1. The Lord sees: Trevin Wax shares, “’El Roi’ is a name given to God in the Old Testament, a source of comfort and peace in times of distress. It first falls from the trembling lips of Hagar, the enslaved woman driven into the wilderness after being caught up in the sinful designs of her master and his wife. There she kneels, despondent and despairing, ready for life to come to an end. And there in that desert of sorrow, the Lord sees.”

2. How to be an elder on Sunday morning: Great advice for elders… and for all of us. David Gunderson says, “Elders provide fatherly leadership, care, and protection for God’s family. Thinking like a father on Sundays should warm your heart, clarify your focus, and make you more alert as you care for God’s family.”

3. Remember the Sabbath to keep us humble: Adam Salloum says,  “Imagine what it was like for these recently enslaved people to receive the command to remember the Sabbath. They were given one whole day each week to rest and enjoy their God. What an adjustment for a community that had no concept of “vacation time!” Who were the Israelites if they weren’t working?”

4. What Ken Ham gets wrong about creation: Helpful video from Gavin Ortlund urging us to not make young earth creationism a wedge issue in the church.

5. Mapped: US States by cost per prisoner: This is wild. The lowest cost is Arkansas at $23K and the highest is Massachusetts at an astounding $307K per prisoner. 

Photo by Harry Shelton on Unsplash