Good morning. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
If you’re into Kindle deals, there are a few to check out today.
Westminster Books just unveiled a neat new training tool for pastors. It’s called Behind the Pulpit.
Pastors, Fight Against Fear of Man by Fighting for the Fear of the Lord
Pastors should and will be challenged by this one. “When I began pastoral ministry, I didn’t realize it would be my job to disappoint people. I had to tell a young man he wasn’t ready for ministry. I had to counsel a couple that they shouldn’t get married. I had to inform the church that Sunday’s text means exactly what they don’t want it to mean. Pastoral ministry is full of no-win decisions. Because of this, ministry is a miserable place for a pastor who needs everyone’s approval.”
How Not to Debate Ideas in the Public Square
Kevin DeYoung: “There will always be people who disagree with each other. That’s not necessarily a problem. And there will always be people who make bad arguments. That’s inevitable. But if we are interested in debating ideas (not just destroying people) and interested in persuading (not just performing), we will try our imperfect best to speak and write in a way that aims to be clear, measured, and open to reason.”
4 Key Components of Mainstream Anglicanism
I enjoyed this look at some of the key components (and traditional strengths) of Anglicanism.
Your Weird Church is “Plan A” and There is No “Plan B”
Jared Wilson: “I’m not an old man, but I’ve been in churches for going on 45 years now, and I think this is the weirdest time to be a churchman in my lifetime. I’ve been in plenty of weird churches too. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a church that wasn’t weird in some way. I bet the same is true for you.”
Colorful Darkness
Susan Lafferty considers how bright colors can mask the deepest darkness. “Festivals. Parades. Masks. And fear. Winding through villages. And megacities. Fear of any and every name. Except the Name that is above all others.”
Leaders Who Know How to Follow
“Do I grieve the fact that dear brothers experienced hurt through not being invited sooner into leadership? In one sense, yes. But I am also grateful for what that delay exposed in their hearts. I do not want to be led by a man who does not know how to wait and how to follow. I myself do not want to be a leader who does not know how to humble myself and embrace a slower timeline – even if I disagree with it.”
Charles Haddon Spurgeon and His Struggle with Depression
Simonetta Carr has written about Charles Spurgeon and his long struggle with depression.
Flashback: Drinking It Straight
The pastor simply preached a text. He opened the Bible, he told us what it said, and he told us why it mattered. It was a tough text, but he did not water it down or run from it. He felt no need to add to it or adapt it. He just preached it. And it was amazing.
Satan has succeeded in convincing believers that lust is just something to be managed instead of something to be slain.
—Jen Wilkin
