“To move from religion to secularism is not so much a loss of faith as a shift into a new set of beliefs and into a new community of faith, one that draws the lines between orthodoxy and heresy in different places.” (Tim Keller, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Well, the weekend is here, and there’s a lot to catch up on, so here are this week’s links!

• How thick is your Bible? This is a question Biblical counselor Jim Newheiser asks to those interested in counseling the Scriptures to one another, and gets to the heart of that question in his recent contribution to the Biblical Counseling Coalition blog. As in his teaching, he provides some practical counsel that will be of great help in this endeavor! In case you want to check out his list of 100 go-to Scripture passages on counseling topics, go here.
• Parents, in case you were wondering about the new book The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the a Roots and Shoots of Faith by Champ Thornton, here’s Tim Challies’ review.
• Jack Chick, famously known for his Chick tracts, died this past Sunday. Christianity Today has a brief story of his life. Fred Butler gives a personal take on his tracts.
• Andy Stanley, considered pastor of one of the largest church in America, recently gave a series of messages at his church that sought to draw those who have left the church to come back. Since then, he has received criticism from some influential Christian leaders, most recent of which is John Piper. This one is a definite must-read.
• Ken Sande shares a story, and some biblical principles, of how to show care to those who aren’t sure whether to open themselves up to you or not.
• Jason Engwer has written a nine-part series of posts responding to New Testament scholar Annette Merz’s doubts about the reliability of Jesus’ infancy narratives, claiming Nazareth is more likely his birthplace, not Bethlehem. This is very informative, so I hope you give some time for this series about the birthplace of our Lord.
• Though I have yet to see the whole video, many have anticipated Ray Comfort’s new film, The Atheist Delusion, which is a response to Richard Dawkins’ best-seller, The God Delusion. Jordan Standridge at The Cripplegate gives his reasons to watch the film, providing the video at the bottom of the post.
• With the coming of Reformation Day on the 31st (and that other event people celebrate), John Piper answers a question about why Christians should affirm the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura, and why Roman Catholicism is in the wrong on this issue. Tim Chester writes 10 things you should know about the Reformation. Gregg Allison and Chris Castaldo were recently interviewed about their new book The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants After 500 Years.

That’s all for this week! This week is flocks week, so please keep them in prayer as they review this past Sunday’s sermon, and don’t forget to pray for all the ladies who will be attending Table for 6 tomorrow! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria