Best of the Week for January 18
In Best of the Week we link to a handful of the best articles, videos, books, etc. that we have come across in the last week. We hope this will point you to some of the right places and give you gospel-rich tools and thoughts for life and mission.
Why I Pray With an App
I use this particular app, and it has helped my praying SO MUCH. It has helped me to be much more consistent, purposeful, and organized. It may not be for everyone, but I think it could be a huge help to many of you. You can read more about it in a post from our Is God Listening? series.
Comfort is a Deadly Compass
“We tend to go with our reflex. And for many, this reflex is for personal comfort. When given choices we often tend towards that which is going to be the most comfortable and most personally rewarding. But what if our compass is defective? What if the right sense of direction would tell us to do the hard thing that requires humility?”
Pursuit of comfort may be one of the great lies and idols of our day. Most of us assume it as a basic right, even interpreting our desire for it as the Spirit leading us. But our hearts are “deceitful and desperately sick,” so anything we desire should be checked against the unchanging standard of the Scriptures. And comfort, we see, is not close to the top of God’s list.
Dissect Your Discouragement
“Any emotion can be used as a diagnostic tool. Negative emotions, while uncomfortable and often unwelcome, can serve as instruments alerting us to what is going in on our souls, forcing us to slow down and deal with something gone awry within.”
Unfortunately, discouragement isn’t something just whisked away. It takes time, introspection, and the Lord’s help. This article gives a little insight into the introspection piece. There is always something under our discouragement, and God wants to walk us through those things and lead us back to joy.
The Day I Made My Biggest Mistake in Evangelism
“I’m not sure if James heard a noise about seven minutes into the film, but if he did, it was my hopes being dashed on the floor. James was a hip, modernized college dude who had seen far more of Hollywood’s latest offerings than me. The Jesus Film, meanwhile, is on the cutting edge of 1979. I confess I felt embarrassed. Embarrassed to be subjecting him to subpar acting and cringeworthy cinematography—Is that Jesus levitating?—for two long hours.
This is a GREAT story that will remind you that, while our job is to plant and water seeds of the gospel, only God can make things grow (1 Cor. 3.7). But he can make things grow!
Trying to Play “Guess Who” in 2018
As is often the case, John Crist for the win.
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