Blogs

Postpartum Depression and the Christian
“In some women, however, despair lingers and takes root. Up to 13 percent of mothers suffer from postpartum depression (PPD), which the American Psychiatric Association defines as an episode of major depression during pregnancy or within four weeks following delivery (although many clinicians make the diagnosis within a year postpartum). The effects of clinical depression, heavy on the heart under any circumstance, can prove especially shattering when heaped on top of the strains and expectations of motherhood. ”

Why You Can’t Think Straight When You’re Sleep Deprived
“Sleep deprivation… disrupts levels of chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine, and cortisol, that affect thought, mood, and energy. leaves key areas of the brain in an “always on” state of activation. activates genes that interfere with optimal brain activity.”

American Psychological Association Claims ‘Traditional Masculinity’ Is ‘Psychologically Harmful’
“An influential psychological organization claims that “traditional masculinity” can be psychologically harmful. But in criticizing masculinity they reveal the danger of androgyny.”

How Biblical Doctrine Makes Us Beautiful
“The Reformation was intimately tied to beauty, goodness, and human flourishing because the Reformers were seeing—through Scripture—God’s glory shine. And as God’s glory is made known, it’s in that light that we are saved. It’s in that light of God’s glory that human lives flourish. It’s in seeing the beauty, goodness, and the truth of God that we come more fully alive. ”

Mental Illness and the Church
“These issues can feel overwhelming, but they are an important part of loving the people we serve well. We should be committed to seeking out the best training we have access to so that we may love people in truth. Let’s intentionally seek out ways we can be more effective hands and feet to those struggling with mental illness in our communities.”

Kindle Book

Only one book today but well worth getting.

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method by Sidney Greidanus $3.99.

Three groups of people were given the following instructions:

Group One: Track how often you exercise.

Group Two: Track workouts and read articles on the benefits of exercise.

Group Three: Track workouts, read articles on the benefits of exercise, and formulate a plan for when and where you will exercise the following week.

Which of the three groups got fitter? Here are the results as reported in James Clear’s Atomic Habits:

• Group One: 35-38% exercised at least once per week.
• Group Two: 35-38% exercised at least once per week
• Group Three: 91% exercised once per week.

The third group had more than twice the success of the other two groups. A plan for implementation is clearly essential for habit change.

The third group were helped towards implementation by completing the following sentence:

“During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME] in [PLACE].”

The implementation plan includes two key details: the when and the what, when and where to act. The general format is:

I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]. 

Clear comments: “The punch line is clear: people who make a specific plan for when and where they will perform a new habit are more likely to follow through” (70-71).

So, if you want to change habits you need more than: “I’m going to read my Bible more often,” or “I’m going to keep in touch with friends this year,” or “I’m going to pray for my pastor,” or I’m going to love my wife better,” or “I’m going to get my children to learn the Shorter Catechism,” or “I’m going to read more.”

If that’s all you’ve got, you’ve got a 35% chance of success. Want to almost guarantee it?

• I will read my Bible at 6.30am every morning in my bedroom.
• I will meet with a friend for breakfast every Friday morning at 7am.
• I will pray for my pastor every Saturday evening at 9pm.
• I will dedicate every Friday evening entirely to my wife.
• I will teach my children the Shorter Catechism every Sunday at 12 noon for 30 minutes.
• I will read a book every evening from 9.30pm to 10 pm.

Obviously the Christian will want to add (D.V.) to each of these plans, but James 4:15 is no warrant for failing to plan. As Clear says, “Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity. It is not always obvious when and where to take action.”

Another benefit of such clear implementation plans is that we can more easily say no to whatever might hinder our progress. Clear again: “We often say yes to little requests because we are not clear enough about what we need to be doing instead” (72).

With the Lord’s blessing and help, I would hope we can get the success figure up to 100%.

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Blogs

Toward a More Meditative Life
“We do not live in a time that encourages quietness and meditation. As Thomas Friedman, columnist for the The New York Times, said, “We have gone from the Iron Age to the Industrial Age to the Information Age to the Age of Interruption.” Indeed, we live with the constant interruptions of beeps, blinks, and buzzes. They tell us now the average American spends more than half their days in front of a screen. We are not just interrupted; we are self-interrupted.”

May His Cancer Heal Millions: The Grandeur and Grief in Losing Tyler
Tyler Trent’s pastor reflects on his life and death.

Urban Meyer, Oswald Sanders, and the Pain Leadership Can Bring Your Family
“I’m done. I want him to be done.” I have heard this statement and similar statement from the spouses of leaders for years. I don’t know Urban and Shelly Meyer but I understand the pain of leadership, and know that impacts more than the leader.”

Systematic Theology Review
“Below you’ll find my brief evaluation of several systematic theologies, with the reading level noted for each (Beginner, Medium, Hard). I’ll start with my three favorites and then move on to the others in a few different categories.”

Reflecting on Social Media: Some Tips to Navigate this Medium
“Social media has changed, and we must change with it, especially if we are seeing that it has any negative implications in our lives.”

Life and Ministry with Conrad Mbewe (New Podcast Episode)
In this episode, special guest Conrad Mbewe, pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia discusses his conversion, calling, formative influences, and ministry with Brian and Jim.  Conrad Mbewe has been referred to as “The African Spurgeon” because of his powerful preaching and zeal to raise up and train others throughout Africa for pastoral ministry.

Kindle Books

Why Trust the Bible?  by Greg Gilbert $2.99.

Disciplines of a Godly Young Man by R. Kent Hughes $2.99.

Chasing Contentment: Trusting God in a Discontented Age  by Erik Raymond $3.99.

If you want to increase godly habits in your life, increase godly cues in your life. If you want to decrease ungodly habits, decrease ungodly cues.

A cue is a trigger, a stimulus, that spurs your brain to initiate a behavior. For example, if you see your running shoes at the door, your brain will suggest going for a run. If you keep a water bottle beside you, you will want to keep more hydrated. Or, negatively, if you see a cookie, your brain will convince you that you are hungry and must eat. If you walk down the candy aisle at the store, you will crave sugar.

The “cue” is the first step in James Clear’s four-stage analysis of habit formation. He asks, How do we create a good habit? He answers, Make the good cue obvious. How do we break a bad habit? Make the bad cue invisible.

When it comes to sanctification, many of us fail because we focus our efforts on the second step (fighting the craving that results from the cue), or on the third step (stopping the response to the craving). Clear’s book calls us to begin the battle at the first step, the cue or the trigger.

So let me suggest some samples of good cues that will help trigger desires for godliness and then some samples of bad cues that we can remove to avoid cravings for sin.

Cues for Starting Good Habits

1. Place a Bible beside your bed to trigger craving for God’s Word.

2. Listen to sermons rather than talk radio to trigger craving for peace rather than hate.

3. Buy Thank You notes to trigger desires to thank people in your life.

4. Read missionary books to trigger prayer for missionaries.

5. Surround yourself with godly friends to trigger longings for holiness.

6. Listen to testimonies of conversions to stimulate passion for evangelism.

7. Converse about heaven to cultivate longing for things above not things below.

8. Go to church to fire up your longing for God’s presence.

9. Wear a Fitbit to boost your commitment to stewarding the temple of the Holy Spirit.

10. Talk to an unconverted friend or family member to stimulate evangelism and prayer.

Hiding Cues that Provoke Bad Habits

1. Cancel cable news if you are inclined to anxiety.

2. Avoid car magazines and showrooms if you don’t want to covet cars.

3. Don’t walk along the beach in summer if you want to stifle lust.

4. Install covenant eyes if you don’t want to see porn.

5. Avoid bad news if you have a tendency to depression.

6. Don’t sit with people drinking alcohol if you want to stop longings for it.

7. Remove email and social media from your phone if you are not “present” when you are at home.

8. Don’t take your phone into the bedroom if you want to seek God rather than the Internet when you wake up.

9. Stop following the NFL if you want to keep the Sabbath Day holy.

10. Don’t listen to bad language if you want to keep your own mouth clean.

Make the Unconscious Conscious

When it comes to sinful habits, there is always a cue. We may feel like the craving and desiring begins without a cue, but that is never the case. If we can’t identify it, we need to pray that God would reveal it to us, that he would make the unconscious conscious. As the psychologist Carl Jung said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

Of course, sometimes the cue comes from our own sinful heart and mind; we don’t need an external trigger to make us desire evil. That’s why the ultimate action to create good cues and remove bad cues is the prayer, “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.”

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Blogs

Where Is Jesus in the Old Testament?
“Jesus unites the Bible. He is not absent from the Old Testament, sitting on the bench, awaiting his fourth quarter winning play. He is the player-coach-manager directing all things. Throughout the Old Testament, he is the one and only Mediator of God Most High, marching purposefully toward his own incarnation. Jesus is Lord. He always has been.”

And here’s a good example of this in Robert Rothwell’s article, David’s Son.

Teach Your Teen How to Read Their Bible
Jen Wilkin: “Your teen will be exposed to devotional content and topical studies at every turn, and they likely don’t need a resource that is targeted specifically at their demographic. What most are missing are basic tools to help them read and learn the Bible on their own. By guiding them in some basic study methods, you can position them to use devotional and topical material with far better discernment and far greater benefit, as those types of resources assume a first-hand knowledge of the Bible that many teens have not yet developed. Here is a simple approach that you can adapt to fit the age of your teen:”

How to Develop a Personal Growth Plan as a Pastor
“If you want to grow, you need a plan and the fortitude to see that plan through. So let’s develop a personal growth plan. Together.”

What Made #TylerStrong?
This from Tyler Trent’s pastor:

“Tyler Trent, who died this week at age 20, captivated the sports world and the nation after ESPN told his story. Tyler’s four-year battle with cancer and his indomitable perspective were inspiring….His inspiring battle led to awards, trips to bowl games, interviews on TV and radio, and calls from the vice president. He wrote a book. The gravitational pull of Tyler’s winsome spirit, his interest in others, and his unflappable courage attracted fans from all walks of life. It wasn’t hard to enter Tyler’s orbit. People marveled at his attitude and wondered, How is he so strong? As Tyler’s pastor for 10 years, I can tell you. It’s simple but profound: Tyler loved Jesus. That’s it. And it made him #TylerStrong.”

David Platt Drops 50-point Sermon from Revelation at CROSS Conference
I haven’t watched this, but the points are beautiful. There are 48 characteristics of Jesus and a pair of exhortations.

Love and Anger at the Cross?
I agree with Nick’s take on this:

“It is right for us to both affirm that the Father never stopped loving the Son when he hung on the cross and that the Father was justly angry with the Son “because of the sins themselves which he took upon him, and because of the persons of sinners whom he sustained.”

Kindle Books

The Radical Disciple: Some Neglected Aspects of Our Calling by John Stott $2.99.

The Son of God and the New Creation  by Graeme Goldsworthy $3.99.

Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World by Eric Metaxes $1.99.

Blogs

Disowned for Jesus | Desiring God
A stirring testimony:

“When I left Islam to follow Jesus, I didn’t know what it would cost me. I hadn’t realized what it would take to deny myself, lay my life down, and take up my cross (Matthew 16:24). I wasn’t aware that even the precious relationships of my family should not come between me and following Christ — that I should even hate my family compared to my love for Jesus (Luke 14:26).”

Designed for smiling
“Happiness seems to be hard-wired into us. We are designed to smile, and made for joy. We are born that way, live longer that way, and prosper that way. And that’s exactly what the Bible says—we are made for joy. God is, in his three-fold existence, uniquely joy-filled. We are made by Him to know Him, and in knowing Him to enjoy joy.”

On Getting & Keeping Masculine Men in Church
This and the next article are by the same author. An extremely important subject:

“One of the things I’m grateful for over my 30 plus years of ministry is I’ve had a lot of good men in my churches. Getting them into church and keeping them there hasn’t been a big problem for me. I’d say my congregations have been roughly split, 50/50 between men and women. From all I’ve seen and heard, that’s unusual. And it isn’t just the result of belonging to a particular denomination, or holding to a particular theology. In two of the churches I formerly served my successors managed to drive the men out and return the ratios to something more like the norm–70/30 favoring women.”

Androphobia Is a Real Thing: And Many Pastors Suffer From It

“Everybody wants to reach the upper east side of Manhattan with all those artists and stockbrokers. And we should try to reach those folks. But you know what? Prioritizing those people at the expense of these men leads to bubbleization. And I know too many bubble-boy church planters who look more like Resnikoff than the Apostle Paul. Paul knew how to work with his hands. I suspect Paul wouldn’t have needed to call a plumber, even though he’d likely have known several personally.”

Five Ways to Be a More Effective Leader in 2019
“Five ways I think all of us can be more effective and Christ-honoring as we begin our leadership service this year. I hope these will provide you some food for thought as you reflect on where God has you and who he has under your care.”

Shepherds Gone Astray
“The very nature of the pastorate is being intentionally overhauled and the “new” worldly paradigm does not look much different from that which God condemned in the Old Testament.”

Wine, Women, and Social Anxiety: Helping Women Who Use Alcohol to Inoculate Fear
“Maybe you live in mortal terror of the mandatory office party, church fellowship, or bridal shower. You want to escape, hide, and forget. You don’t want to be drunk; you just want to shave off anxiety’s edge with a glass (or two) of pre-event wine.[1] If you’ve ever tried to inoculate fear with alcohol, you’re not alone. Women are consuming alcohol at record-high rates[2] and often drink to tame anxiety in social settings. How does the gospel speak to social anxiety? How does Christ offer freedom to vice-burdened hearts?”

Kindle Books

Pilgrim’s Progress in Today’s English $4.71.

The Promises of God: Discovering the One Who Keeps His Word by R. C. Sproul $0.99.

The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story by D. A. Carson $1.99.