As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers…
WHEN DISCOURAGEMENT STRIKES
“Things might be going really well but, one thing, and discouragement sets in. Sometimes it is that one things catches us off guard. We might cope quite well with a series of difficulties, but a discouragement coming out of the blue when things are going pretty well can really hit us. As I say, it’s a strange old beast.”
Leaders in friendship
“We need to friendship in our churches, but our churches also need to see friendship modelled and that has to start with the leaders, leaders who are willing to open up, to show vulnerability, apply grace, and spur one another on to follow Jesus.”
7 Tips for Pastoring Your Children
“This is written mainly for pastors and those who aspire to be pastors. Hopefully, other parents will profit too. If you’re a pastor and a father, you already know how hard each is, and how much harder the two in tandem can be. And I trust you already know, and have taught again and again, what it means to raise your children in the discipline and nurture of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). What follows is simply a small collection of counsel that I hope will provide some reminder, spur, or spark of encouragement.”
Show Your Scars
“Scars tell a story. Every scar, whether seen or unseen, tells a tail of the ups and downs of life. Some scars are visible whilst some are hidden. Some are self inflicted whilst some are forced upon us. So often we feel the need to hide our scars. We feel the need to hide our stories of pain so that we present a picture of happiness and health to the world. But there’s a better way, a way that’s more helpful for us and for our listeners.”
Can I Lose My Salvation?
In just six minutes these guys address massive topics and some of the Bible passages surrounding this question that most Christians ask, at one point or another.
I Spent a Year as a Trans Man. Doctors Failed Me at Every Turn.
An interesting article and a story that you don’t hear that often. Transition testimonies are pushed but most of the time the stories of people who de-transition, or who continue to suffer after transitioning, do not get the same air time.
Skilful Shepherds
“There is much written for church leaders today on Christian leadership, but whatever benefit may come from common grace wisdom on this subject from secular sources, it must not eclipse the priority of the Bible’s teaching. Christian leadership, by definition, is to be distinct and unique. It is the opportunity for the gospel to be modelled, and to mould the church into a credible and compelling challenge to the unbelieving world.”
How to sit down on the inside
“We don’t know what Ruben wrote in that study, but the Lord knows what is going unsaid in our minds. He will calm our anxieties and quiet us. And because he hears us, we can model what it means to communicate in our silences. We can build Kingdom-of-God spaces where hearts are heard. “
Fighting Burnout as a Pastor’s Wife
“We’ve all had those days. You know, the ones where you crawl into bed, makeup still on, wondering if it’s okay not to brush your teeth just this once. All the while, you wonder what actually happened to the minutes that evaporated into history.”
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