Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

There have been a few Kindle deals shared this week. You can browse and see them if you like. We’ll hope for more next week!
New Beginnings: On God’s Mercy and Grace
“The beginning of a new school year was always one of my favorite times. There was something exciting about seeing unopened textbooks and knowing that by the end of the year, I would have a thorough understanding of that new subject, or at least evidence that I gave it my best effort. It was a time of new beginnings, regardless of last year’s results.”
Jesus Holds Us Fast
Blake rejoices in the simple truth that Jesus holds us fast.
Light and Life for the Year to Come
Sarah Valentour: “This time of year, we make lists, picking our lives apart for small ways to improve. We seek ways to become the ‘best us’ we can be, searching for answers within ourselves. But as the world preaches the salvation of self-care, God calls his people to a life of holiness, emulating him, in order to become children of light.”
Winning Your Child’s Heart with Winsome Words
“Do we understand the impact of our words on our children? We utter words every day in all sorts of situations, often without intentionality. Sometimes, when we are using words to keep order and get things done, we lose sight of the power they possess.” Darby Strickland reminds us of the power of words to build up and tear down.
Blessed
“So there I was, feeling pretty sorry for myself, and arguing with the Lord. Things had not worked out like I thought they should. ‘Lord, You said that if I looked into your law and obeyed it, I would be blessed. This doesn’t feel much like a blessing.’ There it was in black and white, and yet I did not feel blessed in my doing.”
Flashback: Strength = Good, Weakness = Bad
Consider how God can and will work in you in the year ahead if only you will be weak. Make this the year where you will rejoice in weakness so you can rely on God’s strength.

Nothing should keep our minds busier on earth than this great reality: the Holy One of God was declared unholy, so that unholy sinners might stand unblemished before a holy God. —Mark Jones

Blessings to you today!

There are a few new Kindle deals this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: Christian, Do You Expect to Face Persecution?)
Should Women Preach in Our Churches?
Kevin DeYoung: “This is not an article about the case for complementarianism instead of egalitarianism. That matters, of course, but this piece is for self-identified complementarians wondering if their theology can allow, or should allow, for women preaching. Here is the question I want to address: Is there biblical justification, given basic complementarian convictions, for the practice of women preaching sermons in a Sunday worship service?”
Longing, Loss, and the Life to Come
“Out of nowhere, the feeling—soon to be a familiar one—swept over me: a great desire, an aching yearning, a tremendous longing for something I couldn’t name.” You’ve known that feeling too, haven’t you?
Should You Marry Two Unbelievers?
Hershael York talks about marrying two unbelievers and considers a circumstance in which he might even marry a believer and an unbeliever.
Serve Others With Your Books
This article considers how to build a library that will serve others rather than simply yourself.
Reaping God’s Presence
“Everyone’s a farmer. We’re always sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting, putting down seeds and taking up crops. We just do so with our thoughts, words, and actions.”
Rollercoaster ministry isn’t healthy
“There is a danger in the Christian life.  I’ve seen it again and again in young people and families and others; it’s the Christian life lived as a rollercoaster.” I’ve seen that too…
Flashback: My Own Little Paradise in an Ocean of Ugliness
We genuinely do make progress, yet always know that many decades of struggle in this life will be but baby steps compared to the mighty leap we will experience when we are finally perfected in the moment of death.

If error be harmless, then truth must be worthless. —Abraham Booth

Good morning from Louisville, Kentucky where we are attending Boyce College’s Preview Day for the third time (this one for Michaela’s sake).

Strongmen vs. The Structures of a Healthy Church
“When modern dictators fall the societies they ruled tend to flounder and splinter. This is because they have previously been gutted. A dictator, in order to increase and maintain his power, needs to systematically weaken all other institutions of civil society that might serve as independent centers of power and organization.” This leads to an interesting reflection on churches.
Crisis in Canada: Assisted Suicide
Robert VanDoodewaard writes about a serious social problem in Canada. “Though our nation’s violence may primarily be carried out in the sterile rooms of hospitals, it is a grim reality. Behind closed doors, Canada is becoming a nation of state-sanctioned lawlessness and violence.”
The Peculiar Glory of Unexpected Discoveries
Chris Thomas: “But there is a peculiar glory found in unexpected discoveries. A cool fresh stream flowing down a heavily forested gully is enjoyable, but the same stream found in the barren wastelands of some distant desert is a wonder. Treasure, found in a clay jar, is all the more brilliant for the fact of where it was hidden. Again, there is a peculiar glory found in unexpected discoveries.”
Do Not Fear, Only Believe
“As you read this, you may at this moment be filled with hope and expectation … or you may be filled with dread and anxiety about the future. Either way, Jesus’ simple words to a suffering man speak volumes. Jesus invites us to rest in him, now and always.”
Decisions about faithfulness might be the key moments of your life
“Much of our lives might be a little mundane. We work, we spend time with family, and we get involved with many things. Yet there will be certain times, certain decisions, that change the direction of our lives and matter more.” Yes, indeed. And we don’t always know what these are until after the fact.
Four Biblical Categories for Theological Triage
Dwayne offers some new categories for doing the work of theological triage.
Flashback: The Character of the Christian: Mature and Humble
God calls all Christians to maturity and humility—and such growth best takes place in the context of mature, humble leadership.

At the cross, Jesus redeemed sinners. Reconciled rebels. Appeased God. Expiated sin. Purchased forgiveness. Won righteousness. Defeated Satan. —Steven Lawson