The God of love and peace be with you today.

Westminster Books is doing some spring cleaning which means they have some really good deals for you.
There are a few more Kindle deals to consider today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Why Do Billionaires Want to Live Forever?)
What We Need is Power
Jared Wilson: “Should we go into God’s inerrant, infallible, inspired word looking only for things to do, we will come away with God’s good instructions for the good life but without the power to actually do them. The power to obey does not lie in the commandments. The power to get through the day does not come from the instructions on how to get through it. The power to glorify God is in the glorious gospel, which says not ‘Do’ but ‘Done!’”
Jesus, Friend of Sinners
“Some Christian circles assume that if a pastor or church is drawing in sinners, they must be compromising the message of the Bible. Maybe they’re seeker-sensitive, watering down the more offensive doctrines of Christianity. On the flip side, pastors who have a reputation for castigating sinners, faithfully exposing the sins of society, must be doing something right. But the truth is, neither approach captures the complexity of Christ’s gospel ministry.”
Why is it important to study the Christian creeds, confessions, and catechisms?
Steven Lawson, Derek Thomas, and W. Robert Godfrey all comment on creeds, confessions, and catechisms in this clip from a Ligonier conference. Also, good on Lawson for rattling off all the different headings of systematic theology.
You’re So Vain, You Probably Think This Post Is About You
This one may cause you to think and confess.
Is the Concept of a “Self-Authenticating” Bible a Modern Invention?
Michael Kruger discusses one important way we can know that certain books belong in the Bible. “Christian theologians—especially in the Reformed world—have long argued that there is a more foundational way we can know books are from God: the internal qualities of the books themselves.”
Keep It Simple
“What do you feel when someone asks you to disciple them? I imagine you’re excited because a hungry, likely younger Christian, wants to grow. I imagine there’s probably also stress because you don’t know where to begin. A wealth of good resources is at your fingertips, but that can make things more complicated. So where do you start?”
Flashback: Being the Answer to Prayer
If we pray that God will comfort those who have endured a great loss, we ourselves should be eager and willing to be used as the means of comfort, to be the ones God uses to weep with those who weep, to bear another’s burden and so fulfill the law of Christ. Pray and then act to see the prayer answered.

In many homes the sorrow over the living is greater far than that for the dead who have passed to sweet rest. —J.R. Miller

Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by the D3 Youth Conference on the campus of Boyce College in Louisville, KY March 8-9, 2024.
Parents and leaders of teens are always on the lookout for discipleship material. Today, you are invited to enter the Boyce College/D3 Giveaway to win those resources for free! That includes free tuition for a Boyce College dual credit course for a student you know or an SBTS credit course that will better equip you as a leader! 
Here are discipleship resources you may win by entering the D3 Youth Conference Promotion:
Student Discipleship Bundle:* 

Boyce College Dual Enrollment 3-Hour Course
Boyce College T-shirt
Track: A Student’s Guide to Social Media by Jason Thacker
Marks of a Disciple Bible Study by Dean Inserra
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney

Leader Bundle:*

SBTS 3 Hour Course
Boyce College Quarter Zip
Following Jesus in a Digital Age by Jason Thacker
Iron Sharpens Iron: Friendship and the Grace of God by Michael Haykin
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Shepherding God’s Flock by Benjamin Merkle & Tom Schreiner      
You Are a Theologian by Jen Wilkin & J.T. English
Family Worship by Donald Whitney

Click the D3 Giveaway Entry form below. Complete and submit it today so your name will be included in our random drawing on Monday, February 19, 2024. The winners will be notified by email.
D3 Giveaway Entry Form: http://www.d3youth.com/challies-giveaway

Today’s Kindle deals include several titles that are worth a quick look to see if they’re worthy of your collection.

(Yesterday on the blog: How Can You Balance Life and Ministry and Your Passions and Hobbies?)
The Place of Godly Ambition
“Too often the word ambition conjures up negative images of Wall Street investment bankers rationalizing self-serving greed. Or, one might find the word plastered across a motivational poster with a climber clinging to the side of a mountain attempting an ascent. But which is it? Is ambition bad, or should we cultivate it in ourselves and in our children? Does the Bible promote ambition?”
What Is the Greatest of All Protestant “Heresies”?
You may be surprised to know what Roman Catholic theology considers the greatest of all Protestant heresies. Sinclair Ferguson explains.
Netflix to Develop Series and Films Based On C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles Of Narnia
This is exciting news. So now we’ve got Amazon working on a series set in Middle Earth and Netflix working on Narnia.
Should Pastors Talk about Brett Kavanaugh on Sunday?
I think this is wise counsel from Jonathan Leeman. “A number of pastors have asked us for counsel on how to address the Brett Kavanaugh nomination on Sunday. My basic counsel is, you don’t have to address it, but if you do, don’t pick a side. Instead, pray about it, showing a concern for God’s name, God’s justice, and the hurting.” (Also, Ben Sasse’s Senate speech from two days ago is well worth 18 minutes of your time.)
The Church at Election Time
There is also wise counsel to be had from Kevin DeYoung. “I believe pastors must be very careful how they lead their churches in our politically polarized culture. I know there are good brothers and sisters who may disagree with these principles and their practical implications. But at the very least, pastors must disciple their leaders and their congregations in thinking through these matters wisely and theologically.”
If God Is Sovereign, Why Pray? (Video)
Dr. Guy Richard, a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, offers a good answer in this short video.
The Big Hack: How China Used a Tiny Chip to Infiltrate U.S. Companies
This is quite a story from Bloomberg. “During the ensuing top-secret probe, which remains open more than three years later, investigators determined that the chips allowed the attackers to create a stealth doorway into any network that included the altered machines. Multiple people familiar with the matter say investigators found that the chips had been inserted at factories run by manufacturing subcontractors in China.”
Flashback: Those Exquisite Forms of Love That Do Not Speak Your Language
When I demand that people speak my preferred love language, when it becomes the one way I receive love, I unnecessarily narrow my experience of love.

Follow Christ. It is costly. You will be an exile in this age. But you will be free. —John Piper