“Worship is any essential expression of service rendered unto God by a soul who loves and extols Him for who He is. Real worship therefore should be the full-time, nonstop activity of every believer, and the aim of the exercise ought to be to please God, not merely entertain the worshiper.” (John MacArthur, Worship: The Ultimate Priority)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s been awhile, so I hope this will give you much to chew on. Here are this week’s links!

• IBCD (Institute for Biblical Counseling and Discipleship) had their summer institute conference on the issue ‘Identity Crisis’ a few months ago, and have announced the posting of all the general sessions and workshops on their website. 38 audios that are sure to inform, equip, and encourage. Don’t miss out on this rich resource!
• The Crossway blog has been busy with some great posts. Early in the week, John Piper was interviewed on the Crossway Podcast on the sovereignty of God, pastoral burnout, and racism. Another blog recounts, in brief, the history of Crossway’s tract ministry.
• The Gospel Coalition podcast highlighted one of their conference talks earlier this year on biblical principles for resolving conflict from Danielle Sallade. It’s never enough to hear the Bible’s view on dealing with conflict God’s way. If you’re in a conflict right now, this may be of help to you.
• Leslie Schmucker, mom of three, grandmother of six, and former public school teacher, gives some ideas for how to use reason and logic to point your kids to Christ.
• Denny Burk writes about the case of Barronelle Stutzman, the florist who declined to participate in a same-sex wedding. She had already won her case in the Supreme Court, but Washington state refuses to heed the decision made by the Supreme Court justices. For that reason, she is making an appeal to the Supreme Court. The video alone lays out what happened and what led to Stutzman appearing in court. This is still worth paying attention to.
• Remembering the tragedy of 9/11 can bring a flood of emotion to those immediately affected by the loss of loved ones, as well as Americans who were alive and can vividly recall where they were when that took place. Denny Burk mentions his story, as well as the sermons that were preached across America the Sunday after, 9/16. He highlights sermons from Pastors John Piper and Tom Nelson.
• Greg Koukl and Amy Hall of Stand to Reason were recently interviewed on DTS The Table Podcast about how to have spiritual conversations with people who disagree with us about Christianity. If you want a simple introduction to their ambassador approach, this is a great place to start!
• The case against David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt for “wire-tapping” conversations with key leaders of Planned Parenthood have started this week in San Francisco. Pastor Jesse Johnson points out five incredible revelations from this ongoing case in court. This is another case that needs more exposure.
• It turns out the peppered moth and Darwin’s finches seem to start pointing towards intelligent design and away from evolution, given a couple new studies about their complexity early on in the discovery of their fossils and current state. So much for these ‘icons of evolution.’

That’s all for this week! Please pray for the youth and collegians, as they meet tonight for Bible study. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria