Some of the good reads found this week:

Faith Over Fear: Meeting Christ in the Middle of the Storm, HT to the Story Warren. So many good observations here. “The disciples are caught in a situation they did not choose. They are doing exactly what Jesus told them to do—getting into a boat and crossing the Sea of Galilee—when trouble finds them. The wind rises, the waters churn, and progress becomes painful and slow (Mark 6:48). They are experienced fishermen, not novices, yet skill offers no relief. Darkness surrounds them. Exhaustion sets in. Control slips away. This matters because it confronts one of our most common assumptions about faith: that obedience guarantees smooth sailing. It doesn’t. Sometimes obedience places us directly in the path of difficulty. Faithfulness does not exempt us from storms, and competence does not shield us from fear.”

Does Rejecting Hell Really Set You Free? “We’ve separated eternal judgment from the larger story of Scripture and held it up in isolation, sometimes with devastating results. But the misuse of a doctrine does not make it false, and reshaping reality to ease our discomfort won’t bring us peace or freedom.”

Do I Resent the Life God Gave Me? HT to Challies. “Though I hate to admit it, resentfulness is a subtle but very real temptation in my heart, especially during times of deep pain and sorrow. Over time, I’ve learned how important it is to recognize this temptation when it comes, so that when I start to go down that path, I can take steps to realign my heart with the truth.”

When God’s Plans Seem Inconsistent with His Promises, HT to Challies. “What we see in God’s instruction to Abraham seems to show that there will be times when God asks things of his people that feel deeply confusing, yet we can be confident there is always more happening than what we can understand. We learn that God will allow trials in our lives that seem to contradict his promises, yet we can be sure he is steadfast and faithful beyond what we can see or understand in the moment.”

Canadian Family Claim Christian Grandmother Was Euthanized Against her Wishes, HT to Challies. This is alarming. “A family in Canada has alleged that their 83-year-old grandmother was euthanised despite her stated Christian beliefs and lack of mental capacity to consent to the procedure.”

Peace Is Better. “I’m not advocating for being silent about the great injustices of our society. We have to speak the truth when it’s needed. But I am saying that most of the things we want to create conflict and confrontation about in this world are just ways for us to personally feel that we got to say our piece, for us to get some sort of validation that we’re right, or for us to let someone else know that they’ve wronged us or made us feel sad, angry, or disappointed. I would argue that in most instances, the better path is the one where we pray and ask the Lord to soften our own heart, forgiving the person who slighted us or made us feel a certain way, and moving on with our day in peace.”

You Are Not Enough (And That Is Not Failure), HT to Challies. “‘You are not enough. Not enough. Not enough.’ Those hard words have been the mantra accompanying me as I’ve parented our children into adulthood. However, I am continually and graciously reminded to embrace the freedom found in their somber tone. Words that once felt like a condemnation of me as a mother have become a necessary reminder of the One who is enough and abundantly more than enough. His burden, I’m reminded, is easy and light (Matt. 11:30).”

What to Do When Your Spiritual Leader Falls. “Hopefully we realize that if we get close to any of our spiritual heroes, we will begin to see cracks and flaws. But what happens when spiritual leaders fail in big ways, ways that ruin lives and bring dishonor to the name of Christ? What do you do when someone you look up to falls?” I would add one more point to the excellent ones Ben listed: remember grace. A sin that may disqualify a man from spiritual leadership doesn’t mean he is no longer useful to God and must become a pariah in Christendom. God has marvelously forgiven and used people who grievously sinned and repented in Scripture.

Worship is not an experience. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline.We are to worship in spirit and in truth. Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them. Elisabeth Elliot