Midweek Miscellanies (8/11/21) – An assortment of articles, book recommendations, blog posts, podcasts and other links that we hope you find helpful.
Thirty-five Questions for Maturing a Christian Marriage: Some good questions for a date night with your spouse: “The following questions are not intended for short answers such as a mere “yes”, but are a means to meaningful discussion between a man and a woman who have vowed to love each other “until death do us part.” Take your time to talk them over. Let the conversation flow. You may answer these questions in any order you wish, or all at one time.”
7 Lessons I’ve Carried from ‘Narnia’: I’ve posted a few links recently to thoughts on the benefits of reading the Chronicles of Narnia, but I thought this was another good take worth sharing….. “Outside of the Bible, I don’t think another book or series has helped me love Jesus more or stirred up a wider range of emotions than The Chronicles of Narnia. These books spur my heart to courage, kindness, humility, resilience, and faith. And the more I appreciate Lewis’s great story, the more I recognize its echoes of the greatest story in the gospel. Here are seven lessons I’ve carried from each of the seven books in the series.”
Meet Baby Olivia (Video): This is a pretty amazing animation depicting the development of a baby in the womb of it’s mother. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!
This Week’s Free eBook: ‘Joyfully Spreading the Word’: “You can be a part of the spread of the gospel in the world. Here are theological reflections and real stories from women from across the world who are eagerly sharing the good news of Jesus wherever God has placed them—showing us just how possible it is to follow Jesus’s call to evangelism in our ordinary, everyday lives.”
My Times Are in Your Hand – Learning to Trust the Speed of God: “….time in God’s eyes moves at different speeds from time in ours. And in the life of faith, it’s critically important that we learn to rely on God’s timing more than our own — to learn to trust the speed of God.”
5 Apologetics Questions Every Christian Should Learn How to Answer: “Alisa Childers is the author of Another Gospel: A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth in Response to Progressive Christianity….In this great video, Alisa gives a brief overview of five apologetics questions every believer should learn how to answer.”
We Must, We Can, Bloom for Him: An encouraging reflection on God’s work in us in difficult circumstances by Tim Challies: “God has created this world in such a way that there is some kind of flower that blooms in almost every kind of condition. We are never far from displays of his beauty, tokens of his mercy, reminders of his creative genius. And just as God suits flowers to every climate, he suits Christians to every circumstance. No matter what unfolds around us and no matter what is done to us, we are able to bloom for him—to display the truest love, the greatest gentleness, the highest reaches of Christian character.”
Spiritual Weariness and Chasing a Feeling: A helpful meditation on where we find our rest. “This summer, I’ve read more posts than ever about the rest people find in doing these things. They make it seem like the key to rest is getting off social media, trading in your phone for a book, and savoring what’s in front of you. These are great disciplines. But it left me wondering why it didn’t work for me? Why do I feel like my soul can’t quiet itself? Why, after a beach vacation and nearly zero screen time do I still feel restless?”
Everything Important: A helpful meditation on resisting sin. “To please God, to be spiritually well, we must kill our personal sin, plucking those stubborn weeds from our hearts. Don’t wait: rip them out now, at the very root.”
How to Inhabit an Unraveling Culture: Helpful thoughts on living life in our unraveling culture.
Pastor Matt