A spiritual application of the Word of God consists in applying it to the heart, in spiritually enlightening, sanctifying influences.  A spiritual application of an invitation or offer of the gospel consists in giving the soul a spiritual sense or relish of the holy and divine blessings offered, and the sweet and wonderful grace of the Offerer in making so gracious an offer, and of his holy excellency and faithfulness to fulfill what he offers, and his glorious sufficiency for it, so leading and drawing forth the heart to embrace the offer and thus giving the man evidence of his title to the thing offered. (Jonathan Edwards, The Religious Affections)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Another week has passed, but not the links! Here they are, in no specific order:

• Wisdom calls for both sides to be heard in a conflict when counseling, advises biblical counselor Paul Tautges.
• Pride can come in many forms, but what does God have to say about pride, and what is the cure?
• Ever heard the expression, “You Only Live Once”? Well, a number of errors hide behind that common phrase, so a biblical perspective would help address that.
• You may have heard that many youth in the church leave it entirely upon entering college, or before they finish their undergraduate degree. Many have cited a lack of apologetic training that would keep them in. Others have blamed it on the secular professors at the university. But what are the real reasons youth leave the church? Fred Butler gets it better than I’ve seen before.
• Wives, moms, are there signs that you can tell whether you have been influenced by feminism? Courtney Reissig draws out some heart indicators for you to be on the lookout for.
• With the many problems that may arise in church due to a lack of prayer, how then shall we pray? At the Christward Collective, a number of factors play in to this. The answer? Read on to find out!
• This week brought the 451st anniversary of John Calvin’s death. If you haven’t had a chance to catch up with Stephen’s Church History class, check out this primer on Calvin’s life, death, and legacy.
• Meditation is usually seen as an emptying of the mind, but what truly is meditation, and how do we encourage one another towards greater faithfulness? Paul Tripp will definitely get you thinking.

That’s all for this week! Please keep the flocks in prayer as they meet for the last time in the academic year, and that Christ would be honored in all discussions! See you Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria