CHRISTIAN LIVING:

• 5 Tips for Engaging Those Different Than Yourself. Jon English Lee writes “I have a confession to make: I am a terrible evangelist. I do try, but I can’t seem to have much success or consistency. I often find myself hiding behind the excuse that “I’m an introvert.” But the real problem is that I am just not loving my neighbor as myself. The task is made even more difficult when the people I am trying to reach are different than myself.”
• Religious Freedom and the Common Good. In this video, Andy Crouch, author and executive editor at Christianity Today, describes how the common good can give us a framework for advancing one another’s freedom and flourishing – even and especially when we disagree.
• Getting Along Despite Differences. In this video, historian and social observer Os Guinness warns that in a public square with competing views, learning to listen and respect people, while supporting the freedom for people to live by their conscience is the only way to experience a productive peace. We can’t inspire others to a more free existence unless we know how to model it ourselves.
• Loving One Another in the Midst of Persecution. See John MacArthur address this in a two-minute video.
• Competing Views of Sexuality. Andy Naselli, linking to reviews of recent books by Russell Moore and Albert Mohler, writes “The debate over ‘competing visions of sexuality’ is now a prominent dividing line for evangelicals. Collin Hansen and I coedited a debate-book on the spectrum of evangelicalism, and I still think it’s worth reading. But the questions “Who’s in?” and “Who’s out?” increasingly seem to funnel to this issue: Do you affirm, celebrate, and defend what the Bible teaches about sexuality?”
• How to Stop a Porn Addiction with Biblical Truth and the Power of the Holy Spirit. Kevin Halloran offers this helpful article and also includes several additional recommended resources.
• The Power of Rest: Why Sleep is Not Enough. David Murray provides a summary of The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough. A 30-Day Plan to Reset Your Body by Matthew Edlund M.D.
• A Prayer of Über Encouragement. Here is our prayer of the week from Scotty Smith, who I enjoyed two wonderful classes with at Covenant Seminary.

HELPFUL RESOURCES:

• The Westminster Shorter Catechism Comes to RefNet. Sinclair Ferguson reading the Westminster Confession of Faith. Check it out!
• Albert Mohler App. Southern Seminary is recently released the Official App for R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminar. The app contains instant access to Dr. Mohler’s popular daily podcast “The Briefing”, extensive interviews via “Thinking In Public,” as well as additional resources from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
• Justified by Faith Alone: A New Teaching Series from R.C. Sproul. You can watch the first message in the new ten-part series from Dr. Sproul here.
• Choosing the Right Seminary. Kevin DeYoung, who will soon be a member of the faculty at Reformed Theological Seminary, writes “We are blessed in this country with many faithful, evangelical, Reformed (and reformed) seminaries that I readily give thanks for. I have friends at a number seminaries and have gladly sent out students to several of them. I can’t tell you what decision to make, but perhaps I can help you think through the right questions to ask.”
• What’s on My Newsstand? Russell Moore shares the magazines and newspapers that he reads regularly.

THEOLOGY AND CHURCH LIFE:

• Does James 2:24 Deny Justification by Faith Alone? R.C. Sproul writes “This question is not critical only today, but it was in the eye of the storm we call the Protestant Reformation that swept through and divided the Christian church in the sixteenth century. ”
• 4 Great Reasons to Read Romans. Tim Challies writes “J.I. Packer echoes many pastors and theologians when he says, “All roads in the Bible lead to Romans, and all views afforded by the Bible are seen most clearly from Romans, and when the message of Romans gets into a person’s heart there is no telling what may happen.” He goes on to give 4 reasons that we ought to read, study, and know the book of Romans.”
• Ten Reasons to Revel in Being Chosen. John Piper writes “You are God’s chosen ones, a “people for his own possession.” O, dear suffering Christians, Peter would say, do you feel what that means? Revel in being God’s chosen ones! There are so many reasons!”
• What is the Gospel? R.C. Sproul writes “There is no greater message to be heard than that which we call the gospel. But as important as that is, it is often given to massive distortions or over simplifications.”
• Preaching That Unleashes the Bible’s Power. Tim Keller writes that “expository preaching should provide the main diet of preaching for a Christian community”.
• Millennials Aren’t Going to the Chapel when they Get Married. I found this article by Dan Cox interesting, but not surprising, as most of the millennials’ weddings, even those of believers, we have attended the past few years have not taken place in a church.

CURRENT EVENTS:

• Kevin DeYoung Appointed Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at RTS. Reformed Theological Seminary recently announced the appointment of Kevin DeYoung as chancellor’s professor of systematic and historical theology as of January 1, 2016.  Kevin will teach at RTS while he continues as senior pastor of University Reformed Church in East Lansing Michigan where he has been since 2004.
• Daniel Murphy. Watch Daniel Murphy of the New York Mets tell a bit of his story in this four-minute video.

• The rich brother needs to let the gospel humble him while the poor brother needs to let the gospel affirm him. Tim Keller
• The world says you are loved because of what you do. Jesus says you can now do all things because you are loved. Tim Keller
• What the heart most wants, the mind finds reasonable, the will finds doable, and the emotions find desirable. Tim Keller
• If Christianity is really true it will be offending and correcting you somewhere. Tim Keller
• The law says, “Do this,” and it is never done. Grace says, “Believe in this,” and everything is done already. Martin Luther
• When our Lord said “Repent,” he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. Martin Luther
• I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. The Word did it all. Martin Luther
• I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? I know One who made satisfaction in my behalf. Where he is, there I shall be. Martin Luther
• Always and everywhere the servants of Christ are under orders to evangelize. J.I. Packer
• God is good to all in some ways and to some in all ways. J.I. Packer
• By trusting Christ’s redemptive work for us, we can enter into what we long for: the happiness found only in God. Randy Alcorn
• Teach your children gratefulness. Do all you can to deliver them from our culture’s poisonous entitlement mentality. Randy Alcorn
• Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously doing God’s will. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• God has been pursuing you with love and mercy every day of your life. Zack Eswine
• If you don’t know why it matters where a candidate stands on abortion and gay marriage, don’t lecture those who do. Denny Burk
• Jesus, may we find greater joy this week in loving people well than getting things done. Scotty Smith
• If you doubt your sins have been forgiven, that in itself is sin. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
• Some churches would rather die than to get out of the comfort of the past. Thom Rainer
• God tends to do his best work when the odds appear stacked against him. Kevin DeYoung
• Doctrine divides!” No, friend. Doctrine defines. Matt Smethurst
• Keep your happiness where it can’t be hurt: in Christ. Michael Reeves