CHRISTIAN LIVING & LEARNING

• The Biggest Temple in Town. David Mathis writes “For those of us who claim Jesus as Lord and also get hyped about our favorite teams, we need a regular soul-check. And especially at the onset of football season.”
• Whatever is False, Whatever is Dishonorable, Whatever is Unjust… Tim Challies writes “The battle for holiness is first a battle to flood your mind and heart with the right things, the best things, and why it’s equally a battle to avoid flooding your mind and heart with the wrong things, the worst things.”
• What Does TV Say About Sex? Stephen WitmerStephen WitmerStephen WitmerStephen Whitmer writes “Everyone’s saying something about sex these days. The question is not only who are we listening to, but what are we saying?”
• How to Overcome Satan’s Temptations. J.D. Greear writes “If we know a little about Satan’s tactics, we can have much more confidence when he attacks.”
• Endless, Bottomless, Boundless Grace and Compassion. Sinclair Ferguson writes “What is paramount and striking in Owen’s thinking is that being a Christian involves a deep affection for Christ. He is a person to be known, admired, and loved.”
• Trusting God for Decision-Making Peace. Scotty Smith prays “Father, thank you for teaching us that life isn’t primarily about making the right decisions, but trusting the right Lord—and that is Jesus.”
• God Has Planned Your Glory. John Piper writes “God has told us amazing things about our future, because he wants us to be amazed.”
• What God Does With Your Sin. Tim Challies writes “So, what does God do with your sin? He throws it behind his back, drowns it in the sea, treads it underfoot, blots it out, forgets it, removes it, covers it, takes it away, cancels it, washes it, and forgives it.”
• 3 Ways Spurgeon Conquered His Secret Sin. Christian George writes that Charles Spurgeon’s “secret sin — his “darling” sin — was pride.”
• Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?C. Sproul writes “We pray because God commands us to pray, because it glorifies Him, and because it benefits us.”
• If God is Sovereign, Why Pray?C. Sproul writes “Prayer, like everything else in the Christian life, is for God’s glory and for our benefit, in that order.”
• 10 Things You Should Know about Persecution. Tim Keesee, founder and executive director of Frontline Missions International, offers this contribution in Crossway’s “10 Things You Should Know” series.
• A Mourner’s Thoughts on Sickness, Sorrow, Pain and Death. Scott Sauls writes “My fellow mourners, come and mourn with me awhile. Let’s weep and wail and lament and protest together, as far as the curse is found. But let’s not do so as those who are without hope, but rather as those who know how The Story ends.”
• Conflict is an Opportunity. Erik Raymond writes “Conflict can drive us apart or close, depending on whether or not we apply the gospel.”
• The Preciousness of Heaven. John MacArthur writes “In reality, everything that is truly precious to us as Christians is in heaven.”
• I Will Build My Church. My pastor, Robert Smart, is preaching through the book of Matthew. Here’s a wonderful sermon on the church from Matthew 16:1-12.
• Why Did John the Baptist Call Israel to be Baptized? Watch this short video excerpt from R.C. Sproul’s teaching series What Did Jesus Do?, in which he explains why John the Baptist called the whole nation of Israel to be baptized.

IN THE NEWS:

• After Tweaking 29 Verses, Bible Translation Becomes Unchanging Word of God.  Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra writes of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible “The translation oversight committee changed just 52 words across 29 verses—out of more than 775,000 words across more than 31,000 verses—for the final “permanent text” edition. The board then voted, unanimously, to make the text “unchanged forever, in perpetuity.”
• Teaching Calvin in California. Jonathan Sheehan writes in the New York Times, “No surprise that many believe that theology has no place in the secular college classroom. Over the years, I have decided that this is wrong. I learned to think otherwise teaching Calvin in California.”
• Some Resources on House Bill 2. J.D. Greear writes “While the arguments about HB2 never completely subsided, they did wane … until this week. Earlier this week, the NCAA and the ACC announced that they would be removing many of their championship games from North Carolina. The decision, which will lose the state millions of dollars, has re-ignited the debate about the meaning of HB2.”

TO MAKE YOU SMILE:

• Donald Trump Let’s Jimmy Fallon Mess Up His Hair. Yes, this happened recently on The Tonight Show. http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show/video/donald-trump-lets-jimmy-fallon-mess-up-his-hair/3100346
• Liberty University Announces Plan to Open On-Campus Trump Casino. The Babylon Bee Your Trusted Source For Christian News Satire reports “Jerry Falwell, Jr., President of Liberty University, announced at a Thursday press conference plans for the upcoming Trump Liberty Casino, to be located on campus to serve students and faculty.”
• How to Sound Smart in your TED Talk. Check out this parody of a TED Talk from Will Stephen.

• Thank God that He doesn’t wait until we take an interest in Him before He takes a profound interest in us by His grace. Eric Alexander
• The best way to starve the idols of our hearts is to feast on the gospel of God’s grace. Scotty Smith
• Anxiety is a daily statement to God saying, “I don’t think you have my best interest in mind. Tim Keller
• We jump from optimism to darkness so quickly when we aren’t grounded in a deep faith that God is in the matter, no matter what the matter is. Paul Miller
• Protect your character – even more than you try to protect your reputation. Do this and you’ll gain the other. Ron Edmondson
• A right heart leans on Christ, hangs on Christ, builds on Christ & cleaves to Christ. C. Ryle
• Humility isn’t about pretending to be lower than we are. It’s about realizing we are not as mighty as we think. Kevin DeYoung
• You are worse than you think you are, but also far more loved than you feel you are. Tim Keller
• We are meant to glorify God in this life and share in his glory in the next. And nothing else matters, really. Kathy Keller