“Since the Reformation, the church (in general) has been better at seeing sin and idols than seeing and celebrating love. We have a clear vision of what we shouldn’t be, but a dull vision of what we should be. Our wonderful Reformation emphasis on sin and grace needs to be enlarged to encompass a vision of beauty and love. Otherwise, we’ll get stuck in the darkness. Our cynical age amplifies this tendency because cynicism is the craft of seeing evil in others’ motives. If we are not captured by a larger vision of the beauty of Jesus, we will see evil everywhere— especially in the church.” (Paul E. Miller, J-Curve: Dying and Rising with Jesus in Everyday Life)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been a while, but glad to be back and ready with a fresh new set of links for you to enjoy!

• Greg Koukl answers a common question asked of Christians: does Jesus endorse blind faith?
• At the Founders blog, Alex Kocman points to the source of biblical boldness, and our call to meditate again on the gospel to be faithful witnesses of Christ.
• 9Marks published their newest journal, and the title alone should excite you: “The Heart of the Gospel: Penal Substitutionary Atonement.”
• On the most recent Truth in Love podcast, Stephen Yuille talks about how the Puritans counseled with the Word, leading to their well-deserved label, “physicians of the soul.”
• Al Mohler earlier this year gave a talk on how to raise children in this day and age, and The Gospel Coalition recently made mention of it on the blog. Less than 30 minutes, so I’m sure it can fit in your commute somewhere.
• Becket Cook, a successful Hollywood set designer, was interviewed on TGC about his new book, A Change of Affection: A Gay Man’s Incredible Story of Redemption. A fascinating testimony to the power of the gospel.
• True Woman blogger Christy Britton confronts a common sentiment found in the church: casual Christianity. There is much to reflect and, possibly, repent of.
• Amy Hall at Stand to Reason points to the unwarranted criticism people have leveled at ‘purity culture,’ some responses, and calls all believers to continue to pursue obedience of our faithful God.
• Do humans and chimps differ? There are a number of reasons to think so, and also why they most likely aren’t our ancestors. Evolution News points to Wesley Smith’s article and Ann Gauger’s four-part series covering this topic.
• Can you help your teen study the Bible? Katherine Forster, a teen, believes so. She writes five tips to get you started.

That’s all for this week! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria