Have you ever shown up to a new friend’s house and knocked on the wrong door? The last time this happened to me, I didn’t have any idea that the door I was knocking on might have been the wrong door. I parked (in what turned out to be the wrong driveway), strode up to the door and knocked. A man I had never seen hesitantly opened the door and we both stared at each other quizzically. He probably thought the stranger in front of him was about to sell him something or convince him to sign a petition. Meanwhile, I couldn’t figure out why this stranger was opening my friend’s door. Several seconds of silence passed before I awkwardly asked if this was my friend’s home. He kindly let me know that I wasn’t at the right house so I turned around and shuffled back to my car where I realized that my friend’s house was one door down. Oops.
What I Read in 2022 (and perhaps some books you might want to read in 2023)
How much would you pay to meet your favorite celebrity? $100? $1,000?? $10,000??? The number isn’t insignificant, is it? Listening to the stories and wisdom from those we trust is worth quite a bit, isn’t it?
This year Angel and I worked hard to bring our first co-written book entitled Substitute Identities to publication. Right now it is in the hands of our publisher’s copy editor, and we can’t wait to share it with you. The process of pouring our hearts into this book makes me reflect on just what gifts books are. While we might be willing to pay exorbitant sums to sit at the feet of the world’s best thinkers, it only takes $10-$20 to listen to these spinners of tales. Isn’t that amazing?
So, however many books you read in 2022, maybe you might be blessed to read a few more in 2023, and perhaps some of my favorites might point you to a few gems.
In 2022 so far, I’ve read 110 books and hope to read a handful more before the year closes. I’ve been blessed to read a wide variety of good books this year. I’ll begin with my four favorite books of 2022, followed by the entire list of books I read. I hope you find some gems for you in this.
Can I Get A Witness?
It has been heartbreaking to watch a parade of public Christian leaders pervert power or relinquish their faith. How can we maintain faith in Christ when respected leaders break our trust?
No religious leader was more influential when Jesus began his ministry than John the Baptizer. Crowds flocked from towns near and far to find him in the wilderness near the Jordan. He was dressed wildly, with a garment made of camel’s hair tied with a leather belt (Johnny Depp had nothing on him) and he ate a bizarre diet of locusts and wild honey (Gwyneth Paltrow, take note). Jesus declared that “among those born of women, there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11). Some whispered that this must be the Messiah. But he was not.
Listen To Your Life
My wife, Angel, is very comfortable with quiet. I admire her ability to sit peacefully and listen to God. She intentionally shut down social media over a year and a half ago. Me? Not so much. I work out with audiobooks or podcasts as my audio backdrop. I write with music on.
There are benefits to this audio soundscape in which I live. It means that I input quite a lot of information. I benefit from the teaching of many wise voices and am grateful for the gift of music, which inspires, soothes, and convicts me through the Holy Spirit.
The problem with a life of input is that it can choke out self-reflection and even the voice of God.
Fasting for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is almost here! While not a biblical holiday, Thanksgiving is a gift to the Christian. It is an opportunity to grow in gratitude. A heart of gratitude is a heart of worship. In the belly of the fish, Jonah sings to God, “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord’” (Jonah 2:9). Jonah’s hardened heart is softened in thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving, God invites us to align our hearts in praise.
Would you like to maximize your gratitude this Thanksgiving? I encourage you to consider fasting. Fasting?! That’s right. Would you consider joining me tomorrow in a day of prayer and fasting so that we may prepare our hearts for the joy of worshipful gratitude?
Covering Up Our Weaknesses
We all have weaknesses and insecurities. Where are your weaknesses? How are you compensating for them? How are you closing yourself off relationally or spiritually from having those insecurities addressed?
Most of us try to hide and compensate for our weaknesses. We are afraid of what others will think of us or we are embarrassed we haven’t been able to get ongoing sin under control. This is one of the great lies of the enemy: that masking our inadequacies is the best way to deal with them, that sharing them will make things worse, and that we can fix them on our own.
What Work Looks Like
Last week I made the case that work wasn’t the result of the fall – a curse that has fallen on humanity that we can only hope to escape one day. No, in fact, we were made for work and will work in the new heavens and new earth. That is a gift!
But what does this look like in our day-to-day life? What if your job is staying at home with your kids? What if you hate your job? What if you are retired?
Today, I would like to get practical by offering biblical wisdom regarding work for a few specific groups of people. Those groups are students, stay-at-home moms and dads, those who don’t like their job, those who love their job, and retirees.
This Week's Recommendations
Which Sins are Feeding Your Sin of Lust? David Powlison talks about how important it is to press into the sin behind the sin of lust. He shares a breakthrough with one client, “Look what we just found out: another movie was playing in a theater next door. Suddenly we were not only dealing with a couple of bad behaviors: viewing pornography and masturbating. We were dealing with anger at God that was driving those behaviors. What was that about?”
How to Give (and Receive) Repentance: Blake Glosson begins with this fun question, “Imagine you’re on Family Feud and Steve Harvey gives the following prompt: “We asked 100 sinners, ‘Name one reason why you do not repent of your sin to one another.’ The top seven answers are on the board.” What do you think the most common answers would be?”
Don’t Always Be Efficient: If you’re like me, you might need this word from Seth Lewis. He asks, “Who wants an efficient friendship? Or marriage? Who would want to visit an efficient park, or art museum? Who prefers drive-through fast food to a slow evening meal where the conversation lasts longer than the courses? It’s great to be efficient, but it’s not always great.”
Even the Darkness: Meredith Beatty shares, “As a child I was afraid of the dark, afraid that something sinister lurked under my bed just waiting to grab the stray toe hanging off the edge. But as an adult there’s a different kind of darkness, not literal, but just as scary. It’s one no one seeks and can descend upon us at any time. An uninvited blackout that clouds our hearts and brings despair.”
Naturalism is Nonsense: The late RC Sproul doesn’t mince words in this short clip.
The Questions Jesus Asked
We have lots of questions for God, like:
· “Why do bad things happen?”
· “Why is there only one way to heaven?”
· “Why are some people who follow you hypocrites?”
· “Why don’t you make it more obvious that you are God?”
God invites questions. He wants us to ask him questions! But these questions haunt some. For some, these questions create confusion and stall their faith journey. For others, these questions cause faith to deepen as they wrestle through them with God.
But the path between us and heaven is not one way. God asks us questions, too.
Do you think God has questions for you? What questions does God have for us[DC1] ? When[DC2] God put on flesh and dwelt among us, he offered answers, to be sure. But he asked many questions as well.
What questions did Jesus ask that we ought to answer? As we look at the questions Jesus asks, we find that most of his questions have to do with who he is and what he has done. He also asks heart questions about our motives and sin.
Reflect upon these questions Jesus asks us.
He asks us about our worries:
· And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matt 6:27
· And why are you anxious about clothing? Matt 6:28
The Garden of Eden was No Picnic
The Garden of Eden was no picnic. When God created Adam and Eve, he placed them in the Garden not to vacation, but to work. Before sin ever entered the picture, God formed Adan and Eve in his image, and called them to exercise dominion in the Garden of Eve.
We are called to create order from disorder, to cultivate, and till, and build. Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden not just to sip Mai Tais and binge on Netflix (not that there is anything wrong with that!); they were put there for the sake of dominion. God wanted caretakers who would craft, build, and create order.