Like everyone else, I’m intrigued by Threads. If you’re there, why not connect.

As you probably know, it’s Prime Day. While Amazon doesn’t tend to do deals on Kindle books, they do have deals on Kindle devices (and, of course, tons of other stuff) in case you’re after one.
Today’s Kindle deals include an edition of Calvin’s Institutes that is a great value.
(Yesterday on the blog: When You Don’t Like Your Wife, Love Your Wife)
Bad Readers and Their Twitter Swarms
I consider this a very important article if we are ever to learn to behave ourselves on Twitter (and other social media). “Gregoire’s treatment of Pearcey’s argument would be laughed out of any serious classroom for how plainly dishonest and manipulative it is. But on a social media platform optimized for sneering that same treatment is rewarded. The only way to combat it, I think, is to refuse to be manipulated, to refuse to participate in swarms, and to instead actually take the time to do what our critics consistently refuse to do themselves.”
Do the Evil People in Our Churches Mean Our Theology is Evil too?
“I remember believing my parents knew everything—when I was five years old. Any question as grand as God’s eternality to as simple as the thoughts of ladybugs. Any question I had, they could answer it. Or so I believed.” Ah, the innocence of youth…
“Paul Washer. . . stands in stark contrast to the trifling superficiality of our generation.”—John MacArthur
“Washer understands and remains committed to the value and preeminence of the gospel, and he writes about it with passion and clarity. I love what he has done in this book, skillfully explaining the gospel, describing its incredible legacy, demonstrating its inestimable worth, and arguing convincingly for the gospel to have its rightful place—first place—in the study, conversation, fellowship, and worship of Christians individually and the church collectively.”  —John MacArthur (Sponsored Link)
Mother to the Exploited: Meet Amy Carmichael (1867–1951)
This is a lovely introduction to the amazing Amy Carmichael. (One of my great memories of my Epic journey was meeting one of the last children she personally received and prayed for prior to her death.)
Is conversion necessary for the salvation of the elect? (Video)
Derek Thomas has a good answer to the question.
Hospitality is an Everyday Endeavor
“Ask most people in the church what hospitality is meant to look like, and they will probably describe a meal in someone’s home or an overnight stay with friends. We have been trained to think of it as food, tables, napkins, centerpieces, or more recently, opening the doors of imperfect homes to usher in friends and strangers alike. These examples of hospitality aren’t bad, but when we think of hospitality as an event, we lose a lot of the meaning behind its purpose. ” Melissa has something else to consider.
It Is What It Is
“‘It is what it is,’ he shrugged. ‘Nothing we can do about it now.’ I sighed in frustration. Was that all? No anger? No complaining? I wanted to bemoan it for awhile. To vent my frustration. But that little phrase sucked the air out of my protest.”
Flashback: Are You Living Worthy of the Gospel?
…there’s a call on every Christian to acknowledge our heavenly citizenship and then to live in a way that is consistent with it. As we sojourn in this world as citizens of heaven, people around us are paying attention.

…we think of holiness as giving up the pleasures of sin for some worthy but drab life. But holiness means recognizing that the pleasures of sin are empty and temporary, while God is inviting us to magnificent, true, full, and rich pleasures that last forever. —Tim Chester

Today’s a big day—the day Michaela finishes up high school. And just like that, our family is done with high school forever.

There are several new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Behind-the-Scenes: Christian Publishing)
Brothers, We Can Do Better
Erik Raymond: “Recently, the priority and practice of expository preaching have been recovered. I praise God for this development. At the same time, I’m concerned that our expositional reformation hasn’t gone far enough.”
“That’s Just Your Interpretation”
Kevin DeYoung considers issues of biblical interpretation. “In our day, that debate is not a technical theological controversy about popes, councils, and the magisterium. But the question is just as important because an implicit denial of the clarity of Scripture goes hand in hand with the diminishment of the study of Scripture.”
Knowing is Superior to Uncertainty
“In our society, to say that you actually know something is considered prideful, narrow-minded, and completely ignorant. The proper thing, says society, is to be a little uncertain about things. You can’t know everything, so you shouldn’t claim to know anything. Well, I just need to say this out loud: Knowing is superior to uncertainty.”
What can we learn from the ministry of J. Gresham Machen? (Video)
Robert Godfrey provides just a bit of an introduction to a key Christian figure from the early twentieth century.
The Power of Encouragement
“She started her statement casually, ‘I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times before, but…’ and then she raised my spirits with a thoughtful encouragement about how my co-lead pastor (Greg) and I complement each other as preachers. And no, I had never heard that encouragement quite that way before.” Few things cost less but accomplish more than a bit of well-timed encouragement!
Thankful God Is Not a Stranger
“In my early Christian life, when something negative happened, I’d be shaken. I wonder if this was happening because I’d done something wrong. I’d feel that God was far away. I knew He loved me, but I didn’t feel so loved. I’d ponder all the ‘what ifs,’ which would shake me up even more.”
Flashback: 6 Very Good Reasons to Consider Your Short Little Life
Our lives are short. They are, in the words of the author of Ecclesiastes, little more than vapor, dust blow by the wind. Yet the very thought that could dismay or depress you, can also motivate you. Here are some blessings that will be yours when you pause to consider your short little life.

Every sorrow borne in simple faith is helping others bear their sorrows. Every burden victoriously carried is helping men and women to be braver. —George Herbert Morrison

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

It’s back-to-school day (at least in this part of the world). Speaking of which, Logos is having a back-to-school sale that has some good deals. (Also be sure to look at their Zondervan sale.)
What Are Friends For?
“We have lost the gift and glory of friendship. This is due to a number of factors. We’ve traded talking for texting. We’ve abandoned fellowship for Facebook. Social media has, in reality, become anything but. The season of COVID-19 has pushed many people further away from each other, and we’ve lost our grip on the gracious blessing of friends. Men, in particular it seems, have lost the gift of friendship.”
Crazy Grace
Jared Wilson has some encouragement for pastors. “Pastor, every Sunday, over and over again, without fail, stubborn and convicted, you take to that pulpit and pin all your hopes on the gospel in your preached text. You aren’t trusting your rhetoric, your well-turned phrases, your homespun stories, your hokey jokes. You aren’t trusting your emotional appeals, your special pleadings, your creative context, your fog and lasers or your eighteen verses of ‘Just As I Am.’ You leave all the good news out on the field, praying the seed will find purchase in softer soil than the week before.”
The House of Mourning
Lisa LaGeorge reflects on death. “‘Death is a robber,’ my pastor said this morning. It is indeed. In the last week, more friends have been stolen. A wife was left behind, a daughter, parents, a son. And we again mourn the brokenness of the world.”
We Can’t Store Blessings for Later
“A friend once told me she wished she could get fat on the blessings God was giving her so they would carry her through the lean times. Although this picture of fullness is lovely—and it’s a delight to rejoice with our friends in seasons of blessing—the metaphor made me pause. In my experience, yesterday’s blessings can’t sustain the weak and weary soul in seasons of sharp grief and unrelenting pain. And, thankfully, God doesn’t expect them to.”
Rethinking Attractional Youth Ministry
“Reformed and gospel-centered youth workers often talk against ‘attractional ministry,’ but I’m not always sure we actually know what we’re talking about. For many, attractional ministry is simply ministry. It’s just what you were trained to do because it’s what you’ve experienced.” There are some valuable insights here.
Untainted Eyes
Chris Thomas laments his inability to look at the world through untainted eyes. “Grown up eyes fail to see the things that matter most. Not because they are completely unable to, but because they have been scarred and clouded by years of unbridled skepticism. We have forgotten how to embrace with wonder the glorious truths of God. We have relegated much of the divine to the realm of fantasy.”
Flashback: Let the Wife See She Respects Her Husband
Let me assure you that your husband feels the weight of this leadership, that he feels inadequate to the task, that he regrets his mistakes, and that he craves your participation and affirmation. Encourage him to take on his leadership role and encourage him as he fulfills it.

As soon as a repentant person appears in the doorway of God’s throne room, the golden scepter of His royal forgiveness is stretched out for him to touch. —F.B. Meyer