Midweek Miscellanies (10/27/21) – An assortment of articles, book recommendations, blog posts, podcasts and other links that we hope you find helpful.

Our Scattered Longings: Really helpful thoughts on how that “next thing” will ultimately never satisfy us, and where we find true contentment: “I believed reaching my dream would cure me, but every time I grasped that ideal, I realized it never satisfied. There was always a need for something new to change.”

Let the Little Moments Linger: Helpful thoughts on the importance of the little mundane moments of life: “So here’s the question: Do the little moments matter? All throughout the Bible you will find the answer to be a resounding “Yes!” God delights to use the little moments and the little things to glorify Himself and bring His people into glory. God Himself creates and sustains all of creation through an innumerable supply of little moments.”

Live Like You’ll Live Forever: An encouraging meditation on eternity. “How would the world change overnight if all people everywhere heard that a man had cured death? How many ages would pass celebrating the discovery? But as it stands, these same people bypass the knowledge of a true eternity because it is not the eternity they invented.”

Sister, God Sees You: “God sees us when we are depleted, undone, and afraid.”

Christ Struggled Against Impatience, Too: “In Christ, we impatient people have the friend we need.”

How the Gospel Frees Us from Porn: This author highlights two new books and the gospel hope they point to in the fight against the modern-day scourge of pornography use: “Christian, don’t despair in the fight against porn. Enslavement in the darkness is not your destiny. Lasting hope and real help can be found in the light of the gospel and in the fellowship of the church, where the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (1 John 1:9).”

Prayer for the Unconverted: Tim Challies: “Buried deep in an old, mostly-forgotten anthology of poetry, I found this little gem from Newman Hall—a poem that expresses in rhyme and meter the longing of many a Christian heart. May it give you words to pray for ‘those who do not pray, who waste away salvation’s day.’ ”

Dune: A Reflection:  You may have seen quite a few advertisements for the much anticipated new movie Dune that was released this week. Here is one author’s reflection from the book (without any spoilers) on the subject of how we deal with our fears, and how God’s way is best.

Sin-Coddlers Are Not True Friends: Trevin Wax draws an insightful comparison between the older definition of friendship and the new one, and how the new type of friendship will never be as fulfilling.
In Christ,

Pastor Matt