Here is a collection of good reads gathered from across the internet this past week. Enjoy!
On church: Three Reasons to Stay in a Church That’s not Cool Enough by Michael Kelley
Church is NOT where we all look the same, not in heaven and therefore not on earth. True unity, then, does not come with something as easy as total agreement. It only comes through death. It comes when one or more of us choose to die to our own preferences for the sake of the overall unity in the body of Christ. (click here to read more)
On positively impacting others through doing what you can: When You Smell a Skunk in the Road by Mike Leake
Then I thought again about my friend and his helpful skunk quote. I thought about how he doesn’t get in his truck every night and drive through the community looking for dead skunks. But if he sees one, he responds. He sees it as God’s opportunity to serve. If he smells a skunk he doesn’t assume that somebody else will fix it—he realizes it is now his responsibility. (click here to read more)
A tribute to Jerry Bridges who passed into eternity this last week: Five Lessons from a Remarkable Life of Faith by Tony Reinke
Bestselling author Jerry Bridges passed away today at the age of 86. He was not only a friend, he was a big influence on my Christian life, and many of you could say the same thing. His books are as wonderful as they are authentic, and I’ve always had the sense his writings were the product of the deepest wrestlings he faced in his own walk with the Lord.
Over the years I’ve been honored to interview Jerry several times, and in the winter of 2011, I asked him, looking back over his 60+ years as a Christian, what were the hard-won lessons he would want younger believers to take from his life? Here’s what he told me… (click here to read more)
On battling loneliness: Hope for the Lonely Heart by Katelynn Luedke
First John 4:18 states that “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Christ has loved us with an everlasting and perfect love. He has saved us, he has surrounded us with the church, and he has promised his presence for eternity. For the Christian, the promises of God’s word are the well of great joy. When we can willingly trust and faithfully believe in these promises, we will then be able to experience the freedom, peace, and joy they bring to believers in any circumstance. (click here to read more)
And finally, some words of wisdom from Jerry Bridges:
First Baptist Church 