Midweek Miscellanies (5/19/21) – An assortment of articles, book recommendations, blog posts, podcasts and other links that we hope you find helpful.

It Takes a Church to Raise a Child: In case you missed last week’s blog post from Pastor Jeff. Some really helpful thoughts and suggestions for how adults can invest in the next generation.

The Holy Spirit Changes Everything: “Stop and think, really think about the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was dead. Not breathing, not moving. He had no heartbeat, his lungs stopped working, his brain was no longer active for three days. And then on the third day, Jesus was alive again. Just like that. The same Spirit that did the impossible and brought a dead man to life again is living in us.  When I look at a sister or brother, do I see this power? Do I believe that the Holy Spirit can overcome any sin, heal any wound, or provide any strength that you and I might need?”

Post the Strongest Soldiers at the Weakest Gate: Wise thoughts on the battle against sin – “we do well to heed the advice of one old preacher who often admonished his church with a simple phrase: Post the strongest soldiers at the weakest gate. When we know where the enemy is likely to attack, when we know where our defenses are weakest, we can prepare ourselves for the inevitable onslaught.”

Come Home, Weary Wanderer: “As the years roll by, God’s children can slip into patterns of behavior that, mostly unbeknownst to them, lead to a place absent of the heart and mission of God. It’s subtle, like the dripping of a faucet. Little by little, their eyes veer from the path of righteousness and wholehearted devotion to Jesus. The world and its desires distract even the most faithful and committed followers. If you find yourself in a similar season, here are some thoughts to help you course correct.”

Leaders Who Know How to Follow: “Let us seek to be and to raise up leaders who know how to follow, who know how to wait, and how to defer to other wise believers. The transience of this life is such that, sooner or later, it will be our turn to lead.”

The Day I Should Have Kept My Mouth Shut: I enjoyed this short story. I think we can all probably relate……

The Danger of Being Driven By “Distant Drama”: Wise thoughts on how we interact with the news. “Bilbro believes this obsession with the news (especially news from far away) is morally de-formative. It keeps us from feeling rightly and acting responsibly. Flooded with information to which we lack any ability to respond in a meaningful way, we get “caught up in distant dramas.” Our news intake can keep us from the good life of love and good deeds.”

In Christ,

Pastor Matt