As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
I was driving home late at night during these early days of November, and all across the radio dial I heard … Christmas songs!
Now, on the one hand, it is actually quite amazing that secular radio stations take two months out of the year to devote their schedule exclusively to the music of Christmas. And if you enjoy listening to that, and it helps you to think about Christmas this early—while everything around us is still a beautiful shade of burnt orange—go for it!
“It constantly amazes me to hear those committed to an evolutionary worldview talking about design. They can’t help themselves. Everything is so intricately designed.” - Don Johnson
“the true gospel is not complimentary. It is not admiring or flattering. Rather, it describes humanity in all our sinfulness and depravity, all our hopelessness and lostness.” - Challies
“Voters in 10 states were asked to decide whether legalized abortion would be protected in their state constitutions. Here’s how they voted—and what it portends for the pro-life cause.” - TGC
“Some things are nearly impossible to explain, but easy to demonstrate. In these cases, learners require observation and mimicry more than well-articulated explanations of reality.” - Common Good
“I first shared this on my blog after the 2020 election. It’s as true now as it was then.” - Randy Alcorn
“In The Return of the Kingdom: A Biblical Theology of God’s Reign, Stephen G. Dempster… invites us to explore the grand narrative of God’s sovereign rule over a kingdom that has been unfolding since the beginning of time and that will continue long after the political landscapes of our age have faded.” - TGC
“Once a year on Thanksgiving, we set aside a specific day to voice our gratitude. But what about the other 364 days of the year? Even as believers, we can be tempted to envy, grumbling, and discontentment in our lives.” - Ligonier
“Despite the dire warnings of an imminent and existential threat from Christian theocrats, it’s important to note that this kind of discussion, of the limits of the religious influence on the state, could only happen in a culture widely shaped by Christianity.” - Breakpoint
“The [Hunt] lawsuit has been a major contributor to the dire financial situation of the SBC EC, which has spent more than $3 million defending itself as well as Guidepost…. David Sills’ defamation lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention, et. al., will go before a jury Feb. 10, 2026” - Baptist Press
“I demanded answers. This pastor needed to explain himself. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige and began to unpack his statement, and I was eager to listen.” - 9 Marks
Read Part 1.
Interpretation is the process of understanding 1) what a Biblical text means and 2) how the text was meant to be applied. Once you have gathered the necessary information to discover what a passage is saying, you can then begin to understand its meaning through careful study of the book’s historical context, literary context, and actual content.
“everything is not fine for many godly people and I want to convince you, whether you are one of those people or one of their leaders, that internal anguish and powerful inward temptations are actually normal according to the Bible’s account of Christian experience.” - London Lyceum
“Your world is not spinning out of control, careening toward chaos, because we have a King who rules over all the earth.” - Paul David Tripp
“Though all elections have consequences—some more than others… they reflect more than they determine. Their outcomes matter, at times greatly. Still, these outcomes result from larger trajectories.” - Breakpoint
“Defenders of exclusive use of the King James Version… frequently appeal to Psalm 12:6-7 as a proof text for their doctrine that God promised perfectly pure preservation of the Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture.” - Mark Ward
“What should churches do when they gather on Sunday? The answer isn’t as obvious as it may seem. In this episode, Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan share how they prepare for Sunday worship in light of their pastoral role.” - TGC
“What can a pastor do when his church is in decline? The answer boils down to something deeply personal: evaluating the pastor’s connections.” - Brian Cederquist
On the whole, I’ve written a lot less about the voting choices before us in this particular election cycle. From my point of view, it’s pretty much 2020 all over again, only with more clarity about the cultural and character factors.
More clarity? I’m sure many don’t see it that way. I’m not saying people are seeing more clearly. Subjectively, things seem more muddled than ever. Objectively, though, the character and positions of the candidates are even more clear than in 2020.
“If true Christians would vote for their biblical values, we would live in a very different country today. Some Christians have biblical values but do not vote. Some Christians do not live or vote by biblical values.” - P&D
“Baby Boomer pastors are dying and retiring. Younger pastors are not replacing them. The numbers of pastors in Gen X, the Millennials, and, especially, in Gen Z are dramatically lower.” - CPost
“World Vision remains atop the list while three new ministries join top 10.” - MinistryWatch
Read the series.
God’s primary description of himself begins with his compassion, and then his grace. Next is the phrase “slow to anger” (Ex 34.6). The KJV renders that as “longsuffering”; the God’s Word translation says “patient.”
This poll is a sampling of some possible things your church might do as a collective body, but it is not complete when it comes to possible combinations, so please choose the answer that most resembles what your church does. Avoid “other” unless there is much more that the selections above.
Educating, praying, and giving are the three most common ways we can help. Education can come in the form of a guest speaker, video clips, bulletin inserts, power points, a class, or sharing info at a prayer meeting, for example. Prayer can be a dedicated meeting (our church does an annual prayer meeting, for example), or consistent mention in pastoral prayers, or a weekly/monthly/quarterly special prayer on Sunday mornings.
“This dear saint expressed concern about the struggle to feel forgiven through a handful of thoughtful questions. How long should we feel bad about our sin after we’ve repented? If we don’t feel bad, is that a sign that we aren’t forgiven? How can I feel rightly about past sins without turning that feeling into the basis for my forgiveness?” - Cripplegate
“the concern is, in this theology is the Eastern Orthodox Church the Savior rather than Jesus, and therefore is there a danger of an idolatry of the church?” - YouTube
“When Lambert’s post was released, it was met with responses ranging from resounding approval to astounding appalment…. some biblical counselors appreciated Lambert putting into words the uneasiness they were feeling concerning different developments within the BCM. On the other hand…” - London Lyceum
“The event took place at Worship with Wonder Church in Marietta, Georgia, and hosted roughly 3,000 attendees. Trump was interviewed by Paula White, who is the senior pastor of City of Destiny Church in Apopka, Florida, and personal pastor to Trump himself.” - Church Leaders
“we asked individuals whether they ‘conceal their religious beliefs at work for fear of others’ perceptions.’ Nineteen percent of Jewish workers, 51% of Hindus, 29% of Muslims and 28% of Buddhists said they did…. 9% of evangelical Protestants, 15% of nonevangelical Protestants and 13% of Catholics reported that they conceal their faith at work.” - The Conversation
