Tag: Sponsored

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. Join the discussion about AI with the newly updated and expanded edition of 2084 and the AI Revolution by John C. Lennox–now available for purchase. Get your copy today!  We humans are insatiably curious. We have been asking big questions since the dawn of history – about knowledge, origin, and destiny. Their importance is obvious. Our answer to the first shapes our concepts of who we are, and our answer to the second gives us goals to live for. Taken together, our responses to these questions frame our world view, the (meta) narrative or ideology that directs our lives and shapes their meaning, the framework of which we are often barely aware. These are not easy questions, as we see from the many and contradictory answers on offer. Yet, by and large, we humans have not let that hinder us. Over the centuries, some answers have been proposed by science, some by philosophy, some based on religion, others on politics, and many on a mixture of all of these and more. Many current developments were foreshadowed in famous dystopian novels such as the 1931 novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and George Orwell’s novel 1984, published in 1949. Of course, neither Huxley nor Orwell knew anything about AI, but nevertheless they imagined a future shaped by the technology around them and by their ability to imagine future developments in that area, many of which imaginings turned out to be prescient. AI has been defined as…See AlsoHow to use Catechism in Family WorshipThe Questions Women Asked and Their Impact Upon the ChurchReaching Cultural Christianity With The Gospel

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. Join the discussion about AI with the newly updated and expanded edition of 2084 and the AI Revolution by John C. Lennox–now available for purchase. Get your copy today!  We humans are insatiably curious. We have been asking big questions since the dawn of history – about knowledge, origin, and destiny. Their importance is obvious. Our answer to the first shapes our concepts of who we are, and our answer to the second gives us goals to live for. Taken together, our responses to these questions frame our world view, the (meta) narrative or ideology that directs our lives and shapes their meaning, the framework of which we are often barely aware. These are not easy questions, as we see from the many and contradictory answers on offer. Yet, by and large, we humans have not let that hinder us. Over the centuries, some answers have been proposed by science, some by philosophy, some based on religion, others on politics, and many on a mixture of all of these and more. Many current developments were foreshadowed in famous dystopian novels such as the 1931 novel Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and George Orwell’s novel 1984, published in 1949. Of course, neither Huxley nor Orwell knew anything about AI, but nevertheless they imagined a future shaped by the technology around them and by their ability to imagine future developments in that area, many of which imaginings turned out to be prescient. AI has been defined as…See AlsoAre You Ready to Answer God’s Call?Who is Jesus?Comforting and Doctrinal Devotions for Children

To state the obvious, Proverbs seeks to cultivate wisdom and virtue in its readers. That’s useful. We’re left with a pragmatic question: how? How does Proverbs cultivate wisdom and virtue in its readers? See AlsoGive Me Your Heart31 Days of Wisdom (2005) – Day 3131 Days of Wisdom – Day Thirty One

This week the blog is sponsored by P&R Publishing. In the newest release by Leland Ryken, A Treasury of Nature, he joins great works of poetry, hymnody, prose, and art with accessible literary analysis. As Ryken says in the Introduction to his book: “The overall goal of this anthology is to enable nature to be all that it can be in our lives. God created nature to bless us. He does not wish us to neglect such a great gift. Under this overall goal, the individual entries and their accompanying explications serve a range of purposes. One is to celebrate certain features of nature. Another is to set our affections or emotions in right tune (to borrow John Milton’s delightful phrase). A note of exhortation is also prominent—one that encourages us to do better. A plausible order of festivities is first to read an entry, then to study its commentary and devotional note, and finally to reread the text in light of any new understanding gained.” “John Calvin referred to nature as the theater of God’s glory. Dr. Ryken’s superb anthology offers us a front-row seat to take in nature’s artistry, beauty, and awe. Here we meet poets and pastors, hymnwriters and philosophers, all giving us better eyes to see and better ears to hear God’s glorious revelation in nature.” —Stephen J. Nichols, President, Reformation Bible College; Chief Academic Officer, Ligonier Ministries “As we read the entries in this anthology, we are helped by taking a trip back in time to the contemplative exercises of…See AlsoA La Carte (9/26)Book Review – Art for God’s SakeBook Review – City on a Hill

This week the blog is sponsored by Redeemer University. Choosing a university amidst the rising cost of living, rapid technological advancement, a changing job market, and a polarized, increasingly secular cultural context can be a daunting decision for Christians. The world is also much noisier than it was for previous generations, oversaturated with messages urging young adults to read this, watch that, comment, get involved, fight for justice, tell your story, get a job, chase your dreams, be authentic, reach for success… change the world! Many of these messages strike a chord, but the noise can be overwhelming. Let’s turn down the volume for a minute. What if there was a place for the next generation to figure out what they like and are good at? A place to ask big questions like, does my faith matter when it comes to business or science, media or politics, social work, health, music, art, history or education?  Is there a place that prepares young adults for their future career, where they can learn inside and outside the classroom and are a part of a community that lives and thinks together, worships, plays, laughs and even struggles together? Redeemer University is that place. A place to quiet the noise and listen for God’s calling, explore what that looks like in many disciplines, get ready for the future and grow in faith through it all.  Perhaps you’ve never heard of Redeemer University or know very little. It’s the largest Reformed University in Canada, with nearly 1100 students, six undergraduate…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Redeemer University)Managing Kingdom Causes with Sound Business Principles Neuroscience, Semiotics, and the Tower of Babel

This week, the blog is sponsored by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This article is adapted from Jason G. Duesing’s chapel message, “A Portrait of the End of Religious Liberty,” given during the Spring 2024 semester at Midwestern Seminary and Spurgeon College. You can watch the full message here.   The beautiful hymn in Philippians 2 tells of the humbling, sacrifice, and exaltation of Jesus Christ. And, it also tells us when religious liberty will end. Paul reveals that a future day is coming when the name of Jesus will go forth and all creatures will bow and confess him as Lord. At this time, which Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:24 calls “the end,” Jesus will finally destroy death and see the complete fulfillment of Psalm 8:6, when all things are put in subjection under his feet. Only on that day, the time of religious freedom will end. Everyone will bow and acknowledge the one true religion and one true God.  When we talk of religious liberty in the United States, we acknowledge its present fragility, and, to be sure, as long as we have religious liberty, it is worth defending. However, should believers find their liberties removed or suppressed in the days ahead, we should recognize that we will not really reach the end of religious liberty until Jesus returns. Given this reality, how are Christians now to think about the purpose of religious liberty as something bigger? In Philippians 2:11, Paul says that the universal submission of humanity to the lordship of Christ at the end of time takes place “to the glory…See Also3 Things I’m Excited About at Midwestern SeminaryHow a Minister in the Northeast Went to Seminary Online in the Midwest5 Surprising Advantages to Online Seminary Education

This week the blog is sponsored by Burke Care. You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. Psalm 119:68 Corrie ten Boom as quoted as saying: “If you look at the world, you will be distressed. If you look within, you will be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you will be at rest.” This psalmist reached the same conclusion when he wrote this verse. He realized that the only true rest comes from God the Father, through Jesus the Son by the Holy Spirit. And he wants more… “You are good…” The psalmist is not trying to invent a catchy marketing quip to attract fellow Jews to the ways of God. This is a real-life summary of his experience with His God. After significant struggle and grief, the psalmist finds himself surrendering to a sovereign God by simply acknowledging what he now fully understands, “God, you are good!” “…and do good…”  Then the psalmist is quick to acknowledge that God is not silent or inactive. He is an initiating God who does good in addition to being God. He is not distant or aloof. God the Father is the ever present, close, self-initiating God who does good, always.  The psalmist does not say it specifically, but he is implying that God is always this way. He is implying that God is always good, and always does only good. “…teach me your statutes.” Then he concludes with the request to be taught more of God’s goodness. The psalmist admits that he wants…See AlsoThe Greatest Display of StrengthWhat Type of Vacation Reader Are You?Biblical Intensive Counseling

This week the blog is sponsored by Evangelical Press, an imprint of 10Publishing. You can take a closer look, and purchase the new Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospelshere (UK), here (CA) or here (US). “It would be well if professing Christians in modern days studied the four gospels more than they do.” – J.C. Ryle, Holiness (1889) Introducing: J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Modernised) Without a doubt, J.C. Ryle has had an outstanding impact on the lives of countless believers. Ryle’s series on the Gospels, in particular, has been invaluable company to numerous Christians delving into the life of Jesus over the decades. First published between 1856 and 1869, these seven volumes will be among the most battered, spine-cracked, corner-folded, underlined, and coffee-stained on many shelves; remaining as fresh and relevant today as ever. Why dive into the gospels? Born in 1816, J.C Ryle grew up in Cheshire. As a 21-year-old, he stumbled upon a church that preached the good news of Jesus, and his life was forever changed. Ryle lived the rest of his days proclaiming the gospel through preaching and also writing to rebuke and encourage the wider church. The last twenty years of his life was spent as the first Anglican bishop of Liverpool where he led the cause to build churches and mission halls to reach the ever-growing city with the gospel. Ryle wanted nothing more than for people – Christians and non-Christians alike – to see Christ: “It would be well if professing Christians in modern days…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Banner of Truth)Christmas ThoughtsPrepared To Stand Alone

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This is an excerpt from Thaddeus Williams’ latest book on living out a radically God-centered systematic theology entitled Revering God: How to Marvel at Your Maker (Zondervan Reflective, 2024), featuring stories of Christian thinkers like Michael Horton, Fred Sanders, Joni Eareckson-Tada, John Perkins, Vishal Mangalwadi, and others on how God’s attributes have impacted their personal lives. There are many so-called “evidential” arguments for God’s existence. The universe’s beginning points to its Beginner. Design in the universe points to its Designer. Moral laws point to the Moral Law-giver, and so on. Such arguments compute well with how certain minds are wired, particularly the more philosophic brainiac types. But there is another style of case for Christianity, one that I believe touches those without patches on their blazer elbows, pipes in their teeth, or five-syllable words on their tongues. There are arguments, if they can even be called that, which address themselves to all of us, every human and every dimension of our humanness. They address us not as cerebrums on sticks but as the artists, lovers, dreamers, hypocrites, heroes, loners, romantics, dullards, worshipers, adventurers, failures, jokesters, and weirdos that we are. They are something less like arguments and more like invitations, signposts, pointers, clues, keys that open doors to wider vistas of human experience, lighthouse beacons that guide us out of churning black ocean chaos to safer shores. They are what a pastor hailed as “America’s most important and original philosophical theologian” understood so well. Describing the…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Zondervan Reflective)Free Stuff Fridays (Zondervan Reflective)Free Stuff Fridays (Zondervan Reflective)

This week the blog is sponsored by Reformed Free Publishing Association. Today’s post is written by William Boekestein, author of the  new book, Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling. William is a pastor and husband. He and his wife have four children: a college student, two high schoolers, and a middle schooler. He previously worked in residential construction and also taught in a Christian school. William has written numerous other books including Glorifying and Enjoying God: 52 Devotions through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. What should I do with the rest of my life? That’s a huge question, especially if you are young. You might have half a century or more of life in front of you. And the choices you make now can powerfully shape how those years are spent. A big chunk of those years will involve work, whether in the home or out in the world. You want your work to mean something. You don’t have to be rich or famous. But you were made to be productive, to impact God’s world for good (Gen. 1:28).  At the same time, you can’t pin all your hopes on success in the workforce. Like all of life after the fall, work is “subjected to futility” (Rom. 8:20). It is vital that you understand what work can do for you, and others, and recognize its limitations. This is complicated! And if you consider all the options available to you, and the changing job market and uncertain economic future, trying to follow…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Reformation Heritage Books)Announcing The Missionary ConferenceWhy You Should Read the Works of William Perkins

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This excerpt from The NIV Application Commentary on the Bible: One-Volume Edition explains the original meaning of Paul’s words in Romans 8:31-39 and shows how his message can apply to our lives today. We begin with words from the Apostle Paul: 31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long;     we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[a] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love…See AlsoWhy Young People Should ReadWhat Type of Vacation Reader Are You?Church & Mission Website FAQ #1

This week the blog is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. This post is written by Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) who is president of Truth Unites and theologian-in-residence at Immanuel Nashville in Tennessee. He’s a highly sought-after speaker and apologist, and his new book What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church releases on August 20, 2024. In my engagements with Christians from traditions outside of Protestantism, whatever issue is being addressed, the discussion almost always kicks back to questions of authority. By what standard do we evaluate our differences? What is the relationship between Scripture and tradition, and where does the ultimate authority of interpretation for both Scripture and tradition lie? It is hard to find any area of dispute that doesn’t terminate in these more basic, methodological questions. For this reason, we must press into the question of ecclesial authority. Here I will consider two of the most typical objections to sola Scriptura, the Protestant position on where ultimate authority over the church is located. Objection 1: What about the Canon? The church’s role in canonization is often set against sola Scriptura. Such critiques, however, generally fail to touch the Protestant position. Protestants stand in broad agreement with other traditions that the church has been entrusted with the responsibility of discerning the canon. For example, Protestants find themselves in a broad agreement on this point with the Roman Catholic position, as articulated at Vatican I: “these books the church holds to be sacred and canonical not because she subsequently approved…See AlsoEvangelize 2024: Growing a Church That Proclaims The GospelBring Your Skills to the Missions WorldWhy Do I Feel Such Profound Loneliness?