Here’s some good reads gathered from different blogs and sites over this past week:
Check this out if you’re looking for something to help with family devotions, especially if you have kids under ten: The Seeds Project: Jesus Is All You Need by Mike Leake (click here)
At present The Seeds Project is written for small children and early readers. My seven year old son (who is going on 17) really enjoys the devotions and the activities. I believe any child from about 5-9 would find enjoyment and benefit. But the design is that these devotions would be family devotions. My ultimate goal is to equip parents to do Bible study with their children that is both faithful and engaging.
On sins we tolerate but shouldn’t: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Casey Lewis (click here)
We overlook “respectable sins” not only because they are pervasive, but also because they don’t seem as bad as say: Abortion, homosexuality, sex trafficking, and exploiting the poor. Our gossip, worry, and frustrations are insignificant, minor infractions in comparison, so we turn a blind eye and continue to allow them fester.
On hope and the gospel: Win the World with Hope by K. Scott Oliphant (click here)
The eyeglasses of Holy Scripture change our vision of the world. No other eyeglasses can give us a proper view of the world — not the daily news, or a poignant movie, or a great novel. Looking through other glasses is like looking at yourself in a carnival mirror — the world looks distorted and all out of proportion. A 20/20 vision of the world is only possible with Scriptural lenses. One of the things that seems too often to be obscured in our Scriptural vision is the theological virtue of hope. Along with love and faith, the church has recognized a special place for Christian hope (1 Corinthians 13:13).
On suffering: Four Things Christians Should Do when Suffering by David Qaoud (click here)
Paul had to learn to find his contentment in Christ, not in people or circumstances. It was something that he had to learn; it wasn’t something he was born with. Contentment is not a spiritual gift. It has to be learned, and it is primarily learned in the school of suffering.
On the gospel and people struggling with gender identity: How Should We Respond to Caitlyn Jenner by Jon Bloom (click here)
If we are compassionate, prayerful people who reasonably understand transgender and sexual-orientation issues and what the Bible says about them, we are in a good position to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Speaking truth is itself a form of love, even if a person doesn’t receive it as such initially. But “in love” also means speaking with great respect, empathy, and appropriate humility. And it means a willingness to love strugglers with deeds (such as hospitality), not just words (1 John 3:18).
First Baptist Church 
Thanks, Mike!