GENDER:

• God Made Us Male and Female, and That’s a Good Thin Scott Sauls writes “Whether through marriage or friendship, the coming together of the genders is so significant that it becomes the top metaphor in the Bible to illustrate God’s relationship with his people.”
• Federal Government Issues Letter on Transgender Policy to America’s Public Schools. Joe Carter writes “On Friday, May 13, the Obama administration sent a letter to all public schools in America notifying teachers and administrators of the regulations they must comply with in regards to their students’ “gender identity. The letter states that, to comply with Federal law, policies concerning students must be based on their gender identity and not on their biological sex.”
• What the Transgender Bathroom Debate Means to You. Russell Moore writes “The truth is that the male/female sex difference is objectively real. Biological science is built off of this reality. More importantly, the mystery of Christ tells us that the male/female binary points us beyond nature to the gospel itself (Eph. 5). We must tell the truth about this. John the Baptist lost his head for saying that Herod could not have his brother’s wife. Some now will be targeted as culturally unacceptable because they tell Herod he can’t be his brother’s wife. That will take courage and compassion and, above all, it will take Christ.”
• 7 Troubling Questions About Transgender Theories. Trevin Wax writes “We believe God’s design of male and female to be structurally good, but we also understand gender dysphoria to be another symptom that reminds us we live in a fallen world. For this reason, we must extend love and compassion to anyone who experiences this kind of distress, even as we reject society’s efforts to establish a fluid understanding of personhood.”

• From Agender to Ze: A Glossary for the Gender Identity Revolution. Joe Carter writes “Although terms like “transgender” and “gender identity” are increasingly used in the public square, many Christians are still unaware of what they mean or how broad the scope in which they are being used. To help provide some clarification and context, I’ve provided definitions for 31 terms commonly used by the gender identity movement.”

IN THE NEWS:

• Holy Twitter! Trump Takes on a Top Baptist Theologian. Russell Moore is a theologian that I very much respect.
• Crisis in American Democracy. Albert Mohler writes “The 2016 presidential campaign has developed in an entirely unpredictable manner and, in many respects, represents a crisis in American democracy.”
• In This Disillusioning Disheartening Election Year. Here’s our prayer of the week from Scotty Smith.
• Jen Hatmaker, Blurry Lines, and Transformative Truth. In writing about Jen Hatmaker, Chelsen Vicari states “But it’s not her blog, books nor TV show that have religion commentators a buzz this week. It’s her Facebook page and a so-called “shift” in LGBTQ affirmation that has Evangelicals talking about her.”
• Stephen Curry’s Ultimate Career Mixtape. Check out this video of the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry.
• Steph Curry Wins Unanimous NBA MVP Award. Congratulations to Steph Curry for repeating as the Most Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association.

TO MAKE YOU SMILE:

• Take Me Out to the Ballgame. My favorite rendition of this 7^th inning classic is by Jack Buck, former St. Louis Cardinals announcer.
• God Invites You Into His Happiness. Mark Jones writes “Of all God’s infinitely glorious attributes, perhaps His happiness should cause us the most envy. In God is the perfect union of all good things. He has an eternally infinite fullness, delight, and joy in Himself — such that we shall never be able to fully appreciate what his joy is like for Himself.”

CHRISTIAN LIVING:

• Die to Your Flesh and Live. Jon Bloom writes “Today, when your unruly flesh makes maddening demands on you, remember: It will not kill you to die to your flesh. You are choosing life.”
• Four Steps to Kill Nagging Sins. Gavin Ortlund shares four strategies for maintaining vigilance in the fight, drawn from John Owen, and particularly in relation to a nagging, persistent sin — that kind that keeps on tripping us up and entangling us in its grip.
• Forgiving Fallen Pastors. John MacArthur writes “Pray for your church’s leaders. Keep them accountable. Encourage them. Let them know you are following their godly example. Understand that they are not perfect. But continue nonetheless to call them to the highest standards of godliness and purity. The church must have leaders who are genuinely above reproach. Anything less is an abomination.”
• 4 Methods to Organize Your Prayer Life. Tim Challies writes “Is it time for you to organize your prayer life? Is it time for you to invest some effort not only in praying but also in preparing yourself to pray?”
• 12 Benefits of Getting Up an Hour Earlier on Monday-Friday. Chuck Lawless writes “I’ve learned that setting my alarm to get up an hour earlier each day has real benefits.”
• Where’s Your Heart? Randy Alcorn writes “He who spends his life moving away from his treasures has reason to despair. He who spends his life moving toward his treasures has reason to rejoice.”
• The Moral Revolutionaries Present Their Demands: Unconditional Surrender. Albert Mohler writes “Now that the moral revolutionaries are solidly in control, what is to be demanded of Christians who, on the basis of Christian conviction, cannot join the revolution? The demands have now been presented, and they represent unconditional surrender.”
• How to Develop a Christian Ethic. Russell Moore writes “Every Christian has a mandate to be able to articulate the truth of the gospel and to apply it in every season of life.”
• Say the Hard Things. Marshall Segal writes “How do we rebuke one another in love? Here are four lessons.”
• Seven Resolutions for Finishing Well. Listen to this message, of which John Piper writes “We could call these seven resolutions from God’s word and God’s grace for aging and getting ready to meet Jesus. Each of them is based on Psalm 71.”
• Think About Your Death. Francis Chan writes “Please, please, please consider spending just ten minutes in solitude today, meditating about your own funeral. But don’t stop there. Perhaps ponder some major life decisions after meditating on death.”
• Why Hospitality Beats Entertaining. Jen Wilkin writes “Forego the empty pleasure of entertaining. Serve instead the high-heaped feast of hospitality, even as it has been served to you.”

GREAT RESOURCES:

• Jesus is the Author. Sinclair Ferguson writes “But perhaps the most intriguing title for Jesus in the letter is “author.” He is called the “author of … salvation” and the “author … of our faith” ( 2:10; 12:2, NIV).”
• Top Podcasts for Christian Leaders. Colby Adams shares podcast favorites from several evangelical leaders who are also podcast aficionados.
• Justification by Faith Alone: Martin Luther and Romans 1:17. In this video excerpt from his teaching series Luther and the Reformation, C. Sproul describes the moment of awakening Martin Luther had as he read Romans 1:17.
• A Secret Way to Kick-Start Your Theological Library. Tim Challies writes “You can build an electronic library of excellent theological journals and magazines without spending a dime.”
• 15 Discernment Diagnostics. Kevin DeYoung asks “What is false teaching, and how do we spot it?

• Contentment is deeply God-like; grumbling deeply devilish. Michael Reeves
• Fill your life with things that stir your affections for Jesus and cut out what robs you of those affections. Matt Chandler
• If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity. S. Lewis
• Our prayers reveal a lot about us. Our requests show us what we treasure. Francis Chan
• Jesus was not a teacher come from God, He was God come to teach. Steven Lawson
• Your next step is often found, not by restlessly recounting all the things you don’t know, but by paying quiet attention to what you do know. Zack Eswine
• Because of the gospel, we can neither increase nor decrease God’s delight in us. This empties our obedience & service of all self-interest. Scotty Smith
• A believer’s last day is his best day; his dying-day is better than his birthday. Thomas Brooks
• Now it is my unceasing joy to know that my sins are no longer imputed to me but are laid on Him. Charles Spurgeon