landscape Photo Awards
There are some tremendously beautiful photos to admire in this list of competition winners.
Work Hard To Be Encouraged
“‘What’d you think of that sermon?’ An innocent question with zero ill intent, but one I’m trying to avoid.” It’s worth reading Jacob’s reasoning.
Flashback: Set Loose in a Mud Pit
When your heart is at peace, so too can be your hands, your feet, and your mouth. In times of difficulty, then, display in your outward demeanor the peace that rules within.

God sometimes drives a very straight nail with a very poor hammer. —De Witt Talmage

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Clarifying The Apostle Paul, who also sponsored the blog this week.

My name is Mitch Maher. I’m the husband of Tara, daddy to three girls, and pastor at Redeemer Community Church in Katy, TX. I’m also the creator of both Clarifying The Bible, which has been promoted on challies.com over the years, and Clarifying The Apostle Paul, which sponsored a post just this week.
I’m giving away three copies of Tim Keesee’s latest book A Days Journey: Stories of Hope and Death-Defying Joy.
I’m 50 years old, and these last six years have been the hardest of my life. The political turmoil, social upheaval, and Covid craziness took their toll on us all—our families, our churches, and our nations. On top of this I served our city through the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, endured some painful staff turnover and all that comes with that, buried my dear momma, and saw three planned sabbaticals “disappear” for this reason or that. That’s quite a bit—enough to leave the strongest among us frazzled.
But, I’m just getting started.

In December 2017 my sweet wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was quite a blow. But, after a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2018 she is doing wonderful—cancer free!
Then, in May 2021 I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. An endoscopy I hoped would reveal an esophageal stricture instead revealed a sizeable tumor. Another blow. Yet, after chemotherapy, radiation, major surgery (Ivor Lewis Esophagectomy), and a year of immunotherapy, I am doing great—cancer free and about 40 lbs. lighter!
Then early this year, in January 2023 our 14-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. A lump. Surely just an inflamed lymph node. Nope. The hardest of blows. Still, after chemotherapy and radiation, she is doing amazing—it appears cancer free!

Harvey. Staffing. Death. Politics. Upheaval. Covid. CANCER. CANCER. CANCER. It has felt like an old Batman cartoon. Boom! Pow! Wham! Even so, it is well with my soul. God is good all the time; all the time, God is good.
In light of this, I’m giving away three copies of A Days Journey. As readers of challies.com, I’m sure you are familiar with Tim Keesee. His work sending Gospel workers to some of the hardest places in the world and his video series and delightful books (Dispatches from the Front and A Company of Heroes) which chronicle the ministry, suffering, and joy of our brothers and sisters across the globe, are worthy of your consideration.
But for the last several years Tim has been fighting an incurable cancer. In his sufferings he has demonstrated great faith, hope, and love, along with a steely resolve that aims to seize as many “Kingdom dreams” as possible before the Lord calls him home. And in this newest book he takes us along for some of the journey. I’ve said to others, “Most books teach us how to live. And A Day’s Journey surely does. But unlike so many others, this book also teaches us how to die. Unless the Lord returns, we must all cross that river. You need to read this book.”
I hope you win a copy!
To Enter
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. The winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on November 18th at noon.